HAPPY NEW YEAR: JANUARY 1, 2019

Can you believe another year is already upon us?

🌙Depending upon your beliefs, 2019 marks either the 25th anniversary of the moon being destroyed that led to the world of Thundarr the Barbarian or the 20th anniversary of the moon being violently launched from Earth orbit on September 13 to start Space: 1999.🌑

Then again, 2019 is also either the 20th anniversary of the Super Dimensional Space Fortress crashing to Earth that was the catalyst of the Macross anime as part of the overall Robotech series, or Phillip J. Frye getting cryogentically frozen on New Year’s Eve before being awakened to face Futurama.

On a more serious note the Euro, USB Drives, the BlackBerry, and Bluetooth all came into existence 20 years ago this year and there will be elections this fall, with Congressional seats being the highest office available. Despite past claims of this being a “minor” event, this year’s voting will be an important indicator of how America feels as the 2020 Presidential election approaches.

And to think, our biggest worry 20 years ago was what (if anything) the Y2K Bug 🐛would do.
Other events in the year ahead include...

525TH ANNIVERSARY (1494)
May 5: Christopher Columbus discovered what is now Jamaica during his second voyage.

190TH ANNIVERSARY (1829)
September 29: Scotland Yard was established.

175TH ANNIVERSARY (1844)
January 15: The University of Notre Dame was officially chartered.

165TH ANNIVERSARY (1854)
August 9: Henry David Thoreau's Walden was first published.

160TH ANNIVERSARY (1869)
November 24: Charles Darwin first published On the Origin of the Species.

150TH ANNIVERSARY (1869)
November 17: The Suez Canal officially opened.

115TH ANNIVERSARY (1904)
May 5: Cy Young pitched the first perfect game in baseball⚾ history: Boston Red Sox 3, Philadelphia Athletics 0.

95TH ANNIVERSARY (1924)
February 12: George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue premiered on Broadway.

90TH ANNIVERSARY (1929)
January 5: Oswald the Lucky Rabbit 🐰(voiced by Mickey Rooney) debuts in “Ozzie At The Circus”.
January 7: Debut of Buck Rogers in the comics.
January 17: Popeye the Sailor debuted in the Thimble Theater comic strip.

85TH ANNIVERSARY (1934)
August 11: Alcatraz was opened for business and started accepting prisoners.

80TH ANNIVERSARY (1939)
August 15: Debut of Ellery Queen’s first novel: The Roman Hat 🎩Mystery.
September 1: Germany under Adolph Hitler invaded Poland, thus starting World War 2.

75TH ANNIVERSARY (1944)
August 25: Allied Forces liberated Paris, France; a major point in ending the European portion of World War 2.

70TH ANNIVERSARY (1949)
February 28: Bob Clampett’s Beany and Cecil the Sea Sick Sea Serpent debuted on Time For Beany.
September 15: Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels first rode as The Lone Ranger and Tonto on TV.

65TH ANNIVERSARY (1954)
March 25: RCA made the first color TV set commercially available. 12 and a half inch screen for $1000!
July 5: Elvis Presley had his first recording session at Sun Records, making “That’s All Right Mama”.
July 21: The Geneva Accords divided Vietnam into two separate countries.
September 27: Steve Allen started hosting The Tonight Show.
October 27 saw the debut of Disneyland, the TV series, to help raise construction funds for the park. The original Mickey Mouse Club would debut the following year.
November 10: Then President Dwight D. Eisenhower dedicated the Iwo Jima Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.

60TH ANNIVERSARY (1959)
January 3: Alaska becomes the 49th member of the United States of America.
August 21: Hawaii becomes the 50th member of the United States of America.
September 12: Bonanza debuted as part of that year’s new fall TV season.
September 29: Rocky and Bullwinkle debuted.
We first entered The Twilight Zone on October 2 and asked “Where Is Everybody?”
December 1: Antarctica was established as a military free scientific preserve.

55TH ANNIVERSARY (1964)
Anything that debuted this year, like F-Troop and Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea both did on September 14.
As of October 3, there’s no need to fear, Underdog is here!
Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 🦌shined for the first time December 6.

50TH ANNIVERSARY (1969)🌕
July 20: Apollo 11 landed on the moon! First moon walk next day, with Apollo 12 duplicating these feats before the end of the year.
Come and play! Sesame Street debuted November 10.
The first Internet set up was established on November 20 at the University of Southern California.

