Famous First Words: I had a farm in Africa... Karen Blixen
It's Future Farmers of America (FFA) week. Why aren't you more excited? Did you know that the FFA has the most field trips but the worst drivers. Ψ A group of farmers in Kansas is teaching milk cow to laugh. They've had a little success. They call their association Laughing Stock.
..........Farmer Joe, I'm the meanest ol' woman.........Laura Nyro …..Once It Was Alright Now
We live in capitalism, its power seems inescapable – but then, so did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings. --Ursula Le Guin
It is another very cold (1°F) Friday morning. Fortunately, the wind has only made it up to 1 mph and is from the southwest. Still, melting and refreezing is not a problem, at least not yet. I spent a winter in New England one year and swore I would never again complain about the cold in Kansas (the heat, yes, but not the cold). However, climate change has rendered my vow unkeepable. It was -11 yesterday morning and that is a damned cold day. Unlike New England we are not counting on a February thaw to refill the wells, only our souls. Stay warm and hang in there – warmer weather is bound to get here eventually.
Hope your weekend is green and leafy, agri-nauts.
First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Compost the Oligarchy! https://www.facebook.com/EarthyHerbsWI
Quote of the Week: They (Fascists) have no clue how powerful joy and community and self-expression can be. --D L Mayfield
You know you're an FFA member when your favorite chapter isn't in the book. Ψ I was going to tell a farmer joke here, but it's too corny.
..........She talks to all the servants about man and God and law.........Bob Dylan …..Maggie's Farm
Trivia Questions: Happy Birthday to the Washington Monument
How tall is the Washington Monument anyway?
Here's a funny one, how much does the Washington Monument weigh?
About how many tourists visit the monument each year?
How much did the Washington Monument cost?
How much damage did the 2011 Virginia earthquake do to the monument?
Big Hello: Salut – Romanian https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm
Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: It's over for Canada! No way the USA buys oil from a “trans” mountain pipeline. --Submitted by LaughingInDisbelief
New Name for the Gulf of Mexico of the Week:
Coffee Joke of the Week: If your eyes hurt after you drink coffee, take the spoon out of the cup.
You know you're an FFA member when boys in official dress melt your heart. ψ I'm a farmer. What's a weekend?
..........The farm grew to be a moneymaker.........Garth Brooks …..Alabama Clay
Moonbeam: We write to taste life twice, in the moment and in retrospect. --Anaïs Nin
Blasphemy of the Week: I want nothing to do with Jesus-less Christianity. --John Pavlovitz
New Name for the Gulf of Mexico of the Week: Gulf of the Great Ojibwe Nation
Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: When God came and took all the dinosaurs to heaven that was called the Velocirapture. --Submitted by UUHS
At least Ag students can always find work in their field. ψ Jack wouldn't trade his cow for just any magic beans; they had to be organic magic beans.
..........A twelve acre farm on a ridge in southern Tennessee.........Dolly Parton …..Where Grass Won't Grow
The Washington Monument is 169 meters which is 554.5 feet tall.
Almanac: It is Friday, February 21, 2025. The moon entered the last quarter yesterday (2/20) and is in Sagittarius. UNESCO has declared this International Mother Language Day. Today is Hockey Jersey Day, National Grain Free Day, and World Kombucha Day. Because it is the third Friday it is also National Caregivers Day and No One Eats Alone Day.
Among those born on this day were Peter II (1728), Charles Scribner (1821), Andres Segovia (1893), Anais Nin (1903), W. H. Auden (1904), Murry the K (1922), Erma Bombeck (1927), Nina Simone (1933), David Geffen (1943), Alan Rickman (1946), Tyne Daly (1946), William Petersen (1953), and Mary-Chapin Carpenter (1958).
On February twenty-first Thomas a Becket was canonized (1173), the trial of Joan of Arc began (1431), Boris Godunov became tsar (1584), Michael Romanov became tsar (1613), the Presidential Succession Act passed (1792), the first native American newspaper was published (Cherokee Phoenix, 1828), Lucy Hobbs became the first US female dentist (1866), the Washington Monument was dedicated (1885), the National Ski Association formed (1904), New Yorker was first published (1925), Alka Seltzer was introduced (1931), Elizabeth Taylor married Micahel Wilding (1952) and Richard Nixon visited China (1972)
Night Sky, 2/21: After dinner time at this time of year, five carnivore constellations are rising upright in a row from the northeast to south. They're all presented in profile with their noses pointed up and their feet (if any) to the right. These are Ursa Major the Big Bear in the northeast (with the Big Dipper as its brightest part), Leo the Lion in the east, Hydra the Sea Serpent in the southeast, Canis Minor the Little Dog higher in the south-southeast, and bright Canis Major the Big Dog in the south. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/
Fraternal Picture of the Week: Max and Mom and Ollie
New Name for Brussels Sprouts of the Week: Biloxi Sprouts
New Name for the Gulf of Mexico of the Week: Gulf of Weasel-dicked Fascist Chuds
This Week: Saturday, February 22 – Bus Driver Appreciation Day & National Margarita Day & World Thinking Day
Sunday, February 23 – Curling Is Cool Day & National Dog Biscuit Day & Tootsie Roll Day & Hockey Day
Night Sky, 2/13: Also called Bode’s Galaxy, Messier 81 (M81) is a beautiful “grand design” spiral galaxy about 12 million light-years from Earth. It’s located in the constellation Ursa Major (The Big Dipper/Plough) and requires a telescope to see – but it’s worth it on this night when it’s high in the sky around midnight local time https://spacetourismguide.com/february-night-sky/
Monday, February 24 – Museum Advocacy Day & National Dance Day & World Bartender Day
Tuesday, February 25 – Digital Learning Day & Rubber Ducky Day
Wednesday, February 26 – Letter To An Elder Day & Pink Shirt Day & World Pistachio Day
Night Sky, 2/26: Uranus, magnitude 5.7 at the Taurus-Aries border, is still high toward the southwest right after dark, 18° west of Jupiter along the ecliptic. You'll need a good finder chart to tell it from the similar-looking surrounding stars.
Thursday, February 27 – International Polar Bear Day & Journey Day & National Kahlua Day
Running that combine isn't nearly as complicated as running in high heels...a skirt...and a blue jacket. ψ Yeah, I know you race your SUVs down by the river. Farmers race the rain in a combine.
..........Hey farmer, farmer, put away that DDT now.........Joni Mitchell …..Big Yellow Taxi
2. The monument weighs 82,422 tons (You should count your answer correct if it was within 80,000 tons)
Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I suppose I better clean out the fridge, something just closed the door from the inside. https://www.facebook.com/MHAPM
Moonbeam: Good can imagine Evil; but Evil cannot imagine Good. --W H Auden
New Name for the Gulf of Mexico of the Week: Gulf of Cheaper Eggs
New Name for the Chicken Kiev of the Week: Chicken Kansas
Fun Fact of the Week: The Indigenous People of North America have decided to go back to calling the Gulf of Mexico, “Chalchiuhticueyecatl”. It is what the Nahuatl People originally called it as it is the domain of the goddess, Chalchiuhtlicue, who is associated with bodies of water, including the Gulf of Mexico
Video of the Week: Nixon shakes hands with Mao (:32) https://www.tiktok.com/@likechina2021/video/7067790278198938881
There are no nations! There is only humanity. And if we don't come to understand that right soon, there will be no nations, because there will be no humanity. --Isaac Asimov
Seriously, a degree in agriculture allows you to work in many fields. ψ I once tried to make a living as a hay farmer, but found it wasn't for me. Weather problems, labor problems, and when the harvester finally broke, it was the last straw, so I baled.
..........Hard times in the country..........Bently Boys …..Down On Penny's Farm
3. In the neighborhood of 800,000 people visit the monument every year
Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The hardest part of bee keeping is thinking up all the names. --Submitted by UUHS
Weird Word of the Week: Salopettes – high waisted ski pants with shoulder straps. https://parade.com/1195613/marynliles/funny-words/
New Name for the Gulf of Mexico of the Week: Oil Rigs Gulf
New Name for the Lima Beans the Week: Liberty Beans
Dragon of the Week:
Wacky Uses for Common Products: Feed the fish in your aquarium. All out of fish food? In a pinch, you can feed your fish a few Cheerios. Made from oats, Cheerios double as nourishing fish food. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/cheerios.html
Eddy Murphy gave up comedy and went back to school. He got a degree in agriculture and a job at the funny farm. ψ Franny Farmer drove her machinery nude. She would not tolerate a farmer's tan.
...........I'm the son of a third generation farmer.........Craig Morgan …..International Harvester
4. The monument cost $1.41 million in the 19th century which would be about $30 million today.
Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Are Medusa's leg hairs tiny snakes? --Submitted by UUHS
Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Con Nooga 2025 (21-23, Chattanooga, TN) It's Your Con http://www.connooga.com/
New Name for the Gulf of Mexico of the Week: Hurricane Alley
New Name for Swiss Cheese of the Week: Holy White American Cheese
Actual Science Conference of the Week: 9th International Conference on Digital Signal Processing (21-23, Chengdu, China) Machine learning and statistical signal processing https://www.iconf.org/conference/icdsp2025
I swear, that FFA blue jacket makes the heat hotter and the cold colder. ψ Fred Farmer mated his angry ram with his moody cow. He got an animal that's always in a baaaaaaaaaad moooooooooood.
..........The cheese stands alone........Burl Ives …..Farmer In The Dell
5. The earthquake was magnitude 5.1. After the quake engineers found 150 cracks in the structure. Enough stone fell off to create a debris field. The monument was closed for three years during repairs and opened again in 2014.
Late Night Joke of the Week: I mean, fix it yourself, Oklahoma. You had plenty of warning from the song. “Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain” --Seth Meyers
New Name for the Gulf of Mexico of the Week: Gulf For Sale – contact US White House
New Name for Belgium Waffles of the Week: Florida Faffles
Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The last time I had faith in the news was when it was with Huey Lewis. https://www.facebook.com/SarcasticMama
Today's Peace of History: February 21, 1866: Lucy B Hobbs (Taylor) became the first US woman to earn a DDS degree. Taylor and her husband, who was also a dentist, moved to Lawrence, KS, where they had successful practice until James Taylor died in 1886. After her husband's death, Lucy Taylor ceased to be an active dentist, but became more active in politics, campaigning for greater women's rights until her own death on October 3, 1910. Their home was at 809 Vermont. The building is still there and in use. https://www.explorelawrence.com/blog/post/lucy-hobbs-taylor/
Frida had a terrible time in tomato growing 101. She kept eating her homework. ψ Frida Farmer got herself a hot tub to relax after a hard day's work. And out of nowhere, her chickens started laying hard boiled eggs.
..........Turned down, sold out, put out to graze..........Charlie Daniels …..American Farmer
New Name for the Gulf of Mexico of the Week: Gator Gulf
New Name for the Bermuda Triangle of the Week: The American Triangle
Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, February 21, 2025, oLd fArmer's ePistle. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.
Moonbeam: Housework – if you do it right – will kill you. --Erma Bombeck
Cost of War:
As of 02/20/25 State Department Costs: $258, 403,386,762
As of 02/13/25 State Department Costs: $257,848,910,397
As of 02/20/25 Homeland Security: $1,192,386,539,315
As of 02/13/25 Homeland Security: $1,191,784,242,460
As of 02/20/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,280,851,297,294
As of 02/13/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,279,302,559,455
As of 02/20/25 Military Costs: $3,132,183,498,709
As of 02/13/25 Military Costs: $3,131,007,556,228
As of 02/20/25 Veterans Care:$4,134,442,762,994
As of 02/13/25 Veterans Care: $4,122,702,198,333
As of 02/20/25 Total Cost of Wars: $9,998,270,462,573
As of 02/13/25 Total Cost of Wars: $9,982,647,245,792
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/
As civilization advances, so does indifference. It is a disease. Immunize yourself with art. And love. --Matt Haig
Famous Last Words: This is a house of peace. --Malcolm X who was murdered 2/21/65
..........I'm staying with the farm til I die.........Woody Guthrie …..Tom Joad
Agriculture education is not just about learning how to grow crops; it's about understanding the complex system that sustains life on our planet. ψ I just got a job as senior director at Old MacDonald's farm. I'm the CIEIO.
Plant Peace
And harvest Joy
prairie mama
christine
Last Laugh: Duck Duck Go and Blogspot will not print my last laugh. Sorry. It was a pen and ink drawing from Finding Nemo called Picture of Dory in gray
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