THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JULY 16-22, 2017

JULY 22 IS PI APPROXIMATION DAY (22/7, the basic fraction representing Pi)

JULY 27 MARKS THE 2OTH ANNIVERSARY OF THE STARGATE SG-1 TV SHOW.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…

*Ram Nath Kovind has been elected President of India.
*The latest activities in North Korea as the United States has decided to ban traveling to that country since of the death of Otto Warmbier. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Iran's reaction to the latest American sanctions.
*Will there ever be peace between Israel and Palestine???
*Sorry folks. It wasn’t aliens.
*How come women's clothing doesn't have pockets???



FROM ENGLAND
*The British Broadcasting Company has announced actress Jodie Whittaker as the next Doctor Who. Reaction to the announcement has run a wide gamut of responses since. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*Amongst the winners of the 2017 Wimbledon Championship of professional tennis, Roger Federer: Men’s Singles, Garbine Muguruza: Women’s Singles, Lukasz Kubot and Marcelo Melo: Men’s Doubles, Ekaterina Makarova and Elena Vesnina, Women’s Doubles.

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*Sadly, bombs are still the terrorists’ primary weapon of choice.

😭PASSING PARADE…
*Actor Martin Landau (The original Mission: Impossible, Ed Wood, Space: 1999) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Director George A. Romero (the modern zombie pictures) has passed away.
*Actor Trevor Baxter (credits too numerous to mention) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Chester Bennington, singer/songwriter for Linkin Park, Dead by Sunrise, and Stone Temple Pilots.
*Actor Harvey Atkin (Cagney and Lacey, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Actor John Heard (Big, Prison Break, Home Alone 1) has taken his last bow on life's stage.
*Red West, friend and band mate of Elvis Presley, has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…

*Iran's reactions to the latest American sanctions as the United States has decided to ban traveling to that country since of the death of Otto Warmbier. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Donald Trump has nominated Raytheon lobbyist Mark Esper as Secretary of the Army.
*President Trump's latest Tweets include still not being happy over the continuing Russian probes and angry comments about the New York Times.
*Did the Trump Administration use official “Obama Care” funds to finance a campaign against it???
MEANWHILE…

*Back from vacation, the Senate has postponed voting on “Trump Care” while Senator John McCain is on medical leave after being diagnosed with a brain tumor. The Free Choice E-zine wishes McCain a speedy recovery. Yet Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell apparently still wants to at least have “Obama Care” repealed once and for all, even if it isn’t immediately replaced. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*How McCain's absence will affect the Senate, along with the Trump/GOP agenda, remains to be seen.
ELSEWHERE…

*So, is rape illegal in North Carolina or not???
*Minneapolis Police Chief Janeé Harteau has resigned over the shooting death of Australian visitor Justine Diamond, which is still under investigation since no officer at the scene had their body cameras on. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Some workers are facing a pension cut!
*So, how's the Keystone XL Pipeline doing???
*Ann Coulter intentionally bought the seat next to hers so no one could sit next to her on a flight, but Detla reassigned it to a real person. Coulter may get a refund, but she didn’t win much support on Twitter over the matter.

*O. J. Simpson, in prison for 9 years after being found guilty of sports memorabilia theft, has been officially declared eligible for parole and could be out as early as October 2017.
*Why was a Kermit the Frog performer fired???
*Sears will soon start selling its Kenmore appliances via Amazon.
*Will a woman ever get to play professional baseball???

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our ELSEWHERE feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JULY 22, 2017

FUN FACT
The script for the classic movie Casablanca was unfinished when filming began!

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Arranged properly the same four letters spell a two word, alternate term for “medical records”.
What are they?

TRIVIA TIME
According to their show’s voice over introduction, who were “Always 5, acting as 1”?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the July 15, 2017 Puzzle Corner.

COMMON BONDS
The items within each subset below have something in common. Do you know what it its?
01. {Jimi Hendrix, “Weird” Al Yankovic} = Both have been opening acts for The Monkees, 1967 & 1987, respectively.
02. {Announcer Don Pardo, Journalist Walter Cronkite} = Both were the first to break the news to their respective audiences (NBC for Pardo, Cronkite: CBS) that President John F. Kennedy had been shot in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963.

TRIVIA TIME
In television, what is a “back door pilot”?
When an existing series tries an idea for a new show. If successful, then the new show becomes a spin off, otherwise, you just have another episode of the existing series.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: WHAT'S IN A NAME?

Have paws, will walk

Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here!

♫Oh see the U.S.A. in a Chev-ro-let...♫ began a post World War 2 sales jingle to promote Interstate traveling in hopes of selling more cars.

