Thursday, December 31, 2015

NEW YEAR'S EVE 2015

THE FOLLOWING IS A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OF THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE.


As another year draws to a close and a new one appears on the horizon, if you care to celebrate tonight, please do so responsibility.

The life you save might be your own.


THE ABOVE WAS A PUBLIC SERVICE MESSAGE OF THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE.

IN MEMORIUM 2015

While best and worst of everything lists are compiled by others as another year draws to a close, The Free Choice E-zine continues it annual tradition of pausing to briefly look back and remember those that are sadly no longer with us.
Unfortunately we cannot post the whole list; but amongst the innocents who died needlessly at the hands of others; our family, friends, and loved ones; as well as those within law enforcement, medical/emergency services, and the military personnel who lost their lives helping and/or protecting others during 2015, we have also lost...


ACTORS
Kinya Aikawa (Japanese actor and anime voice artist)
Peter Baldwin (Coronation Street)
James Best (The Dukes of Hazard, Sounder)
Theodore Bikel (My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof)
Richard Bonehill (Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, Doctor Who)
Martin E. Brooks
Martin E. Brooks (The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Dallas)
Edward Burnham (To Sir With Love, Doctor Who)
Paul Campbell (The Fighter, American Hustle)
David Canary (Bonanza, All My Children)
Jonathan Crombie (Anne of Green Gables)
Rick Docummun (The Burbs, Groundhog's Day)
Richard Dysart (L.A. Law, Wall Street)
Gabriele Ferzetti (James Bond: On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Once Upon A Time In The West)
Bob Hornery (Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Importance of Being Ernest)
Actor/teacher Bruce Hyde (Lt. Kevin Riley on the original Star Trek)
Saeed Jaffrey (The Man Who Would Be King)
Dean Jones (That Darn Cat, The Love Bug, Beethoven)
Louis Jordan (Gigi, James Bond's Octopussy)
Irwin Keyes (House of 1000 Corpses, The Jeffersons, movie version of The Flintstones)
Sir Christopher Lee (Too numerous to mention)
Geoffrey Lewis (High Plains Drifter, Bronco Billy)
Stephen Lewis (Last of the Summer Wine, Don't Drink the Water)
Robert Loggia (Scarface, Jagged Edge)
Tony Longo (Too numerous to mention)
Nathaniel Marston (One Life To Live)
Patrick Macnee (BBC's The Avengers, the original Battlestar: Galactica)
Windell Middlebrooks (Body of Proof, Scrubs, Miller High Life commercials)
Martin Milner (Route 66, Adam-12)
Al Molinaro
Warren Mitchell (Till Death Do Us Part, Death of a Salesman)
Al Molinaro (Happy Days, The Odd Couple)
Ron Moody (Oliver!, Eastenders)
Dickie Moore (Our Gang comedies, Oliver Twist, Sgt. York)
Aubrey Morris (A Clockwork Orange, The Wicker Man)
Taylor Negron (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, One Crazy Summer)
Olaf Pooley (Doctor Who, Star Trek: Voyager)
Roger Rees (Cheers, The West Wing, Nicholas Nickleby)
Reynaldo Rey (227, White Men Can't Jump, Friday)
Andrew Rubin (Mary Hartman/Mary Hartman, Police Academy)
Omar Shariff (Doctor Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, Funny Girl)
Nicholas Smith (Are You Being Served?, Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit, Doctor Who)
Alan Steel (Samson, Hercules Against the Moon Men)
Sawyer Sweeten (Everybody Loves Raymond)
Rod Taylor (original versions of The Time Machine and 101 Dalmatians, The Birds, Inglourious Basterds)
Nigel Terry (Excalibur)
Fred Thompson (Law and Order)
Tom Towels (NYPD Blue)
Anthony Valentine (Coronation Street, Escape to Athena)
Dick Van Patten (Eight is Enough, Spaceballs)
Ben Woolf (American Horror Story: Freak Show)


