gLazed ePistle

 Famous First Words: Be it enacted... Federal Trade Commission Act of 1914

September is Baking and Decorating Month and today is National Bakery Day. So, what we knead are some hot cross puns. :: Remember, a good baker rises to the occasion; it's the yeast she can do.

We must reach out our hand in friendship and dignity both to those who would befriend us and those who would be our enemy. --Arthur Ashe

..........One of these mornings you're gonna rise up singing..........George Gershwin …..Summertime

Never, for the sake of peace and quiet, deny your own experience or convictions. --Dag Hammarskjöld

It is a bright, cool (58°F) Friday morning. The sun is shining through a cloudless azure sky. Trees are still green but motionless without much breeze to move them. Birds flit about and sing or call or scream – in the case of blue jays. I have filled 2 bird feeders and 1 bowl of peanuts (squirrels, birds, and bunny rabbits all seem to like peanuts). Puck went out, came back in, and promptly went back to sleep. Veronica guarded the peanuts from an ajar door until I got cold and closed it. My coffee is brewing and filling the house with acrid but welcome flavor that will soon warm my nose and mouth. Ahh! And now I get to write to you. What fun.

Hope this weekend is the icing on your week, oven masters.

Unsolicited Review of the Week: The Peace Gala (ECM at KU, 9/21/25) was wonderful. The food was excellent and the company was divine. Dances of Universal Peace, Food Not Bombs, and The Haskell Foundation all won Tom and Anne Moore Peace and Justice Awards. And various members talked about what peace and justice meant to them and how they sustain hope and they talked about building a better future. It made me want to share the Peace Lullaby (aka Let Peace Be Part Of You) again. But since one cannot embed an mp3 in an email, I have attached it to the letter. You only need to click on it for the file to play.   NOTE: Either I can't or I don't know how to copy the file into this blog.  Sorry.  I'll work on it and if I figure it out I will include it at a later date.  In the meantime try this: https://drive.google.com/drive/my-drive?q=parent:0AMe81FXhyMVfUk9PVA%20type:audio  

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Propel, propel, propel your craft / Lightly down the water solution / Ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically, ecstatically / Life is just an illusion

Procrastibaking: (verb) when you have a million things to do but ignore everything and bake. :: A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand.

A friend may be waiting behind a stranger's face. --Maya Angelou

..........s' awful nice, s' paradise..........George Gershwin …..S' Wonderful

Trivia Questions: It's Save The Koalas Day

1. What scientific classification is the Koala?

2. Sleepier than cats, how many hours a day do Koalas spend sleeping?

3. Where are Koalas found – besides zoos?

4. How many Koalas – more or less – are left in the wild?

5. What is the lifespan of the Koala?

Big Hello: Habari – Swahili https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Here's what we do: we tell Agent Orange that Obama went to school at the Electoral College and he will dismantle it.

Image of the Week: Celebrate World Contraception Day

Insult of the Week: I've had a perfectly wonderful evening, but this wasn't it. --Groucho Marx

I tried to make a cake shaped like a car...but it kept breaking down. :: Caker Problem #32: Running out of frosting with one cupcake to go...

We need old friends to help us grow old and new friends to help us stay young. --Letty Cottin Pogrebin

..........The sun was shining everywhere..........George Gershwin …..A Foggy Day

Moonbeam: Making itself intelligible is suicide to philosophy. --Martin Heidegger

Blasphemy of the Week: I want to see executions on TV. Imagine if Coca-Cola sponsored executions. That would be so American, so patriotic. People would tune in. I think children at a certain age, as initiation, should be required to watch. Public executions by guillotine are holy. --Charlie Kirk

Coffee Joke of the Week: At the Cate Café they serve affoGato.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: He was a dreamer, a thinker, a speculative philosopher...or as his wife would have it, an idiot. --Douglas Adams

Some dream of cake; others bake it happen. :: Life is what you bake it! :: Batter late than never.

We need not think alike to love alike. --Francis David

..........It can be done, it can be done..........George Gershwin …..My One And Only

1) The Koala is in the order Diprotodontia, specifically a marsupial (pouched) mammal with two forward-facing incisors. Marsupial is the important designation here.

Almanac: It is Friday, September 26, 2025. The moon will reach its first quarter on Monday (9/29) and is in Scorpio. The United Nations has declared this International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons. In addition it is Hug a Vegetarian Day, Johnny Appleseed Day, National Doodle Day, National Dumpling Day, Shamu, the Whale Day, and World Contraception Day. Because it is the fourth Friday it is also National Bakery Day, and Native American Day. Finally because it is the last Friday it is Hug a Vegan Day aka Vegan Baking Day, and Save the Koala Day.

Among those born on this day were John Chapman (1774), Isvar Vidyasagar (1820), T.S. Eliot (1888), Martin Heidegger (1889), George Gershwin (1898), Jack LaLanne (1914), Barbara Britton (1919), Clifton Williams, Jr. (1932), Lynn Anderson (1947), and Oliva Newton-John (1948).

On September twenty-sixth the Parthenon was destroyed (1687), Jefferson became the first Secretary of State (1789), New Zealand became a dominion (1907), the Federal Trade Commission was formed (1914), the Queen Mary liner was launched (1934), Dag Hammarskjöld was re-elected secretary-general of the UN (1957), West Side Story opened on Broadway (1957), The Beverly Hillbillies premiered (1962), Yemen declared itself a republic (1962), Soyuz 38 returned to Earth (1980), and Antonin Scalia became a Supreme Court Judge (1986).

Night Sky, 9/26: The Moon reaches apogee, the farthest point from Earth in its orbit, at 5:46 am. EDT. At that time, our satellite will stand 251,996 miles (405,548 km) away. Triangulum is a small constellation rising in the east after sunset. Check it out.

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Time Travelers to World Con 2025

This Week: Saturday, September 27 – Fish Amnesty Day & National Day of Forgiveness & World Tourism Day

Sunday, September 28 – National Good Neighbor Day & World Rivers Day & Confucius Day

Monday, September 29 – National Coffee Day & World Heart Day & Silent Movie Night

Night Sky, 9/29: The recent five-planet display is breaking apart as Saturn and Neptune sink into the thicker air at the horizon. Venus, Jupiter, and Uranus remain visible in the morning twilight, while the First Quarter moon highlights the evening sky.

Tuesday, September 30 – Ask A Stupid Question Day & Blasphemy Day & National Love People Day

Wednesday, October 1 – International Coffee Day & Random Acts Of Poetry Day & Willy Wonka Day

Night Sky, 19/1: The planet Jupiter rises in the east-northeast shortly after midnight at the start of the month. It rises a little earlier each night, so that by month’s end it rises around 10:30 pm. At brighter than minus-two magnitude, and getting brighter each night, it outshines the bright stars around it.

Thursday, October 2 – Guardian Angels Day & National Custodial Workers Day & Peanuts (the cartoon) Day

A party without cake is just a meeting. --Julia Child :: With baseball and baking it's all about the batter.

Strangers are just friends waiting to happen. --Rod McKuen

..........You got me on the go..........George Gershwin …..Fascinating Rhythm

2) Koalas are famous for sleeping up to 18 hours a day due to their low-energy diet of eucalyptus leaves which also provide most of their water intake.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Janet had not imagined that being an evil scientist would involve quite so much evil paperwork. --Submitted by ScienceHumor

Moonbeam: The most thought-provoking thing in our thought-provoking time is that we are still not thinking. --Martin Heidegger

Fun Facts of the Week: The New York shirtwaist strike of 1909, also known as the Uprising of the 20,000. It was a labour strike primarily involving Jewish women working in New York shirtwaist factories. In February 1910, the National Women's Trade Union League (NWTUL) settled with the factory owners, gaining improved wages, working conditions, and hours. The end of the strike was followed only a year later by the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire, which exposed the plight of immigrant women working in dangerous and difficult conditions.

Video of the Week: Shut Your Trap – Animated take off of Disney firing people at Donny T's request.

“Freedom from fear” could be said to sum up the whole philosophy of human rights. --Dag Hammarskjöld

Go out into the world today and love the people you meet. Let your presence light new light in the hearts of others. --Mother Teresa

Is self-raising flour for orphans? :: Quiche is like the fool's gold of the baking world. When you see it, you think it's pie.

..........Fall in love, you won't regret it..........George Gershwin …..Nice Work If You Can Get It

3) Koalas are found only in the trees of Australia, yet their fluffy cuteness and sleepy behavior have made them popular all over the world.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Any dog can be a guide dog if you don't care where you're going.

Weird Word of the Week: Selenolatry: Worship of the moon. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/

Dragon of the Week: Mermaid on a Seadragon --Submitted by vr of +66

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Discourage blackspot on roses. Pre-treat the mulch by mixing one ounce Clorox Bleach per gallon of water in a bucket and soaking the woodchips and other natural mulches in the solution for one hour. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clorox2.html

Friendship has always belonged to the core of my spiritual journey. --Henri Nouwen

I have an incredible bread recipe. I keep it secret and only release it on a knead to dough basis. :: If Cinderella was a kitchen slave instead of a cleaning slave, would her name have been Mozzarella?

...........When the mellow moon begins to beam..........George Gershwin …..The Man I Love

4) As of June 2024 the International Fund for Animal Welfare estimates the wild population is between 100,000=500,000 while the Australian Koala Foundation estimates around 40,000-80,000.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Only 7 hours, 55 minutes and 35 more years until I'm done with work.

