Sunday, January 27, 2019

SUNDAY FUNNIES: SHOES AND SOCKS IT TO ME!

Hello Everybody! Waxy Dragon here!
Now, as a baby dragon, I'm learning a lot in Dragon School, but we came across a subject the other day that I'm still scratching my head over in disbelief.

Shoes and socks.

Now, I get the basic idea of why humans do wear these things, and if you need them, well—I won't stop you from wearing them, but I just don't understand them.

First off, why do you call it SHOES👞👟 and socks?
Is it an alphabetical thing?
Is it because the shoes are more prominent, since they cover the socks.
Then again, the name can't be based upon what goes on first, because then it would be SOCKS and shoes.
After all, you do put the socks on first, and then the shoes, right?
It would look mighty funny if you put the shoes on your feet first and then tried to put the socks on over them.

Now, some people only wear half of the team at any given moment.
I've seen people walking around sockless while wearing shoes, claiming it helps their feet breathe better.
But I seriously doubt it makes the inside of the shoes any better, being directly against your bare feet.
And if you want your feet to breathe, why put them in shoes to begin with?

I've seen people walking around with just socks on, saying that the shoes hurt their feet.
If that's the case, why don't you buy a better pair of shoes?

Plus, there's all types of shoes to begin with!
Different colors I understand.
After all, who doesn't like variety?
Different shoes between men, women, and children I also get, but the rest...
Sneakers. What are they being so secretive about?
Winged Tips. Why? They can't fly, can they?
Loafers I at least understand. After all, when you want to rest... but why do you need a special pair of shoes just to do that?

And the cost!
They're just shoes!
You're wearing them on your feet, not putting them on display in some museum as fine art.🎨🖼
Considering some of the price tags I've seen for shoes, I'm surprised they don't do the walking for you.

Socks are much different, since there isn't that many varieties involved once you start thinking about the needs of men, women, and children.
Maybe that's why socks get second billing in the team name.
Then again, the red ones play great baseball in Boston! 😀

Anyway, like I said before, I'm just a baby dragon.
The teacher trying to explain everything about shoes and socks gave me a headache then, and trying to talk about them with you folks now has given me another one, so I think I'm going to go lie down for a while.

Take care, have a great week, and please be back here again next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—wd.

Saturday, January 26, 2019

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JANUARY 20-26, 2019

JANUARY 26 IS AUSTRALIA DAY.🌏
JANUARY 26 IS ALSO REPUBLIC DAY IN INDIA.
JANUARY 31 IS NATIONAL GORILLA 🦍SUIT DAY,
ACCORDING TO MAD MAGAZINE.
FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL HEART💓 HEALTH MONTH & BLACK HISTORY MONTH.
FEBRUARY 2 IS GROUND HOG’S DAY.


AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*Will the current crisis in Venezuela lead to Cold War 2??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Genetically “edited” babies???
*Did you see the meteorite strike the “super blood wolf full moon”??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)

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…
*Professional Makeup artist Daniel C. Striepeke (Saving Private Ryan, Forrest Gump) is no longer with us.
*Film Producer Andrew G. Vajna (Nixon, Terminator 3) has passed away.
*Singer Maxine Brown of The Browns (“The Three Bells”) is no longer with us.
*Singer (“Fly Me To The Moon”) and actress (The Mothers-In-Law, The Doris Day Show) Kaye Ballard has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Comedian Kevin Barnett has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…
*Sorry President Trump, but women’s rights DO matter! Yet unfortunately double standards between men and women still exist, including the blessed event of pregnancy! (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Fact check time! Trump’s latest claims concerning the border wall and even the weather.
*Former Trump adviser Roger Stone has been indicted for lying to Congress as the investigation into Russia's possible interference in the 2016 Presidential election continues.
*Does the Trump Administration plan to end Medicaid WITHOUT Congressional approval???
*For now, transgender personnel cannot serve in the military under President Trump as Commander-In-Chief.
THE BUDGET BATTLE…
*The shutdown began at midnight December 22, 2019.
*Congress came back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019.
*Fact Checking President Trump’s latest address to the nation on the budget versus wall situation.
*No pay? No work!
*Lara Trump says the President thanks the furloughed workers’ for “their support and sacrifices”.

