Sunday, July 28, 2013

SUNDAY FUNNIES: DOCTOR, DOCTOR

What do you mean I look weird? I'm a dragon!
Hello everybody! Ms. Waxy Dragon here!
Recently I had to go to the doctor for my annual check up. Don't worry, everything was all right and I'm as healthy as a baby dragon should be.
But I was kind of disappointed in the trip, because I still have yet to meet the physician with the time traveling machine that looks like a blue police box.
After all, I think I'd make a great traveling companion!
In any event, going through my joke files made me realize that I have a lot of doctor related jokes that I have yet to use, so guess what today's theme is.

The doctor took his patient aside and said "I've got some good news and some bad news."
The patient asked for the good news first, to which the doctor replied "They're going to name a disease after you."

After the food fight, a guy rushed into a doctor’s office with a celery stalk in one ear, a cherry tomato in his nose and a Brussels sprout in his eye. The doctor took one look at him and said, "You're not eating right!"

The invisible man wanted to make an appointment, but the doctor said, "I can’t see you now."

When the patient claimed to only have 30 seconds to live, the doctor replied, "I'll see you in a minute."

When the patient who thought he was a bee wanted an appointment, the doctor said, "Buzz off. I'm busy."

When the man thought he was a bridge, the doctor asked, "What's come over you?"

"Doctor! I feel like a pair of open curtains!" complained the patient.
"Pull yourself together," advised the doctor.

When the doctor told the patient that she had acute appendicitis, the lady replied, "I came here to be treated doctor, not admired!"

WOW! Sounds like either all those patients have lousy insurance or that guy's not much of a doctor. Glad I'm not seeing him! In any event, have a great week folks, stay healthy, and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!-wd

Saturday, July 27, 2013

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JULY 21-27, 2013

Amongst events happening around the world this past week...
*The President of South Sudan has fired his entire government, including his vice-president!
*The United Nations has announced that the confirmed death toll in Syria's civil war has now broken 100,000!
*Suspected National Security Agency whistleblower Eric Snowden is currently living his own version of Tom Hanks' The Terminal, as he remains stranded at the Sheremetyveo International Airport in Moscow, Russia awaiting word on his asylum request.
*Pope Francis visited Brazil during his first official foreign mission.
*Scientists have discovered that dolphins have unique personal names for each other, and respond to those just like people do!
*Chris Fromme won the 2013 Tour de France.
*Phil Mickelson won the 2013 Open Championship of professional golf in Muirfield, Scotland.

IN ENGLAND...
*Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, has given birth to George Alexander Louis. The baby is automatically third
in line for the British throne.
*British scientists have discovered what causes humans to be allergic to cats, and hope to overcome the situation within five years.
*England's Internet Service Providers will now automatically block all adult/porn sites for their customers unless told otherwise.
*The Oxford English Dictionary has announced it will edit the definition of "marriage" to include same gender unions.

IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
*While Congress is on its summer break, President Barack Obama is not resting, by taking his proposals for the remainder of 2013 and beyond to the people for their reactions and support before Congress resumes "work" next month.
*One bill that Congress may consider on its own agenda is passing the "Cable Ala Carte" plan, where consumers will be allowed to select cable channels on an individual basis instead of having to buy pre-determined "packages" from their cable company.
*No word at this time on how many new attempts there will be to repeal or defund "Obama Care", let alone if they will ever start work on a jobs stimulus bill.

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: JULY 27, 2013

Another weekend is upon us puzzle fans, and I've got something really special to post!


REBUS
A famous tune is represented by the image below. Do you know what the song title is?

Image making the rounds on Facebook, artist(s) unknown






TRIVIA TIME
If you have successfully identified the song pictured at right, then do you know the songwriter's inspiration for that tune?






We'll reveal all next weekend.
But for now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and reveal the results from the July 20, 2013 Puzzle Corner.

FAMOUS FIRSTS
What was the very first single by a British band to reach #1 on the American music charts?

There were plenty of readers guesses involving a certain "Fab Four" quartet, but the correct answer is "Telstar" by The Tornadoes in 1962!

TRIVIA TIME
What is Eigengrau?
That is the formal name for the shade of black the human eyes sees when they are completely closed.