45TH ANNIVERSARY (1974)
Anything that debuted this year, like The Six Million Dollar Man January 18.
March 29: The Mariner 10 probe landed on Mercury.
April 8: Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves hit career home run #715, breaking Babe Ruth’s record, and he did it cleanly!⚾
April 13: Dungeons and Dragons first edition debuted.

40TH ANNIVERSARY (1979)
The first Papal visit to the White House (by Pope John Paul II) occurred October 6.
October 7 saw the premiere of Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

35TH ANNIVERSARY (1984)
April 16: Rose is Rose 🌹comic strip premiered.
June 1: Star Trek 3: The Search For Spock premiered.
That summer, the Soviet Union boycotted the Olympics in Los Angeles, California, USA.

30TH ANNIVERSARY (1989)
April 16: Scott Adams’ Dilbert started “taking care of business.”
June 23: Batman, starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, directed by Tim Burton, premiered.

20TH ANNIVERSARY (1999)
March 20: Bertrand Piccard (Switzerland) and Brian Jones (Britain) completed the first around the world hot air balloon trip.
May 1: Spongebob Squarepants debuted.
May 19: Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace debuted.

15TH ANNIVERSARY (2004)
January 15: NASA’s Spirit Rover started exploring Mars.

10TH ANNIVERSARY (2009)
Then President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize October 9.

And of course, The Free Choice E-zine will be celebrating its 2200 post sometime this year.

IN MEMORIUM 2018

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 2018, we have also lost...

ACTORS

Frank Adonis (Goodfellas)
John Altamura (The Toxic Avenger films)
Peter Armitage (Coronation Street, 1988 version of Jack the Ripper)
Broadway actor Gary Beach (The Producers, Beauty and the Beast, La Cage aux Felles)
Alex Beckett (I Live With Models, Mary Queen of Scots)
Ken Berry (Mayberry RFD, F Troop, Mama’s Family)
Robert Blythe (High Hopes, Rebecca’s Daughters)
Philip Bosco (Working Girl, The Savages)

Actor/writer/director Frank Buxton (What’s Up Tiger Lily?, Happy Days)
Joseph Campanella (credits too numerous to mention)
Reg E. Cathey (The Wire, House of Cards)
Glen Chin (Naked Gun 33 and 1/3, 50 First Dates)
Comedic actor Bill Daily (I Dream of Jeannie, The Bob Newhart Show)
Robert Dix (Forbidden Planet)
Peter Donat (The X-Files, original Dallas, Hill Street Blues)
Herb Ellis (TV’s Dragnet, The Fortune Cookie)
R. Lee Eremy (Full Metal Jacket, the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre)
Actor/stuntman Koichi Funayama (Wolverine, 47 Ronin)
Leslie Grantham (East Enders, Paradise Club)
Takanobu Hozumi (Mr. Baseball, X From Outer Space)
Tab Hunter (credits too numerous to mention)
Harry Landers (Ben Casey)
John Mahoney (Frasier, In the Line of Fire)
Robert Mandan (Soap, various guest appearances throughout his career)
Jerry Maren, the last surviving Munchkin from The Wizard of Oz.
Peter Miles (Blake’s 7, Doctor Who)
Donald Moffat (1982 version of The Thing, The Right Stuff)
Leonid Nevedomsky (The Blue Bird, Monologue)
Soon-Tek Oh (James Bond’s The Man With The Golden Gun, the original Hawaii 5-0)
Alyque Padamsee (Gandhi)
Robert Perry (credits too numerous to mention)
Douglas Rain (2001: A Space Odyssey)
Gamil Ratib (Lawrence of Arabia)
Siegfried Rauch (Patton)
Burt Reynolds (Gunsmoke, Smokey and the Bandit, Evening Shade)
Donnelly Rhodes (Soap, 2003 version of Battlestar Galactica)

Mark Salling (Glee)
Stefan Karl Stefansson (Lazy Town, Thor)
David Ogden Steirs (TV’s MASH, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast)
Fredric Stone (Normal Life, Thief)
Dudley Sutton (The Pink Panther Strikes Again)
Verne Troyer (the Austin Powers series, Jack of All Trades)
Comedian Jerry Van Dyke (My Mother the Car, Coach) and brother of Dick.
Paul John Vasques (Ghost Rider 2, Sons of Anarchy)
Clint Walker (Cheyenne, The Dirty Dozen)
Fredd Wayne (numerous stage, screen, and television credits)
Robert Wolders (Laredo)
Actor/stuntman Jack N. Young (Death Valley Days, Wagon Train)
Louis Zorich (Mad About You, Brooklyn Bridge)

