Monday, October 31, 2011

HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2011

The following is a public service message of The Free Choice E-zine.

Tonight is Halloween within the United States of America.
Little children will be trick or treating for candy, or maybe even UNICEF, while bigger kids will be dressing up and partying across the country.
The younger ones will hopefully be in costumes that can be seen in the dark with no obstruction to their own vision so they can see where they are going. Their parents will hopefully check out everything collected to make sure it is safe to eat.
Older people will hopefully party responsibly, and designate a driver if necessary.
And hopefully all will have a good time and still with us upon the dawn of November 1 to continue with the rest of the year.


Take care and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

The above was a public service message of The Free Choice E-zine.

Sunday, October 30, 2011

SUNDAY FUNNIES: MORE HALLOWEEN HIJINXS

Ms. Waxy Dragon
Hello Everybody! Ms. Waxy Dragon here and we have plenty of Tricks and Treats for you this Halloween. Autumn the Puppy is below with a bonus installment of the Sunday Funnies, and I'm here to share more jokes with everyone. Ready to laugh?

What happened to the guy who failed to pay his exorcist?
He was repossessed.

Ghost don't make mistakes. They make boo-boos.
Hmmm... I wonder if they call the really serious ones Yogis?

Can you really repair a broken jack-o-lantern with a pumpkin patch?

Do ghosts with bad eyesight wear spookacles?

What do you call a dumb skeleton?
A numb skull.

Do baby monsters have parents?
Yes, mummies and deadies.

What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?
Pumpkin pi.

What do health conscious monsters eat for breakfast?
Dreaded Wheat.

Is Count Duckula the perfect cartoon character for Halloween?

Why do vampires hate mosquitoes?
They despise the competition.

Is a monster's favorite vacation spot Transylvania or Lake Eerie?

Knock, knock.
Who's there?
Hoot, hoot?
Hoot, hoot, who?
Are you an owl?

Why was there no leftover food at the monster party?
Because everyone was a goblin-ing it up.

What do you get when you cross a black cat with a lemon?
A sour puss!

And now, for everyone in the New England area of the United States that actually got snow over this weekend:
What do you get when you cross a vampire and a snowman?
Frost bite!

Well, that's all the space I have for today everyone.
Take care, REMEMBER TO TRICK OR TREAT SAFELY TOMORROW NIGHT and be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!-wd.

SUNDAY FUNNIES BONUS: HAPPY HOWL-O-WEEN

Autumn, puppy
Hello Everybody. Autumn the Puppy here. Ms. Waxy Dragon is above me with the regularly scheduled edition, but this is a bonus installment of The Sunday Funnies.
Halloween, or Howl-o-ween as we dogs love to refer to it, is tomorrow night as I post this.
The event is when children of all ages are allowed to dress up and legally take a break from the world, at least for one night.
Because of this event, for some reason, a lot of people have been sending me pictures of their dogs dressed up for Halloween.
My question is WHY?
I appreciate the thought, but except for a good winter coat for those canines either in more extreme climates or of the thin furred set, I honestly have to agree with Jay Leno's position about dressing up pets: WHY?

Yet, since the people were nice enough to send me these images, I was polite enough to look at them, and I must admit that a few of them were actually good/practical and interesting enough to share with everyone here.
To wit:

A bunch of dogs
Here's an interesting bunch, and you can reuse the  costumes the rest of the year as rain slickers for your canine when needed.










Toto Too, the next trip



Here we see Dorothy Gale's beloved pet Toto fully prepared for their next trip to Oz.











Krypto?


If you must dress up your pet for Howloween, a front paws only ensemble is the best, but for Krypto the Superdog, all you really need is a small red cape tied around your collar.
Any dog would appreciate a nice small cape to keep their back dry and warm, depending upon the weather.





"As I was saying dear..."


If any canines were to be dressed up, the small, lap dog breeds are probably the best. After all, other than sitting somewhere and looking cute, what else do they really have going for them?
In any event, I'm not really sure who exactly this little one is supposed to be dressed up as, but she (he?) doesn't seem to mind, so who am I to pick a bone with their owner?
Besides, being one of the aforementioned thin fur breeds, the dog probably appreciates the extra covering.




