Triple ePistle

Famous First Words: Willkommen, Bienvenue... Opening of Cabaret. The movie debuted 2/13/72

This is National Marriage Week (7-14) AND Risk Awareness Week (7-14). The Metaphors really are writing themselves. But the funniest of the weeks … they are followed by National Condom Week (14-21). I just saved a bunch of money on my child support by switching to condoms! )( Really, the only difference between a condom and a coffin is you come in a condom and leave in a coffin.

Freedom is what you do with what's been done to you. --Jean-Paul Sartre

..........Another day older and deeper in debt..........Tennessee Ernie Ford …..Sixteen Tons

Human rights will be respected and we will never use the force of the state to repress the people.. --Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, president of Mexico

It is a bright and shining Friday morning. The temperature is hovering around freezing (33°F), but the sun is up; it briefly painted the eastern sky pink but now has blurred it to pure, pale blue without clouds. It is still with no wind to move the bare bushes or make the willow branches dance. A murder of crows is communicating and filling the air with loud raucous calls. Other birds answer by singing sweet harmonies softly behind the corvid solo. Puck is under my desk snoring...whew..and farting..a stick of sandalwood incense helps with that. I have not yet seen Veronica today; she must be sleeping in. I take a swig of sweetly doctored coffee and prepare to write to you. Can't think of a better way to spend a morning.

Here's hoping your weekend is risk free and full of fun, my comic valentines.

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: They say with age comes wisdom; so, therefore, I don't have wrinkles, I have wise cracks. --Submitted by cf of ks

The key to a happy marriage is to keep the fights clean and the sex dirty. --Kevin Bacon )( Don't Be Silly – Wrap Your Willy

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. --Albert Camus

..........I was not brought up that way..........Stockard Channing …..Look At Me, I'm Sandra Dee

Trivia Questions: Happy Valentine's Day!

1. How did the Roman holiday of Lupercalia become related to St Valentine's Feast Day?

2. How did good Christian(s) Valentine get his/their name in this madness?

3. How did the Christians rehabilitate February 14^th?

4. How did this Roman holiday become English?

5. How did Kansas City figure into Valentine tradition?

Big Hello: Mālō e lelei – Tongan https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: “You might think that Musk, endowed with such world-class obnoxiousness, would be unbeatable as a customer-repellent, but it’s impressive what Bezos has managed to do through sheer cowardice. In the past 48 hours, for example, hundreds of people have tried to sell their used Teslas in the Washington Post classifieds. Unfortunately for them, only 9 people still subscribe to the Washington Post.” --Andy Borowitz

Image of the Week: Joyce (Frass) Khan has been my friend for 66 years.

Marriage is not just spiritual communion; it is also remembering to take out the trash. --Dr Joyce Brothers )( How to use a condom: Rip it, grip it, roll it, and Dip it.

Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry his own weight, this is a frightening prospect. --Eleanor Roosevelt

..........Let there be no doubt about it...........Peter Gabriel …..Sledgehammer

Moonbeam: I think it will be found that experience, the true source and foundation of all knowledge invariably confirms its truth. --Thomas Malthus

Blasphemy of the Week: At the National Prayer Breakfast, Hegseth says US soldiers gain salvation by dying for a “Christian nation”. ~~Sigh, even Jesus is out-sourcing responsibilities.

Coffee Joke of the Week: Compassionately caffeinated: drinking coffee not just for oneself, but for the good of the community.

Next Funniest Thing I Read: Union divas don't beg. We bargain. --Miss Piggy https://www.facebook.com/seiu925

Super Bowl Halftime Show Joke: “All-American Halftime Show that celebrates this beautiful country in the King’s English we all share,” before immediately playing a clip of Kid Rock performing his indecipherable song “Bawitdaba.” --John Stewart

If James Bond led such a high-risk lifestyle, why wasn't he James Stock? )( Do ribbed condoms really taste like ribs?

Freedom is something that dies unless it's used. --Hunter S Thompson

..........Not a trace of doubt in my mind …..I'm A Believer

1) On Lupercalia the men sacrificed a goat and a dog, then whipped women with the hides of the animals they had just slain. The Roman romantics "were drunk. They were naked," Noel Lenski, now a religious studies professor at Yale University, told NPR in 2011. Young women would line up for the men to hit them, Lenski said. They believed this would make them fertile. --NPR

Almanac: It is Friday, February 13, 2026. The moon will be new next Tuesday (2/17) and is in Capricorn. Today is World Radio Day (UNESCO), Desperation Day, Employee Legal Awareness Day, Get A Different Name Day, International Condom Day, and Madly in Love With Me Day. Because it is the first Friday the 13^th of 2026, it is also Blame Someone Else Day. ~~This should be The High Holiday of the Trump Administration.

Among those born on this day were Giovanni Battista Piazzetta (1682), Thomas Malthus (1766), William Strang (1859), Bess Truman (1885), Grant Wood (1892), Tennessee Ernie Ford (1919), Chuck Yeager (1923), Dorothy McGuire (1930), George Segal (1934), Carol Lynley (1942), Peter Tork (Thorkelson, Monkees, 1942), Stockard Channing (1944), Peter Gabriel (1950), and Penelope Ann Miller (1963).

