Sunday, December 31, 2017

IN MEMORIUM 2017

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 2017, we have also lost...

ACTORS
Richard Anderson (The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, Forbidden Planet)
Harvey Atkin (Cagney and Lacey, Law and Order: Special Victims Unit)
Dennis Banks (Thunderheart, Last of the Mohicans)
Jack Bannon (Lou Grant, Petticoat Junction)
Roy Barraclough (Coronation Street)
Keith Barron (Upstairs Downstairs)
Trevor Baxter (credits too numerous to mention)
Sam Beazley (Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Johnny English)
Terence Beesley (East Enders, The Phantom of the Opera, War and Peace)
Buzz Belmondo (Out of This World, Baywatch)
Comedian Shelley Berman (Meet the Fockers, Curb Your Enthusiasm)
Rodney Bewes (The Likely Lads)
Joseph Bologna (My Favorite Year, Blame It On Rio)
Tony Booth (Coronation Street)
Powers Boothe (credits too numerous to mention)
Conrad Brooks (Plan 9 From Outer Space)
Former professional football player turned actor Bernie Casey (Revenge of the Nerds, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure)
Former teen heart throb David Cassidy (The Partridge Family)
Connors, circa Mannix
Don Pedro Colley (The Dukes of Hazard, THX-1138)
Mike Connors (Mannix, The 10 Commandments, War and Remembrance)
Ji-Tu Cumbuka (Roots, Mandingo)
Alfie Curtis (The Elephant Man, Star Wars 4: A New Hope)
Barry Dennen (Jesus Christ Superstar, Fiddler on the Roof, The Shining)
Thomas Derrah (Mystic River)
Roy Dotrice (Amadeus, Beauty and the Beast, Game of Thrones)
Nelsan Ellis (True Blood, Veronica Mars, Elementary, Without A Trace)
Steve Elmore (42nd Street)
Neil Fingleton (Game of Thrones, Avengers: Age of Ultron)
Miguel Ferrer (NCIS: Los Angeles, the original Robocop, Hot Shots Part Duex)
John Forgeham (The Italian Job, Sheena)
Warren Frost (Twin Peaks, Matlock, Seinfeld)
Stephen Furst (Animal House movie, Delta House TV show, Saint Elsewhere, Babylon 5)
Dick Gautier (credits too numerous to mention)
Kevin Geer (12 Angry Men, The Pelican Brief)
Robert Guillaume (Soap, Benson, The Lion King)
Peter Hansen (When Worlds Collide, General Hospital)
Robert Hardy (All Creatures Great and Small, the Harry Potter franchise)
Brad Harris (Pirates of the Mississippi, Goliath Against The Giants)
Terence Harvey (Hollyoaks)
Richard Hatch (Battlestar: Galactica, The Streets of San Francisco)
Tony Haygarth (Chicken Run, Dracula)
John Heard (Prison Break, Home Alone 1, Big)
Blake Heron (We Were Soldiers, Shiloh)
John Hillerman (Magnum PI, Blazing Saddles)
Bob Holiday, who portrayed Superman in the Broadway production "It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's Superman".
Rance Howard (Apollo 13, Ed Wood, Cool Hand Luke) and father of sons Ron and Clint.
Landau, circa 1968
John Hurt (Doctor Who, Harry Potter, The Elephant Man, Alien, Spaceballs)
Clifton James (Live and Let Die, Cool Hand Luke)
Gordon Kaye (‘Allo, ‘Allo; Brazil, Coronation Street)
Bobby Knutt (Coronation Street)
Martin Landau (The original Mission: Impossible, Ed Wood, Space: 1999)
Victor Lanoux (Cousin, Cousine)
Ray Lovelock (Fiddler on the Roof)
Curt Lowens (The Hindenburg, Angels and Demons)
Trevor Martin (Doctor Who, Coronation Street, Inspector Morse)
Alec McCowen (A Night to Remember, Gangs of New York)
Tomas Milian (Havana, Amistad)
Lawrence Montaigne (The original versions of The Great Escape, Star Trek, Escape to Witch Mountain)
Sir Roger Moore (several James Bond movies, The Saint)
Robert Michael Morris (How I Met Your Mother, The Comeback)
Gastone Moschin (The Godfather Part 2)
Mark La Mura (All My Children, LA Law)
Singer/Actor Jim Nabors (The Andy Griffith Show, Gomer Pyle U.S.M.C.)
Haruo Nakajima (the original Godzilla franchise, Seven Samurai)
Micheal Nyqvist (Millennium, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, John Wick 1)
Sitaram Panchal (Slumdog Millionaire)
Michael Parks (Twin Peaks, Kill Bill)
Bill Paxton (Apollo 13, Aliens)
Frank Pellegrino (Goodfellas, The Sopranos)
Actor/director Meme Perlini (A Fistful of Dynamite, The Grand Duel)
Robert D. Raiford (Matlock, original The Handmaid’s Tale movie)
Steve Reevis (The Longest Yard, Fargo)
Comedian Tony Rosato (Saturday Night Live, SCTV)
West, circa 1961
Peter Sallis (Wallace's voice of Wallace and Grommit, Last of the Summer Wine)
Sam Shepard (Bloodline, The Right Stuff)
Washington Sixolo (Shaka Zulu, Ernest Goes To Africa)
Roger Smith (77 Sunset Strip, Mister Roberts)
Tim Pigott-Smith (The Jewel in the Crown, Clash of the Titans, V for Vendetta)
Harry Dean Stanton (Alien, Repo Man)
Jay Thomas (Cheers, Murphy Brown)
Jan Triska (The Karate Kid Part 3, 2010)
Frank Vincent (The Sopranos, Casino)
Moray Watson (The Quatermass Experiment, The Darling Buds of May)
Adam West (the 1960s Batman, Family Guy, The Outlaws IS Coming)
Howard Witt (numerous guest starring roles on television)