Monday, July 22, 2013

HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: CATCH A RISING STAR NOW AVAILABLE!

Front cover art by David L. Russell
I am proud to announce that not only is my private detective of the far flung future back in an all book, but that the second installment in this series is also his first full length novel!

HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: CATCH A RISING STAR returns readers to the island nation of Galveston 2 on the planet Frontera as Hugh is hired as a security consultant for actress Ruby Kwartz when she arrives to film a new vid.
But what was supposed to be an easy assignment turns deadly when Hugh discovers that everyone around Ruby has a hidden agenda and someone wants to make sure this production will be her last.  Can Hugh Monn catch a rising star before she falls?

FROM CHAPTER 1:
Thick, red lips were just a shade darker than her crimson skin tone, but both were in striking contrast to her long orange hair. Her eyes appeared to be only irises, as black as a starless corner of the universe resting on a field of white, but that toothy smile was brighter than a supernova. She was dressed in white like everyone else, but her outfit was a sleeveless, short hemmed number at least one size too small, that did everything possible to accent every aspect of her figure.
“Do I have the pleasure of addressing Hugh Monn, the private detective?” asked the older man with an accent I couldn’t place. After all, it’s a pretty big universe and xenology wasn’t one of my strong
suits, so I couldn’t identify any of their races or species. Besides, the woman was the only one present any insensitive jerk would call ‘alien’. Outwardly, all the men appeared to be as human as me.

The back cover, formatting by Sean Ali
“There’s no pleasure involved from my perspective,” I said, while motioning my head to indicate his traveling companions. 

After writing short stories that were collected for his first book, I wanted to create longer adventures for Hugh in a second anthology. But what would have been the first story, CATCH A RISING STAR, took on a life of its own and became his first full length novel.  Fans not only get more action, adventure, and mystery in this tale; but more Big Louie too. And all within another great cover by artist David L. Russell.

"We're excited," comments Tommy Hancock, Pro Se Partner and Editor in Chief, "to not only have Hugh Monn back for another adventure, but to see Lee push both himself and this wonderful world he's imagined into a full length novel. This definitely different mix of Science Fiction with the Detective genre, as well as Lee placing Hugh somewhere along the center of the Private Eye spectrum makes the concept a fun, exciting one that appeals to many types of readers."

As for Hugh Monn's first book, Ron Fortier, noted Reviewer, Author, and Publisher stated-What is particularly refreshing in these tales is that Houston wisely opts not to make his hero a hard-boiled, typically cynical type. Hugh Monn is a genuinely nice guy who likes people and aliens alike and is sincere in trying to make his world a better place for all to live in. He's a good guy I liked meeting and hope to see him again real soon.

HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE: CATCH A RISING STAR features an excellent and evocative cover by David L. Russell as well as stunning cover design by Sean E. Ali and Ebook formatting by Russ Anderson!
Available in Print at Amazon at http://tinyurl.com/n47oso2 and from Pro Se's own store at https://www.createspace.com/4362923 for only $15.00
This stunning addition to Hugh's adventures is also available for $2.99 as an Ebook!
Available for the Kindle at http://tinyurl.com/makex3b, via the Nook at http://tinyurl.com/mnzgyww, and at Smashwords in multiple formats at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/335096!

Also, that aforementioned HUGH MONN, PRIVATE DETECTIVE book IS NOW AVAILABLE ON AUDIO!
Voice Actor Pete Milan did a fantastic job recording the collection for Dynamic Ram Audio, engineered by Chris Barnes.
And that creative duo is also reuniting to produce the audio version of CATCH A RISING STAR! I'll be able to announce its release soon, but in the meantime, you can obtain the MP3s of their first production from Amazon here: http://www.amazon.com/Hugh-Monn-Private-Detective/dp/B00CS8UHE6/ref=sr_1_cc_3?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1374498364&sr=1-3-catcorr&keywords=hugh+monn+private+detective

But if that wasn't enough, yours truly has also been hitting the interview trail promoting Hugh!
Although I'm a much better writer than I am a public speaker, you can hear me discussing Hugh and other things here: http://prosepodcast.libsyn.com/pro-se-presents-the-podcast-episode-2-lee-houston-jr-and-hugh-monn-private-detective-catch-a-rising-star
And Mark Bousquet interviewed me for his Atomic Anxiety blog, which you can read here: http://atomicanxiety.wordpress.com/2013/07/23/atomic-interview-15-talking-hugh-monn-private-detective-with-lee-houston-junior 

Sunday, July 21, 2013

SUNDAY FUNNIES: IT'S HOT EVERYWHERE FOLKS!