The old sea dog


But despite my feelings on the subject, I must admit that this one was my absolute favorite. Finding the right costume for your breed is essential if getting dressed up is something your dog can't avoid.
"The Old Sea Dog" is perfect for a still picture, because I doubt that the hat stays on when moving and I hope that cigar is a fake prop because no canine in their right mind actually smokes.

Well, Waxy is above with more Halloween jokes, and one of us will be back next weekend with more Sunday Funnies.
Trick or Treat safely tomorrow night!
AtP.



Saturday, October 29, 2011

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 23-29, 2011

Halloween is Monday within the United States.

Amongst events that have happened around the world this past week...
*The United Nations has requested an official investigation into the details surrounding the death of former Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi. Meanwhile, a local autopsy has confirmed death by a gunshot to the head. It has been reported that the body was discreetly buried in an unmarked grave.
*Tunisia held its first free elections, with the Islamist Renaissance Party the victor.
*Military action continues between Kenya and Somalia.
*Civil unrest continues in the Philippines, Syria, and Yemen.
*As local versions of the "Occupy Wall Street" movement continue across America and the world; Oakland, California protesters were met with tear gas and rubber bullets by "outside assistance" to the Oakland Police Department, who made "numerous" arrests while the occupiers marched in support of Scott Olsen, a former Marine recently home from Iraq who was possibly hurt by authorities during a previous demonstration.
*Meanwhile, Saint Paul's Cathedral in London is considering legal action against the protesters using their property as an unauthorized camp ground as part of the Occupy London movement.
*Wikileaks has announced the (temporary) suspension of posting documents in favor of fundraising to cover operating expenses and legal costs.
*Turkey suffered an earthquake earlier this week, with over 450 confirmed dead as rescue and relief efforts continue. Shoddy construction has been blamed for a lot of the actual property damage.
*The United States celebrated the 125th anniversary of the dedication of the Statue of Liberty Friday.
*Despite wars, terrorist actions, and natural disasters, the United Nations estimates the population of planet Earth at seven BILLION people.

IN SPORTS
*With an impasse in negotiations, it is highly unlikely a professional basketball game will be played within the remainder of 2011.
*The National League Saint Louis Cardinals defeated the American League Texas Rangers 4 games to 3, winning the 2011 World Series in Major League Baseball.

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.

And as a shameless plug, our esteemed Editor-In-Chief's first novel has just been published by Pro Se Press via Create Space. Hugh Monn, Private Detective will be available soon through Amazon dot com (Create Space's parent company).

https://www.createspace.com/3714798


Even in the future, dames still need help, criminals still need to be captured, and men still hire out to do both! HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE, the debut collection from Author Lee Houston, Junior is a New Pulp mash up of two classic genres-the hard boiled detective and science fiction! Join Hugh as he walks the glittering, yet dark streets of Galveston 2 and finds as much mayhem and corruption in the future as there's ever been! From Pro Se Press! Puttin' The Monthly Back Into Pulp!

THE PUZZLE CORNER: OCTOBER 29, 2011

Velcome! Ve have been expecting you.
Monday is Halloween here in the United States so we have a special Quiz prepared.
Come on up to the lab and see what's on the slab.
Below are lines from 10 Halloween themed songs. All you have to do is name the title and artist.
Ready?
Don't be scared. They won't bite.
Much.

01. "Cause everyday is Halloween for me (for me, for me)"
02. "Without their souls or getting down"
03. "Whatever happened to my Transylvania Twist?"
04. "It's just a jump to the left"
05. "And he taught me the way to win your heart."
06. "So I proposed, on Halloween"
07. "Thirteen month old baby"
08. "I saw Lon Chaney walking with the Queen"
09. "While grown up sight covers him with fright"
10. "I ain't afraid of no ghosts!"

We'll find out whether its all tricks or treats next weekend.
Meanwhile, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the October 22 Puzzle Corner.

BEFORE AND AFTER
A desert's bad grammar is a Banana Split Infinitive.

COMMON BONDS
01. {The Kingsmen, The Oak Ridge Boys}
02. {Tom and Jerry, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel}
In both cases, the first was an earlier name that the latter musical act went by.

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

PULSE POUNDING NEW PULP

For those who came in late...
While the original pulp movement, so named because of the cheap paper the stories were originally printed on, had its "heyday" between the Great Depression and the end of World War 2, by no means has the genre died.
Today there are companies that remember the past, and create new adventures of not only old favorites, but of brand new characters as well.
Let's take a brief look at some of those latest efforts.