On February thirteenth the Parliament of England adopted the Bill of Rights, establishing the rights of Parliament and placing limits on the Crown (1689), the Marquis de Sade was arrested by Executive Order of the King (1777), there were flour riots in New York City (1837), Jesse James robbed his first bank, the Clay County Savings Assn. of Liberty, MO ($15,000, 1866), the moving picture projector was patented (1895), Mary Harris "Mother" Jones was arrested for inciting to riot for organizing United Mine Workers. (VA, 1912), and France became the fourth nuclear nation (1960),

Night Sky, 2/13: Four planets lineup tonight: Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, & Neptune.

Fraternal Picture of the Week: more Lego madness

This Week: Saturday, February 14 – Ferris Wheel Day & Frederick Douglass Day & St Valentine's Day

Night Sky, 2/14: Sunrise: 7:10 am Sunset: 5:54 pm ( 10 hours and 43 minutes of sunlight) Moonrise: 5:46 am Moonset: 3:04 pm

Sunday, February 15 – National Hippo Day & NBA All Star Game Day & Susan B Anthony Day

Night Sky, 2/15: Mercury is at its best visibility right after sunset and Jupiter and Saturn follow.

Monday, February 16 – Presidents Day & Kyoto Protocol Day & Shrove Monday

President's Day Joke of the Year: President's Day is when the president steps out of the White House, and if he sees his shadow, we have another year of Bullsh*t. --Submitted by ff of ks

Don't Panic. This Week will be continued next Tuesday (2/17) which is Mardi Gras.

A tourist asked a local man: What is the greatest adventure sport in India? The Indian man looked sadly at the ring on his hand and answered: Arranged marriages. )( The difference between a tire and 265 used condoms is the difference between a goodyear and a really good year.

I am free because I know that I alone am morally responsible for everything I do. --Robert Heinlein

..........We'll have one more night together..........Monkees with Peter Tork …..Last Train To Clarksville

2) Two people named Valentine were executed on February 14^th (different years) by the Romans in the 3rd century. Later Pope Gelasius I combined St Valentine's Feast Day with Lupercalia to expel the pagan rituals. --NPR

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Forgiveness is giving up all hope of having had a better past. --Anne Lamott

Moonbeam: A woman's place in public is to sit beside her husband, be silent, and be sure her hat is on straight. --Bess Truman

Fun Fact of the Week: The Flour Riot of 2/13/1837 in New York City were fueled by skyrocketing prices—rising from $7 to over $12 a barrel—a crowd of thousands gathered in City Hall Park before attacking Eli Hart & Co. in lower Manhattan, destroying over 400 barrels of flour.

Video of the Week: Tennessee Ernie Ford as Lucy Ricardo's country cousin on I Love Lucy. (4:27) https://youtu.be/Y9TQaDXwavU

With the people everything, without the people nothing. --Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, president of Mexico

Enslave the liberty of but one human being and the liberties of the world are put in peril. --William Lloyd Garrison

That grand jury took so many risks they call it Juris-imprudence. )( Condoms are cheaper than diapers.

..........Rows of houses that are all the same..........Monkees with Peter Tork …..Pleasant Valley Sunday

3) Under Christian influence, the Lupercalia was more of a theatrical interpretation of what it had once been. "It was a little more of a drunken revel, but the Christians put clothes back on it. That didn't stop it from being a day of fertility and love." --NPR

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Ok, but if you look past the actual results, you have to admit it's still a sound economic theory. --Wiley Miller Non Sequitur 2/12/26

Another Halftime Joke: If the Halftime show wasn't “white enough” for you, go read the Epstein file, it's all in English and full of white people. https://www.facebook.com/USdems

Weird Word of the Week: Tittynope: a small quantity of anything left over, esp. a small bundle of grain in gleaning. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tittynope

Dragon of the Week:

looks beautiful, is sustainable, but not much good in a fire fight.

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Mousse hair. Mix equal parts Coca-Cola and water in a trigger spray bottle and shake well. After getting out of the shower or bath, spray a light coat of the diluted Coke over your hair to give your locks a tousled look. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/cocacola.html

Marriages are made in heaven. But then again so are thunder and lightning. )( The latest thing is Camo Condoms – Don't let them see you coming.

...........Oh, I could hide 'neath the wings of the bluebird as she sings..........Monkees with Peter Tork …..Daydream Believer

4) The Normans celebrated Galatin's Day in mid-February. Galatin meant "lover of women." That was likely confused with St. Valentine's Day at some point, in part because they sound alike. As the years went on, the holiday grew sweeter. Chaucer and Shakespeare romanticized it in their work, and it gained popularity throughout Britain and the rest of Europe. Handmade paper cards became the tokens du jour in the Middle Ages. --NPR

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: America likes to call itself a melting pot but realistically it's more like a charcuterie board. You know like it has all of these wonderful, exotic flavors and you keep making it worse by adding too many crackers. --David Nihill

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Boskone 2026 (13-15, Boston, MA) welcoming gathering of people who share your interests, talents, and love of anything... https://boskone.org/

Still Another Halftime Joke: Turning Point USA served up an alternative halftime show for people who love ICE and hate music. --The Daily Show

Spark of Joy of the Week: KU men's basketball had a dodgy start this season but have won the last 7 games in a row including beating Arizona who was rated number one in the nation. Go Jayhawks. ~~In those 7 games, they beat Utah and BYU. In Utah you can buy T-shirts that say My Favorite Team Is Who's Playing BYU or My Favorite Team is Who's Playing Utah.

Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. --George Bernard Shaw

I recently got into high risk cattle farming. I'll be raising the steaks. )( Cover your stump before you hump.

..........And all my instincts, they return..........Peter Gabriel …..In Your Eyes

5) And in 1913 Hallmark Cards of Kansas City, MO began mass-producing valentines. February has not been the same since. --NPR ~~One of my mother's first jobs was attaching tiny yellow feathers to Hallmark cards with cartoon ducks on them.

Protest Sign of the Week: Veto The Cheeto

Quote of the Week: I have no home except where there is struggle. --Mother Jones

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I'm not old. I'm a classic with original parts. --Submitted by Club42

Today's Peace of History: February 13, 1920: Andrew "Rube" Foster, who is hailed as the “Father of Black Baseball” organized the first baseball league for African-Americans, the Negro National League in Kansas City, Missouri. The NNL operated successfully until 1931.

Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction...It must be fought for, protected, and handed on. --Ronald Reagan

Getting married is like trading the adoration of many for the sarcasm of one. --Mae West )( It may be unpleasant but it is true: both coffins and condoms contain stiffs.

..........Wait around for Mr Right..........Stockard Channing …..There Are Worse Things I Could Do

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, February 13, 2026: Triple ePistle. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing. --Chuck Yeager

Cost of the War on Terror:

As of 02/12/26 State Department Costs: $286,763,395,436

As of 02/05/26 State Department Costs: $286,211,975,484

As of 02/12/26 Homeland Security: $1,223,191,349,005

As of 02/05/26 Homeland Security: $1,222,592,377,279

As of 02/12/26 Interest on War Debt: $1,360,063,607,488

As of 02/05/26 Interest on War Debt:$1,358,523,430,359

As of 02/12/26 Military Costs: $3,192,326,175,832

As of 02/05/26 Military Costs: $3,191,256,852,133

As of 02/12/26 Veterans Care: $4,734,891,398,093

As of 02/05/26 Veterans Care: $4,723,217,289,617

As of 02/12/26 Total Cost of Wars: $10,797,237,073,336

As of 02/05/26 Total Cost of Wars: $10,781,703,984,263

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

For the good of all, the poor come first. --Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, president of Mexico

Famous Last Words: He's still here. --Friday the Thirteenth: The Final Chapter (released 2/13/09)

..........clippity clopping over mile and chain.........Tennessee Ernie Ford …..Mule Train

Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose. --Kris Kristofferson

DHS refused to allow me to take my board game on the plane. They told me the risk was too big. )( If you go into heat, package your meat.

May Peace manage your risks

And Joy lead your emotions

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

High Coo ePistle

Famous First Words: Good morning, everyone... Tom Brokaw on the Today show.

Ah, February /A joyful time of the year / It is Haiku Month! ~~Actually it is National Haiku Writing Month. ++ A cardinal rule / for writing a haiku jewel / rhyming isn't cool –Mad Kane ++ This is a Haiku / This is still a Haiku, and / This is the last line. ++ Three layers of pants / It is very hard to walk / Hurry, got to pee. --Anon ++ White snow flies quickly / Blades cut through the frozen ice / Gold medal dreams soar. --AI

I see Grace as an affectionate refusal of things that just aren't true. --Lizz Wright

..........Hey, lumpa sugar, you look kinda sweet.........Fabian …..Tiger

When a man points a finger at someone else, he should remember that four of his fingers are pointing at himself. --Louis Nizer

It is a relatively warm (42°F) Friday morning. It is the first time in a couple of weeks that the temperature at dawn is above freezing and the whole world is happy about it. The sun seems more golden and friendly. The birds are singing to one another, the squirrels are playing tag, and Veronica got to sit in the open doorway for a full 5 minutes before I insisted we close up. The willow branches dance excitedly when a gust of wind comes along and Puck is asleep under my desk. In addition to being happy it isn't cold, I am joyful because there are multiple curling games on tv everyday, Olympic level curling everyday. I have already not finished my daily ToDo lists because I'm busy watching Canada (or maybe it was England) score 4 stones in one end. Wow. By the way, I have no intention of watching any other Olympics except half-tube. What else can be said? Thank you for reading my jokes. Warm love to you all.

Hope that your weekend / Break the world's record in fun / fair ePistliers

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Every morning my 2-year old sits up in her bed and yells “HELP, I WOKE UP” and I think we can all relate. --Kristen Mulrroney

A fractured nation / victimized by Trumpy myths / and cowardly pols. --Mad Kane ++At least my kids still / get excited when they hear / about wintry mix. --Anon ++ The Olympic Torch / The Olympic Torch-Relay / stranded in traffic. -–Sunil Uniyal ++ A Haiku is this: / Seventeen syllables split / As five, seven, five. --Kerry Hiles

In our pugilistic take-no-prisoners era, preaching grace toward those on the other side of the political fence is decidedly countercultural. --Kirsten Powers

..........One and all got to face reality..........Bob Marley & the Wailers …..Natural Magic

Trivia Questions: Happy 131^st birthday to Babe Ruth

1. What was the Babe's real name?

2. How did he get to be called Babe?

3. What other nicknames did he acquire?

4. Which major league teams did the Babe play for?

5. If you owned a rookie Babe Ruth baseball card what would it be worth today?

Big Hello: Gude – Tok Pisin (Tok Pisin is an English-based Creole language spoken in Papua New Guinea.) https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Andrew Lloyd Webber is grateful to Melania, because the movie version of Cats is no longer the worst film of the 21st century.

