Friday, December 28, 2018

Marvelous ePistle


Famous First Words: We the people... Constitution of the State of Iowa
Happy Birthday to the late Stan Lee, the Marvel Comics guy. He's the one who taught us being okay or talented or gifted isn't enough, we need a super power to be of any real use. If Iron Man and Silver Surfer teamed up they'd be alloys.
..........When the bells all ring and the horns all blow.........Ella Fitzgerald …..What Are You Doing New Year's Eve
Happy New Year - English
Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better person. --Benjamin Franklin
It is a dark and windy Friday morning. The sky is a slate gray under which blackish wisps scurry to the east. 24°F temperature and 16 mph winds make it unpleasant to walk through; clothing blows against skin and wind sneaks between glove and sleeve, between scarf and collar. There is no birdsong to cheer up the dawn; there is only the distant sound of trash trucks and motor cars. Puck finding nothing moving barks at the wind instead. We cut our constitutional a little short this morning because I am cold. The willow branches dance frantically but silently and even the bare limbs of maple thrash about like giant skeletons dancing. We return home to warmth and light and stillness. Puck slurps down a saucer of milk and settles in for a nap. I fix myself a cup of decaf, sweet and creamy and warm. It is a steamy warmth that reminds my nose of good mornings past and coats my tongue and throat with sweetened tartness. Now I watch at the backdoor window, watch the willow still whipping and the occasional oak leaf whiz by and I am so glad I get write to you in here.
Have a superior weekend, ePistlers
Marvel: Humans who wanna be gods. DC: Gods who wanna be human.
..........If I don't see you through the week..........Van Morrison …..Celtic New Year
Xin Nian Kuai Le - Chinese
Trivia Questions: The US Pledge of Allegiance is 73 years old today.
^ About when was it originally written?
^^ Who wrote it?
^^^ Know what has been added or subtracted?
^^^^ How about the salute that was originally used with the pledge?
^^^^^ Ever heard of the pledge used before the current one was adopted?
Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: We need to add PR, DC, and Guam as states. 53 is a prime number; then we can truly be one nation, indivisible.
Sad News of the Week: Some ePistliers may remember the Conversations with Mother section collected by the Bread Ladye. Marilyn Uppman died earlier this month. I didn't find out until after the memorial service was held. I will miss her very much, she was a bright light in my life. Good-bye, Marilyn, I'll miss you. KC Star Obituary
Fake Library Statistic of the Week: A librarian's biggest holiday fears: 40% treats made by patrons; 30% treats made by coworkers; 10% forced Santa hat wearing. https://www.facebook.com/FakeLibStats/?fref=ts
Loki is a god, and he's my brother. He killed 80 million people in two days. He's adopted.
..........Let's watch the old year die.........Bing Crosby …..Let's Start the New Year Right
Antum salimoun - Arabic
Moonbeam: I tried to housebreak a dog once and he just laughed and laughed. --Charley Weaver (Cliff Arquette)
Something to Think About of the Week:

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Motion to rename “mansplaining” to “correctile dysfunction”. --Submitted by cmr of ks
Week of the Week: It's About Time Week (12/25-31) –Time waits for no man; time is obviously a woman. / That belt with a watch on it is a waist of time.
Spiderman: With great power comes great utility bills.
..........Wanted to bring the year in right.........Eagles …..Funky New Year
Godt Nytår - Danish
^ The pledge was first written in 1892. It was unveiled in October at the Chicago World Fair Columbian Exposition to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the discovery of America by white guys.
Almanac: It is Friday, December 28, 2018. The moon will be last quarter tomorrow and is in Scorpio. It is Holy Innocents Day, Pledge of Allegiance Day, Card Playing Day, and National Chocolate Day. In Nepál it is King Birendra's Birthday.
Among those born on this day were Cliff Arquette (Charlie Weaver, 1905), Lew Ayres (1908), Sam Levenson (1911), Stan Lee (1922), Rod Sterling (1924), Maggie Smith (1934) and Edgar Winter (1946).
On December twenty-eighth Westminister Abbey opened (1065), Iowa became the 29th state (1846), the world's first movie theater opened (Paris, 1895), Cyrano de Bergerac premiered (Paris, 1897), the Intercollegiate Athletic Association was founded (became NCAA in 1910, 1905), Ma Rainey made her last recording (1928), Congress adopted the Pledge of Allegiance (1945), Night of the Iguana opened (1961), and Comet Kohoutek went to perihelion (1973).
Night Sky, 12/28: Last-quarter Moon tonight (exact at 4:39 am on the 29th EST). The Moon, half-lit, rises around midnight in Virgo. By the beginning of Saturday's dawn it's shining high in the south, close above Gamma (γ) Virginis and about a fist and a half upper right of Spica. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/
Max Picture of the Week: Max enjoying himself.