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Necronomicon 2025 (26-28, Tampa Fl) Florida's longest-running Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror convention. https://necrofl.org/

Seasonal Quote of the Week: For summer, bear in mind, is a loitering gossip that only begins to talk of leaving when September rises to go. --George Washington Cable

Spark of Joy of the Week: The dreams of the people live on. --Glinda Oz the Great and Powerful

Each friend represents a world in us, a world possibly not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born. --Anais Nin

Peter was a short baker that did stand up comedy on weekends. He made lots of jokes about flat bread. I loved the pita patter of tiny Pete. :: Baking is the only profession where loafing on the job can get you a raise.

..........Oh, I takes dat gospel whenever it's pos'ble..........George Gershwin …..It Ain't Necessarily So

5) Koalas generally live from 10-15 years.

Protest Sign of the Week: Clean Up On Aisle 47

Better Protest Sign of the Week: If Melania Doesn't Have To Live With Him … Why Do We?

Best Protest Sign of the Week: Out Of The White House Into The Big House

Quote of the Week: Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion against injustice and lying and greed. If people all over the world would do this, it would change the earth. --William Faulkner

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. When Scrabble gives you vowels, make aioli. --Submitted by UUHS

Today's Peace of History: September 26, 1909: International Ladies' Garment Workers Union (ILGWU Local 25) began a strike against the shirtwaist companies.

Love is the only force capable of transforming an enemy into a friend. --Martin Luther King Jr

How can you tell if the Mango Mussolini is baking chocolate chip cookies? There are m&m shells all over the kitchen. :: She was a baking ninja who claimed to have a black belt in tarts.

..........The way you haunt my dreams..........George Gershwin …..They Can't Take That Away From Me

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, September 26, 2025: gLazed ePistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: To dwell is to garden. --Martin Heidegger

Cost of War:

As of 09/25/25 State Department Costs: $275,642,359,657

As of 09/18/25 State Department Costs: $275,083,299,403

As of 09/25/25 Homeland Security: $1,211,111,547,457

As of 09/18/25 Homeland Security: $1,210,504,322,505

As of 09/25/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,329,001,257,812

As of 09/18/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,327,440,048,918

As of 09/25/25 Military Costs: $3,168,741,886,693

As of 09/18/25 Military Costs: $3,167,556,466,182

As of 09/25/25 Veterans Care: $4,499,431,947,816

As of 09/18/25 Veterans Care: $4,487,897,381,485

As of 09/25/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,483,930,680,284

As of 09/18/25 Total Cost of Wars $10,468,184,331,338

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

Those who invoke history will certainly be heard by history. And they will have to accept its verdict. --Dag Hammarskjöld

Last Minute Addition of the Week: If you failed to Rapture today, you may be experiencing Ascension Deficit Disorder. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

Famous Last Words: I'm going, but I'm going in the name of the Lord. --Bessie Smith who died after a car accident September 26, 1937

..........Who could ask for anything more...........George Gershwin …..I Got Rhythm

It takes a long time to grow an old friend. --John Leonard

Living the Loaf-Life. :: Coming up with a good joke is a lot like baking a cake; I can't do either. :: And that is how the cookie crumbles.

May Peace spice your batter

And Joy flavor your frosting

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh: My last birthday cake

dIscounted ePistle

Famous First Words: ah, ah, ah... Song opening the Curse of the Black Pearl movie: My Jolly Sailor Bold

September is National Coupon Month. I checked my account balance at the ATM and it was so low that the machine printed out a coupon for Ramen Noodles. <> This coupon would make this coffee creamer only 30 cents. I don't drink coffee but for this price I will definitely start drinking creamer.

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies. --Mother Teresa

..........All the leaves are brown..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..California Dreamin'

True patriotism hates injustice in its own land more than anywhere else. --Clarence Darrow

It is Friday morning. I'm finally back from the doctor's appointment and Parks and Rec to rent a shelter for Jeff's Life Celebrations (Saturday, 10/4/25, Clinton Park Shelter, 901 W 5^th St, 66044, 10 am -12 pm) and stopping by the pharmacy only to discover that both of the prescriptions I was given have a copay (monthly) of over $300. (He was afraid that might be true, so he has other meds he can give me. But I'm happy to know that, at least, rich people can get relief.)

Arg, hope your weekend is pure treasure, me hearties. ~~It's talk like a pirate day.

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The number one thing that will prevent a US civil war is traffic and adequate parking for the battles. --Submitted by MMS

Love Story: Couponers and the Sunday paper. <> People say Millennials are entitled...but have you ever tried to tell an old lady her coupon has expired?

