Entlebucher ePistle

 Famous First Words: Beautiful dawn foriera... --Donizetti … La Favorita

Happy National Mutt Day ! I crossed a shepherd with a rose and got a Collie-flower. / What has 4000 eyes and 8000 legs? Duh, 2000 dogs

..........He can't take a goldfish for a walk.........Patti Page …..How Much Is That Doggie In The Window

I have learned over the years that when one's mind is made up, this diminishes fear; knowing what must be done does away with fear. --Rosa Parks

It is a windy Friday morning. The sky is covered with a thick layer of clouds that project a gloomy atmosphere without being threatening. The willow tree outside my window is nearly bereft of leaves and whips about wildly in the 25 mph southern breeze. Few birds are out and the sound of moving air dominates the sound track. I am home from several errands and waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. Puck is a little put off by not having a walk – yet and he chews his foot in protest. Ah, the sun has burned a hole and is shining into my backyard. It may be a nice morning after all. I did see two different hawks in flight while I was out.

Hope your weekend sits up and wags its tail, ePistliers.

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I owe myself the biggest apology for putting up with what I didn't deserve. --Submitted by FLHA

Our dog loves popcorn. We serve him bowls of it and call it pupcorn. / The newest Avenger is a dog named Labro-Thor.

..........But I can teach a dog to do that.........The Monkees …..Gonna Buy Me A Dog

Trivia Questions: Happy National Fritter Day!

• ^ Where does the word fritter come from?
• ^^ What are the three ways in which fritters are made?
• ^^^ Sweet French fritters go by what name?
• ^^^^ What is the savory Japanese fritter called?
• ^^^^^ What do you know about the secret ingredient in Grover Cleveland's famous Thanksgiving fritters?

Big Hello: Jó napot kívánok - Hungarian https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: You can't set a Hallmark movie in the South. Unexpected snow isn't magical down here. It's terrifying and always leads to a fight at the Piggly Wiggly. --Submitted by INRITH

Image of the Week: Veronica is also thankful for Puck's pillow and blanket.

Fake Library Statistics of the Week: To celebrate Thanksgiving each year the Librarian of Congress pardons a cat from a DC shelter that lives out its days roaming the Jefferson Building https://www.facebook.com/FakeLibStats/?fref=ts

Pulley was such a Pug he ended up going 7 rounds with Ali. / I had a really smart dog who loved to dig things up. She ended up at the university studying Bark-eology.

..........well the dealer had a knife and the dog had a gun.........Hoyt Axton …..Della and the Dealer

Moonbeam: The real meaning of enlightenment is to gaze with undimmed eyes on all darkness. – Nikos Kazantazakis

Meditation of the Week: What is time?

Puzzle of the Week: From Henri Picciotto, of Berkeley, Calif. He co-edits the weekly "Out of Left Field" cryptic crossword. Name a branch of scientific study. Drop the last letter. Then rearrange the remaining letters to name two subjects of that study. What branch of science is it?

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: She was an open book. He was illiterate. --Submitted by INRITH

Whenever I take the dog for a walk, the 6 year old next door shouts, Mutt Strut. / The dog was so beautiful she ended up on the cover of Vanity Fur.

..........My dog will always come through.........Cat Stevens …..I Love My Dog

^ The word fritter is derived from the Latin root word “frigere” which means to fry. Generally, a fritter consists of a batter or breading, with any filling you could conjure up, from seafood, meat, fruits and vegetables.

Almanac: It is Friday, December 2, 2022. The moon went into the first quarter on Wednesday (11/30) and is in Aries. The United Nations has declared this International Day for the Abolition of Slavery (A/RES/317(IV)).** It is also Pan American Health Day, UAE Independence Day (1971), Rosa Parks Day, Faux Fur Friday, National Fritters Day, National Mutt Day, Safety Razor Day, and Special Education Day.

** Qatar, for instance: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2016/03/qatar-world-cup-of-shame/

Among those born on this day were Henry Doeff (1777), Georges Seurat (1859), Henry Thacker Burleigh (1866), George Minot (1885), Nikos Kazantazakis (1885), Eddie Sauter (1914), Randolph Hearst (1915), Milton Delugg (1918), Maria M Callas (1923), Alexander Haig, Jr. (1924), Julie Harris (1925), Edwin Meese (1931), Brian Lumley (1937), Stone Phillips (1954), Rick Savage (1960), and Britney Spears (1981).

On December second St Paul's Cathedral in London opened (1697), James Madison was re-elected (1812), Donizetti's La Favorita premiered (1840), Brahms' Third Symphony premiered (1883), the first Model A Ford sold (1927), the Peking man skull was found (1928), Naval Intelligence stopped bugging the Japanese consul (1941), Castro declared himself a Marxist (1961), Ringo Starr had his tonsils removed (1964), the first permanent artificial heart was implanted (Utah, 1982)**, and the space shuttle STS-61 (Endeavor 5) was launched (1993).

** There were bumpers stickers that said UTAH – Artificial Heart of America

Night Sky, 12/2: By about 7:30 pm. Orion is clearing the eastern horizon, depending on how far east or west you live in your time zone. Orion's tilt while rising depends on your latitude. If you live north of 33° N (Los Angeles, Atlanta, the Nile delta, Shanghai), Betelgeuse will be higher than Rigel. If you're south of 33°, Rigel will be the higher one just after they rise; Orion comes up foot first. As the night goes on, however, Betelgeuse always gains the upper position — as seen from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Dad and the guys hiking the Washington Woods.

This Week: Saturday, December 3 – Be A Blessing Day & National Play Outside Day & World Pear Day

Sunday, December 4 – National Cookie Day & National Sock Day & World Wildlife Conservation Day

Night Sky, 12/4: Vega still shines brightly well up in the west-northwest after dark. The brightest star above it is Deneb, the head of the big Northern Cross, formed by the brightest stars of Cygnus. At nightfall the shaft of the cross extends lower left from Deneb. By 10 or 11 pm it plants itself more or less upright on the northwest horizon.

Monday, December 5 – Bathtub Party Day & World Soil Day

Tuesday, December 6 – Miners Day & Mitten Tree Day & World Trick Shot Day

Wednesday, December 7 – National Fire Safety Council Day & Special Kids Day

Night Sky, 11/7: Mars is on its way to opposition the night of December 7-8 — when the full Moon will occult Mars for much of North America and Western Europe! Map and timetables. See the December Sky & Telescope, page 49, for more information and also a table of the near-miss times and separations for cities in the eastern U.S outside the occultation zone. Mars-colored Aldebaran, only a tenth as bright at magnitude +0.9, sparkles about 11° to Mars's upper right. Twice as far lower left of the planet is Mars-colored Betelgeuse.

Thursday, December 8 – AFL-CIO Day & National Day of Lard & Pretend To Be A Time Traveler Day

Puck's philosophy is: If you love something, pee on it. / We were watching the game on the patio when the snack table fell down. Suddenly the yard was filled with wide retrievers.

..........He was love and understanding.........Dolly Parton …..Cracker Jack

^^ Commonly fritters are made in three ways. Choux paste or yeast dough is deeply fried to make plain fritters (hush puppies). Chunks of meat, seafood, vegetables, or fruit can be coated with batter and deep-fried (corn dog) Or add chopped food in the batter and deep fry (apple fritter).

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: In general, I don't believe in child labor. But sometimes they're the only ones who can figure out what's wrong with my computer. --BizarroComics.com -–Submitted by bc of tx

Moonbeam: News is something somebody doesn't want printed; all else is advertising. --Randolph Hearst

Video of the Week: Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire dance to Led Zeppelin (4:19) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbuFLUJ89Kw --Submitted by mm of ia

Not So Late Night Snacks of the Week: Now, panel, who's going to get indicted next? Helen Hong: The guy who OK'd bands playing on Southwest Airlines. Faith Salie: The person who on Halloween put Veggie-O's in my kid's candy bag. Alonzo Bodden: Dwayne Johnson because we're going to put a stop to this Rock in 2020 thing right now. --Wait Wait Don't Tell Me 11/4/17

People always say that I didn't give up my seat because I was tired, but that isn't true. I was not tired physically...No, the only tired I was, was tired of giving in. --Rosa Parks

She rejects the term “mutt” and prefers “hybrid”. / Puck's jokes are so bad, we've taken to calling him corn dog.

..........Bet you five dollars he's a good dog too.........The Byrds …..Old Blue

^^^ Beignets are sugar-coated, square fritters originally from France.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Based on the amount of laundry I do, I'm pretty sure there are people living here that I have not met yet. --Rebecca Yarros

Weird Word of the Week: Peristeronic – Pigeon Fancying http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-per2.htm

Dragon of the Week: Christmas Dragon #1

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Lubricate squeaky hinges. Spray the joint with Barbasol Shaving Cream. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/barbasol.html

My dog tells dirty jokes. We don't call her mutt, we call her s'mutt. / My dog never stands up for herself, she rolls over every time.

