Saturday, April 30, 2016

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: APRIL 24-30, 2016

TODAY MARKS THE 45th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST LUNAR ROVER
IN USE (DURING THE APOLLO 15 MISSION)
MAY IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH!
MAY 1st MARKS THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF CITIZEN KANE.
MAY 1st IS ALSO MAY DAY.
MAY 4th IS STAR WARS DAY, ACCORDING TO ITS FANS.
MAY 5th IS THE 125th ANNIVERSARY OF CARNEGIE HALL OPENING.
MAY 5th IS ALSO CINCO de MAYO.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*NISSAN IS RECALLING ALMOST 3.5 MILLION VEHICLES BECAUSE OF FAULTY AIRBAGS!
*PILGRIM'S PRIDE IS ISSUING A RECALL OF OVER 4.5 MILLION POUNDS OF PRE-COOKED CHICKEN NUGGET PRODUCTS FOR THE INDUSTRIAL FOOD INDUSTRY!

*New Delhi, India's National Museum of Natural History and its entire contents has been destroyed completely destroyed by fire. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
*Contaminated milk has been found outside the cordoned off area surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.
*The Japanese government announced that it will start testing mileage figures of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles following recent company revelations that testing data had been manipulated over a 25-year period.
*Serbia now has a new parliament.
*Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo has been re-elected President of Equatorial Guinea.
*The United States has promised Syria to send up to 250 more ground troops to help that country defeat ISIL forces.
*Eliud Kipchoge won the men's and Jemima Sumgong the women's divisions of the London Marathon.
*Same gender marriages are now legal in Colombia.
*An art detective believes Leonardo DaVinci might have used TWO models to create the Mona Lisa.
*Pero the Sheepdog didn't like his new job so went back to his old home, 240 miles away!

IN NORTH KOREA...
*North Korea has allegedly strengthened their defenses along the demilitarized zone with South Korea by deploying 300 multiple rocket launchers. Meanwhile, China has announced concerns over all of North Korea's "missile tests", hoping to keep peace between North and South Korea.
*North Korea may also soon be facing a food shortage.
*While he hopes an accord can be eventually reached, United States President Barack Obama said the current offer from North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong to halt nuclear activity isn't serious enough.


TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*Missiles and suicide bombers seem to be the weapons du jour for this past week.
*Although they ARE terrorists, things may not be that peaceful amongst the ISIL forces!

PASSING PARADE...
*R&B singer Billy Paul ("Me and Mrs. Jones") has passed away.
*Tommy Kono, former Olympic weight lifting champion, is no longer with us.
*Actress Madeleine Sherwood (Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Sweet Bird of Youth, The Flying Nun) has taken her last bow on life's stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*Between Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, Rhode Island, and Delaware Tuesday, Donald Trump swept the Republican Primaries in those states. Hilary Clinton won 4 out of 5, with Bernie Sanders claiming victory in Rhode Island.
*Although his chances of actually winning the Republican Presidential nomination are slim, Ted Cruz has named Carly Fiorina as his Vice Presidential running mate.
*Ted Cruz and John Kasich are allegedly coordinating efforts to make sure Donald Trump isn't named the Republican Presidential candidate the the GOP's summer convention.
*Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan allegedly hopes that cancer
patients will start dying quicker to help save health care expenses!

*While he hopes an accord can be eventually reached, President Barack Obama said the current offer from North Korean Foreign Minister Ri Su-yong to halt nuclear activity isn't serious enough.
ELSEWHERE...
*Cleveland, Ohio, has agreed to pay $6 million to settle a wrongful death civil rights lawsuit brought by the family of 12 year old Tamir Rice.
*Would you believe those responsible for ruining the water in and around Flint,Michigan tried to get the town to pay their legal bills!
*Would you believe that a weasel is responsible for taking the Large Hadron Collider off line?

*NBCUniversal has acquired Dreamworks Animation for $3.8 billion.

Because of a Blogger System Update, our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen is now ELSEWHERE: BBC BREAKING NEWS.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: APRIL 30, 2016

FUN FACT
Baby porcupines are called Porcupettes.

COMMON BONDS
For this edition, the SONGS in each subset below have something in common.
Do you know what it is?