Pro Se Press continues to not only publish books, the latest previously mentioned in this e-zine being Creeping Dawn: The Rise of the Black Centipede by Chuck Miller and The Adventures of Lazarus Gray by Barry Reese, but also releases a monthly magazine as well.

Pro Se Presents # 2 (September 2011) features a double debut! The start of a brand new series entitled "The Silver Pentacle" by Nancy A. Hansen (Fortune's Pawn), but also the first adventure of a new pulp hero: John Preston Sterling in "Jupiter Games".
Meanwhile, the third issue (October 2011) features a full length novella: "The Hunter Island Adventure" by Wayne Reinagel.

Cover: Pro Se Presents #2

Advertisement for Pro Se Presents #3

Meanwhile, Bobby Nash has an interesting new novel out called Deadly Games, whereupon a convicted criminal mastermind commits suicide in prison, and then begins to get revenge upon everyone who convicted him!

Cover to Deadly Games by Bobby Nash

But as you can see by the ad below, there is a WHOLE lot more to the new pulp movement than just the few titles I've been able to mention above.

Plenty of good pulp reading available!

Different companies with a wide variety of approaches. Whatever you like.
You can't go wrong with a good book to read.
All are available via Amazon, Barnes and Noble online, Create Space, and the publishers' individual websites.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

SUNDAY FUNNIES: HALLOWEEN HIJINXS

Ms. Waxy Dragon
Hello Everyone. Ms. Waxy Dragon here.
Next Monday is my second favorite holiday of the year: Halloween!
Not sure what I am going to dress up as yet, for it's always difficult to find just the right costume when you have to work around a lovely pair of wings, yet I can't wait to go Trick or Treating and get all kinds of free candy, especially chocolate!
So without further adieu, here are some treats for you. A whole slew of Halloween themed jokes.
Ready?

What kind of a witch always feeds you?
A sand-witch.

How do you make a milkshake on Halloween?
Give it a good scare!

Are Jack O'Lanterns Irish? I wonder if they are related to Patti O'Furniture?

Where do ghosts go on vacation?
Mali-boo.

Did you know mummies are afraid to go on vacation?
They dread unwinding.

Is being kissed by a vampire a pain in the neck?

What flowers do monster's grow?
Mara-ghouls.

Did you know that witches refuse to ride their brooms when angry?
They're afraid of flying off the handle.

Spiders are great computer users because they love surfing the web!

What are pirates afraid of on Halloween?
The Ghost Guard!

If vampires believe in having pets, then they probably own bloodhounds.

With her big examination of "why did the chicken cross the road?" the last few weeks, here's one Autumn the Puppy will enjoy.
Why did the skeleton NOT cross the road?
Because he didn't have the guts to do so.

Well, that's all the room I have for today. We'll be back next weekend with more howling good Halloween jokes. In the meantime, have a good week folks and remember: if you want a really swinging Halloween party with lots of good music, don't forget to invite the boogieman!
See you in the next Sunday Funnies!-wd.

Saturday, October 22, 2011

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 16-22, 2011

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

IN LIBYA:
*Former Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi was killed by "rebels" in his home town of Sirte Thursday. While this event has since been confirmed, the final arrangements for the body have yet to be made, despite the fact that as a Muslim, Gadhafi's remains should have had been dealt with within 24 hours of his demise.
*Libya's liberation will officially be declared in a formal announcement Sunday as the first step to establishing a free democracy within that besieged country.
*STRANGE BUT TRUE: Guess what television series first predicted Gadhafi's death?
An episode of Second Chances, a short lived comedy starring Matthew Perry in 1987. The episode in question stated the dictators death as occurring in 2011, although it got the exact date for the event wrong. It can be found on YouTube by looking up "Second Chances, Gadhafi's death".

ELSEWHERE:
*United States President Barack Obama has announced that all American troops will be removed from Iran by the end of the 2011 calendar year.
*Despite some disorganization within some of the individual groups, the Occupy Wall Street grass roots movement continues across the country and the world.
*Senior citizens in America will receive a 3.5 Cost of Living Adjustment to their Social Security checks come 2012.
*President Obama's American Jobs Act was struct down in the United States Senate.
*Last weekend, we reported about the Iranian actress who was to receive 90 lashes with a cane and a year in jail for appearing in the movie My Tehran For Sale. We have since learned that the movie's director, Jafar Panani, has been sentenced to six years in jail by the Iranian government for making the film. Talk about harsh movie critics.
*It's the Apple iPhone 4S versus Motorola's Droid RAZR while Google unveils a new smartphone program and device (the Galaxy Nexus) of its own.