ACTRESSES
Laura Antoneilli (Till Marriage Do Us Part, The Innocent)
Lynn Borden (Bob and Carol & Ted and Alice, Hazel)
Yvonne Craig
Catherine E. Coulson (best known as The Log Lady on Twin Peaks)
Yvonne Craig (originated the role of Batgirl, and played a host of other parts)
Child actress Suzanne Crough (Tracy on The Partridge Family)
Donna Douglas (Frankie and Johnny, originated the role of Ellie May Clampett on The Beverly Hillbillies)
Ellen Albertini Dow (The Wedding Singer, Patch Adams, The Wedding Crashers)
Anita Ekberg (La Dolce Vita, Paris Holiday, Back From Eternity)
Patricia Elliot (A Little Night Music, One Life To Live)
Coleen Gray (Nightmare Alley, The Killing, Kiss of Death)
Mary Healy (Second Fiddle, Star Dust)
Joan Leslie (High Sierra, Sgt. York, Yankee Doodle Dandy)
Marjorie Lord (The Danny Thomas Show)
Anne Kirkbride (Coronation Street)
Judith Malina (Dog Day Afternoon, The Sopranos)
Jayne Meadows (I've Got A Secret, City Slickers 1 and 2, Undercurrent)
Geraldine McEwan (Miss Marple)
Kitty McGeever (Emmerdale)
Maureen O'Hara (the original Miracle on 34th Street, How Green Was My Valley)
Moira Orfei (Scent of a Woman)
Natasha Parry (Romeo and Juliet, OH! What A Lovely War!)
Melody Patterson (F Troop, the original Hawaii 5-0)
Amanda Peterson (Can't Buy Me Love)
Luise Rainer (The Good Earth, The Great Ziegfeld)
Telenovela actress Lorena Rojas
Grace Lee Whitney
Lizabeth Scott (I Walk Alone, Dark City)
Rose Siggins (American Horror Story)
Mildred Joanne Smith (No Way Out)
Shirley Stelfox (Keeping Up Appearances, Coronation Street)
Lela Swift (Dark Shadows, Ryan's Hope)
Mary Ellen Trainor (The Goonies)
Alberta Watson (24, Nikita)
Grace Lee Whitney (Batman, original Star Trek)
Elizabeth Wilson (The Graduate, 9 to 5)
Stage Actress Julie Wilson (Kismet, The Pajama Game)
Pauline Yates (The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, Bachelor Father, Keep It In The Family)


ATHLETES/SPORTS FIGURES
Yogi Berra
Former boxer and actor Frank Albanese (The Sopranos, Goodfellas)
Ernie Banks of the Chicago Cubs.
Legendary baseball player/manager Yogi Berra.
Formula One driver Jules Bianchi.
Pioneer motorcycle racist Geoff Duke.
Former football player and sportscaster Frank Gifford.
Marques Haynes of the Harlem Globetrotters.
Meadowlark Lemon of the Harlem Globetrotters.
Professional basketball player Moses Malone.
Minnie Miñoso: Professional baseball player known as “The Cuban Comet” and “Mister (Chicago) White Sox”.
Earl Lloyd, first African-American player in professional basketball.
Wrestler/actor "Rowdy" Roddy Piper (born Roderick Toombs)
Wrestler Dusty Rhodes.
Stuart Scott of ESPN.
Professional racer Justin Wilson.