Hello everybody! This weekend you have both Waxy Dragon AND Autumn the Puppy here to entertain you for this special edition of The Sunday Funnies because this installment is also the 1100TH POST on The Free Choice E-zine since we switched over to Blogger.com!

Autumn: Wow Waxy, can you believe it? 1100 posts!
Waxy: Yeah. Seems we just celebrated 1000 posts about 99 articles ago.
Autumn: Err... yeah. But what a week it has been. 7 straight days of 90+ temperatures at the Free Choice offices.
Waxy: Wasn't the air conditioner running?
Autumn: Yes, but I caught it before it could escape.
Waxy: Considering we're based in New England, USA, global warming IS real folks! But how hot was it?
Autumn: Nice segue. Anyway... Want to tell these together?
Waxy: Sure. Ready?

IT WAS SO HOT...
*Even the Sun was looking for some shade!
*Cows were giving evaporated milk!
*Wet laundry dried instantly!
*The corn was popping in the fields long before it could be harvested and eaten!
*The Devil was buying air conditioners!
*Flash was chasing the Mirror Master and they were both walking!
*All you had to do was leave your meal on the sidewalk to cook!
*Birds were eating their worms through a straw!
*Chickens were laying fried eggs!
*Nudists stayed indoors and sun worshipers took the week off!
*Hot water came out of every faucet!
*People worked extra hours for free just so they could enjoy the office's air conditioning!
*There were two kinds of air: regular and chunky!

Waxy: Wow! That is hot! Are you keeping cool Autumn?
Autumn: Sure am. I don't like being a hot dog. What about you?
Waxy: I love hot dogs, especially with lots of mustard and onions. Thankfully, being a dragon, I don't have to worry about overheating, but do you know what is really hot?
Autumn: No. What is?
Waxy: Our loyal readers!
Autumn: I'll certainly agree with that.

SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR MAKING THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE SUCH A SUCCESS ON BLOGGER.COM, AND PLEASE BE BACK HERE NEXT WEEKEND FOR MORE SUNDAY FUNNIES!-Waxy Dragon and Autumn the Puppy.

Saturday, July 20, 2013

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JULY 14-20, 2013


APOLLO ELEVEN LANDED ON THE MOON 44 YEARS AGO TODAY, WITH NEIL ARMSTRONG AND EDWIN "BUZZ" ALDRIN, JUNIOR BECOMING THE FIRST HUMANS TO STEP FOOT ON THE LUNAR SURFACE.

Amongst events happening around the world this past week...
*The United Kingdom will start officially recognizing same gender unions in England and Wales beginning in 2014.
*Pope Francis has formally begun proceedings for the Vatican to undergo an investigation into current accounting practices in hopes to create greater fiscal responsibility and transparency within the religious
organization.
*A new moon has been discovered orbiting Neptune! S/2004 N1 is only 11 miles in diameter, aiding in maintaining its obscurity until now.
*The war on drugs continues in Mexico, with the country's army capturing the suspected head of one of the cartels.
*Panamanian officials seized a North Korean vessel when a routine inspection found a missile on board! No word on where the missile was obtained, its final destination, or what its intended purpose was. Meanwhile, South Korea is blaming North Korea for the cyber attacks it has been suffering.
*A British Columbia coroner's report declared actor Cory Monteith (Glee!) died of an overdose of heroin and alcohol.
*Civil unrest continues in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
*The city of Detroit, Michigan; $20 billion US Dollars in debt, has filed for bankruptcy protection!
*The "not guilty" verdict for George Zimmerman in the death of Trayvon Martin has sent shock waves across America, and perhaps the world, along racial lines. Protests have been held in every major city across the country, and amongst the celebrities condoning the decision is entertainer Stevie Wonder, who swears never to set foot in the state of Florida again.
*An Oakland, California television station is being sued by Asiana Airlines when it used racial slurs such as "Sum Ting Wong" for the names of the airline personnel in reports of the recent plane crash.
*Pioneering White House journalist Helen Thomas, who has interviewed and reported on 10 different Presidents, has passed away at age 92.
*Actor John Stamos reprised his Full House role as Jesse Katsopolis to reunite with the TV Group "Jesse and the Rippers" on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.
*The American League defeated the National League 3-0 in the 2013 All-Star Game, thus giving whoever represents that side home field advantage in the 2013 World Series of Major League Baseball this fall.