IN SPORTS:
*The American League Texas Rangers faces the National League Saint Louis Cardinals to determine the winner of the 2011 World Series of Major League Baseball. The "Best of 7" contest is tied at one game apiece with the third game to be held tonight in Texas.

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: OCTOBER 22, 2011

Another weekend is upon us, and you know what that means!

BEFORE AND AFTER
Two separate things share at least one word in common and have been combined to make a new thing. Do you know what it is, based upon the clue below?

This could be a dessert's bad grammar?

COMMON BONDS
The items in each set have something in common. Do you know what it is?

01. {The Kingsmen, The Oak Ridge Boys}
02. {Tom and Jerry, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel}

We will reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the October 15 Puzzle Corner.

REBUS
One Is The Loneliest Number, a hit for Three Dog Night.
The one, not only colored blue, was set aside in a smaller font compared to the numbers 2-0 grouped together.

TRIVIA TIME
While DC Comics will soon claim that Zeus is Wonder Woman's biological father, before now the legend claimed that Queen Hippolyta molded Princess Diana out of magical clay and was granted life by the patron goddesses of Paradise Island and the Amazons.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

SUNDAY FUNNIES: THE CHICKEN CONSPIRACY? (PART 3)

Hello Everyone.
Autumn the Puppy here, still digging into that age old question "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
Last week, I started posting political responses, but wound up running out of column space long before I ran out of answers.
So without further adieu, let's fire up our time travel devices and examine other political comments on the subject throughout history.

So, why did the chicken cross the road?

William Jefferson Clinton, 42nd President of the United States:
I did not cross the road with that chicken. Besides, what is your definition of chicken?

Hillary Clinton:
When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road.

Al Gore, Vice President to Clinton:
I invented the chicken, so why shouldn't it cross roads?

Gerald Ford, 38th President of the United States:
Was that what the chicken was doing? Crossing the road? What I want to know is why couldn't I avoid tripping over the dang thing?

Image courtesy Shane Patrick Boyle

Martin Luther King, Junior; civil rights activist:
I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives or the color of their feathers called into question.





Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States:
The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat: no chicken crossed any road.

Timothy Leary, "psychedelic" psychologist:
Because that's the only kind of trip the Establishment would let the chicken take.

Okay. I have a lot more responses to this question that I will post in the weeks ahead, but right now I think I will give this running gag a break before it runs a fowl of anyone and lays an egg, if it hasn't already.

For the next two weeks, October 23 and 30, Waxy Dragon will be here telling Halloween themed jokes; and then I'll return in November with some fresh material (I hope).
Until then, take care everyone. Have a great week and please be back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!-AtP.

Saturday, October 15, 2011

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 9-15, 2011

Amongst events that have happened around the world this past week...
*United States President Barack Obama's jobs bill has stalled in the Senate, while Congressional Republicans have proposed one of their own.
*The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Agency have announced the prevention of plans to assassinate the Saudi Arabia ambassador, and the bombing of that country's embassy; with the suspects having alleged ties to Iran.
*Dennis Ritchie, the creator of "C" programming computer language, has passed away.
*The Standards and Poor Agency has reduced Spain's credit rating to AA- in light of the current European debt crisis.
*The Nobel Prize for Economics was awarded to Thomas J. Sargent and Christopher A. Sims for their research into cause and effect of the world's macroeconomy.