😭

ACTRESSES
Lola Albright (Peter Gunn)
Chelsea Brown (Rowan and Martin’s Laugh-In)
Darlene Cates (What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?)
Miriam Colon (Scarface, All The Pretty Horses)
Barbara Cook (The Music Man, Candide)
Elizabeth Dawn (Coronation Street)
Rosemary Frankau (Terry and June)
Barbara Hale, best known as Della Street on Perry Mason.
Glenne Headly (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mister Holland’s Opus, Warren Beatty’s version of Dick Tracy)
Lyn James (The Young Doctors)
Christine Kaufmann (Town Without Pity, The Last Days of Pompeii)
Daliah Lavi (Catlow, the original Casino Royale)
Joan Lee, voice actress, model, and famed wife of Stan Lee.
Comedienne/actress Rose Marie (The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hollywood Squares)
Mariann Mayberry (One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, 2005 version of War of the Worlds)
York, circa 1966
Heather Menzies (The Sound of Music, Logan’s Run)
Dina Merrill (Operation: Petticoat, Butterfield 8)
Yvonne Monlaur (Three Strangers in Rome, The Brides of Dracula)
Mary Tyler Moore (The Dick Van Dyke Show, her own sitcom)
Erin Moran (Happy Days, Joanie Loves Cachi)
Novella Nelson (A Perfect Murder)
Anita Pallenberg (Barbarella, A Degree of Murder)
Molly Peters (James Bond’s Thunderball)
Singer/actress Della Reese (Touched By An Angel)
Actress/writer Jean Rouverol (The Guiding Light, Autumn Leaves)
Deborah Watling (Doctor Who, The Newcomers)
Ann Wedgeworth (Three’s Company, Steel Magnolias, Evening Shade)
Beryl Te Wiata (Xena: Warrior Princess)
Francine York (credits too numerous to mention)

😭

ATHLETES/SPORTS FIGURES
Professional wrestler Nicole Bass.
Former professional wrestler Ron Bass.
Famous baseball player Bobby Doerr (Boston Red Sox)
Former Boxing great Lou Duva.
Long time sportscaster Dick Enberg.
Former Baseball player Roy Halladay (Toronto Blue Jays, Philadelphia Phillies)
World Wrestling Entertainment Icon Bobby “The Brain” Heenan.
Professional wrestler Ivan Koloff.
Former professional basketball player/coach John Kundla.
Andy Marte (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Surfing icon Jack O’Neil, who created what we know today as the wet suit.
Ara Parseghian, noted football player and coach.
Professional hockey player Tod Sloan (Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks)
Professional wrestler turned actor (Ed Wood) George “The Animal” Steele.
Yordano Ventura (Kansas City Royals)