*President Trump FINALLY reopened the Federal Government January 25, but the temporary measure is only good until February 15 as folks try to work out a more long term budget and he hopes for wall money. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*The winners and losers, provided those terms are applicable. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*So what happens next???
MEANWHILE…
*Congress came back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019.
*Although the government is temporarily reopened, the on going (since December 22, 2018) Federal Budget Crisis has yet to be fully resolved, as reported in the section above this one.
*Since it’s always been by official invite, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has announced President Trump can NOT give the upcoming State of the Union address scheduled for January 29 in the House of Representatives chambers until Trump ends the government shutdown. What will the President do??? Wait until the shutdown is officially over, apparently. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*But with the temporary reopening, will the State of the Union address be delivered now???
*With everything going on, what happens to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell??? Especially considering he killed another reopening bill??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
ELSEWHERE…
*Until the investigation(s) into possible illegal activities are concluded, there is still one undecided race from the 2018 mid-term elections!
*It all comes down to the New England Patriots versus the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl 53 🏈February 3.
*Facebook is planning an app merger.
*And the 2019 Oscar nominees are…
*The 2019 inductees into the Baseball Hall of Fame will be…
*The new Yankee is #0???⚾

Although our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen was suspended when Blogger updated its gadgets, we have ADDED a new TRANSLATE feature in the upper right hand corner!

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JANUARY 26, 2019

😎FUN FACT
Although not visible, your stomach lining also blushes when your face does!

TRIVIA TIME⌚
What are you guilty of if caught performing Rhinotillexis?

COMMON BONDS
The items in each subset below have something in common. Do you know what it is?
01. {Gannon, Romero, Smith, Jacobs, Lockwood} and yes, we know they are all surnames.
02. {Caitlin, Anthony, Timothy, Eleanor, Nicholas, Ziva} and yes, we know they are all first names.

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the January 19, 2019 PuzzleCorner.

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

TRUE or FALSE: Legendary voice artist Mel Blanc has worked for the Disney Studios too.
TRUE! Doing his famous Warner Brothers’ voices in Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Unfortunately, most of Blanc’s previous Disney work as the voice of Dopey in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Gideon the Cat in Pinocchio remains unused and unheard—provided the recordings still exist—to this day, due to creative decisions made during production of those movies to leave the characters mute.

WHAT’S THAT SONG?
Words from a tune of the past are below. All you have to do is give us the song title. Ready?
And I don’t think I have ever seen a soul so in despair♫
Roll To Me” by Del Amitri.

Monday, January 21, 2019

DOCTOR MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUNIOR DAY 2019

The following is an editorial.

We must build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear.

I sincerely hope I'm wrong about this, but it seems to me that the world has become even more divided of late than it once was.
The topics of race, gender, wealth, politics, personal preferences, etc;—the very fundamental choices that make us unique individuals—appear to have grown as issues of concern again not only across the United States, but around the world as well.

So we find ourselves today remembering a great man, and realizing that his words should be as important to us now as they were when originally expressed.

Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior (1929-1968) strived to find peaceful, nonviolent solutions to the social ills and troubles of his time.
Despite the odds against him, he helped lead the way to overcome those adversities.
His accomplishments in the field of civil rights cannot be denied.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

Sadly, an assassin's bullet in 1968 kept Doctor King from seeing that goal reached.
Yet it appears that there are those within the world today who not only want to undo everything that has been achieved in the years since, but turn progress back even further than it once was.

We must live together as brothers, or perish together as fools.

There is only one world upon which we all exist, and it is upon this humble plane that we must strive to co-exist peacefully.

The time is always right to do what is right.

The dream is still worth dreaming.
The challenge to make that dream a reality is still worth undertaking.
Yet that beautiful dream may one day turn to dust if we do not peacefully stand up for what is right and challenge the bigotry and hatred in the world by exposing it to the bright light of truth and justice.

Darkness cannot drive out darkness. Only light can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate. Only love can do that.

I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right, even temporarily defeated, is always stronger than any evil triumphant.
Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior

The above was an editorial.

Sunday, January 20, 2019

SUNDAY FUNNIES: OBSERVATIONAL FUNNIES (misc jokes)

Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here!
Snowed in because of the recent weather, but otherwise warm and dry. Hope you are the same.

Time travelers predict that next week was really exhausting.
I wonder how they know?

Think I'm gonna go back into that nice warm house I share with my people and comment on what I've seen lately. Ready?

By now everyone's Christmas decorations should be down and packed away, except for those lazy people who are getting a jump on the 2019 holiday this December.