OCCUPY WALL STREET:
*Protesters concentrated on banks Friday and Saturday as new rules and interest rates for debit cards went into effect.
Meanwhile, as of Saturday, October 15, the grassroots movement is catching on in other parts of the world.
OCCUPY WALL STREET OVERSEAS:
*Various banking and financial institutions across Europe (including Paris, Berlin, Madrid, Hamburg, Frankfurt, and London) were surprised as worldwide events began. The common theme was the European debt crisis and what is being done to resolve the situation.
*Demonstrations were moderate in Asia, where the economy is doing fairly well at the moment.
*South African activists peacefully protested at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange in hopes of acquiring more jobs, universal health care, and more support for public/free education.
*Demonstrations also have begun in Auckland, Sydney, Taipei, Tokyo, amongst 82 countries with citizens upset about the world's economy and how the decisions of so few affect so many.
*Unfortunately, violence broke out in Rome when an Italian version of "Occupy Wall Street" was overtaken by rioters who kept their faces covered by black cloth while smashing windows and ATM machines in hopes of getting the crowd riled up to join them against what the rioters consider a 'corrupt government'. The Roman and Italian governments do not suspect the involvement of any members of the actual "Occupy Wall Street" movement and call the situation an isolated incident.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
*This month marks the 50th anniversary of the Mad magazine feature "Spy vs. Spy".
*Paul McCartney married Nancy Shevell.
*Iranian actress Marzieh Vafamehr has been sentenced by an Iranian court to suffer 90 lashes by caning and a year in jail after appearing in "My Tehran For Sale", a film criticizing the Iranian governments policies against the arts.

IN SPORTS:
*As the players, teams, and owners try to work out an agreement, the National Basketball Association has announced the cancellation of the first two weeks of the 2011-2012 season due to the lockout.

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: OCTOBER 15, 2011

Another weekend is upon us. The leaves are falling and the autumn winds are blowing, but inside is nice and warm. Here are a couple of enigmas to enjoy indoors.


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


1             2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 0


TRIVIA TIME
After 70 years, in an upcoming issue of Wonder Woman, DC Comics will reveal that Zeus is the title character's "real" father.
Who was believed to be the sire of the Amazing Amazon before?


We'll reveal all next weekend. Meanwhile, let's try to avoid tripping over the ottoman as we peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and reveal the results from our Dick Van Dyke Show 50th anniversary quiz.


01. What fashion did Laura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore) make popular via the series? Capri Pants
02. What was Laura's maiden surname? Meehan
03. Did Sally (Rose Marie) Rogers EVER get married? Yes, but not until sometime after leaving The Alan Brady Show, after the end of the original series, as revealed during the 2004 Dick Van Dyke Show Revisited reunion special.
04. What was Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) Sorrell's real first name on the show? Maurice
05. Which cast member later reprised their character for a guest appearance in a 1990s TV show?

Carl Reiner appeared as Alan Brady on a 1995 episode of Mad About You.
06. Which cast member appeared in a memorable episode of The Twilight Zone?

Richard Deacon (Mel Cooley) starred in "The Brain Center at Whipple's" with Robbie the Robot from the movie Forbidden Planet.
07. What was Dick Van Dyke's first television work? He hosted a local morning program in 1955.
08. The series pilot was filmed on January 20, 1961. What other historic event occurred that day?

John F. Kennedy was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States of America.
09. What did Van Dyke have to take a leave of absence from to film the pilot?

Dick Van Dyke had to take a week off from the Broadway show Bye, Bye Birdie.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

SUNDAY FUNNIES: THE CHICKEN CONSPIRACY? (PART 2)

Autumn, Detective Dog
Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here.
Wish I knew beforehand just how many feathers there would be to pluck when I started looking into the question of "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
Apparently the issue has gotten political over the decades since the question was first asked.
Below are some comments on the subject from noted government figures, past and present.

So, "Why did the chicken cross the road?"

Barack Obama, 44th/current President of the United States:
The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change! And I will give ALL Americans positive change if I can get the Republican Congress to do the right thing.

Pat Buchanan, political commentator:
To steal the job of a decent, hard working American chicken.

Sarah Palin, Republican politician:
Before the chicken got to the other side, I shot it, cleaned and dressed it, and had chicken burgers for lunch.

John McCain, Republican Senator:
That chicken crossed the road because it recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

George W. Bush, 43rd President of the United States:
We really don't care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road or not. The chicken is either for us or against us. There is no middle ground here.

Dick Cheney, Vice President to George W. Bush:
What chicken? Where's my gun?

Saddam Hussein, known terrorist, during an interrogation session:
The chicken conducted an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were quite justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.

A security guard at an undisclosed location:
Give me ten minutes with that chicken and I'll find out.

Fox Mulder, noted conspiracy theorist:
It was all a government cover up. What chicken? What road? What is it they don't want us to know?

Oliver Stone, film maker:
The question is not "Why did the chicken cross the road?" but rather: "Who was crossing the road at the same time whom we have overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?"

