Sunday, August 27, 2017

SUNDAY FUNNIES: CELEBRITY QUOTE TIME!

"Woof!" and you can quote me on that!
Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here!

I've just been digging through my files and discovered that it's been a long time since I've quoted any celebrities, so let's correct that mistake and get right to it.

As usual, my comments are in italics afterward.


"The trouble with being punctual is that nobody's there to appreciate it."—Franklin P. Jones.
Thomas Jefferson, circa 1800
True, you can't make the grand entrance you planned, but you can raid the snack table without anybody knowing.

"I find that the harder I work, the more luck I seem to have."—Thomas Jefferson, third President of the United States.
I won't dispute Mister Jefferson's words, but I do wonder how he would have done in Vegas.

Winston Churchill
"A lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on."—Sir Winston Churchill, former Prime Minister of England.
Which makes you wonder why people are still willing to believe such nonsense after all this time.

"America is the only country where a significant proportion of the population believes that professional wrestling is real but the moon landing was faked."—David Letterman.
As I was saying...

"We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we're curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."—Walt Disney.
"You unlock this door with the key of imagination..."—Rod Serling, host/creator of The Twilight Zone.
"Space... the final frontier!"—Captain James T. Kirk.
"A mind is a terrible thing to waste."—old United Negro College Fund commercial slogan.
"Folks, let's be honest with each other. The world is what WE make it!"—Autumn the Puppy.

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

Saturday, August 26, 2017

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: AUGUST 20-26, 2017

THOSE IN THE PATH OF HURRICANE HARVEY ARE ADVISED
TO EITHER SEEK SHELTER OR EVACUATE THE AREA IMMEDIATELY!

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*As Venezuela’s internal crisis continues, President Nicolás Maduro has stripped his country’s Parliament of all power while his exiled Attorney General has accused Maduro of being connected to a corruption scandal.
*Has North Korea been trying to ship chemical weapons to Syria???
*Brazilian President Michel Temer has abolished the National Reserve of Copper and Associates ecological reserve, with many companies now hoping for mining rights to the region.
*Qatar has restored diplomatic relations with Iran.
*India’s Supreme Court has declared the practice of “instant divorce” unconstitutional.
*So, where were you during the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017???

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*The Free Choice E-zine does not support terrorism, no matter what the “cause” or alleged “justification”. Thus we will only be posting news items in this section whenever terrorists are brought to justice.

😭PASSING PARADE…
*Legendary comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Legendary comedian and humanitarian (the annual MDA Labor Day telethons of the past) Jerry Lewis has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Playwright Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers) has passed away.
*Actor Jay Thomas (Cheers, Murphy Brown) has taken his last bow on life's stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…
*So, what happened to President Trump’s promise of hiring 5,000 new Border Patrol agents???
*Because of the vast expensive of covering everyone and everything connected to Donald Trump, the Secret Service is already at risk of going over its budget for this year!
*So, where were you during the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017? During the recent solar eclipse, Trump observed it without eye protection! Of course, there's also the President's recent eclipse meme. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*In an Arizona delivered speech, President Trump has threatened to “shut down” the government if his border wall goes unfunded, supports the Arizona sheriff who was arrested for arresting people without actual proof they were undocumented workers–although he has only ever been formally charged with contempt of court, and wants to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Trump has since granted the former Sheriff a full presidential pardon. (There are 3 different links in this item.)
*Presidential Deputy Assistant Sebastian Gorka has resigned, allegedly unhappy with the direction of the Trump administration’s foreign policy.
*At least for now, Trump wants to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan.
*While Speaker of the House Paul Ryan won’t support any censure, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell thinks Donald Trump’s presidency is in serious trouble. Of course, Trump isn’t happy with them either. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*Just how low can Trump’s approval rating go???
MEANWHILE…
*In another reversal of former President Barack Obama's administration, President Trump has issued orders to stop funding of sex reassignment procedures for existing military personnel and deny entry of transgender individuals into the military. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Under the Trump Administration, starting in 2019, the Environmental Protection Agency will no longer sponsor the Climate Leadership Awards program that honors voluntary corporate actions to combat global warming.
*Congress will resume work after Labor Day, 2017.
ELSEWHERE…
*The status of the United States’ Navy is being investigated after the USS John S. McCain collided with the Liberian Ainic MC. There was one confirmed death and 9 sailors still missing when this was posted.
*Another car was turned into a weapon at an LGTB rally.
*Joe's Crab Shack suddenly closed 41 stores without warning.
*Macy's plans to restructure their organization.

