IF I CAN ASK...

Here at The Free Choice E-zine, we get e-mails (at freechoiceezine@gmail.com) from fans and loyal readers.
Many of them are just comments along the lines of "Keep up the good work," or are suggestions that, if possible, get incorporated into future postings.

From time to time however, we also get questions.
One of the most common is basically along the lines of "Why don't you interview {fill in the blank}?"

First off, this E-zine is operated by a small and dedicated staff.
Mostly me, myself, and I.
Secondly, while I may have the time to pursue such articles, I unfortunately don't have the connections nor clout to do so.
But if I could, I would love to ask...

ALEX TREBEK, THE HOST OF JEOPARDY! (syndicated)
Has anyone ever considered applying the technology behind the Jeopardy! game board to revive Concentration? A rebus based game show of the past.

TED ALLEN, HOST OF FOOD NETWORK'S VARIOUS CHOPPED PROGRAMS
After competing, what do you think is the next most difficult part of your shows: judging, hosting, or deciding what goes in to the baskets before each round?

ALI KHAN, HOST OF THE COOKING CHANNEL'S CHEAP EATS
I understand the basic concept of your show, but how did you arrive at the $35 per episode budget?

ACTOR SCOTT BAKULA, CURRENTLY ON NCIS: NEW ORLEANS
During the Summer before what unfortunately became the final season of Quantum Leap, there was talk of (among other things) an animated episode. Whatever happened to that? Because at the very least, a script and/or possibly storyboards might still exist that I'm sure fans would love to see.

There are a lot of other "little mysteries" that I would love to see resolved, like
Why good creators of the past are unable to find work today just because they are allegedly no longer "hot",
but I think I've asked enough questions for now, so have a nice day.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: PONDERINGS (misc. jokes)

Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here!
Now, let me see if I've got this straight.
The Vernal Equinox, marking the first day of Spring, was March 20.
Today is March 24, so WHERE IS SPRING?
The darn season must have a very lousy travel agent, because not only is it late, it's still cold, grey, and miserable outside.
At least there's no snow, but I can't go outside and feel the sun on my fur because there isn't any warmth to experience right now, let alone a sun🌞 to see.
Do we get extra days of good weather instead of Fall🍂 this October because Spring is late? I think we should!

Here are some other things I'm pondering right now...

Which letter is silent in the word SCENT. The S or the C?

Either way, it still sounds the same.
Of course SENT and CENT are a different matter.
You either have the penny or you don't.

Why is the letter W in Human English called Double U?
Shouldn't it be called Double V?

Have you ever realized that every time you clean something, you must make something else dirty?

The word SWIMS upside down is still SWIMS!

100 years ago, everyone owned a horse🐎 and only the rich had cars.🚗
Today everyone has a car🚘 and only the rich own horses.🐴
Just goes to show you how the stables have turned.

Do you realize that your future self is watching you right now through your memories?

If you replace W with T in WHAT, WHERE AND WHEN, you get the answer to each of them.
So why ask the questions?

That if you rip a hole in a net, there are actually fewer holes in it than there were before.

Roses🌹 may be red, but violets are NOT blue.
Besides, how can you tell the mood of a flower, anyway?

And on that note♫, have a great week everybody and please be back here again next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—AtP.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: MARCH 17-23, 2019

MARCH 24 MARKS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE INFAMOUS EXXON VALDEZ CRASH.
MARCH 24 IS ALSO WORLD TUBERCULOSIS AWARENESS DAY.

MARCH 25 IS GREECE’S INDEPENDENCE DAY.

MARCH 25 MARKS THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY COLOR TVS BEING AVAILABLE.

MARCH 26 IS BANGLADESH’S INDEPENDENCE DAY.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌏RLD THIS PAST WEEK…

*In the wake of their recent terrorist attack, New Zealand has followed through on their promise of stricter gun laws! WHY NOT OTHER COUNTRIES??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan has decided to resign. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev is now President, and renamed the capital in his predecessor’s honor. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*American President Donald Trump has overturned US Treasury Department sanctions that affected North Korea.
*England has officially requested a delay of Brexit proceedings from the European Union, but there are problems with the timing of that request. Yet a lot of people DON'T want to leave! (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Besides their previous interest in trying to host a future Summer Olympics, North and South Korea are now considering joint hosting of a future FIFA Women’s World Cup tournament too.
*No more aluminum cans???
*March 25, 1954; RCA made the first color TV set commercially available. The 12 and a half inch screen sold for $1000!
*Jupiter's Europa has a jet stream???

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*The Free Choice E-zine does not support terrorism, no matter what the “cause” or alleged “justification”. Thus we will only be posting news items in this section whenever terrorists are brought to justice.