Image of the Week: The Peace Monks and Aloka will make it to DC on the 10^th

Church Sign of the Week: Hipster Jesus Loved You Before You Were Cool. --Concordia Lutheran Church

Why don't I call / the GOP pols heartless? / I hate redundancy. --Mad Kane ++Wake up in darkness / serve dinner in the darkness / thanks, daylight saving. --Anon ++ White peaks in the sun / Fast skis cut the frozen air / Italy welcomes. --AI ++ Five syllables here / Seven more syllables there / Are you happy now? ++Me when I get cursed / to only speak in Haikus / but nothing changes.

We need grace in our lives, and I'm not talking about heavenly grace. I'm talking about human grace. --Letitia Baldrige

..........The dream of everlasting peace..........Bob Marley & the Wailers …..War

Moonbeam: When he says he loves me, it only means he loves me at that particular instant. Like his promises, which he never keeps. --Eva Braun

Blasphemy of the Week: An Episcopal priest told me this saying: Wherever there are four Episcopal priests, there's always a fifth. --Submitted by lh of ks

Coffee Joke of the Week: My granddaughter is trying to get a job that pays her to drink coffee. For one thing she wants to call herself a procaffinator and she heard those jobs have lots of perks.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: A charcuterie board is a lunchable that majored in musical theatre. https://www.facebook.com/ilouvreartmemes

Just in time to vote / it's “Use Your Common Sense Day” / Would it were common. --Mad Kane ++ Up here in Cleveland / I have at least seven coats / and I use them all. --Anon ++ A very small sled / What a very big mountain / It is a de-luge. --mcs

But we will not solve the significant and real problems our country faces if we cannot bring ourselves to embrace a mindset of grace. --Betsy DeVos

..........Won't you help to sing these songs of freedom..........Bob Marley & the Wailers …..Redemption Song

1) George Herman Ruth was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1895.

Almanac: It is Friday, February 6 2026. The moon will enter its last quarter on Monday (2/9) and is in Libra. Today is International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, International Frozen Yogurt Day, and Lame Duck Day. Because it is the first Friday in February it is also Bubble Gum Day, Fintastic Friday - Giving Sharks a voice, Give Kids a Smile Day, National Toboggan Days, Wear Red Day, and Work Naked Day. Because it is the first weekend it is the Cordova Ice Worm Days.

Among those born on this day were Christopher Marlowe (1564), Anne Stuart (1665), Aaron Burr (1756), Babe Ruth (George Herman Ruth, 1895), Louis Nizer (1902), Ronald Reagan (1911), Eva Braun (1912), Mary Nicol Leakey (1913), Francois Truffaut (1932), Mike Farrell (1939), Tom Brokaw (1940), Fabian (1943), Bob Marley (1945), Natalie Cole (1950), Kathy Najimy (1957), and Axl Rose (William Bailey, 1962).

On February sixth the Peace of La Rochelle was signed (Huguenots v the French, 1626), William and Mary College's charter was granted (1693), the first US pact, the Treaty of Aid, was signed (US & France, 1778), Massachusetts ratified the US constitution (6th, 1788), Singapore was founded (1819), the Peabody Fund was formed (1867), the Young Women's Hebrew Association was organized (NYC, 1902), dog sleds were first raced in the Olympics (1932), Monopoly went on sale (1935), singer Frank Sinatra debuted on radio's Your Hit Parade (1943), Paul Harvey was arrested for trespass (1951), Jail, No Bail movement started in SC (1961), Eisenhower shot a hole-in-one (1968), Shephard hit a golf ball on the moon (1971), Fekete skipped her curling rink to 2nd straight 8-ender (Edmonton, 1973), the No Smoking rule took effect in all federal buildings (1987), and Darryl Strawberry was suspended for 60 days (1995).

Night Sky, 2/6: The moon rises late evening in the Americas; it can be seen to the right (or celestial southwest) of Virgo's brightest star Spica.

Fraternal Picture of the Week: with dad and Lego Lad

Late Discovered Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Man, I can't believe the descendants of Europe's settler colonialism, slave owners, the kkk, the nazis, and the zionists turned out to be child trafficking sex predators. https://www.facebook.com/ComradePunisher2

This Week: Saturday, February 7 – Ballet Day & Laura Ingalls Wilder Day & National Periodic Table Day & World Body Painting Day

Sunday, February 8 – Laugh and Get Rich Day & Man Day & Popcorn Day & Super Bowl LX

Night Sky, 2/8: Southern Hemisphere: alpha-Centaurids meteor shower. 6 shooting stars per hour.

Monday, February 9 – Clean Out Your Computer Day & National Pizza Day & Read In The Bathtub Day

Night Sky, 2/9 : The moon reaches its last quarter at 5:43 CST and is in Scorpio.

Tuesday, February 10 – Extraterrestrial Culture & Visitor Day & Umbrella Day & World Pulses Day

Wednesday, February 11 – Be Electrific Day & Get Out Your Guitar Day & National Inventors Day

Night Sky, 2/11: Crescent Moon is visible near Antares in the southeastern early-morning sky. After it comes the southern Milky Way now coming into view in the northern hemisphere.

Thursday, February 12 – Darwin Day & NAACP Day & Paul Bunyan Day & Safety Pup Day

Night Sky, 2/12: Sunrise: 7:16 am Sunset: 5:52 pm (10 hours and 39 minutes of daylight) Moonrise: 3:57 am Moonset: 12:42 pm

When mendacity / replaces veracity / sorry state indeed. --Mad Kane ++Down in Miami / they don't even have a thing / called a coat closet. --Anon ++ From take-off table / Down the long, cold jumping ramp / Crash the landing hill. --mcs

Grace tried is better than grace, and more than grace; it is glory in its infancy. --Samuel Rutherford

..........So, old man river, don't cry for me..........Bob Marley & the Wailers …..Forever Loving Jah

2) Baltimore Orioles owner, Jack Dunn, had to become George's legal guardian in order to sign him. His teammates called him “Dunn's new babe”.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: If God made a man in his own image, why aren't we all, like...invisible. --Father Guido Sarducci --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

Moonbeam: Basically, I have been compelled by curiosity. --Mary Leakey

Fun Fact of the Week: The Peabody Education Fund was established by George Peabody in 1867, after the American Civil War, for the purpose of promoting "intellectual, moral, and industrial education in the most destitute portion of the Southern States."

Video of the Week: Alan Shepherd hitting a golf ball on the moon (1:10) https://youtu.be/t_jYOubJmfM

A graceful taunt is worth a thousand insults. --Louis Nizer

Listen with grace, with no judgment, without imposing the law. --Joseph Prince

Donald cozies up / to Nazi-loving bigots / Hardly a surprise! --Mad Kane ++ Standing buck naked! / No need to be ashamed: / Trees teasing winter. --Millard Lowe ++ Board stuck on my feet / The half tube calls to my soul / Flop I fall from grace. --mcs ++ How much can I fit / Into a haiku format / Oh no, I'm out of

..........Then I'll satisfy your heart's desire..........Bob Marley & the Wailers …..Stir It Up

3) Ruth was called “The Bambino” which was a variation of Babe and “The Sultan of Swat” because of his record.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: 6^th Grade Teacher: Bob, no one is going to pay you to look out the window all day. Bob, age 42, pilot, $134,000/year

Dragon of the Week: Snow Dragon

Weird Word of the Week: Philocalist: A lover of beauty and all things beautiful. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Clean oil spots from a driveway. Pour a can of Coca-Cola on the oil stain, let sit overnight, and hose clean. Coca-Cola works as a non-toxic degreaser. If the oil stain has been there for twenty years, you may have to use a six-pack – one can at a time. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/cocacola.html

We all need grace. --Ben Zobrist

Tesla truck explodes / in front of a Trump Hotel / Metaphor writes itself. --Mad Kane ++ Snowmen in kit form / tumbling from the winter sky / I just need carrots. --Berlie Doherty ++ It is six of one / With skates and sticks and yells / Half dozen of them. --mcs ++ A Haiku: “Bless you!” / No, I'm writing a poem / Short, Sweet, To the point

...........Read it in the news..........Bob Marley & the Wailers …..I Shot The Sheriff

4) Babe Ruth played for the Boston Red Sox from 1914-1919, The New York Yankees from 1920-1934, and the Atlanta Braves in 1925. (The Baltimore Orioles were a minor league team at the time.)

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Paid Agitators: George Soros caught paying 330 million Americans to avoid the new Melania movie. --Submitted by MMS

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Gallifrey One 2026 (6-8, Los Angeles, CA) ...the world's largest and longest-running annual Doctor Who fan convention... https://www.gallifreyone.com/

Whatever This Is of the Week: Someone said protests don't belong in church and it took every ounce of self-censure within me not to say, “Deborah you are literally a Protestant.” --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

Spark of Joy of the Week: Springsteen's Streets of Minneapolis translated into American Sign Language. https://www.instagram.com/reel/DUPVUOpkYFF/

I don't like to say I'm not a believer because I still feel like a believer in a lot of things, primarily hope and grace and the power of human connection. --Megan Phelps-Roper

A fractured nation / Endangered Constitution / The courts our last hope. --Mad Kane ++ COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD / COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD / COLD COLD COLD COLD COLD –-Richard Stachurski ++ Fast on four runners / With four people on top / Bloody-ass ice slopes. --mcs ++ Haikus confuse me / too often they make no sense / Hand me the pliers.

..........Why not help each other on the way..........Bob Marley & the Wailers …..Positive Vibrations

5) The 1914 Baltimore News Babe Ruth “true” rookie card is one of the most valuable sports cards selling for over $7.2 million in 2023.

Protest Sign of the Week: Believe Your Eyes Not Their Lies

Quote of the Week: I've decided to just be fully delusional this year and see where that takes me cuz being sensible hasn't gleaned the results I'm looking for. --Ellie Schnitt --Submitted by WWRWM

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I put my To-Do list in Schrödinger's box. --Submitted by Club42

Today's Peace of History: February 6, 1961: The Jail-In movement started in Rock Hill, SC, when students refused to pay fines and requested jail sentences. The Students Nonviolent Coordinating Committee urged a south-wide "Jail, No Bail" campaign.

I am seeking to be positive, have integrity, and speak with grace. --Kate Gosselin

Remaining “neutral” / and both-sidesing ev'rything / a gift to liars. --Mad Kane ++ Nose is turning blue / I am wearing 30 layers / Still, I freeze to death. --AI ++ The goal is thirty / miles per hour around the track / This is way too fast. --mcs ++ ME: What's a haiku? / PROFESSOR: five, seven, five / ME: Got it, thank you.