Believe it or not, there are a LOT more chicken comments (leftovers?) that I haven't posted but will next weekend. Meanwhile, have a great week and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies.-AtP.

Saturday, October 8, 2011

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 2-8, 2011

OCTOBER IS NATIONAL BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH IN THE UNITED STATES.

Amongst events that have happened around the world this past week include:
*The fighting continues in and around Muammar Gadhafi's Libyan hometown, although it is still unknown whether or not the former leader is actually hiding there.
*Civil unrest continues in Yemen and Saudi Arabia.
*Steve Jobs, visionary of Apple, has lost his battle with pancreatic cancer.
*The "Occupy Wall Street" movement continues in New York City and is spreading to other locations across the United States as protesters demand business reform and responsibility while seeking to prevent companies from outsourcing jobs, "buying" politicians, and mistreating employees.
*The New York City Police Department as busted what it claims to be the largest known identity theft gang on record, making 110 arrests in the process.
*Helen Thorning-Schmidt is the new Prime Minister of Denmark.

THE 2011 NOBEL PRIZES
With most of the categories announced, the winners thus far are:
*Medicine: Bruce Beutler and Ralph Steinman for research into the immune system.
*Science: Saul Perlmutter, Brian P. Schmidt, and Adam G. Riess for discovering the Universe's accelerated expansion via distant supernovae.
*Chemistry: Dan Shechtman for the discovery of quasicrystals.
*Literature: Tomas Transtomer.
*Peace: Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakkul Karman for their non-violent struggle to promote women's rights.
*The Economics Prize has yet to be announced.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
*The Dick Van Dyke Show celebrates its 50th anniversary this week.
*After all their budget worries have been addressed, the FOX network has decided to renew The Simpsons for at least two more seasons.
*After honoring his current movie commitments, actor Robert Downy, Junior allegedly hopes to revive Perry Mason as a television series, with himself in the title role.
*NBC's The Playboy Club is the first victim/cancellation of the 2011-2012 American television season.

IN SPORTS:
*It's down to the final four in Major League Baseball; as the Detroit Tigers face the Texas Rangers for the American League title while the Milwaukee Brewers compete against the Saint Louis Cardinals. The winner of each side will compete to win the 2011 World Series title later this month.
*Al Davis, owner of the Oakland Raiders American Football team, has passed away at age 82.
*After being dismissed, ESPN has replaced Hank Williams, Junior with Barry Sanders to introduce Monday Night Football October 10th. Whether Sanders will continue beyond that remains to be seen, but the new introduction to the game will definitely be non-musical, for ownership of the song "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here On Monday Night" has now been called into question.

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: OCTOBER 8, 2011

This week marks the 50th anniversary of The Dick Van Dyke Show, and to celebrate, the Puzzle Corner presents a special themed quiz.
Ready?

01. What fashion did Laura Petrie (Mary Tyler Moore) make popular via the series?
02. What was Laura's maiden surname?
03. Did Sally (Rose Marie) Rogers EVER get married?
04. What was Buddy (Morey Amsterdam) Sorrell's real first name on the show?
05. Which cast member later reprised their character for a guest appearance in a 1990s TV show?
06. Which cast member appeared in a memorable episode of The Twilight Zone?
07. What was Dick Van Dyke's first television work?
08. The series pilot was filmed on January 20, 1961. What other historic event occurred that day?
09. What did Van Dyke have to take a leave of absence from to film the pilot?

We'll try to avoid tripping over the ottoman ourselves and reveal all next weekend. Meanwhile, let's look inside THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from October 1's Puzzle Corner.

WHO AM I?
If you knew that our mystery guest was actor David Suchet, then...

TRIVIA TIME
At the time the question was posed, we were under the impression that Mister Suchet had appeared as Hercule Poirot in every Agatha Christie written story except the last one: Curtain!
However, while the actor hopes to film every story, we have since discovered that the following Christie/Poirot works have yet to be adapted by the BBC for filming:
The novels Dead Man's Folly (published in 1956) and Elephants Can Remember (1972), the short story collections The Big Four (1927) and The Labors of Hercule Poirot (1947), the short story "The Lemesurier Inheritance" (1923) and Black Coffee, a play featuring Poirot written by Christie that was first produced in 1930.