😭

CREATIVE PERSONNEL
Roger Ailes of Fox News.
Pulitzer Prize winning poet John Ashbery.
Film director John Avildsen (Rocky 1, The Karate Kid 1, Save The Tiger)
Comic book artist Jim Baikie (Judge Dredd)
Cartoonist Murray Ball (Footrot Flats)
Film maker Yoshimitsu Banno (Godzilla versus Hedorah, Throne of Blood)
Songwriter (“Palisades Park”), game show creator (The Dating Game) and host (The Gong Show) Chuck Barris.
Professional stuntman John Bernecker (The Walking Dead)
Novelist William Peter Blatty (The Exorcist)
Noted author/journalist Jimmy Breslin.
Author Michael Bond, author/creator of the original Paddington Bear books.
Author Edward Bryant (contributor to the Wild Cards and Dangerous Visions anthologies)
Comic book artist Rick Buckler.
Voice artist Wally Burr (Transformers: Generation 1, G.I. Joe, Inspector Gadget, Jem)
The innocent life lost during the car assault and those who passed away in the helicopter crash in Charlottesville, Virginia.
Children’s author Babette Cole.
Fox News contributor and commentator Alan Colmes.
Foray, circa 1952
Longtime Sports Illustrated contributor and author Frank Deford.
Movie director Jonathan Demme (Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia)
Author Colin Dexter (The Inspector Morse series)
Author Nancy Friday (My Secret Garden, Women On Top)
Legendary voice actress June Foray (Natasha Fatale and Rocky of Rocky and Bullwinkle, Cindy Lou Who in the animated version of How The Grinch Stole Christmas, and way too many other credits to list them all)
Author Paula Fox (The Slave Dancer)
Animator Bob Givens (Classic Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry shorts)
Professional comic book artist Sam Glanzman, who has worked for Charlton, DC, Marvel, Acclaim, and Topps.
Film producer Earl A. Glick (Starship Invasions)
Author Sue Grafton (the Kinsey Milhone Alphabet mysteries, which now officially ends at Y is for Yesterday instead of Z)
Producer Brad Grey (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Sopranos)
Film producer Kate Guinzburg (One Fine Day, Dangerous Minds)
Playwright A. R. Gurney (The Dining Room, Love Letters)
Television producer Marilyn Hall (A Woman Called Golda)
Film producer Jack H. Harris (the original The Blob)
Artist Joe Harris, who created the Trix Cereal Rabbit and helped create Underdog.
Playboy founder Hugh Hefner.
Director Tobe Hooper (The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Poltergeist)
Comic book artist Dave Hunt (Legion of Superheroes, Supergirl)
Oscar winning cinematographer Walter Lassally (Zorba the Greek, Tom Jones)
TV writer/producer Sam Lovullo (The Jonathan Winters Show, Hee Haw)
Underground comics favorite Jay Lynch (Garbage Pail Kids)
Composer David Maslanka.
TV writer Marsh McCall (Last Man Standing, Late Night with Conan O’Brien)
Playwright Thomas Meehan (Annie, The Producers)
Writer Jack Mendelsohn (Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In, The Carol Burnett Show, Three’s Company, co-wrote the script for The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine)
Stage and television director Christopher Morahan (The Jewel in the Crown)
Author Howard Frank Mosher (Where the Rivers Flow North)
Author Nicholas Mosley (Spaces of the Dark, A Garden of Trees)
Voice Actor Dick Orkin.
Film historian and host Robert Osborne.
Former Billboard publisher Tommy Page.
Sam Panopoulos, inventor of the Hawaiian style Pizza.
TV writer/producer Victor Pemberton (Doctor Who, Fraggle Rock)
Author Robert M. Pirsig (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance)
Professional sound mixer Richard Portman (The Godfather, Star Wars, The Deer Hunter)
Noted science fiction author Jerry Pournelle.
Author Kit Reed.
Historical author and World War 2 veteran Douglas Reeman.
Director George A. Romero (the modern zombie pictures)
Television writer Bob Schiller (I Love Lucy, All in the Family, Carol Burnett)
Author (Buried Child)/actor (The Right Stuff) Sam Shepard.
Anime writer Michiru Shimada (One Piece)
Comedy writer Alan Simpson (The Comedy Playhouse, Steptoe and Son)
Producer J. C. Spink (The Hangover, The Butterfly Effect)
Original Marvel Comics staffer “Fabulous” Flo(rence) Steinberg.
Writer David Storey (Saville, This Sporting Life, Home)
Manga creator Jiro Taniguchi (A Distant Neighbor, Icarus)
Voice Actress Hiromi Tsuru (various anime productions)
TV writer Trish Vradenburg (Family Ties, Kate and Allie, Designing Women)
Author Robert James Waller (The Bridges of Madison County)
Legendary comic book writer Len Wein (co-creator of Swamp Thing, Wolverine, and Lucius Fox in Batman)
Famed comic book artist Bernie Wrightson (co-creator of Swamp Thing)

