Famous
First Words: Half a league, half a league....Tennyson The
Charge of the Light Brigade
Tomorrow
is the Day of the Horse. A
talking horse walks into a bar and approaches the manager. “Excuse
me, good sir,” the horse says, “are you hiring?” The manager
looks the horse up and down and says, “Sorry, pal. Why don’t you
try the circus?” The horse nickers. “Why would the circus need a
bartender?”
..........I'll
love you 'til the poets run out of rhyme.........Donny Osmond
…..Twelfth of Never
Peace,
in the sense of the absence of war, is of little value to someone who
is dying of hunger or cold. It will not remove the pain of torture
inflicted on a prisoner of conscience. It does not comfort those who
have lost their loved ones in floods caused by senseless
deforestation in a neighboring country. Peace can only last where
human rights are respected, where people are fed, and where
individuals and nations are free. --The
XIVth Dalai Lama
It
is a bitter (11°F) Friday
morning. Only the lack of wind allows us to abide in the backyard.
The sky is covered with lumpy gray clouds that no longer reflect the
brilliant pinks and yellows of early dawn but are gray with
highlights of less gray and more gray. There is no wind to carry them
away. A small hawk that is hiding in the near by weeping-mulberry
springs and flies eye-high across the street and into the little
wood. The sound of a variety of birds can be heard but none of them
can be seen. Puck checks out the frozen fountain and bird spa but
decides not to ice skate and so moseys off to check out the rest of
the yard. I watch my breath billow out and disappear into the cold
morning. We tarry watching neighbors go off to work and the school
buses come and go. The cold has not stopped life. When the trash
truck rattle and hums by, we return to the inside, to warm air and
the smells of floral incense and brewing coffee. I fix myself a cup
with lots of cream and a little artificial sugar; it warms my nose
and my throat and my heart. But not as much as the thought of
writing to you.
Hope
your weekend runs like the wind, ePistliers.
A
guy is walking through the country when he spots a sign that reads,
“Talking Horse for Sale.” Intrigued, he walks up to the stable to
check it out. “So what have you done with your life?” he asks the
horse. “I’ve led a full life,” the horse answers miraculously.
“I was born in The Andes where I herded for an entire village.
Years later, I joined the mounted police force in New York and helped
keep the city clean. And now, I spend my days giving free rides to
underprivileged kids here in the country.” The guy is
flabbergasted. He asks the horse’s owner, “Why on earth would you
want to get rid of such an incredible animal?” The owner says,
“Because he’s a liar! He never did any of that!”
..........This
world is a happy place.........Kenny Vance …..Some Kind of
Wonderful
Trivia
Questions: It's Anti-Corruption Day. Can you briefly describe
these corruption scandals?
^
Credit Mobilier (1872-73)
^^
Whiskey Ring (1875)
^^^
Teapot Dome (1921-22)
^^^^
Iran Contra (1985),
^^^^^
The Keating Five (1989)
Fake
Library Statistic of the Week:
80/20 Rule: 80% of
your patrons will show up during the last 20 minutes you are open.
https://www.facebook.com/FakeLibStats/?fref=ts
Moonbeam:
All politics is local. --Tip O'Niell
A
Desperado rides into town and downs a few drinks at the saloon. When
he steps outside again, he finds his horse has been stolen. The
Desperado swears, steps back into the bar, and fires a round into the
piano. The room goes dead silent. “I’m gonna have one more beer,”
the Desperado bellows to the terrified crowd, “and if my horse
ain’t back where I left him when I’m done, I’ll do here what I
had to do in Houston.” The locals murmur uneasily as the Desperado
sips his drink. Lucky for them all, when he steps outside again his
horse has been returned. As the Desperado saddles up, a local can’t
help but ask, “Sir, what exactly was it you had to do in Houston?”
The Desperado narrows his eyes and hisses at the man, “Walk home.”
..........And
I don't care if the money's no good..........The Band …..The Night
They Drove Old Dixie Down
Something
to Think About of the Week: Every time someone looks into your
eyes. They are only searching to find themselves; for they know
already that they are part of you. --Jeremy Aldana
Big
Hello: Saluto – Ido
(International)
Week
of the Week: Computer Science Education
Week (December 2-9) --A
college student enters a store that sells curtains. She tells the
clerk, “I would like to buy a pink curtain in the size of my
computer screen.” The surprised sales rep replies, “But, madam,
computers do not have curtains.” And the student said, “Helloooo….