ACTRESSES

Lassie Lou Ahern (the classic Our Gang comedies)
Stephane Audran (Babette’s Feast, The Big Red One)
Ethel Ayler (Eve’s Bayou, The Cosby Show)
Susan Brown (As The World Turns, Santa Barbara, General Hospital)
Michele Carey (El Dorado, Live A Little-Love A Little)
Mary Carlisle (the Bing Crosby movies College Humor, Dr. Rhythm, and Double or Nothing)
Actress/stunt woman Debbie Lee Carrington (Return of the Jedi, Total Recall)
Agneta Eckemyr (Kentucky Fried Movie, Island on Top of the World)
Bella Emberg (The Benny Hill Show, History of the World: Part 1)
Nanette Fabray (Sid Caesar’s Hour, The Band Wagon)

Fenella Fielding (Follow A Star, the Carry On series)
Liz Fraser (Carry On Regardless, Dad’s Army)
Eunice Gayson (James Bond movies Dr. No and From Russia With Love)
Ann Gillis (voice work in Bambi, appeared in 2001: A Space Odyssey)
Helen Griffin (Little White Lies, Doctor Who)
Barbara Harris (The Apple Tree, original version of Freaky Friday, A 1000 Clowns)
Yuriko Hoshi (Mothra vs Godzilla, Ghidorah, Godzilla vs Megaguirus)
Margot Kidder (Lois Lane to Christopher Reeve’s Superman)
Kate Lansbury (Ever After, A Fish Called Wanda)
Anna-Lisa (Black Saddle, The Three Stooges’ Have Rocket-Will Travel)
Sandra Locke (The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter)
Kathleen MacGregor (Little House on the Prairie, On the Waterfront)
Dorothy Malone (Peyton Place, Basic Instinct)
Vanessa Marquez (ER, Stand and Deliver)
Marin Mazzie (Ragtime, Kiss Me Kate)
Jan Maxwell (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Gossip Girl)
Zienia Merton (Doctor Who, Space: 1999)
Patricia Morison (Kiss Me Kate, The Song of Bernadette)
Jacqueline Pearce (Blake’s 7, Doctor Who)
Comedienne/actress Charlotte Rae (Different Strokes, The Facts of Life)
Jennie Stroller (King Ralph, The Good Father)
Doreen Tracey (The original Mickey Mouse Club, Westward Ho The Wagons)
Elmarie Wendel (Third Rock From The Sun)
June Whitfield (Last of the Summer Wine, Absolutely Fabulous)

ATHLETES/SPORTS FIGURES

Former professional basketball player Rasual Butler (Miami Heat, New Orleans Hornets, L. A. Clippers)
Professional wrestler Jim “Doc” Dean.
Former professional baseball player/manager Howard “Doc” Edwards (Kansas City Athletics, Cleveland Indians)
Former professional baseball player John “Tito” Francona, father of current Cleveland Indians manager Terry.
Professional hockey player Cecil Hoekstra (Montreal Canadiens)

Legendary Sports Announcer Keith Jackson.
Professional hockey player Max Labovitch (New York Rangers)
Former Brooklyn Dodger Joe Landrum.
Robert McNair, co-founder and owner of the Houston Texans of professional football.
Professional wrestler Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart.
Former Professional Baseball player Billy O’Dell (Baltimore Orioles, Atlanta Braves)
Reggie Oliver, a real life football player featured in We Are Marshall.
Baseball legend Rusty Staub.
Former professional football player Jim Taylor (Green Bay Packers, New Orleans Saints)
Dick Tinkham, who helped co-found the American Basketball Association.
Professional Wrestler Nikolai Volkoff.
Former professional football player Warren Wells.
Former professional hockey player Jim Wiste.

