ePistle marinara

 Famous First Words: Willy! --Linda Loman Death Of A Salesman by Arthur Miller

Today is National Pasta Day! Pasta La Vista! {} Do they serve Holy Macaroni in Vatican City? {} They never let Ravioli sit at the cool table because she was so square.

.........Then peace will guide the planets.........Fifth Dimension …..Aquarius ~~Today's songs are from the musical, Hair -–Galt MacDermot

If absolute truth belongs to anyone in this world, it certainly does not belong to the man or party that claims to possess it. --Albert Camus

It is a beautiful Friday morning. The sky is clear blue with smears of white clouds that frolic in a temperature of 67°F ...nearly perfect in every way. Puck is still asleep under my bed. Veronica is outside convinced that she is hidden in a small but growing sunflower plant. There is no birdsong when the cat is prowling or not well hidden by a youthful sunflower plant. I hear crows and barking dogs in the distance. A wind (9 mpr, from the southwest) moves the still green leaves of the willow and the still yellowing leaves of the unnamed tree. Grass is green, flowers still bloom in smaller and smaller patches. I sip my decaf and rub my bare feet across the carpet. Veronica returns and wanders towards the living room. I take my morning pills and complete the last task before the joy of writing to you. Ah, autumn in Lawrence, who can resist it?

Keep calm and pasta on, ePistlers

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Mindfulness is the opposite of an out-of-body experience. You might say it's an in-body experience.

I spent my entire life savings on pasta. It was worth every penne. {} This noodle was once a piece of dough...in a pasta life.

..........Rama Rama Hare Hare.........The Fugs …..Hare Krishna

Trivia Questions: Happy Black Poets Day!

1. Do you know the name of the very first African American poet to release a book of poems in the US (1773)?

2. Pre-colonial African poetry is tricky because of the oral tradition. Do you know what these poets are called?

3. How many black US Poet Laureates can you name? There have been 5.

4. What poet and/or what poem was read at Bill Clinton's first inauguration?

5. What poet and/or what poem was read at Joe Biden's inauguration?

Big Hello: Grüezi – Swiss German https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Biologists Announce: There is absolutely nothing we can learn from clams. https://www.facebook.com/TheOnion

Mild Rant of the Week: My favorite black poet is Langston Hughes. He grew up in Lawrence so he's dear to lots of folks around here. My favorite Hughes poem is also my favorite peace poem. Give Us Our Peace

Advise of the Week: Everyone loves fried chicken. Don't ever make it. Ever. Buy it from a place that makes good fried chicken. --Nora Ephron

You're one in a gnocchilion. {} Can I make my own beefaroni by feeding spaghetti to my cow?

..........You twinkle above us, we twinkle below..........Oliver …..Good Morning, Starshine

Moonbeam: God is our father, but even more is God our mother. --Pope John Paul I

Blasphemy of the Week: Conquer evil by your gentle kindness, and make blood thirsty zealots wonder at your goodness. Allow those who treasure punishment to be put to shame by your compassion, and engage those who hate you with irritating humility. --St Isaac of Syria

Coffee Joke of the Week: I bought a new coffee maker. It tells jokes while you're waiting for your coffee. It's called the BrewHaHa.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I was at a sports bar the other day and saw there was a show called “The G Spot”. My first thought was, “Don't they want men to be able to FIND this show???” --Submitted by dr of oh

I prefer my pasta puns fresh and cheesy. {} Does Bowtie pasta ever feel overdressed?

..........LSD...LBJ...FBI...CIA..........Cast of Hair …..LBJ

1) Philllis Wheatley had her work published, titled Poems on Various Subjects in 1773. it was published when she was around 20 years old. Poems

Almanac: It is Friday, October 17, 2025. The moon will be new on Tuesday (10/21) and is in Virgo. The United Nations has declared this International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. It is also Black Poetry Day, Mulligan Day, National Edge Day, National Pasta Day, National Playing Card Collectors Day, National Nomophobia Awareness Day, Mammography Day, Pay Back A Friend Day, Wear Something Gaudy Day, and World Geothermal Energy Day.