THE JULY 21, 2013 INSTALLMENT OF THE SUNDAY FUNNIES TOMORROW WILL BE THE 1100TH POST OF THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE SINCE SWITCHING TO BLOGGER.COM!

THANKS TO OUR LOYAL READERS, THIS E-ZINE HAS HAD 1000 PAGE VIEWS FOR THE TENTH STRAIGHT MONTH!

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JULY 20, 2013

We're having a heatwave! It's the seventh straight day of 90+ days where The Free Choice E-zine offices are located, so let's keep cool with some interesting enigmas.

FAMOUS FIRSTS
What was the very first single by a British band to reach #1 on the American music charts?

TRIVIA TIME
What is Eigengrau?

We'll reveal all next weekend.
But for now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the July 13, 2013 Puzzle Corner.


COMMON BONDS
The items within each subset have something in common. Do you know what it is? And yes, we know they are all actors.

01. {Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Roger Moore, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, Tom Baker}
ALL THESE ACTORS HAVE PORTRAYED SHERLOCK HOLMES
02. {Warner Oland, Sidney Toler, Roland Winters, Peter Ustinov, Ross Martin}

ALL THESE ACTORS HAVE PORTRAYED CHARLIE CHAN
03. {The answers to groups 1 and 2}

HOLMES AND CHAN ARE DETECTIVES.

TRIVIA TIME
If you have correctly answered all the COMMON BONDS questions above, then who is accredited with creating the spotlighted genre?

EDGAR ALLAN POE IS ACCREDITED WITH CREATING THE MYSTERY GENRE.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

SUNDAY FUNNIES: IF YOU CAN READ THIS... (bumper stickers)

Don't read and drive!
Hello Everybody. Autumn the Puppy here.
Recently I've gotten a lot of car rides. My people still won't let me drive despite the fact I do have a (dog) license, so that leaves me with a lot of free time on my paws, and sticking your head out the window to get some fresh air and smell the sights gets boring after a while.
So I've been reading the bumper stickers on the back of people's vehicles.
Below are some of the more interesting ones I have taken note of.

*Well, this day was a total waste of makeup.
*Make yourself at home! Clean my kitchen.
*Don't bother me. I'm living happily ever after.
*I started out with nothing and still have most of it left.
*I pretend to work. They pretend to pay me.
*You! Off my planet!
*Therapy is expensive. Poppin' bubble wrap is cheap! You choose.
*Does your train of thought have a caboose?
*Errors have been made. Thankfully, others will be blamed.
*I'm not crazy, I've just been in a very bad mood for 30 years.
*If only you'd use your powers for good instead of evil...
*See no evil, hear no evil, date no evil.
*A PBS mind in an MTV world. (But what about FX, TNT, SyFy, etc?)
*Sarcasm is just one more service we offer. (And at a discount!)
*Better living through denial. (Especially while touring Egypt!)
*Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed. (Look out!)
*Suburbia: where they tear out the trees & then name streets after them.

*Adult child of alien invaders. (Check your basement for pods...)
*I'm just working here till a good fast-food job opens up.
*I'm trying to imagine you with a personality. (Maybe it split?)
*A cubicle is just a cell without a door.
*Here I am! Now what are your other two wishes?
*Beam me up Scotty! There's no intelligent life down here!
*Adults are just kids who owe money.
*I work 40 hours a week to be this poor.
*Can I trade this job for what's behind door #2? (Only if Monty Hall is available.)
*Macho Law forbids me from admitting I'm wrong. (I thought I was wrong once but I was mistaken.)
*Real men don't ask for directions or get lost. We just find alternate destinations.
*Nice perfume. Must you marinate in it? (Pepe le Pew?)
*My other vehicle is a TARDIS! (Or insert whatever you prefer. Just hope it gets good mileage.)
*Chaos, panic, & disorder - my work here is done. (Check, please!)
*A woman belongs in the house, and the Senate!
*Ambivalent? Well, yes and no. (Maybe, maybe not.)
*Is it time for your medication or mine? (Take two aspirin.)
*I refuse to star in your psychodrama.
*I thought I wanted a career. Turns out I just wanted paychecks.
*I'm surrounded by workaholics! How do I set a laser printer to stun?
*I majored in liberal arts. Do you want fries with that?
*If you can read this, you're too close!