I’ve got Windows!”
Science
Fiction Convention of the Week:
Bash of the Empire VI (Atlanta Star Wars Party) 9 pm – 3 am,
December 10th.
https://www.xorbia.com/events/mcp/BOTE6/
Two
racehorses are in a stable. One says to the other, “You know,
before that last race …” “The one that you won?” asks the
other horse. “Yeah, before that race, I felt a pinch in my
hindquarters.” The other horse says, “Funny, I felt a pinch in my
hindquarters before the race that I won.” A dog walking by says,
“You idiots, you’re being doped. They’re injecting you with a
drug to make you faster!” The first horse turns to the other and
says, “Hey, a talking dog!” —submitted
by magician/comedian Penn Jillette
..........
Now I'm goin' down to New Orleans to get me a mojo
hand.........Junior Wells …..Hoodoo Man Blues
^
The Teapot Dome scandal occured during the
administration of President Warren G. Harding. Secretary of the
Interior Albert Fall had leased Navy petroleum reserves at Teapot
Dome in Wyoming and two other locations in California to private oil
companies at low rates without competitive bidding. Fall was later
convicted of accepting bribes from the oil companies and became the
first Cabinet member to go to prison. No person was ever convicted of
paying a bribe, however.
Almanac:
It is Friday, December 9, 2016. The moon was first quarter last
Wednesday and is in Aries. The United Nations has
declared this International Day of Commemoration and Dignity to the
Victims of the Crime of Genocide and of the Prevention of this Crime
and International Anti-Corruption Day; it is also Cremation Day and
Weary Willie Day.
Among
those born on this day were Edwin Sandys (1561), St. Martinus de
Porres, patron of social justice (1569), John Milton (1608), Georg
Petri (1715), Johann Winckelmann (1717), Charles Waldteufel (1837),
Pjotr Kopotkin (1842), Joel Chandler Harris (1848), Fritz Haber
(1868), Clarence Birdseye (1886), Herione Gingold (1897), Emmett
Kelly (1898), Grace Murry Hopper (1906), Douglas Fairbanks Jr (1909),
Broderick Crawford (1911), Tip O'Neill (1912), Kirk Douglas (Issur
Demsky, 1918), Redd Foxx (1922), Dina Merrill (1925), Dick Van Patten
(1928), John Cassavetes (1929), Buck Henry (1930), Jessie "Ooh
Poo Pah Doo" Hill (1932), Judi Dench and Junior Wells (1934),
Beau Bridges (1941), Rick Danko (The Band, 1943), Kenny Vance (1943),
John Malkovich (1953), Donny Osmond (1957), and Worf (2340).
On
December ninth Britain accepted the Treaty of Paris (1783), New
York's first daily newspaper was issued (American Minerva, 1793), the
first YMCA formed (Montréal,
1851), Charge
of the Light Brigade
was published (1854), the Noble Order of Knights of Labor was founded
(1869), the ball-bearing skate was patented (1884), Norway unanimously approved female suffrage (1903), Salome
premiered (1905), the first Christmas Seals were sold (1907), Spain
became a republic (1931), the John Birch Society was formed (1958),
Wilt Chamberlain (Philadelphia Warriors) scored 67 points vs NY
(1961), Tanganyika became of British Commonwealth republic (1962),
Zanzibar gained independence (1963), A
Charlie Brown Christmas premiered
(1965), and Lewis F Powell Jr was appointed to the Supreme Court
(1971).
Tonight's
Sky:
Possible to see all 3 inner planets near the western horizon as
darkness falls. Venus to the upper left and ot its upper left ruddy
Mars.
This
Week: Saturday, December 10 –
Day of the Horse, Dewey Decimal System Day, & Human Rights Day
Tonight's
Sky, December 10: Mercury
always lurks near the Sun so is visible only shortly before sunrise
or shortly after sunset.