CREATIVE PERSONNEL
Hazel Adair, co-creator of the long running British soap opera Crossroads.
Murphy Anderson
Syrian archaeologist Khaled al-Asaad.
Legendary comic book artist Murphy Anderson.
Singer/actress Cilla Black (real name Priscilla White)
Screenwriter Michael Blake (Dances With Wolves)
Film producer Larry Brezner (Throw Momma From The Train, Good Morning Vietnam!)
Journalist David Carr (The New York Times)
Songwriter Wayne Carson ("The Letter", "Always On My Mind", "Neon Rainbow")
Sculptor Robert Clatworthy.
Famed romance novelist Jackie Collins.
Screenwriter Douglas S. Cook (The Rock, Double Jeopardy)
Actor/producer Kevin Corcoran (Pete's Dragon, Old Yeller, Sons of Anarchy)
Horror film director Wes Craven (A Nightmare on Elm Street, Scream)
Author E. L. Doctorow (Ragtime, Billy Bathgate)
Illustrator/Cartoonist Roy Doty (Judy Blume books, comic strip adaption of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In)
Artist Brett Ewins (Judge Dredd)
Author Dan Fante (Chump Change, Mooch)
Artist Don Featherstone, creator of the plastic pink flamingo.
Don Featherstone and Friends
Adrian Frutiger, designer of the fonts Univers, Frutiger, Avenir, and Vectora; amongst many others.
Sculptor/animator Blaine Gibson (Disney's versions of Bambi, Alice in Wonderland, and Peter Pan)
Director Richard Glatzer (Still Alice)
Film producer Samuel Goldwyn, Junior.
Author Robert Gover ($100 Misunderstanding, On The Run With Dick and Jane)
Author Günther Grass (The Tin Drum, Dog Years)
Film producer Michael C. Gross (Ghostbusters 1, Heavy Metal 1, Beethoven 1)
Film director/producer John Guillermin (The Towering Inferno, 1976 version of King Kong)
Irwin Hasen (Golden Age comic book artist, creator of Wildcat and Dondi)
Singer Mariem Hassan, known as the Voice of the Sahara.
Novelist Hazel Holt (the Sheila Malory series)
Composer James Horner (Titanic, Field of Dreams, Apollo 13)
Comedian Marty Ingels (numerous TV appearances and voice acting roles)
Video game programmer and executive Satoru Iwata of Nintendo
Author George Clayton Johnson (Ocean's 11, Twilight Zone and Star Trek episodes, co-author of Logan's Run)
Artist Alan Kupperberg (Spiderman, Thor, Little Orphan Annie)
Playwright and actor Jack Larson, best remembered as Jimmy Olsen on The Adventures of Superman.
Author Tanith Lee (The Secret Books of Venus, Blake's 7)
Poet Philip Levine (Stranger to Nothing, Not This Pig)
Author Henning Mankell (Inspector Kurt Wallander mysteries)
Songwriter Michael Masser ("Saving All My Love For You", "Theme from Mahogany")
Author Hilary Masters (The Common Pasture, Elegy for Sam Emerson)
Documentaryist Albert Maysles (Gimme Shelter, Grey Gardens)
Cartoonist Tom Moore (the Archie franchise)
Sir Terry Pratchett
British novelist and comedy writer David Nobbs (The Two Ronnies, Fairly Secret Army)
Reporters Alison Parker and Adam Ward of WDBJ-TV, assassinated on air by an ex-coworker.
Author Sir Terry Pratchett (The Discworld series and other works)
Director David A. Prior (Zombie Wars, Raw Justice, Deadly Prey)
Noted Creole/Cajun Chef Paul (Gene Autry) Prudhomme.
Author Ruth Rendell (The Inspector Wexford Series and other mysteries)
Film Producer Jack Rollins (The Purple Rose of Cairo, Midnight in Paris)
Actor/playwright/artist/poet Remo Remotti.
Director Francesco Rosi (The Mattei Affair, The Truce)
The innocent victims of the San Bernardino, California shooting.
Journalist Bob Simon (60 Minutes)
Producer Sam Simon (The Simpsons, Cheers, The Drew Carey Show)
Bert Shavitz, founder of the environmentally friendly line of Bert's Bees products.
Voice actress Susan Sheridan (The Black Cauldron, The Hitchhikers' Guide to the Galaxy)
Comic book writer Roger Slifer.
Leonard Starr (Mary Perkins On Stage, Little Orphan Annie revival, Thundercats)
Screenwriter Stewart Stern (Rebel Without A Cause; Rachel, Rachel)
Author Anne Strieber (An Invisible Woman, Little Town Lies)
Author Melanie Tem (Prodigal, Blood Moon)
Songwriter Allan Toussaint ("Working In A Coal Mine", "Southern Nights")
Swedish poet Tomas Tranströmer.
Comic book artist Herb Trimpe (co-creator of Wolverine character)
Carson Van Osten, musician (The Nazz) and Walt Disney Studios artist.
Movie producer Jerry Weintraub (George Clooney's version of Ocean's 11, Diner, the original Karate Kid)
Cinematographer and director Haskell Wexler (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Bound for Glory, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest)
Film producer Elmo Williams (High Noon, The Longest Day; Tora, Tora, Tora)
Producer Bud Yorkin (All in the Family, Maude, Sanford and Son)