😢PASSING PARADE…
*Special Effects and film director John Carl Buechler (Troll, Friday the 13th Part 6) has passed away.
*Actor/voice artist/radio personality Tom Hatten (credits too numerous to mention) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Writer Larry DiTillio (Fat Albert, original and revival of He-Man, original She-Ra, Babylon 5) is no longer with us.
*The King of Surf Guitar Dick Dale (aka Richard Monsour) has passed away.
*David White of The Spokesmen and Danny and the Juniors is no longer with us.
*TV writer/producer Eunetta T. Boone (One on One, The Hughleys) has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
THE BORDER WALL-KIDS-IMMIGRATION ISSUES…
*President Trump declared the lack of a border wall a “national emergency”. There have since been legal and legislative battles initiated over this.
*The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of the Trump Administration concerning detainment in some instances.
NOTE: While we are doing our best to provide coverage, the above is a serious, ongoing issue. Especially since no one has yet to discuss the costs of separating families and who is truly responsible for the deaths of FOUR detainees, let alone if anyone might actually be making a profit from this situation.
TARIFF TALK…
*Side effects of Trump’s current trade war.
POLITICALLY…

*Donald Trump STILL doesn’t like deceased Senator John McCain??? Let’s fact check Trump. (There are 4/FOUR separate links in this item.)
*The President certainly doesn’t like his critics either! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*OOPS! “We missed the deadline.”
*Maybe he’s too busy reducing overtime and increasing waste dumping. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Is Donald Trump’s fund raising guilty of money laundering???
*Trump’s latest Twitter Tour. Should Congress take action??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Robert Mueller has turned in his final report concerning the investigation into Russia’s possible interference in the 2016 Presidential election. What happens next??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*President Trump has overturned Treasury Department sanctions that affected North Korea.
*An interesting statistic about Trump’s Presidency, so far.
*Fact check time again!
MEANWHILE…
*Just how many Democratic contenders are there now for the Presidency in 2020???
ELSEWHERE…
*How can you sue a COW🐮 that has its own Twitter account??? Yet you can defend using the “N” word??? (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Just what should a “lame duck🦆” do???
*Trying to do the right thing legally, although it’s against the law.
*Disney now owns part of FOX.
*The Flintstones can’t live here???
*Mike Trout for $430 MILLION dollars over 12 years???
*Ichiro Suzuki has officially retired from playing baseball.

😀AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS…
*March 28 is the start of the 2019 Baseball⚾ Season!

Although our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen was suspended when Blogger updated its gadgets, we have ADDED a new TRANSLATE feature in the upper right hand corner!

THE PUZZLE CORNER: MARCH 23, 2019

😎FUN FACT
The planet Saturn was originally ring less! Its gravitational force eventually attracted everything that encircles the planet now.

BEFORE AND AFTER
Two separate items share at least one word, and so can be combined to create something new. Based upon the clue below, do you know what the new thing is?

Passionate request to witness a George R. R. Martin event?

RHYME TIME⌛
The clue to something is below, but no matter how long your answer is, each word within it must rhyme. Ready?

Someone who obtains college admission illegally.

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the March 16, 2019 Puzzle Corner.

COMMON BONDS
The items in each subset below have something in common. Do you know what it is?
01. {Lenny Kravitz, Al Roker} = They’re cousins.
02. {Roy Orbison, Linda Rondstadt} = Both have sung ♫Blue Bayou♫, with Orbison expressing the opinion that Rondstadt’s was the best cover he ever heard.

REBUS
Something familiar is represented by the image on the right.
Do you know what it is?

Or, at least we truly HOPE it is!

SUNDAY FUNNIES: OF CATS AND SHAMROCKS

Ah. Happy Saint Patrick's Day me fine lads and lassies.

Of course, I've recently discovered that March 17 is also Saint Gertude's Day. Patrick may have driven the snakes out of Ireland, and I haven't seen any of those reptiles around lately meself, but Gertude is the Patron Saint of Cats🐱, but please don't call her a crazy cat lady. Them felines be fine animals.

In any event, Larry the Leprechaun here, pausing to celebrate with everyone here as part of all the events on my long agenda for today.

First off, in case any of you are wondering, leprechauns are lucky, under certain circumstances. But ever since that one bloke hooked up with that cereal company, none of the rest of us can come right out and call ourselves lucky.

Anyway, whether you prefer cats or shamrocks, today be Saint Patrick's Day, where even those who cannot claim any ancestry to the Emerald Isle be Irish today as we honor the great Saint Patrick himself. You'll have to talk to whoever is in charge of calendars to find out why Gertude doesn't even get mentioned.

While the day first began as purely a religious observance during Lent, it has certainly grown beyond anyone's imagination to become a holiday of anything and everything Irish, whether it be legend or fact.
However, that does not prevent me from telling everyone some fine Irish inspired humor.

What's Irish and stays outside in your yard all the time?
Patty O'Furniture.

Why did good Saint Patrick drive the snakes out of Ireland?
Because it was too far for them to walk.

Why should you never iron a four leaf clover?
Because ye don't want to press your luck.

What do you call a fake stone in Ireland?
A sham rock.
Of course, music wise, some of us leprechauns really like sham rock and roll.

What kind of bow cannot be tied?
A rainbow.

What does it mean when you find a horseshoe?
Some poor horse is walking around bare foot!

Why do frogs love Saint Patrick's Day?
Because they're already green.