Among those born on this day were Jupiter Hammon (1711), William "Candy" Cummings (1848), Spring Byington (1886), Irene Ryan (1903), Nathanael West (1903), Jean Arthur (1905), Pope John Paul I (1912), Arthur Miller (1915), Rita Hayworth (1919), Montgomery Clift (1920), Tom Poston (1921), Evel Knievel (1938), Gary Puckett (1942), Michael McKean (1947), Margot Kidder (1948), Mae Jemison (1957), and Eminem (1972).

On October seventeenth Bessemer patented his steelmaking process (1855), the Luxembourg Constitution became effective (1868), Yugoslavia proclaimed itself a republic (1918), Einstein arrived in the USA (1933), Albert Camus won the Nobel Prize in Literature (1957), and Hair debutted (1967).

Night Sky, 10/17: The E-Geminid meteor shower: chance of seeing meteors whenever the Gemini constellation is above the horizon. Tonight – early tomorrow. https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20251018_10_100

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Real Magic

This Week: Saturday, October 18 – Bridge Day & Newspaper Comic Strip Appreciation Day & Sweetest Day

Sunday, October 19 – Evaluate Your Life Day & World Statistics Day & World Toy Camera Day

Night Sky, 10/19: This week, Jupiter rises around midnight. Look for Jupiter in the east around 2 am. It will reach opposition on January 10, 2026. As we continue towards this date, Jupiter will continue to rise earlier each week.

Monday, October 20 – Diwali & International Chef's Day & Lung Health Day

Night Sky, 10/20: Comet Lemmon has or is about to become visible without binoculars. It gets brighter as the month goes along. Keep in mind, comets are notoriously unpredictable. https://earthsky.org/space/comet-lemmon-best-comet-of-2025-finder-maps/

Tuesday, October 21 – Reptile Awareness Day & National Witch Hazel Day

Night Sky, 10/21: New moon in Libra at 3:42 pm

Wednesday, October 22 – International Stuttering Awareness Day & Make A Dog's Day Day & Smart Is Cool Day

Thursday, October 23 – Disabled Women's Equal Pay Day & National Mole Day & TV Talk Show Host Day

Night Sky, 10/23: Sunrise 7:39 am Sunset 6:31 pm Moonrise 9:52 am Moonset 7:21 pm

Good friends should stick together like unrinsed spaghetti. {} My pasta themed opera was a huge sauce-cess.

..........I got my hair, I got my head, I got my brains.........Nina Simone …..I Got Life

2) Griot (grē-,ō): any of a class of musician-entertainers of western Africa whose performances include tribal histories and genealogies. Janice Curtis Greene as Harriet Tubman Greene is the official Griot of Maryland

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Myth: ICE agents lack proper training. Fact: Most have been racists their whole life. --The Onion

Moonbeam: Some of the most fun people I know are scientists. --Mae Jemison

Fun Fact of the Week: Wear Something Gaudy Day is celebrated as an homage to Larry Dallas, a character in Three's Company who wore clothes with fantastic patterns and clashing colors.

Video of the Week: Irene Ryan (Grannie on the Beverly Hillbillies) in a 1937 video called the Big Courtship. https://youtu.be/Mh-_vWq0REg (16:51)

Don't walk in front of me...I may not follow. Don't walk behind me...I may not lead. Walk beside me...just be my friend. --Albert Camus

Pasta jokes will have you laughing until you're alfredo. {} My partner and I bonded over liking the same pasta shapes.

..........Chocolate flavored love.........Bea Authur …..Black Boys

3) US Black Poet Laureates: Robert Hayden (1976-78), Gwendolyn Brooks (1985-86), Rita Dove (1993-95), Natasha Trethewey (2012-14), and Tracy K Smith (2017-19).

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The Pterodactyl family named their nestlings Pthomas, Pterrence, and Ptiffany. --Submitted by ScienceHumor

Weird Word of the Week: Mellifluous: A sound that is sweet and smooth. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mellifluous

Dragons of the Week:

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Fight Fusarium blight on a lawn. To combat Fusarium blight (reddish-brown spots that turn yellow as the grass dies), mix one ounce Clorox Bleach, two ounces Jet-Dry (with citrus vinegar), and four gallons of water in a bucket. Fill a pump spray bottle or a hose-end sprayer with the liquid and – wearing goggles, a mask, rubber gloves, long pants, and a long sleeved shirt – spray the spots when the nighttime temperature remains in the mid-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Reapply once a month. Consider adding a one-half-layer of compost to the lawn (or spraying with compost tea) to increase the beneficial microorganisms in the soil. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clorox2.html

Life is full of pastabilitiers. {} You can't make everyone happy...but you can make everyone pasta.

