Famous First Words: Be it enacted... Organic Act of 1890 creating the territory of Oklahoma.
May is National Smile Month. These classic jokes are the funniest according to Reader's Digest. A grandmother is watching her grandson at the beach when a huge wave comes and takes him out to sea. She pleads, “Please, God, save my grandson. I beg of you to bring him back.” With that a big wave washes the boy back onto the beach, good as new. The grandmother looks up to heaven and said, “He had a hat.”
It's International Harry Potter Day! Harry had to throw out half his potions stash because they had passed their hexpiration date.
..........The whole world smiles with you...........Louis Armstrong …..When You're Smiling
Without freedom of choice, there is no creativity. Without creativity, there is no life. --Dr Benjamin Spock
It is a cloudy Friday morning. The sun is obstructed by big puffy white clouds, and by thin gray clouds, and by passing clouds sailing along on the 13 mph winds. Now and then the world lights up as a thick cloud travels on. The birdsong rises and falls independent of the clouds. The birds, apparently, are pleased with how the day is going so far; singing and flying around. Puck and Veronica have been out and returned for early morning naps. The sounds of the neighborhood awakening and going off to work has just picked up...car doors slamming, motors revving, early prayers to the gods of commerce. The wind cools the 57°F temperature and sets the willow to dancing. The sun filtered through the clouds is subdued and unpredictable. But my coffee is warm and creamy, my dog is asleep on my foot, and I get to write to you. These are all the makings of a great day.
Hope your weekend brings a smile to your face and the faces of those you see, Uśmiech-ers. (Polish for smile{-ers})
First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: English is not a language; it's three languages wearing a trench coat pretending to be one. --Submitted by LaughingInDisbelief
In surgery for a heart attack, a middle-aged woman has a vision of God by her bedside. “Will I die?” she asks. God says, “No. You have 30 more years to live.” With 30 years to look forward to, she decides to make the best of it. So since she’s in the hospital, she gets breast implants, liposuction, a tummy tuck, hair transplants and collagen injections in her lips. She looks great! The day she’s discharged, she exits the hospital with a swagger, crosses the street and is immediately hit by an ambulance and killed. Up in heaven, she sees God. “You said I had 30 more years to live,” she complains. “That’s true,” says God. “So what happened?” God shrugs. “I didn’t recognize you.” --Submitted by Hank Chawansky
You can find Dumbledore's Army up his sleevey.
..........Somewhere in her smile she knows..........The Beatles …..Something
Trivia Questions: Happy Space Day!
What was the first (that we know of) human built object rocketed into space?
Who launched Luna 2 which crashed into the moon?
Who was the first human in space?
The next big space leap was a walk on the moon. What do you know about it?
What was the first manufactured item (that we know of) to leave the solar system?
The 5 missions included in today's trivia have been deemed the most important space events by a group which is not NASA. https://www.realshepower.in/top-10-space-exploration-missions/
Big Hello: Saludi – Sardinian (Campidanese) https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm
Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: April showers bring moderate to severe joint pain. --Submitted by cmp of ks
Image of the Week: Pink Black Hole (NASA)
Insult of the Week: I never saw anybody take so long to dress, and with such little result. --Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest
Every 10 years, the monks in the monastery are allowed to break their vow of silence to speak two words. Ten years go by and it’s one monk’s first chance. He thinks for a second before saying, “Food bad.” Ten years later, he says, “Bed hard.” It’s the big day, a decade later. He gives the head monk a long stare and says, “I quit.” “I’m not surprised,” the head monk says. “You’ve been complaining ever since you got here.” —Submitted by Alan Lynch
Nearly Headless Nick was a poorly executed character.
..........It's worth all that's lost........Tim McGraw …..Just To See You Smile
Moonbeam: A great wind is blowing, and that gives you either imagination or a headache. --Catherine the Great
Blasphemy of the Week: There's a gang in my area who recruit new members by threatening them with all kinds of punishments if they don't join. But enough about the church... https://www.facebook.com/groups/903685330166072
Coffee Joke of the Week: I don't know what I'd do without coffee but I figure 25 to life.
Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Now we know the answer to “Would it kill you to spend five minutes with JD Vance. --Submitted by LaughingInDisbelief
A guy spots a sign outside a house that reads “Talking Dog for Sale.” Intrigued, he walks in. “So what have you done with your life?” he asks the dog. “I’ve led a very full life,” says the dog. “I lived in the Alps rescuing avalanche victims. Then I served my country in Iraq. And now I spend my days reading to the residents of a retirement home.” The guy is flabbergasted. He asks the dog’s owner, “Why on earth would you want to get rid of an incredible dog like that?” The owner says, “Because he’s a liar! He never did any of that!” —Submitted by Harry Nelson
Harry Potter fans are like “I wanna go to Hogwarts”. The Wardrobe fans are like “I wanna go to Narnia”. Hunger Games fans are like, “No, I'm good”.
..........Life is still worthwhile...........Diana Ross …..Smile
1) 1957 Sputnik 1: Sputnik means “fellow traveler” in Russian. It became the world's first artificial satellite and kickstarted the “space age”.
Almanac: It is Friday, May 2, 2025. The moon will enter the first quarter on Sunday (5/4) and is in Cancer. Today is International Harry Potter Day, Life Insurance Day, Roberts Rule of Order Day, Scurvy Awareness Day, US Capitol Police Day, and World Tuna Day. Because it is the first Friday in May it is also School Lunch Hero Day, International Space Day aka Space Day, and Tuba Day.
Among those born on this day were Catherine II (the Great, 1729), Theodor Herzl (1840), Elijah McCoy (1844), E. E. "Doc" Smith (1890), The Red Baron (1892), Benjamin Spock (1903), Pinky Lee (1907), Theodore Bikel (1924), Larry Gatlin (1948), and Christine Baranski (1952).
On May second the Peace of Vervins between England and Spain was signed (1598), the first Peace of Aken (aka Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle) was signed (1668), the "Great Covenant" was signed (1703), Xi Ursae Majoris was discovered (1780), the Hippodrome opened in NYC (1853), the first issue of "Good Housekeeping" was published (1885), the Territory of Oklahoma was created (1890), the first science fiction movie was released (A Trip to the Moon, 1902), the Jack Benny Show premiered on radio (1932), Emperor Haile Selassie fled Abyssinia (1936), Moon for the Misbegotten premiered (1947), Cage's Water Music was first performed (1952), Feisal II became king of Iraq (1953), Hussein I became king of Jordan (1953), and the Methodist church disallowed segregation (1956),
Night Sky, 5/2: Look for the Moon forming a gently curving line with Pollux and Castor. Mars looks on from their upper left. Although it's May now, wintry Sirius still twinkles very low in the west-southwest at the end of twilight. It sets soon after. How much longer into the spring can you keep Sirius in view? In other words, what will be its date of "heliacal setting" as seen by you? http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/
Fraternal Picture of the Week: Max & Ollie indulging a favorite Seattle past time, rain watching
This Week: Saturday, May 3 – National Fitness Day & Public Radio Day & Sun Day & Wild Koala Day & World Press Freedom Day
Night Sky, 5/3-4: Eta Aquariid meteor shower- This meteor shower comes from Halley’s comet. It happens twice a year with a time interval of six months, and along its path you can see up to 50 shooting stars per hour. In 2025 the shower will take place from April 20 to May 21, with the peak from May 3 to 4.
Sunday, May 4 – May the Fourth Be With You Lemonade Day & Blessing of the Bikes Day & World Laughter Day
Monday, May 5 – Cartoonists Day & Cinco de Mayo & National Astronaut Day & Silence the Shame Day
Tuesday, May 6 – Foster Care Day & National Teacher Day & No Diet Day & Russell Stover Candies Day
Wednesday, May 7 – Beaufort Scale Day (Wind) & National Deaf Interpreter Day & School Nurse Day
Night Sky, 5/7: Jupiter (magnitude –2.0, in Taurus) shines bright white in the west in the early evening, 44° lower right of Mars along the ecliptic. Jupiter continues to form a shrinking triangle with Taurus's two horntip stars, Beta and fainter Zeta Tauri. The triangle will turn into a straight line on May 15th. Jupiter sets in the west-northwest around 11 p.m. daylight-saving time.