At least half, if not more, New Year's Resolutions have already fallen by the wayside, so expect trouble parking at curbs until the garbage is collected.

Nobody notices or even pitches in when it's time to do housework, but everybody is certainly quick to comment when you don't.

For those who don't know the meaning of procrastination, I will tell you tomorrow.

For those who want to watch just a little TV, does that mean you use a small set?

Waxy Dragon missed one dental joke from last week. Whoever came up with the word dentures really missed the opportunity to call them substitooths.

When you are frustrated with an older person because of all the things they cannot do anymore, just imagine how frustrated they must be about all that they are no longer able to do.

And on that note♫, for those who don't believe that time travel is possible, just remember that it IS later now than when you began reading this post.

Take care and please be back with us again next weekend for more Sunday Funnies.—AtP.

Saturday, January 19, 2019

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JANUARY 12-19, 2019

JANUARY 21 IS THE DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JUNIOR HOLIDAY.
JANUARY 21 IS ALSO THE NIGHT OF THE SUPER BLOOD RED FULL MOON.🌕
JANUARY 22 IS PENGUIN AWARENESS DAY.
JANUARY 23 IS SQUIRREL APPRECIATION DAY.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*All versions of Wikipedia are currently “unavailable” in Venezuela as part of their Presidential crisis. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Parliament has rejected Prime Minister May’s (current?) Brexit plan, but she did defeat a “No confidence” vote. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Su Tseng-chang has succeeded resigning Taiwanese Premier William Lai.
*McDonald’s doesn’t own the Big Mac???
*Has Glenn Miller’s missing airplane been found???


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…
*Entertainer Carol Channing (Hello Dolly! And so many other projects) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Batton Lash, creator-writer-artist of Wolff and Byrd/Supernatural Law, has passed away.
*Anime voice actress Etsuko Ichihara (Your Name, Horus-Prince of the Sun) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Voice actor Bradley Bolke (Chumley the Walrus to Don Adams’ Tennessee Tuxedo, Year Without A Santa Claus Christmas special) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…
*Did President Trump make a mistake and commit a crime at the same time???
*Did Trump not reveal more about his meetings with Putin than we realize??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Just what is the cost of a Presidential inauguration???
*Guess who’s water bill is past due???
*Should Trump still own the hotel or not???
*Would President Trump interfere with Michael Cohen’s testimony??? Who’s telling the truth and what happens next??? (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Public reaction to Trump serving the visiting 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship Clemson University Tigers football team fast food hamburgers! Maybe they’d prefer lobster, or an actual restaurant meal??? (There are 5/FIVE separate links in this item.)
THE BUDGET BATTLE…
*The shutdown began at midnight December 22.
*Congress came back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019.
*President Trump rejected a temporary budget offer despite it having more funding to Homeland Security because there was nothing for his proposed wall.
*Although fully open, even the IRS is working without pay.
*The Coast Guard is now affected by the shutdown.
*Most Americans apparently are not believing the Republican position that the shutdown is the Democrats fault, but will the Senate attempt what the House has yet to accomplish??? Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell denied the latest attempt to restart the government. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*At least when it’s all over, everyone will eventually get back pay.
*If Trump ever does get his wall, it will not prevent THIS!
*In a new round of negotiations, Trump swears to “temporarily” protect dreamers in exchange for his wall, while the House has countered by offering to budget an additional $1 Billion dollars for border expenses in hopes of reopening. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
MEANWHILE…
*Congress came back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019.
*The current Federal Budget Crisis has yet to be resolved, as reported in the section above this one.
*Is Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi right in suggesting Trump should wait till after the shutdown is over to deliver the annual State of the Union Address??? Republicans don’t think so. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*So if Trump can’t make the State of the Union Address in the House Chambers, he grounds Pelosi’s impending diplomatic business trip while the First Lady and son Baron fly to Mar-A-Lago for an extended weekend???
ELSEWHERE…
*Teachers, nurses, counselors, and librarians have gone on strike in Los Angeles, California.
*Is the fraternity responsible for a member’s death???
*She was wronged, but the end may not be what the jury thought she deserved.
*Should they have run the obituary or not???
*The lonely veteran remembered. 😢
*January 15 marked the 100 anniversary of the Great Molasses Flood!

Although our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen was suspended when Blogger updated its gadgets, we have ADDED a new TRANSLATE feature in the upper right hand corner!