...........Hair like Chinese silk.........Donna Summer …..White Boys

4) At Bill Clinton's first inauguration, Maya Angelou read her poem: On The Pulse Of Morning. She was the second poet to read a poem at an inauguration plus the first Black person and the first woman.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I just ordered a Life Alert bracelet, so if I get a life, I'll be notified immediately.

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: ValleyCon 2025 (17-19, Fargo, ND) Unleash your inner beast https://valleycon.com/

FYI of the Week: Hey! Hallowe'en is right around the corner... 🚫 DON'T BUY NESTLE TREATS 🚫 Nestle steals water from First Nations. Union Made Candies: Hershey’s Nuggets & Kisses :Kit Kat : Butterfinger : Baby Ruth : Smarties : Jawbreakers : Sour Patch Kids : Tootsie Rolls : York Peppermint Patties : Jolly Ranchers : Bit-O-Honey : Mary Jane Peanut Butter Chews : Ghirardelli Chocolate Squares : Jelly Belly Candy Corn : Red Vines NOT unionized: Brach's and Mar's

Spark of Joy of the Week: Ode to the Portland Frog by Shane Ford: From the mist of the moss and the grey Oregon rain... Read it all

Ravi Ravioli went to the doctor because he always felt stuffed. {} I understand the wildlife in Antarctica prefers penguin pasta.

..........Let it fly in the breeze and get caught in the trees..........The Cowsills …..Hair

5) At Joe Biden's inauguration, Amanda Gorman read her poem: The Hill We Climb. She was 22 years old at the time.

Protest Sign of the Week: RFK JR – Industrial Strength Dumb

Better Protest Sign of the Week

DEADHEADS FOR DEMOCRACY 

 “This darkness got to give”

Quote of the Week: The most threatening thing I’ve seen yet was the naked bicyclers in Portland who were protesting ICE down there. I mean, it’s getting really ugly. --Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: With great power comes great electricity bills.

Today's Peace of History: October 17, every year: International Day for the Eradication of Poverty was designated by the United Nations in 1992. It began in 1987 when 100,000 people gathered in Paris and declared poverty a violation of human rights.

When lobsters cook pasta they only use a pinch of salt. {} A scientist took her dog to help with an experiment on pasta. He was a labranoodle.

..........Join the holy orgy Kama Sutra.........Original Broadway Cast …..Sodomy

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, October 17, 2025: ePistle marinara. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: Anybody can jump a motorcycle. The trouble begins when you try to land it. --Evel Kneivel

Cost of War:

As of 10/16/25 State Department Costs: $277,328,789,118

As of 10/09/25 State Department Costs: $276,776,111,298

As of 10/16/25 Homeland Security: $1,212,943,378,066

As of 10/09/25 Homeland Security: $1,212,343,099,184

As of 10/16/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,333,711,645,293

As of 10/09/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,332,168,145,348

As of 10/16/25 Military Costs: $3,172,318,159,076

As of 10/09/25 Military Costs: $3,171,146,304,371

As of 10/16/25 Veterans Care: $4,535,137,266,715

As of 10/09/25 Veterans Care: $4,523,437,604,602

As of 10/16/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,531,440,993,146

As of 10/09/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,515,873,819,315

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

The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your every existence is an act of rebellion. --Albert Camus

Famous Last Words: We're free! We're free! --Linda Loman Death of a Salesman by Authur Miller

..........Psychedelic urchin.........Donna Summers …..Donna

No pasta-bilities left behind. {} This too shall pasta. {} The pesto's yet to come

May Peace sooth your mind

And Joy calm your spirit

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

ePistle on the go

Famous First Words: Dell'invito … (You were invited...) Verdi's La traviata

How do you keep a Baptist from drinking all your beer on a fishing trip? Invite two of them. >< If you want children to behave on a road trip, take a bag of candy. Anytime they misbehave, throw a piece of candy out the window.

