Sunday, November 30, 2014

SUNDAY FUNNIES: TO DO OR DIET

Hello. Editor-In-Chief Lee Houston, Junior here as Autumn the Puppy and Waxy Dragon have the holiday weekend off to be with their families.

Thanksgiving has come and gone, along with all the controversy over stores opening as early as SIX PM Thanksgiving night, provided they even bothered to close any of the holiday to begin with.

Considering this is The Sunday Funnies, the last thing anyone wants is for me to hop on my editorial soap box again, but while Thanksgiving is about a whole lot more than what's on the menu, let's pause to (briefly) discuss food.

There have been a lot of (fad) diet plans out there when it seems all you really need is common sense, moderation, and some exercise. I personally have been fighting the Battle of the Bulge since puberty. I've won a few skirmishes here and there, but still have yet to declare victory in the war itself.
My mother has baby pictures of me where I am so skinny, she dragged me to doctors trying to figure out why I wasn't gaining any weight as a child.
In hindsight, I wish she had left well enough alone.

Yet I just have to laugh over some of the dieting "rules" I have heard over the years.
Like...

*Breaking a solid food item (like cookies) up into pieces causes calorie leakage, so you don't gain as much eating the individual pieces than you would the whole item.
Good grief!

*In turn, any dunked item (like donuts) have no calories because you drowned them all during the dunking process.

*Tasting something while cooking does not result in calories when whatever you are preparing hasn't been fully assembled/cooked yet.

*Diet drinks cancel calories in whatever food they are consumed with.

*Movie snacks don't count because they are part of the overall entertainment package.

*If you fatten everybody else up, you'll look thinner.
Maybe, but that doesn't mean you're any skinnier.

For sure, calories are not tiny, evil creatures that sew your clothes a little tighter every night while you sleep. However, they will gang up on you over time if you're not careful.
Consult your doctor, watch what you eat more than just viewing it going from the plate into you, get at least a full eight hours of sleep every night; and if you can't get some moderate exercise on a regular basis, at least don't snack between snacks.

In any event, have a great week everybody, and one of the ladies WILL be back next weekend with more Sunday Funnies!--lth,jr.

Saturday, November 29, 2014

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: NOVEMBER 23-29, 2014


MONDAY IS WORLD AIDS DAY.
SUPPORT THOSE FIGHTING THE DEADLY DISEASE AND REMEMBER THOSE WHO LOST THE BATTLE.


AMONGST EVENTS HAPPENING AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*There has been a volcanic eruption on Fogo Island in Cape Verde.
*Protests are still occurring in Hong Kong over Chinese regulations concerning voting eligibility.
*Pope Francis is currently visiting Turkey in hope of building an Interfaith dialog to prevent Islamist violence against Christians. The Pope is scheduled to visit the United States soon on a mission to help the poor.
*Tunisian voters will be facing a run off election for President between current office holder Moncef Marzouki and former Tunisia Prime Minister Beji Caid Essebi.
*North Korean leader Kim Jung-un has named his sister Kim Yo Jung to be a senior official within the ruling party.
*Author P.D. James has passed away.
*Roberto Gómez Bolaños, aka Chespirito, has taken his final bow on life's stage.
*Switzerland defeated France to win the 2014 Davis Cup of tennis.
*Finland will soon be allowing same gender unions.
*Suicide bombers and other terrorist attacks continue to plague the Middle East.

BETWEEN THE UKRAINE AND RUSSIA...
*The Dutch Safety Board reports it has collected all possible pieces of wreckage that remain from Malaysia Flight MH17. There is no official word on what might remain missing, due to interference from pro-Russian separatists in the crash area.
*Arseniy Yatsenyuk is expected to be confirmed as the new Prime Minister of the Ukraine.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*Since it is an official act of Congress, Republican John Boehner's lawsuit against President Barack Obama will be financed with tax payer money!
*Secretary of State Chuck Hagel has officially resigned his position. No word yet on who his replacement will be.
ELSEWHERE...
*Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; was "no-billed" by a local grand jury, setting off new protests over the incident and the "injustice" of the situation. Ironically, the prosecuting District Attorney is on record as a contributor to Wilson's defense fund! Wilson has since resigned his position on the police force as the protests continue, although there are many who still say he should face criminal charges on the matter. If there are to be any civil charges, they have not been filed against him yet.
*Pope Francis is scheduled to visit the United States soon on a mission to help the poor.
*Louis Chenevert has abruptly stepped down as Chief Executive Officer of United Technologies. Chief Financial Officer Gregory J. Hays has (temporarily?) replaced him.
*The suspension of professional National League Football player Ray Rice for assaulting his fiancee has been overturned!