Thursday, May 8 – National Cruelty Free Day & No Socks Day & Student Nurse Day & World Red Cross Day
A Potterhead on a horse is called a Troterhead.
Two hunters are out in the woods when one of them collapses. He’s not breathing, and his eyes are glazed. The other guy whips out his cell phone and calls 911. “I think my friend is dead!” he yells. “What can I do?” The operator says, “Calm down. First, let’s make sure he’s dead.” There’s silence, then a shot. Back on the phone, the guy says, “Okay, now what?” —Submitted by Gerald Dok
..........Your clothes may be Beau Brummelly..........Healy (Annie) …..You're Never Fully Dressed Without A Smile
2) In 1959, hot on the heels of Sputnik 1, the Soviets scored another space first with Luna 2. No soft landing was planned; the spacecraft deliberately crashed onto or into the lunar surface.
Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The most stable object in the known universe is a British teacup during a crisis. --Submitted by 42 Collective
Moonbeam: The murder of a man is still murder, even in wartime. --Manfred (the red baron) von Richthofen
Fun Fact of the Week: The Hippodrome was built in 1852. Franconi Schottisch built it for mammoth entertainments and amusements. It was torn down in 1856 to make way for the Fifth Avenue Hotel.
Video of the Week: Jack Benny & Mel Blanc at the airport (2:11) https://youtu.be/O9s8U0O0XPE
Having a good time together is the essence of lovingness and the best means of increasing it. --Dr Benjamin Spock
A turtle is crossing the road when he's mugged by two snails. When the police show up, they ask him what happened. The shaken turtle says, “I don't know. It all happened so fast.” --Submitted by Debby Carter
Dobby got a job as a bellboy in a hotel. But he quit because everybody called him the Dobby in the Lobby.
..........I couldn't stop laughing.........Lily Allen …..Smile
3) In 1961 history was made when Yuri Gargarin, a young Soviet cosmonaut, became the first human to journey into space aboard his capsule, Vostok 1. His flight lasted 108 minutes.
Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I watch people and wonder how some of them found their way out of the birth canal.
Weird Word of the Week: Eellogofusciouhipoppokunurious – extra good or fine https://www.worldwidewords.org/ww-eel1.html
Dragon of the Week:
Wacky Uses for Common Products: Wash dishes. If you run out of dishwashing soap, wash your dishes in the kitchen sink with Clairol Herbal Essences Shampoo. It's perfect for camping since it is biodegradable. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clairol.html
Dementors freshen their breath with Dementos.
A man is walking in a graveyard when he hears the Third Symphony playing backwards. When it's over, the Second Symphony starts playing, also backwards, and then the First. “What's going on?” he asks a cemetery worker. “It's Beethoven,” says the woman, “He's decomposing”. --Submitted by Jeremy Hone
...........Today's a new day.........Kirk Franklin …..I Smile
4) Apollo 11, launched in 1960. It carried Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins, and Buzz Aldrin. The lunar module was The Eagle. Armstrong and Aldrin walked about 300 feet from The Eagle and set up scientific equipment. The one piece of equipment still “working” is the Laser Ranging Retroreflector. A small array of special mirrors that reflects laser beams sent to it from earth. (I assume no moving parts)
Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: American English is so hard. There's a silent K in “Knight”, only one silent K in “Knickerbocker”, but 3 silent Ks in “Republican”. https://www.facebook.com/USdems
Extra Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Nope, I can't go to hell. Satan still has a restraining order against me. --Submitted by rc of tx
Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Wonderplace Alpha 2025 (2-4, Lake George, NY) Steampunk Event... https://scificons.com/events/info/25764/wonderplace-alpha-2025
Spark of Joy of the Week: Neil Young's new electric cars song for Elon Musk Let's Roll Again
Gee, you must be a dementor. You sure took my breath away.