01. {"Beat It" by Michael Jackson, "Party in the USA" by Miley Cyrus}
02. {"Manic Monday" by the Bangles, "Nothing Compares 2 U" by Sinéad O'Connor}

TRIVIA TIME
Believe it or not, there used to be a 27TH letter in the English alphabet!
Do you know what it was?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the April 23, 2016 Puzzle Corner's One Hit Wonder Quiz. (Songs and musical acts were originally listed alphabetically.)

♪ THE SONGS ♫
A.) Afternoon Delight = Starland Vocal Band (#9)
B.) Disco Duck = Rick Dees (#4)
C.) Don't Worry, Be Happy = Bobby McFerrin (#8)
D.) Funky Town = Lipps, Inc. (#6)
E.) King Tut = Steve Martin (#7)
F.) Puttin' On The Ritz = Taco (#10)
G.) Video Killed The Radio Star = The Buggles (#2)
H.) Walking In Memphis = Mark Cohn (#3)
I.) Walking On Sunshine = Katrina and the Waves (#5)
J.) Who Let The Dogs Out? = Baha Men (#1)

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

BOOK REVIEW: GAME OF THRONES BY GEORGE R. R. MARTIN

Even if you're like me and don't have access to the premium cable channels, most everyone is at least aware of Game of Thrones, the HBO series based upon the books by George R. R. Martin.

However, Game is actually just the first title in the overall series A Song of Ice and Fire. Five have been released, a sixth is long overdue, and the entire story is supposed to go at least seven novels in length.

Originally released in 1996, the three principal story lines feature Lord Eddard Stark being appointed the King's new Hand of Justice after the previous one was murdered; Eddard's illegitimate son Jon Snow being forced to join The Night Watch that guards The Wall to protect the land from a mysterious threat on the other side, since there is no future for him in his father's holdings at Winterfell; and a young girl named Daenerys Targaryen being forced to marry against her will in hopes that her abusive older brother can eventually usurp and claim the crown that he believes is rightfully his.

The above paragraph does not do the novel justice, for there is much political intrigue, drama, and adventure across the land of Westeros on a planet with an unique orbital path that results in years of summer and very extended winters. By the time you have read the final sentence of Game, only two of the ongoing plots have been resolved to any degree, but Martin is such a good writer that you're anxious to start the next novel to discover what happens.

Readers discovering the series today have the advantage of enjoying the first five novels without the long wait between releases, but be warned that there are many twists and turns in the story along the way, and not every character at the beginning will still be alive by the end of the book. As a reader, it's hard not to develop favorites only to see them suffer their literary demise, but such is the way of life and war even in a fantasy series.

I sincerely hope you enjoy the novel as much as I did.

Reviewed by Lee Houston, Junior

Sunday, April 24, 2016

SUNDAY FUNNIES: THE CHICKEN GETS POLITICAL (satire)

Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here!

Now usually, I don't like getting my paws dirty in this mess, but there is no denying that the 2016 Presidential campaign here in America is seriously heating up.

It's more than likely going to come down to the political conventions this summer to determine who the Democratic and Republican Presidential candidates will be.

With that in mind, it would be a major shirking of my responsibilities to my readers and The Free Choice E-zine if I didn't interview the candidates concerning a major issue facing both this country and the world.

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

NOTE: All celebrity responses below are humorously impersonated with no actual political endorsements implied or given.

So, alphabetically...

"HILLARY CLINTON": What difference at this point does it make why the chicken crossed the road? The chicken exercised its constitutional right to cross a road, regardless of gender, and that's all that matters.

"BILL CLINTON": Define chicken. Define road. Regardless of your answers, I did not cross anything with one. I can't believe I'm still being asked this long after I've left office.


"CONGRESSIONAL REPUBLICANS": Please come back and ask your chicken question again in late January 2017, after we've finished snubbing and ignoring the lame duck currently in office.

"TED CRUZ": As long as it was a legal American chicken who was not playing
with anything that could be inserted into a bodily orifice or breaking any other laws...

"BARACK OBAMA": Let me be perfectly clear here on this point. If the chickens like their eggs, they can keep their eggs.

"BERNIE SANDERS": All the eggs this chicken laid on the other side of the road, need to be shared equally with all other chickens, even if they didn't lay those eggs. The wealthier chickens need to pay their fair share, regardless of what side of the road they are on.

"DONALD TRUMP": We will build a big wall to keep the chickens from crossing the road, and we will make the chickens pay for it out of their egg money.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well folks, there you have it. Have a great week and please be back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies.—AtP.

NOTE: All celebrity responses above were humorously impersonated with no actual political endorsements implied or given.

Saturday, April 23, 2016

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: APRIL 17-23, 2016

TODAY IS SAINT GEORGE (OF THE DRAGON SLAYING) DAY.
TODAY ALSO MARKS THE 400th ANNIVERSARIES OF
WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE AND MIGUEL DE CERVANTES (DON QUIXOTE)
APRIL 26th MARKS THE 30th ANNIVERSARY
OF THE CHERNOBYL DISASTER.
WHETHER OR NOT YOU CARE TO CELEBRATE IT,
APRIL 27th IS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT'S DAY.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu swears his country will always own and control the (contested) Golan Heights, despite it being officially part of Syria.
*Despite allegations of fraud, Idriss Deby has been elected to a fifth term as President of Chad.
*The United Kingdom's Foreign Office is warning European members of the LGTBQ community about the "potential dangers" of traveling to the United States in light of anti-gay action in North Carolina, Mississippi, and other southern states.
*China hopes to have its own space probe on Mars by 2020.
*The Olympic flame (torch) has started its journey to Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics.
*Never complain about "snail mail" after a message in a bottle was finally delivered after 108 years!

THE 2016 (JOSEPH) PULITZER PRIZES
Amongst the winners...
*The Associated Press won the Public Service award for documenting slave labor in Southeast Asia's seafood industry.
*The Tampa Bay Times and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune shared the Investigative Reporting award for revealing violence and neglect in Florida's mental institutions.
*The Los Angeles Times staff won the Breaking News Coverage award for their work reporting on the San Bernardino, California shootings.
*Jack Ohman won the Editorial Cartooning award.
*Lin-Manuel Miranda won the Drama award for the musical Hamilton, based on the life of American founding father Alexander Hamilton.
*The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen won the Fiction award.
*The Ozone Journal by Peter Balakian won the Poetry award.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*Taliban forces have been trying to retake the city of Kunduz, Afghanistan.
*Taliban forces have also attacked the Afghanistan capital of Kabul, an act already condemned by the United Nations' Security Council.
*Israeli military officials announced they found an infiltration tunnel, dug by Hamas forces, from the Gaza Strip into their territory.

PASSING PARADE...
*Noted rock guitarist Lonnie Mack (McIntosh) is no longer with us.
*Actress Doris Roberts (Remington Steele, Everybody Loves Raymond) has taken her last bow on life's stage.
*Former professional wrestler and actress Joanie "Chyna" Laurer has passed away.
*Musician/actor Prince (Rogers Nelson) is no longer with us.
*Actress/comedienne Victoria Wood (Dinner Ladies) has taken her last bow on life's stage.
*Writer/producer Scott Nimerfro (Hannibal, Once Upon A Time, X-men) has passed away.
*Director Guy Hamilton (4 James Bond films, Force 10 From Navarone, Agatha Christie's The Mirror Crack'd) is no longer with us.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*Donald Trump won the Republican side, while Hilary Clinton was the Democratic Choice in the New York State primary this past week. Meanwhile, the New York State Attorney General has opened an investigation into "irregularities" concerning the primaries.
*It has been reported that Trump's private jet is allegedly not registered to fly!
*While not definitive, the "nonbinding loophole" of the Pennsylvania primary may cost Donald Trump the Republican Presidential nomination.
*Congress still has yet to act on President Barack Obama's nomination to the Supreme Court!
*North Carolina's troubles continue over their "Bathroom Law". The United States Commission on Civil Rights has declared it "...jeopardizes not only the dignity, but also the actual physical safety, of transgender people." Meanwhile, add Pearl Jam to the list of canceled concerts, and even Stephen Colbert has commented on the situation.
*But while the new "law" was only supposed to have people use the public bathroom of their birth gender, regardless of what they might be now, a North Carolina couple is suing the state for their rights to use a fertility clinic's services.
*While she doesn't expect it to become law, South Carolina state representative Mia McLeod's bill requiring a 24 waiting period on Viagra for men and other restrictions on erectile dysfunction medicine is gaining momentum!
ELSEWHERE...
*Several students were arrested by Tennessee police for failure to stop a fight AT THEIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!

*While other establishments were already doing it, McDonald's CEO received a 368% raise for coming up with the concept of serving breakfast all day!

*Harriet Tubman is scheduled to replace former President Andrew Jackson on the front of the $20 bill in 2020. Jackson will remain on the rear of the currency.
*Staples and Office Depot have been told they can NOT merge.
*The annual Boston Marathon was won by two Ethiopians. Lemi Berhanu Hayle in the Mens division and Atsede Baysa the ladies. The race was successfully held with no violence.
*Actor Harrison Ford has auctioned off an original Han Solo jacket to raise funds to fight epilepsy, since his daughter Georgia suffers from it.

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: APRIL 23, 2016

FUN FACT
Swans and foxes mate for life, and if one precedes the other sadly, there is a good chance the survivor will pass away from a broken heart.

We've all heard them before. One hit wonders. A great song by a musical act that unfortunately never achieves another hit tune.
Listed below are ten artists, followed by ten songs. All are one hit wonders but can you match the act to their lone hit?
NOTE: the entries in both columns are alphabetical.

THE ACTS
01. Baha Men
02. The Buggles
03. Marc Cohn
04. Rick Dees
05. Katrina and the Waves
06. Lipps, Inc.
07. Steve Martin
08. Bobby McFerrin
09. Starland Vocal Band
10. Taco

♪ THE SONGS ♫
A.) Afternoon Delight
B.) Disco Duck
C.) Don't Worry, Be Happy
D.) Funky Town
E.) King Tut
F.) Puttin' On The Ritz
G.) Video Killed The Radio Star
H.) Walking In Memphis
I.) Walking On Sunshine
J.) Who Let The Dogs Out?

We'll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the April 16, 2016 Puzzle Corner.

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

NOTE: For this specific game, we already know everybody listed is an actor.
01. {Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford}
Selleck auditioned for the role of Indiana Jones, but it eventually went to Ford.
02. {Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith}
Cumberbatch auditioned for Doctor Who, but Smith eventually became the eleventh actor in that role. However both will be on screen doctors once Marvel's Doctor Strange movie (staring Cumberbatch) comes out this fall.

TRIVIA TIME
What is the longest English word you can make using only 1 (one) vowel?
Depending upon your feelings on proper names in a game like this, the answer is either MISSISSIPPI or STRENGTH.

Friday, April 22, 2016

EARTH DAY 2016


TODAY WE CELEBRATE EARTH DAY!

YET WE SHOULD BE AWARE OF THE STATE OF OUR PLANET, OUR HOME,
EVERY DAY!

DESPITE THE HOPES AND DREAMS OF TOMORROW TO REACH THE STARS AND BEYOND, THIS WORLD IS THE ONLY HOME WE MAY KNOW FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

THE EARTH HAS PROVIDED US WITH FOOD, SHELTER, NATURAL RESOURCES GIVEN FREELY, AND OTHERS TAKEN ARTIFICIALLY...

THE POINT IS THAT THE GROUP COLLECTIVELY KNOWN AS HUMANITY NEEDS TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF OUR SURROUNDINGS.

POLLUTION, THE GROWING THREAT OF CLIMATE CHANGE, FRACKING,
THE DWINDLING BEE POPULATION...

SO MUCH IN A DELICATE BALANCE THAT GETS EASILY UPSET BY
CARELESSNESS AND GREED.

YOU'VE ALL HEARD THE BUZZ WORDS BEFORE.

REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE, CONSERVE, ALTERNATE ENERGY SOURCES, ETC.

YET THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THIS WORLD THAT WE COULD HAVE PREVENTED, THERE WILL BE NO ONE TO BLAME BUT OURSELVES.

IF THE EARTH DIES, SO DOES ALL ITS INHABITANTS, INCLUDING US!

NOW, EVEN MORE THAN EVER, IT'S IMPORTANT DO YOUR PART
TO HELP TAKE CARE OF AND PROTECT THE ONLY PLANET
WE HAVE TO LIVE ON!

PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO HELP THIS WORLD, NOT ONLY FOR TODAY, BUT FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS AS WELL!

Sunday, April 17, 2016

THE SUNDAY FUNNIES: AFTER TAXES (tax jokes)

Costly!
Hello Everybody. Waxy Dragon here.
I know some of you might have been expecting it to be Autumn the Puppy's turn today, but she doesn't have my experience with this subject, so Autumn will be back next weekend.

Now, everyone knows what income is.
That's the money you have that you earned.
Hopefully honestly, but it's still income.
Out go is the money you spend on things like bills (whoever they are), Belgosian Dark Chocolate, food, utilities, Belgosian Dark Chocolate, etc.
You have to watch out for those etc. Some of them can be quite costly.
Anyway, one thing most humans also have to pay with their income is Texas.
I mean taxis.
Is my Cousin Trey 1 deduction or 3?
Tacks?
Texts?
Tasks?
Tacts?
No. TAXES.
You can see how difficult this subject is even for a baby dragon.

I tried to help my favorite human "Bubble Head" (don't ask why, but the name is VERY appropriate) with his IRS forms, so I scattered tacks all over the place.
For some reason, he didn't like that very much.
He managed to pick up most of them with a magnet, but is now complaining that he doesn't dare go through his house barefoot until he's sure he really did get them all.

Well, when I saw he had April 15th circled in red on his calendar, I asked "Bubble Head" about that, and he said that was the filing deadline.
So after I came home from Dragon School, while he was still at work doing whatever it is "Bubble Head" does that he expects to get paid for, I honestly tried to help again.
I found a rasp and gathered up a lot of dead bugs, at least the ones I didn't eat as an afternoon snack.
When he came home, "Bubble Head" asked what the long line of dead bug dust was going from his front door all across the house and then eventually out the back door.
I told him I filed his dead line for him and "Bubble Head" just about fainted right then and there!

Well, I left when he got out his vacuum cleaner, because I just hate that awful noise it makes, and "Bubble Head" proceeded to clean up all the dead bugs!
He complained later about all the bug dust clogging up the vacuum cleaner's filters and having to empty the canister twice, but I still found the bugs tasty and delicious with a tall glass of milk.

He later told me that while I can understand a lot of languages, my
understanding of some terminology is a bit lacking.
Well geez, why does he think I'm still going to Dragon School?
Anyway, so after he left the next morning for this work thing again, I went through all his cabinets, pulled out every folder I could find, and placed them in a pretty neat line if I do say so myself.
When he came home, "Bubble Head" just groaned, gave me a (rather small if you ask me) piece of Belgosian Dark Chocolate, and sent me on my way.
He claims the only way I can truly help him is if he reveals my existence to the world and tries to claim me as a deduction on his taxes.
I know "Bubble Head" would never do that.
After all, dragons don't exist in your world, do they?
But April the 16th, "Bubble Head" seemed happy again, saying something about being able to deduct all the damage expenses I cause him and getting a refund back after all.
If that means he's getting money back from the IRS, I wonder if I can talk "Bubble Head" into buying me some Belgosian Dark Chocolate?—wd.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cover art by Kathryn Frizzell




The Sunday Funnies will return next weekend with Autumn the Puppy, and for more about Waxy and "Bubble Head", don't forget their first literary appearance in FINDING WAXY, by Roger ("Bubble Head") Stegman and Nancy A. Hansen, available from Amazon.com in both print and Kindle editions.

Saturday, April 16, 2016

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: APRIL 10-16, 2016

TODAY IS THE 80th ANNIVERSARY OF THE FIRST (DAGWOOD) BUMSTEAD SPECIAL SANDWICH IN THE BLONDIE COMIC STRIP.
EARTH DAY IS APRIL 22nd.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*Volodymyr Groysman was named the Prime Minister of Ukraine after Arseniy Yatsenyuk resigned.
*Brazil is still trying to impeach current President Dilma Rousseff.
*North Korea is now claiming defectors to South Korea are actually "kidnap victims" and will respond accordingly.
*The World Wildlife Fund reported that the global population of tigers, an endangered species, has finally shown some increase over the past six years.
*Stephen Hawking and Yuri Milner are teaming up for "Breakthrough Starshot," a nano-technological craft for a trip to our closest stellar neighbor, Alpha Centauri. Once launched, the craft would reach the star system roughly 20 years after leaving Earth.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*A Taliban statement claimed responsibility for April 9th's rocket attacks in Kabul, Afghanistan, but allegedly the intended target was U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who had already left the area after attending a meeting about the new unity government there.
*A Taliban suicide bomber killed 12 new police recruits in the Nangarhar Province of Afghanistan.