The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members. --Coretta Scott King

..........Heaven opens its portals to me.........Ben Vereen …..With A Song In My Heart

If the Republicans will stop telling lies about the Democrats, we will stop telling the truth about them. --Adlai Stevenson I

It is a beautiful Friday morning. The sky is filled with huge fluffy white clouds lit from above and from the sides. With no wind the trees stand stately and still against the billowing white. A lovely view altogether. 64°F temperature gives the air a very slight hint of cool autumn hiding right behind the corner. Puck and Veronica have been out and returned. Puck is sleeping under my desk, Veronica is who knows where doing who knows what. I am sipping doctored coffee and watching the sun spread its light down from the clouds to the green willow branches and into the tree whose name I do not know but which has a few yellow leaves sprinkled on its limbs. And all motionless like a ghost yard or “the living art” on Mars. (Reference to Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein) May the beauty that surrounds us seep into our lives and into our souls to make the world even more beautiful.

Hope your weekend takes you down the road to happiness, travelers.

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I'm not sure which I've lived through more: raptures or government shutdowns. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

General Update of the Week: Recovery from my fall is nearly complete. This morning I had no pain when I woke up. But I ended up taking a pain pill. Think I'll skip my night one and see how that goes. Jeff's celebration of life was small but fun with lots of donuts and some coffee. His case worker stopped by and told some great stories about how he used to look up resources and copy them and hand them out to the Bert Nash workers. And how very charming he could be – which is very true. So it was a good time, but we are still planning on spreading his ashes on his great grandmother's grave which is where we spread his mother's ashes.

We visited a street where the house numbers were 64K, 128K,513K, and 1MB. It was a trip down Memory Lane. >< Jane took her kittens on a field trip to the Meowseum.

We must become bigger than we have been: more courageous, greater in spirit, larger in outlook. We must become members of a new race, overcoming petty prejudice, owing our ultimate allegiance not to nations but to our neighbors within the human community. --Haile Selassie

..........Stop me when I'm passing by.........Van Halen with David Lee Roth …..Ice Cream Man

Trivia Questions: Happy World Egg Day!

1. Guess how many people can have breakfast on an ostrich egg?

2. What determines the color of chicken eggs?

3. How many eggs do Americans consume annually?

4. What is the easiest test for egg freshness?

5. What is the white stuff that you see floating in an egg now and then?

Big Hello: God dag – Swedish https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Tattoos: Because adulting is hard and I deserve stickers

Image of the Week: Portland, Oregon's response to the ICE invasion.

Excess of the Week: The world's most expensive car is the 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto at $604,363. 2: 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish at $427,700 3: 2025 Rolls-Royce Cullinan at $405,000)

Sammy Snail invited Sally Snail to go on a road trip with him. When she found out he was going all the way to the end of the leaf, she agreed. >< It doesn't matter how old you are, buying snacks for a road trip should always look like an unsupervised 9 year-old was given $100.

What I try to tell young people is that if you come together with a mission, and it's grounded with love and a sense of community, you can make the impossible possible. --John Lewis

..........Going places I've never been.........Willie Nelson …..On The Road Again

Moonbeam: The throne is not a gift; it is a responsibility. --Isabella II

Blasphemy of the Week: In reality, there are as many religions as there are individuals. --Mahatma Gandhi

Coffee Joke of the Week: 2 astronauts are chilling on the space station when one turns to the other and says, “I can't find any milk for my coffee.” The second replies. “In space no one can, here use cream”.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Why does it feel like the only thing genuinely safe in America is the damn Epstein files?

If you take acid at a track meet, is it a field trip? >< The best part of a road trip isn't arriving at your destination; it's fast food along the way.

A community is like a ship; everyone ought to be prepared to take the helm. --Henrik Ibsen

..........I sing, trailers for sale or rent..........Roger Miller …..King Of The Road

1) An ostrich egg can serve about 24 for breakfast. The yolk of any egg is a single cell. The yolk of the ostrich egg is probably the largest cell nature manufactures (currently, that is).

Almanac: It is Friday, October 10, 2025. The moon enters its first quarter on Monday (10/13) and is in Gemini. Today is International Day for Natural Disaster Reduction, International Newspaper Carrier Day, National Handbag Day, Naval Academy Day, World Day Against the Death Penalty, World Egg Day, World Homeless Day, World Mental Health Day, and World Porridge Day.

Among those born on this day were Henry Cavendish (1731), Giuseppe Verdi (1813), Isabella II (1830), Helen Hayes (1900), Thelonious Monk (1918), James Clavell (1924), Adlai Stevenson III (1930), Harold Pinter (1930), Ben Vereen (1946), David Lee Roth (1955), and Mario Lopez (1973).