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: NOVEMBER 29, 2014

FUN FACT
Every ton of recycled paper saves about 17 trees!

Welcome to our last "regular" Puzzle Corner of 2014.
Beginning next weekend, all the enigmas will be holiday themed for the month of December, but they will also be as fun and challenging as always.
Meanwhile...

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

01. {John Wayne, Walt Disney, Tom Cruise, Wayne Gretzky}
02. {Morocco, France, Spain} and yes, we know they're all countries.

TRIVIA TIME
What is the difference between a gaggle and a skein when discussing geese?

We'll reveal all next weekend.
But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the November 22, 2014 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
Everyone knows that the Mayflower was the first ship to ever land at Plymouth Rock. But what was the name of the second ship to successfully make the voyage? Fortune.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you make out of the letters in the word THANKSGIVING?

A, aging, ah, akin, an, angst, as, at
gag(s), gains, giant(s), gas, gat(s) <old 1930s slang for guns>, gig(s), gin(s), gist, git(s) <Hillbilly slang for scram/get>, giving
hag(s), haggis <a Scottish delicacy>, hang(s), has, hat(s), having, hi <short form of "hello">, hiking, hint(s), hit(s)
I, ink(s), in(s), inn(s), is, it, its
kin, king(s), kit(s), knight(s), knit(s)
nag(s), nigh, night(s)
sag, saint, sank, sat, saving, shag <a type of carpeting>, sight, sighting, sign, signing, sink, sinking, sin, shin, shining, sit, skin, skit, snag, snit, stag, staging, stain, staining, stank, sting, stinging, stink, stinking
tag(s), tan(s), tank(s), than, thank(s), thin(s), thing(s), think(s), this, tin(s)
vain, vat(s), visit, Viking(s) (AND) vista.

Other words besides the 118 above might be possible.
But IV (the medical term) didn't count because it's an abbreviation.
The Roman numerals II and IV are debatable, but the cuss word for human waste was not listed since this is a family oriented E-zine.

Thursday, November 27, 2014

BLACK FRIDAY 2014

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EDITORIAL.

As I post this article, it is a little after 9pm Eastern Standard Time on Thanksgiving night here in the United States of America, and it saddens me to report that corporate greed and consumer stupidity have gotten worse.

This time last year, some American retail businesses opened at 8pm Thanksgiving night to get a jump on "Black Friday" sales and the start of the Christmas retail season.
This year, the starting time is now SIX PM, provided those businesses even bothered to close the night before; tearing their employees away from family, friends, and loved ones even earlier than 2013!

COME ON PEOPLE!
It was enough of a sales gimmick when stores opened in the pre-dawn hours of the first official shopping day of the season that Friday morning, hence the somewhat politically incorrect name "Black Friday".
But SIX PM on Thanksgiving night?
SERIOUSLY???

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a time where one pauses with their family and friends to reflect upon their blessings, the positive things in life, and all they have to be thankful for.
Granted, that's something human beings need to do more than once a year, but I guess those that have to work should at least be thankful they have a job, even if those same employees are seriously being taken advantage of.

As for me, my position of years past still stands.
I will shop and support local businesses on "Small Business Saturday", and let my fingers do the walking on more major purchases via the Internet on "Cyber Monday" next week, but as for "Black Friday"...

SOME DARE BRAVE THE GLOOM OF BLACKEST NIGHT,
QUESTING FOR BARGAINS UPON THEIR TREK,
HITTING EVERY SALE BEFORE DAYLIGHT.