ENTERTAINERS
Big Band Leader/songwriter/composer Van Alexander (too numerous to mention)
Bobbi Kristina Brown.
Judy Carne of Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In.
Actor/Comedian Jack Carter (Cavalcade of Stars, Dr. Kildare)
Gospel music legend Andrae Crouch.
Val Doonican ("Walk Tall", "Elusive Butterfly")
Comedian Stan Freberg (Saint George and the Dragonet)
Jack Ely of The Kingsmen ("Louie Louie")
Singer/songwriter José Manuel Figueroa Figueroa.
Singer Frankie Ford ("Sea Cruise")
Lesley Gore (“It's My Party”, “California Nights”, “You Don't Own Me”)
Comedian Don Harron (Hee Haw)
Blues Legend B. B. King.
Singer Ben E. King ("Stand By Me", "A Rose In Spanish Harlem")
Singer Johnny Kemp (“Just Got Paid”)
Country singer Red Lane ("Till I Get It Right")
Jazz singer Cynthia Layne
Singer/Actress Monica Lewis (Earthquake)
Wally Lester of the singing do-wop group The Skyliners.
Singer Denise Lor ("I'll Give My Heart To You")
Leonard Nimoy
Anne Meara (of Stiller and Meara)
Leonard Nimoy (Actor: Star Trek, Mission: Impossible, writer, director: Three Men and A Baby, photographer, singer)
Gary Owens (Famed radio announcer, originated voice of Space Ghost, Rowan and Martin's Laugh-In)
Game show emcee Jim Perry (Card Sharks, Sale of the Century)
Rapper Sean Price.
Singer Billy Joe Royal ("Down in the Boondocks", "Cherry Hill Park")
Singer Percy Sledge (“When A Man Loves A Woman”)
Singer/songwriter P. F. Sloan ("Eve of Destruction", "Secret Agent Man")
Blaze Starr, noted burlesque performer.


HISTORIC
King Abdullah bin Abdulazuz al Saud of Saudi Arabia.
Egyptian Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat.
Jacob Bekenstein, a theoretical physicist of black hole thermodynamics.
Jeremy Carter, grandson of former President Jimmy Carter.
Beau Biden, American Vice President Joe Biden's son.
The victims of the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church shooting: DePayne Middleton-Doctor, Cynthia Hurd, Susie Jackson, Ethel Lance, State Senator Clementa Pinchkey, Tywanza Sanders, Daniel Simmons, Sharonda Coleman-Singleton, and Myra Thompson.
Mario Cuomo (Governor of New York State from 1983-1994)
Chandra Bahadur Dangi, the world's shortest man.
Famed trauma surgeon Doctor James "Red" Duke.
Former Nobel Prize laureate Alfred G. Gilman (co-discover of G-proteins)
Rosie the Riveter
The victims of the Charlie Hebdo massacre: Frederic Boisseau, Philippe Braham, Franck Brinsolaro, Jean Cabut, Elsa Cayat, Stéphane Charbonnier (aka Charb), Yohan Cohen, Yoav Hattab, Philippe Honoré, Bernard Maris, Police Officer Ahmed Merabet, Mustapha Ourrad, Clarissa Jean-Phillipe, Michel Renaud, Francois-Michel Sadda, Tignous, Bernard Verlhac, Georges Wolinski.
2010 Chemistry Nobel Laureate Richard F. Heck.
Sylvia Hitchcock (Miss Universe 1967)
Former President of India P. J. Abdul Kalam.
Mary Doyle Keefe, the model for the iconic World War 2 image of Rosie the Riveter.
A suicide bombing in Attock, Pakistan killed 19 people, including the Punjab Province's Interior Minister Shuja Khanzada.
Cynthia Lennon, first wife of musician John Lennon.
Canada's first female Foreign Minister Flora MacDonald.
Mathematician John Forbes Nash, Junior (1994 Nobel Prize for Economics, his life story inspired the Oscar-winning film A Beautiful Mind)
Former Prime Minister of Vanuatu Edward Natapei.
Boris Nemtsov, former Deputy Prime Minister of Russia.
The victims of the cowardly attacks on civilians in Paris, France November 13th.
Yevgeny Primakov, Russian Prime Minister from 1998-1999.
Elizabeth Brown Pryor, diplomat and historian.
Civil Rights Activist Amelia Boynton Robinson.
Avijit Roy, activist for peace and free speech in the Middle East.
Noted Neurologist and author Oliver Sacks.
Saud bin Faisal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, former Foreign Minister of Saudi Arabia
Helmut Schmidt, Chancellor of Germany from 1974-1982.
The victims of the Chattanooga, South Carolina shooting: Sgt. Carson A. Holmquist, Petty Officer Randall Smith, Gunnery Sgt. Thomas J. Sullivan, Lance Cpl. Squire K. Wells, Staff Sgt. David A. Wyatt.
Charles H. Townes, co-inventor of the Maser.
Nicolas Winton, known by many as "The British Schindler" for saving children from Nazi concentration camps during World War 2
Former Olympic athlete and member of the Tuskegee Airmen Mal Whitfield.
Lee Kuan Yew, the very first Prime Minister of Singapore.
Former South Korean President (1993-1998) Kim Young-sam.


