eClectic ePistle

Famous First Words: It was a bright cold day in April and the clocks were striking thirteen... George Orwell 1984

1984 (the book) is 76 years old today. Did Orwell have a crystal ball? Just replace Google for the Ministry of Plenty, replace Facebook for the Ministry of Truth, and replace Twitter for the mInistry of Love, and Orwell was spot on. $$ So is George Orwell the father of Big Brother?

We can all sleep easy at night knowing that somewhere at any given time, the Foo Fighters are out there fighting Foo. --David Letterman

Love all beings as you would love yourself; for we are all connected. --Mother Ann Lee

..........Gonna have some fun.........Jan & Dean …..Surf City ~~June is international Surf Music Month

I greatly fear some of America's greatest and most dangerous enemies are such as think themselves her best friends. --Nathan Hale

It is/was a dark Friday morning. I got up just before seven but the electricity didn't wake up until 8:40 am. So, sitting in my recliner waiting for the lights to come on reminded me of Terry Pratchett's book Thud which describes in some detail the Endarkening. Endarkening is the dwarf equivalent of enlightening. The dwarves live underground and their spiritual experiences come in the dark. Seems like our country is going through its own endarkening. Perhaps some day the history books will call the USA's early 21^st century the Great Endarkenment...9/11, School Shootings, the Pandemic, the Russian Orange Agent. The electricity is back up, I'm drinking coffee...and writing to you. It may turn out to be a good day afterall.

Have an absolutely fabulous weekend, light seekers

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Instead of asking “How are you?” we should start conversations with “So what's been haunting you this week? --Submitted by INRITH

June is Great Outdoors Month. I love going out doors. It's so much safer than going out windows. ₸ Remember to leave no trace while camping and hiking. If bigfoot can do it, so can you.

Internal strife is tearing the Republican Party apart at the seams. It's like a new Civil War, only this time neither side is trying to help black people. --Stephen Colbert

Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing. --Mother Teresa

..........Got a brand new board and I'm ready to fly.........Trashmen …..King Of The Surf

Trivia Questions: Happy Drive-In Movie Night

1. Do you know where the first drive-in theater opened?

2. What is the most popular name for currently operating drive-in theaters?

3. Which state has the most drive-in theaters?

4. What is the country's largest drive-in; or where it is?

5. How many drive-in theaters are left out there?

Big Hello: Lumela – Sesotho (Lesotho, Botswana, South Africa, Namibia,and Zambia) https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I'm not delicate like a flower. I'm more delicate like a hand grenade.

Image of the Week: These are people climbing Everest. Doesn't seem like that great an achievement any more. Happy Great Outdoors Month

Insult of the Week: Money-makers are tiresome company, as they have no standard but cash value. --Plato The Republic

You can tell the tourists from the hikers by how clean their shoes are. ₸ I made a playlist for hiking. It has music from Peanuts, The Cranberries, and Eminem. It's a trail mix.

Do we really need a march to raise awareness about global climate change? I mean, it's an accepted scientific phenomenon pretty much everywhere ...except this one place called the United States House of Representatives Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. --Jon Stewart

Radiate boundless love towards the entire world. --Buddha

..........The sea is foaming like a bottle of beer.........Weezer …..Surf Wax America

Moonbeam: War is only a cowardly escape from the problems of peace. --Thomas Mann

Blasphemy of the Week: Blasphemy is a word I seldom use, but I just saw Malvina Reynold's song “Little Boxes” used in a Volkswagen commercial. --Submitted by sb of ar

Coffee Joke of the Week: There are two kinds of people, coffee people and sad people.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: A real smart TV would increase the volume when you start eating chips. --Submitted by sd of ks

This week is National Business Etiquette Week (1-7) Why can't I wear pajamas at work. Everybody else does. They're the patients. $ A clean desk is a sign of a messy drawer.

Julian Assange is not a likable man. Even Benedict Cumberbatch could not make him likeable. He's un-Cumberbatchable! That was supposed to be physically impossible. --John Oliver

Where there is Love and Wisdom, there is neither Fear nor Ignorance. --St. Francis

..........Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha..........Surfairs …..Wipe Out

1. 1) The first drive-in theater opened in Camden, NJ in June of 1933. The second drive-in didn't open until 1934 in Orefield. PA.

Almanac: It is Friday, June 6, 2025. The moon entered the first quarter on Tuesday (6/3) and is in Libra. Today is Atheists Pride Day, Creative Educators International Day, D-Day, Drive-In Movie Day, National Eyewear Day. National Gun Violence Awareness Day, National Higher Education Day, Russian Language Day, World Pest Day, YMCA Day, and Yo-Yo Day.