😭

ENTERTAINERS
Mike Aktari (Jerseylicious)
Chester Bennington, singer/songwriter for Linkin Park, Dead by Sunrise, and Stone Temple Pilots.
Soul singer Charles Bradley.
Singer (“Galveston”)/actor (the original True Grit) Glen Campbell.
British children’s television personality Brian Cant (Play School and other programmes)
Comedian Irwin Cowey (The Steve Allen Show, Car Wash, Thieves)
Actor, Comedian, writer Bill Dana.
Singer/songwriter Gary DeCarlo (“Sha na na na, hey hey, kiss him goodbye”)
Singer/Songwriter Richard Dobson (“Old Friends”, “Baby Ride Easy”)
Singer Cuba Gooding, Senior of The Main Ingredient.
Legendary comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory.
Legendary game show host Monty Hall (Let’s Make A Deal)
Legendary comedian and humanitarian (the annual MDA Labor Day telethons of the past) Jerry Lewis.
Singer Al Jarreau (Theme from Moonlighting, “Since I Fell For You”, and countless more)
Singer Michael Johnson (“Bluer Than Blue”)
David Letterman’s mother Dorothy Mengering.
Comedian Ralphie May.
Comedian Charlie Murphy.
Legendary comedian Don Rickles.
Maggie Roche of the Roche vocal trio.
Barbara Sinatra (Frank Sinatra’s last wife)
Singer Joni Sledge of Sister Sledge.
Singer Keely Smith (“I’ve Got You Under My Skin”)
Former judge and reality television personality Judge Joseph Wapner.
Blues musician Leo Welch.

😭

HISTORIC
Nobel Prize winning (2003) theoretical physicist Alexei Abrikosov.
The victims of the senseless car assault attack in Barcelona Spain August17, 2017.
Artist Tony Booth (most famous as a publicist helping Brian Epstein promote The Beatles)
The innocent victims of the Campinas, Brazil shooting New Year’s Eve.
The innocent victims of the multiple location shooting spree in Rancho Tehama Reserve, California.
The innocent person killed when someone opened fire on a pool party in San Diego, California.
Those innocents who lost their lives in the mosque shooting of Quebec, Canada.
Eugene Cernan, the last person to walk on the moon (to date)
Civil Rights lawyer (Brown v. Board of Education) William Thaddeus Coleman Junior.
Those who died during Typhoon Damrey.
Those who lost their lives during Cyclone Debbie.
The 300+ innocent victims of the terrorist attack on a Bir al-Abed, Egypt mosque.
The victims of the Finsbury Park Mosque attack.
Charlie Gard.
Cosmonaut Viktor Gorbatko (Soyuz missions 7, 24, and 37)
The victims of the Grenfell Tower Apartment Complex in West London, England.
Those who lost their lives during Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, Katia, and Maria.
Those who lost their lives during the November 2017 earthquake of Iran/Iraq.
Chess Grandmaster Viktor Kupreichik.
Kim Jong-nam, oldest son of North Korea’s President Kim Jong-il.
Former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee.
Baldwin Lonsdale, the President of Vanuatu.
Former Playboy Playmate Janet Lupo.
Chess Grandmaster Vladimir Malanuik.
The 22 innocent victims of the Manchester Arena attack May 22.
The innocent victims of the vehicular assault in Manhattan, New York October 31.
Norma McCorvey, better known as “Jane Roe” of Roe versus Wade.
Those who lost their lives during the 2017 earthquakes of Mexico.
Emma Morano, the last person living born before 1900, passed away at the age of 117.
Former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega.
The 20 police officers killed in a Taliban raid against Southern Afghanistan May 21.
Financier David Rockefeller.
The 7 innocent victims of the unprovoked attack against pedestrians in London, England June 3.
Former President and Prime Minister of Portugal Mario Soares.
The 40+ Somali boat refugees killed in an unprovoked helicopter attack off the Yemen coast.
The victims of the senseless killings at a Sutherland Springs, Texas Church.
The innocent person killed during the knife attack at the University of Texas.
The innocent victims of the Istanbul, Turkey New Year’s Eve nightclub attack.
The victims of the senseless shooting in Las Vegas, Nevada October 1, 2017.
The 5 people killed in the senseless attack on Westminster Palace in London.
College Student Otto Warmbier.
Red West, friend and band mate of Elvis Presley.
Nobel Peace Prize winner and Chinese dissent Liu Xiaobo.