ME? I PLANNED WELL AHEAD.
NO NERVES, CREDIT, OR CAR SUFFERED WRECK.
JUST RESTFUL SLUMBER WITHIN MY OWN BED.

I sincerely hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.
Let us pause to thank the only ones who should of worked today: those brave men and women in law enforcement, fire prevention, the medical profession, and the military keeping the country and the world safe.
And if you are in retail and had to work on Thanksgiving, you have my sympathy.

Sincerely,
Lee Houston, Junior
Editor-In-Chief of The Free Choice E-zine
27 November, 2014

THE ABOVE WAS AN EDITORIAL.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2014


Sunday, November 23, 2014

SUNDAY FUNNIES: HAPPY THANKSGIVING 2014 (Turkey jokes)

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
No bones, please.
Hello Everybody!
With a holiday upon us, today you have both Autumn the Puppy AND Waxy Dragon here as we prepare to celebrate Thanksgiving with some appropriate jokes.
Ready?

What famous bird roamed through Sherwood Forest?
Fryer Turk.

Did you know that turkeys can jump higher than any building?
Because buildings can't jump.

Why do turkeys never help anyone during the holidays?
Because they don't stick their necks out for anyone around Thanksgiving.

Did you hear about the service that sends turkeys to you?
They use Bird Class Mail.

Did you hear about the turkey that got into a bad fight?
He had the stuffing knocked out of him.

Are turkeys musical because they have drumsticks?

Why did the turkey cross the road?
To prove he wasn't chicken.

Would the ghost of turkey leftovers be a poultry-geist?

What do you call it when it rains turkeys?
Fowl Weather.
Don't step in any giblets!

And now, to end our fun, courtesy of YouTube, here's an edited highlight clip of the classic WKRP in Cincinnati episode "Turkey's Away", from MTM Productions.


Have a great week everybody.
The lady's will be away over the weekend to be with their respective families, so please be kind to our humble Editor-In-Chief as he tries to present the next installment of The Sunday Funnies.--AtP and WD.

Saturday, November 22, 2014

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: NOVEMBER 16-22, 2014

NOVEMBER 22 IS ALPHABET DAY IN ALBANIA,
INDEPENDENCE DAY IN LEBANON,
THE 155th ANNIVERSARY OF
CHARLES DARWIN'S ON THE ORIGIN OF THE SPECIES,
AND HOLODOMOR REMEMBRANCE DAY IN THE UKRAINE.
THURSDAY IS THANKSGIVING IN THE UNITED STATES.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*A 6.8 earthquake has been reported in the Nagano Prefecture of Japan.
*The Netherlands is temporarily banning the sale of poultry and eggs after discovering the H5N1 bird flu at a local chicken farm.
*The World Health Organization has reported an outbreak of bubonic plague in Madagascar, with over 40 known victims so far.
*North Korea has threatened to conduct another nuclear weapons test after being told of a pending investigation by the United Nations' Security Council into allegations of Human Rights violations.
*Klaus Iohannis has been elected President of Romania.
*Nicola Sturgeon is the new First Minister of Scotland, becoming the first woman to ever hold that title.
*The ninth G-20 Summit concluded discussing economic issues.
*The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation was held this past week, with both foreign and domestic matters on the agenda.
*Australia and the People's Republic of China have achieved a free trade arrangement between the two countries.
*South Korea has replaced their troubled Coast Guard with a new National Safety Agency.
*The United Nations' Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization has declared Manila's Rizal Monument; Machu Picchu, Peru; Spain's Camino de Santiago, and the Dampier Archipelago of Australia as World Heritage Sites In Danger.
*The Church of England may soon allow female Bishops.
*Russia is planning to start up its own version of Wikipedia soon, saying their edition will be more accurate concerning the country.
*Terrorist activity continues in Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, and other regions of the Middle East.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*After the Democratic Senate passed a bi-partisan bill that the Republican controlled House of Representatives never took any action on for the last six years, and fearing more inaction after Republicans admitted after winning control of the entire Congress after the 2014 mid-term elections that they had no idea what they were going to do about Immigration Reform, President Barack Obama issued an Executive Action Thursday night. The measure will possibly spare from deportation the parents of once illegal children who are now legal US citizens and permanent residents of the country for at least 5 years or more. However all applicants MUST past a criminal background check as part of the consideration process.
*Meanwhile, the Republican Party is crying foul over the action as House Republican Speaker John Boehner has finally filed his long threatened law suit over the President's alleged "abuse of power", citing the creation of the Affordable Healthcare Act, aka Obama Care. It should be noted that this is only the 147th time President Obama has issued an Executive Order, while his predecessor George W. Bush wrote 291 of them during his two terms in office.
*While the Republican controlled House of Representatives approved the Keystone XL Pipeline, the currently (until January 2015) Democratic based Senate has said "No" to the idea, after finding out that despite the temporary construction boom the project would bring, there would only be an estimated 50 long term/permanent jobs.
*Kenneth Mapp is the new Governor-elect of the U.S. Virgin Islands.
ELSEWHERE...
*The Alaskan volcano Pavlof is active, with air traffic being directed away from the area.
*Blizzard conditions were experienced between New York and Ohio this week.
*Several women have come forward accusing Bill Cosby of sexual assault. But even if the charges are true, the statue of limitations has passed on all the known cases. However, several Cosby based projects have been cancelled because of the negative publicity surrounding the allegations, and the legendary comedian has yet to publicly say a word on the subject.
*Director Mike Nichols (The Graduate, Monty Python's Spamalot, etc) has taken his final bow on life's stage.
*Kevin Harvick has officially won the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup 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: NOVEMBER 22, 2014