Among those born on this day were Diego Velzquez (1599), Nathan Hale (1755), Aleksandr Sergeyevich (1799), Thomas Mann (1875), Walter Percy Chrysler (1875), Dorothy Heyward (1890), Sukarno (1901), Dalai Lama (1935), Gary "US" Bonds (1939), Harvey Fierstein (1954), and Dana Carvey (1955).

On June sixth the electric iron was patented (1882), the US Polo Association was formed (1890), the Chrysler Corporation was founded (1925), and the Securities and Exchange Commission was established (1934).

Night Sky, 6/6: After dark, Vega is the brightest star high in the east. Barely lower left of it is 4th-magnitude Epsilon Lyrae, the Double-Double. Epsilon forms one corner of a roughly equilateral triangle with Vega and Zeta Lyrae. The triangle is less than 2° on a side, hardly the width of your thumb at arm's length. Binoculars easily resolve Epsilon. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Epitome of Summer

This Week: Saturday, June 7 – Drawing Day aka Pencil Day & National Prairie Day & Turtle Races Day

Sunday, June 8 – Race Unity Day & Upsy Daisy Day & Ghostbusters Day & World Oceans Day

Night Sky, 6/8: The nearly full Moon shines well to the upper right of Antares this evening. As night advances, the scene moves higher and tips leftward toward the south

Monday, June 9 – International Celtic Art Day & Toy Industry Day & International Archives Day

Tuesday, June 10 – AA Founders Day & Ball Point Pen Day & Bartender Day & Iced Tea Day & World Pet Memorial Day

Wednesday, June 11 – Corn on the Cob Day & National Making Life Beautiful Day

Night Sky, 6/11): June's full moon will reach peak illumination at 3:44 pm (EDT) Traditionally it is called the Strawberry Moon.

Thursday, June 12 – Loving Day & Mechanics Day & Crowded Nest Awareness Day

1984 Reboot: Ministry of Truth (Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present, controls the past.) - Fox News (The election was stolen.) $$ Ministry of Plenty (Spending is Saving) - a magic marker and a weather map.

$60,000 was stolen from a Whole Foods in New York. Luckily, Whole Foods will make all that money back the next time someone buys an apple. --Jimmy Fallon

Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing. --St Therese of Lisieux

..........There was sand and sun and lots of fun.........The Beach Boys …..Wipe Out

2) The most popular name for drive-ins is “Starlite or Starlight” Drive-In. There are 10 theaters named this. Runners up are Sky View (Skyvu, Skyview ...)

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I woke up from a deep sleep in a panic thinking I was late for work. Thankfully I was already at work. --Submitted by INRITH

Moonbeam: Don't ever forget the history. It will make and change who we are. --Sukarno

Fun Fact of the Week: Even you can become a lifetime member of the United States Polo Association for $2,500. Among the member benefits are: accident & liability insurance, discounts on clothes, and equine discounts for horse products. https://www.uspolo.org/association/membership

Audio of the Week: Gary US Bonds : This Little Girl https://youtu.be/viSAqfk8G0U

It is the duty of every good officer to obey any orders given him by his commander-in-chief. --Nathan Hale

In a state of love, no matter what you do, it's going to be good. --Paramahansa Yogananda

Sunflowers – solar flower power

1984 reboot: Ministry of Peace (War is Peace) – Pete Hegseth, Department of Defense - drunk leaking war plan over unsecured internet “Peace through strength works; but the flip side is war through weakness.” $$ Ministry of Love aka The Thought Police (responsible for misery, fear, suffering, and torture. - The Republicans in the House, the Republicans in the Senate, Secretary of Health & Human Services, Kenndey, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

..........he's got a green surfboard and a woody to match.........Surfaris …..Surfer Joe

3) Currently New York has the most operating drive-ins of any state with 28. This is surprising because they are necessarily seasonal. Pennsylvania has 27, Ohio has 24, and Indiana has 19.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: As we head into June and the weather starts to get sticky and humid, please remember to check in on your friends with naturally curly hair. We are not ok. We are out here looking like alpacas. https://www.facebook.com/churchmouseuk

Weird Word of the Week: Ignivomous – mountain vomiting fire aka volcano https://www.worldwidewords.org/ww-ign1.html

Dragon of the Week: This picture had no location information

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Wash your car. Add two capfuls of Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo to a bucket of water and soap up your car with the biodegradable suds. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clairol.html

It is love alone that gives life to all things. --St Teresa of Avila

A study found that hand dryers in bathrooms spread more germs than paper towels. And the maker of hand dryers said, “But don't forget, we also don't dry your hands.” --Jimmy Fallon

The trouble with being on time for business meetings is that there's no one there to appreciate it. $ The closest people come to perfection is on an employment application.