CREATIVE PERSONNEL

Comedian/actor Marty Allen (credits too numerous to mention)
Paul Allen, co-founder of Microsoft.
Film director Bernardo Bertolucci (Last Tango In Paris)
Record producer David Bianco (Tom Petty, Bob Dylan)
Famed costume designer Yvonne Blake (Christopher Reeve’s Superman, original production of Jesus Christ Superstar)
TV producer/writer Stephen Bochco (LA Law, Hill Street Blues, and much more)
Journalist Elizabeth Brackett.
Comic book artist Norm Breyfogle (Batman, Archie, Whisper, Prime)

Classic movie poster designer Silvano Campeggi (Casablanca, Singin’ In The Rain, Breakfast At Tiffany’s)
Noted film editor Anne V. Coates (credits too numerous to mention)
Author Bill Crider (credits too numerous to mention)
Actor/stuntman Steve Daskewisz (Friday the 13 Part 2, Nighthawks, Wolfen)
Pioneer video game designer Bernie De Koven (Ricochet, Alien Garden)
Legendary comic book creator Steve Ditko (Spider-man, Dr. Strange, The Question, The Creeper)
Science Fiction writer (Hunter’s Run, Morning Child) and editor (Isaac Asimov’s SF Magazine) Gardner Dozios.
Author Harlan Ellison (Star Trek’s “City on the Edge of Forever”, The Twilight Zone’s “Paladin of the Last Hour”, and much more)
Geoff Emerick, noted recording engineer who worked with The Beatles and other famous acts.
Theater playwright/producer John Glines (Torch Song Trilogy)
Legendary movie poster artist Bill Gold (Casablanca, A Streetcar Named Desire)
TV producer Peter Firmin (various children’ programs)
TV writer David Fisher (Doctor Who, Crown Court)
Art director/set decorator Michael D. Ford (Raiders of the Lost Ark, Titanic)
Comic book writer Gary Friedrich (motorcycle riding Ghost Rider, Hulk, Sgt. Fury, and more)
Composer Norman Gimbel (Themes to Wonder Woman, Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley; “Killing Me Softly With His Song”)
Author/screenwriter William Goldman (The Princess Bride, All The President’s Men)
Composer/lyricist Carol Hall (Sesame Street, The Best Little Whorehouse In Texas)
Screenwriter Shinobu Hashimoto (7 Samuari, Rashomon)
Famed comic book artist Russ Heath (credits too numerous to mention)
Animator Stephen Hillenburg (Spongebob Squarepants’ creator, Rocko’s Modern Life)
Journalist Jerry Hopkins (Rolling Stone magazine)

Pop Artist Robert Indiana.
Magician/writer/actor Rick Jay (Deadwood, James Bond's Tomorrow Never Dies)
Choreographer Alan Johnson (The Producers, Young Frankenstein)
Drummer (Johnny Rivers, the First Edition)/actor (Home Improvement) Mickey Jones.
Film producer Arnold Kopelson (Platoon, The Fugitive, 7)
IKEA founder Ingvar Kamprad.
Journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Journalist Charles Krauthammer.
Movie producer Gary Kurtz (Star Wars saga, American Graffiti)
Comic Book Legend Stan Lee (credits too numerous to mention)
Legendary author Ursula K. LeGuin (credits too numerous to mention)
Animator Don Lusk (Disney’s versions of Pinocchio and 101 Dalmatians)
Dame Gillian Lynne (The Phantom of the Opera, Cats)
Recording engineer Jim Malloy, (Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and other musical greats)
Actress/director Penny Marshall (The Odd Couple, Laverne & Shirley, Big, A League of Their Own)
Children’s author Jean Marzollo (numerous books, including creating the I Spy book series)
Playwright Joe Masteroff (Cabaret)
Writer/director/actor Peter Masterson (The Trip to Bountiful, 1973 version of The Exorcist)
TV producer Kevin McCray (Bonanza, Little House on the Prairie)
Author Patrick McManus (The Sheriff Bo Tully Mysteries and other works)
Director Geoff Murphy (Young Guns 2, Under Siege 2)
Playwright Tom Murphy (A Whistle In The Dark)
Actor/playwright John Ford Noonan (The Year Boston Won the Pennant, Adventures in Babysitting)
Journalist Les Payne of Newsday.
Novelist Richard Peck (A Year Down Yonder)
Animator/director Rumen Petkov (Johnny Bravo, Dexter’s Laboratory)
Movie director/cinematographer Nicolas Roeg (The Man Who Fell To Earth, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum)
Author Mary Rosenblum.