...........Oh, he's shaggy and he eats like a hog.........Johnny Cash …..Dirty Old Egg Sucking Dog

^^^^ Tempura is a fritter just made out of fried batter and is common in Japan. This technique of batter frying was introduced by the Portuguese and Spanish in Japan by the late 16th century. Later the Tempura was modified with the addition of shrimp fry, vegetables and herbs according to their taste.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Roses are red / And John's eyes are blue / But you said they were hazel / Back on page 52. -Submitted by Writer's Relief

FYI of the Week: The Entlebucher in the ePistle name comes from the Entlebucher Mountain Dog known for its independent spirit. https://dogtime.com/dog-breeds/entlebucher-mountain-dog#/slide/1

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: GalaxyCon (2-4, Columbus, OH) 3-Day Festival of Fandom with celebrities, artists, writers, voice actors, cosplayers, and more https://galaxycon.com/pages/columbus

Actual Science Conference of the Week: International Conference On Science, Technology And Management (2, NYC) focus on science and environment interface https://allconferencealert.net/eventdetails.php?id=1597551

Answer to Puzzle of the Week: Astronomy -> Star, Moon

I crossed my dog with my frog and got a croaker spaniel. / Puck is so cute the pup-arazzi hounds him every time we go for a walk.

..........Folks say a dog cain't hold no grudge.........Buffy Sainte-Marie …..They Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dawg Around

^^^^^ In 1887, President Grover Cleaveland served a parsnip variety fritter for Thanksgiving at the white house according to Gourmet.com. The ingredients were boiled parsnips with flour, egg and salt. After larding the hot pan, the parsnip mixture is spooned in and fried till “delicate brown”

My Own Writing of the Week: For a while I traveled with my job. I wrote technical manuals for automated library systems and went to all the American Library Association conventions (every other one in Chicago) and to training sessions and demonstrations wherever there were customers - real or potential. When I was in Chicago a dark Apollo would stay with me in my hotel. He restored furniture and other wooden items for a living. And he was a most pleasant lover with magic fingers and a long, wet tongue. One night after we had not seen each other for several months, he was especially thrilling. When we were finished he wrapped me in his arms and pulled me close to his body and I was floating between bliss and sleep, he whispered, "Go ahead, sleep for a couple of hours, then I'll wake you up and suck all the juice out of your cunt." And with that happy thought I lost consciousness. Alas, he eventually found a woman who lived in town.

Sometimes when I am listening to a particularly bluesy guitar I wonder: if he ran his hands up and down my body, would I make music like that? However, I have never thought: If I took the drummer home would he beat on me with little sticks in perfect rhythm.

From Always Surrender by Christine Smith

Quote of the Week: Meh, good enough. --Mediocrates

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I'm glad we got to see Elon Musk run Twitter before anyone followed him to Mars. --Submitted by 98%

Today's Peace of History, December 2, 1964: Thousands who were part of the Berkeley Free Speech Movement gathered on the steps of Sproul Hall, the administration building at the University of California campus, to protest four students being disciplined for distributing political literature; Joan Baez performed in support.

I crossed my dog with a lion. I don't know what it is but it sure scares the mailman. / Anything is paw-sible when you have a dog.

..........a mean old dog is movin' in.........George Thorogood …..Move It On Over

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle December 2, 2022, Entlebucher ePistle Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith Lawrence, KS

Moonbeam: In the course of his ongoing crusade for Medicaid expansion, Ohio governor John Kasich has suggested that Ronald Reagan, St Peter, and God Himself all would support his plan to accept Obamacare's Medicaid expansion. --Edwin Meese

Cost of War:

• As of 12/01/22 State Department War Costs since 2001: $193,886,838,779.
• As of 11/24/22 State Department War Costs since 2001: $193,361,091,811.
• As of 12/01/22 Interest on War Debt since 2001: $1,100,649,541,863.
• As of 11/24/22 Interest on War Debt since 2001: $1.099,181,163,669.
• As of 12/01/22 Homeland Security since 2001: $1,122,308,211,893.
• As of 11/24/22 Homeland Security since 2001: $1,121,737,182,769.
• As of 12/01/22 Veterans Care since 2001: $2,768,468,878,587.
• As of 11/24/22 Veterans Care since 2001: $2,757,338,675,814.
• As of 12/01/22 Military Costs since 2001: $2,995,363,818,134.
• As of 11/24/22 Military Costs since 2001: $2,994,249,097,807.
• As of 12/01/22 Total Cost of Wars since 2001: $8,180,679,539,672.
• As of 11/24/22 Total Cost of Wars since 2001: $8,165,873,540,391.

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

Racism is still with us. But it is up to us to prepare our children for what they have to meet, and hopefully, we shall overcome. --Rosa Parks

Famous Last Words: Oh, God --”All” --Donizetti La Favorita

..........Yeah, you ain't never caught a rabbit.........Elvis Presley …..Hound Dog

A mutt is couture – it's the only one like it in the world. / My mutt learned to cook. His favorite is pup-eroni pizza.

May Peace be ever faithful

And Joy be ever happy

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh: Thank you, Rosa, we all appreciate it.