...........We could ride the surf together.........The Beach Boys …..Surfer Girl

4) The largest operating drive-in in the US is the Ford Wyoming Drive-In in Dearborn, MI. It can hold around 3,000 cars. They are open year round by offering in-car heaters.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Not sure if retailers know this, but there is a whole demographic of women who still want the bottom half of the shirt. --Submitted by INRITH

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Cryptids and Paranormal Conference 2025 (7^th, Farmingdale, NJ) Convention with Horror and Sci-Fi programming. https://fancons.ca/events/info/25411/cryptids-and-paranormal-conference-2025

Spark of Joy of the Week: This year's hollyhocks are in bloom: Red, pink, and yellow

As you dissolve into love, your ego fades. You're not thinking about loving; you're just being love, radiating like the sun. --Ram Dass

At a theme park in California a man was arrested because he hopped a fence and entered an animal exhibit, and punched a camel in the face. When asked why, the man just glared at the camel and said, “He knows why”. --Conan O'Brien

Camping in the wilderness is great until you hear a twig snap. ₸ What do you do in your spare time? I stalk. Really, I hike a lot and swim in unpolluted lakes. I know.

..........Say, I'll see 'em in the fall.........Jan & Dean …..Tell 'Em I'm Surfin'

5) Back in the 1950s there were over 4,000 drive-ins in the US. Currently, there are about 330 still operating.

Protest Sign of the Week: Tariffied

Quote of the Week: Because the world is full of death and horror, I try again and again to console my heart and pick the flowers that grow in the midst of hell. --Hermann Hesse --Submitted by WWRWM

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: It's OK to talk to yourself. It's also OK to answer yourself. But, it's sad when you have to repeat what you said because you weren't listening!!

Today's Peace of History: June 6, 1971: 40 members of the American Indian Movement camped in the sacred Black Hills, or Paha Sapa, atop Mount Rushmore; 20 were arrested. They were demanding the U.S. honor the terms of the 1868 treaty with the Sioux Nation granting them the Black Hills territory.

Music is the expression of harmony in sound. Love is the expression of harmony in life. --Stephen Gaskin

A new poll has found that a majority of Americans believe the government is spying on them. “No, we're not” said your microwave. --Seth Meyers

While hiking be wary of trees; they're always shady. ₸ Trees never need therapy because they are well grounded. ₸ We're gonna hike around this lake come hill or high water.

..........Nothing sweeter than this.........Lesley Gore …..California Nights

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, June 6, 2025, eClectic ePistle. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: I'm thirty years old, but I read at the thirty-four-year-old level. --Dana Carvey

Cost of War:

As of 06/05/25 State Department Costs: $266,743,133,437

As of 05/29/25 State Department Costs: $266,199,158,547

As of 06/05/25 Homeland Security: $1,201,445,183,946

As of 05/29/25 Homeland Security: $1,200,854,327,358

As of 06/05/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,304,144,846,230

As of 05/29/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,302,625,557,615

As of 06/05/25 Military Costs: $3,149,869,307,739

As of 05/29/25 Military Costs: $3,148,715,787,186

As of 06/05/25 Veterans Care: $4,311,012,989,874

As of 05/29/25 Veterans Care: $4,299,496,598,892

As of 06/05/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,233,217,142,149

As of 05/29/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,217,893,899,157

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/

I wish to be useful, and every kind of service necessary to the public good becomes honorable by being necessary. --Nathan Hale

Famous Last Words: Am I still in my house? --Gerhart Hauptmann

..........Everybody's gone surfin'..........The Beach Boys …..Surfin' USA

Love is all you need. --The Beatles

Student loan debt. It affects everyone I know, and if you're one of the ten people it doesn't affect, congratulations on being a Kennedy. --Hasan Minhaj

1984 Required Reading: 1984 2025 Required Reading: Mein Kampf $$ What's the difference between George Orwell and Ayn Rand? People went to Geroge Orwell's funeral to mourn him. People went to Ayn Rand's funeral to make sure it was her.

May Peace shine your heart

And Joy polish your soul

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

rUsset ePistle

Famous First Words: In the Name of the Most Holy and Undivided Trinity... First Treaty of Paris 1814

It is the International Day of the Potato. Polly Potato was always reluctant to participate with the other potatoes; she's known as a hesi-tater. Ō I am too in shape. It's the shape of a potato.

Today is Heat Awareness Day. It's so hot my cigarette just lit itself.

Hippie Love: Make Love Not War

..........The rain will bring the violets of May.........Benny Goodman …..Don't Be That Way

Where there is no justice, there is no liberty. --Marcus Tullius Cicero

It is a gorgeous Friday morning. There is not a cloud in the sky which is as blue as sapphire. The 56°F temperature is cool and refreshing like the morning dew with no hint of cold or rain. A bird choir is singing in the backyard trees. I think I hear three different species' songs, but I could be wrong. The world still smells of yesterday's rain and of growth and spring. The rabbit that lives under the shed skitters back home when Puck comes out to do his morning business. Puck doesn't notice her, but I am pleased that she did not need to hide from me. I check on the sunflowers (they're growing apace) and notice that the hollyhocks are nearly ready to open their tight little buds. I toss my dizzy free head around and return to my room for creamy, sweet decaf and a Dillons donut. What a morning, and it's not even 8 yet.