And on that note. Have a great week everybody and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!-AtP.

Saturday, July 13, 2013

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JULY 7-13, 2013


Amongst events that have happened around the world this past week...
*Some provinces of China have been affected by Typhoon Soulik, with 46 confirmed dead and over 200,000 evacuated.
*Dozens were trampled or otherwise seriously injured during the annual Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain.
*England is eagerly awaiting the Royal Birth as Duchess Kate nears the projected due date of her first child with Prince William.
*Crystal glassware producer Orrefors has gone out of business.
*A Canadian engineering team has won the Sikorsky Prize for creating a human powered helicopter, thus ending the contest started in 1980!
*Andy Murray won the Men's Singles competition at the 2013 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament, while Daniel Nestor and Kristina Mladenovic won the Mixed Doubles match; and the team of Hsieh Su-wei and Peng Shuai won the Ladies Doubles competition. These events were held after last week's "Week in Review" column was posted.
*Civil unrest continues in Afghanistan, Somalia, and Syria.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
*A heated debate over women's abortion rights continues in the Texas legislature, with armed guards preventing ladies from bringing any tampons or similar products into the audience chamber with them for fear that the personal items will be used as "throwing weapons" against people arguing for the bill. Meanwhile, Texas state governor Rick Perry has announced he will not be seeking a fourth term in office, causing many to think he will make another bid for the Presidency in the 2016 national elections.
*Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano has resigned her post to become President of the University of California. No word on who will replace her yet.
*The trial of George Zimmerman over the death of Trayvon Martin has gone to the jury for deliberation of a verdict.
*After Sunday's scheduled games, Major League Baseball pauses for the annual All Star Game to be held Tuesday night. The winning side will have home field advantage during the World Series.

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: JULY 13, 2013

Another weekend, more puzzles. Don't you love the way that works out?

COMMON BONDS
The items within each subset have something in common. Do you know what it is? And yes, we know they are all actors.
01. {Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, Roger Moore, Michael Caine, Charlton Heston, Tom Baker}
02. {Warner Oland, Sidney Toler, Roland Winters, Peter Ustinov, Ross Martin}
03. {The answers to groups 1 and 2}

TRIVIA TIME
If you have correctly answered all the COMMON BONDS questions above, then who is accredited with creating the spotlighted genre?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's take a peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX, and discover the results from the July 6, 2013 Puzzle Corner.

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

LOOK LOOK
LOOK LOOK   LEAP     =  Look before you leap!

THE FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE
This is just like a regular Trivia Time question, but there are only two possible answers, hence the even odds of getting it right. Ready?

TRUE OR FALSE: You can NOT have punctuation within the name of a city or town.


Answer: TRUE! While there isn't many, the list includes Westward Ho!, a village in England.

Sunday, July 7, 2013

SUNDAY FUNNIES: OPEN MIKE TIME

Ain't I cute?
Hello Everybody! Ms. Waxy Dragon here!
Been thinking about what I could do for the Sunday Funnies this weekend. Unfortunately, since it is also the end of a holiday weekend, I couldn't get into The Free Choice E-zine offices to check my special round file for jokes.
Therefore, you're just going to have to laugh at whatever comes off the top of my head because it's Open Mike Time.
Of course, we're not actually opening Mike up, because that would be way too messy and he wouldn't like it to begin with.
In any event, ready?
My interior is actually electronics.

What famous city probably cheats on tests? Peking!

What is the smelliest city in America?
Phew York!

What kind of hairstyle do oceans have? Wavy.

What is hairy and coughs?
A coconut with a cold.

