THE PUZZLE CORNER: DECEMBER 14, 2019

😎FUN FACT
Having just finished filming Goodfellas, actor Joe Pesci reportedly couldn't always “keep it clean” while making Home Alone 1.

TRIVIA TIME⌚
Although it’s unfortunately not a member of the “Always Aired” quartet listed in THE ANSWERS BOX below, one made for TV holiday special PREDATES the group. What is it?

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: In Home Alone 1, the spider🕷 that crawled on Marv Merchants’ face was faked.

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the December 7, 2019 Puzzle Corner.

REBUS
Now that it’s actually December we’ve decorated our tree but something’s wrong.
Do you know what it is?
There’s no L! ♫Noel, Noel. Noel, Noel.♫ 😉

NUMBER PLEASE
Get ready! We ask the question, but the answer is just a number.
A specific group of Christmas specials have been televised EVERY SINGLE YEAR since their debut.
How many are in this elite club?
4! Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer🦌since 1964, A Charlie Brown Christmas🎄since 1965, Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas since 1966, and Frosty the Snowman ⛄since 1969.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: THE CHORES THE CHORE!

Hello Everybody! Waxy Dragon here!
Now normally about this time of year I'd be sharing my letter to Santa🎅 with you folks, but I've come to realize that should be a private matter between me and Mister Claus.
Then again, I'm already a happy baby dragon so other than wanting some crayons🖍 & all the Belgosian Dark Chocolate🍫 I can get, what else is there to ask for?

Waxy's drawing of "Bubblehead"

Okay, maybe a more understanding Bubblehead, but that goes without saying.
Granted, humans are kind of hard to understand. I know all of you don't always get each other. Even the most learned dragons sometimes have to stop, scratch their heads and go "HUH?"

For those who came in late, Bubblehead is my nickname for the human I live with. After all, I am a COMPANION dragon.
We look out for each other the best we can.
But it isn't always easy.

The FIRST load!

The other day Bubblehead asked me to help with the laundry.
Considering I don't wear any clothing besides the occasional bib (we have a long standing argument debate over whether I'm a messy eater or he's a messy cook), at first I was puzzled when he asked me to gather my wash.
Then he explained that he wanted the sheet and pillowcases from my bed🛏.
Okay, easy peasy, so I brought them to him.
THEN he told me that he wanted the sheet OFF the mattress and the cases OFF the pillows because he was just going to wash the linen, NOT the bed and pillows too.
Considering how hard it was for this baby dragon to drag that big mattress to the laundry room, why he didn't just say that in the first place?

Anyway, just as he was about to put the detergent into the machine, Bubblehead got a phone call he needed to take and asked me to "Please put a cup⛾ of detergent into the washer. Then press the start button. The machine will do the rest," Bubblehead said as he walked away, talking into his cellphone.📱
Seemed simple enough, right?
HOWEVER... I couldn't find a cup!🥤
I wound up having to go get one from the kitchen, but otherwise I did EXACTLY what I was told and to make a long story short...

The end result!

Turns out the little CAP on top of the laundry detergent bottle was the CUP I was supposed to use!
Why Bubblehead didn't explain this to me to begin with...

So now I'm trying to help clean up this mess while listening to Bubblehead explain what I did wrong.
WHAT I DID WRONG?😧😲

I've got to be VERY careful now or else I'm gonna wind up on Santa's🎅 Naughty List by the end of the day.
In any event, take care everybody. Have a good week and please be back here again next time for more Sunday Funnies!—wd.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: DECEMBER 1-7, 2019

DECEMBER 7 IS PEARL HARBOR DAY & INDIA’S ARMED FORCES FLAG DAY.

DECEMBER 7 MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE FROSTY THE SNOWMAN ⛄HOLIDAY SPECIAL DEBUTING.

DECEMBER 10 IS HUMAN RIGHTS DAY.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…

*A pattern of interference???
*"No denuclearization!"—North Korea.
*Sadly, the Samoa measles outbreak continues.
*In London, American President Donald Trump didn’t have a good time at the NATO meeting. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Opinion: the face of the United States???
*Venus + Saturn = ???