Have a meat and potatoes weekend, Tater Tots.

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Entropy is the natural state of the Universe. Order is temporary and must be coerced. All things yearn to return to Chaos. So no, I'm not going to put my laundry away.

Health Update of the Week: I took my last antibiotic pill on Tuesday and on Wednesday I had NO dizziness. I'm back.

Peter Potato was sent to the Psych Ward because he was starch raving mad. Ō My mother is an Idaho potato; talk about eyes in the back of your head.

It's so hot I saw a bee take off its yellow jacket.

Hippie Love: Love Makes Your Soul Crawl Out Of Its Hiding Place. --Zora Neale Hurston

..........That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray.........Vanessa Redgrave …..The Lusty Month of May

Trivia Questions: Happy 136^th Birthday to the Modern Brassiere!

1. Which civilization made the very first known women's breast support garments?

2. Where did the name brassiere come from?

3. When did brassieres acquire cup sizes?

4. When did the sports bra appear?

5. What was the brassiere industry in the US worth in 2024?

Big Hello: Lumela – Serrano (Uto-Aztecan, Southern California) https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Balloons are so weird. Happy Birthday, here's a plastic sack of my breath. --Submitted by INRITH

Image of the Week: Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Insult of the Week: Just because you have the emotional range of a teaspoon doesn't mean we all have. --J K Rowling Order of the Phoenix

Paula Potato just introduced a line of potato pajamas called Yammies. Ō Potatoes give us chips, fries, and vodka. And I planted carrots. Ō The difference between a baby and a baked potato is about 140 calories.

It's so hot Global Warming was like “Damn, it's hot out there”.

Hippie Love: Life is the flower for which love is the honey. --Victor Hugo

..........Some days in a daze.........Michael Bublé …..End of May

Moonbeam: Destiny may ride with us today, but there is no reason for it to interfere with lunch. --Tsar Peter (the great)

Blasphemy of the Week: It is easier for a removable bra cup to be inserted through the tiny hole and placed in the correct shape than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. --Submitted by MMS

Coffee Joke of the Week: Coffee: Because a good day never starts with a kale smoothie.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Do UK websites use biscuits instead of cookies?

If by crunches you mean the sound potato chips make when you eat them, then yes, I do crunches. Ō I bought a bag of Irish potatoes. When I got up in the night to get a drink of water I found them all doing Kerry sets.

It's so hot Superman took a cab.

Hippie Love: We are all born for love. It is the principle of existence, and its only end. --Benjamin Disraeli

..........Oh, sweet surrender, now.........Robert Plant …..The May Queen

1) Crete is accredited with not only the first corset, but also the first bra. In fact, they were wearing bras hundreds of years before the rest of us. Funny thing is that Grecian women wore bras and corsets that supported yet exposed their breasts.

Almanac: It is Friday, May 30, 2025. The moon was new last Tuesday (5/27) and is in Cancer. Today is Heat Awareness Day, International Day of the Potato, Loomis Day, National Creativity Day, World Multiple Sclerosis Day, and Traditional Memorial Day.

Among those born on this day were Tsar Alexander I (1220), Tsar Peter (the great, 1672), Alfred Austin (1835), Louis Varney (1844), Cornelia Otis Skinner (1901), Stepin Fetchit (Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry, 1902), Mel Blanc (1908), Benny Goodman (1909), Gale Sayers (1943), and Wynonna Judd (1964).

On May thirtieth the first Treaty of Paris was signed (1814), Memorial Day was first observed (1868), the modern brassiere was invented (1889), the National Conference on the Negro was held (1909), Albania was formed (1913), and the Lincoln Memorial was dedicated (1922).

Night Sky, 5/30: The Big Dipper floats high in the northwest these evenings. The middle star of its bent handle is Mizar, with tiny Alcor right next to it. On which side of Mizar should you look for Alcor? As always, on the side toward Vega. Which is now the brightest star in the east. Titan casts its shadow on Saturn tonight! Only every 15 years does Titan, Saturn's largest moon, cross Saturn's face from Earth's viewpoint and, more visibly, cast its tiny black shadow onto Saturn. The latest series of these events has begun. They will happen every 16 days from now to October. Tonight Titan's shadow crosses Saturn's face from 9:05 UT to 14:53 UT May 31st; that's from 5:05 a.m. to 10:53 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time May 31st; 2:05 to 7:53 a.m. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/

    

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Max as a 30s guy at a Decades party and Ollie in a dragon hat.

