FunDamental ePistle

 Famous First Words: Last night I dreamt... Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

It's Reading Is Fundamental Week (8-15): Metaphors be with you. / Never mind. --from the passive-aggressive Raven. / The Romanian stopped reading at dark to give his Bucharest.

..........One smile that cheers you.........Stevie Wonder …..Make Someone Happy

We seem always ready to pay the price of war. Almost gladly we give our time and our treasures – our limbs and even our lives – for war. But we expect to get peace for nothing. --The Peace Pilgrim

It is a rainy Friday morning. The sky is a solid cloud color but if I look hard I can see small drifting wisps of lighter or darker gray. 61°F is warm enough but the occasional wind gust hints at damp chill. The birds are silent this morning, leaving the car motors and tire on damp pavement to play the morning soundtrack. Puck stands at the door and decides he will not pee today; so he laps up the half-n-half I pour for him and goes back to sleep on his pillow. Inside the sounds of raindrops on the chimney cheers the room while I fix my coffee and return to my restored room. The steam from my cup clears my sinuses and triggers tiny hints of ambition and busyness. It tastes of pleasure and morning. How pleasant it is to sit at my computer, in a cozy and comfortable room and write to friends. Ahhh

Hope your weekend has a great plot and interesting characters, ePistliers

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Capitalism Breeds Innovation! Yeah, for, sure. I love having 27 brands of hot sauce and no teeth. --Submitted by 98%

Dystopian novels are so 1984. / Forever Jung. / I will Dewey decimate you.

..........Come on and play it like we know you can do.........Stevie Wonder …..Harmonica Man

Trivia Questions: Happy Hummus Day !
^ What is hummus, anyway?
^^ How long has hummus been around?
^^^ Calorie wise, how does hummus compare to Salsa?
^^^^ What is the average serving size for Hummus?
^^^^^ What is the full name of hummus?

Big Hello: ?ux^waƛak - Ditidaht https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Has anyone else found it weird that when “Star Trek” boldly goes where no one has gone before, they always find someone there. --Deep Thoughts by Smudge --Submitted by bc of tx

Max Picture of the Week: Max ..If you live in Seattle you need serious rain gear.

Fake Library Statistics of the Week: 99% of librarians have unusually strong opinions about their favorite mouse or rat from children's literature. https://www.facebook.com/FakeLibStats/?fref=ts

ISBN thinking about you / Ellie Elephant uses her truck as a bookmark so she always nose where she stopped reading. / O'Henry's favorite book is The Pun Also Rises.

..........Well, love was waiting all the time.........Stevie Wonder …..Down To Earth

Moonbeam: It is a fact, that numbers even of moral and religious people have permitted themselves to accept and condone in man what is fiercely condemned in woman. --Josephine Butler

Meditation of the Week: Who put the alphabet into alphabetical order?

Puzzle of the Week: Name a vehicle in two words — 4 letters in the first, 5 letters in the last. Move the second letter of the last word into the second position of the first word. The result phonetically will name a popular figure from legend. Who is it? NPR Puzzle Sunday, 5/24/22

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I have decided to forgive my own student loans. Peace be with you. --Sunny Eaton

Week of the Week: National Nursing Home Week (8-14) –One day I'll look up from my cell phone and realize my children have put me in a nursing home. / A nursing home with a buffet is called Golden Corral.

The most popular book in the Vampire Library is Wuthering Bites. / Herbie, the love bug, is writing its auto-biography. / Poe-tree is best read in the woods.

..........How many years must some people exist, before they're allowed to be free.........Stevie Wonder …..Blowin' In The Wind

^ Hummus is made from cooked, mashed chickpeas blended with tahini, lemon juice, and garlic.

Almanac: It is Friday, May 13, 2022. The moon will be full (Flower) on Monday and is in Libra. The first Friday the 13^th of a year is Blame Someone Else Day; it is also Hummus Day; and because it is the second Friday of May it is Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks A Voice.

Among those born on this day were Maria Theresa (1717), Henry Stiegel (1729), Josephine Butler (1828), Arthur Seymour Sullivan (1842), Ronald Ross (1857), Georges F Braque (1882), Daphne du Maurier (1907), Sanjiva Reddy (1913), Syd Vincent (1921), Beatrice Arthur (Frankel, 1926), Jim Jones (1931), Raphel Campos (1936), Roger Zelazny (1937), Harvey Keitel (1939), Vladimir Dzhanibekov (1942), Stephen R. Donaldson (1947), Peter Gabriel (1950), Stevie Wonder (1950), and Claudie André-Deshays (1957).

On May thirteenth Henri III fled Paris (1588), the University Library at Vienna opened (1777), US passed Tariff of Abominations (1828), the Republic of Ecuador was founded (1830), the Institute for Electrical & Electronics Engineers (IEEE) was formed (1884), Brazil abolished slavery (1888), Mary first appered in Fatima (1917), the Taft-Hartely Act was approved (1947), Diner's Club issued the first credit card (1950), Jordan and Iraq formed the Arab Federation (1958), the Rolling Stones recorded Satisfaction (1965), Braniff Arlines filed for bankruptcy (1982), and Apple released the Macintosh System 7.0 (1991).

Night Sky, 5/13: The almost full Moon is passing about 5° left of Spica this evening. Brighter Arcturus shines 30° to their upper left. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/

Image of the Week: My room, on Wednesday, from about the same angle as last week's trench picture. The broom handle behind the bed is where the electrical outlet was in last week's picture. The area rug is a Mother's Day present and acts as camo for Puck who loves the new carpet and does not want to share it with the cats.

This Week: Saturday, May 14 – American Indian Day & Letter Carriers Stamp Out Hunger Day & National Windmill Day

Sunday, May 15 – Straw Hat Day & International Day of Families & Peace Officer Memorial Day

Monday, May 16 – National BBQ Day & National Piercing Day

Night Sky, 5/16: Lunar Eclipse - The total phase of this Blood Moon total lunar eclipse will be visible from across North and South America, plus parts of Europe and Africa. https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/lunar/2022-may-16
Tuesday, May 17 – International Day Against Homophobia & World Hypertension Day
Wednesday, May 18 – Visit Your Relatives Day
Thursday, May 19 – National Scooter Day & GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day)

Night Sky, 5/18: Arcturus high in the southeast forms the pointy end of the long, narrow Kite asterism: the central part of Bootes, the Cowherd. The kite currently extends left or upper left from Arcturus. The kite's head is bent slightly upward. The kite is 23° long, about two fists at arm's length.

When Puck started eating my copy of that Baldacci novel, I took the words right out of his mouth. / I was going to write a book on penguins, but I found writing on paper much easier. / They fired the music teacher for encouraging the students to read band books.

..........Someone I've need so long.........Stevie Wonder …..Once In My Life

^^ The source said since the Abbasid period in Egypt which I had to look up; it's the 8^th century bce. (during that century the Mayan civilization began its decline, Beowulf was written and Charlemagne was crowned)

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The robots have become self aware and self loathing. Now all they do is write novels.

Moonbeam: To me death is not a fearful thing. It's living that's cursed. --Jim Jones

Video of the Week: Pete Seeger singing I'm A Gonna Mail Myself To You (reference: Ollie's Very Own Picture, below)

Not So Late Night Snacks of the Week: People are returning to the office. All the folks that bought pets during the pandemic are demanding that they be allowed to bring their pets to work. And if your office does not end up smelling much worse because of this, you have COVID. --Peter Sagal Wait Wait Don't Tell Me 5/7/22

I am weary of them that hate peace. --Jemima Wilkinson

Math books are always unhappy; they have so many problems. / Writers never die, they just start a new chapter. /Librarian's flirt by asking each other for their call numbers.

..........You're the only one my heart beats for.........Stevie Wonder …..My Cherie Amour

^^^ While hummus has about 5 times more calories than salsa, it has almost twice the amount of fiber

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: There's an unconfirmed rumor that Vladimir Putin will undergo cancer surgery. I never thought I'd say this, but good luck, cancer. --Colin Jost, SNL

Weird Word of the Week: Onomasticon – A book of origins and forms of proper names of every kind and field of study. Example: Buffyverse Onomasticon

Ollie's Very Own Picture of the Week: Ollie preparing to mail himself (and Max, apparently) to you

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Neutralize vomit odor. Sprinkle Arm & Hammer Baking Soda generously to cover the stained area, let sit for an hour, then vacuum up. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/armhammer2.html

The best breakfast reading is Much Ado About Muffin. / That book on Mount Everest is a cliffhanger. / My partner, the bartender, is reading Tequila Mockingbird.

...........Cause I live in ecstasy.........Stevie Wonder …..Joy (Takes Over me)

^^^^ The average service size for hummus is 1 to 2 tablespoons.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I finally found a diet plan that really works. It's called “The Price of Food”. --Maxine.com

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: StarFest 2022 (13-15, Denver) --Avistrum is back with more wizarding fun! https://starfestdenver.com/

Actual Science Conference of the Week: International Conference on Advances in Cancer Science and Technology (13-14, Amsterdam, Netherlands) –Carcinogenesis & Mutagenesis https://conferenceindex.org/event/international-conference-on-advances-in-cancer-science-and-technology-icacst-2022-may-amsterdam-nl

Answer to Puzzle of the Week: Fire Truck → Friar Tuck

The Bee Library's most popular book is The Great Gatsbee. / Writers are always cold because they are surrounded by drafts. / I'm reading a book on metaphysics; Waldo goes to India and finds himself.

..........Bom bom bom bom bom bom.........Stevie Wonder …..Happier Than The Morning Sun

^^^^^ In Arabic the full name is hummus bi tahina which means chickpeas with tahini.

My Own Writing of the Week: Sometimes singly and at other times in schools the cottonwood cottons, usually with seed attached, come floating on an eastbound breeze into our yard. Neither their speed nor their trajectory is uniform. Here one darts up at a 45° angle towards the chimney top while another descends in a very slow spiral to land in the rose bush. This one avoids my open hand with loops and dodges. That one glides nearly horizontal on gossamer wings of white silk to some pressing business up the street.

Occasionally a tiny puff of cloud alights on the porch railing but after a nano-moment takes off again. Some landings are quick and straight while others yaw about hunting for the best angle. Finally one who finds easy footing to land on the weathered wood of the deck, blows with the breeze across the splinters and gouges to the edge to drop off and fly again.

These seeds, my flutter of fairies, have a second purpose, second to the one of making new cottonwood saplings. That purpose is to fly, to fly for the sheer, god-given joy of flying.

The fairies ride them. Fairies who wish to explore and pioneer; fairies who wish to move.

You never see them, of course, they're fairies and if they don't want to be seen, there is little humans can do to thwart them. --The Fairy Invasion

Quote of the Week: Decisions about what you can do with your body are now being made by four old dudes and a woman who thinks 'The Handmaid's Tale' is a rom-com." --Stephen Colbert

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Does the fact that there is a Minotaur imply there is such a thing as a Maxotaur? --Submitted by Tiamat's Tavern

Today's Peace of History, May 13, 1967: 250 Chicano students from Los Angeles colleges & universities met to form the United Mexican American Students (UMAS).

Writing about time travel requires thinking outside the clocks. / Harper Lee also wrote non-fiction; her book about 2000 birds is called Two Kilo Mockingbird / Seven days without a pun makes one weak.

..........Keep me in a daydream, keep me goin' strong.........Stevie Wonder …..Superstition

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle May 13, 2022, FunDamental ePistle Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. 2511 Morningside Dr. Lawrence, KS 66047

Moonbeam: I like libraries. It makes me feel comfortable and secure to have walls of words, beautiful and wise, all around me. I always feel better when I can see that there is something to hold back the shadows. --Roger Zelazny

Cost of War:

As of 5/12/22 State Department War on Terror Costs since 2001: $177,770,521,558
As of 5/05/22 State Department War on Terror Costs since 2001: $177,193,257,927
As of 5/12/22 Interest on War Debt since 2001: $1,055,634,254,296.
As of 5/05/22 Interest on War Debt since 2001: $1,054,022,287,273.
As of 5/12/22 Homeland Security Costs since 2001: $1,104,802,279,615.
As of 5/05/22 Homeland Security Costs since 2001: $1,104,175,361,464.
As of 5/12/22 Veterans Care since 2001: 2,427,240,337.306 .
As of 5/05/22 Veterans Care since 2001: 2,415,020,338.959.
As of 5/12/22 Military Costs of War since 2001: $2,961,185,644,917.
As of 5/05/22 Military Costs of War since 2001: $2,959,961,478,752.
As of 5/12/22 Total Cost of Wars since 2001: $7,726,640,319,777.
As of 5/05/22 Total Cost of Wars since 2001: $7,710,376,296,587.

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

We could have peace in one year if women were organized. --Jeannette Rankin

Famous Last Words: I can't get no. Satisfaction Rolling Stones

..........In the evening when the sun goes down.........Stevie Wonder …..Hallelujah, I Just Love Her So

I have no shelf control. / Leave poetry to the prose. / My weekend is fully booked.

May Peace write your dialogue

And Joy scribe your plot

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh: