Saturday, October 31, 2020

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 25-31, 2020



"...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."
—Doctor Martin Luther King, Junior.





OCTOBER 31 IS BOTH HALLOWEEN🎃 AND A BLUE MOON!🌕
DAYLIGHT SAVING TIME ENDS OVERNIGHT BETWEEN OCTOBER 31 & NOVEMBER 1.
NOVEMBER 2 IS THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF
KDKA, THE FIRST AMERICAN RADIO📻 STATION.
NOVEMBER 3 IS ELECTION DAY IN THE UNITED STATES!
NOVEMBER 5 IS GUY FAWKES DAY.

AM😷NGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*Europe, Asia, South Africa, and other parts of the world... Wish we had some good news on the pandemic front. (There are 4/FOUR separate links in this item.)
*Having already gone through TWO lists of names, what to do now considering the Atlantic Hurricane season lasts until November 30! (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…
*The innocent lives lost during Hurricane Zeta.
*Robert Murray, the coal tycoon who hated its safety protocols, has passed away.
*Actor Johnny Leeze (Emmerdale, Coronation Street, more) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Musician/songwriter Stan Kesler (“I Forgot to Remember to Forget”, more) is no longer with us.
*Songwriter Billy Joe Shaver (“Honky Tonk Heroes”, “Georgia on a Fast Train”, more) has passed away.
*Stage magician and skeptic James Randi is no longer with us.
*Leanza Cornett, 1993’s Miss America, has passed away.
*Actor Bobby Ball (Last of the Summer Wine, more) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Charity fund raiser Travis Roy is no longer with us.
*Actor Sir Sean Connery (James Bond franchise, Darby O’Gill, and so much more) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Former professional football🏈 player Herb Adderly has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES 🌎F AMERICA…
THE BORDER WALL-KIDS-IMMIGRATION ISSUES…
*With families being separated upon apprehension, President Trump declared the lack of a border wall a “national emergency”. There have since been legal and legislative battles initiated over this. But what about the health/safety of all the “detainees”???
*Will the United Nations’ Commission for Human Rights investigate Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and their private contractors???
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 FOUR “detainees” (known to date), let alone if anyone might actually be making a profit from this situation.
THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION…🗹
*Is the Trump campaign not following health/safety protocols??? Despite warnings and news coverage, several of Mike Pence’s aides have tested positive for the virus and the Vice President is still on the campaign trail. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*NOT the way to treat potential voters! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
POST OFFICE DISPATCHES… (this item important enough to deserve its own listing)
POLITICALLY…
*Borat 2 versus Republicans. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*2018’s Anonymous is…. Someone Trump still wants jailed and prosecuted. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
SOCIAL (IN)JUSTICE… (originally just George Floyd news)
*WHY???😧
*Had they already surrendered??? Let alone, did the police let him die??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Maybe Jared Kushner needs to rethink his opinions. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
😷THE US VERSUS COVID-19… (separated from the purely political news)
*The state of your state, from two different perspectives. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*NINE MILLION!😨😨😨
*Trump’s declared the pandemic over. AS IF! Several states can sadly say otherwise. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
IT’S FACT CHECK TIME!
*Despite the opinions of the White House, the pandemic is FAR from over!
REPLACING RUTH (the battle for Ginsburg’s Supreme Court position)
MEANWHILE, IN CONGRESS…
*Congress has gone into recess until after the 2020 Presidential Election WITHOUT another COVID-19 relief bill, among other things.
ELSEWHERE…
*Madison Square Garden hosted the first car show ever held in America on November 3, 1900!
*KDKA of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania went on the air November 2, 1920 as America’s first radio station.
😀AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS…
*The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Tampa Bay Rays to win the 2020 World Series of professional baseball.⚾

THE PUZZLE CORNER: HALLOWEEN 2020

😎FUN FACT
October 31 is both Halloween 🎃 AND a Blue/Full Moon!🌕

NEXT?
What is the next item(s) in the sequence below?
October 2020, August 2023, June 2026….???

NUMBER PLEASE
Get ready! We ask the question, but the answer is just a number.
How many genes does the average human being have?

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the October 24, 2020 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?
♫All for a cuddle and a peck upon the cheek.♫
♫Come Dancing♫ by the Kinks.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many words can you form out of the letters in HALLOWEEN?👻
A, all, allow, an, awl
Eel, ell, eon, ewe
Ha, hall, hallow, halo, heal, he, heel, hell, hello, hole, how, howl
Law, lawn, lea, lean, low
New, no, Noel, now
Oh, on, owl
Wall, we, wean, wee, ween, well, who (and) whole.
More than the 41 listed above might be possible.

Sunday, October 25, 2020

SUNDAY FUNNIES: HALLOWEEN HI-JINKS 2020

Who says it has to be a Dalmatian?
Hello Everybody!
No one said I needed a costume!

Today you have both Autumn the Puppy AND Piper D. Katt here as we celebrate Halloween.👻

That's right Autumn. Of course Halloween this year is Saturday, so we're partying now because next Sunday will be November 1, which would be a little late to go Trick or Treating.