Sunday, October 2, 2011

SUNDAY FUNNIES: THE CHICKEN CONSPIRACY? (PART 1)

Autumn: Investigative Puppy
Hello Everyone.
Autumn the Puppy here.
Okay, I freely admit it.
Last week I posted an article about the age old question "Why did the chicken cross the road?" more as a joke and to fill a column than any serious attempt at journalism.
But since the September 25 installment of the Sunday Funnies, I've been doing some more digging (after all, I AM a dog) and have discovered that there is a lot more to this chicken situation than meets the eye.
There may never be a totally accurate answer to the question, but a LOT of people have weighed in on the matter over the decades that this 'joke' has been in existence!
Here are some of their comments.

"Why did the chicken cross the road?"
Doctor Phil: "The problem we have here is that the chicken fails to realize that it must deal with the problems on this side of the road first before it can accurately address the problems on the other side. What we need to do is help the chicken realize how stupid it's acting by not addressing its current problems before tackling any new ones."

Oprah Winfrey: "Well, I do understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why it wants to cross this road so badly. So instead of having the chicken learn from learn from its mistakes and take falls, which is a natural part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a brand new car so it can just drive across the road and not live its life like any other chicken."

Any television reporter: "We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not been allowed access yet to the other side of the road."

Nancy Grace, noted court authority: "The chicken crossed the road to avoid prosecution. You can judge for yourself in this exclusive footage by the look in its eyes and the way it walks."

Barbara Walters: "In a few minutes, we'll be listening to the chicken, for the first time, tell the heart warming story of how experienced a serious case of molting and still went on to accomplish its life long dream of crossing the road."

Colonel Sanders, noted spokesman: "I missed one?"

Actually folks, this chicken conspiracy, if there is one, is a lot bigger than I thought. Next week we'll look at it from the political angle.
Until then, have a great week and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies.-AtP.

Saturday, October 1, 2011

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2011

Amongst events that have happened around the world this past week include:
*Ally forces have confirmed the death of Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior member of al-Qaeda.
*Libyan forces have surrounded Sirt, under the theory that Muammar Gaddafi might have secretly returned to his hometown to hide.
*The enrollment of Hispanic students in Alabama schools has drastically decreased since that state enacted tougher legislation against illegal immigrants.
*China has successfully launched the Tiangong 1 space laboratory as part of its new human spaceflight program.
*Civil unrest continues in Yemen and Syria.
*The former Borders book chain is now officially closed.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
*DC Comics' rebooting of their superhero universe has resulted in high sales and mixed reactions depending upon the title as the company released 52 first issues in September 2011.
*The trial of Doctor Conrad Murray, accused of manslaughter in the death of performer Michael Jackson, is expected to go to the jury for a decision within the next week.
*Actor Charlie Sheen has settled his lawsuit(s) against Warner Brothers and his former show Two and a Half Men. No other details have been released on the matter.

IN SPORTS:
*It came right down to the last game of the regular season for a couple of the teams, but there are now only eight teams remaining as the 2011 Major League Baseball postseason begins.
In the first round of the playoffs: the American League East champion New York Yankees face the Central division champion Detroit Tigers while the Western division champion Texas Rangers compete against the wild card holding Tampa Bay Rays.
In the National League, the Eastern division champion Philadelphia Phillies face the wild card holding Saint Louis Cardinals while the Western division champion Arizona Diamondbacks play against the Central division champion Milwaukee Brewers.
The first round is a five game series, with the winners facing off against each other in the second round to determine who will represent each side in the World Series to be held later this month.

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: OCTOBER 1, 2011

Since I've gotten some positive feedback on our themed enigmas from September 17, let's have an encore set of conundrums. Ready?

WHO AM I?
Can you guess the identity of the person based upon the clue below?

"Although I am not the first to portray this famous Agatha Christie detective, I am the first to film for the BBC every story the Madame has written of her creation, except one."

TRIVIA TIME
If you know who our mystery guest is, then you know which story of what Agatha Christie detective is referenced above, or do you?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and reveal the results from September 24's Puzzle Corner.

COMMON BONDS
01. My Maria {B. W. Stevenson, Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn}
02. Come Together {The Beatles, Aerosmith}
In each group, the original artist was listed first, and the act that did the remake was second.

REBUS
The first day of fall, represented by the descending letters of September 23.