On October tenth the first European community settled in Oklahoma (1802), the US Naval Academy opened (1845), Neptune's moon, Triton, was discovered (1846), the American Chess Association formed (1857), the billiard ball was patented (1865), the Tuxedo was born (1886), the first home synthetic detergent went on sale (1933), Chiang Kai-shek became president of China (1943), Liz Taylor re-married Richard Burton (1975), and Panama assumed control of the Canal (1979).

Night Sky, 10/10: The Draconid Meteor Shower https://spaceandtelescope.com/draconid-meteor-shower-2025/

Fraternal Picture of the Week: The boys, various cousins and the other Grandma (or maybe great grandmother) at the beach.

Worst Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Jalapeńo skipped archery today because he didn't habanero.

This Week: Saturday, October 11 – Costume Swap Day & International African Penguin Awareness Day

Sunday, October 12 – Clergy Appreciation Day & National Farmer's Day & Free Thought Day

Night Sky, 10/12: The Swan Comet (R2) swings into view in the northern evening sky and will remain visible until the end of October. https://www.planetary.org/articles/how-to-spot-comet-swan

Monday, October 13 – English Language Day & National Chess Day & Read For The Record Day

Night Sky,10/13: The moon in Cancer enters its last quarter at 1:13 pm CDT. It forms a conjunction with Jupiter.

Tuesday, October 14 – Be Bald And Be Free Day & Spider-Man Day & World Standards Day

Wednesday, October 15 – Global Handwashing Day & National Fossil Day & National Grouch Day

Night Sky, 10/15: Venus continues to be the “Morning Star” in the east before dawn, lower in the sky but still bright.

Thursday, October 16 – Dictionary Day & National Feral Cat Day & Global Cat Day & Spirit Day

It's not a real road trip unless you get lost at least once.>< The devil took a road trip with Gabriel. They took Route 666 all the way from Chicago to Oklahoma.

In the deaf community, there is exactly that – a community. It's like nothing I see in the hearing world. It's old fashioned, I guess, and beautiful. --Rachel Shenton

..........Those windshield wipers slappin' out a tempo.........Eddie Rabbitt …..Drivin' My Life Away

2) Egg color is strictly a function of breed. You can tell what color egg a chicken will lay by looking at the color of her earlobe. Hens with white ears produce white eggs, hens with red ears produce brown eggs, and hens with bluish-green ears produce bluish-green eggs.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: New evidence suggests that ancient Egyptians only ever visited the pyramids when friends were in from out of town. --Submitted by ScienceHumor

Moonbeam: I believe in the power of diplomacy over conflict. --Isavella II (Maria Isabel Luisa de Borbón y Borbón-Dos Sicilias)

Fun Fact of the Week: It is National Handbag Day. The most expensive bag in the world is worth $34.5 million. The name is “1001 Diamond Purse” and was made by the House of Mouawad's. Image

Video of the Week: Ben Vereen singing and dancing “Bye Bye Blackbird” with Bob Fosse's choreography. https://youtu.be/ed9zQQO5BAs

The first principle of a free society is an untrammeled flow of words in an open forum. --Adlai Stevenson I

In every community, there is work to be done. In every nation, there are wounds to heal. In every heart, there is the power to do it. --Marianne Williamson

An easy way to add 45 minutes to your road trip is to let the children choose the snacks when you stop for gas. >< One of my tests for true love is what snacks you buy for a road trip.

..........Your typical city involved in a typical daydream.........Grateful Dead …..Truckin'

3) Americans consume an average of 281 eggs each year which keeps about 285 million hens busy day and night.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I'm not saying I'm old, but in banana years, I'm bread.

Weird Word of the Week: Limerence: the state of being infatuated or obsessed with someone or something. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/ ~~Why isn't a group of jellyfish called a jam?

Dragon of the Week:

Wacky uses for common products: Repel insects. Before going outside, fill a bathtub with warm water, add two capfuls of clorox bleach, and soak in the solution for fifteen minutes (without getting the chlorinated water in your eyes.) https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clorox3.html

Humanity is our ultimate community, and everyone plays a crucial role. --Yehuda Berg

I thought I might get rid of my depression with a road trip. Turns out I was just weeping the nation. >< Annie from Australia took a road trip through Great Britain. She called it,”returning to the scene of the crime”.