Sunday,
December 11 – International Mountain Day & Worldwide
Candle Lighting Day
Monday,
December 12 – Poinsettia Day, National Cocoa Day, &
Green Monday
Tuesday,
December 13 – Pick a Pathologist Pal Day
Tonight's
Sky, December 13: Geminids
meteor shower. The full (Cold) moon may dim our appreciation of
the Geminids.
Wednesday,
December 14 – Monkey Day & Yoga Day
Thursday,
December 15 – Bill of Rights Day & National Cupcake Day
Tonight's
Sky, December 15: Jupiter and Saturn can both be seen in the
morning before sunrise.
A
horse walks into a bar. The bartender says, “Hey.” The horse
says, “Buddy—you read my mind!”
..........
And bring your children down to the river side..........The Band
…..Across the Great Divide
^^
The Whiskey Ring was a scandal during the Grant
administration, involving diversion of tax revenues in a conspiracy
among government agents, politicians, whiskey distillers, and
distributors. The Whiskey Ring began in St. Louis but was also
organized in Chicago, Milwaukee, Cincinnati, New Orleans, and Peoria.
Before they were caught, a group of politicians were able to siphon
off millions of dollars in federal taxes on liquor; the scheme
involved an extensive network of bribes involving distillers,
rectifiers, gaugers, storekeepers, and internal revenue agents.
Funniest
thing I read of the Week: I'm going to start tackling guys in
football jerseys and saying, “Look how he's dressed, he's asking
for it”. --Benjamin O'Keefe submitted by llr of ks
Moonbeam:
Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according
to conscience, above all liberties. --John Milton
Late
Night Snacks: Rockefeller Center is jammed
with people here to see the Christmas tree. If you go outside, you
hear the festive sounds of jingle bells, holiday music, and every
parent yelling, “Stay with me!” --Jimmy Fallon / The CEO of
Starbucks announced he’s stepping down. He’s going to become the
CEO of the Starbucks across the street. --Conan O'Brien / The cereal
company Kellogg’s pulled their advertising from the conservative
alt-right website Breitbart News and its readers responded by calling
for a boycott of all Kellogg’s products. Breitbart received a lot
of criticism for running questionable news stories during the
election. So basically Breitbart counts as real news in the same way
that Apple Jacks counts as real fruit. --James Corden / Drumpf
doesn’t even believe in the existence of global warming calling it
“very expensive BS.” Of course, “Very Expensive BS” is also
the motto for Drumpf University. --Stephen Cobert
“We
know that a peaceful world cannot long exist, one-third rich and
two-thirds hungry.” Jimmy Carter
..........I
got a real funny feelin'.........Junior Wells …..Hey Lawdy Mama
^^^
The Crédit Mobilier scandal was during the Harding
administration. Crédit Mobilier of America was a construction
company involved in the building of the eastern portion of the First
Transcontinental Railroad. The scandal was in two parts. The
construction company charged the railroad far higher rates than
usual, and cash and $9 million in discounted stock were given as
bribes to 15 powerful Washington politicians, including the
Vice-President, the Secretary of the Treasury, four senators, the
Speaker and other members of the House.
Worthless
Facts of the Week:
In the NBA, there is no one more dominant in the record books than
Wilt Chamberlain, who not only holds 72 different NBA records, but
also holds multiple records (second and third best etc.) within
different statistical categories.
Weird
Word of the Week:
Kakistocracy – government by the most unprincipled citizens.
(1829). “Is ours
a “government of the people, by the people, for the people,” or a
Kakistocracy, rather for the benefit of knaves at the cost of fools?
“
– James Russell Lowell
http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-kak1.htm
Wacky
Uses for Common Products:
Give yourself a facial. Mash a banana and add one tablespoon SueBee
Honey. Cover your face with the mixture, let sit fifteen minutes,
then rinse with warm water.
http://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/suebee.html
You're
riding a horse full speed, there's a giraffe right beside you, and a
lion nipping at your heels. What do you do? Get off the
carousel and sober up.
...........She
told me just to come on by.........The Band …..Up on Cripple Creek
^^^^
Iran Conta, during the Reagan Administration,
involved senior administration officials secretly facilitating the
sale of arms to Iran, which was the subject of an arms embargo. They
hoped thereby to secure the release of several U.S. hostages and to
fund the Contras in Nicaragua. Under the Boland Amendment, further
funding of the Contras by the government had been prohibited by
Congress.
