Saturday, August 27, 2011

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: AUGUST 21-27, 2011

HURRICANE IRENE IS THREATENING THE EASTERN COAST OF THE UNITED STATES AND IS PREDICTED TO HIT THE NEW ENGLAND AREA SOMETIME SUNDAY, AFTER IT LEAVES THE CAROLINAS.
RESIDENTS IN ALL EFFECTED AREAS ARE ADVISED TO TAKE THE PROPER PRECAUTIONS!

Amongst the other events that have happened around the world this past week include:
*While "rebels" have gained some control in Libya, no one knows where Moammar Gadhafi is.
*Daniel Domscheit-Berg has allegedly destroyed document files that WikiLeaks had yet to post, while using taking that site's online submission system to create a rival site, leaving WikiLeaks only traditional "snail" mail to receive information; all while cooperating with authorities investigating his former employer.
*A 5.8 earthquake hit the East coast of the United States on Tuesday. With an epicenter in Virginia, residents were a bit shaken, but no major damage was reported.
*Citing health reasons, Steve Jobs has stepped down as head of Apple Computers. Tim Cook is the company's new CEO.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
*Singer/songwriter Nick Ashford has passed away.

IN SPORTS:
*A Federal judge upheld Barry Bonds obstruction of justice charge, stemming from an investigation of steroids use in Major League Baseball. In light of this new development and the pending jail time Mister Bond faces, The Free Choice E-zine stands behind its position that he should be stripped of ALL titles and honors baseball might have ever mistakenly granted Bonds, and let the All Time Home Run record revert back to Hank Aaron until someone legitimately breaks it.

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: AUGUST 27, 2011

While some of us are trying to keep our wits about us as Hurricane Irene threatens the East coast of the United States of America, here are some puzzles to help everyone else do the same.

WHO AM I?
A new feature to the Puzzle Corner. The object is to guess the identity of the person based upon the clue below. Ready?

"In 1969, I sang lead vocals on TWO number one hits, for DIFFERENT groups."

HORSE SENSE
A brief quiz. All you have to do is name the famous rider of each steed listed below. Ready?
01. Champion
02. Trigger
03. Butter Milk
04. Silver
05. Scout

We'll reveal all next weekend. Meanwhile, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from August 20th's Puzzle Corner.

REBUS
Whether or not you're a fan of the group Chicago, the image represented the question Does Anyone Really Know What Time It Is? After all, this week was next week last week.

TRIVIA TIME
What has a head, only 1 foot, but four legs? A BED!

Monday, August 22, 2011

FORTUNE'S PAWN BY NANCY A. HANSEN


The Free Choice E-zine's resident poet Nancy A. Hansen has just had her first novel published by Pro Se Press.
FORTUNE'S PAWN, although a self contained story, is the start of both a new ongoing fantasy series and its opening story arc.
This one has it all! Elves, Humans, Weremon, Sorcerers, Naiads, monsters, and more collide as Evil wants to rule everything, but prophecy foretells of a Child of Three Races who will grow up to unite the scattered protectors of the Light World.
In a time of great upheaval, a young woman begins a journey of adventure and discovery decreed by fate. Will she live to meet her destiny as the mother of the foretold savior when the forces of both good and evil conspire to make her a pawn in their game of conquest?
Besides being a close friend of the author, I had the honor of proofreading the novel before it was submitted for publication, and it is no brag or hype when I say that this book is worthy of being amongst any volume on your bookshelf.
It can be found on Amazon by listing the title in the site's search box and is great reading!



Sunday, August 21, 2011

SUNDAY FUNNIES: DOG DAYS

Hello Everybody. Autumn the Puppy here!
And since we're still in the middle of August, I thought we'd talk some more about dogs since this month (for some insane reason that I have yet to discover why) is called "the dog days of summer".
So since you Humans think that way, how about some dog pictures?

"Ssshh. It nappy time."





Here on the right we see a cute litter of puppies, curled up in something while Mommy and Daddy are away at the moment, trying to take a nap.
Aawwww.....

"Office work is hard!"






On our left we see one dog tired doggie after a busy morning on the phone.
Life's ruff, isn't it?



"And to think, this is the RUNT of the litter!"








On our right now is a classic from a Sunday Funnies that my cohort Waxy Dragon ran back in November 2009 that still gets regular hits on this blog! Waxy wrote the caption, which needs no explanation, while Free Choice E-zine reader Ann Elizabeth Houston-Lopez sent in the image.