..........There's just no getting over you.........Natalie Cole …..Miss You Like Crazy

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, February 6, 2026: High Coo ePistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: The rule of my life is to make business a pleasure, and pleasure my business. --Aaron Burr

Cost of War:

As of 02/05/26 State Department Costs: $286,211,975,484

As of 01/29/26 State Department Costs: $285,654,196,268

As of 02/05/26 Homeland Security: $1,222,592,377,279

As of 01/29/26 Homeland Security: $1,221,986,511,431

As of 02/05/26 Interest on War Debt:$1,358,523,430,359

As of 01/29/26 Interest on War Debt: $1,356,965,402,630

As of 02/05/26 Military Costs: $3,191,256,852,133

As of 01/29/26 Military Costs: $3,189,973,791,547

As of 02/05/26 Veterans Care: $4,723,217,289,617

As of 01/29/26 Veterans Care: $4,711,406,122,348

As of 02/05/26 Total Cost of Wars: $10,781,703,984,263

As of 01/29/26 Total Cost of Wars: $10,765,987,555,

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

I know of no higher fortitude than stubborness in the face of overwhelming odds. --Louis Nizer

Famous Last Words: And ruled in France by Henry's fatal death --Christopher Marlowe The Massacre At Paris (Marlowe's last play)

..........Oh, where do we go now.........Guns & Roses with Axl Rose …..Sweet Child Of Mine

Charm and grace and a sense of humor will take you a long way. --Connie Britton.

MAGA v. Reason / ever-widening schism / with no bridge in sight. --Mad Kane ++ In this bright new year / May our dark times fade away / As hope-beams appear. --Susan Schultz ++ It's February / Now you write your own Haiku / It is the right month. ++ Let's speak only in / Haikus for the entire day. / That's ridiculous

May Peace give you hope

And Joy enrich your future

from prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

PupPuree ePistle

Famous First Words: Hi-Yo, Silver, away ...opening sequence for The Lone Ranger (radio and television)

Dog Jokes – because Puck needs a good laugh. <> Needles, the dog next door, drives a Furrari. <> When they release the all dog cast of The Sorcerer's Stone, Spaniel Radcliffe will play Harry. <> Our yorkie was having puppies. She was fine; I was freaking out. We put her in the car and headed for the vet. A cop pulled us over for speeding and while we were explaining, Yvette gave us three cute little puppies. The cop gave Yvette a ticket for littering.

It's got to do with putting yourself in other people's shoes and seeing how far you can come to truly understand them. --Christian Bale

..........So many reasons why.........Phil Collins …..Against All Odds

If you have the feeling that something is wrong, don't be afraid to speak up. --Fred Korematsu

It is another cold (18°F) Friday morning. The sky is hidden by a thick layer of dull gray clouds as if old Sol refuses to look upon the wintery earth. There is no pattern to the clouds, texture, no discernable movement. Meanwhile, squirrels are gathering on the back patio to paw through sunflower seeds spilled onto the snow, and empty peanut shells in plastic dishes. Birds fly about but they are not singing. Willow branches and small tree limbs are motionless; even the wind is on holiday. Puck went out before the light arrived and is back inside, under the desk, snoring. I am drinking holiday decaf and eating a boiled egg...a cold boiled egg. And before I send this warm-but not quite as joyous as usual-note to you, I'm going out to replenish the sunflower seeds and the peanuts. The snow crackles under the shoe and the squirrels wait in the trees, watching the seeds, watching for the dog or cat, watching for something warm to happen. Hope this warms you, at least a little.

Hope your weekend is warm inside and out!

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: We are stardust … that pay taxes and forget passwords. --Submitted by Club42

Not So Funny Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The correct response to Dachau was not better training for the guards. --Heather Cox Richardson

Church Sign of the Week: Whoever Is Praying For Snow Please Stop. Try World Peace --St James Presbyterian --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

Daphne Dalmation learned a pun. Now her response to everything is “That hit the spot”. <> Someone at the animal shelter is trying to teach the dogs to say “bone appétit” when they're hungry.

I think having a diversity of stories is really important in also spreading empathy and understanding. I think it's a really big part of how we, for better or worse, interact with each other and people we don't know. --Nia DaCosta

..........Your mind's guaranteed, it's all you'll ever need..........Marty Balin & Jefferson Airplane …..She Has Funny Cars

Trivia Questions: Happy National Big Wigs Day

1. What is Big Wig Day, anyway?

2. What organizations partner for Big Wig Day?

3. How many wigs are donated each year?

4. How many people donate hair each year?

5. Where can I donate a wig or hair to help cancer patients?

Big Hello: Tālofa – Tokelauan (Tokelau and New Zealand) https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: So, do you want to watch coverage of the politicians encouraging fascism or the politicians doing absolutely nothing to stop it? https://www.facebook.com/groups/2217733963

Image of the Week: 1/24: While it was still snowing birds scraped away the snow to find the sunflower seeds buried beneath. Until Puck showed up.

Weather Hack of the Week: I hear the groundhog is taking bribes.

There are two very famous canine magicians: the Abracabradoodle and Houndini. <> The little Shih Tzu watched an entire tv program about hot dogging surfers. It apparently frightened her so much she doesn't want to be a hot dog so she won't go out in the sun at all.