Author Philip Roth (Goodbye Columbus, The Human Stain)
Songwriter/producer Randy Scruggs (“Angel in Disguise”, “We Danced Anyway”)
TV producer Bill Sellars (Doctor Who, All Creatures Great and Small)
Legendary comic book artist Marie Severin (credits too numerous to mention)
Production designer Michael Seymour (Alien, Beverly Hills Cop 3)
Film producer Allison Shearmur (Star Wars: Rogue 1, The Hunger Games)
Television producer/actor Derrick Sherwin (Doctor Who, Paul Temple, The Vengeance of She)
Author/Playwright Neil Simon (credits too numerous to mention)
Fashion designer Kate Spade.
Game designer Greg Stafford (King of Dragon Pass, Hero Quest)
Author Christopher Stasheff (The Warlock In Spite of Himself, The Enchanter Reborn)
Director Steven Stern (The Devil and Max Devilin, Mazes and Monsters)
Storm Chaser Joel Taylor.
Journalist Richard Valeriani.
Noted claymation animator Will Vinton (California Raisins, Adventures of Mark Twain)
Director/screenwriter Hugh Wilson (WKRP In Cincinnati, Police Academy)
Cartoonist Mort Walker (Beetle Bailey, Hi & Lois)
Song writer Tony Joe White (“Polk Salad Annie”, “Rainy Night In Georgia”)
Film/TV composer Patrick Williams (The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Lou Grant, The Toy, Swing Shift)
Film/TV producer Paul Junger Witt (Dead Poet’s Society, Soap)
Tom Wolfe (Bonfire of the Vanities, The Right Stuff)

ENTERTAINERS

Comedian/magician Harry Anderson (Night Court, Cheers, Dave’s World)
TV travel/food host Anthony Bourdain.
Singer Leah LaBelle (American Idol)
Country Music Legend Roy Clark.
Singer Vic Damone (credits too numerous to mention)

Entertainer Sir Ken Dodd.
R & B singer Dennis Edwards (The Contours, The Temptations)

The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
Pawn Stars' Richard Benjamin Harrison.
Scott Hutchinson of the group Frightened Rabbit.
Joe Jackson, patriarch/manager of Jackson 5.
Comedian and Impressionist Will Jordan.
Singer “Killjoy” (aka Frank Pucci)
Television personality Robin Leach (Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous)
Comic, actor, voice artist Chuck McCann (credits too numerous to mention)
Rapper Mac Miller (aka Malcolm McCormick)
Ray Sawyer (Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show)
Mitzi Shore, “The Godmother of The Comedy Store”.
Country music singer Daryle Singletary (“I Let Her Lie”)
Country singer/actress Lari White (“That’s My Baby”, Cast Away)
Dick Williams of the Williams Brothers Quartet (which included Andy)
Rapper Young Greatness (aka Theodore Jones)
Rapper XXXTentacion.
Jazz Legend Nancy Wilson.

HISTORIC

Those who unfortunately lost their lives during any natural disaster this past year.
Felipe Gomez Alonzo and Jakelin Caal.
Former United Nations’ Secretary General and 2001 Nobel Peace Prize winner Kofi Annan.
Astronaut Alan Bean (Apollo 12 and Skylab 3 missions)
Crime Boss James Bulger.
Former First Lady Barbara Bush.
George H. W. Bush, 41st President of the United States.
The innocent victims of a senseless shooting at a car wash January 28.

The innocent victims of the vehicular assault in Toronto, Canada April 23.
The victims of the shooting at the Capitol Gazette June 29.
Ray Chavez, the oldest survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Former Moldovan Prime Minister Ion Ciubuc.
The real Adrian Cronauer, the basis of Good Morning, Vietnam.
Atari co-founder Ted Dabney.
The victims of the senseless shooting at a Florida high school February 14.
Women’s Rights Activist Arvonne Fraser.
Actor (Psycho, Spartacus)/Diplomat (Ambassador to Mexico: 1981-86) John Gavin.
Audrey Geisel, wife of the good Doctor Seuss.
Minister Billy Graham.
The little girl killed at her own third birthday party July 2!
Burning Man founder Larry Harvey.
Scientist Stephen Hawking (A Brief History of Time)
The victims of the Hawaiian volcano eruptions (2018)
The victims of Japan’s massive floods (July 2018)
The victims of a suicide bomber who attacked a hospital in Kabul, Afghanistan January 27.
Koko the Gorilla.
Saman Kunan, the diver who lost his life during the Tham Laung cave rescue efforts.
Vietnam War Veteran and Senator John McCain.