PASSING PARADE...
*Actor Gareth Thomas (Blake's 7, Children of the Stones, Star Maidens) has taken his last bow on life's stage.
*Japanese voice actor Tōru Ōhira (Super Sentai, One Piece) is no longer with us.
*Actress Anne Jackson (The Shining, Folks!, Dirty Dingus Magee) has taken her last bow on life's stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*While some members of the Republican Party seek alternatives to a Donald Trump Presidential nomination, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan has gone on record saying he doesn't want the nomination. Meanwhile, The New York Post has officially endorsed Trump, while several former contestants of the Trump hosted reality game show Celebrity Apprentice have come out against him being President of the United States.
*Trump has also recently stated that if he does not get the Republican Presidential nomination, he will consider running as an independent third party candidate.
*Will a moment from Ted Cruz's past as Texas' Solicitor General come back to haunt him?
*Elizabeth Warren has officially endorsed fellow Democrat Bernie Sanders for President.
*Add to North Carolina's troubles after passing an anti-LGBTQ law: Ringo Starr canceling a concert and Cirque du Soleil has canceled EVERY performance scheduled in that state, along with Pay Pal and other businesses pulling out.
*Meanwhile, Mississippi is facing similar problems with their new anti-LGBTQ law.
*Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker's "Right to Work" laws have been ruled unconstitutional by a local judge. Other states with "Right to Work" status are keeping their fingers crossed.
*If Congress passes a bill declaring Saudi Arabia bears some responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks, that country has declared the action will cause economic fallout.
ELSEWHERE...
*GENERAL MOTORS IS RECALLING OVER ONE MILLION PICK UP TRUCKS TO REPAIR THE SEAT BELTS!
*If New York State's standardized tests are wrong, why are the teachers
suffering for it?
*The next time you go to a dentist, make sure everything is done right. A man in Indiana thinking he was only getting 4 abscessed teeth pulled woke up with NONE!
*Believe it or not, "Inverted Jenny" stamps stolen in 1955 may finally be resurfacing after being missing for decades.
*Danny Willett won the Masters Tournament of professional golf.
*Since the Los Angeles Lakers did not make it into the playoffs, Kobe Bryant has played his last game of professional basketball.

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: APRIL 16, 2016

FUN FACT
The waters of Lost Lake in Oregon, USA disappear down a collapsed lava tube EVERY winter, but this and other lakes in Oregon refill themselves from the melting snow each Spring!

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

NOTE: For this specific game, we already know everybody listed is an actor.
01. {Tom Selleck, Harrison Ford}
02. {Benedict Cumberbatch, Matt Smith}

TRIVIA TIME
What is the longest English word you can make using only 1 (one) vowel?

We'll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and reveal the results of the April 9, 2016 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
Besides being a great composer, Ludwig von Beethoven is a lyricist as well.
What classic tune is he accredited with writing?
Ode to Joy.

AKA (Also Known As)
In almost every other part of the world, they are known as Danish pastries. But what do the Danish call them? Viennese bread.

Sunday, April 10, 2016

SUNDAY FUNNIES: ONE LINERS, NO WAITING (misc. jokes)

Hello Everybody! Waxy Dragon here!

Out of all the jokes a person could tell or laugh at, the quickest have to be the one liners; with the beginning, middle, end, and laugh all in one sentence.

With that in mind, here's a nice selection of one liners to have fun with.


I don't trust stairs because they're up to something.

I love long walks, especially taken by people who annoy me.

I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it.

If people are going to judge me, they should at least hold up score cards so I know how I'm doing.

If a clock is hungry, does it go back for seconds?

A gossip is someone with a great sense of rumor.

I once watched a documentary on ferns because the remote was too far away.

Are they called cellphones because we're pretty much imprisoned by them now?

