THE WEEK IN REVIEW: APRIL 6-12, 2014

APRIL 13TH MARKS THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF

THE DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS ROLE PLAYING GAME.

AMERICAN INCOME TAXES ARE DUE BY 11:59:59 pm APRIL 15TH! 

AMONGST EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED

AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...

A NEW PHOTO OF EARTH!

*Some versions of the OpenSSL Computer Protocols have developed a critical bug that has been designated Heartbleed.
*Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins has made the first ever Irish Head of State visit to the United Kingdom.
*Viktor Orban has been re-elected Prime Minister of Hungary.
*Astronomers have discovered a moon orbiting an exoplanet!
*Civil unrest continues in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Syria.

IN THE UKRAINE/CRIMEA...
*Citizens of Donetsk in the Ukraine favoring Russia have allegedly ceded from the Ukraine, establishing the Donetsk People's Republic independent of Kiev.
*Although accused of stirring separatist feelings, Russia warns Ukraine that any use of force in Donetsk would lead to civil war.
*The Council of Europe has suspended Russia's voting rights until the Ukraine/Crimea situation is resolved.
*Montenegro, Norway, Iceland, and Albania have agreed to enforce the European Union's sanctions against Russia.

RECALLS!

*The Ford Motor Company has recalled over 435,000 vehicles, citing rust and seat issues.
*Toyota is planning to recall over 6.5 MILLION vehicles due to steering faults!
*Microsoft has announced that it is no longer supporting or updating Windows XP.

PASSING PARADE...
*Actor Mickey Rooney has taken his final bow.
*A. N. R. Robinson, former Prime Minister and President of Trinidad/Tobago who participated in the establishment of the International Criminal Court has left us.
*Wrestler James Brian Hellwig, aka The Ultimate Warrior, has passed away.
*Jim Flaherty, Canada's last Minister of Finance has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...

*After filibustering to prevent a vote on a measure that would have given equal pay to women if passed, Congressional Republicans approved the latest Paul Ryan budget proposal, which drastically cut social programs in favor of giving the "savings" to the military. The measure has since been defeated.
*Sadly, a student went on a stabbing spree at Franklin Regional High School in Murrysville, Pennsylvania. His trial is pending in an adult court.
*The death toll in the Oso, Washington mudslide stands at 36, but 10 people are still unaccounted for.
*Bank of America has agreed to pay $727 million to customers because of deceptive marketing practices and unfair billing and another $45 million in penalties to the federal government.
*President Barack Obama has nominated Sylvia Mathews Burwell to replace resigning Kathleen Sebelius as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
*Peter Gabriel, Hall and Oates, KISS, Linda Rondstadt, Nirvana, and Cat Stevens have been inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
*The University of Connecticut Men's and Women's College Basketball teams have won their respective titles in the 2014 NCAA Championship series.
*Stephen Colbert has been named as David Letterman's successor when he retires from CBS' The Late Show in 2015. No word on what will replace The Colbert Report on Comedy Central when that happens.

THANKS TO OUR LOYAL READERSHIP, THE FREE CHOICE E-ZINE STREAK OF 1000+ MONTHLY PAGE VIEWS (BEGAN SEPTEMBER 2011) CONTINUES!

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: APRIL 12, 2014

The 2014 Major League Baseball season is well underway here in the United States, so let's play ball with some new enigmas!

COMMON BONDS
While everybody within the subset below is the scoreboard designation for specific baseball teams, each group also has something else in common.
Do you know what it is?
01. {LAD, OAK, PIT, SEA}
02. {ARI, MIA, TEX}
03. {DET, MIN}

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you spell out of the letters in BASEBALL?
There's more than you think.

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's open THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the April 5, 2014 Puzzle Corner.

Hall and Oates

FAMOUS FIRSTS
The musical duo's first names are Daryl Hall and John Oates.

TRIVIA TIME

Trivia Time picture from April 5, 2014

The unique relationship between the two items pictured on the left is that you could stick a pencil (or pen) through one of the cassette sprockets to take up any slack in the tape.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: CELEBRITIES BEING HUMAN

Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here!

More celebrity quotes this weekend, but on a specific topic: being human.