Word
Shakespeare Made Up of the Week: dawn – time of sunrise.
King Henry V Act IV Prologue : Henry V: next day after
dawn, doth rise and help Hyperion to his horse...
Amazing
Thing on the Internet of the Week:
Cray Machine. Lowercase letters have never been this fun!
http://www.zefrank.com/snm/index.html
Puck
the Brave Episode of the Week:
Here's our fearless Puck pretending to be a polar bear in the case of
the Downtown Doberman.
I
ride a horse because I can't afford a unicorn.
..........All
the fathers that have sons.........Junior Wells …..Vietcong Blues
^^^^^
The Keating Five were five US Senators accused of
corruption during the Reagan years, igniting a major political
scandal as part of the larger Savings and Loan crisis. The five
senators – Alan Cranston (D, CA), Dennis DeConcini (D, AZ), John
Glenn (D, OH), John McCain (R, AZ), and Donald W. Riegle, Jr. (D,
MI) – were accused of improperly intervening in 1987 on behalf of
Charles H. Keating, Jr., Chairman of the Lincoln Savings and Loan
Association, which was the target of a regulatory investigation by
the Federal Home Loan Bank Board (FHLBB). The FHLBB subsequently
backed off taking action against Lincoln.
Month
of the Week: December is Bingo Birthday
Month --
Famous
Kansans:
Duane Pope, bank robber and murderer was born in Roxbury in 1943.
Ten Most Wanted
Fugitive #214: On June 11, 1965, Pope surrendered to local police in
KCMO shortly after he was added to the “Top Ten”list.
http://www.kshs.org/archives/306872
Today's
Peace of History, December
9, 1990: Solidarity trade union founder
and leader Lech Walesa won Poland's presidential runoff election in a
3-1 landslide. He thus became the first directly elected Polish
leader. Poland only became an independent country at the end of World
War I.
JUNIOR:
Daddy, there's a man at the circus who jumps on a horse's back, slips
underneath his belly, catches hold of its tail and finishes on the
horse's neck! FATHER: That's nothing. I did all that the first time I
rode a horse!
..........So
different and so new.........Kenny Vance …..This Magic Moment
Masthead
of the Week:
fRiday ePistle December 9, 2016, ePistlegait. Online at:
http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/
No
end of non-news now.
Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. 1800 Goodell Ct. Lawrence, KS
66046
Moonbeam:
You know how I always believe in the future …
Without disorder, the revolution is impossible; knowing that, I did
not lose hope, and I do not lose it now. --Peter Kropotkin
Cost
of War:
Tax
dollars spent in Afghanistan: as of 12/8/16: $756,531,276,009.
Tax
dollars spent in Afghanistan: as of 12/1/16: $755,877,105,144.
Tax
dollars spent on the Iraq war since 2001 as of 12/8/16:
$820,042,625,147.
Tax
dollars spent on the Iraq war since 2001 as of 12/1/16:
$820,023,506,958.
Tax
dollars spent on Daesh conflict as of 12/8/16: $12,654,521,974.
Tax
dollars spent on Daesh conflict as of 12/1/16: $12,553,958,006.
Tax
dollars spent on the Pentagon Slush Fund as of 12/8/16:
$136,606,499,371.
Tax
dollars spent on the Pentagon Slush Fund as of 12/1/16:
$136,046,946,713.
Tax
dollars spent on all wars since 2001 as of 12/8/16:
$1,729,694,294,526.
Tax
dollars spent on all wars since 2001 as of 12/1/16:
$1,728,328,083,807.
“Pay
attention to the hungry, both in this country and around the world.
Pay attention to the poor. Pay attention to our responsibilities for
world peace. We are our brother’s keeper…” George McGovern
..........As
the river circles on its endless journey.........Donny Osmond …..At
the Edge of the World
A
horse's misbehavior will be in direct proportion to the number of
people who are watching.
Famous
Last Words: ….newborn king. The Gang A Charlie Brown
Christmas
May
Peace pace your paiffe
And
Joy jog your pirouette
prairie
mama
christine
Last
Laugh:
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