A poodle and a collie are walking together when the poodle suddenly unloads on his friend. “My life is a mess,” he says. “My owner is mean, my girlfriend ran away with a schnauzer and I’m as jittery as a cat.” “Why don’t you go see a psychiatrist?” suggests the collie. “I can’t,” says the poodle. “I’m not allowed on the couch.” —Submitted by L.B. Weinstein
..........I would do it all over again.........Avril Lavigne …..Smile
5) Launched in 1972 and 1973 respectively, Pioneer 10 and 11 were like intrepid space explorers, venturing further than any human-made object before them. These twin spacecraft hurtled past Jupiter and Saturn, snapping incredible close-up photos and revealing new details about these gas giants. But their journey didn’t end there. Pioneer 10 and 11 achieved a remarkable feat – they became the first spacecraft to escape our solar system entirely, venturing into the vast unknown interstellar space.
Protest Sign of the Week: Don't Agonize, Organize!
Quote of the Week: Activism is my rent for living on the planet. --Alice Walker
Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: William Henry Harrison had a better first 100 days, and he spent 70 of them dead. --Submitted by sb of ar
Today's Peace of History: Today's Peace of History, May 2, 1964: Hundreds of children ranging in age from six to eighteen were arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, as they marched from Kelly Ingram Park**, across from 16th Street Baptist Church, to downtown singing, “We Shall Overcome.”
**If you ever have a reason to be in Birmingham, go to Kelly Ingram Park. It is an incredible experience. They have statues of angry dogs snarling at you and water hoses pointed at you, and lots of historical markers.
Snape: Harry is failing potions. Dumbledore: Are you serious? Snape: No, I'm Serverus
A king, wanting to host an elaborate wedding for his daughter, raised taxes on all citizens of the kingdom by thirty pieces of gold. Everybody paid, except for one young count. The king sent a tax collector, but the count refused. “This is unfair, and I shall not pay!” The king sent the sheriff, but the count refused. “I will not support the king’s new tax!” Finally, the king had the count arrested, and thrown in the dungeon. He explained to the count that failure to pay was treason, and he would be executed, yet still, the count refused. So, the king had him brought to the top of the tower, and neck on the block, with the executioner’s axe raised. The king asked the count to pay. He defiantly shouted, “Never!” Then, as the executioner’s axe began to fall, the count shouted “OK! I’ll pay!”. But it was too late, the executioner couldn’t stop the heavy axe, and the count was killed. The moral of this story? Don’t hatchet your counts before they chicken.
..........You steal away the rain.........Uncle Kracker …..Smile
Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, May 2, 2025, gRin's ePistle. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.
Moonbeam: I have always striven to raise the voice of hope for a world where hate gives way to respect and oppression to liberation. --Theodore Bikel
Cost of War:
As of 05/01/25 State Department Costs: $263,957,863,358
As of 04/24/25 State Department Costs: $263,411,286,784
As of 05/01/25 Homeland Security: $1,198,430,706,392
As of 04/24/25 Homeland Security: $1,197,826,674,316
As of 05/01/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,296,393,325,364
As of 04/24/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,294,840,148,647
As of 05/01/25 Military Costs: $3,143,983,936,719
As of 04/24/25 Military Costs: $3,142,804,705,313
As of 05/01/25 Veterans Care: $4,252,254,046,719
As of 04/24/25 Veterans Care:$4,240,482,064,848
As of 05/01/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,155,033,128,384
As of 04/24/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,139,368,804,767
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/
It's up to each of us to help create a better world for our children. --Dr Benjamin Spock
Famous Last Words: Goodbye—and God Bless You. Tyrone A Moon for the Misbegotten
..........Whenever skies are gray don't worry or fret.........Bing Crosby …..Let A Smile Be Your Umbrella
I named my lizard Harry because then I get to say, Harry, you're a lizard everyday.
These friars were behind on their belfry payments, so they opened up a small florist shop in town to raise funds. Since everyone liked to buy flowers from the men of God, a rival florist across town thought the competition was unfair. He asked the good fathers to close down, but they would not. He went back and begged the friars to close. They ignored him. So, the rival florist hired Hugh MacTaggart, the roughest and most vicious thug in town to “persuade” them to close. Hugh beat up the friars and trashed their store, saying he’d be back if they didn’t’ close up shop. Terrified, they did so, thereby proving that Hugh and only Hugh can prevent florist friars.
May Peace give you a smile
And Joy make you laugh out loud
prairie mama
christine
Last Laugh:
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