The innocent victims of the shooting at Mercy Hospital in Chicago.
The 7 year old migrant detainee.
Grace Millane.
Richard Arvin Overton, oldest surviving US veteran of World War 2 and the oldest American, passed away at age 112!
The innocent victims of the senseless shooting at a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania synagogue.
Federal Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals
1976 Nobel Physics Prize Laureate Burton Richter.
Those who lost their lives in the senseless gun violence at a Texas High School May 17!
The innocent victims of the senseless shooting in Thousand Oaks, California.
The victims of Volcan de Fuego (June 2018)
Former Prime Minister of India Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
The victims of the senseless gun violence at a video game tournament August 25.
The innocent victims of the Waffle House shooting April 22.

MUSICIANS

Musician/disc jockey Avicii (aka Tim Bergling)
Jefferson Airplane co-founder Marty Balin.
Scott Boyer of the Allman Brothers.
George Cameron of The Left Banke musical group (“Walk Away Renee”)
Guitarist Eddie Clark (Motor Head)
Jazz musician Bob Dorough (a lengthy solo career, Schoolhouse Rock)
Noel “Nokie” Edwards of The Ventures (original Hawaii 5-0 theme)
Rocker Jimmy Farrar (Raw Energy, Molly Hatchet, Gator Country)
Gospel musician Edwin Hawkins (“Oh Happy Day”)

Jazz musician Roy Hargrove.
Guitarist Ed King (Lynyrd Skynyrd, Strawberry Alarm Clock)
Guitarist Danny Kirwan (Fleetwood Mac, Tramp)
Alan Longmuir, founding member of the Bay City Rollers.
Craig MacGregor (Foghat)
Guitarist Matt Murphy (Saturday Night Live, The Blues Brothers)
Charles Neville of the Neville Brothers.
Dolores O’Riordan (The Cranberries)
Drummer Vinnie Paul (Pantera)
Jim Rodford (The Kinks, The Zombies)
Blues musician Preston Shannon (“Beale Street Boogaloo”, “Midnight in Memphis”)
John “Jabo” Starks, former drummer for James Brown.
Musician Richard Swift.
Drummer John Von Ohlen of the Blue Wisp Big Band.
“Wah Wah” Washington, guitarist for The Funk Brothers.

DISHONORABLE MENTION
Suicide bombers, terrorists, and anyone else who would take another’s life without moral and/or legal justification.

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

SUNDAY FUNNIES: ♫ANOTHER YEAR OVER...♫

Howdy folks! Free Choice E-zine Editor-In-Chief Lee Houston, Junior here because the ladies have the holiday weekend off.

Can you believe that, as I post this, we are just a little over 24 hours away from the start of 2019? 😦

Where does the time go?
It seems like just yesterday I was overseeing this E-zine with Windows 7 while listening to either CDs or the radio.
And if you don't recognize any of those references, yes, I AM that old.

Time marches on, but many of us wish that it didn't trample us in the process.
Maybe I'll do what my father does and go to bed before midnight on New Year's Eve. That way I can wake up New Year's Day and claim I slept for a whole year. 😉
Then again, except for missing the holidays, I always thought bears🐻 and other animals had the right idea about hibernating in winter.
Yet, would you really want to sleep THAT long?
Man, getting up would be really tough.
And if you drink the stuff, imagine how much coffee you'd need to get going after such a long sleep!
You'd have to buy it by the gallon instead of the mug.

Well, if you haven't been entertained enough already, it's time for some jokes folks...

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

My resolution was to read more, so I put the subtitles on my TV.

I like New Year's Eve. The party🎉 confetti🎊 covers up my dandruff.

Dear Luck, can we be friends in 2019? Please?

Jenny woke up from an afternoon nap on New Year's Eve and confided to her husband Max, "I just dreamed that you gave me a diamond ring at midnight. What do you think it means?"
"You'll find out tonight," Max answered, smiling broadly.
At midnight, as the New Year arrived, Max gave Jenny a small package.
She thought it was a tad too big for jewelry and she was right.
Inside was only a book entitled The Meaning Of Dreams.

An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in.
A pessimist stays up until two to make sure the old year leaves.

So on that note♫, have a good week.
Please party responsibly.
Autumn the Puppy will be here next weekend with more Sunday Funnies to start 2019 off on the right paw, and I would like to leave you with a timeless and very appropriate quote from John Lennon...

A very Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year.