😭

MUSICIANS
Gregg Allman of the Allman Brothers’ Band.
Walter Becker of Steely Dan.
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Legend Chuck Berry.
Prince’s former drummer John Blackwell.
Chris Cornell.
Legendary guitarist Larry Coryell, known as the "Godfather of Fusion."
Clem Curtis of The Foundations (“Build Me Up Buttercup”)
Antoine “Fats” Domino, Junior (“Blueberry Hill”, “Ain’t That A Shame”, “I’m Walking”)
J. Geils of the J. Geils Band (“Freeze Frame”, “Centerfold”)
Troy Gentry of the country music group Montgomery Gentry.
Singer/pianist Buddy Greco.
Dave Hlubek of Molly Hatchet.
The Chameleon’s drummer John Lever.
Earl Lindo of Bob Marley and the Wailers.
Former (Smokey Robinson and the) Miracles member Warren Moore.
Geoff Nicholls, keyboardist for Black Sabbath and Quartz.
Musician/producer Laudir de Oliveria (Sergio Mendes, Chicago)
Musician Tom Petty.
Marilyn Manson guitarist Scott Putesky.
Rick Stevens of the Tower of Power R&B group.
Singer/musician Grady Tate (Schoolhouse Rock, Johnny Carson, Simon and Garfunkel)
Country music legend and actor Mel Tillis.
Butch Trucks, drummer for the Allman Brothers Band.
Singer/songwriter (“Only Time Will Tell”, “Heat of the Moment”) and guitarist (Asia, King Crimson) John Wetton.
Country music legend Don Williams.
Musician (The Easy Beats)/Songwriter (“Friday On My Mind”)/Record Producer (AC/DC) George Young.
Malcolm Young, co-founder of AC/DC.

DISHONORABLE MENTION
Suicide bombers, terrorists, and anyone else who would take another’s life without moral and/or legal justification, like infamous cult leader Charles Manson.

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

SUNDAY FUNNIES: IT AIN'T OVER UNTIL... (misc. jokes)

Hello Everybody! The Free Choice E-zine's Editor-in-Chief Lee Houston, Junior here once again because the ladies are still on holiday, this time for New Year's Eve.

The best part about 2017 ending and 2018 about to begin?
A lot of people will say that 2017 is over.
Considering some of the events that have happened during the past 365 days, perhaps they're right.
But we have another year ahead and hopefully everything will turn out better than it did before.

But it's still Sunday, and that means it's time for some fun. So...

A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.

If you're born in September, its pretty safe to assume your parents started out the New Year with some private fun! 😉

In 2018 I'm hoping for a FAT bank account and a THIN body. Here's hoping that they don't get mixed up like they did in 2017!

What do you tell someone you didn't see at New Year's Eve?
I haven't seen you for a year!

I never kiss on January first. I have a rule to never kiss on the first date.

I finally figured out what I want to be when I get older..... Younger!

Knock Knock!
Who's there?
Mary and Abby!
Mary and Abby who?
Mary Christmas and a Abby new year.

May all your troubles last as long as your New Years resolutions, and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—lh,jr.

Saturday, December 30, 2017

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 24-30, 2017

JANUARY 1 IS NEW YEAR’S DAY.
JANUARY 1 IS THE 155TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.
JANUARY 1 IS THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF DONALD DUCK’S ONLY OSCAR WINNING CARTOON (DER FURHER’S FACE).
JANUARY 5 IS BIRD DAY FOR OUR FINE FEATHERED FRIENDS.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*North Korea doesn’t like the latest economic sanctions levied by the United Nations, declaring them “an act of war”; while allegedly constructing its first submarine capable of launching ballistic missiles. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Mali Prime Minister Abdoulaye Idrissa Maïga has suddenly resigned without reason or warning.
*George Weah has been elected President of Liberia.
*America will soon cut its United Nations budget by $285 million dollars.
*Ringo Starr is on the verge of becoming a Knight.