Yeah, if anyone does get to go Trick or Treating this year because of the rotten pandemic!😞 And it's gonna be a full moon too!🌕 The next Halloween moon won't be until 2039!😲

That will be a Blue Moon like this year's, and the next time we'll have a Blue Moon (2 Fulls in the same month) is August 2023! But that's neither here or there right now. Our job's to entertain the readers for a few minutes so let's get right to it.

I tried donating blood today. Never again. Too many stupid questions like, “Who’s blood is it? Where did it come from? Why is it in a bucket?” 

The witness couldn’t identify any body because they were all headless.
That's gross!
So's 144 of anything, but moving on...

Never challenge Death to a pillow fight unless you’re prepared to handle the reaper cushions.

“There’s only one thing that scares me about Halloween.” 
"Which is?”
“Exactly.” 
Anyone want some Pumpkin Pi?😉

I had to get a loan for an exorcism.
They said that if I didn’t pay them back, I would be repossessed.

Why do ghosts👻 go on diets?
So they can keep their ghoulish figures

Why don’t mummies take time off?
They’re afraid to unwind.

Who helps the little pumpkins🎃 cross the road safely?
The crossing gourd.


And on that note♫, I'm afraid it's time to say goodbye.
To all our com-pah-knee.
Wrong franchise Piper. Anyway, take care.
STAY SAFE! 😷
And one of us will be back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!AtP and PDK.

Saturday, October 24, 2020

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 18-24, 2020


"SOMETIMES WE NEED SOMEONE TO SIMPLY BE THERE. NOT TO FIX ANYTHING OR DO ANYTHING IN PARTICULAR, BUT JUST TO LET US FEEL WE ARE SUPPORTED AND CARED ABOUT."
Source Unknown.




OCTOBER 24 IS UNITED NATIONS DAY.
OCTOBER 28 IS MOTHER IN LAW DAY.
OCTOBER 29 IS REPUBLIC DAY IN TURKEY.
OCTOBER 31 IS BOTH HALLOWEEN🎃 AND A BLUE M🌕🌕N!

AM😷NGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…

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…
*Film/stage actress Doreen Montalvo (numerous credits) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Tony Lewis of The Outfield has passed away.
*Musician Spencer Davis (♫Gimme Some Lovin’♫) is no longer with us.
*Professional football🏈 player Mario Henderson has passed away.
*Actress Marge Champion (Show Boat, artistic model for Disney’s Snow White and Pinocchio’s Blue Fairy, more) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Author Richard A. Lupoff (Space War Blues, The Comic Book Killer, more) is no longer with us.
*Screenwriter William Blinn (created Starsky and Hutch, Purple Rain, more) has passed away.
*Country singer Jerry Jeff Walker (♫Mr. Bo Jangles♫, ♫It’s About Time♫, more) is no longer with us.
*Writer Lenard Lakofka (Dungeons and Dungeons franchise) has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
THE BORDER WALL-KIDS-IMMIGRATION ISSUES…
*With families being separated upon apprehension, President Trump declared the lack of a border wall a “national emergency”. There have since been legal and legislative battles initiated over this. But what about the health/safety of all the “detainees”???
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 FOUR “detainees” (known to date), let alone if anyone might actually be making a profit from this situation.
THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION…🗹
*Trump threatens to fire governor of any state he loses, which is both impossible and illegal, but still…
*Campaigning is one thing, lying about the election another.
THE OTHER PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE…
*Before it even happened, the Trump team wanted the topics changed, and other shenanigans. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*So how did it go??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
POLITICALLY…
*Trump cuts his 60 Minutes interview short, then blames reporter Lesley Stahl. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)

😷THE US VERSUS COVID-19… 
*The state of your state, from two different perspectives. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*France has already declared one. Is America on the verge of a second wave??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
TRUMP TWEETS…
IT’S FACT CHECK TIME!
*The final Presidential Debate, aired October 22, 2020.
REPLACING RUTH (the battle for Ginsburg’s Supreme Court position)
*Amy Coney Barret has been approved as a viable candidate for the Supreme Court. The vote on whether or not to actually make her Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s replacement is scheduled for Monday, October 26. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
MEANWHILE, IN CONGRESS…
ELSEWHERE…
*Can’t we stop the violence??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Politics in the new Borat sequel??? You betcha! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Will TV audiences accept new series based on Smokey and the Bandit, The Addams Family, and Flash Dance??? (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Is the streak over??? Not if streaming service counts because the perennial Peanuts holiday cartoons (It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving, and A Charlie Brown Christmas) will only be shown on Apple TV+ this year!
*Arlo Guthrie has decided to retire, from touring anyway.
😀AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS…

THE PUZZLE CORNER: OCTOBER 24, 2020

😎FUN FACT
In some respects, Back to the Future 2 was a lot more accurate than you might think.

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?
♫All for a cuddle and a peck upon the cheek.♫

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many words can you form out of the letters in HALLOWEEN🎃?

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the October 17, 2020 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?
A great tire sale?
Wheel Deal or Real Wheel Deal.

BEFORE AND AFTER
Two separate items share at least one word, and so can be combined to create something new. Based upon the clue below, do you know what the new thing is?
A predator’s breakfast leftovers each morning?
Remains of the day of the jackal.

We combined two different movie titles (Remains of the Day and The Day of the Jackal) this time, but their plots wouldn't mesh to create a viable clue on their own.

Sunday, October 18, 2020

SUNDAY FUNNIES: FALL HUMOR (misc. seasonal jokes)

Hello Everybody! Piper D. Katt here!

It's a fine fall day here as I sit in one of my many sunny spots. A dining room window sill at the moment, but that will change as the day progresses.
Despite the clear skies and the warm sunshine, the days are getting colder as the leaves change colors.
Glad I'm an indoor cat because while they may look fun to romp in as my people's kids are doing right now, you never know what's inside them.
Probably a lot of dirt and mud that I'm better off without.

Cat's eye view
Their dad doesn't look too happy that his children are destroying his precious leaf pile, but then maybe he never should have raked them up to begin with.
After all, they looked like a natural blanket just laying across the lawn.
Of course in time the trees will be totally bare as winter arrives.
But enough of my stray thoughts. It's time for some fun!

My people operated on a pumpkin yesterday.
I didn't even know it was sick.
But they took a lot of yucky stuff out from inside it and now it's kind of hollow.
Considering it never once said "Hello" to me, I thought that pumpkin was kind of empty headed to begin with.
Not sure about sleeping inside the darn thing because it has this weird look on its face now. 🎃

Winter Harvesting
What did the tree say to fall?
Leaf me alone.

Do pumpkin patches repair broken pumpkins?

What do you call a large colorful pile of leaves?
The Great Barrier Leaf.

Why do lions🦁 move at the end of every summer?
Because the pride goeth before the fall!

Why did Humpty Dumpty have a great fall?
To make up for a lousy summer!

And on that note♫, take care.
STAY SAFE!😷
And please be back here again next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!PDK.

Saturday, October 17, 2020

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: OCTOBER 11-17, 2020



"SOME BELIEVE IT IS ONLY GREAT POWER THAT CAN HOLD EVIL IN CHECK, BUT THAT IS NOT WHAT I HAVE FOUND. I FOUND IT IS THE SMALL, EVERY DAY DEEDS OF ORDINARY FOLK THAT KEEPS THE DARKNESS AT BAY. SMALL ACTS OF KINDNESS AND LOVE."
Gandalf, via J. R. R. Tolkien.




AS OF OCTOBER 17, THERE ARE ONLY 75 DAYS LEFT IN 2020.😌

AM😷NGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…
*The latest on trying to develop a COVID-19 vaccine as the number of new cases grows around the world.
*Last but not least, the Nobel Prize for Economics goes to Paul R. Milgrom and Robert B. Wilson for their work on auction theory.


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…
*Baseball⚾ Hall of Famer Joe Morgan has passed away.
*Artist/painter🎨 John A. Ruthven is no longer with us.
*Long time game show host Tom Kennedy (numerous credits) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Blues singer Kim Massie has passed away.
*Roberta McCain (mother of former Senator John McCain) is no longer with us.
*Actress Conchata Ferrell (2 and a half Men, LA Law, much more) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Musician Jon Gibson has passed away.
*Football🏈 Hall of Fame member Fred Dean is no longer with us.
*Journalist/lyricist (Les Miserables) Herbert Kretzmer has passed away.
*Actress Rhonda Fleming (Inferno, Serpent of the Nile, much more) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Actor Anthony Chisholm (numerous stage, screen and TV productions) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Singer/songwriter Johnny Bush (♫Whiskey River♫) is no longer with us.
*Noted typeface developer Ed Benguiat has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
THE 2020 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION…🗹
*Mixed Trump messages. Canceling some ads while misquoting Dr. Fauci in others. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*No second debate, but dueling Town Halls were held. In the endwho won??? (There are 5/FIVE separate links in this item.)
TRUMP VERSUS COVID-19
POLITICALLY…
*Is Russia giving Rudy Giuliani misinformation??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
😷THE US VERSUS COVID-19… (separated from the purely political news)
*The state of your state, from two different perspectives. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*In the fight against COVID-19, Michigan is going against their governor while Wisconsin is supporting theirs! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*When a viable one is finally available, Facebook is PRO-vaccine.
TRUMP TWEETS…
IT’S FACT CHECK TIME!
*Trump’s first public appearance post(???) COVID-19 on Saturday, October 10.
REPLACING RUTH (the battle for Ginsburg’s Supreme Court position)
*The “debate” has begun, but why rush the confirmation process??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Republican Senator Mike Lee is attending the meetings, but does he still have COVID-19??? (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Does Amy Coney Barrett know the Constitution??? NOPE! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Barrett’s current position on health care and genderLGBTQ issues is…??? (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*“We have the receipts.”—Senator Amy Klobuchar.
MEANWHILE, IN CONGRESS…
ELSEWHERE…
*You can no longer deny the Holocaust happened on Facebook. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*October 22 marks the 100th anniversary of the Scholastic Corporation.
😀AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS…