THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JUNE 24-30, 2012

Celebrating their 100th anniversaries this year: L. L. Bean; Fenway Park, home field to the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball; Universal Studios, Paramount Studios,  and the Oreo Cookie.
Independence Day is July 4 (next Wednesday) in the United States of America.

Amongst events happening around the world this past week...
*Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney has vowed "to do what the Supreme Court didn't" and repeal "Obama Care" as his first official act as President of the United States if elected.
*UNESCO has declared the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem the first World Heritage Site.
*The Chinese space capsule Shenzhou 9 successfully returned to Earth with all three astronauts.
*Believe it or not, the city of Stockton, California has filed for bankruptcy protection.
*A Salavador Dali drawing stolen from a New York gallery was returned via the postal system!
*Civil unrest continues in Syria, Bahraini, and Pakistan.

U.S. SUPREME COURT DECISIONS
*The Supreme Court upheld the basic tenets of what has been billed as "Obama Care" (officially known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act), but stated that implementation is up to the individual states, leaving many in need to wonder just how much health care they will eventually have that they do not possess now.
*Minors found guilty of crimes cannot automatically be sentenced to life without parole.
*The State of Arizona's immigration law is unconstitutional, except the provision allowing officers to ask about a person's citizenship status if suspected of being illegal while questioned if relevant to current case being investigated.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS:
*Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have announced their intention to divorce.
*Director, playwright, and screenwriter Nora Ephron has passed away.
*The Spice Girls reunited to attend the premiere of Viva Forever!, a musical based upon their songs, at a West End playhouse.

IN SPORTS
*The UEFA Euro 2012 tournament (European football/soccer) is approaching its final matches.
*Final preparations are underway for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, England, as individual countries finalize their teams.

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: JUNE 30, 2012

Regardless of where you live, whether they're domestic or foreign imports, movies have played a big impact upon our lives.
In Hollywood, USA; two major studios and several classic films are celebrating milestone anniversaries this year.
From the clues below, can you identify everybody?
NOTE: In the spirit of fairness, the two studios are first. The rest are movies.

01. This studio is famous for its original monster movies and Woody Woodpecker, amongst other things.
02. This studio branched out into television production when it acquired the Desilu Studios in the late 1960s.
03. The 1980s remake of this film starred Al Pacino in the title role.
04. Elmo Lincoln originated the role in the first silent movie adaptation of this classic novel, but you couldn't hear the yell until the talking picture was made.
05. "We'll always have Paris."
06. "But Moses supposes erroneously."
07. The first movie in this franchise was actually an adaptation of the sixth book.
08. "Shoot all the blue jays you want, if you can hit them, but remember: it's a sin..."
09. "I'm gonna make him an offer he can't refuse."

We'll pass the popcorn and reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and see the results from the June 23, 2012 Puzzle Corner.

CAN YOU DO IT?
You have six "sticks" lined up next to each other. Can you represent nothing by only moving two of them, without bending or breaking the "sticks"?

You start out with this:  | | | | | |
You move one to lay diagonally between the first two: |\| | | |
Then you move the last one to lay down against the bottom corner of the "stick" to its left: |\| | |_
And you spell NIL, another word for nothing.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
Changing only one letter each time, and being sure to form a new word each time, here's how you change FOUL to PLAY in seven moves.
FOUL
FOoL (01)
FOOt (02)
sOOT (03)
SlOT (04)
SLAt (05)
SLAy (06)
pLAY (07)

BOBBY NASH UNLEASHES THE EARTHSTRIKE AGENDA!

Prolific New Pulp author Bobby Nash has released his latest novel as the second book from his person BEN Books imprint.

In Earthstrike Agenda, Humanity has finally reached the stars.
Once barren, decimated by war and the depletion of natural resources, the planet has been reborn with less people taxing its assets. 
But now Scavengers prey upon small mining towns and colonies. The United Planetary Alliance Marshal's Service seems unable to stop these raids. The only law on many colonies, they are outmanned and outgunned.
Newly promoted Captain, Virgina Harmon takes command of her first starship, the Pegasus, the latest vessel built in hope of solving the Scavenger problem. Plagued by nervousness over her first command Captain Harmon is rocked by the news of her mentor’s murder.  Just days before he was to report to her aboard the Pegasus as the chief of engineering.
In Earth orbit, a science station becomes a target.  An enemy has a plan to use the Space Lab facility as a means to claiming Earth for itself.
In deep space, the United Planetary Alliance city-ship Ulysis welcomes aboard a high-ranking officer with a special mission for the crew.  Those plotting against the Alliance are preparing to make their move and their first target is the Ulysis.
Meanwhile, in the deepest regions of space an enemy has returned.  An enemy seeking vengeance.

EARTHSTRIKE AGENDA
Whoever controls Earth wins!


Earthstrike Agenda is now available in both print and e-formats from Amazon.com
Visit the author's home page at http://bobby-nash-news.blogspot.com for more information about this and Bobby Nash's other works.

PRO SE PRESS PRESENTS PULSE POUNDING NEW PULP!

It's the summertime. The weather is hot, and so is the prose.
Pro Se Press, that is.
Over the last few weeks, the company has released several projects for your summer reading enjoyment.
In order of debut:

PRO SE PRESENTS #11

Cover by Sean Ali

Although it might be mistakenly listed as issue 12 at Amazon.com, this issue features the debut of new, female private investigator Kate Keener in The Keener Eye: "The Web of Life by series creator Nancy A. Hansen, along "Tomahawk Mountain" by Kevin Rodgers.

Cover by Mike Fyles

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF ARMLESS O'NEIL
The latest joint venture between Pro Se and Altus Press brings another classic pulp character to modern audiences in new adventures.
Armless O'Neil is an adventurous soldier of fortune hunting for treasure and whatever else might come his way in stories by noted New Pulp writers Sean Taylor, Nick Ahlhelm, R. P. Steeves, Ian Watson, and Chuck Miller.









TALES OF THE PULPTRESS

Cover by Mitch Foust

New Pulp's own spokesperson has appeared at various conventions over the past year, but now debuts in her first anthology.
Featuring an origin story by Tommy Hancock, the volume also includes adventures written by Terry Alexander, Ron Fortier, Erwin K. Roberts, and Andrea Judy.

Cover by Bob Hall

TALES OF THE ROOK 
Barry Reese opens his generational pulp hero to new authors in the character's first anthology.
With adventures written by Reese, Ron Fortier, Bobby Nash, Mike Bullock, Percival Constantine, and Tommy Hancock.












THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE EAGLE

Cover by David Russell

Another great collaboration between Pro Se and Altus Press in their Pulp Obscura line.
The Nation's ace troubleshooter of G-2 is back in action packed adventures written by Nick Ahlhelm, Teel James Glenn, Ashley Magnin, Bobby Nash, R. P. Steeves, and Lee Houston, Junior.













PROJECT ALPHA

Cover by Marc Guerrero

The one that kicked off the 2012 Summer reading season!
From the creator of Hugh Monn, Private Detective; Lee Houston, Junior's superhero homage to the Silver Age of Comic Books in his debut adventure!
The once peaceful planet of Shambala is on the verge of extinction.
A menace of their own creation now considers himself the high and mighty ruler of all, determined to have the realm of his dreams regardless of the costs to others.
Now the scientist responsible for the danger seeks to correct his mistake by performing the experiment again on another world, but this planet is home to a far more primitive culture than his own.
Even if he is successful, can Alpha save Shambala before it's too late?

All books are available in both print and e-book formats from either Amazon.com or Pro Se Press at www.prosepulp.com

THE SUNDAY FUNNIES: JOB TITLES

Being me is a full time job!

Hello Everybody! Ms. Waxy Dragon here.
From time to time I get e-mail here at The Free Choice E-zine, but I must say that this latest one has me a bit puzzled.

Dear "Ms. Waxy Dragon":
What do you do when you're not being Waxy?
(signed)
Curious

What an odd question. I'm a baby dragon (unless you believe that silly story that I'm really one of many avatars for an avid Internet user who contributes regularly to this E-zine) and being me is a full time job as it is. Who has time for anything else?

But it did get me to thinking about other people's jobs.

Writers write, so what do authors do, auth?

I know magicians magish, but I certainly don't want to be around a wizard when he's on active duty.

Actors and actresses act, but then again everyone's a critic, so your opinions of individual performances may vary.

Some people get fancy with job titles so the position sounds better than it actually is. Like a "custodial engineer" is really a janitor. But then again, what does Jan do anyway?

Now chefs cook, but so do cooks. Of course, I have yet to meet a "sandwich artist", but I don't care who makes the food as long as I get to eat.

How can you be a housekeeper when your cleaning work is outside the home, like for a motel or hotel?

Does a finish carpenter have to wait for the starting carpenter to do their part, or does that just mean the carpenter is from Finland?

In any event, I'm unfortunately out of space. Please come back next weekend for more Sunday Funnies, and whatever you want to call me, just please don't make it collect!
Have a great week everybody!-wd.

E-MAIL TO WAXY OR ANY OF THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE STAFF CAN BE SENT TO FreeChoiceEzine@gmail.com

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JUNE 17-23, 2012

June 19 marked the 20th anniversary of the Tim Burton directed Batman Returns.
*The 2012 Wimbledon Tennis Tournament will begin June 25.

Amongst events that have happened around the world this past week include:
*After being found guilty on 45 counts of sexually abusing children, former Pennsylvania State University football coach Jerry Sandusky has been placed on suicide watch while he awaits formal sentencing.
*The 2012 G20 Summit is focusing upon the economic situation in Europe.
*Paraguayan President Fernando Lugo has been impeached and replaced by Federico Franco.
*Rodney King, the focal point of the Los Angeles, California riots in 1992 was found dead in the bottom of a swimming pool in Rialto, California. Authorities are still investigating the matter.
*Civil unrest continues in Yemen and Syria.

IN ENTERTAINMENT NEWS...
*The 2013 additions to the fabled Hollywood Walk of Fame have been announced. Receiving a star next year will be Helen Mirren, James Francisco, Janis Joplin, Jane Lynch, Katey Segal, Matthew Perry, Olympia Dukakis, Ellen DeGeneres, Penn & Teller, Ron Howard, Rick Baker, Steve Harvey, "Shotgun" Tom Kelly, Jane's Addiction, The New Kids on the Block, Jennifer Hudson, Simon Baker, Bryan Cranston, Javier Bardem, Viola Davis,Usher, Thalia, Luther Vandross, and the Backstreet Boys.

IN SPORTS:
*The Miami (Florida) Heat defeated the Oklahoma City (Oklahoma) Thunder to win the 2012 professional baseball championship.
*Former professional baseball pitcher Roger Clemens has been cleared of all perjury charges resulting from steroid/human growth hormone probes.
*Webb Simpson won the 2012 U.S. Open in professional golf.
*The UEFA Euro2012 European football (soccer) tournament is entering its final week of competition, with a championship game scheduled for July 1.
*Believe it or not: Pro Wrestler John Cena has recently honored his 300th! request via the Make A Wish Foundation.

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: JUNE 23, 2012

Another weekend is upon us, but that doesn't mean your brain should go completely idle. Ready for a few conundrums?

CAN YOU DO IT?

A new enigma to our rotating cast of Puzzle Corner challenges.

The object of our initial outing is simple. Below are six "sticks". Can you put two of them in new positions (without breaking or bending them) to create nothing?

| | | | | | |

THE LETTER SHUFFLE

Changing one letter at a time to form a new word at each step, can you change FOUL into PLAY within 7 steps?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's peek inside THE ANSWERS BOX and find out the results from our Father's Day Puzzle Corner June 16, 2012.

TRIVIA TIME

What recording artist keeps (jokingly) promising to someday make an album entitled Songs My Mother Hates ?

GARY ALLAN

WHO AM I?

This famous recording artist always kept her beautician's license up to date in case her music career ever ended.

ANSWER: TAMMY WYNETTE

And for those interested, my father is a huge country/western music fan, hence each answer being an artist from that genre to celebrate Father's Day.