rEd ePistle

 Famous First Words: Act of Confederation... Articles of Confederation Adopted 11/15/1777

Since we may soon be a Russian Ally, we might as well get a laugh out of it. A Russian agent, a sexual predator, and a billionaire walk into a bar. The bartender says, What'll it be, Mr. President.” + A Listener asked us: “What is the longest joke?” We answer: The speech made by Khrushchev at the Party congress.

..........we think and we act as one.........Rosemary Clooney and Vera Ellen …..Sisters

Necessity is the plea of every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves.” --William Pitt the elder

It is a lovely Friday morning. The temperature is cool (48°F) suggesting that fall may finally be here. There is no breeze; not even the smallest leaves are astir. The sky is clear and the rising sun seems to accent the reds and yellows among the greens on the tops of trees. Birds are calling to one another in the backyard and across the street. Rarely seen but heard clearly. The world smells of fall, of dampness and dying foliage, of quiet and stillness. Puck hurried his morning outing and is back to sleep on my pillow. He does not seem to appreciate the autumn temperature in the least. Mary and Martha are still abed wherever they are. I am munching on high fiber cereal and drinking coffee. When I turn to look out the window, I linger, waiting for some movement, some sign of life. Finally, a morning jogger passes to let me know the rest of the world is still there and still chugging along. I trust you too are still there and still chugging along, ePistlier. Big hugs from me.

Privet, poslaiyя (I'm pretending that this means, hello, ePistlie(r)s, in Russian but really, it's a guess)

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Due to unfortunate circumstances, I am awake. Please respect my privacy during this difficult time.

What is the difference between Russia and Reality? Trump has connections to Russia. + A man came home and found his wife in bed with a stranger. Furious, the man shouted, “You, good for nothing, look at what you're spending your time for, while at the corner store they're selling eggs, and they only have three boxes left!”

..........And the load doesn't weigh me down at all.........The Hollies …..He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother

Trivia Questions: Happy Birthday to the Articles of Confederation

• ^ In the articles, who had the power to levy taxes?
• ^^ What was needed for the Articles to become law?
• ^^^ What was the first state to ratify the Articles?
• ^^^^ Which state did not ratify the Articles?
• ^^^^^ In the Articles, what methods could Congress use to raise money?

Big Hello: Khe chare – Pashto (Afghanistan, Iran, Pakistan) https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: When the results hit, we didn't panic. We grabbed our towels and sighed. --The 42 Collective https://www.facebook.com/42collective

Image of the Week: Puck's friend, Mary, also chief competition for alphadog ~~The white swirl is her Bonnie Raitt Curl

Library Humor of the Week: Add “ing” to the end of a book title to completely change the meaning: A Man For All Seasonings, Jurassic Parking https://www.facebook.com/groups/347731464692853/

One of the best things about being Russian is voting in American elections. + A man walked into the district committee of The Party and said, “I wish to join the Party. Where should I start?” They told him to visit a psychiatrist.

..........To me he is was so wonderful.........Eddie Fisher …..O, My Papa

Moonbeam: Americans wanted to settle all our difficulties with Russia and then go to the movies and drink coke. --Averell Harriman

Blasphemy of the Week: Inspiring sermon, Rev, I've never heard bigotry sound so virtuous.

Puzzle of the Week: From listener Mark Maxwell-Smith. Name a place where experiments are done (two words). Drop the last letter of each word. The remaining letters, read from left to right, will name someone famously associated with experiments. Who is it? NPR Sunday Puzzle 11/9/24

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The Amazon Dating App: You recently got married. Here are some similar people you may be interested in. --Submitted by FNOG

In Capitalist America, citizens have a right to bear arms; in Russia citizens have a right to the whole bear. + Stalin summoned Radek and said, “I know you spread jokes about me. It's impertinent.” “Why” “I am the Great Leader, Teacher, and Friend of the people after all.” “No, I've not told anybody that joke.”

..........And never gets carried away.........Louise and Baby June …..If Momma Was Married

^ The Articles of Confederation allowed the states to levy taxes for funds, Congress was not given that power.