Let's hope it's a good one.

Without any fear.

Lee Houston, Junior
Editor-In-Chief, The Free Choice E-zine.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 23-29, 2018

DECEMBER 31 IS NEW YEAR’S EVE. PLEASE PARTY RESPONSIBLY.

JANUARY 1 IS NEW YEAR’S DAY.

JANUARY 5 IS BIRD DAY.
JANUARY 5 MARKS THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF OSWALD THE LUCKY RABBIT.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…

*A trade deal between China and the United States???
*Will Japan resume commercial whaling???
*Thailand has approved marijuana for medical use and research.
*It took 53 days, but Colin O'Brady has become the first person to cross Antarctica alone and unaided.
*The 35th annual hacker convention.

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…
*Felipe Gomez Alonzo and Jakelin Caal.
*Actor Herb Ellis (TV’s Dragnet, The Fortune Cookie) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Actress June Whitfield (Last of the Summer Wine, Absolutely Fabulous) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Actor Frank Adonis (Goodfellas) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Richard Arvin Overton, the oldest surviving U.S. veteran from World War II, as well as the oldest American man, lived to be 112!

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…

THE BORDER-KIDS-IMMIGRATION ISSUES…
*WHO is responsible for the deaths of Felipe Gomez Alonzo and Jakelin Caal???
*Will Trump actually close the border because of the ongoing budget battle???
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, let alone if anyone might actually be making a profit from this situation.
POLITICALLY…
*A trade deal between China and the US???
*Will Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome H. Powell be the next to leave the Trump Administration???
*President Trump visited the troops in Iraq and defended the withdrawal from Syria and the government shutdown. Even FOX News questioned this, but the trip was supposed to be a secret. (There are 4/FOUR separate links in this item.)
THE BUDGET BATTLE…

*The shutdown began at midnight December 22.
*Is it all because of Trump wanting a border wall???
*No wall, no government reopening??? Does that include the actual border??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*“We do NOT support the shutdown!”—Federal employees.
*WHO’S fault is this???
*Do Trump’s comments on a similar situation from 2013 still apply today???
*“Let’s make a deal.”
*Don’t look for this matter to be settled until sometime after Congress comes back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019.

MEANWHILE…
*The North Carolina Congressional election may have to be reheld.
*Will departing Republicans get what they want???
*Don’t look for the budget battle to be settled until sometime after Congress comes back into session with its newly elected members January 3, 2019.
ELSEWHERE…
*Firing a Bishop for doing the RIGHT thing???
*A touching Christmas story.

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: DECEMBER 29, 2018

😎FUN FACT
THIS episode is The Free Choice E-zine’s 2100TH post! 🎉

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♫

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?”

We’ll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the December 22, 2018 Puzzle Corner.

REBUS
Carolers are every where this time of year, but what lyric does the image on the left represent?
A (Keith) Partridge In A Pear Tree, although the picture might be of his female stand-in Jan Freeman.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
With the holiday near, how many new words can your form out of the letters in CHRISTMAS?🎄
A, act(s), ah(s), aim(s), air(s), am, arc(s), arch, arm(s), art(s), as, ash, ass, at
Cam(s), car(s), cart(s), cash, cast(s) cat(s), char(s), chair(s), charm(s), chart(s), chasm(s), chat(s), cram(s)
Ha, hair, ham(s), harm(s), has, hat(s), hi, him, his, hiss, hit(s)
I, I’m, is, it, its, it’s, itch
Ma, mach, march, mart(s), mash, mass, mast(s), mat(s), match, math, mint(s),mirth, miss, mist(s)
Racism, racist(s), ram(s), rash, rat(s), rich, rim(s)
Sash, sat, scam(s), scar(s), scat, sham(s), shirt(s), Sir, sis, sit(s), smash, smart(s), stair(s), star(s), starch, stash, stir(s)
Tar(s), this, 'Tis, trash, tram(s), trim(s), Tsar

Besides the 134 words listed above, Chris, Christ, and Sam might be eligible, depending upon your position of counting proper names in a game like this. Other words might also be possible.

KWANZAA/BOXING DAY 2018

For those celebrating either event today...

December 26-January 1

DECEMBER 25, 2018

For those who celebrate with family, friends, and loved ones today...

The Free Choice E-zine wishes you

♫A very Merry Christmas

And a Happy New Year.

Let's hope it's a good one.

Without any fear.♫