We need to see kindness and we need to see empathy and compassion. That's something we need to see in leadership as well. --Phil Dunster

..........And the ones that mother gives you don't do anything at all..........Marty Balin & Jefferson Airplane …..White Rabbit

Moonbeam: Diplomacy means all the wicked devices of the Old World, spheres of influence, balances of power, secret treaties, trip alliances, and during the interim period, appeasement of Fascism. --Barbara W Tuchman

Blasphemy of the Week: Top 10 reasons to be an Episcopalian: #3 You don't have to check your brains at the door. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

Coffee Joke of the Week: The barista couldn't bear to throw away the old coffee plunger because it has sedimental value.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: 75% of librarian cardigans are passed down to future librarians in a secret ceremony held at the end of every library conference. https://www.facebook.com/bookloverfb

Usually my dog is a Jack Russell terrier but when he sneezes he is definitely a choo wawa. <> When Puck ran away to compete in the race around the block he came in last. He was heard to say, “Last but not leashed.”

I really like feeling connected to people and feeling like I have a good, solid sense of empathy. --Aimee Bender

..........Her aluminum finish, slightly diminished..........Marty Balin & Jefferson Airplane …..Plastic Fantastic Lover

1) National Big Wig Day is observed on the last Friday of January, this event encourages wearing wigs to raise money for cancer research and awareness.

Almanac: It is Friday, January 30, 2026. The moon will be full (Snow Moon) on Sunday (2/1) and is in Cancer. Today is Fred Korematsu Day, Croissant Day, National Inane Answering Message Day, and World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day. Because it is the last Friday in January it is also Fun at Work Day, National Big Wig Day, and National Preschool Fitness Day. ~~As I remember, preschoolers move constantly, how could they be out of shape?

Among those born on this day were Alessandro Piccinini (1566), Saul Alinsky (1909), Barbara Tuchman (1912), Dick Martin (1922), Shirley Chisholm (1924), Gene Hackman (1931), Shirley Hazzard (1931), Tammy Grimes (1934), Boris Spassky (1937), Dick Cheney (1941), Marty Balin (1942), and Phil Collins (1951).

On January thirtieth the Articles of Confederation were ratified by the 13th state (MD, 1781), Yerba Buena was renamed San Francisco (1847), the pneumatic hammer was patented (1894), the first jazz song was recorded (1917), The Lone Ranger premiered on radio (1933), the Roosevelt dime was issued (1946), and the final episode of Roots aired (1977).

Night Sky, 1/30: The nearly full moon shines near Jupiter with Saturn low in the southwest.

Fraternal Picture of the Week: The all purpose counter

This Week: Saturday, January 31 – Appreciate Your Social Security Check Day & National Seed Swap Day & Street Children Day

Sunday, February 1 – Change Your Password Day & Freedom Day & Robinson Crusoe Day

Night Sky, 2/1: Winter's midpoint arrives with the Full Snow Moon in Leo between Jupiter and Pollux. Mercury returns to the evening sky

Monday, February 2 – Candlemas & Groundhog Day & Imbolc & Marmot Day & Sled Dog Day

Tuesday, February 3 – African American Coaches Day & Feed The Birds Day & Wear Orange Day

Night Sky, 2/3: The Moon drifts smoothly across the night, glowing with a pale silver light against the deep blue sky. With unhurried grace, it moves closer to Regulus, the brightest star in the constellation Leo—often called the Heart of the Lion. As the Moon passes in front of Regulus, the star slowly fades from view. There is no sudden change, only a gentle dimming, a reminder that even the brightest lights can rest for a moment.

Wednesday, February 4 – I Heart Horror Day & National Hemp Day & Winter Walk To School Day

Thursday, February 5 – National Sweater Day & Optimist Day & Western Monarch Day

Night Sky, 2/5: Sunrise: 7:20 am Sunset: 5:44 pm (hours of daylight: 10 hours, 23 minutes) Moonrise: 10:09 pm Moonset: 9:14 am

My dog married a cougar. Now the letter carrier won't deliver mail to anyone on the block. <> We are so poor our dog chases his own tail just to make ends meet.

I always think that if you look at anyone in detail, you will have empathy for them because you recognize them as a human being, no matter what they've done. --Andrea Arnold

..........'Specially when it's sold by a kid who's only fifteen..........Marty Balin & Jefferson Airplane …..3/5 Of A Mile In 10 Seconds

2) We partner with such charities as the American Cancer Society/Look Good Feel Better division. We help raise money for people who may need wigs after an illness. In addition, you may choose to donate to The United Way, Hospitality House, and the Desert Cancer Foundation. We, at Big Wig do not accept donations directly.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: It says it's nineteen degrees out, but the general lack of empathy in our current political climate is making it feel colder. --M Reuter

Moonbeam: Service is the rent that you pay for room on this earth. --Shirley Chisholm

Fun Fact of the Week: The Original Dixieland Jass Band (ODJB) made the first jazz recording on January 30, 1917. Their "Livery Stable Blues" became the first jazz record ever issued. The group composed and recorded many jazz standards, the most famous being "Tiger Rag". In late 1917, the spelling of the band's name was changed to Original Dixieland Jazz Band.

Video of the Week: Happy Croissant Day! Perfect Croissants in a minute and ten second video.