It's 2016 and we still can't unsend those text messages we shoudn't of sent in the first place!

The perfect time for a snack is while you're waiting for the meal to finish cooking, although I know plenty of mothers who will say otherwise.

Miss Piggy broke up with her frog because he had "Kermitment" issues!

And on that note ♫, have a great week everybody and please be back here again next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—wd.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: APRIL 3-9, 2016

TODAY IS VIMY RIDGE DAY IN CANADA
AND BATAAN DAY IN THE PHILIPPINES.
APRIL 12th MARKS THE 155th ANNIVERSARY OF
THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.
APRIL 15th MARKS THE 50th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PROTOTYPE FOR THE COMMERCIAL GRADE VIDEO TAPE RECORDER.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...
*A leak of 11.5 million documents from the Panama based law firm Mossack Fonseca reveals details of shell companies used by 12 current or former world leaders including Russian President Vladimir Putin.
*The Brussels Zaventem International Airport has resumed operations.
*Pope Francis has issued "Amoris Laetitia" ("The Joy of Love") a document on the Roman Catholic approach to love, sex, marriage and family life.
*Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the creation of a new National Guard to fight terrorism and organized crime. However, some critics claim Putin fears unrest in the upcoming legislative election this September.
*Colombia's Constitutional Court voted in favor of same-sex marriage, but the decision has yet to become legal.

CONCERNING NORTH KOREA...
*Among its latest round of "saber rattling", North Korea is now allegedly threatening the United States of America with genocide. Meanwhile, South Korea has determined North Korea is capable of mounting a nuclear warhead on its medium-range Rodong-1 ballistic missile, which could reach all of South Korea and most of Japan.
*China has announced it is restricting trade with North Korea, in cooperation with recent new sanctions from the United Nations' Security Council.

PASSING PARADE...
*Jazz singer and actor Bill Henderson (Clue, City Slickers, White Men Can't Jump) has taken his last bow on life's stage.
*Voice actor Erik Bauersfeld (Star Wars, A.I.: Artificial Intelligence) is no longer with us.
*Mike Sandlock of the Brooklyn Dodgers has passed away.
*Jazz singer and actor Don Francks (Le Femme Nikita, Inspector Gadget) has taken his last bow on life's stage.
*Screenwriter (Georgia, Pollock) and actress (Soldier Blue) Barbara Turner has passed away.
*Country singer/songwriter Merle Haggard ("Okie from Muskogee", "The Fighting Side of Me") is no longer with us.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*Republican Ted Cruz and Democrat Bernie Sanders were the respective winners in the Wisconsin Primaries. Meanwhile, Cruz is hoping his fellow Republicans will rally behind him to keep Donald Trump from winning the GOP Presidential nomination.
*Ahead of its upcoming primary, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has endorsed Donald Trump.
*While many Congressional Republicans still seemed determined to stall President Barack Obama's agenda at every opportunity, Senator Marco Rubio has decided to support the President's request for funds to fight the Zika Virus.
*Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant (R) approved a new law that allows religious groups and private businesses to deny services to LGBT citizens.
*While not yet official, Tennessee legislatures are working on a bill that would allow therapists to refuse mental health services to LGBT patients.
*You know you're doing a great job as the Governor of Florida when you can't even order a cup of coffee in public.
ELSEWHERE...
*Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band canceled their Sunday night concert in Greensboro, North Carolina to protest the state's controversial "bathroom bill", where a person must use the public restroom of their birth gender, regardless of what they are now.
*For those who haven't filed yet, income taxes are due by April 15th.
*The Federal Aviation Authority is considering the possibility of allowing commercial package delivery by drones.
*Pfizer and Allergan have cancelled their $160 billion merger. Pfizer allegedly owes Allergan a $400 million dollar "kill fee" as a result.
*The Villanova Wildcats defeated the North Carolina Tar Heels to win the NCAA Men's Championship. Meanwhile, the University of Connecticut Lady Huskies defeated Syracuse Orange to win their fourth straight Women's Championship.
*Despite many games scheduled for the first week either being rained or SNOWED out, baseball season has officially begun!
*Trent Harmon was declared the final American Idol, as that series ended a 15 year run this week.
*Whether you were actually doing it before or not, it is now legal to live
together in Florida!

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