But while traveling the highways and bi-ways of the land, long before a gallon of gas started costing as much as a Sunday newspaper, can you imagine some of the unique towns one encountered along the way...

And as usual, my comments are in italics.

BURNT CORN, ALABAMA
Well, what other veggies are available for dinner?

WHY, ARIZONA
Well, why not?

POSSUM GRAPE, ARKANSAS
Don't think I've ever had that fruit before, but the name doesn't sound very appealing.

ZZYZX, CALIFORNIA
That's what you get when you let a cat walk across your keyboard!

HAPPYLAND, CONNECTICUT or LITTLE HEAVEN, DELAWARE
I guess it's all a question of perspective.

EXPERIMENT, GEORGIA
Wow! A state that encourages scientific advancement!

GOOD GRIEF, IDAHO
Is that where Charlie Brown moved to?

SANTA CLAUS, INDIANA
Is that where Saint Nick vacations when he's not working on Christmas?

WHAT CHEER, IOWA
I wonder what they're happy about? Maybe they should talk to Connecticut and Delaware.

HIPPO, KENTUCKY
Well, at least you know what they're favorite animal is.

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: JULY 9-15, 2017

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…

*While American President Trump was still visiting Russia, he proposed a joint US/Russian anti-hacking watch group, but later reconsidered the idea. However, Trump would like American lawmakers to weaken current sanctions against Russia. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*Meanwhile, Trump’s proposed diplomatic visit to Great Britain has been delayed to 2018.
*Trump later attended Bastille Day events in France.
*UNESCO has also added North West England’s Lake District and Yazd, Iran to the list of World Heritage sites.
*Haiti will soon reestablish armed forces after two decades without such military personnel in their country.
*Same sex unions and marriages may soon be legally recognized in Malta.
*The first successful suborbital teleporter transmission has happened!
*Will the Earth reach a point where it can no longer sustain human life???

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*Sadly, bombs are still the terrorists’ primary weapon of choice.

😭PASSING PARADE…
*Voice artist Wally Burr (Transformers: Generation 1, G.I. Joe, Inspector Gadget, Jem) has passed away.
*Professional hockey player Tod Sloan (Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks) is no longer with us.
*Professional comic book artist Sam Glanzman, who has worked for Charlton, DC, Marvel, Acclaim, and Topps; has passed away.
*Dissident, pro-democracy activist, Nobel Peace Prize winner and political prisoner Liu Xiaobo has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…

*While President Trump was still visiting Russia, he proposed a joint US/Russian anti-hacking watch group, but later reconsidered the idea. However, Trump would like lawmakers to weaken sanctions against Russia. (There are 3 different links in this item.)
*Trump’s proposed diplomatic visit to Great Britain has been delayed to 2018.
*Trump later attended Bastille Day events in France.
*His son, Donald Junior apparently HAS HAD contact with a “Russian lawyer” trying to get “dirt” on Hillary Clinton during the 2016 Presidential election. But Trump denies any knowledge of this. Yet how guilty is Donald Trump, Junior, especially after he made his own e-mails public; and where might the investigation lead next??? (There are 5 separate links in this item.)
*The Congressional Budget Office has announced that if Trump's proposed budget passes as is, it will create a SERIOUS DEFICIT, NOT the previously claimed surplus.
*Could Donald Trump face possible impeachment proceedings???
*Donald Trump versus the media. Who has the public's trust???
*Trying to drum up support for itself, Trump's Voter Fraud Commission released unredacted e-mails with sensitive information, drawing much criticism. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
MEANWHILE…

*Congress is expected to come back from their 4th of July/Summer Break within the coming week.
*When they do return, will a proposed new energy bill actually INCREASE fracking and America’s use of fossil fuels while endangering the environment even further???
*Although a final vote has yet to occur on the matter, a new version of "Trump Care" has been proposed.
ELSEWHERE…

*The Trump administration is fighting a Hawaiian court ruling on the current travel ban that the definition of "close family" includes grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
*Dodge will permanently close its Viper plant August 31.
*Does a Celebes crested macaque monkey own its selfie???
*Yet, when should you NOT take a selfie???
*New York Yankee Aaron Judge won the Home Run Derby while the American League won the 2017 All Star Game in Major League Baseball.


For more news at any time, either scroll down to our ELSEWHERE feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JULY 15, 2017

FUN FACT
Catnip is a natural mosquito repellent.

COMMON BONDS
The items within each subset below have something in common. Do you know what it its?
01. {Jimi Hendrix, “Weird” Al Yankovic}
02. {Announcer Don Pardo, Journalist Walter Cronkite}

TRIVIA TIME
In television, what is a “back door pilot”?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the July 8, 2017 Puzzle Corner.