FUN FACT
The countries that do celebrate Thanksgiving don't celebrate it on the same day.

Thursday is Thanksgiving here in the United States of America, so let's serve up some appropriate enigmas.

TRIVIA TIME
Everybody knows that the first ship to land at Plymouth Rock was the Mayflower. But what was the name of the second ship to make the voyage?

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many words can you make out of the letters in THANKSGIVING?

We'll reveal all next weekend.
But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and reveal the results of the November 15, 2014 Puzzle Corner and our quiz celebrating the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz movie.

01. What does the initial represent in author L. Frank Baum's name?
His first name: Lyman.

02. How did Baum come up with the name Oz?
From the label on the second drawer of a two drawer file cabinet: O-Z. The other drawer was labeled A-N.

03. Who did the MGM studios originally hope to cast as Dorothy Gale?
Shirley Temple, but they could never work out a deal with Fox, where she worked at the time.
Buddy Ebsen, costume test shot

04. Who was originally cast as the Tin Woodsman?
Ray Bolger, but he arranged a trade with Buddy Ebsen, because Bolger thought the Scarecrow role suited his dance style better. The rest of the legend, about Ebsen becoming deathly ill due to the original makeup used for the Tin Woodsman and Jack Haley coming into the role are true, as reported in the August 23, 2014 Puzzle Corner, which asked who was supposed to play the role.

05. True or False: Like much of the main cast, Judy Garland had a dual role in the film.
This is actually a maybe. Many people suspect
WHO is this woman? Inquiring minds want to know!
her of having a cameo as the woman
holding the Siamese cat that Toto chases, which prematurely launches the Wizard's hot air balloon. Others claim it is an actress by the name of Lois January. Unfortunately, no official record exists to either confirm or deny either theory.

06. True or False: One performer actually had more than two roles in the film.
TRUE. Frank Morgan, besides being Professor Marvel in Kansas and the Wizard in Oz; was also the doorman to both Oz and the Wizard's quarters as well as the coachman that took Dorothy and company between the two. There was no official explanation for the multiple appearances in the movie, but MGM wanted more work out of the actor in relation to the money he was earning for the picture.

07. What musical number was cut from the movie to make it more "timeless"?
The Jitterbug. There is still a brief reference to it in the Witch's dialog before the scene in the poppy field.

08. What, if any, Oscars did The Wizard of Oz win?
Best Original Musical Score and Best Original Song for Over The Rainbow.