Why do bulls wear bells?
Because they can't blow their horns.

What did the big chimney say to the small chimney?
You're too young to smoke.

What runs but never walks? Water.

What did the artist draw before he went to bed? The curtains.

Why was the broom late for work? Because it over swept.

What do pigs use to fill their pens? OINK!

Okay, it's the middle of summer and I am on vacation. In any event, have a great week and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!-wd.

Saturday, July 6, 2013

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JUNE 30-JULY 6, 2013

Amongst events happening around the world this past week...

*A 4000 year old pyramid was destroyed by property developers in El Paraiso, Peru! WHY?
*Mass confusion and some political intrigue arose when former NSA employee and suspected spy Edward Snowden was presumed to be on board the plane carrying Bolivian President Evo Morales, who was on a good will tour.
*Meanwhile, however he got there, Snowden is now hoping to obtain political asylum from Russia.
*While North Korea has remained strangely silent of late, South Korea has offered to resume negotiations concerning a joint business project the two countries were once cooperating in: a factory complex in Kaesong.
*Concurrently, Russia and the Peoples Republic of China are conducting naval exercises in the Sea of Japan,  and presumably are keeping an eye on the Korean coast line, just in case.
*The London Array, the world's largest offshore wind farm, is now officially operational.
*King Albert the Second of Belgium has announced that he will be stepping down, due to his health, in favor of his son Philippe assuming the throne.
*Former Philippines President Joseph Estrada is now the mayor of Manila.
*Croatia has joined the European Union.
*The Vatican has announced the canonization of Popes John Paul II and John XXIII.
*From 2013 Wimbledon Tennis Championship: Marion Bartoli of France has won the Ladies' Singles while Bob and Mike Bryan of the USA have won the Gentlemen's Doubles.
*Although the International Astronomical Union still won't restore Pluto's status as an official planet, its fourth and fifth moons have been named Kerberos and Styx, respectively.
*An entirely new species of lizard has been found in Sergipe, Brazil.
*Civil unrest continues in Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Egypt.


FROM THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
*Citing logistics issues, the Obama administration has pushed back initiating the next phrase of the "Obama Care" health plan until January 1, 2015.
*The Statue of Liberty reopened its doors to tourists for the first time since Hurricane Sandy struck the east coast in 2012.
*This week marked the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg in the Civil War.
*Inbee Park won the 2013 US Open in Women's Professional Golf.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JULY 6, 2013

Another weekend is upon us, and fans of this column know what that means!

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

LOOK LOOK
LOOK LOOK   LEAP

THE FIFTY-FIFTY CHANCE
This is just like a regular Trivia Time question, but there are only two possible answers, hence the even odds of getting it right. Ready?

TRUE OR FALSE: You can NOT have punctuation within the name of a city or town.

We'll reveal all next weekend. Meanwhile, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the June 29, 2013 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
MTV debuted August 1, 1981, with its sister channel VH1 making the scene January 1, 1985. Considering what they used to show, do you remember what the acronyms for each station mean?

MTV once stood for Music TeleVision, while VH1 was Video Hits 1; but how often do those stations play music videos nowadays?

FAMOUS FIRSTS
Do you remember just what the very first music videos were for each channel?

MTV's first music video was appropriately enough Video Killed The Radio Star by The Buggles, while VH1 started their broadcast history with Marvin Gaye's rendition of The Star Spangled Banner.

Thursday, July 4, 2013

HAPPY JULY 4, 2013

Today is July 4, 2013; a major historic day in American history.
I won't bore our International readers with a lot of local patriotism, although I cannot help wondering why so many retail businesses are actually open today.
I can understand the emergency services (police, fire fighters, and medical) operating today, but grocery and department stores? It just doesn't seem right somehow.
In any event, let's celebrate with some safe Fireworks as I hope everyone has a good day, regardless of whether they had to work or not.




Lee Houston, Junior
Editor-In-Chief
4 July 2013

Schoolhouse Rock's America(n History) Rocks: "Fireworks" (circa 1976)
Song: Music and Lyrics by Lynn Ahrens; performed by Grady Tate
Video courtesy of YouTube; copyrighted by whoever "owns" Schoolhouse Rock nowadays.