...........And don't ya come back no more, no more.........Ray Charles …..Hit The Road Jack

4) Drop a whole uncooked egg into a salt solution (two tablespoons salt in two cups of water). If very fresh, the egg will be full and heavy and it will sink with the tip to one side. If moderately fresh, it will remain suspended in the middle of the water upright. If it bobs up to the top, it is stale.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I don't have a fabric stash. I have a textile investment portfolio.

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: ICON: 49.5 – The Half Season (10-11, Iowa City, IA) ...Joe Haldeman and John Scalzi https://tabletop.events/conventions/icon-49.5

Seasonal Quote of the Week: You don't waste October sunshine. Soon the old autumn sun would bed down in cloud blankets, and there would be weeks of gray rain before it finally decided to snow. --Katherine Arden Small Spaces

Spark of Joy of the Week: Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense dancing. --William James

The work of community, love, reconciliation, restoration is the work we cannot leave up to politicians. This is the work we are all called to do. --Shane Claiborne

I didn't realize how bad my driving was until my navigation system told me, “In 400 feet, do a slight right, stop, and let me out. >< A guy on a long road trip walks into a bar with a roll of tarmac under his arm. He orders two beers, “One for me and one for the road”.

..........That rode us all the way to New Orleans.........Janis Joplin …..Me And Bobby McGee

5) The whitish, twisted material seen near the raw egg yolk is thick albumen. It is part of a layer of dense egg white surrounding the egg yolk. It helps keep the yolk centered in the egg. It is especially prominent in fresh, high-quality eggs.

Protest Sign of the Week: You Can't Sharpie Over The Constitution

Better Protest Sign of the Week: Portland Isn't A War Zone. It's A Bookstore With A City Around It.

Quote of the Week: You don't have to be something to do something. --Gavin Newsom

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Yo mama's so old, she pre-ordered the Bible. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

Today's Peace of History: October 10, 1963: The Limited Test Ban Treaty—banning nuclear tests in the oceans, in the atmosphere, and in outer space—went into effect. The nuclear powers of the time—the United States, Great Britain, and the Soviet Union—had signed the treaty earlier in the year.

The most perfect political community is one in which the middle class is in control, and outnumbers both of the other classes. --Aristotle

Bennie Bee always planned road trips by the gas stations along the highway. He could only use the BP stations. >< I peed on a bush in Texas during a road trip. Now the secret service is looking for me.

..........When I jumped out on that road..........Van Halen with David Lee Roth …..Runnin' With The Devil

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, October 10, 2025: ePistle on the go. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: Education is the foundation of a prosperous society. --Isabella II

Cost of War:

As of 10/09/25 State Department Costs: $276,776,111,298

As of 10/02/25 State Department Costs: $275,201,629,518

As of 10/09/25 Homeland Security: $1,212,343,099,184

As of 10/02/25 Homeland Security: $1,211,719,049,337

As of 10/09/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,332,168,145,348

As of 10/02/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,330,563,388,123

As of 10/09/25 Military Costs: $3,171,146,304,371

As of 10/02/25 Military Costs: $3,169,927,861,773

As of 10/09/25 Veterans Care: $4,523,437,604,602

As of 10/02/25 Veterans Care: $4,511,273,625,607

As of 10/09/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,515,873,819,315

As of 10/02/25 Total Cost of Wars:$10,499,687,508,762

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

Nature is indifferent to the survival of the human species, including Americans. --Adlai Stevenson I

Famous Last Words: Oh, joy! (Oh gioia!) Verdi La traviata

..........Till love and mercy are spread throughout the land.........Ben Vereen …..I'll Keep My Light In My Window

I am not a hoodlum. I'm a community organizer. --Bobby Seale

What did Endive say to Iceberg as they started on their road trip? Lettuce travel. >< I heard “Hotel California” 6 times during my cross country road trip. You can change the station any time you like, but the song just never leaves. >< On our road trip to Portland, my car dropped acid and had an auto body experience.

May Peace navigate

And Joy provide the music

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

ePistle aGain

Famous First Words: Whereas it is the duty of all nations... Washington's declaration of the first Thanksgiving 10/3/1789

October is Class Reunion Month! Not only do I think I can lose 20 pounds before the reunion, I also think I still have a shot at being valedictorian.  Why did I come here? These ARE the people who knew me when.