MUSICIANS
Arthur Brooks of the musical Impressions.
Errol Brown of Hot Chocolate
“Little” Jimmy Dickens (Country Music Singer; “May the Great Bird of Paradise Fly Up Your Nose”)
Jimmy Greenspoon of Three Dog Night.
Bassist Andy Fraser, who co-wrote “All Right Now”.
Bluegrass musician Ramona Jones (widow of Bluegrass musician "Grandpa" Jones)
Lemmy (born Ian Kilmister) of Motorhead.
Sam McClain, noted soul/blues singer.
Drummer A. J. Pero of Twisted Sister.
Mike Porcaro of Toto.
Rapper Pumpkin Head (Robert Alan Diaz)
Gary Richrath of REO Speedwagon.
Cynthia Robinson of Sly and the Family Stone.
Jazz artist Gunther Schuller.
Bob Simon, drummer for Lynyrd Skynyrd.
Chris Squire, singer/songwriter, founding bassist of YES
Dallas Taylor (Drummer for Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young)
Phil Taylor (Drummer for Motorhead)
Scott Weiland of Stone Temple Pilots.
Cory Wells of Three Dog Night.
Famous session drummer Andy White (too many credits to mention)

DISHONORABLE MENTION
Suicide bombers, terrorists, and anyone else who would take another’s life without moral and/or legal justification.

NOTE: All categories and the names within them are alphabetical to the best of our human ability, except the last one.

Sunday, December 27, 2015

SUNDAY FUNNIES: TOOLIN' AROUND

Editor-In-Chief Lee Houston, Jr
Once again, another holiday weekend finds me alone within The Free Choice E-zine offices while Autumn the Puppy and Waxy Dragon spend time with their respective families.
So, what do I post to entertain you for this edition of The Sunday Funnies?
Got it! One thing every guy should know, the REAL definition of tools!
But since there are so many tools to choose from, we'll narrow the field to just those possibly used to work on a car or something mechanical this time.
Ready?

WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under
the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to yell for help.

DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat metal bar stock out of your hands to fling across the room, denting the freshly-painted project which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could hurt it.

CHANNEL LOCK PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of blood-blisters.
They have absolutely nothing to do with your TV/cable remote acting up.

VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.

OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for igniting various flammable objects in your shop and creating a fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.

HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle firmly under the bumper.

TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength of all the stuff you forgot to disconnect when working on your car.

Phillips head screw
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out Phillips screw heads.

Straight head screw
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and butchering your palms.

PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that important clip or bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.

HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts adjacent the object we are trying to hit.

TIME/EFFORT/SAVINGS
An equation that looks good on paper, but never quite works out in reality.
Yet every little bit helps these days.

Hope everyone had a wonderful holiday weekend.
Have a great week, and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—lh,jr

Saturday, December 26, 2015

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 20-26, 2015

TODAY IS BOXING DAY AND THE START OF KWANZAA!

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*Israeli Vice Prime Minister Silvan Shalom has resigned over allegations he sexually harassed several women.
*Voters in Slovenia rejected a bill to legalize same-sex marriages.
*Colombia has now legalized medical marijuana.
*Kurdistan will hold a referendum election in 2016 to decide whether or not to secede from Iraq.
*The European Union's sanctions against Russia for "interference" in the Ukraine have been extended by six months.
*Miss Philippines, Pia Wurtzbach, was crowned Miss Universe 2015 moments after pageant host Steve Harvey incorrectly announced first runner-up Miss Colombia, Ariadna Gutiérrez, as the winner. However, the matter may not be over, for Colombia is looking into possible wrong doing and legal recourse.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
While such people still insist on attacking others in the belief that they are doing what is "right", because of the holiday weekend, The Free Choice E-zine refuses to ruin everyone's peace and joy with this news.