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: AUGUST 26, 2017

FUN FACT
In terms of general land mass, Russia is the largest country, stretching out across 11 time zones.

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

01. {seat, split}
02. {B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V, Z}

TRIVIA TIME
During his lifetime, what did Roy Orbison consider the best cover (someone else singing) of his songs?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the August 19, 2017 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
What is the official title of the John Lennon song with the classic lyric ♫All we are saying, is give peace a chance♫?

♫Give Peace A Chance♫

WHAT’S THAT SONG?
A line from a famous song is below. Do you know the tune’s name?

♫You need a blue sky holiday♫

Bad Day by Daniel Powter

Sunday, August 20, 2017

SUNDAY FUNNIES: I JUST DON'T GET IT

A puzzled baby dragon
Hello Everybody! Waxy Dragon here.
It has come to my attention that Dragon School will be starting up again the day after Labor Day this year.
I don't know why I have to go again this year. After all, I went last year.
But while The Sunday Funnies are still a couple of weeks away from our annual School Salute, I got to wondering about all the changes that parents complain about that us kids don't understand.
Such as...

Falling asleep in the back of a station wagon.
NOW... if the wagon was stationary, how did the pioneers cross the frontier and go west to discover everything out there???

Using a typewriter.
Time marches on.
NOW... besides the obvious question of "What's a typewriter?"
Why did you need to write any type to begin with?
Was this something important?
And what is type anyway?

Renting a VHS tape at the local video store.
NOW... I have no idea what VHS is. I've checked the TV listings several times and still can't find out what channel that is.
I do know the local video store is where they have all these great big flat screen television sets that are really neat and it would be great to have one, but Bubblehead (the human that's supposed to be looking out for me, but usually I get him out of trouble) says owning one is too expensive and unnecessary, since our TV is just fine.
NO IT'S NOT BUBBLEHEAD!
I've always got to get up off the couch and change the channel by hand, and why is everything in black and white?

Bubblehead once told me, "I remember my very first VCR. It was in Beta format."
NOW...




Taking photos with a film camera. Some kids may have never even used a real camera.
NOW... I have absolutely no idea what this is all about. My camera works just fine. Whenever the memory card is full, I just download it to my computer and can take more pictures afterward.

Using an encyclopedia as a reference for a report.
NOW... I think this one might be a mistake. After all, there are several great encyclopedia based websites on line.

And finally: Licking a postage stamp.
NOW... Why would I want to lick a postage stamp???
You just peel them off the sheet and stick them on the envelope.
But I still don't understand why it's called "snail mail".
After all, have you ever actually seen a snail delivering the mail???

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

Saturday, August 19, 2017

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: AUGUST 13-19, 2017

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*A van was driven into a crowd of innocent people August 17, 2017 in Barcelona, Spain. 12 were killed and more injured. ISIL has since claimed responsibility for the event. A second vehicle was allegedly supposed to make another attack, but it was stopped by authorities. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Depending upon where you are, a total solar eclipse will occur August 21.
*Also on August 21, Big Ben in London will fall silent as a repair/maintenance project begins. Expected completion is in 2021.
*Air Berlin has filed for bankruptcy protection.
*Is the Chilesaurus the missing dinosaur link???


THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*The Free Choice E-zine does not support terrorism, no matter what the “cause” or alleged “justification”. Thus we will only be posting news items in this section whenever terrorists are brought to justice.

