THE PUZZLE CORNER: JUNE 18, 2016

FUN FACT
Although medical science has yet to figure out why, children have more taste buds than adults!

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
With the longest day of the year approaching, how many new words can you form out of the letters in the word SOLSTICE?

FAMOUS FIRSTS
Who was the very first performer to ever portray Marvel Comics' Ant-man?

We'll reveal all next weekend. But for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from our June 11, 2016 Puzzle Corner.

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

01. {Terry Brooks, R. A. Salvatore} and yes, we know they are both authors.
Both have written Star Wars novels. Brooks did the novelization of The Phantom Menace, while Salvatore contributed the original story Vector Prime.
02. {Walter Koeing, Samuel A. Peeples}
Both have written episodes for Star Trek: The Animated Series. Koeing contributed "The Infinite Vulcan" while Peeples wrote "Beyond the Farthest Star".

AKA (Also Known As)
By what more famous name do we know Nathan Birnbaum?
George Burns!

SUNDAY FUNNIES: A DRAGON OBSERVES LIFE (misc. jokes)

Hello Everybody! Waxy Dragon here!
Now, as I fly around, I can't help but notice all you humans out and about.
Depending upon where I go, there certainly are a lot of you, so I thought I'd share some of the things I've seen in my travels.

One man was so bored, he said to his friend, "Someday I should get myself a LIFE ALERT bracelet. Hopefully it will alert me should I ever get a life."
His friend replied, "Yeah. I know what you mean. I totally understand how batteries feel too. I'm rarely included in things either."

I once perched on the window of a courthouse and looked inside. One lawyer said to the judge, "I'd like a recess your honor. The witness's pants are on fire."
Never heard the actual testimony before that, but it must have been a real whopper.

A pessimist sees a dark tunnel.
An optimist sees a light at the end of it.
A realist sees a freight train.
An engineer sees three idiots standing in the middle of the track and throws on the brakes.

You can never cross the ocean unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.
But unless you're a REALLY great swimmer, I hope you're on a boat!

A man couldn't understand why he got fired from the calendar factory. All he did was take a day off.

Next time I'll send my jokes telepathically, so if you think of something funny out of the blue, that was me.
Meanwhile, have a great week everybody and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—wd.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: JUNE 5-11, 2016

JUNE 12th MARKS THE 35th ANNIVERSARY OF RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...

*Hoping to improve relations between the two countries, New Zealand Prime Minister John Key visited Fiji.
*The World Health Organization advises women in areas with known cases of the Zika virus to delay becoming pregnant.
*June 11th marks the Queen's official birthday celebration in the United Kingdom.
*The International Tennis Federation suspended Maria Sharapova for two years after failing a drug test for meldonium before the Australian Open began.
*You soon may be able to add nihonium, moscovium, tennessine, and oganesson tp the periodic table of elements.
*Amazon.com is allegedly preparing to enter the streaming music service.
*ABBA recently reunited, briefly, to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

TERRIBLE TERRORISTS ACTIVITIES...
*Bombs are still the terrorists' weapon of choice this past week.
*The Taliban is also still executing prisoners. The latest known victims were 12 members Afghanistan security force members captured Ghazni Province ambushes between June 3 and 5.
*Meanwhile, it is suspected that ISIS/ISIL forces canNOT pay their fighters!

PASSING PARADE...
*Legendary professional hockey player Gordie Howe is no longer with us.
*Professional Mixed Martial Artist and actor Kimbo Slice (Kevin Ferguson) has passed away.
*Actress Theresa Saldana (Raging Bull, The Commish, I Wanna Hold Your Hand) has taken her last bow on life's stage.
*Chess Grandmaster Viktor Lvovich Korchnoi is no longer with us.
*Playwright/screenwriter Sir Peter Shaffer (Amadeus, Equus) has passed away.
*Christina Grimmie, a former The Voice contestant now with Before You Exit, was killed by an as yet unidentified assailant before killing himself attempting to flee authorities.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
*A RECALL OF NATURE MADE VITAMINS IS NOW UNDERWAY!

POLITICALLY...