This Week: Saturday, December 29 - Tick Tock Day & YMCA Day
Night Sky, 12/28: Before dawn on Sunday the 30th, the waning Moon shines upper left of Spica. Much farther upper left of the Moon is Arcturus, pale yellow-orange. Far to the Moon's lower left are bright Venus, then Jupiter, then Mercury.
Sunday, December 30 – Bacon Day & No Interruptions Day
Monday, December 31 – National Champagne Day & Look On The Bright Side Day
Tuesday, January 1 – Ellis Island Day & First Foot Day & New Years Day
Night Sky, 1/1: Mars shines highest in late twilight to midnight. Uranus is highest in the south right after dark and Neptune is lower in the southwest right after dark. Saturn is lost in the sunset.
Wednesday, January 2 – Happy Mew Year for Cats Day & National Science Fiction Day
Thursday, January 3 – JRR Tolkien Day
When Spiderman shoots a sticky substance all over someone he's amazing. When I do I'm a pervert.
..........There's glitter on the floor after the party..........Taylor Swift …..New Year's Day
Nutan Varshbhinandan - Gujarati
^^ The Pledge's author, Francis Bellamy, never intended the Pledge to be said on a daily basis. It was written for a national school celebration to commemorate Christopher Columbus' first voyage.
'Nother Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Is there anything more capitalist than a peanut with a top hat, cane, and monocle selling you other peanuts to eat.
Moonbeam: Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your children. --Sam Levenson
Top Ten Late Night Snacks: Dave Letterman's Top Ten New Year's Resolutions
10 When visiting strip bars, stop using Regis' name to get free lap dances
9 Become a prison pen pall with Hillary
8 Work up the courage to wear my dreadlock toupee in public
7 No more cigars in the shower
6 Combine my love of bass fishing and exercise into new sport: Bassericze
5 Only pay for sex if the price seems really, really reasonable
4 Get back to my true love, cabaret
3 Correct that annoying typo in my Metallica tattoo
2 Find perfect joke to open at Academy Awards (sorry, that was a resolution last year)
1 Every time Drew Barrymore is on the show, tell her it's my birthday.
Not So Late Night Snacks: By the way it is not the wall or a wall it's just wall. That's what homeland secretary, Kirstjen Nielsen, said in front of congress this week I would ask for wall; we need wall. O, please, give me break. --Peter Sagal Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me (12/22/18)
Let you do all you can to live at peace not only with your world but with yourself also. --Rejesh Goyal
In Oklahoma 2 men dressed as Batman and Captain America tried to rob a gas station. They're being charged with attempted robbery and mixing Marvel with DC.
..........May we all have a vision now and then.........Abba …..Happy New Year
Saehae Bock Mani ba deu sei yo! - Korean
^^^ The original text for the Pledge of Allegiance did not include "under God."Congress officially added that phrase in 1954.
Worthless Fact of the Week: At the Salon Indien of the Grand Café in Paris, cinematography pioneers the Lumiere Brothers effectively opened the first cinema box office, charging the public to see 10 short films they had filmed earlier that year projected onto a big screen.
Wicked Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I've gotta teach my facial expressions how to use their inside voice. --Submitted by ajm of ok
Weird Word of the Week: Nocebo – something that induces a feeling of ill-health for no very good medical reason, the opposite of a placebo. http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-noc1.htm
Wacky Uses for Common Products: Remove chewing gum, crayon, tar, and Silly Putty from most surfaces. Spray on WD-40, wait, and wipe. http://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/wd40.html
Daredevil walks into a bar and a table and a chair.
...........A world in white gets underway........U2 …..New Year's Day
Feliz Ano Novo - Portuguese
^^^^ The Pledge used to include a military-style salute. But the salute became associated with European fascists in the 1930s. Congress amended the U.S. Flag Code in 1942 to recommend the hand-over-the-heart salute.
Top Ten Date of the Week: January 2, 1996