😭PASSING PARADE…
*The innocent life lost during the car assault and those who passed away in the helicopter crash (not connected to the protests) in Charlottesville, Virginia.
*The innocent lives lost during the car assault in Barcelona, Spain.
*Actor Joseph Bologna (My Favorite Year, Blame It On Rio) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*TV writer/producer Victor Pemberton (Doctor Who, Fraggle Rock) has passed away.
*Actor Sonny Landham (the first Predator movie, the first 48 Hours movie) has taken his last bow on life's stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA AND ITS CONSEQUENCES…
*A state of emergency was declared by Virginia’s governor when serious fighting broke out over a statue of Civil War soldier Robert E. Lee. One person died when a car was intentionally driven into a crowd and those aboard a police helicopter passed away when it crashed, although the cause of the crash is not believed to be a result of any of the actual protests. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)

SINCE THEN…
*After several Tweets and an address condemning “those involved” but not calling out the white supremacist groups specifically, but instead those who stood up against themPresident Trump has complained about the media attacking him once more. (There are 4 separate links in this item.)
*Days later, Trump finally included everybody, a move which many questioned the delay over. He has since started trying to put a new spin on events. Trump has called out the “alt-left” for their role in Charlottesville, indicating to many that he does support the “alt-right”. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*Some Internet providers have suspended services to "alt-right" hate groups. The services were previously maintained as a gray area of the First Amendment of the Constitution, guaranteeing every citizen the right to free speech. A rally at Texas A&M University scheduled for September because of the First Amendment issue has since been canceled by the school administrators too. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*A Confederate themed statute in North Carolina has since been torn down by protesters there, although it wasn’t originally scheduled for destruction. But who vandalized a Holocaust memorial in Boston??? (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Several more businessmen have resigned from Donald Trump’s American Manufacturing Council because of Trump’s hesitancy in condemning the white supremacists involved. This has since led President Trump to either cancel or outright end his Presidential Advisory Council on Infrastructure, the Strategic and Policy Forum and the American Manufacturing Council. (There are 4 separate links in this item.)
*The debate over Civil War monuments: historical archives or embarrassment??? (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*In the end, Trump and Charlottesville: pass or fail??? Here’s another opinion. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
POLITICALLY…
*Given recent events in Charlottesville, will President Trump fire Steve Bannon, Sebastian Gorka, and others??? Trump originally said “we’ll see” in regards to Bannon, but Bannon has since resigned, although fears for Trump's presidency, and has vowed to "continue fighting" for the President by returning to "Breitbart News". (There are 6 separate links in this item.)
*In light of recent events, Carl Icahn has since stepped down as President Trump's special adviser, and the entire membership of Trump's President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities, with a special message to Trump within their letter. Read the first letter of each paragraph to discover what it is. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*Despite President Trump’s opinions on the subject, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis has other thoughts about transgender soldiers in the military.
*Don't bother looking for Donald and Ivanka Trump at the 2017 Kennedy Center Honors ceremony.
MEANWHILE…
*When they return to work in September, what do President Trump and Congress plan to do about taxes???
*Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell probably isn’t happy with how things are going in Alabama right now.
ELSEWHERE…
*Do “blue collar workers” want to stay “blue collar workers”???
*Justin Thomas won the 2017 Professional Golf Association tournament.
*Test results reveal that professional golfer Tiger Woods wasn’t “clean and sober” at the time of his DUI arrest back in May 2017.

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: AUGUST 19, 2017

FUN FACT
The western most point of Saint Lawrence Island, Alaska, USA is only 37 miles away from the eastern shore edge of Russia.

TRIVIA TIME
What is the official title of the John Lennon song with the classic lyric ♫All we are saying, is give peace a chance♫?

WHAT’S THAT SONG?
A line from a famous song is below. Do you know the tune’s name?

♫You need a blue sky holiday♫

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the August 12, 2017 Puzzle Corner.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Everybody knows the various forms of the card game, but how many new words can you form out of the letters in SOLITAIRE?

A, aero, ail(s), air(s), aisle, are, arse, art(s), at, ate
East, eat(s), era(s)
I, ire(s), is, isle, it, its
Lair(s), laser, late, later, least, lei(s), liar(s), lie(s), lore, lose, loser, lost
Oil(s), ore(s)
Rail(s), raise, rat(s), rate(s), real, rest, rise, roil(s), role, rots
Sail, sailor, sat, sea, seal, sear, seat, silo, sit, site, slat, slit, slot, so, soar, sole, sore, stale, staler, star, stare, steal, stir, stole, store
Tail(s), tailor(s), taser, tea(s), teal, tear(s), tire(s), toe(s), toil(s), tore, trail(s), trial(s), tries

While proper names (and there are several possible) are not eligible, more than the 106 words listed above might be possible.

THE 50/50 CHANCE
Just like a regular TRIVIA TIME question, only there are just two possible answers, hence the even odds of getting it right. Ready?

TRUE OR FALSE: The Glenn Miller hit ♫Pennsylvania 6-5000♫ was based on a real (at the time) phone number?

It’s TRUE! In fact, dialing it properly by today’s guidelines still contacts the Pennsylvania Hotel in New York City.

Sunday, August 13, 2017

SUNDAY FUNNIES: STORY TIME

Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here!
On a beautiful summer's day like this, I just feel like kicking back, putting my paws up, and telling a funny story or two. Ready?

A police officer pulls over a speeding car. The officer says, 'I clocked you at 80 miles per hour, sir.'

The driver says, 'Gee officer, I had it on cruise control at 60. Perhaps your radar gun needs calibrating.'

Not looking up from her knitting, the wife (who was sitting across from her husband in the front passenger seat) says, 'Now don't be silly dear. You know that this car doesn't have cruise control.'

As the officer writes out the ticket, the driver looks over at his wife and growls, 'Can't you please keep your mouth shut for once?'

The wife smiles demurely and says, 'Well dear, you should be thankful your radar detector went off when it did or your speed would have been even higher.'

As the officer makes out the second ticket for the illegal  radar detector, the man glowers at his wife and says through clenched teeth, 'Woman, can't you keep your mouth shut?'

The officer frowns and says, 'And I notice that you're not wearing your seat belt, sir.  That's an
automatic $75 fine.'

The driver says, 'Yeah well, you see officer, I had it on, but I took it off when you pulled  me over so that I could get my license out of my back pocket.'

The wife says, 'Now dear. You know very well that you didn't have your seat belt on. You never wear your seat belt when you're driving.'

And as the police officer is writing out the third ticket, the driver turns to his wife and barks, 'WHY DON'T YOU PLEASE SHUT UP!'

The officer looks over at the woman and asks, 'Does your husband always talk to you this way, Ma'am ?'

Her answer was, 'Only when he's been drinking.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Honesty has always been the best policy. Time for one more!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Murphy applied for a forklift job at a famous Irish firm based in Dublin.

A Norwegian applied for the same job and since both applicants had similar qualifications, they were asked to take a test and led to a quiet room with no interruptions by the Manager. 

When the results were in, both men had scored 19 out of 20.

The manager went to Murphy and said, "Thank you for coming to the interview, but we've decided to give the Norwegian the job."

Murphy complained. "And why would ye be doing that? We both got 19 questions correct. This being Ireland and me being Irish, surely I should get the job."

The Manager said, "We have made our decision not on the correct answers, but on the question you got wrong."

Murphy's response was, "And just how would one incorrect answer be better than another?

The Manager replied, "That's simple. On question number 7, the Norwegian wrote down 'I don't know,' and you wrote 'Neither do I.' "
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
See? Cheaters NEVER prosper in the end, no matter how long they manage to get away with it before they're caught.
That's all the space I have for now. Have a great week everybody and please be back with us next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—AtP.

Saturday, August 12, 2017

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: AUGUST 6-12, 2017

AUGUST 13 MARKS THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF
WALT DISNEY’S VERSION OF BAMBI.
AUGUST 14 MARKS THE 70TH ANNIVERSARY OF PAKISTAN’S INDEPENDENCE.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*The United Nations has added their own, additional sanctions against North Korea for that country’s continued nuclear “missile tests”.
*But American President Donald Trump has promised “fire and fury like the world has never seen” if North Korea ever threatens the United States, to which North Korea responded by saying it is “carefully considering a missile strike” against Guam. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*The global crackdown against parents who won’t vaccinate their children has begun.
*Despite serious allegations against him, South African President Jacob Zuma managed to survive his eighth “no confidence” vote.
*President Uhuru Kenyatta has won re-election in Kenya.
*A list of the 2017 Hugo Award winners for science fiction can be found here.
*Depending upon where you are, are you ready for the total solar eclipse August 21???
*On August 16, 1962 the Beatles replaced drummer Pete Best with Ringo Starr. The rest is history.
*Do we now truly know who Jack the Ripper really was???

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*The Free Choice E-zine does not support terrorism, no matter what the “cause” or alleged “justification”. Thus we will only be posting news items whenever terrorists are brought to justice.

😭PASSING PARADE…
*Composer David Maslanka is no longer with us.
*Actor Haruo Nakajima (the original Godzilla franchise, Seven Samurai) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Actress Barbara Cook (The Music Man, Candide) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Singer (“Galveston”)/actor (the original True Grit) Glen Campbell has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Actor Sitaram Panchal (Slumdog Millionaire) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…
*Although still “on vacation”, why is President Trump suddenly against Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal, let alone Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell??? Yet could his comments against McConnell hurt Trump??? (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*But Trump has promised “fire and fury like the world has never seen” if North Korea ever threatens the United States, to which North Korea responded by saying it is “carefully considering a missile strike” against Guam. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*President Trump will need to find someone else to run the Office of Personnel Management, for nominee George Nesterczuk has withdrawn his name from consideration.
*Trump is apparently "very thankful" Russian President Vladimir Putin expelled 755 diplomats.
*Can the President’s ban on transgender military personnel be legally blocked???
MEANWHILE…
*Congress is still on summer vacation until after Labor Day.
*As the investigation into whether or not Russia interfered with the 2016 Presidential election continues, the FBI raided the residence of Donald Trump’s former campaign manager Paul Manafort.
*While President Trump’s version of “voter fraud” has been proven untrue, there are some Republicans who would postpone the 2020 Presidential election if possible.
*But is Vice President Pence thinking about running against Trump in 2020??? Some pundits and editorial cartoonists have suggested the possibility, but nothing is official at this time.
ELSEWHERE…
*Pen Air has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection while stopping service to Denver, Colorado and Portland, Oregon to reduce its losses.
*Will Costco ever respond to a woman’s plight over contaminated chicken salad???
*Dine Equity has announced they will close roughly up to 160 Applebee’s and IHOPs by the end of 2017.

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: AUGUST 12, 2017

FUN FACT
Despite what some hair products claim, the only effective way to get rid of split ends is by cutting them off.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Everybody knows the various forms of the card game, but how many new words can you form out of the letters in SOLITAIRE?

THE 50/50 CHANCE
Just like a regular TRIVIA TIME question, only there are just two possible answers, hence the even odds of getting it right. Ready?

TRUE OR FALSE: The Glenn Miller hit ♫Pennsylvania 6-5000♫ was based on a real (at the time) phone number?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the August 5, 2017 Puzzle Corner.

COMMON BONDS
The items within each subset have something in common.
Do you know what it is?
01. {Orleans, Shania Twain} = Both have sang that their loves are ♫Still the One♫
02. {Steve Winwood, The Monkees} = Both have sang about a woman named ♫Valerie♫

TRIVIA TIME
What do Ictheologists study?
Fish

Sunday, August 6, 2017

SUNDAY FUNNIES: ♫SUMMER PUNNIN', HAVIN' A BLAST!♫

Enjoying the summer! 😁
Hello Everybody! Waxy Dragon here!
I'm just kicking back, still enjoying my summer vacation from Dragon School. Don't have to be back until after Labor Day (and considering how many people are now stuck working on what used to be a holiday, I can see why they call it that), so let's enjoy some summer puns together.
Ready?

 I hate people who talk behind my back. They discussed me.

I made a chemistry joke, but got no reaction.

For those who have seen and enjoyed the movies: I put my phone in airplane mode and now it calls
me Shirley.

Alternative facts are an aversion of the truth.

Deja Moo. The feeling you've heard this bull before.

If your feet fall asleep and don't wake up, are they coma toes?

I wrote a song about a tortilla. Actually, it is more of a rap.

My favorite allergy song is ♫Blowin' In The Wind♫ by Peter Pollen Mary.

Wish I was there...
Instead of here.















Well, in any event, have a great week folks and please be back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—wd.

Saturday, August 5, 2017

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JULY 30-AUGUST 5, 2017

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*Russia has officially expelled 755 United States diplomats over recently imposed new sanctions against that country.
*Venezuela is in a state of upheaval. Traveling to that country is currently not advised.
*Despite the violence surrounding the election, Peter O’Neill has been re-elected Prime Minister of Papa New Guinea.
*North Korea’s latest “missile test” proved more dangerous than first thought, and what might actually be behind all of them. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*With a national election pending, Kenya’s Election Board Head of Information has been found, a murder victim.
*Prince Phillip has officially retired from royal public appearances.
*The first(?) report of successful gene "editing".
*Do newly appearing craters signify trouble for Earth???

THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*The Free Choice E-zine does not support terrorism, no matter what the “cause” or alleged “justification”. Thus, we shall only be posting news items whenever terrorists are brought to justice.

😭PASSING PARADE…
*Actress Mariann Mayberry (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 2005 version of War of the Worlds) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Ara Parseghian, noted football player and coach, has passed away.
*Actor Robert Hardy (All Creatures Great and Small, the Harry Potter film franchise) has taken his last bow on life's stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…
*Russia has officially expelled 755 United States diplomats over recently imposed new sanctions against that country.
*Can the Republican Party be sued for not keeping their campaign promises???
*The first act of new White House Chief of Staff John Kelly was to fire the new Director of Communications Anthony Scaramucci. But otherwise, how is Kelly doing on the job so far??? (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Not happy that the Affordable Care Act, aka “Obama Care” is still law, President Trump is considering his options to move forward on “dealing with the issue”. Including taking away Congress' health care??? (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*President Trump is also hoping to start reducing the number of immigrants allowed in the United States each year and base entry upon merit instead of need.
*Although some feared he wouldn’t, President Trump did sign the new sanctions against Russia into law, but thinks we are losing the war in Afghanistan and wants to pull out to cut America’s losses. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*The latest lawsuit against Donald Trump.
*Just how low can Trump’s poll numbers go??? After all, a lot of his Tweets aren't positive, and Newsweek's latest cover story wasn't favorable toward Trump. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*Business CEO Donald Trump said he was against them, but President Trump is about to go on vacation, and how his vacation record compares to former President Obama. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
MEANWHILE…
*Christopher Wray is officially the new Director of the FBI.
*Congress was able to agree on something. Protecting Robert Mueller as he impanels a grand jury to look into Russia's possible involvement in the 2016 Presidential election.
*At the end of business Friday August 4, Congress has recessed for their summer break. They are scheduled to resume work after Labor Day 2017.
ELSEWHERE…
*Former pharmaceutical company executive Martin Shkreli is convicted of three counts of securities fraud. He is the man who initially raised the cost of Darapim from $13.50 to $750 PER PILL! (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*The Secret Service and the Trump Tower apparently can't get along.
*The National Rifle Association apparently doesn't like The New York Times.
*Adrián Beltré of the Texas Rangers has achieved his 3000th career hit in professional baseball.
*Discovery (Channel) Communications plans to buy Scripps Network Interactives for $14.6 Billion dollars.
*Raytheon has managed to get a lawsuit against them overturned.


THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ITS LOYAL READERSHIP FOR GIVING US 2,318 PAGE VIEWS IN JULY 2017! 😁

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

THE PUZZLE CORNER: AUGUST 5, 2017

FUN FACT
Despite the belief that the average human being only uses 10% of their brain, it is actually working at full capacity, even when you’re asleep!

COMMON BONDS
The items within each subset have something in common.
Do you know what it is?
01. {Orleans, Shania Twain}
02. {Steve Winwood, The Monkees}

TRIVIA TIME
What do Ictheologists study?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the July 29, 2017 Puzzle Corner.

WHAT’S THAT SONG?
A line from a song is below. All you have to do is know the title. Ready?
♫And a better dental plan than the FBI!♫
Party in the CIA by “Weird” Al Yankovic.

HUH?
We tried to remember a famous quote below, but didn’t quite get it right.
Do you know the correct line?

“To be or not to be. Or maybe it was 3A.”
This is actually a humorous version of the opening of Hamlet’s soliloquy by William Shakespeare.
The correct line is “To be or not to be. That is the question.”