And now, before I must part company with all ye fine people, let me pause to wish everyone the best in life.
Until we meet again...

May the road rise up to meet ye to ease your travels

May the wind always be at your back to make the journey quicker

May the sun shine warm upon your face to make your trip more comfortable

May the rains fall softly upon your fields to make your crops more bountiful.

May a rainbow always follow the rain.

May your needs never meet lack.

And may the hand of a friend always be within reach.

HAPPY SAINT PATRICK'S DAY!

HAPPY SAINT GERTUDE'S DAY!

Please party responsibly.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: MARCH 10-16, 2019

MARCH 17 IS SAINT PATRICK’S DAY.🍀

MARCH 20 IS THE VERNAL EQUINOX/FIRST DAY OF SPRING.

MARCH 20 IS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF COMPLETING THE FIRST SUCCESSFUL AROUND THE WORLD BALLOON TRIP.

2019 MARKS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JUMP START COMIC STRIP.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…

*British Parliament to Prime Minister May: Try again, concerning Brexit. Britain has since formally requested a delay in leaving the European Union. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*After the tragic terrorist attack, New Zealand is preparing to overhaul their gun laws. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Donald Trump was an inspiration???
*Is North Korea planning to resume their nuclear program???
*Did the United States commit war crimes in Afghanistan???
*While their alleged involvement in the 2016 American Presidential election is still under investigation, will Russia interfere with another election???
*The Boeing 737 MAX is grounded until further notice.
*President Abdelaziz Bouteflika of Algeria has announced he will not seek a fifth term.
*GLOBAL WARMING IS A GLOBAL CONCERN! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*The USS WASP has been found!
*Bertrand Piccard (Switzerland) and Brian Jones (Britain) completed the first around the world hot air balloon trip on March 20, 1999.

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*The Free Choice E-zine does not support terrorism, no matter what the “cause” or alleged “justification”. Thus we will only be posting news items in this section whenever terrorists are brought to justice.

😢PASSING PARADE…
*The innocent victims of the New Zealand terrorist attack March 15.
*Those who lost their lives in the crash of Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 March 10.
*Famed Drummer Hal Blaine has passed away.
*Former professional baseball player Leroy Stanton is no longer with us.
*Suspected mobster Frank Cali.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
THE BORDER WALL-KIDS-IMMIGRATION ISSUES…
*President Trump declared the lack of a border wall a “national emergency”. There have since been legal and legislative battles initiated over this.
NOTE: While we are doing our best to provide coverage, the above is a serious, ongoing issue. Especially since no one has yet to discuss the costs of separating families and who is truly responsible for the deaths of two detainee minors, let alone if anyone might actually be making a profit from this situation.
POLITICALLY…

*Did the United States commit war crimes in Afghanistan???
*One stop shopping for “ladies of the evening” AND political access???
*Has Ann Coulter turned against President Trump???
*Are Trump and Fox News against Greenpeace???
*The anticipation waiting for Robert Mueller’s investigation results into Russia’s possible interference in the 2016 Presidential election is growing.
*New York is investigating Donald Trump too!
*While the original sentence against him was light, Paul Manafort is facing additional charges.
THE BUDGET BATTLE…
*Despite all the opposition to it, Trump wants $8.6 BILLION dollars dedicated to building his border wall as part of the largest budget proposal ever submitted by a President! The Democratic response: NO! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*The same budget reduces domestic (education, welfare, housing, etc) expenses to offset increased defense expenses, leaving little savings and an ever growing deficit.
MEANWHILE…
*The Senate has declared the lack of a border wall a NON emergency, but Trump has since vetoed that decision. Congress is planning an override veto vote for March 26. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Whenever Robert Mueller files his final report, will the results be made public???
ELSEWHERE…
*Donald Trump was an inspiration???
*The Boeing 737 MAX is grounded until further notice.
*What would you do to help your child get into college??? It shouldn’t be this! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Suspected mobster Frank Cali has been murdered.
*Are you ready for the 2019 baseball season’s NEW RULES???
*Peter Kaiser commanded the winning dog sled team in the 2019 Iditarod.
*The USS WASP has been found!
😁AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS…
*Although not as celebrated, March 17 is also Saint Gertrude, the Patron Saint of Cats🐱 Day. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)

Although our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen was suspended when Blogger updated its gadgets, we have ADDED a new TRANSLATE feature in the upper right hand corner!

THE PUZZLE CORNER: MARCH 16, 2019

😎FUN FACT
A dog’s nose🐶 print is as unique as human fingerprints.

COMMON BONDS
The items in each subset below have something in common. Do you know what it is?
01. {Lenny Kravitz, Al Roker}
02. {Roy Orbison, Linda Rondstadt}

REBUS
Something familiar is represented by the image on the right.
Do you know what it is?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the March 9, 2019 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME⌚
What are Barbie and longtime boyfriend Ken’s FULL names?
Barbara Millicent Roberts and Kenneth Carson.

NUMBER PLEASE
Get ready! We ask the question, but the answer is just a number.
How many, if any, members of the United States do NOT observe Daylight Saving Time?
2. (Hawaii and Arizona.)