So if you have any comments or suggestions about stuff you'd like to see here, just either leave it on this blog or write me via our esteemed Editor-In-Chief at leehoustonjr@gmail.com

"I'm down with that!"



Otherwise, that's all I have for now. Have a great week everyone. Remember to keep your pets and yourselves cool, and we'll be back next weekend with more Sunday Funnies!

I think the guy on the right definitely agrees with me. Don't you?
-AtP.

Saturday, August 20, 2011

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: AUGUST 14-20, 2011

Amongst events that have happened around the world this past week:

*United States citizens Shane Bauer and Josh Fattal were found guilty of spying by an Iranian court and sentenced to eight years each. Five for spying and three for allegedly entering the country illegally. The US State Department is investigating.
*A new study shows that animals are trying to avoid global warming by moving northward at a faster rate than previously measured.
*The SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence) Project will reopen in September after securing private donations.

IN POLITICS:
*Michelle Bachmann narrowly beat Ron Paul in the nonbinding Iowa Straw Poll August 13.
*Meanwhile, former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlentry has ended his bid to become the Republican nominee for United States President in 2012 as current Texas Governor Rich Perry entered the race.

IN THE BUSINESS WORLD:
*Since the United States' credit rating was recently reduced, some small towns across the country are now complaining that their (local) credit ratings are being reduced too, an action some can ill afford.
*The Burger King Corporation has decided to "retire" the current King and instead concentrate upon promoting its food and services in an attempt to make up ground lost to McDonalds. But fans of the royal burger monarch shouldn't worry too much. Jack In The Box tried a similar approach years ago, but their beloved mascot returned in time.
*Google has entered into an agreement to buy Motorola Mobility (wireless/cell phone communications) for $12.5 billion US Dollars.

IN SPORTS:
*Jim Thome of the Minnesota Twins has hit his 600th career home run in Major League Baseball.
*Keegan Bradley won the 2011 US Professional Golf Association Championship. Meanwhile, with Tiger Woods not making the cut into the third round of that contest, it is unlikely he will enter any other 2011 golf events.

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: AUGUST 20, 2011

Another weekend is upon us. Ready for some more enigmas?

REBUS
A familiar question is represented by the image below. Do you know what it is?



TRIVIA TIME
What has a head, only one foot, but four legs?



We'll reveal all next weekend. But now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX, and discover the results from August 13's Puzzle Corner.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
New words could be created from our original list simply by using the letter W.
01. THERE becomes WHERE
02. ROUND becomes WOUND
03. AIRED becomes WIRED
04. BRAIN becomes BRAWN
05. SHALL becomes SHAWL

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE
The displaced letters from our original words spell TRAIL, and with the W, we get TRAWL.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

PLEASE DON'T USE SELF CHECK REGISTERS


The following is an editorial.

In my capacity of Editor-In-Chief of this humble E-zine, I actually get e-mail from our readers.
I would like to share one of them with you now.

Dear Mister Houston, Junior:
Amongst all the worries this country and the world are facing, there is one growing trend that has not gotten much attention: self-check/serve cash registers.
I've seen them in grocery stores and some of the more major retail outlets. Terminals where the business expects you to not only pay for your purchase, but to ring it up as well.
The more popular these machines become, more cashiers will lose their jobs, and the unemployment rate is bad enough as it is.
Please help me to convince your readers and the rest of the world not to use them.
Thank you.
(signed)
A Concerned Consumer

After thinking it over, here is our reply.

Dear A.C. Consumer:
While you raise a very valid point, we at The Free Choice E-zine think it is more an issue of just not hiring any additional cashiers instead of firing those already on staff.
Otherwise, we do totally agree with you.
Unfortunately retailers, like any other business, need to cut operating expenses as much as possible.
However, when any business appears to value technology (the self-check registers) over people (employed cashiers), that it is a very bad public image to present.
I personally prefer dealing with a real person to a machine, and will go out of my way to wait for the lone cashier on duty at the supermarket, no matter now quickly the self check register line(s) appears to be moving.
Hopefully in time the businesses with those machines will get the message.
BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF FAIRNESS:
It should be pointed out that the above does NOT apply to gas stations or any other after hours business operations, for a machine is much easier to repair and/or replace than a human being in case of (attempted) robberies.
(signed)
Lee Houston, Junior
Editor-In-Chief: The Free Choice E-zine.

The above was an editorial.