This Week: Saturday, May 31 – National Smile Day & World No-Tobacco Day & World Parrot Day

Sunday, June 1 – National Game Show Day & National Olive Day & Say Something Nice Day & Milk Day

Night Sky 6/1: Now the Moon leaves Mars behind to get chummier with Regulus, shining only about 1° from it (depending on your location). But at a distance of 79 light-years, Regulus is 1.9 billion times farther from us than the Moon is. A scale model: If the Moon was just a foot from your eye like on a screen, Regulus would be 360,000 miles in the background — a nuclear fireball at about the Moon's actual distance from us!

Monday, June 2 – Leave The Office Early Day & National Thank God It's MonDay & National Gun Violence Awareness Day

Extra Funniest Bit of the Week: You're the she to my nanigans. https://www.facebook.com/our.YoreMomm

Tuesday, June 3 – Bike Travel Day & National Egg Day & Wonder Woman Day

Wednesday, June 4 – Audacity To Hope Day & Hug Your Cat Day & Old Maid's Day

Night Sky, 6/4: Jupiter (magnitude –1.9) is on the way out. As twilight fades, look for it very low in the northwest, lower every day.

Thursday, June 5 – Festival of Popular Delusions Day & Hot Air Balloon Day & World Environment Day

Peter Potato had to get glasses. Now he's a spectator. Ō Lazy joeys are called pouch potatoes. Ō Patsy grows potato cubes; She calls them square roots. Ō The most powerful potato in the universe is Darth Tater.

It's so hot every time I try to speak, all that comes out is a Tennessee Williams monologue.

Hippie Love: The first duty of love is to listen. --Paul tillich

..........Made all the stars around them shine...........Blue Rodeo …..Five Days In May

2) The term “brassiere” was first used in Vogue in 1907. This means “support” which is what a bra is used for – to support our breasts. From there, it was shortened to the “bra” as we know it today. Early bras were also known as “bust bodices” or “Bbs” in the early 1900s.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Accept the good in your life. Like me. I'm a f*cking delight.

Moonbeam: I don't care to be remembered as the man who scored six touchdowns in a game. I want to be remembered as a winner in life. --Gale Sayers

Fun Facts of the Week: Gale Sayers had a career total of 4,956 rushing yards, 39 rushing touchdowns, and 112 receptions for 1,307 receiving yards and 9 receiving touchdowns. He also recorded 3,172 return yards and 8 return touchdowns during his time in the NFL. He played for KU during his college years.

Video of the Week: Stepin Fetchit in Miracle in Harlem (1948) (:40) https://youtu.be/KnTb-kJVDww

Equal justice under law is not just a caption on the facade of the Supreme Court Building, it is perhaps the most inspiring ideal of our society. --Warren E Burger

Hippie Love: To turn all the treasures we possess into the channel of universal love becomes the business of our lives. --John Woolman

It's so hot I realized Dune was a training manual.

Parker Potato was a famous labor union organizer. He was a member of the IWW and was a great agi-tater. Ō Christy Crisp was always making fun of her friends. She was a tater-taunt.

..........He's an on and off friend of mine.........Liz Phair …..May Queen

3) It was not until the 1920’s that a husband and wife team began changing the way bras were and actually started giving them cup sizes.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: If I was meant to be controlled, I'd have come with a remote.

Weird Word of the Week: Dicktim: When someone acts like a dick, then acts like a victim about it. https://www.facebook.com/PsychoBtchLou

Dragon of the Week: Epcot Dragon --Submitted by ml of ks

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Clean grease from your hands. A dab of Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo cuts through the grime on your hands. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clairol.html

Hippie Love: Love doesn't just sit there, like a stone; it has to be made, like bread, remade all the time, made new. --Ursula K Le Guin

It's so hot my crayons are now watercolors.

Yosef Yam was a janitor at the local McDonalds. He was a really good sweep potato. Ō All potato puns are pomme de terrible.

...........Careless sunlight in her eyes and petals in her hair..........Heather Dale …..May Queen

4) In the 70’s, the first sports bra was invented out of (get this!) two jock straps! It’s a bit disgusting to think about that part of it, but at the same time, sports bras are our lifesaver when it comes to running, jumping and working out!

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: US accepts flying gilded brothel from Qatar. --Submitted by sd of ks ~~Which, apparently, he asked for.

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: ConQuesT 54 (2-4, KCMO) KC's original Science Fiction Convention... https://conquestkc.org/

Awesomeness of the Week: Bonnie Raitt & Sheryl Crow singing Dylan's Everything Is Broken

Spark of Joy of the Week: The only person Donny Nappleseed* ever hired who was actually qualified to do their job was Stormy Daniels. *One of Jimmy Kimmel's 78 Nicknames

Hippie Love: Where There Is Great Love There Are Always Miracles. --Willa Cather

It's so hot Jesus turned the wine back into water.