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JANUARY 19, 2019

😎FUN FACT
Any production requires at least 24 frames of art per second to be considered fully animated. Less is classified as limited animation.

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

TRUE or FALSE: Legendary voice artist Mel Blanc has worked for the Disney Studios too.

WHAT’S THAT SONG?
Words from a tune of the past are below. All you have to do is give us the song title. Ready?
♫And I don’t think I have ever seen a soul so in despair♫

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the January 12, 2019 Puzzle Corner.

RHYME TIME
The clue to something is below, but no matter how long your answer is, each word within it must rhyme. Ready?

Any sty = pigs’ digs.

AKA, ALSO KNOWN AS
Who do we know Terry Gene Bollea better as?
Wrestler Hulk Hogan.

Sunday, January 13, 2019

SUNDAY FUNNIES: TO TELL THE TOOTH! (dental jokes)

Hello Everybody! Waxy Dragon here!
What time do you always see a dentist?
Tooth-hurty.

Actually, my teeth didn't hurt, but I DID go to my dentist for my annual teeth cleaning and oral exam, because dental hygine is just as important to your overall health as eating right, exercise, and all that other good stuff.

Yet that doesn't mean we can't crack a smile and some dental jokes! 😉

Why did little Arnold wear a belt on his teeth?
Because he couldn't find his braces.

Botanists have developed a vegetable that eliminates the need to brush your teeth.
Bristle sprouts!
But it will never catch on because what kid willingly eats their vegetables?

Why did the king go to the dentist?
To get his teeth crowned!

What is the best thing to put into any dessert?
Your teeth.😁

If they're sad, do dentists feel down in the mouth?

My dentist told me I have only one cavity. I have to fill it three ties a day.
Guess that means I get to eat more Belgosian Dark Chocolate. HURRAH!

A dentist and a doctor both loved the same girl. One day, the dentist had to go to a conference. He gave his girl seven apples🍎. Do you know why?
Because an apple🍎 a day keeps the doctor away.

Why was a transport ship filling up with teeth.
Because it was a tooth ferry.⛴

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

Saturday, January 12, 2019

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JANUARY 6-12, 2019

JANUARY 12 MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF
LED ZEPPELIN’S FIRST ALBUM.
JANUARY 15 MARKS THE 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF
NOTRE DAME UNIVERSITY BEING CHARTERED.
JANUARY 15 MARKS THE 15TH ANNIVERSARY OF
NASA’S SPIRIT ROVER STARTING ITS EXPLORATION OF MARS.
JANUARY 17 MARKS THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF POPEYE THE SAILOR DEBUTING IN THE THIMBLE THEATER COMIC STRIP.
JANUARY 18 MARKS THE 45TH ANNIVERSARY
OF THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*The fireball over New Zealand was…
*And in an ironic twist...

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 W. Morgan Sheppard (credits too numerous to mention) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Sound Engineer Gregg Rudloff (Glory, The Matrix) is no longer with us.
*Artist Ron Smith (Judge Dredd) has passed away.
*Larry Cunningham of The Floaters is no longer with us.
*“Jumping” Johnny Wilson of the Harlem Globetrotters has passed away.
*Sadly, the Achatinella Apexfulva land snail 🐌 may now be extinct.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
THE BORDER-KIDS-IMMIGRATION ISSUES…
*A southern border wall and the lack there of still seems to be a major sticking point in finalizing a budget and ending the current government shutdown.
*President Trump addressed the nation January 8, making his case for the border wall, and the Democratic response to that speech. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Fact checking time, courtesy of the Associated Press and Fox News. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*What people along the border think of the proposed wall.
*Just HOW MANY former Presidents actually support Trump’s border wall???
*And in an ironic twist...
NOTE: While we are doing our best to provide coverage, the above is a serious, ongoing issue. Especially since no one has yet to discuss the costs of separating families and who is truly responsible for the deaths of two minor detainees, let alone if anyone might actually be making a profit from this situation.
POLITICALLY…
*President Trump STILL doesn’t like the media.
*Trump wants to cut FEMA’s funding to California wildfire victims!
*Did the FBI once suspect Donald Trump of being a Russian asset???
*Was 2016 American Presidential Election Data shared with Russia???
*American farm bailout money to a Brazilian owned company???
*Did Donald Trump make some questionable real estate deals in 2018???
*What one member of Trump's administration believes women "need".
THE BUDGET BATTLE…
*The shutdown began at midnight December 22.
*Congress came back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019.
*Just how many people actually DO live from paycheck to paycheck???
*How can Trump and Congress come to an agreement when the President walks out of the meeting???
*The FBI isn’t happy with the shutdown.
*The Department of Housing and Urban Development, along with the Federal Food and Drug Administration, are now affected. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Although the shutdown continues, the government will continue its food stamp payments at least to February 1, but no paychecks were issued this week. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Despite rumors to the contrary during the government shutdown, while the Internal Revenue Service is still open this tax season, it WILL be paying refunds to qualified filers.
*Will Congressional Republicans ever do anything to resolve this situation???
*With this shutdown now being the longest historically and still on going, Trump's latest thoughts on the matter. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
MEANWHILE…
*Congress came back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019.
*The current Federal Budget Crisis has yet to be resolved, as reported in the section above this one.
ELSEWHERE…
*The Sandy Hook Elementary School tragedy was NOT a hoax!
*Jayme Closs IS SAFE!
*Is there a truckers strike in our future???
*The daytime soap opera Days of Our Lives has been renewed for a FIFTY-FIFTH SEASON!
*And the 2019 Golden Globe winners are...