If you would like to comment on anything within this e-zine, either leave your post on this forum or contact our Editor-In-Chief at leehoustonjr@gmail.com

Sunday, August 14, 2011

PRO SE GOES AUDIO


Pro Se Productions, in partnership with BrokenSea Audio, have produced the first ever Pro Se Press Audio Magazines!
The original first three releases are now available as MP3 downloads, with CDs available at convention appearances starting in 2012.
All are produced by Cliff Barnes with music by Kevin McLeod.


FANTASY AND FEAR #1
READ BY FIONA THRAILLE
Stories include:
TALES OF MYTHAS: "Murder in the Ghetto of Trentonium" by Don Thomas
THE SONG OF HEROES: "Loris Lament" by Nancy A. Hansen, whose first novel will be published by Pro Se SOON!
"The Man of My Dreams" by C. William Russette
"Beast of the Mountain" by Ron Fortier
"The Tunnels of Lao Fang" by James Palmer
THE BROTHERS JADE: "Book One" by The Brothers Thomas
and "The Way of The World" by yours truly.

MASKED GUN MYSTERY #1
READ BY H. KEITH LYONS
Stories include:
"The Things He Leaves Behind" by Aric Mitchell
ALOHA MCCOY: "Hello New Life, Hello Old" by Ken Janssens
"The Day He Found The Clown" by Aaron Smith
"Murphy's Wake" by Tommy Hancock, which served as a prelude to his first book, Yesteryear, published by Pro Se earlier this summer
"Demon Night" by C. William Russette
"Run!" by Andrew Salmon
and the debut of HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: "Dineena's Dilemma", and Hugh will be debuting in his first book this fall. 
(The Robert E. Kennedy serial: CRIME OF THE ARTS, that started in the print version of this issue, is to be collected and recorded separately.)

PECULIAR ADVENTURES #1
READ BY PETER KATT
Stories include:
"In The House of Mercury" and "One Good Eye" by Tommy Hancock
THE CEREBUS CLAN: "Changing of the Guard" by Ken Janssens
"The Secret Whispers of Each Other's Watch" by Derrick Ferguson
PERRY LELL, GIRL OF A THOUSAND EARTHS in "Dancing Out of Time" by Megan Smith
The debut of the cover feature PECULIAR ODDFELLOW in two stories: "The Messiah of Murder" and "Three Cards Wild" by Tommy Hancock
and my original audition piece for Pro Se: "Y-239", with thanks once again to Ken Janssens and Tommy Hancock for giving me such a great writing opportunity!



Audio versions of Pro Se's other magazines and books will be future releases.
For more information as to how to download your copies, visit Broken Sea Audio at http://brokensea.com
The latest on Pro Se, or other new pulp can be found at www.allpulp.blogspot.com

SUNDAY FUNNIES: TALKING TO THE ANIMALS

Hello Everyone. Ms. Waxy Dragon here!
Last week, Autumn the Puppy raised an interesting point that I'm sure hasn't really dawned on everyone yet.
ANIMALS TALK!
Yes we do!
What do you think all that meowing, barking, and other noises are all about?
Just because most of the time you Humans either can't understand us or we are not talking directly to you doesn't mean we are not talking at all.
You don't think there's some poor writer toiling behind the scenes creating these words you're reading right now, do you?

Anyway, skipping the obvious examples of donkeys and elephants because we don't want anyone to think the Sunday Funnies are getting political, after we get past all the basics like the weather, what everyone's been up to lately, and the results of our latest vet visit (those doctors have to find a better place to stick that darn thermometer!), we like to joke around about ourselves and each other.
And now I'd like to share some of those jokes with you.
(Long way for a segue, wasn't it?)

What do you call a cow that won't give milk?
A milk dud.

What fish only swims at night?
A starfish.

When is the king of the jungle like a weed?
When he's a dandelion.

Why is a fish easy to weigh?
Because it has its own scales.

How does a lion greet other animals in the jungle?
"Pleased to eat you."

What kind of snake loves to eat dessert first?
A python. (pie-thon)

What happened after the lion ate the comedian?
He felt funny.

Would an exhausted kangaroo be out of bounds?

What did the buffalo say to his child as he left for work?
Bison. (bye son)

And on that note, please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies. Take care everybody!
wd.