Foreign Policy Update of the Week: Greenland deploying their weather on us was an unanticipated first strike. https://www.facebook.com/itsmrpopculture

I didn't think that the government would go as far as to include American citizens to be interned without a hearing. --Fred Korematsu

We must broaden the definition of who our neighbors are and extend the boundaries of our interest and empathy. --Wendy Kopp

FYI: Dogs run in circles because running in squares is really hard. <> My brother's dog joined a rock and roll band. Now he thinks he's a su paw star.

..........Time's been good to us, my friend..........Marty Balin & Jefferson Airplane …..D.C.B.A. -25

3) Ebeauty distribues nearly 10,000 wigs annually.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: There are people in Greenland wearing red hats that say: Make America Go Away.

Weird Word of the Week: Apricity: The warmth of the sun in winter. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/

Dragon of the Week: Jade Dragon

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Clean rust in a bathtub. Saturate an abrasive sponge with Coca-Cola and scrub the rust stain. The phosphoric acid in the Coke removes rust. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/cocacola.html

Empathy is about two people – two people meeting, getting to know each other, and tuning in to what the other person is thinking and feeling. --Simon Baron-Cohen

I crossed my sheepdog with a vegetable and got a collieflower. <> I crossed my dog with a calculator and got a friend I can count on.

...........I follow you wherever time will take me to..........Marty Balin & Jefferson Airplane …..My Best Friend

4) Hundreds of thousands of people donate hair annually to various organizations for cancer patients. Hair We Share received over 600,000 donations in 2014. Some locations report receiving 75-100 ponytails daily.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Hard to believe the country founded on genocide and built by slavery is slipping into fascism. --Submitted by ra of ks

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Farpoint 2026 (1/30-2/1, Towson, MD) ..the fields of science fiction, comics, anime, fantasy, paranormal, and horror. https://farpointcon.com/

Zinger of the Week: Zinger du Jour: “Stop making fun of his spray tan. It's hard to get any sun when you're standing in Obama's shadow.” --Don Stitt

Spark of Joy of the Week: Video: When That Man Is Dead And Gone by Irving Berlin sung by Lizzie and the Triggermen. It is Berlin's anti-Hitler song: (:59) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLRH5xODFVM

Despair is despair, sorrow is sorrow, death is death. It's not about who is experiencing it; it's about building a bridge of empathy across those experiences. --Okieriete Onaodowan

I crossed Ole Yeller with a smart phone and got a golden receiver. <> Should a Cocker Spaniel wear a sweater? Only if she's a chilly dog.

..........Your mind, your mind is so full of red..........Marty Balin & Jefferson Airplane …..Somebody To Love

5) All you need to know about donations: https://cancercarenews.com/ccn-blog/how-to-donate-hair-or-a-wig/

Protest Sign of the Week: Fight Ignorance Not Immigrants

Quote of the Week: Maybe let's stop calling it supremacy. Call it what it is: white egocentrism – an emotionally stunted belief that the world exists only for you, a worldview so fragile it demands fear and control just to feel valid. There's nothing “supreme” about it. --Relentless Indigenous Woman --Submitted by aakb

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: First Principle of Human Crankiness: If I don't complain about it, is it really happening? --Submitted by Philosophy Matters ~~This is known as Curmudgeonism?

Sports Quote of the Week: I don't think Allen Fieldhouse is that hard of a place to play in. The problem is they make you play Kansas when you come here. --Jay Bilas

Desperation, weakness, vulnerability – these things will always be exploited. You need to protect the weak, ring-fence them, with something far stronger than empathy. --Zadie Smith

That floating dog is such a good buoy. <> Did you hear what happened when the corgi went to the flea circus. She stole the show.

..........One begins to read between the pages of a look..........Marty Balin & Jefferson Airplane …..Comin' Back To Me

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, January 30, 2026: PupPuree ePistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: Americans' great and secret fear is that America may turn out to be a phenomenon rather than a civilization. --Shirley Hazzard

Second Spark of Joy / Video of the Week: Bruce Springstein singing Streets of Minneapolis (4:35) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKSoxG1K7w

Cost of War:

As of 01/29/26 State Department Costs: $285,654,196,268

As of 01/22/26 State Department Costs: $285,101,319,083

As of 01/29/26 Homeland Security: $1,221,986,511,431

As of 01/22/26 Homeland Security: $1,221,385,989,744

As of 01/29/26 Interest on War Debt: $1,356,965,402,630

As of 01/22/26 Interest on War Debt: $1,355,421,249,915

As of 01/29/26 Military Costs: $3,189,973,791,547

As of 01/22/26 Military Costs: $3,188,801,426,503

As of 01/29/26 Veterans Care: $4,711,406,122,348

As of 01/22/26 Veterans Care: $4,699,701,435,192

As of 01/29/26 Total Cost of Wars: $10,765,987,555,082

As of 01/22/26 Total Cost of Wars: $10,750,413,743,647

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

All of them turned their backs on me at that time because they thought I was a troublemaker. --Fred Korematsu

Famous Last Words: Hey Ram --Mahatma Gandhi Died of a gunshot wound January 30, 1948

…......But I don't know if you know who I am.........Phil Collins …..In The Air Tonight

The truth is that we should live with less envy and more cordiality and empathy. --Leonardo Bonucci

The neighbor's husky tagged along at a dig of an old pioneer settlement. Now he's in college studying Barkeology. <> Everyone knows the dogwood tree has the best bark.

Sorry I'm not quite as joyous as usual – too many cold days in a row.

May Peace soothe your cares

And Joy quiet your fears

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh: --Submitted by jd of ks