I have a large potato patch and a special bag for carrying them. It's my tater tote. Ō When a potato is angry it's best not to say anything; just butter 'em up.

..........I need that heart to breathe............Secrets …...Maybe Next May

5) The bra market reached USD 31.93 billion in 2024 and is expected to attain a value of USD 54.54 billion by 2034.

Protest Sign of the Week: Dump The Turd Reich

Better Protest Sign of the Week: Tiny Hands – Giant Bribes

Quote of the Week: Disbelief in magic can force a soul into believing in government and business. --Tom Robbins

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I'm not a 10. I'm like two 5s held together by mashed potatoes. --Submitted by FNOG

Today's Peace of History: May 30, 1990 - Midnight Oil closed down 6th Avenue in New York City as they played a protest concert in front of Exxon's offices. The protest was in reaction to the Exxon Valdez disaster.

Hippie Love: I'd rather wear flowers around my neck than diamonds. --Oscar Wilde

It's so hot my iceberg lettuce melted.

The other day it rained potatoes. There were spuddles everywhere. Ō Penny is a good looking french fry, a real hot potato.

..........While nature wantons in her prime.........William Byrd …..The Sweet and Merry Month of May

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, May 30, 2025, rUsset ePistle. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: Women's virtue is man's greatest invention. --Cornelia Otis Skinner

Cost of War:

As of 02/29/25 State Department Costs: $266,199,158,547

As of 05/22/25 State Department Costs: $265,623,483,660

As of 02/29/25 Homeland Security: $1,200,854,327,358

As of 05/22/25 Homeland Security: $1,200,229,066,138

As of 02/29/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,302,625,557,615

As of 05/22/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,301,017,774,002

As of 02/29/25 Military Costs: $3,148,715,787,186

As of 05/22/25 Military Costs: $3,147,495,183,839

As of 02/29/25 Veterans Care: $4,299,496,598,892

As of 05/22/25 Veterans Care: $4,287,310,901,403

As of 02/29/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,217,893,899,157

As of 05/22/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,201,580,117,054

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/

Justice without force is powerless; force without justice is tyrannical. --Blaise Pascal

Famous Last Words: That's all, folks. --Mel Blanc

..........And pluck the wildflowers.........Dolores Keane …..May Morning Dew

Hippie Love: Imagine All The People Sharing All The World. --John Lennon

It's so hot the devil is out front sunbathing in a thong.

Veggie town just got it's first emergency vehicle. It's a yambulance. Ō I won the potato hiding contest because my carbo-hide-rate was so high.

May Peace ease your mind

And Joy comfort your soul

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

sPun ePistle II

Famous First Words: Captain Walker didn't come home. --The Who Overture Tommy

Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die. Ξ Why was the blood pressure cuff so popular? It knew how to apply the right pressure. Ξ Every time I sit down at my spinning wheel, my partner says, “Don't make yourself dizzy.”

..........lots of laughs, lots of laughs.........Joni Mitchell …..Blue

Let us have love and more love; a love that melts all opposition, a love that conquers all foes, a love that sweeps away all barriers, a love that aboundeth in charity, a large-heartedness, tolerance, forgiveness and noble striving, a love that triumphs over all obstacles. --Abdu'l Bahá

It is a beautiful Friday morning. I have been to the doctor who says the problem in my ears may be a real infection now. So I just took a couple of antibiotics pills and an over the counter decongestant. Gee, I hope this does the trick.

Hope your weekend is dizzy-free, Clear Headed ePistliers

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I don't fear aging. I fear stairs, small fonts, and low chairs. --Submitted by cmp of ks

What did the systolic say to the diastolic? I always come first. Ξ I thought my spinning was caused by an ear infection but the doctor said I have a dizzy-se.

..........I've come to talk to you again.........Simon & Garfunkel …..The Sound Of Silence

Trivia Questions: Happy World Turtle Day

1. How long have turtles been around?

2. What do turtles eat?

3. Turtles are amniotes, what does that mean?

4. How long was the lifespan of the oldest recorded turtle?

5. How many species of turtles are there?

Big Hello: Zdravo - Serbian https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Earth has been officially recognized as the universe's leading producer of awkward social interactions. --Submitted by 42 Collective

Insult of the Week: If you will forgive me for being personal...I don't like your face. --Agatha Christie Murder On The Orient Express

The blood pressure monitor made an excellent detective because it could always tell when someone was under pressure. Ξ My brother spun me so fast on the merry-go-round that I couldn't return the favor. This is known as a first whirled problem.