No matter how much fame and fortune one achieves in life, in the end, they are still as human as the day they were born.

Emerson, in 1857

Clinton, circa 2012

“Enthusiasm is the Mother of Effort, and without it, nothing

great was ever achieved.”>poet Ralph Waldo Emerson

“It takes a village to raise a child.”

Possibly African Proverb frequently used by Hillary Clinton

Well, Necessity is supposed to be the Mother of Invention. So, how many mothers are involved, and where's the father in all of this?

Meyers, 2013

“I don't love acting... I'm just doing it because it keeps me off the streets and out of jail.”>actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers

Hey, at least he's honest.

Hanks, circa 2009

“Being a celebrity bears certain responsibilities. I don't cause

riots, but I do cause confusion. People freeze when they spot me.”>Tom Hanks

I guess it does. We put our idols on pedestals, and then seem totally shocked when they falter.

Costello, circa 2012

“I'm not even sure what I want, but that's not the point. It's that I want it now.”>Elvis Costello

For better or worse, that's a part of being human too.

Goldberg, circa 2008

“When you are kind to someone in trouble, you hope they'll remember and be kind to someone else.” >Whoopi Goldberg

There is ALWAYS hope!

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

All celebrity images courtesy of Wikipedia

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: MARCH 30-APRIL 5, 2014

TODAY IS THE FEAST DAY FOR SAINT VINCENT FERRER.

CAR ENTHUSIASTS AROUND THE WORLD ARE CELEBRATING

THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE FORD MUSTANG.

COMIC BOOK FANS ARE CELEBRATING

THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF BATMAN.

AMONGST EVENTS THAT HAVE HAPPENED AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...

*There are currently 95 confirmed dead in the West Africa Ebola outbreak!

*The Tungurahua volcano of Ecuador has exploded twice this past week!

*Despite reported violence, Afghanistan has held their first democratic election. Formal announcement of the results is pending.

*Recep Tayyip Erdogan has won reelection as Prime Minister of Turkey.

Saturn

*North and South Korea exchanged artillery fire during a recent border dispute at sea.

*The International Court of Justice has ruled that since Japan's current whale hunting is not for scientific research, it must be stopped immediately.
*The Sunflower Student Movement continues in Taiwan, despite governmental efforts to see it end.

*Investigations into the Garda phone tapping scandal continue in Ireland.

*Scientists have discovered evidence that leads them to believe that Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, has liquid water beneath its frozen surface!

*Civil unrest continues in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Syria.

IN THE UKRAINE/CRIMEA...

*With Crimea officially annexed by Russia, the Ukraine is concerned over a military build up along their borders.

*NATO has suspended "all practical civilian and military cooperation" with Russia.

*McDonalds has suspended operations at all their stores within Crimea.

IN FRANCE...

*Anne Hidalgo will soon take office as the first female mayor of Paris.

*Manuel Valls has been named France's new Prime Minister.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...

*Republican Paul Ryan proposed a new federal budget this week that would severely slash social aid programs, including the repeal of Obama Care, while passing the "savings" to increased military spending.

*The US Supreme Court's decision in the case of McCutcheon versus The Federal Election Committee has eliminated the donation limitations one can make to a political campaign within a two year period. Many analysts now fear the strong possibility of elections being "bought"!

*Tyson Foods has recalled over 75,000 pounds of chicken nuggets, sold mostly through Sam's Club outlets.

*Chrysler has recalled over 87,000 Jeep and Dodge SUVs because of brake issues.

*The 2014 Major League Baseball season is now underway.

*David Letterman has announced his impending retirement when his current contract to host The Late Show ends in 2015. Speculation has already started running rampant on who his successor will be.

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: APRIL 5, 2014

It's the first weekend of a new month, and puzzle fans know what that means!

Hall & Oates, circa 2008

FAMOUS FIRSTS
Everyone knows of the musical duo Hall and Oates.
But do you know what their FIRST names are?

TRIVIA TIME

First, look at the picture below.

Trivia Time Question

The question is: do you know what the unique relationship between these two objects was?

We'll reveal all next weekend.
But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of the March 29, 2014 Puzzle Corner!