Christine's Promise of the Week: I just watched a video about the son of a fallen fire fighter who received thousand of fire fighter badges for Christmas. He was collecting them to honor his dad. At the end of the clip a voice over said his father was looking down and he was so proud. I just want to go on record, now while I'm still relatively sound of mind, that once I'm dead, I'm done being proud, or disappointed, or fearful, or anything else. Instead, I'll be dead. I've worked a lifetime trying to tame my ego and I'm looking forward to ditching it altogether when I pass.
Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: It is the period between Christmas and New Year. No one knows what day it is. Time doesn't really exist. Can we start drinking at 10am? Why not. Existence is a confusion.
Science Fiction Convention of the Week: There are no science fiction convention listed for this weekend. --If you think this Universe is bad, you should see some of the others. --Philip K Dick
Actual Science Convention of the Week: Deadline for ITEEA Elementary STEM Council Innovative Grand Design Challenge December 31. https://www.iteea.org/278.aspx
Puck the Brave Episode of the Week: Here's our fearless Puck still on holiday vacation. His bed has grown from a single pillow to a pillow and 3 blankets.
The term black power was first used by Stokley Carmichael in June of 1966; the first Black Panther comic came out in July of 1966. Just sayin'.
..........We'll sing along with Auld Lang Syne.........Pentatonix …..New Year's Day
Sirito kypoton ra'a - Carib
^^^^^ There were previous pledges to the flag. Civil war veteran George T. Balch wrote this one in 1885:"I give my heart and my hand to my country—one country, one language, one flag."
Month of the Week: January is Get Organized Month – I am one stack of crap away from an episode of hoarders. / Professional Organizer Confession #17: I take my vitamins from largest to smallest.
Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Happy New Year! May your city never become San Francisco, New York, or Seattle. --Submitted by rhb of ks
Grammar Joke of the Week: A figure of speech literally walks into a bar and ends up getting figuratively hammered.
Today's Peace of History: December 28, 1869,  The (Noble and Holy Order of the) Knights of Labor, a labor union formed by tailors in Philadelphia, held the first Labor Day ceremonies in American history. Led by Uriah S. Stephens, they advocated an end to child and convict labor, equal pay for women, a progressive income tax, and cooperative ownership of mines and factories by management and workers.
I hate St. Patrick's Day. Any time I wear green everybody thinks I'm the Incredible Hulk.
..........The wind blows memories through my hall.........Judy Garland …..Happy New Year
Nizhónígo Nináánááhai - Navajo
Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle December 28, 2018, Marvelous ePistle. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Super Peace, Love, and Laughs . Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. 2511 Morningside Dr. Lawrence, KS 66047
Moonbeam: There is nothing in the dark that isn't there when the lights are on. --Rod Serling
Cost of War: As of 12/27/18 Military Costs of War since 2001: $2,884,740,631,702.
As of 12/20/18 Military Costs of War since 2001: $2,882,708,827,795.
As of 12/27/18 Homeland Security Costs since 2001: $869,813,955,664.
As of 12/20/18 Homeland Security Costs since 2001: $868,433,036,392.
As of 12/27/18 Interest on War Debt since 2001: $643,137,429,056.
As of 12/20/18 Interest on War Debt since 2001: $641,401,617,402.
As of 12/27/18 Veterans Care since 2001: $301,803,942,334.
As of 12/20/18 Veterans Care since 2001: $301,409,399,562.
As of 12/27/18 Total Cost of Wars since 2001: $4,699,496,689,978.
As of 12/20/18 Total Cost of Wars since 2001: $4,688,579,309,520.
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/ ~~Sorry about last week's dates all being the same, my only excuse is that it was almost Christmas.
I do solemnly yearn for the folks around the world a thoroughly Peaceful, Happy, and Beautiful New Year free from hunger, poverty, disease, inequality, war, and conflict.” Lord Robin
Selamat Tahun Baru - Malay
..........It's the last night of December.........Mary Chapin Carpenter …..New Year's Day
When Iron Man does a triple flip off the parallel bars, they call it a ferrous wheel.
Famous Last Words: ...in the twilight zone -Rod Serling
May Peace be your public face
And Joy your secret identity
prairie mama
christine


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