Need I suggest that those who spend time doing crossword puzzles (or sudoku)—uselessly filling empty boxes (a metaphor for some emptiness in their lives?)—could be doing something else that involves words and letters? It's called reading.
That line is nearly topped a few paragraphs later with this:
It suddenly occurred to me that things must be even worse for the newspaper business than I had imagined. Crosswords and sudoku may be all that holds up the bottom line. Truly, the last days are upon us: People apparently now buy the newsprint editions only because you can do the puzzles in them.
Ha! (And "Sigh!") For the record: I've always sucked at crossword puzzles. And Scrabble. But I'm not bad at charades. And I kick ass at Trivial Pursuit.