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…
*Actor Alfie Curtis (The Elephant Man, Star Wars 4: A New Hope) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Voice Actor Dick Orkin has passed away.
*Actress Heather Menzies (The Sound of Music, Logan’s Run) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Author Sue Grafton (the Kinsey Milhone Alphabet mysteries, with the series now officially ending with Y is for Yesterday instead of Z) is no longer with us.
*Comic book artist Jim Baikie (Judge Dredd) has passed away.
*Comedienne/actress Rose Marie (The Dick Van Dyke Show, Hollywood Squares) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…
*America will soon cut its United Nations budget by $285 million dollars.
*ANALYSIS: what was 2017 like under President Trump???
*Will an ongoing probe of Hillary Clinton affect Mueller’s investigation into Russia possibly interfering with the 2016 Presidential election???
*QUESTIONS: Why didn’t President Trump attend the 40th annual Kennedy Center Honors presentation??? What does he have against Amazon and the United States Postal Service??? And why did he fire everyone on the Presidential HIV/AIDS Advisory Council??? (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*How truthful and accurate was Donald Trump during a recent interview???
MEANWHILE…
*If one Republican Congressman has his way, the Department of Justice and the FBI would be “purged”.
*A study in contrasts. On one hand, former Senator Al Franken says “there is too much to do to totally give up my voice”, while Roy Moore still has yet to concede he lost his controversial bid for a Senate seat. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*Are Republicans still against the FBI and Mueller's ongoing investigation???

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 29, 2017

😎FUN FACT
A turtle’s gender can also be determined by its noises. Males grunt while females hiss. No joke.

To end 2017, let’s have a quiz about unique television episode titles, shall we?
All you have to do is identify the series, based upon the clue below. Ready?

01. While never shown onscreen, the first two seasons of this police procedural always featured field reports from “Log #—”, before switching to regular episode titles for the remainder of the series.
02. As they appeared onscreen, each episode of this series was about “The Night of—”, although a lot of the adventures took place during the day too.
03. While never shown onscreen, the episode titles during Seasons 13-17 of this series had the same number of characters as their respective season, not counting punctuation and spaces between words.
04. As presented onscreen, each episode of this series was about “The (fill-in-the-blank) Affair”.
05. Although never presented onscreen, each episode title of this series began “The One—”.

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the December 23, 2017 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
What does Mele Kalikimaha mean?
It is the closest translation to MERRY CHRISTMAS in the native Hawaiian language.

FAMOUS FIRSTS
What movie did Bing Crosby’s signature version of ♫White Christmas♫ first appear in?
While many people think it was the 1954 movie of the same name, Bing actually first crooned ♫White Christmas♫ in the 1942 movie Holiday Inn.

Tuesday, December 26, 2017

Monday, December 25, 2017

DECEMBER 25, 2017

REGARDLESS OF HOW YOU PREFER TO CELEBRATE TODAY...





HERE'S HOPING THAT ONE DAY, WAR AND ALL THE OTHER EVILS OF THE WORLD
ARE NOTHING BUT UNPLEASANT AND DISTANT MEMORIES.


Sunday, December 24, 2017

SUNDAY FUNNIES: MORE CHRISTMAS HUMOR

Hello Everybody! Editor-In-Chief Lee Houston, Junior here.

Autumn the Puppy and Waxy Dragon are off on Christmas Eve, but since it is a Sunday this year, it's up to me to entertain everyone with some Christmas Cheer.

Don't worry. The ladies left me their unused jokes from last weekend's Christmas Party. So I might will actually be funny this time.

Ready?

Considering how commercialized the holiday season has become, can you imagine if Christmas characters started getting sponsors?
♫Wii three kings of the orient are...♫
"Bah. Humbug!" exclaimed Scrooge. "And if you are bothered by pests this holiday season..."

A young boy who didn't understand the concept yet asked, "Who is Christmas and why should I marry her? Marry Christmas? Geez, I'm only 4."

Imagine a reporter in Bethlehem covering the big event December 25th revolves around...
"The mother and child are in stable condition."