*After this past week's primaries, Democrat Hillary Clinton and Republican Donald Trump are the presumed candidates for the 2016 Presidential election, although their parties' respective conventions this summer still need to make that official.
*After a White House meeting between the two Democratic candidates, President Barack Obama officially endorsed Clinton over Bernie Sanders.
*Meanwhile, Elizabeth Warren has officially endorsed Clinton too, leaving Trump to unfavorably compare Warren to Pocahontas.
*The surviving members of the rock group Queen have formally told the Republican candidate he does NOT have permission to use their music in his campaign.
*Would you believe Donald Trump's lawyer actually supports the Democrats?
*Is the Republican Party's new "Poverty Agenda" just more of the same old bull? And why have they still refuse to even hold a consideration hearing on President Obama's potential Supreme Court nominee???
*Did David Perdue, a Republican Senator from Georgia, actually pray in public for President Obama's death???
*Alabama State Speaker of the House Mike Hubbard (R) has automatically lost his position after being found guilty of ethics violations by a jury.
*The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that there is no Second Amendment protection for concealed weapons, upholding a California law that does not consider "general self-defense" sufficient for a weapon's license.
*Medical marijuana is now legal in Ohio.
*President Obama was simply a proud father at his oldest daughter's Malia's high school graduation.
ELSEWHERE...
*Although Hurricane season in the United States is officially June 1 to November 30 this year, the Atlantic saw it's THIRD bout of activity with Tropical Storm Colin BEFORE the clock started.
*After losing its Invasion of Privacy Lawsuit filed by former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan and filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection, Gawker Media has agreed to be bought out by Ziff Davis.
*The rock group Black Sabbath has announced their final(?) United States tour dates.

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our ELSEWHERE feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JUNE 11, 2016

FUN FACT
It requires more facial muscles to make a sad expression than to smile.

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

01. {Terry Brooks, R. A. Salvatore} and yes, we know they are both authors.
02. {Walter Koeing, Samuel A. Peeples}

AKA (Also Known As)
By what more famous name do we know Nathan Birnbaum?

We'll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results of the June 4, 2016 Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?

Answer: NOBODY! To be entombed means your final resting place is above ground.

THE 50/50 CHANCE
Just like a regular TRIVIA TIME question, only there are just two possible answers, hence the even odds of getting it right. Ready?

TRUE OR FALSE: Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the world's first full length animated feature.

Answer: FALSE! Not to take anything away from Walt Disney's many accomplishments, but animator Charlotte "Lotte" Reiniger in Germany actually created full length silhouette animation productions BEFORE the Disney Studio movie.
Remember, the question said "the WORLD'S first full length animated feature." Snow White was the first full length animated feature in America.
More information can be found here.

SUNDAY FUNNIES: SMART JOKES

Hello Everybody! Autumn the Puppy here!

Now, I like to think of myself as a smart dog. After all, how many canines do you know who can post on the Internet besides the usual stuff like fetch and protect the house from stray squirrels, cats, chipmunks, and the rare would-be prowler?

In any event, here are some jokes that might make one have to stop and think before you get the punchline, but I promise doing so won't hurt.

Teacher: Give me a a sentence with the word ANALYZE in it.
Student: My sister Anna lies in bed until nine o'clock.

Did you know that each time you see a full moon, you always see the same side?
Considering how cratered that side is, I'd hate to see the other end!

Did you know when lightning strikes, it can reach up to 30,000 degrees Celsius (54,000 degrees Fahrenheit)?
Shockingly hot, isn't it?

Did you know that honey is the only natural food that never spoils?
But considering what you have to go through to get it...

Adam and Eve were the first people to have ever not read the APPLE terms and conditions.

My first job was in an orange juice factory. I got fired because I could not concentrate.

And since today is National Donut Day here in America, remember: the center of the donut is 100% fat  free and has zero calories!

On that note, have a great week everybody, and please be back here next weekend for more Sunday Funnies!—AtP.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: MAY 29-JUNE 4, 2016

JUNE 4th IS UNITY DAY IN HUNGARY AND INDEPENDENCE DAY IN TONGA.