The True Peace. The first peace, which is the most important, is that which comes within the souls of people when they realize their relationship, their oneness, with the universe and all its powers, and when they realize that at the center of the universe dwells Wakan-Tanka (the Great Spirit), and that this center is really everywhere, it is within each of us. --Black Elk, Oglala Sioux

..........Strictly from Dixie, face like a pixie...........James Darren …..Gidget

We have a powerful potential in our youth, and we must have the courage to change old ideas and practices so that we may direct their power toward good ends. --Mary McLeod Bethune

It is an almost chilly (64°F) Friday morning. The sun has not yet made it all the way up, but objects outside are beginning to be visible...the white window frame on the shed, the reflection of my computer screen in the back door window. Trees and roofs and fences are still entrenched in darkness. Puck has been out but hid under the bed while I took a shower, and there he is still. Veronica was here for a while but became disgusted when I would not leave the door ajar for her to stare into the waxing light. My decaf is freshly brewed and steamy hot. The morning started by my checking to make sure the closed down government, nevertheless, deposited my social security. It did. Ah, a spot of sky is now visible between the unmoving willow branches; the tree itself is still a black mass. I am waiting for the sound of bird chatter. And finally, it's time to write to you. What a morning!

Hope your weekend clears your soul and refreshes your body, dear ones

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Since we don't know where we're going, we have to stick together in case someone gets there. --Ken Kesey

Christine Update of the Week: On Tuesday night or more likely Wednesday morning I fell down in my bedroom. I had gotten up to go to the bathroom which I have done nightly for the last few years. I did not turn on the bedside lamp. I fell on my left hip/lower back. I also conked the back of my head but it only hurt for a couple of minutes – so it wasn't bad. I called out without knowing whether Dashiell was asleep yet. I did manage to get up and sit on the bed and make my way to the bathroom. My bladder – confused by the sudden movement and its sudden stop – had taken care of the reason why I was up in the first place. Anyway, I slept okay but when I got up my lower left hip and back were sore and stiff. I could sit and lie down comfortably but walking was painful. This is Thursday afternoon. I am much, much better. Time and aleve have gotten me almost back to normal. Hoping to be okay for Jeff's Celebration of Life on Saturday (10/4) at 10 am in the Clinton Park shelter. 01 W 5^th St, Lawrence 66044.

I went to my high school reunion over the weekend. Some of my classmates changed so much that they didn't even recognize me.  My reunion is in 3 days. Any suggestions about how I can at least appear to have achieved greatest in that time.

"Hold on to what is good, Even if it's a handful of earth. Hold on to what you believe, Even if it's a tree that stands by itself. Hold on to what you must do, Even if it's a long way from here. --Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior

..........'Til we tear the house down.........Chubby Checker …..The Twist

Trivia Questions: It's World Smile Day !

1. How many of the six kinds of smiles can you name?

2. Do we use more or fewer muscles to smile than to frown?

3. Is smiling really contagious?

4. How old are babies when they smile intentionally?

5. Do people all over the world smile in the same way?

Big Hello: Sawubona – Swazi https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Live your life in such a way that if the escalator stops, you don't assume it's because people hate you.

Insult of the Week: Some minds are like soup in a poor restaurant – better left unstirred. --P G Wodehouse Mike and Psmith

Image of the Week:

Wow, these people are really old. Are you sure we're at the right reunion?  Mrs Ellis, our senior English teacher was at the reunion. I asked her why she was there and she said she was still waiting for my final homework assignment.

Let me be a free man, free to travel, free to stop, free to work, free to trade where I choose my own teachers, free to follow the religion of my fathers, free to think and talk and act for myself, and I will obey every law, or submit to the penalty. --Heinmot Tooyalaket (Chief Joseph)

..........hot rods, cool cars, limousines.........Tommy Lee …..Dr Feelgood

Moonbeam: At any given moment, public opinion is a chaos of superstition, misinformation, and prejudice. --Gore Vidal

Blasphemy of the Week: Jesus's miracle of the loaves and fishes was a slap in the face to all the people who brought their own lunch, --Submitted by MMS

Coffee Joke of the Week: That first cup of coffee in the morning is truly brewtful.