A cheap but wise man once said, "Forget the past, you can't change that. Forget the future, as it has not happened yet. Forget the present too, as you are not getting any from me!"

For a mighty long time, my folks couldn't afford much, but there was no question they loved each other and always talked about what they would do in the future.
Our No L tree.
One year Dad was finally able to buy Mom a house for Christmas.
She loves living in the present.

I tried wrapping presents, but didn't have the gift.

Did you hear about the crisis in Gutenberg's print shop. They ran out of a letter.
That was the first Noel.
No L.
Wow. Now there's a running gag with a lot of mileage on it!

Would a holiday seasoning be Christmas Thyme?


"When we recall Christmas past, we usually find that the simplest things -- not the occasions -- give off the greatest glow of happiness. -- Bob Hope

And on that note, remember: it's not what you receive this year, it's what you give. Being with those you love in peace and joy are the greatest gifts of all.—lh,jr.



Saturday, December 23, 2017

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 17-23, 2017

DECEMBER 25 IS CHRISTMAS DAY.
DECEMBER 26 IS BOXING DAY AND THE START OF KWAANZA.
DECEMBER 27 MARKS THE 85TH ANNIVERSARY OF RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*Sebastian Pinera has been elected the next President of Chile.
*United States’ President Trump considers China and Russia the biggest threats to America’s potential economic dominance.
*Even though the measure has been officially accepted by the United Nations, the US/President Trump has refused to honor their request to change its mind about recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and more feedback since Trump's announcement. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*Francois Gabart has set a new around the world sailing record.
*A submarine missing for over a century has been found.
*2018 will see The Moody Blues, Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, and Nina Simone inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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…
*Singer Keely Smith (“I’ve Got You Under My Skin”) is no longer with us.
*Singer/Songwriter Richard Dobson (“Old Friends”, “Baby Ride Easy”) has passed away.
*Actor Terence Beesley (East Enders, The Phantom of the Opera, War and Peace) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Blues musician Leo Welch is no longer with us.
*Long time sportscaster Dick Enberg has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…
*President Trump considers China and Russia the biggest threats to America’s potential economic dominance.
*Even though the measure has been officially accepted by the United Nations, the US/President Trump has refused to honor their request to change its mind about recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and more feedback since Trump's announcement. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*Are the fates of Fox News and President Donald Trump intertwined???
*Donald Trump has one less lawsuit to worry about, while commuting the sentence of Sholom Rubashkin, convicted of money laundering and bank fraud. (There are 2 separate links in this item.)
*President Trump is now officially on vacation until at least after Christmas.
MEANWHILE…
*Wanted or not, Congress has passed their “tax bill”, and what Donald Trump will gain now that he signed the measure into law. Including the fact that individual insurance will no longer be a mandate of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obama Care. (There are 3 separate links in this item.)
*Another temporary spending measure has been passed to at least delay a potential government shutdown.
*Roy Moore is apparently NOT a gracious loser.
*Congress is now on its winter break until after the first of the year.
ELSEWHERE…
*Who is impersonating Oprah Winfrey to attempt scamming people???
*More legal troubles for Apple.
*Texas Rangers’ pitcher Cole Hamels and his wife have donated their mansion and 100 acres of surrounding land in southwestern Missouri to Camp Barnabas, a charity for children with special needs and chronic illnesses.
*Ted Cruz versus Mark Hamill. Who won???
*2018 will see The Moody Blues, Bon Jovi, The Cars, Dire Straits, and Nina Simone inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
*Congratulations to college basketball coaches Sylvia Hatchell (University of North Carolina) and Geno Auriemma (University of Connecticut) for achieving their 1000th career victory.
*Is the United States still looking for UFOs???

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 23, 2017

😎FUN FACT
When creating the famous red nosed reindeer, Robert L. May almost named Rudolph REGINALD!

TRIVIA TIME
What does Mele Kalikimaha mean?

FAMOUS FIRSTS
What movie did Bing Crosby’s signature version of ♫White Christmas♫ first appear in?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the December 16, 2017 Puzzle Corner.

AKA, ALSO KNOWN AS
First introduced during A Charlie Brown Christmas, what is the official title of “The Peanuts Theme”?
♫Linus and Lucy♫, by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.