Often, small things give me hope when big things feel so oppressively bleak. --Julien Baker

..........and tell all the stars above..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..Dedicated to the One I Love

Trivia Questions: Happy 97^th Birthday to Mickey Mouse

1. Do you know who Mickey played in this first cartoon (1928)?

2. What were Mickey's first words?

3. When or why was Mickey at the Oscar awards?

4. Can you name any of the 27 different names for Mickey in other languages?

5. What was Mickey's last appearance on the big screen in a major motion picture?

Big Hello: Sampurasun - Sundanese https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Under the new gerrymandered map, McRib was voted the best BBQ in Kansas City. --John Paul Drum --Submitted by cj of ks

Image of the Week aka Fraternal Picture of the Week #1: Ollie and the intergalactic percussions

Insult of the Week: May your genitalia grow wings and fly away. --Terry Pratchett Small Gods

Notice the small things. The rewards are inversely proportional. --Liz Vassey

Happy Halloween! Sorry, kids. There were no good candy coupons this year, so have some deodorant. <> I was so upset when I couldn't find any scissors to cut a coupon out of the paper. I was reduced to tears.

..........And no one's getting fat except Mama Cass..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..Creeque Alley

Moonbeam: Aequanimitas --Antoninus Pius, Roman Emperor translates to calmness or composure

Blasphemy of the Week: You meet saints everywhere. They can be anywhere. They are people behaving decently in an indecent society. --Kurt Vonnegut

Coffee Joke of the Week: Apparently the Republican party is considering a ban on coffee. It's part of their war on woke.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: “If you don't own a gun, you can't have an opinion on the 2^nd amendment.” Cool take. Now do uteruses.

Oh, No! I forgot to use an awesome coupon that expired today. <> The Coupon Master: insists on saving 50 cents but causes a 10-minute delay for everyone else.

It is the small things in life which count; it is the inconsequential leak which empties the biggest reservoir. --Charles Comiskey

..........Come on, pretty baby, take a chance..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..Do You Wanna Dance

1) Mickey's first role was Steamboat Willie which was also the name of the film. It is in black and white and is about 7 minutes long. It was one of the first cartoons with synced sound. ~~It's featured in Video of the Week below.

Almanac: It is Friday, September 19, 2025. The moon will be new on Sunday (9/21) and is in Leo. Today is Fall Astronomy Day, Talk Like a Pirate Day, and National Tradesmen Day. Because it is the third Friday it is also Constitution Day, National Concussion Awareness Day, National POW/MIA Recognition Day. It is also Clean Up the World Weekend.
Among those born on this day were Antoninus Pius (86), Joseph Pasternak (1901), William Golding (1911), Lurleen Wallace (1926), Adam West (1928), Brook Benton (1931), David McCallum (1933), Mama Cass Elliot (1943), and Jeremy Irons (1948).

On September nineteenth Elizabeth Barrett eloped with Robert Browning (1846), Saturn's moon Hyperion was discovered (1848), Mickey Mouse made his screen debut (1928), Krushchev was denied access to Disneyland (1959), the Mary Tyler Moore show premiered (1970), and Pirate Radio Free America began broadcasting (1973).

Night Sky, 9/19: A rare celestial meet-up tonight. The Moon, Venus, and Regulus will shine close together in the morning sky. Times vary, check here: https://starwalk.space/en/news/moon-venus-regulus-sep-19-2025

Fraternal Picture of the Week #2: Max and mom in really neat World Con masks.

This Week: Saturday, September 20 – Batman Day & National Care for Kids Day & World Clean-up Day

Sunday, September 21 – International Day of Peace

Night Sky, 9/21: Partial solar eclipse visible from New Zealand, eastern Australia, and various Pacific islands. https://www.timeanddate.com/eclipse/solar/2025-september-21

Monday, September 22 – Elephant Appreciation Day & Hobbit Day & Rosh Hashanah & World Rhino Day

Night Sky, 9/22: Autumnal Equinox: (19:20 British Summer Time)

Tuesday, September 23 – Dogs in Politics Day & International Day of Sign Languages

Wednesday, September 24 – Punctuation Day & Women's Health and Fitness Day

Night Sky, 9/24: Saturn is visible all through September. It is at its closest and brightest all year. https://science.nasa.gov/solar-system/whats-up-september-2025-skywatching-tips-from-nasa/

Thursday, September 25 – National Daughters Day & National Tune-up Day & World Pharmacists Day

Help me, Coupons. You're my grocery budget's only hope --Princess Leia <> I didn't need this tie, but I had a coupon.

Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. --Robert Breault

..........Don't make me sad, don't pass me by..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..Straight Shooter

2) Mickey's first words were “Hot dog” in the cartoon Karnival Kid (1929). https://youtu.be/PQvKTeZozpc

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Golf is a game invented by the same people who think music comes out of a bagpipe. --Lee Trevino

Moonbeam: I have always understood the Nazis because I am of that sort by nature. --William Golding

Fun Facts of the Week: Saturn's moon Hyperion (discovered 9/19/1848) is a spongy, irregularly-shaped satellite noted for its irregular rotation and deep, porous craters that resemble a sponge. Hyperion is the Titan of heavenly light, a watcher and the father of Dawn, Sun, and Moon.

Video of the Week: Steamboat Willie https://youtu.be/hmzO--ox7X0 (7:23)

True patriotism isn't cheap. It's about taking on a fair share of the burden of keeping America going. --Robert Reich

Great things are done by a series of small things brought together. --Vincent Van Gogh

I love using coupons at Walmart. The cashier always looks at me like I've just handed her foreign currency. <> One of the great little pleasures in life is when the manager overrides the coupon that the cashier wouldn't accept.

..........Cloudy waters cast no reflection..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..Twelve Thirty

3) Mickey has made 2 special appearances at the Oscars in 1988 and 2003. He presented the award for Best Animated File on both occasions.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I don't think my body realizes how healthy my labs indicate I am.

Weird Word of the Week: Psithurism – the sound of rustling leaves or wind through trees. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/

Dragon of the Week:

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Deodorize a filthy vase. Wash the vase with diluted Clorox Bleach (¾ cup bleach per gallon of water), and then rinse clean. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clorox2.html

While it may seem small, the ripple effects of small things is extraordinary. --Matt Bevin

Did you hear about the big sale in SoHo? People used coupon code RIOT and got 100% off. <> He was a gangster who was always on the hunt for a good deal, Al Coupon.

...........Birds singin' in the sycamore tree..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..Dream a Little Dream of Me

4) Miki Maus (Bulgarian) + Mi Lao Shu (Chinese) + Mikki Hiir (Estonian) + Makkal Mus (Faroese) + Micky Maus (German) + Mikki Maous (Greek) + Miki Egér (Hungarian) + Mikki Mús (Icelandic) + Miki Tikus (Indonesian) + Topolino (Italian) + Mikkimausu (Japanese) + Mikke Mus (Norwegian) + Myszka Mikey (Polish) + Mikki Maus (Russian) + Miki Maus (Serb-Croatian) + Mysiak Mickey (Slovak) + Musse Pigg (Swedish) + Miki (Turkish) : Mickey Mouse (Czech, Danish, Dutch, Flemish, Portuguese, Spanish) : Mickey (Arabic, French) ~~I'm not sure what this means: El Ration Mickey (in Spanish)

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I call my To Do Lists short fiction.

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Godzillafest 2025 (19-21, San Francisco, CA) Not only classic Godzilla films, but also rare screenings... https://www.godzillafest.com/blog

Seasonal Quote of the Week: All the months are crude experiments, out of which the perfect September is made. --Virginia Woolf

Spark of Joy of the Week: Pentagonaria – Military industrial disease ~~From the Chad Mitchell introduction to their cover of Draft Dodger's Rag https://youtu.be/S99ZgBJVZp0

The older I get, the more I'm conscious of ways very small things can make a change in the world. The little things, but the world is made up of tiny matters, isn't it? --Sandra Cisneros

I was going out of town so I put all my coupons in the freezer. They still expired. <> Ah, a discount on mustard, a poupon coupon.

..........They're dancin' in Chicago, Down in New Orleans..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..Dancin' in the Street

5) The last time Mickey appeared in a big screen show was Fantasia 2000.

United Kingdom Protest Sign of the Week: Feed Him To The Corgis

Quote of the Week: Politics is the entertainment division of the military industrial complex. --Frank Zappa. ~~It's good to read this now and again; so we don't forget.

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: If you scream into the void, the void now charges a subscription fee. --Submitted by Club42

Today's Peace of History: September 19, 1893: With the signing of the Electoral Bill by Governor Lord Glasgow, New Zealand became the first major country in the world to grant national electoral rights to women.

Even the largest avalanche is triggered by small things. --Vernor Vinge

Budget revolutions are called Coup-ons. <> I call a Taco Bell Coupon, a Señor Discount.