FAMOUS FIRSTS
What is the Identification Number of the very first U.S.S. Enterprise on Star Trek that could separate the saucer section from the rest of the ship?

The original NCC-1701. Mentioned in both “The Apple” and the 1976 edition of the Star Trek Technical Manual, Captain James T. Kirk’s Enterprise could separate the saucer section from the rest of the ship to act as a life boat. But the action was never shown on TV because of the expense of doing such a special effect at the time, and would of required work at a Star Base to reunite the parts.

BEFORE AND AFTER
Two separate things have at least one word in common, so can be combined to form something new.
Based upon the clue below, do you know what the new thing is?

Cyndi Lauper’s fairy tale opening?

Once Upon A Time After Time

SUNDAY FUNNIES: SUMMER FUNNIES (misc. jokes)

Hello Everybody! Waxy Dragon here.

Ah... those lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer.
Time to just kick back, relax, and enjoy some good jokes.
Ready?

There is something faster the nano second. It's the OHNO second. The moment between when you realize you are making a big blunder and the moment you realize you cannot stop it.

Bubblehead asked me if I heard about the new telescope at the observatory. I told him no, but I would look into it.

"Don't waste me!"

Does a chameleon that cannot change color have Reptile Dysfunction?

Never try to eat a clock. It's very time consuming.

If music is coming from your printer, does that mean it's jamming?

Do dogs with cellphones get free roll over minutes?

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

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JULY 2-8, 2017

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…

*After North Korea’s latest “missile test”, President Trump tweets, and other responses to the situation. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Besides the European Union, Great Britain has announced its intentions to also pull out of the 1964 London Fisheries Convention, which allows countries to fish off each others coasts.
*As of 2018, vaccinations for children will be mandatory in France.
*Whether or not he will actually do it remains to be seen, but the Philippines Supreme Court has ruled President Rodrigo Duterte can declare martial law over as much or as little of the country as needed.
*UNESCO will not declare Machu Picchu an endangered heritage site at this time because of local preservation efforts. Meanwhile, the old city of Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs on the West Bank are now official world heritage sites. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*"The Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons" has been officially adopted by the United Nations.
*Volvo plans to phase out its merchandise’s use of fossil fuels by only building hybrid and electric cars from now on. Meanwhile, France's Ecology Minister Nicolas Hulot has announced the ban on sales of new petrol and diesel using vehicles by 2040. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Why El Salvador sentenced a rape VICTIM to 30 YEARS in jail!
*Hobby Lobby's guilt over smuggled Iraqi artifacts.
*The diversity of frog species in the world can be linked to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
*Scientists have found a new subatomic particle via the Large Hadron Collider.
*How to put a toy panda on layaway.

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*Sadly, bombs are still the terrorists’ primary weapon of choice.

😭PASSING PARADE…
*Chess Grandmaster Vladimir Malanuik is no longer with us.
*Actor Ji-Tu Cumbuka (Roots, Mandingo) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Prince’s former drummer John Blackwell has passed away.
*Joan Lee, voice actress, model, and famed wife of Stan Lee, is no longer with us.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…

*After North Korea’s latest “missile test”, President Trump tweets, and other responses to the situation. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*President Trump's opinion of the jobs market and the actual numbers differ.
*Many are keeping a close eye on President Trump’s diplomatic mission to Russia between all the allegations concerning that country and Trump’s campaign vow to strength diplomatic ties between the two.
*After visiting Warsaw, President Trump attended the G20 Summit, and is scheduled to meet privately with Russian President Vladmir Putin soon. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
MEANWHILE…
*Although still on summer vacation, that hasn't stopped Congress from commenting on Trump's "CNN Tweet", contemplate the possible future of the Supreme Court, whether or not the Kock Brothers should have their way concerning the Senate, and the future of health care. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
ELSEWHERE…

*New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and his family were caught enjoying a public beach that he closed to the public because of New Jersey’s current state budget crisis!
*Could the recent Congressional Replacement Election in Georgia have to be reheld???
*Hobby Lobby's guilt over smuggled Iraqi artifacts.
*Volvo plans to phase out its merchandise’s use of fossil fuels by only building hybrid and electric cars from now on.
*One way to stop a bully.
*How to put a toy panda on layaway.
*Florida's "Stand Your Ground" law has been declared unconstitutional.
*Five days AFTER the incident, United Airlines apologized for taking a pre-paid, mandatory seat from a toddler who had to sit in its mother's lap for the whole flight so a "stand by" customer could fly, but no word on the woman actually getting a refund!
*Sears/K-mart is closing 43 more stores.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our ELSEWHERE feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.