Sunday, November 16, 2014

SUNDAY FUNNIES: POE-TAY-TOE, POE-TAH-TOE (potato jokes)

Hello Everybody! Waxy Dragon here.
Now, if it's one thing dragons know in life, it's how to eat. After all, how do you think we get so big and strong?
And let me remind everybody once again, it is only the very bad dragons that believe that humans are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.
Anyway, today I'm going to talk for a bit about potatoes, or taters for those in the southern places. For something that grows in the ground
and comes out looking real dirty, they certainly taste good once you clean them up and cook them right. I know French Fries did not start in France, but I have yet to meet one that I didn't like. Especially when they're cooked crispy on the outside and are still tender on the inside.
I know some lazy people are called couch potatoes, although I've yet to figure out why. They just sit around doing nothing but watch TV all day. A nice job if you can get it, especially if you can find someone to pay you to do nothing but watch TV all day, but definitely an insult to spuds.
In any event, here are some other potato people you might have met.

Those who never participate in anything, but watch others do all the work are called "Speck Taters".

Those who never do anything to help but always find fault with the way others do things are called "Comment Taters".

Those who are always looking to cause problems are "Agie Taters".

Those who never get around do doing what they said they would are "Hezzie Taters".

Those who pretend to be someone they're not are called "Emma Taters".

Hmm... all those potato jokes are making me hungry. Think I'll go get something to eat. But to really add the sour cream, bacon bits, and chives to all this potatoey goodness, courtesy of YouTube, here's "Weird" Al Yankovic performing his hit song Addicted To Spuds.


Have a great week everybody and please be back with us next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!--wd.

Saturday, November 15, 2014

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: NOVEMBER 9-15, 2014

TODAY IS REPUBLIC DAY IN BRAZIL.
THIS IS SHICHI-GO-SAN DAY (7-5-3) DAY IN JAPAN.
THE WIZARD OF ID COMIC STRIP CELEBRATES
ITS 50th ANNIVERSARY MONDAY.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*The European Space Agency's Rosetta Probe successfully deployed the Philae Lander, which completed the initial phase of its mission by landing on the surface of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko! It is already sending back pictures of the comet's surface.
*Citizens of Mexico are up in arms over the disappearance of 43 students from a college in Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico and the subsequent discovery of a site of mass graves. No confirmation yet whether any of the missing students are amongst the dead, but local riots have been occurring since.
*While the Catalan people of Northern Spain voted on the issue of self-determination, the government said the referendum was unauthorized.
*Pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong are being warned to stop their actions now, or face arrest and prosecution.
*Terrorists in the Middle East seemed to prefer using suicide bombers more than direct attacks on civilian and military targets this past week.
*Chinese government official Xi Jinping and United States President Barack Obama have struck an accord to limit greenhouse gases between the two countries.
*New cases of the Ebola virus have been confirmed in the Mali region of West Africa as the confirmed death toll breaks 5,000+ victims.
*Cuba is reportedly trying to defend North Korea to the International Criminal Court on charges of crimes against humanity.
*Sweden can confirm its claim that a foreign submarine entered their waters this past month, although whose sub and why it did so remain unknown(?).
*The G-20 Summit in Brisbane, Australia is underway.

BETWEEN THE UKRAINE AND RUSSIA...
*NATO is now claiming Russian military forces have entered the Ukraine to support pro-Russian separatists.
*Meanwhile, Russia says it will resume long distance military flights across the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea for the first time since the start of the Cold War.
*Investigating Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 may take up to an additional 9 months due to difficulties reaching the crash sight and local interference.