PASSING PARADE...
*Actress Patricia Elliot (A Little Night Music, One Life To Live) has taken her last bow on life's stage.
*Carson Van Osten, musician (The Nazz) and Walt Disney Studios artist, is no longer with us.
*Former Nobel Prize laureate Alfred G. Gilman (co-discover of G-proteins) has passed away.
*Famous science fiction author George Clayton Johnson (Ocean's 11Twilight Zone and Star Trek episodes, co-author of Logan's Run) is no longer with us.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*Congress is off until after the first of the year.
*South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham has ended his campaign for the 2016 Republican Party Presidential nomination.
ELSEWHERE...
*There will be an increase in the minimum wage rate in some areas of the country in 2016! Just in time to cover analysts predictions of some rising costs next year.
*The United States Air Force has successfully completed the 2015 edition of Operation: Christmas Drop.
*The Federal Food and Drug Administration has changed the rules, now allowing homosexual men the opportunity to donate blood if they can prove they haven't had sex in one year.
*The 53 Americans taken hostage in Tehran, Iran in 1979, or their families, will receive compensation of $4.4 million each.

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: DECEMBER 26, 2015

FUN FACT
John Lloyd Wright, son of the famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, invented Lincoln Logs in 1916.

FAMOUS FIRSTS: THE CAROL EDITION
Many holiday songs, and multiple renditions of specific tunes, exist. But can you name the FIRST performer for each classic listed below?

01. Frosty the Snowman
02. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
03. Here Comes Santa Claus
04. Jingle Bell Rock
05. Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow!
06. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
07. Santa Baby
08. Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
09. Silver Bells
10. White Christmas
11. Sleigh Ride (as an instrumental)
12. Sleigh Ride (with lyrics)

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of the December 19, 2015 Puzzle Corner.

REBUS
A line from a famous Christmas carol is represented in the image on the right.
Do you know what it is?

A (Keith) Partridge in a pear tree!

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you spell, using the letters within the word CHRISTMAS?

A, act(s), ah(s), aim(s), air(s), am, arc(s), arch, arm(s), art(s), as, ash, ass, at
Cam(s), car(s), cart(s), cash, cast(s) cat(s), char(s), chair(s), charm(s), chart(s), chasm(s), chat(s), cram(s)
Ha, hair, ham(s), harm(s), has, hat(s), hi, him, his, hiss, hit(s)
I, I’m, is, it, its, itch
Ma, mach, march, mart(s), mash, mass, mast(s), mat(s), match, math, mint(s),mirth, miss, mist(s)
Racism, racist(s), ram(s), rash, rat(s), rich, rim(s)
Sash, sat, scam(s), scar(s), scat, sham(s), shirt(s), Sir, sis, sit(s), smash, smart(s), stair(s), star(s), starch, stash, stir(s)
Tar(s), this, trash, tram(s), trim(s), Tsar

Besides the 132 words listed above, Chris, Christ, and Sam might be eligible, depending upon your position of counting names in a game like this. Other words might also be possible.

DECEMBER 25, 2015

FROM THE STAFF AND MANAGEMENT OF THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE...





Sunday, December 20, 2015

SUNDAY FUNNIES: CELEBRITY CHRISTMAS CITINGS (Christmas themed celebrity quotes)

Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here.
Yes, that's an old, but appropriate picture of me, because thankfully we've yet to receive any snow in my neck of the woods, despite it being that time of year.
I've yet to do any celebrity quotes  of late, so let's see what they think of the holidays...

"Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, everything is softer and more beautiful."—Author Norman Vincent Peale.
Considering some of the headlines of late, that's a very nice thought sir.

"Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values."—Thomas S. Monson.
A beautiful thought, but most retailers have other ideas, I'm afraid.

"I love the excitement, the childlike spirit of innocence and just about everything that goes along with Christmas."—Singer Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum.
"It's the most wonderful time of the year!"—Singer Andy Williams.
That it is, no matter how much they try to commercialize it!