..........If I couldn't I wouldn't..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..I Saw Her Again

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, September 19, 2025: dIscounted ePistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: You call that a script? Give me a couple of 5,000 dollar a week writers and I will write it myself. --Joseph Pasternak

Cost of War:

As of 09/18/25 State Department Costs: $275,083,299,403

As of 09/11/25 State Department Costs: $274,528,315,306

As of 09/18/25 Homeland Security: $1,210,504,322,505

As of 09/11/25 Homeland Security: $1,209,901,485,336

As of 09/18/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,327,440,048,918

As of 09/11/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,325,889,688,523

As of 09/18/25 Military Costs: $3,167,556,466,182

As of 09/11/25 Military Costs: $3,166,379,308,652

As of 09/18/25 Veterans Care: $4,487,897,381,485

As of 09/11/25 Veterans Care: $4,475,844,504,823

As of 09/18/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,468,184,331,338

As of 09/11/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,452,545,189,146

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

Patriotism is supporting your country all the time, and your government when it deserves it. --Mark Twain

Famous Last Words: This pain, this pain. --James A Garfield who died 9/19/1881 from a gunshot wound received 7/2/1881

..........Sometimes it just turns out that way..........Mamas & Papas with Mama Cass …..Monday, Monday

Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together. --George Eliot

A bargain is something you don't need at a price you can't resist. --Franklin Jones <> Reading is a coupon to everywhere. --Mary Schmich <> We're all damaged. It's a universal component of the human condition, like the stages of grief, deja vu, and expired coupons. --Tim Dorsey

May Peace light your days

And Joy brighten your nights

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

nOnplayer ePistle

 Famous First Words: Here we come, walkin' down the street... --The Monkees Opening theme of the very first show

Happy Videogames Day! Families, like computer game systems, can't decide which generation is the best. >> I broke up with my video game console. Now it's my ex-box.

Whatever your beliefs, honor your creator, not by passively waiting for grace to come down from upon high, but by doing what you can to make grace happen. --Bradley Whitford

..........Send your camel to bed...........Maria Muldaur …..Midnight At The Oasis

Democracy is the art and science of running the circus from the monkey cage. --H L Mencken

It is a beautiful Friday morning. The sky is laced with fluffy white clouds. There is a light breeze that allows the willow branches to lead a slow dance of all foliage; it turns my window into living art. At the moment there are no birds or squirrels or rabbits eating breakfast. The bluejays have come, fussed at the cat who retreated into the house, ate a few peanuts, and traveled on. The backyard is silent. So I am listening to Joni Mitchell's song Chelsea Morning. (..and light poured in like butterscotch and stuck to all my senses...) Puck has not been out yet this morning; he is sleeping under my desk. Veronica has taken the morning watch; she has checked all the doors and all the windows she can get to. Apparently she thinks we are safe. Our preview of fall seems to be over and the day promises to get hot and muggy. Ah, but birds are migrating, leaves are turning, and autumn will grace us again. In the meantime, I get to write to you. That always makes the day special.

Hope your weekend is really virtual or virtually real, Gamers

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: It's really quiet in my head today. Feels like I'm up to something I don't want to know about. --Submitted by INRITH

What do Americans do after winning the World Cup? Turn off the playstation. >> When gamers have a bad day, they console themselves.

Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude. --Denis Waitly

..........Guess you think I'm crazy too...........Maria Muldaur …..Mad Mad Me

Trivia Questions: It is Cloud Appreciation Day

1. How many kinds of clouds are there?

2. How do clouds make rain?

3. What is the effect of heat and cold on clouds?

4. How do clouds get their colors?

5. Are there clouds on other planets in our solar system?

Big Hello: Hoj – Stellingwarfs (a dialect of Dutch) https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: At this age, I've come to accept that I will never be old enough to know better. --Submitted by sb of ar

Image of the Week: The Young Veronica - she's grown but she still stares at you as if you are the abyss

Insult of the Week: He had delusions of adequacy --Walter Kerr

That new gardening video game is a plant-astic adventure. >> Roses are red; violets are blue. I'll skip the flowers and level-up with you.

Grace is what matters in anything – especially life, especially growth, tragedy. Pain, love, death. That's a quality that I admire very greatly. It keeps you from reaching out for the gun too quickly. It keeps you from destroying things too foolishly. It sort of keeps you alive. --Jeff Buckley

..........The owners ate the cane and the workers ate the weeds...........Maria Muldaur …..The Work Song

Moonbeam: Find the good. It's all around you. Find it, showcase it and you'll start believing in it. --Jesse Owens

Blasphemy of the Week: Joel Olsten gives Heaven only 3 stars.

Coffee Joke of the Week: Harriet always had a cup of chamomile before her morning coffee. Her mother always said Safe Tea First.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Taco Bell is selling fries. Burger King is selling tacos. KFC is putting Cheetos on sandwiches... I knew we shouldn't have legalized marijuana. --Paul White

The difference between slugs and gamers? A gamer get salty when she dies; a slug dies when she get salty. >> Is a professional game tester who's testing political simulation games a protester?

Courage is grace under pressure. --Ernest Hemingway

..........On a distant hilltop, an eagle spreads its wings...........Maria Muldaur …..My Tennessee Mountain Home

1) Experts disagree on how many kinds of clouds there are. The World Meteorological Organization says there are 10 main cloud types with over 100 variations. The Office of the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration says there are 4 times: Cirrus (hair), Cumulus (heap), Stratus (layer), and Nimbus (rain-bearing) Click here to see 10 kinds

Almanac: It is Friday, September 12, 2025. The moon enters its last quarter on Sunday (9/14) and is in Taurus. The United Nations has declared this National Day for South-South Cooperation. Today is also National Day of Encouragement, National Hug and High Five Day, National Just One Human Family Day, National Police Woman's Day, and Video Games Day. In Maryland it is Defenders Day (1812). Because it is the second Friday it is also Cloud Appreciation Day,

Among those born on this day were Richard Gatling (1818), Henry L. Mencken (1880), Maurice Chevalier (1888), Alfred A. Knopf (1892), Jesse Owens (1913), Stanislaw Lem (1921), Maria Muldaur (1943), Barry White (1944), and Peter Scolari (1954).

On September twelfth Hudson "discovered" the Hudson river (1609), Katharine Hepburn made her stage debut (1928), the Baltic Entente was signed (1934), JFK married Jacqueline Bouvier (1953), Khrushchev became first secretary of the USSR Communist Party (1953), Bonanza premiered (1959), the first football game was played in Shea Stadium (1964), The Monkees debuted (1966), and Discovery 14 was launched (1991).

Night Sky, 9/12 : As the moon gets higher (10 pm DST) look for the Pleiades a few degrees to its upper right. Cover the moon with your finger to make delicate stars near it easier to see. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/ Described as The Celestial Dance of The Moon and The Seven Sisters.

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Mom and the boys

This Week: Saturday, September 13 – Bald Is Beautiful Day & Kids Take Over the Kitchen Day & National Peanut Day

Sunday, September 14 – Live Creative Day & National Sober Day & National Boss/Employee Exchange Day

Night Sky, 9/14: The moon in Gemini enters its last quarter. Illumination is at 47%.

Monday, September 15 – Felt Hat Day & Greenpeace Day & National Day of the Cowgirl

Tuesday, September 16 – World Play-doh Day & National Guacamole Day & Stay Away From Seattle Day

Wednesday, September 17 – Citizenship Day & National Monte Cristo Day & Time's Up Day

Night Sky, 0/17: The Dumbbell nebula can be seen tonight. It is located in the faint constellation Vulpecula within the Summer Triangle. It is a few degrees north of y Sagittae near the star 15 Vulpeculae. Binoculars help. https://youtu.be/Zz2-izG6kvw

Thursday, September 18 – National Ceiling Fan Day & Read An Ebook Day & World Water Monitoring Day

My new Nintendo Wii was broken when I unpacked it home; but the store gave me a Wii fund. >> The console gamer's New Year's Resolution was 1280x720.

Life is measured in love and positive contributions and moments of grace. --Carly Fiorina

..........Now he's like a big old worn out Ford...........Maria Muldaur …..Put It Right Here

2) Clouds are made of water droplets. Within a cloud, water droplets condense onto one another, causing the droplets to grow. When these water droplets get too heavy to stay suspended in the cloud, they fall to Earth as rain.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Astrophysicists confirm black holes are just cosmic lost-and-found bins. --Submitted by Club42

Moonbeam: Science explains the world, but only Art can reconcile us to it. --Stanislaw Lem

Fun Fact of the Week: There are approximately 96,000 to 123,655 women police officers in the US, with recent figures showing women make up around 14% of the total force, which includes local, state, and federal officers. This number is an increase from previous decades but still reflects that women remain underrepresented in the profession.

Video of the Week: Goodbye to Mark Volman of the Turtles. Here's Happy Together. https://youtu.be/mRCe5L1imxg

The whole aim of practical politics is to keep the populace alarmed (and hence clamorous to be led to safety) by menacing it with an endless series of hobgoblins, all of them imaginary. --H L Mencken

Grace is not part of consciousness; it is the amount of light in our souls, not knowledge nor reason. --Pope Francis

Yesterday I got an Xbox for my little brother. Best trade ever. >> Video games have ruined my life. Good thing I have three lives left.