PASSING PARADE...
*Author R. A. Montgomery of the Choose Your Own Adventure series has passed away.
*Actress Carol Ann Susi (The Big Bang Theory, Death Becomes Her) has taken her final bow from life's stage.
*Noted screenwriter Ernest Kinoy (the TV adaptation of Roots, X Minus 1) has passed away.
*Henry "Big Bank Hank" Jackson of The Sugarhill Gang (Rapper's Delight, etc) has left us.
*Television producer and series creator Glen A. Larson (The Fall Guy, Battlestar Galactica, Knight Rider, Magnum P.I.; etc) has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*Congress is officially back in session until their winter holiday break. First on the agenda, the House of Representatives approved the Keystone Pipeline, which President Barack Obama has environmental concerns about.
*The Republican members of Congress admit they are divided on how to address the issue of Immigration Reform, but do not want the President taking any Executive Action on the matter.
*The winners of the 2014 mid-term elections will not be sworn into Congress until the start of new session in January 2015.
ELSEWHERE...
*The last American medical workers were cleared from quarantine, following their return from West Africa.
*The first winter storm of the 2014/2015 season has come across the United States, bringing snow and colder temperatures to the northern regions of the country.
*Clayton Kershaw of the National League's Los Angeles Dodgers and Mike Trout of the American League's Los Angeles Angels have been named the 2014 Most Valuable Players of Major League Baseball.


Although from this point forward The Free Choice E-zine will only be reporting its readership stats at the end of every month, we would like to thank our loyal readers for already granting us 2000+ page views 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: NOVEMBER 15, 2014

FUN FACT
While early TVs and VCRs only showed them in traditional black and white, the Kansas sequences in the 1939 MGM movie The Wizard of Oz are actually in sepia tones!

1939 movie poster
Today's Puzzle Corner celebrates the 75th anniversary of the classic musicalThe Wizard of Oz with a special quiz!
version of

01. What does the initial represent in author L. Frank Baum's name?
02. How did Baum come up with the name Oz?
03. Who did the MGM studios originally hope to cast as Dorothy Gale?
04. Who was originally cast as the Tin Woodsman?
05. True or False: Like much of the main cast, Judy Garland had a dual role in the film.
06. True or False: One performer actually had more than two roles in the film.
07. What musical number was cut from the movie to make it more "timeless"?
08. What, if any, Oscars did The Wizard of Oz win?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of November 8, 2014 Puzzle Corner.

FAMOUS FIRSTS
Who was the first President of the United States to have his own, official Presidential Library?
Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

TRIVIA TIME
What is the formal name of the device used to measure your feet in shoe stores?
It is The Brannock Device.

Sunday, November 9, 2014

SUNDAY FUNNIES: LATEST CELEBRITY CITINGS

I speak. Are you listening?
Hello Everybody. Autumn the Puppy here with another batch of Celebrity Quotes with a couple of interesting photos too. So let's get right to it.
As usual, my comments afterwards are in italics.

Roberts, 2011
"I've never been chosen as one of the 'Top 5 hottest
actresses in a bikini', and honestly, it's a godsend."
Julia Roberts
Humans certainly look better in clothing than us canines. Other than our ID and anti-flea/tick collars, a good winter coat or other weather protection, why do people want to dress pets up to begin with?
A REAL car dealership in Wellington, Ohio, USA!
Richie, circa 2010

"I've been having kid cereal my whole life. It's the only cereal I can reach."
Nicole Richie.
Actually, I'm more dependent upon either whatever my people give me or what falls on the floor. But as long as you're having a good breakfast each morning...
Somebody didn't read the sign.



On the right is a joke that was too good to pass up! Pictured, in order of appearance, are Misters Gates, Cosby, Shakespeare, Clinton, Nye, Murray, and Maher. I have no idea who that is to the left of Mister Bill, the Claymation/Play-doh figurine, who is to the left of Maher.


Stone, circa 2009

"You're only human. You live once and life is wonderful. So eat that red velvet cupcake."
Emma Stone
I get the point. Live life to its fullest. Unfortunately, there are some human foods that aren't good for dogs, so check with you vet before eating anything questionable. After all, just because it smell goods doesn't mean its edible.

Well folks, I'm going on to see what I can dig up for next time. Meanwhile, have a great week and please be back here next time for more Sunday Funnies!--AtP.

Celebrity images courtesy of Wikipedia. Dealership and "Bill Collection" via Facebook. All pictures used under known open media regulations to the best of our knowledge.