"He who has not Christmas in his heart will never find it under a tree."—Roy L. Smith.
"When there's that forgiveness present and compassion, it just helps you give so much easier."—Actor Craig T. Nelson.
True. I even bought a present this year for my rotten brother, who always digs up my bones whenever he visits, no matter how well I bury them!

"Before we took down the tree each year, Dad would always say a prayer that we would be together the next Christmas. I cling to that prayer, which serves as a reminder that it's important to be grateful in the present for the people you love because, well, you never know."—Actress Catherine Hicks.

Well... he is family.

"Christmas is doing a little something extra for someone else."—Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz.
"No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another."—Famous author Charles Dickens, from A Christmas Carol.
Despite how much he ruffles my fur, I do love my brother. After all, we have the same parents.

"Every gift which is given, even though it be small, is in reality great, if it is given with affection."—Pindar, lyric poet of ancient Greece.
Good! So he won't object to the new flea collar I got him.


Folks, no matter how many jokes we tell in the course of this column or whatever happens this holiday season, please remember to be kind and love one another. After all... regardless of your personal beliefs, we are ALL members of the family of mankind!—AtP.



The Sunday Funnies will return next weekend. Take care everyone!

Saturday, December 19, 2015

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 13-19, 2015

TODAY IS LIBERATION DAY IN GOA.
CHRISTMAS IS DECEMBER 25th.
BOXING DAY IS DECEMBER 26th.
KWANZAA STARTS DECEMBER 26th.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*Brazilians are demanding the impeachment of current President Dilma Rousseff on various corruption allegations. The matter is still being considered in official government channels.
*The United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution condemning North Korea's human rights abuses, wanting the Security Council to refer violations to the International Criminal Court. The Security Council has also made plans to disrupt revenue the ISIS/ISIL gets from oil sales, ransom payments, and other criminal activities.
*The European Union warned Thailand it needs to resolve the human rights and slavery issues in its seafood industry to avoid an import ban.
*The citizens of New Zealand will be going to the polls in March 2016 to decide between keeping the country's current flag or adopting an alternative.
Possible new flag by Kyle Lockwood
Current flag of New Zeland
*The United States and Cuba have reached an agreement for regularly scheduled airline flights to resume between the two countries.
*Morocco will have half its energy needs covered by renewable sources by 2020!
*Afghanistan will soon join the World Trade Organization.
*China is formally protesting the United States selling two battleships to Taiwan.
*If Boeing decides to continue manufacturing the 747 jumbo jetliner, it will only be for a Russian freight company.
*Construction of a fence has begun between the border of Latvia and Russia.
Dupont and Dow have agreed to merge companies.
*The Vatican has announced that Mother Teresa is now eligible for canonization, although no official date has been announced for the event.
*A giant asteroid will fly past the earth on Christmas Eve, but no damage to the planet is expected.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*At least 30 people were killed after Boko Haram militants attack three villages in Borno, Nigeria.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*While there were compromises on both sides, a budget has been officially passed to keep the country running through the end of 2016.
*While the President has legally overruled the individual states on whether or not they will accept Middle Eastern refugees, the state of Georgia is already denying them any social services.
*China is formally protesting the United States selling two battleships to Taiwan.
ELSEWHERE...
*Problems with the public water system in Flint, Michigan is causing high levels of lead to be found within children.
*The trial of the first police officer involved in the Baltimore, Maryland death of Freddie Gray was declared a mistrial.
*Federal authorities have arrested Martin Shkreli (the man who bought a pharmaceutical company and then seriously raised the price of the medication) on security fraud charges.
*Would you believe that only after THREE weeks of service, the USS Milwaukee had to be towed back to port for repairs?
*Bill Cosby has finally decided to address the numerous allegations of sexual misconduct and rape against him by counter suing 7 of his accusers on defamation claims.
*A Texas plumber is suing a local used car dealership because an old truck of his has been photographed in ISIS/ISIL military action, complete with his company's logo still on the doors!
*If you have any information leading to the new owner(s) of The Las Vegas Review-Journal, please let the newspaper know. Meanwhile, Caesars Entertainment has announced that the Jubilee floor show at Bally's Las Vegas casino-hotel would end February 11, 2016 after a 34 year run.

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.