Saturday, August 13, 2011

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: AUGUST 7-13, 2011

Amongst the events that have happened around the world this past week include:

*Although the results will be far from officially binding, Iowa Republicans conducted a straw poll Saturday to see who amongst the potential candidates might have the best chance of challenging Democratic incumbent Barack Obama for the Presidency next year. Results were not available at post time, since the voting was still ongoing.
*Sadly, armed conflicts and civil unrest continue in Syria, Yemen, Libya, and Bahrain. Meanwhile London has experienced several days of rioting as what started as a peaceful protest over the police shooting of a taxi driver escalated.
*A recall election in the state of Wisconsin was not as productive as some hoped it would be, with four out of six Republican State Senators retained their positions after Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker got their backing to end collective bargaining with state unions. Whether or not Walker will run for another term, let alone has any chance of being reelected, remains to be seen.
*As concerns and the investigations of the media hacking into the various phone services and other computer data of private citizens continues in Great Britain, now Australian authorities are launching their own investigation into things down under, although no accusations, let alone evidence of any actual wrong doing, has yet to be found.
*The hacking group known as Anonymous has vowed to 'destroy' Facebook on November 5, Guy Fawkes Day in Great Britain over a disagreement with the website's privacy policies.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
*Heather Locklear and Jack Wagner have announced their engagement.
*Disney has (temporarily?) stopped work on a new production of The Lone Ranger, starring Johnny Depp as Tonto, saying there are enough blockbusters coming from the studio. But since when does a western need a budget of OVER $200 MILLION (U.S. Dollars) anyway?

IN SPORTS:
*Troubled professional golfer Tiger Woods failed to make the cut into the finals of the PGA Tournament, and thus will likely miss the rest of the 2011 golf tournament season as a result.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen, or visit any other reputable news site.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: AUGUST 13, 2011

It's a scorcher outside in some areas, but the puzzles are cool inside. Ready?

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
We're trying something a bit different this game.
Below are five words. Each word can be made into a new word by changing one letter, BUT you only need one letter for all five and the remaining letters stay where they are!
Ready?

01. THERE
02. ROUND
03. AIRED
04. BRAIN
05. SHALL

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
The letters you dropped from the original words, in order, should now form a new word that can be changed the same way as the originals were, using the same letter!

Do you know what all the new words are?
We'll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from August 6, 2011's Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
The very first music video MTV ever played was Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles, although the network certainly doesn't play as many music videos as they used to.

COMMON BONDS
In each group, each is different ways of stating the same item!

Sunday, August 7, 2011

PRO SE PRESENTS ITS FIRST NEW ISSUE



Pro Se Press is proud to announce the first issue of its new MONTHLY anthology magazine: Pro Se Presents.
Each issue will feature stories from within three different themes: Fantasy and Fear, Masked Gun Mystery, or Peculiar Adventures; as Pro Se's previous magazine efforts are now united under one banner so
readers can acquire the best of NEW PULP each issue without having to buy three separate titles.
Within the first issue are three pulse pounding stories.
"Art Imitates Death" by Sean Taylor poses the question: just how far should the artistic envelope be pushed?
Don Thomas contributes "Andar and the Farmer", whereupon the two title characters team up to combat a menace that threatens a peaceful village; and in our last story
Ken Janssens' Sherringford Bell returns in "Scandal of the Bohemian" and discovers that there is more happening in Washington DC than just politics.
Three great stories in the first issue for the low cover price of just $6 (six American dollars).
Future issues will feature a rotating cast of authors and characters, including more stories by these gentlemen, Nancy Hansen, Tommy Hancock, other talented writers, and yours truly, who just happened to proof read all three of the exciting tales in this first issue, so I personally know how good it is!
Pro Se Presents will be available each month from both Amazon and its Create Space division.
GET YOURS TODAY!

www.amazon.com
www.createspace.com

SUNDAY FUNNIES: THE DOG DAYS?

Hello Everyone! Autumn the Puppy here!
Whenever I'm able to get my paws on a computer, I like to surf the net, but in my vast electronic travels I have yet to find any valid explanation as to why you Humans refer to August as the "dog days of Summer".
Okay, there are no holidays in August.
The weather is hot, but to compare the month to us canines? Come on!
August is supposed to be named after Augustus Caesar, an ancient Roman Emperor.
So where's the dog connection?
There are no dog shows this month that I am aware of, and any responsible pet owner should make sure that if their beloved four legged friend(s) can't stay inside where it's nice and cool, then they should make sure that their pets have plenty of water and shade outside.
But there is one thing I have plenty of.
Dog jokes!

Why did the poor dog chase his own tail?
He was trying to make both ends meet.

What dog keeps the best time?
A watch dog.

Why did the watch dog run around the yard real fast?
He was trying to wind himself up for the night shift.

Why do dogs (or any animal for that matter) make lousy dancers?
Because we have two left feet.

What time is it when your dog manages to escape through the fence?
Time to get the fence fixed!