COMMON BONDS
The items in each subset below have something in common.
Do you know what it is?

01. {Coffee, tea}
And yes, we know they are both beverages.
But both can also be served Hot or Cold!
02. {Bullwinkle Moose, Rocky the Flying Squirrel, Homer Simpson}
And yes, we know they are all cartoon characters.
But everyone also shares the same middle name: Jay!

WHO AM I?
Based upon the clue below, can you identify the specific person?

According to her theme song:
♪ She knows her Proverbs, A to Z; and knows the good they bring
But when she has to follow them, well that's another thing! ♫

Our mystery person is: Little Audrey from Harvey Comics and Cartoons!

Here she is, from 1954's The Seapreme Court, by Famous

(formerly the Fleischer) Studios. Video courtesy of YouTube.

BREAKING NEWS FOR APRIL 1, 2014

Today, independent researchers and developers announced the new Built-in Orderly Organized Knowledge device, to be henceforth known as BOOK.

Introducing the BOOK!

The BOOK is a revolutionary breakthrough in technology: No wires, no electric circuits, no batteries, nothing to be connected, switched on, or recharged. It's so easy to use even a child can operate it. Just lift its cover! 

Compact and portable, it can be used anywhere-even sitting in an armchair by the fire -- yet it is powerful enough to hold as much information as a flash drive.

Here's how it works... 

Each BOOK is constructed of sequentially numbered sheets of paper (recyclable), each capable of holding thousands of bits of information. These pages are locked together with a custom-fit device called a binder, which keeps the sheets in their correct sequence. 

Sample BOOK interior featuring OPT

Opaque Paper Technology (OPT) allows manufacturers to use both sides of the sheet, doubling the information density and cutting costs in half. 

Experts are divided on the prospects for further increases in information density; for now, BOOKS with more information simply use more pages. This makes them thicker and harder to carry, and has drawn some criticism from the mobile computing crowd. 

Each sheet is scanned optically, registering information directly into your brain. A flick of the finger takes you to the next sheet. 

The BOOK may be taken up at any time and used by merely opening it. The BOOK never crashes and never needs rebooting though, like other display devices, it can become unusable if dropped overboard. The "browse" feature allows you to move instantly to any sheet, and move forward or backward as you wish. Many come with an "index" feature, which pinpoints the exact location of any selected information for instant retrieval. 

Sample BOOKmark

An optional "BOOKmark" accessory allows you to open the BOOK to the exact place you left it in a previous session-even if the BOOK has been closed. BOOKmarks fit universal design standards; thus, a single BOOKmark can be used in BOOKs by various manufacturers. Conversely, numerous BOOKmarks can be used in a single BOOK if the user wants to store numerous views at once. The number is limited only by the number of pages in the BOOK. 

The PENCIL

You can also make personal notes next to BOOK text entries with an optional programming tool, the Portable Erasable Nib Cryptic Intercommunication Language Stylus (PENCILS). 

Scientists are even developing the PENCIL in ALTERNATE COLORS! More on this development soon!

COMING SOON!

Portable, durable, and affordable, the BOOK is being hailed as the entertainment wave of the future. The BOOK's appeal seems so certain that thousands of content creators have committed to the platform. 

Look for a flood of new titles soon!

THANK YOU! 4486 PAGE VIEWS IN MARCH 2014!

Although this is the first day of the fourth month,

this post is NOT an April Fools' joke!

For the very first time in The Free Choice E-zine's history,

we have broken 4000+ Page Views!

March ended with a grand total of 4486 readers visiting this website.

Thanks to our loyal readers, this E-zine has consistently

broken 1000+ Page Views every month since September 2011!

We have broken 2000+ Page Views each month since September 2013!

And have even had two previous months of 3000+ Page Views!

But this is our first 4000+ month!

Unfortunately, the above is based only on our Blogger stats.

While The Free Choice E-zine has been doing its best to serve our readership since December 2003, all our previous records were lost when our last Internet Host went bankrupt and abruptly shut down with no prior warning,

although we do remember a couple of 1000+ months during that time.

But our readers followed us here and we have since grown,

to which the staff and management of this establishment humbly say

THANK YOU!