COMMON BONDS
The people in each subset have something in common. Do you know what it is?
01. {Justin Trudeau, Sissy Spacek, Jimmy Buffett}
02. {Rod Serling, Humphrey Bogart, Clara Barton}
Living {Subset 1} or deceased {Subset 2}, ALL were born on December 25th!

Sunday, December 17, 2017

SUNDAY FUNNIES: 2017 CHRISTMAS PARTY

Darling companion dragon
Playful pup
Hello Everybody!
Today you have both Autumn the Puppy AND Waxy Dragon as we get together for our annual Christmas party!
There's plenty of good music on the stereo.
Lot's of fantastic food, but don't let Waxy hoard all the dark chocolate😉 as we kick back and tell plenty of holiday jokes. Ready?

What kind of music do elves like?
♫No L! No L!♫
Wrap!

Whats the difference between the Christmas alphabet and the ordinary alphabet?
The Christmas alphabet has no L (Noel).

What do you call people who are afraid of Santa Claus?
Claustrophobic.

What do you call someone who doesn't believe in Santa?
A rebel without a Claus.

Why does everybody like Frosty the Snowman?
Because he is so cool!

Why do mummyies like the holidays?
Because of all the wrapping!

What is a parent's favorite Christmas carol?
♫Silent night!♫

What's red, white and blue at Christmas time?
A sad candy cane.


Do animals believe in Christmas?
Sure! Haven't you ever heard of Santa Paws?

Knock knock
Who's there?
Mary!
Mary who?
Merry Christmas!

Remember, Christmas isn't about how big the tree is, or what's under it.
It's about who's around it!

We hope–despite the over hype and over commercialism–you have a wonderful holiday season with your friends and family; and please join us again next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—AtP and wd.

Saturday, December 16, 2017

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 10-16, 2017

DECEMBER 16 MARKS THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE JUPITER 2 BEING LAUNCHED ON THE ORIGINAL LOST IN SPACE TV SERIES.
DECEMBER 16 IS NATIONAL DAY IN BAHRAIN AND
THE DAY OF RECONCILIATION IN SOUTH AFRICA.
DECEMBER 18 MARKS THE 125TH ANNIVERSARY OF TCHAIKOVSKY’S
THE NUTCRACKER DEBUT PERFORMANCE.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has banned several opposition parties from running against his re-election in 2018.
*Martial law in the Philippines will legally continue until the end of 2018.
*Political actions DO have consequences!
*After much discussion, preparations for Great Britain's departure from the European Union continues.
*Although many will deny the existence of Climate Change, the Arctic Ice continues to melt.



THE TERRORIST REPORT…
*Iraq Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced ISIL forces are defeated in his country after losing their last illegally captured territory.
*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…
*San Francisco’s current Mayor Ed Lee.
*Animator Bob Givens (Classic Looney Tunes and Tom & Jerry shorts) has passed away.
*Anime writer Michiru Shimada (One Piece) is no longer with us.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…
*Despite Republican efforts to curtail it, the annual open enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act, aka “Obama Care” has been deemed a success by those actually working towards getting more Americans health insurance.
*Yet what they can't get rid of, the Trump Administration keeps trying to change.
*With Michael Flynn cooperating with the Mueller investigation into Russia’s possible interference in the 2016 Presidential campaign, does that mean Vice President Mike Pence might be in trouble too???
*Political actions DO have consequences!
*What goes up, must come down.
MEANWHILE…
*Democrat Doug Jones has defeated controversial Republican candidate Roy Moore in the Alabama election for that state’s vacant Senate position.
*Could Senator Paul Ryan be planning to retire after the 2018 mid-term elections???
*Why some of President Trump’s judicial nominations are NOT being considered.
*Minnesota’s Lieutenant Governor Tina Smith will be replacing resigning Senator Al Franken. No word on who will take over Smith’s former duties as this was posted.
*Trump nominee Michael Duorson has withdrawn his name from consideration as assistant administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.
ELSEWHERE…
*Although FCC Chairman Ajit Pi has achieved the end of “Net Neutrality” (for now), the legal battles over this loom.
*The Department of Education is being sued for not providing financial relief for students defrauded by “for profit schools”.
*Already owning ABC, ESPN, and other networks; Disney is poised to buy an interest in FOX! Pending approval by the Justice Department, of course.
*What else will The Simpsons actually get RIGHT???
*AIM instant messaging is no longer available on AOL.

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.