Saturday, November 8, 2014

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: NOVEMBER 2-8, 2014

THIS IS THE 125th ANNIVERSARY OF MONTANA AND WASHINGTON JOINING THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
NOVEMBER 10th MARKS THE 25th ANNIVERSARY OF THE BERLIN WALL BEING DESTROYED, THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY OF SESAME STREET BEGINNING, AND THE 60th ANNIVERSARY OF THE IWO JIMA MEMORIAL BEING DEDICATED.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*The World Health Organization has appointed Doctor Matshidiso Moeti of Botswana its new Chief of Operations in Africa, as the current Ebola Virus death toll has surpassed 5,000 victims.
*An International, joint law enforcement operation reports shutting down over 400 illegal domains and marketplaces of the "dark net".
*Apple Computers reports two new malware viruses, called "WireLurker" and "RootPipe" are specifically targeting their products.
*The new Juncker Commission, the European Union's executive body until 2019, has officially taken office.
*Protectionist won the 2014 Melbourne Cup in professional horse racing.
*Star Wars, Episode VII has been officially subtitled The Force Awakens.

TERRORIST CONCERNS...
*ISIS/ISIL terrorists are allegedly attempting to recruit children from around the world to join their cause. Meanwhile, authorities prevented a possible ISIS/ISIL assassination attempt against Queen Elizabeth the II of England before any potential assailants reached Europe, but they do stand accused of slaughtering over 300 members of the Sunni Albu Nimr tribe in Iraq.
*Fighting continues in Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen.

BETWEEN THE UKRAINE AND RUSSIA...
*Voters in the separatist "People's Republic's" of Donetsk and Lugansk, which
are still technically part of the Ukraine, went to the polls to elect their own officials, although the results will only be recognized by Russia.
*Kiev claims Russia has sent 30 more tanks and ammunition into the Ukraine, in violation of the current cease fire agreement.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
ON THE POLITICAL FRONT...
*As previously reported, after the 2014 mid-term elections, the Republican Party not only maintained their majority in the House of Representatives, but manged to buy win a majority in the Senate, giving them "control" of Congress starting January 2015.
*Analysts and pundits are concerned that the Republicans might attempt taking advantage of the situation to undo past progress like the Affordable Health Care Act (aka "Obama Care"), or threaten more shutdowns if things don't go their way.
*While there has been no official statements from any Republicans concerning their upcoming agenda, an opinion editorial published in The Wall Street Journal, written by re-elected Senator Mitch McConnell and Speaker of the House John Boehner did mention those possibilities, along with potential tax breaks for the rich and restructuring corporate (tax) laws; with no word about raising the minimum wage, equal pay for women or protecting their "reproductive rights", and nothing about improving voters' rights and registration processes.
*President Barack Obama has publicly stated that he hopes "both sides" can cooperate to continue achieving progress for America and its citizens.
*Meanwhile, voters in Alaska, Oregon, and the District of Columbia decided to legalize "recreational" marijuana; as voters in Alaska, Arkansas, Nebraska, and South Dakota decided to raise their minimum wages locally.
ELSEWHERE...
*The official autopsy results for the late Robin Williams reveal NO presence of illegal substances or alcohol in his body at the time of his death. The comedian sadly lost the battle with his inner demons without any outside interference, while trying to come to terms with being in the early stages of Parkinson disease.
*Although originally scheduled for September 11th, 2014 for obvious reasons, the new One World Trade Center is officially open.

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: NOVEMBER 8, 2014

FUN FACT
A tiger's night vision is six times better than that of a Human being's.

FAMOUS FIRSTS
Which President of the United States was the first to have his own, official Presidential Library?

TRIVIA TIME
What is the official name of the device used to measure your foot size in shoe stores?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of the November 1, 2014 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
Who is the Murphy behind the infamous "Murphy's Law": anything that can go wrong will?

In truth, nobody knows. Guess our mysterious Murphy was right again.

THE 50/50 CHANCE
IT'S TRUE!
The (in)famous Trix's Cereal mascot rabbit received ONE bowl of the cereal in both 1976 and 1980 as the result of a voting contest among kids mirroring the Presidential elections of those years.
The publicity stunt has not been repeated since, so the most the rabbit averages is one potential spoonful, depending upon the commercial.