CONCERNING CHINA...🌏
*China has responded to America supporting Hong Kong’s demand for Democracy.
*A trade deal with the United States will be WHEN???

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 victims of a New Orleans, Louisiana shooting December 1.
*The innocent victims of a Florida Naval Base shooting December 6.
*Actress Shelley Morrison (Will and Grace, The Flying Nun, etc) has taken her last bow on life’s stage.
*Writer D.C. Fontana (Star Trek franchise, The Waltons, so much more) is no longer with us.
*Actor Michael Lai (supporting roles in several Jackie Chan films) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Producer Leonard Goldberg (Charlie’s Angels, Blue Bloods, etc) is no longer with us.
*Actor Robert Walker (Ensign Pulver, various TV roles) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.
*Actor Ron Leibman (credits too numerous to mention) has taken his last bow on life’s stage.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
THE POTENTIAL IMPEACHMENT…

*The Inquiry Report shows there IS evidence of Quid Pro Quo/Attempted Bribery and obstruction of Congress by President Trump! 
*Trump has decided to sit out the opening session(s) of the Judiciary Committee, but Republicans want DEMOCRATS to testify! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Who should testify???
*Wednesday: getting ready as legal scholars advise President Trump IS guilty and should be removed from office! (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)
*Trump is “-1”???
*Recapping and wondering “What next”??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Articles of Impeachment WILL be started before Congress recesses for Christmas/Winter break! (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Is Trump looking forward to taking his "chances" with the Republican controlled Senate??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*NO DEFENSE???
THE B⛔RDER 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.
*A privately funded wall section???
*Not everyone is against refugees.
*Homes, NOT wall!
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.
TARIFF TALK… 
*A trade deal with China will be WHEN???
*We at least have a new trade deal with Japan.
POLITICALLY…

*Opinion: the face of the United States???
*In London, President Trump didn’t have a good time at the NATO meeting. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Attorney General William Barr thinks there never should have been any investigation!
*"What personal cell phone?"—Donald Trump.
*NO law enforcement???
*Why is Rudy Giuliani BACK in the Ukraine???
*Did he or didn’t he???
*Another loss for Trump, until the Supreme Court intervened. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*The documents are IN!
*Will there be a new North American Free Trade Agreement???
*The next G7 Summit will be at Camp David instead of a Trump owned property.
*The Trump Administration is planning to cut food stamps, again.
IT’S FACT CHECK TIME!✅
*“I don’t know Prince Andrew.”—President Trump.
MEANWHILE, IN CONGRESS…
*California Republican Representative David Nunes is suing CNN.
*Will Duncan Hunter resign???
*Voter fraud by a Republican???
*At least for now(?), Kamala Harris is out of the hunt for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination.
ELSEWHERE…
*NOT AGAIN!
*The Supreme Court to consider homelessness.
*Thankfully nothing actually happened, but still…
*Do the right thing and get deported for it???
*Bill Nye the Science Guy is suing Disney!
*A new Oreo flavor!
😀AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS…
*The Polar Bear population has increased by one.
*Aw… Don't you just love a happy ending.
*Remembering the delivery service.

THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE WOULD LIKE TO THANK ITS LOYAL READERSHIP FOR GRANTING US 8,536 PAGE VIEWS IN NOVEMBER 2019!

THE PUZZLE CORNER: DECEMBER 7, 2019

😎FUN FACT
Dr. Seuss wrote How The Grinch Stole Christmas🎄in 1957 because he feared how commercialized the holiday was becoming back then.
Makes one wonder what Seuss would think of Christmas today.

REBUS
Now that it’s actually December we’ve decorated our tree but something’s wrong.
Do you know what it is?

NUMBER PLEASE
Get ready! We ask the question, but the answer is just a number.
A specific group of Christmas specials have been televised EVERY SINGLE YEAR since their debut.
How many are in this elite club?

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the November 30, 2019 Puzzle Corner.

IN OTHER WORDS
An alternate title to a famous movie is below. Do you know the film’s real name?
Metal Glass = Tin Cup 🏌starring Kevin Costner.

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?
♫Overture. Curtain. Lights!♫
It’s the first line to the theme song from The Bugs Bunny-Road Runner Show, which was a Saturday morning television staple for almost three decades.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: IT'S ABOUT TIME!

Old photo, same E-I-C.

Hello Folks! The Free Choice E-zine Editor-In-Chief Lee Houston, Junior here today because the ladies (Autumn the Puppy and Waxy Dragon) are finishing up their holiday weekend.
First order of business, I need a new photo! I have seriously lost some weight since this one was taken!
For those interested, our annual Christmas party will be December 22 since Christmas falls on a Wednesday this year.
Then you'll be stuck with entertained by me again on the 29th as the ladies have the last Sunday of 2019 off before New Year's Eve and the advent of 2020!
But where the [censored] has the time gone?🕦
It's already December, although the last few weeks have really seemed to drag with some stores already decorated for Christmas by HALLOWEEN and reports of radio stations playing seasonal music 24/7 BEFORE we even neared Thanksgiving week!

Anyway...
For better or worse this year is approaching its end.📆
If you're a member of the Procrastinator's Club, you don't have much time left to put off your 2018 projects. 😉

A friend of mine got fired from his job at the calendar factory, but both of us are still trying to figure out why.
All he did was take a day off.

If a child refuses to sleep during nap time, are they guilty of resisting a rest?

Retirement is the time in your life when time is no longer money.
Then again, if you don't have the money to cover even your basic needs, does the time matter?

I hate when I'm running on the treadmill for half an hour and look down to see it's only been 4 minutes.

Nothing but work for five days straight without any rest makes one weak.

If every day is a gift, I'd like to see the receipt for Monday in hopes that I can exchange it for another Saturday or Sunday.
The world🌍 needs more three day weekends, then maybe it'd be less stressful.

The first 5 days after any weekend are the hardest.

It may be hard dragging yourself out of bed and going to work, but unless you really love your job, once you do get to work it's all down hill from there.

The early bird🐦 may get the worm but the late worm gets to live.

Why did the angry man throw the clock⏰ out the window?
He wanted to see time fly!

And remember, unless it's digital with a blank screen, even a broken clock is still right twice a day.
So on that note♫, have a great week everybody and please be back here again next time for more Sunday Funnies!—lh,jr.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: NOVEMBER 24-30, 2019

NOVEMBER IS PANCREATIC CANCER AWARENESS MONTH. 🎗

NOVEMBER 30 IS REMEMBRANCE DAY FOR CHEMICAL WEAPONS VICTIMS.
NOVEMBER 30 IS ALSO SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS DAY.

DECEMBER 1 MARKS THE 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF ANTARCTICA BEING ESTABLISHED AS A MILITARY FREE SCIENTIFIC PRESERVE.
DECEMBER 1 IS WORLD AIDS AWARENESS DAY.

DECEMBER 1 MARKS 20TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HUMAN CHROMOSOME BEING SUCCESSFULLY MAPPED.

DECEMBER 6 MARKS THE 55TH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE RUDOLPH THE RED NOSED REINDEER 🦌CHRISTMAS SPECIAL DEBUTING.

DECEMBER 7 MARKS THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE FROSTY THE SNOWMAN ⛄ TV SPECIAL DEBUTING.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE W🌍RLD THIS PAST WEEK…

*Another missile “test”. But the next one??? (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Censorship in Vietnam???
*Women will soon have more freedom in the Sudan!
*Sadly, the Samoa measles outbreak continues.
*No more Uber in London???
*American President Donald Trump went to Afghanistan, and is now headed to London. (There are 3/THREE separate links in this item.)

CONCERNING CHINA... 🌏
*To China’s surprise, election results in Hong Kong indicate a pro-democracy intent.
*America issues sanctions against human rights violators, thus supporting the democracy seekers. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*Did China try to place a spy in Australia’s government???

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.

THE CLIMATE CHANGE CHRONICLES…
*The Trump Administration’s version of the Environmental Protection Agency ISN’T doing its job???
*If President Trump won’t attend, Congress will.