Hey, if you can't laugh, what's the point in having a sense of humor?
Well, that's all the space I have for this weekend folks. Stay cool. Drink plenty of liquids, and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!-AtP.


Saturday, August 6, 2011

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JULY 31-AUGUST 6, 2011

Amongst the events that have happened around the world this past week:

*Despite somehow managing to pass a budget that included raising the debt ceiling, America's credit rating was still lowered from AAA to AA+. Some pundits and analysts feel this is a reflection upon how Congress (mis)handled the matter, while economists fear that companies will pass the higher operating costs that will result from this action on to consumers.
*United States President Barack Obama turned 50 years old this week.
*The British authorities investigation into computer hacking has widened as another newspaper has been accused of going where it should not have.

FROM OUTER SPACE:
*NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter has taken photographic evidence of there possibly being liquid water on Mars during the planet's "warm" season.
*The Juno probe is on its way to Jupiter to study that planet from a polar orbit.
*A new scientific theory speculates that Earth once might have possessed TWO moons, with the smaller crashing into the other and creating the moon in its current state: relatively smooth on the side facing our planet and craggy on the side facing outer space.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
*Comedy fans celebrate what would have been Lucille Ball's 100th birthday Saturday.
*MTV celebrated it's 30th anniversary this week, although the network does not play as many music videos as it used to.

IN SPORTS:
*While teams scramble to practice and get ready for the 2011 Football season here in America, the first casualty of the lockout earlier this year has become known as the pre-season summer Hall of Fame game was cancelled due to a lack of preparation time.

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: AUGUST 6, 2011

Hello everyone. Welcome to our humble Puzzle Corner. I think we've got a couple of good one's for you this weekend. Ready?


TRIVIA TIME
In honor of the fact that MTV celebrated its 30th anniversary this week (although they don't play anywhere near the amount of music videos they used to) we ask the following question.
What was the very first music video MTV ever played?


COMMON BONDS
The items in each group below have something in common. Do you know what it is?
01. {Calamari, squid}
02. {Spaghetti, pasta}


We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's peek into THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results for July 30th's Puzzle Corner.


REBUS


SKCLOUDY is "Not a cloud in the sky."


TRIVIA TIME
Q. What famous musical group named themselves after a cartoon character, only to later find out that they got the name wrong?
A. Herman's Hermits.
They thought they were naming themselves after the travelling companion in Mister Peabody's Improbable History from the Rocky and Bullwinkle show, only to later be told that the character's name was actually SHERMAN. But somehow, I just can't picture Sherman's Hermits, can you?

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

DO REPUBLICANS GENERATE HIGHER DEATH RATE?

The following is an editorial.

As if the recent debate over whether or not raise the debt ceiling wasn't bad enough, now comes a new book by James Gilligan (and yes, that is his real name as far as I know) who says, after studying the records from 1900 to 2007, he has found a possible correlation between a dramatic rise in the American suicide and homicide rates during a Republican President and an equally dramatic decrease in those same numbers during the term of a Democratic President.

In his new book, Why Some Politicians Are More Dangerous Than Others, Gilligan examines the issue in further detail, stating that not only has he checked over a century's work of records, but goes on to explain the whys and wherefores.

The psychiatrist, who has already authored several books on the subject of violence, says that it is more a question of each party's policies and politics than just a specific reflection/reaction to the individual person in the position.

Especially over the last couple of decades, the Republican Party seems to have become more representative of what is commonly known as "big business" while the Democrats support the people, especially those in the lower and middle classes.

While no one on The Free Choice staff has a degree in psychiatry themselves, it certainly does not require one to realize that politics is not a game and is more stressful at times to the people it affects than those actually participating in the process.

The above was an editorial.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

WE HAVE A BUDGET!

The following is an editorial.

After passing both the House of Representatives and the Senate, President Barack Obama signed the new budget bill into law August 2nd, thus missing the country's self-imposed default deadline by hours.
Neither Democrats, Republicans, nor the President himself are totally happy with the measure; but all agree that this bill, while a compromise, was better than facing the consequences had the deadline passed with no action at all being taken.

It should be noted that Democratic Arizona Representative, Gabrielle Giffords made it to the Congressional floor, for the first time since being shot in January 2011, to cast her vote in favor of the budget bill. While still not fully recovered enough to totally resume her duties, Giffords is reported as saying the issue was too important for her to sit on the sidelines, but Congress should have handled the matter better than it did.

The Free Choice E-zine whole hardly agrees with the Congresswoman and wishes her well on her road to recovery.

The above was an editorial.