Although our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen was suspended when Blogger updated its gadgets, we have ADDED a new TRANSLATE feature in the upper right hand corner!

NOTE: All links were active at the time of posting.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JANUARY 12, 2019

😎FUN FACT
DIRTY snow actually melts faster than clean❄ snow!

RHYME TIME
The clue to something is below, but no matter how long your answer is, each word within it must rhyme. Ready?

Any sty.

AKA, ALSO KNOWN AS
Who do we know Terry Gene Bollea better as?

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the January 5, 2019 Puzzle Corner.

FAMOUS FIRSTS
WHO was the first super heroine to have her own weekly television series???
While many people guessed Lindsay Wagner as The Bionic Woman or Lynda Carter as Wonder Woman, it was actually Joanna Cameron as Isis!

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you spell out of the letters in NEW YEAR???

A, an, any, are, awe, aye
Ear, earn, ewe, eye
Nay, nee, near
Ran, raw, ray, renew
War, ware, warn, way, wean, wear, weary, wee, were, wren, wry
Yarn, yaw, yawn, yea, yearn

New and Year don’t count because they were part of the original phrase. Other words than the 33 listed above might be possible.

NOTE: All links were active at the time of posting.

Monday, January 7, 2019

SUNDAY FUNNIES: RESOLVING NEW JOKES

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Hello Everybody!
Autumn the Puppy here with the first Sunday Funnies of 2019! 🎈
With a new year upon us, you know what that means!
NEW YEAR RESOLUTIONS!
But after you make one, what do you do with the other 364 days of the year???

My New Year's resolution was not to make one and—
Dang, I just broke it. 😁

Anyway...
A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other.
My usual resolution is 1080—on my desktop monitor.
Why people make them, considering the track record of some folks in keeping them, I honestly don't know.
Personally, I think New Year is just a holiday created by calendar companies who don't want you reusing last year's calendar.
After all, if you don't like how your resolutions are progressing, you can always reset them on either the Orthodox New Year later this month or the Chinese New Year in February.
But let's look at some obvious New Year's Resolutions that people are NOT making...

To start buying lottery tickets at a luckier store
Dear Luck, can we finally be friends in 2019? Please?

Watch more movie remakes.
Then again, how much NEW material has actually been released lately???

Procrastinate more.

To do less laundry and use more deodorant.

To become a vegan for a day and subsequently learn that it was a missed steak.

Spend more time at work.
Then again, that's the one bosses make for everyone, except themselves. 😕


Truthfully though folks, I do have one resolution.
To rediscover the difference between wants and needs.
May I have all I need and want all I have.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!🎉

Have a great week and please be back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—AtP.

😟Editor's Note: This column was ready to go on time when it was supposed to, but technical problems kept it from appearing before now. Why? Your guess is as good as ours.—lh,jr.😕

Saturday, January 5, 2019

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 30, 2018-JANUARY 5, 2019

JANUARY 5 IS BIRD DAY.🐦
JANUARY 5 IS THE “TWELFTH AND FINAL DAY OF CHRISTMAS”.
JANUARY 5 MARKS THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT’S DEBUT IN “OZZIE AT THE CIRCUS”.
JANUARY 7 MARKS THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF
BUCK ROGERS: THE COMIC STRIP.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌏RLD THIS PAST WEEK AS 2019 BEGINS…
*The Taliban will not discuss peace with the Afghan government.
*Jair Bolsonaro is the new President of Brazil.
*Germany now officially recognizes “the third sex”.
*Same gender marriage is now legal in Austria.
*Bristol-Myers Squibb wants to buy Celgene.
*China is exploring the dark side of the moon.🌑
*Do robots have rights???


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…
*Composer Norman Gimbel (Themes to TV’s Wonder Woman, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley; “Killing Me Softly With His Song”) has passed away.
*Actress Agneta Eckemyr (Kentucky Fried Movie, Island on Top of the World) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Ray Sawyer of Doctor Hook and the Medicine Show.
*Animator Don Lusk (Disney’s versions of Pinocchio and 101 Dalmatians) has passed away.
*WBZ Radio Personality and actor Joe Stapleton (Mystic River) is no longer with us.
*Actor Bob Einstein (Curb Your Enthusiasm, Ocean’s 13) also known as Super Dave Osborne, has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Daryl Dragon of The Captain and Tennille is no longer with us.
*Wrestling announcer “Mean” Gene Okerlund has passed away.
*The innocent victims of the Torrance, California bowling alley shooting January 4.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
POLITICALLY…
*What might have happened at Donald Trump’s golf course???
*Patrick Shanahan is now acting Secretary of Defense.
*What happened to the "storm protection" money???
*Can Special Investigator Robert Mueller indict Donald Trump??? He has a Grand Jury available for at least 6 more months but whatever happens, Trump apparently doesn’t fear the risk of impeachment. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*The Wall Street Journal fact checks President Trump on Afghanistan.
*A wall around the Barack Obama residence???
THE BUDGET BATTLE…
*The shutdown began at midnight December 22, 2018.
*Congress came back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019.
*Is the President still trying to blame Democrats for the situation??? He’s already rejected attempts to settle the budget. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Regardless of what happens, Trump has decided to freeze federal pay.
*If “Mexico is paying for the wall”, why does the President want funds for it??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Here’s one idea on how Trump can acquire his border wall.
*First day in office, the House has passed a temporary budget to reopen the government withOUT any wall money. A budget that Trump has threatened to veto. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Majority Leader Mitch McConnell claims the Senate will not agree to any budget that doesn’t include wall funds, but even members of his own party are against that. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Will Trump keep the government “closed” until he gets his wall funds??? Could not having it be “a national emergency”??? Or is it??? (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*And as of January 5, we're still stalemated on a budget versus a border wall.
*What the shutdown is costing America!
MEANWHILE…
*Congress came back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019 and new rules in place.
*With a Democrat majority, what happens to the money the previously Republican controlled House of Representatives received to investigate Hillary Clinton???
*Will Elizabeth Warren run for President in 2020???
ELSEWHERE…
*It should come as no surprise that General Motors has initiated massive layoffs.
*Only the INVESTORS were protected when this business failed!
*The Scarlet Letter of high school???

THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ITS LOYAL READERSHIP FOR GRANTING US 2,664 PAGE VIEWS IN DECEMBER 2018.

Although our IN OTHER NEWS feature at the bottom of your screen was suspended when Blogger updated its gadgets, we have ADDED a new TRANSLATE feature in the upper right hand corner!

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JANUARY 5, 2019

😎FUN FACT
It’s 2019 and a new year is upon us. Let’s party!🎉

FAMOUS FIRSTS
WHO was the first super heroine to have her own weekly television series???

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you spell out of the letters in NEW YEAR???

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the December 29, 2018 Puzzle Corner.

WHAT’S THAT SONG?
Words from a tune of the past are below. All you have to do is give us the song title. Ready?

♫And a Happy New Year. Let’s hope it’s a good one, without any fear♫
“Happy Xmas (War Is Over)” by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, with The Plastic Ono Band and The Harlem Community Choir.

NUMBER PLEASE
Get ready! We ask the question, but the answer is just a number.

In the full length version of The Monkees’ ♫Daydream Believer♫, what answer did Davy Jones receive when he asked, “What number is this Jim?”
7.
But then, not quite hearing the answer, he repeated the question, making the follow up response 7A.