..........I hope I die before I get old.........The Who …..My Generation

Moonbeam: What is mind? No matter. What is matter? Never mind. What is the soul? It is immaterial. --Thomas Hood

Blasphemy of the Week: The dominant religion on the planet is not Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or Judaism but the pervasive faith in violence. --Walter Wink

Request For Anyone Living in Lawrence: A large-ish tree limb has fallen into our front yard and we don't have a saw big enough to cut it up. I would like to put the pieces in the backyard as a woodpile as a recreational and/or habitat for the local wildlife. If someone has a saw we can borrow, we would be most grateful. There are people here who can do the sawing and the carrying. Thank you!!

Joke of the Week: When I drink too much coffee, people get dizzy just watching me.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Born to Dilly Dally; forced to fight fascists. --Hanna Oxford

My partner reminded me that the world doesn't revolve around me, I'm just dizzy. Ξ The bp monitor was a great actress because she always knew her lines and never choked under pressure.

..........It took me by surprise..........Marvin Gaye …...I Heard It Through The Grapevine

1) Turtles belong to one of the oldest reptile groups beating snakes, crocodiles, and alligators. They date back to the time of the dinosaurs, over 200 million years.

Almanac: It is Friday, May 23, 2025. The moon will be new next Wednesday (5/27) and is in Aries. The United Nations has declared this International Day to End Obstetric Fistula. Today is Don't Fry Day, National Polka Day, National Best Friend-in-Law Day, National Cooler Day, National Road Trip Day, National Taffy Day, National Title Track Day, and World Turtle Day.

Among those born on this day were Thomas Hood (1799), Edward Hitchcock (1828), 'Abdu'l-Baha (1844), Douglas Fairbanks (1883), Artie Shaw (1909), Barbara Ward (1914), Rosemary Clooney (1928), Robert Moog (1934), Marvelous Marvin Hagler (1954), Drew Carey (1961), and Jewel (Kilcher, 1974).

On May twenty-third Captain Kidd was hung (1701), the James gang robbed the Richmond, MO bank (1867), the Associated Press News Service formed (1900), the first "black" musical comedy opened (Shuffle Along, 1921), the first nylon was manufactured (1934), Winston Churchill resigned (1945), the first Cliff Notes were published (1953), and The Who released Tommy (1969).

Night Sky, 5/23: Bright Capella sets low in the northwest fairly soon after dark these evenings (depending on your latitude). That leaves Vega and Arcturus as the brightest stars in the evening sky. Vega shines in the east-northeast. Arcturus is very high toward the south. A third of the way from Arcturus down to Vega look for semicircular Corona Borealis, with 2nd-magnitude Alphecca as its one moderately bright star. Two thirds of the way from Arcturus to Vega is the dim Keystone of Hercules. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Max & Ollie with some new books at Grandma's house.

This Week: Saturday, May 24 – Aviation Maintenance Technician Day & Brother's Day & Morse Code Day & National Learn To Swim Day

Sunday, May 25 – Indianapolis 500 Day & Plastic Free Day & National Tap Dance Day & Towel Day

Night Sky, 4/25: Can you see the big Coma Berenices star cluster? Does your light pollution really hide it, or do you just not know exactly where to look? It's 2/5 of the way from Denebola (Leo's tail tip) to the end of the Big Dipper's handle (Ursa Major's tail tip). Its brightest members form an inverted Y. The entire cluster is about 4° or 5° wide — a big, dim glow in a fairly dark sky. It nearly fills a binocular view.

Monday, May 26 – Memorial Day & Hamburger Day & National Paper Airplane Day & Prayer For Peace Memorial Day

Tuesday, May 27 – Cellophane Tape Day & Women's Golf Day

Wednesday, May 28 – Amnesty International Founders Day & National Brisket Day & Sierra Club Day & World Otter Day

Night Sky 5/28: Neptune, a mere 8th magnitude, lurks hidden in the dawn background of Saturn.

Thursday, May 29 – International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers & Learn About Composting Day & National Alligator Day

The only song my pb monitor ever plays is Queen's Under Pressure. Ξ I just read a biography of Vincent Van Gogh's aunt, Verti Gogh.

..........I only want to see you laughing.........Prince …..Purple Rain

2) What a turtle eats depends on the environment it lives in. Land dwelling turtles will munch on beetles, fruit, and grass, while sea dwellers will gobble everything from algae, to squid and jellyfish.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The same people who insist that every child say “with liberty and justice for all” every morning at school will put you in jail for insisting on it as an adult.

Moonbeam: I resolved that, like the sun, as long as my day lasted, I would look on the bright side of everything. --Thomas Hood

Fun Fact of the Week: Clifton Hillegass and his wife, Catherine, started Cliff Notes in their basement at 511 Eastridge Drive in Lincoln, NE with sixteen William Shakespeare titles. By the end of the year they had sold over 58,000 copies.

Video of the Week: From the revival of Shuffle Along (2:11) https://youtu.be/2cWflBv1q6E

The diversity in the human family should be the cause of love and harmony. As it is in music where many different notes blend together in the making of a perfect chard. --Abdu'l Bahá

Why did the bp cuff cross the road? To get to the other artery. Ξ I told my doctor that everytime I get up after sleeping, I feel dizzy for half an hour. My doctor told me to wait half an hour before I get up.

..........Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go..........Bruce Springsteen …..Born In The USA

3) Turtles = Amniotes = breathe air and lay their eggs on land although many species live in or around the sea.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: What I need...is a strong drink and a peer group. --Douglas Adams

Weird Word of the Week: Haptic /'hæptik/ sense of touch or tactile sensations. https://www.worldwidewords.org/ww-hap1.html

Dragon of the Week: Submitted by vr of tl ~~I had a blurb about these dragons, but I lost it in a dizzy

fog.

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Make a bubble bath. Pour one capful of Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo under a running tap in the bathtub. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clairol.html

The wizard with the poor sense of balance could only cast dizzy spells. Ξ My pb monitor went to the gym to pump up.

...........I'm beggin' you..........Dolly Parton …..Jolene

4) Turtles are cold-blooded creatures that have an incredibly long life span. The oldest ever recorded, named Tu'i Malila, of Tonga Island, passed away at the grand old age of 188.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I typed “WTF”, but it autocorrected to “Verily, I hath witnessed a spectacle so witless, my very soul hath packed its belongings and fled my body, as though reason itself hath tripped over a turnip and perished. --Submitted by gd of nm

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: CoreCon 2025 (23-25, Fargo, ND) Halfoween https://www.fargocorecon.org/

Bright Idea of the Week: Loop, a Netherlands-based company, has created a “living coffin” made out of mushrooms. It decomposes your body within 3 years. The coffin also decomposes, leaving nothing behind. https://loop-biotech.com/living-cocoon/

Spark of Joy of the Week: May I love in ways that devastatingly disrupt organized state violence. --Gabes Torres

Pb cuffs don't generally like roller coasters, too many ups and downs. Ξ When Clark Kent got dizzy, they called him Stuporman.

..........We'd like to thank you once again..........The Beatles …..Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

5) Sadly, many species of turtle are endangered. 129 of approximately 300 species of turtles and tortoises on Earth today are either vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered according to the IUCN. Threats include loss of habitat, pollution, poaching, and the illegal pet trade.

Protest Sign of the Week: Will Trade Marco Rubio For Abrego Garcia

Quote of the Week: I'm not young enough to know everything. --Oscar Wilde

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: A good day to remember that the rules of the Earth system are determined by physics and biology and the rules of the economy are made up by a small group of self-interested people and could change.

Today's Peace of History: May 23, 1992: Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine, which had inherited strategic nuclear weapons from the Soviet Union, ratified the START I treaty and joined the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as non-nuclear states. Through the Lisbon Protocol, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine became parties to START I as legal successors to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The breakup of the Soviet Union delayed START's entry into force nearly three-and-a-half years.

I had to take the batteries out of my radon detection machine. The beeping was making me dizzy. Ξ When I told my doctor, Helga, I was feeling dizzy, she asked if I had vertigo. But I told her I only lived around the corner.

..........I'll be sitting when the evening comes.........Otis Redding …..Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, May 23, 2025, sPun ePistle II. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: To attempt to advise conceited people is like whistling against the wind. --Thomas Hood

Cost of War:

As of 05/22/25 State Department Costs: $265,623,483,660

As of 05/15/25 State Department Costs: $265,082,023,227

As of 05/22/25 Homeland Security: $1,200,229,066,138

As of 05/15/25 Homeland Security: $1,199,640,886,387

As of 05/22/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,301,017,774,002

As of 05/15/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,299,505,296,073

As of 05/22/25 Military Costs: $3,147,495,183,839

As of 05/15/25 Military Costs: $3,146,346,757,584

As of 05/22/25 Veterans Care:$4,287,310,901,403

As of 05/15/25 Veterans Care: $4,275,847,546,832

As of 05/22/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,201,580,117,054

As of 05/15/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,186,426,191,563

https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/

Love gives life to the lifeless. Love lights a flame in the heart that is cold. Love brings home to the hopeless and gladdens the hearts of the sorrowful. In the world of existence there is indeed no greater power than the power of love. --Abdu'l Bahá

Famous Last Words: Raise me up a little bit. --John D Rockefeller who died 5/23/37

..........You know you can't hold me forever..........Elton John …..Goodbye Yellow Brick Road In honor of Title Track Day all our songs are great title tracks.

My pb machine had to go to therapy because it couldn't handle the pressure. Ξ Did you hear about the dizzy marsupial? It was a wobbly wallaby.

May Peace keep you joyful

And Joy keep you peaceful

prairie mama

christine

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