JUNE 5th IS NATIONAL DONUT DAY IN THE UNITED STATES.

AMONGST EVENTS AROUND THE WORLD THIS PAST WEEK...

*Thankfully, North Korea has yet to successfully launch a ballistic missile capable of striking South Korea or Japan.
*The Gotthard Base Tunnel has officially opened in the Swiss Alps as the longest railway tunnel in the world.
*Rodrigo Duterte has been proclaimed President of the Philippines.

*You might eventually be able to own a home in China, but the government will still own the land your house is standing on.

TERRIBLE TERRORIST ACTIVITIES...
*Bombs are still the weapon dujour in this past week of attacks on civilians and military targets.
*Are ISIS/ISIL fighters trying to sell their sex slaves?

PASSING PARADE...
*Heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali has passed away.
*Noted Humanitarian Rupert Neudeck is no longer with us.
*Famous sitcom writer Carla Lane (The Liver Birds, Butterflies, Bread) has passed away.

WITHIN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA...
POLITICALLY...
*Did you know that Congress will not allow the Center For Disease Control to study gun violence?

*President Barack Obama will not use the "T word" because he doesn't want to "advertise" for you-know-who, but still can't believe Congress has taken no action to consider his Supreme Court nominee!
*The Libertarian Party has announced Gary Johnson as their 2016 Presidential candidate with William Weld as his running mate.
*While there is much talk of a possible third party candidate entering the 2016 Presidential Race to oppose presumed Republican nominee Donald Trump and whoever will represent the Democratic Party, many GOP members fear a repeat of the 1996 election between Bill Clinton and George H. W. Bush where third party candidate H. Ross Perot took votes away from Bush to allow Clinton the victory.
*California Governor Jerry Brown has officially endorsed Hillary Clinton while other Republicans question U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan's endorsing Donald Trump for President of the United States.
*So, did Donald Trump donate to Veteran causes or not? Meanwhile, has Trump University been nothing but a lie all these years?
ELSEWHERE...
*Research by the University of North Carolina reports that 26% of cancer patients can't afford to pay for their treatment, and 18% can't afford their prescriptions!
*Autopsy results reveal that Prince died of an overdose of fentanyl, an opioid painkiller 50 times more powerful than heroin!
*Pizza Hut promises to improve its ingredients by 2020.
*Driver Alexander Rossi won the 100th Indianapolis 500.
*The 2016 National Basketball Association Championship will be between the Golden State Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
*The World Golf Championship, previously held at Trump National Doral just outside of Miami, Florida; will be moving to Mexico City
*Whatever happened to mini-golf?

THE FREE CHOICE CELEBRATES ITS THIRD STRAIGHT MONTH OF 2,000+ PAGE VIEWS, WITH 2769 IN MAY 2016!

For more news at any time, either scroll down to our ELSEWHERE feature at the bottom of your screen or visit any other reputable news source.

THE PUZZLE CORNER: JUNE 4, 2016

FUN FACT
The average man spends about 5 months of his life shaving.

TRIVIA TIME
Who is buried in Grant's Tomb?

THE 50/50 CHANCE
Just like a regular TRIVIA TIME question, only there are just two possible answers, hence the even odds of getting it right. Ready?

TRUE OR FALSE: Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the world's first full length animated feature.

We'll reveal all next weekend, but for now, let's open up THE ANSWERS BOX and discover the results from the May 28, 2016 Memorial Day weekend Puzzle Corner.

TRIVIA TIME
When was the very first, official Memorial Day held?

Decoration Day officially became Memorial Day when Congress declared it a Federal holiday in 1967.

THE LETTER SHUFFLE
How many new words can you spell out of the letters in the word MEMORIAL?

A, aero, ail, aim, air, ale, alm, am, ammo, are, arm
Ear, elm, em (a printer's measure), era
I, ire
Lair, lea, leo, liar, lie, lime
Ma, mail, male, mar, mar, me, meal, mil (wire thickness), mile, mime, mire, mole, moral, morale, more
Oar, oil, oiler, ole, or, ore
Rail, ram, real, realm, ream, rile, rim

More than the 51 words listed above might be possible.