..........If you feel my thigh, you gonna go too high...........Maria Muldaur …..Don't Feel My Leg

3) Heat can cause clouds to dissipate by increasing air's capacity to evaporate liquid water and lift the cloud base, while also causing clouds to rise and shift poleward. Cold temperature, on the other hand, promotes cloud formation by allowing air to reach its dew point, leading to condensation, but can also result in clouds freezing into ice crystals and hail.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I wouldn't believe Peter Pumpkin if he had his tongue notarized. --Mayor Ed Koch 1991

Weird Word of the Week: Velleity: A mere wish or inclination that lacks the motivation or intention to act on it. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/

Dragon of the Week:

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Sterilize your pruning tools. Mix three-quarters cup Clorox Bleach in a gallon of water. After each use, dip your pruning equipment into the disinfectant solution between cuts or at least between plants – to avoid spreading fungal diseases of azaleas. When finished, soak the pruning shears in the solution for one hour, then rinse clean, and dry. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clorox2.html ~~There are 4 pages of bleach uses. I have begun skipping the ones about cleaning cloth items (baby clothes) and disinfecting kitchen items (butcher's block). Those are not “wacky”; they are why we have bleach in the house.

Will is to grace as the horse is to the rider. --St Augustine

I was walking barefooted on the beach and stepped on a rusty piece from an old game console. Now I have to get a Tetris shot. >> Gamers never age; they level-up.

...........Now you can dance and I can sing...........Jim Kweskin's Jug Band with Maria Muldaur …..Let's Get Happy Together

4) Cloud color is determined by the interaction between sunlight and the water droplets or ice crystals within the cloud, leading to different scattering effects.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: If I'm going to take health advice from a former heroin addict, I choose Keith Richards.

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: GalaxyCon 2025 (12-14, Des Moines, IA) ...Festival of Fandom … https://galaxycon.com/pages/galaxycon-des-moines

Seasonal Quote of the Week: Then the flowers became very wild because it was early September and they had nothing to lose. --Grace Paley

Spark of Joy of the Week: Get out there and be the onion ring in someone's fries today. --Kevin Lawson

Patience is a virtue; virtue is a grace. --Jacob Rees-Mogg

Video games never made me angry or want to hurt people. Working in customer service did that. >> Video games are great; they let you try your craziest fantasites. For example, on the sims, you can have toddlers and a full clean house.

..........Drive me around the world...........Maria Muldaur …..Me And My Chauffeur

5) Yes, there are clouds on other planets and even on some moons, though they are typically composed of substances like sulfuric acid (Venus), ammonia and ammonium hydrosulfide (Jupiter, Saturn), or even silicates (hot exoplanets), rather than the water found on Earth. While Mercury is the only planet in our solar system without clouds due to its lack of an atmosphere, other bodies like Mars have dust and carbon dioxide clouds.

Protest Sign of the Week: D. Don't O. Obey G. Greedy E. Elitists

Quote of the Week: When you deliberately distort and selectively present the truth, you lie. --Charlie Kirk

Final Funniest Thing I Read of The Week: Don't ask me for life advice. You'll just end up with a new cat. --Submitted by mja of ks

Today's Peace of History: September 12, 1910: Alice Stebbins Wells, a former social worker, became the first woman police officer with arrest powers in the U.S. (Los Angeles, CA)

I do not at all understand the mystery of grace – only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us. --Anne Lamott

Admit it. You paused your game to read this ePistle. >> How many multiplayer gamers does it take to change a light bulb? None, you can't pause a multiplayer game.

..........I got crickets all in my meal...........Maria Muldaur …..Grasshoppers In My Pillow

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, September 12, 2025: nOnplayer Pistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: An economist is a man who states the obvious in terms of the incomprehensible. --Alfred A Knopf Sr.

Cost of the War on Terror:

As of 09/11/25 State Department Costs: $274,528,315,306

As of 09/04/25 State Department Costs: $273,972,300,412

As of 09/11/25 Homeland Security: $1,209,901,485,3364

As of 09/04/25 Homeland Security: $1,209,297,529,439

As of 09/11/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,325,889,688,523

As of 09/04/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,324,336,879,246

As of 09/11/25 Military Costs: $3,166,379,308,652

As of 09/04/25 Military Costs: $3,165,200,131,803

As of 09/11/25 Veterans Care: $4,475,844,504,823

As of 09/04/25 Veterans Care: $4,464,071,884,545

As of 09/11/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,452,545,189,146

As of 09/04/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,436,880,715,286

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

As democracy is perfected, the office of the president represents, more and more closely, the inner soul of the people. We move toward a lofty ideal. On some great and glorious day, the plain folks of the land will reach their heart’s desire at last, and the White House will be adorned by a downright moron. --H L Mencken

Famous Last Words: I thank God for June Carter. I love her with all my heart. --Johnny Cash died 9/12/17 of respiratory failure.

..........If you come too late, sweet mama will be gone...........Maria Muldaur …..Richland Woman Blues

Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace. --May Sarton

A day without video games is like...Just kidding; I have no idea. >> Which is faster: Sonic the Hedgehog or a Japanese bullet train? A bullet train. Sonic doesn't actually exist.

May Peace grace your days

And Grace fill your Joy

prairie mama

christine

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