😢PASSING PARADE…
*The victims of the 2019 Albania earthquake.
*Comic book writer/artist Howard Cruse (Barefootz, Stuck Rubber Baby, others) has passed away.
*Songwriter Irving “Lord” Burgess (“Jamaican Farewell”, Barbados National Anthem, others) is no longer with us.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA…
THE POTENTIAL IMPEACHMENT…

*Next???
*The report will be ready before Christmas.
*Will the Supreme Court’s eventual decision on Trump’s tax returns affect proceedings??? For now they’ve extended the hold over not looking at them. (There are 2/TWO separate links in this item.)
*The subpoena stands!
*So let’s review. Who knew what when???
*Expert legal consultants scheduled to advise, and President Trump’s been invited to testify!
*One opinion on what may happen if Impeachment goes to the Senate.
*For what it’s worth…
*Get ready!
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.
*Then why do it???
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.
POLITICALLY…
*Naval Secretary Richard V. Spencer is no longer in office.
*Sorry Mister Trump. No proof.
*Is Energy Secretary Rick Perry serious???
*Surprise!
*So where does America stand on the Taliban???
*Wasn’t this obvious from the start???
IT’S FACT CHECK TIME! ✅
*WHAT Apple plant???
*WHO did WHAT now???
MEANWHILE, IN CONGRESS…
*Congress was on its Thanksgiving break from November 23-December 1, 2019.
*Who should be Georgia’s next Senator???
*Danielle Stella can no longer Tweet.
*How wealthy is YOUR Senator???
*Michael Bloomberg is now officially campaigning for the 2020 Democratic Presidential nomination.
ELSEWHERE…
*The New York Times is STILL undecided???
*Layoffs are pending at Cummins Engines.
*McDonald’s has decided to settle a California law suit.
*Serendipity!
*Toys R Us will return!
*No more Arena Football.
*The 2019 National Dog Show’s Best In Show is...
😀AND FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS…
*Police Officer finds a car with appeal.
*Something to be thankful for.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: NOVEMBER 30, 2019

😎FUN FACT
November 29 should have been the official beginning of the 2019 Christmas retail season, but many have jumped the gun on this as early as HALLOWEEN!🎃

For those expecting Christmas themed enigmas today, sorry to disappoint but The Free Choice E-zine believes in holiday traditions, so those won’t start until it’s officially December!
Meanwhile…

IN OTHER WORDS
An alternate title to a famous movie is below. Do you know the film’s real name?
Metal Glass.

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?
♫Overture. Curtain. Lights!♫

We’ll reveal all next weekend but for now, let’s open up THE ANSWERS BOX📦 and discover the results from the November 23, 2019 Puzzle Corner.

FAMOUS FIRSTS🥇
Which President first declared Thanksgiving an official holiday in the United States?
Abraham Lincoln established it in 1863 on the very last Thursday of November.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt changed it to the Thursday of the last full week of November in 1941.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you form out of the letters in THANKSGIVING?
A, aging, ah, akin, an, angst, as, at,
Gag(s), gain(s), giant(s), gas, gat(s) <old 1930's slang for guns>, gig(s), gin(s), gist, git(s) <Hillbilly slang for scram/get>, giving
Hag(s), haggis <a Scottish delicacy>, hang(s), has, hat(s), having, hi <short form of "hello">, hiking, hint(s), hit(s)
I, ink(s), in(s), inn(s), is, it, its
Kin, king(s), kit(s), knight(s), knit(s)
Nag(s), nigh, night(s)
Sag, saint, sank, sat, saving, shag <a type of carpeting>, sight, sighting, sign, signing, sink, sinking, sin, shin, shining, sit, skin, skit, snag, snit, stag, staging, stain, staining, stank, sting, stinging, stink, stinking
Tag(s), tan(s), tank(s), than, thank(s), thin(s), thing(s), think(s), this, tin,
Vain, vat(s), visit, Viking(s) <the people, not the football team, which is a proper name and thus ineligible>, (AND) vista.
Other words besides the 117 above might be possible. But IV (the medical term) didn’t count because it’s an abbreviation. The Roman numerals II and IV are debatable, but the cuss word for human waste was not listed since this is a family oriented E-zine.