Almanac: It is Friday, November 15, 2025. The moon is full (Beaver) tonight at 21:28 and is in Taurus. Today is America Recycles Day, George Spelvin Day or More Than One Role Day, I Love to Write Day, National Bundt (Pan) Day, National Clean Out Your Refrigerator Day, National Philanthropy Day, Roc Your Mocs Day, and Steve Irwin Day.

Among those born on this day were William Pitt (the elder, 1708), William Herschel (1738), Gerhart Hauptmann (1862), Lewis Stone (1879), Georgia O'Keeffe (1887), Erwin Rommel (1891), Averell Harriman (1891), Mantovani (1905), Edward Asner (1929), Petula Clark (1931), Sam Waterston (1940), and Beverly D'Angelo (1954).

On November fifteenth the Articles of Confederation were adopted by congress (1777), Pike first sighted Pike's Peak** (1806), the League of Nations held its first meeting (1920), NBC broadcast its first show on a radio network (1926), the Cow Palace in San Francisco opened (1941), Gemini XII returned to Earth (1966), and Leonid I Brezhnev was buried (1982).

**Before Pike it was called Sun Mountain Sitting Big.

Night Sky, 11/15: Venus sets around 8 pm. It is finally setting well after the end of twilight so that it becomes very obvious. https://tucsonastronomy.org/planets-of-the-month-november-2024/

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Cowboy Boots Ghost and Redsleeves are still at it...this time with Grandma Kirsten

This Week: Saturday, November 16 – International Day for Tolerance & National Button Day & National Check Your Wipers Day

Night Sky, 11/16: Leonids Meteor Shower peaks tonight. The Planetary Society

Sunday, November 17 – Homemade Bread Day & National Butter Day & Take A Hike Day

Monday, November 18 – Mickey Mouse Day & Married to a Scorpio Support Day

Tuesday, November 19 – Family Day & Have A Bad Day Day & Red Shawl Day & Rocky and Bullwinkle Day & Women's Entrepreneurship Day & World Toilet Day

Wednesday, November 20 – GOHARD (Globally Organized Hug A Runner Day) & National Child's Day

Thursday, November 21 – Use Less Stuff Day & World Hello Day & World Philosophy Day

Night Sky, 11/21: Alpha Monocerotids Meteor Shower Universe Guide

Russian jokes are like Russian soldiers; they never grow old. + A rich Russian consulted an architect about building three swimming pools: one with cold water, one with warm water and one without any water. Because some of his friends can't swim.

..........That's the kind of trouble I need plenty of.........Elvis Presley …..Kissin' Cousins

^^ All colonies needed to ratify the Articles of Confederation in order for them to become law.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: We've tried nothing and we're all out of ideas. --Submitted by MMS

Moonbeam: The undevout astronomer must be mad. --William Herschel

Fun Fact of the Week: According to historical records, NBC's first broadcast on their radio network in 1926 was a gala four-hour program originating from the ballroom of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City; essentially, it was a special event showcasing various stars from the theater, concert, and radio fields, rather than a single named show.

Video of the Week: An early television commercial teaching children to recycle (:30) https://www.ispot.tv/ad/AgSA/keep-america-beautiful-creative-galaxy-recycling

Where laws end, tyranny begins. --William Pitt the elder

In Capitalist America, you break the law. In Soviet Russia, the law breaks you. + Putin calls the White House: “Hello, Donald? I would like to discuss Ukraine with you.” Trump: “What's Ukraine?” Putin: “Thanks, Donald.”

..........He laughs hard and carries on.........Houndstooth …..My Cousin Greg

^^^ Virginia was the first state to ratify the Articles of Confederation. The vote was taken on December 16, 1777.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Here's a joke circulating in Germany: What borders on stupidity? Mexico and Canada

Weird Word of the Week: Scrumping: An early meaning of scrumping referred to taking windfalls or the small apples left on the trees after harvest. This evolved into illicitly taking any sort of apples. It can even more broadly mean theft of any kind, though this is rare. http://www.worldwidewords.org/ww-scr2.html

Dragon of the Week: Origami Dragon

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Fix a leaking shower head. If the shower head is leaking from the connection to the shower arm, unscrew the shower head, apply ChapStick to the threads, and screw the showerhead back in place. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/chapstick.html

In Russia the fool pities Mr T. + They caught Bin Laden. Washed him, gave him a haircut, turns out it was Berezovsky.

...........That the old grey goose is dead.........Dany Rosevear …..Go Tell Aunt Rhody

^^^^ Maryland was the last state to approve the Articles of Confederation. They wanted to make sure other states gave up any claims west of the Ohio River.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Maturing is realizing you don't need to have fun to have alcohol. --Submitted by ar of ks

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: ST-DAL (15-17, Dallas, TX ) Trek to Dallas 2024 https://www.creationent.com/cal/st_dal/index.html

Actual Science Conference of the Week: KubeCon / CloudNativeCon (12-15, Salt Lake City, UT) ...leading open source and cloud native communities... Very Long Address

Answer to Puzzle of the Week: Test Lab → Tesla (Nikola Tesla)

In Capitalist America, bank robs you. + What would you do if they opened the borders? I would climb a tree. Why? So I don't get killed in the stampede.

..........Hands across the water, heads across the sky.........The Beatles …..Uncle Albert

^^^^^ The Articles of Confederation allowed the US Congress to ask states for money, borrow from foreign governments, or selling western (i.e. Indian) lands.

Conspiracy Theory of the Week: “How can we have had record turnout and twenty million fewer votes cast nationally?” author John Pavlovitz wrote in a post viewed 5.3 million times. https://www.wired.com/story/election-denial-conspiracy-theories-x-left-blueanon/

Quote of the Week: How television stages the world becomes the model for how the world is properly to be staged. --Neil Postman

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I hope we can all still be friends even if we end up in different concentration camps. --Submitted by sb of ar

Today's Peace of History, November 15, 1957: US Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE) was founded.

Putin's plan for a new economy. The goal? Make people rich and happy. List of people attached. + Do you have a hobby, Leonid Llyich? Of course, I collect jokes about myself. Have you got many? Two and a half labor camps already.

..........She had hoof prints on her forehead........Elmo & Patsy …..Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, November 15, 2024, rEd ePistle. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: My painting is what I have to give back to the world for what the world gives to me. --Georgia O'Keeffe

Observation of the Week: The Supreme Court legalized Execution By Pregnancy.

Cost of War:

• As of 11/14/24 State Department Costs: $250,613,878,416
• As of 11/07/24 State Department Costs: $250,060,504,855
• As of 11/14/24 Homeland Security: $1,183,925,445,174
• As of 11/07/24 Homeland Security: $1,183,324,378,593
• As of 11/14/24 Interest on War Debt: $1,259,094,104,670
• As of 11/07/24 Interest on War Debt: $1,257,548,571,963
• As of 11/14/24 Military Costs: $3,115,664,683,797
• As of 11/07/24 Military Costs: $3,114,490,525,836
• As of 11/14/24 Veterans Care: $3,945,983,427,015
• As of 11/07/24 Veterans Care: $3,969,526,852,485
• As of 11/14/24 Total Cost of Wars: $9,778,832,448,837
• As of 11/07/24 Total Cost of Wars: $9,763,227,848,266

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

Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it. --William Pitt the elder

Famous Last Words: I'm going, but I'm ready. --Tyrone Power died 11/15/58 of a heart attack

..........She was a stairway to heaven, Old Apollo 11.........Jimmy Buffett …..The Rocket That Grandpa Rode ~~Because November is Family Stories Month

What is a Russian string quartet? The members of a Russian orchestra that actually comes back from a US tour. + “Comrade Rabinowitz, why weren't you present at the last meeting of the Communist Party?” “No one told me it was the last one. If I had known that I would have come with my whole family.”

May Peace ground your soul
And Joy lift your heart
prairie mama
christine

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