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Ego and Superego walk into a bar. The bartender says, “I'm gonna need to see some Id.” --Submitted by High Church Coyote

Since I published my novel, I was hoping to do a told-you-so at the reunion to all those kids that bullied me. Damn, every single one has a job in the current white house.  You must remember me. I'm Ralph. We dated in high school and reconnected after college. I was your first husband. Remember?

I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and fellow man. --Sun Bear, Chippewa

..........Tell me why everything turned around.........Fleetwood Mac with Lindsey Buckingham …..Go Your Own Way

1) a: The Duchenne aka Genuine smile b: Social aka Polite smile c: Forced smile d: The smirk e: The Flirt f: Empathic smile Other lists also include sarcastic, contemptuous, embarrassed, and wistful.

Almanac: It is Friday, October 3, 2025. The moon will be full on Tuesday (10/7 – Harvest aka Hunter's moon) and is in Aquarius. October 3 all on its own has only one holiday listed, Techies Day. However because it is the first Friday it is also Kids Music Day, Lee's National Denim Day, Manufacturing Day aka National Manufacturing Day, National Body Language Day, National Diversity Day, World College Radio Day, World Plaid Day aka Plaidurday, and World Smile Day. The first weekend in October is National Storytelling Weekend.

Among those born on this day were John Gorrie (1803), Mikhail Lermontov (1814), Thomas Wolfe (1900), Charles Pedersen (1904), Gore Vidal (1925), James Darren (1939), Chubby Checker (1941), Lindsey Buckingham (1947), and Tommy Lee (1962).

On October third the first national Thanksgiving Day was proclaimed for Nov. 26th (1789), Lincoln designated last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day (1863), Federal Income Tax was signed into law (1%, 1913), the American Pro Football Association played its first game (1920), the first fax was sent (1922), Yugoslavia changed its name to Yugoslavia (Kingdom of Serbia plus the provisional State of Serbs, Croats, & Slovenes, 1918), the NFL became the first sport televised as sport of the week (1948), Ethel Waters became the first black person to star in a TV show (Beulah, 1950), Father Knows Best premiered (1954), Captain Kangaroo and Mickey Mouse Club premiered (1955), the Dick Van Dyke Show and Mr. Ed premiered (1961), the Watergate trial began (1974), and East and West Germany reunited (1990).

Night Sky, 10/3: Uranus rises around 9 pm local daylight time early in the month, and 2 hours earlier by the 31^st. It stands about 6° southwest of the Pleiades all month. The easiest way to spot it is with binoculars. https://www.astronomy.com/observing/sky-this-month-october-2024/

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Out of the Woods

This Week: Saturday, October 4 – National Off-Road Day & National Taco Day & World Animal Day

Sunday, October 5 – Get Funky Day & Intergenerational Day & World Teachers Day

Night Sky, 10/5: Moon meets Saturn

Monday, October 6 – American Libraries Day & National Badger Day & World Day of Architecture

Night Sky, 10/6: Full autumn moon. Looking east-southeast one hour after sunset in Aries.

Tuesday, October 7 – National Inner Beauty Day & World Cotton Day

Wednesday, October 8 – National Take Your Parents To Lunch Day & S.A.V.E. (Stop American Violence Everywhere)

Night Sky, 10/8: The moon will reach perigee – its closest point to us in its elliptical orbit around Earth – on October 8, 2025, when it's 223,581 miles (359,819 km) away.

Thursday, October 9 – World Postcard Day & World Sight Day

Why would I go to my high school reunion? There's 120 pounds of me that never attended that school. At my last high school reunion the swag bag included discount coupons for Dr Kevorkian.

When you are in doubt, be still, and wait; when doubt no longer exists for you, then go forward with courage. So long as mists envelop you, be still; be still until the sunlight pours through and dispels the mists – as it surely will. Then act with courage. --Chief White Eagle, Ponca Chief

..........Somethin's happening, Happening to me.........Fleetwood Mac with Lindsey Buckingham …..Everywhere

2) Smiling takes less effort than frowning. It is a documented fact that you will use around 13 muscles to smile. However you will need around 50 muscles to frown.

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: It's Kid Music Week: That clever kid from 4^th grade fixed the principal's printer so that whenever it jams it plays the Grateful Dead

Moonbeam: You have reached the pinnacle of success as soon as you become uninterested in money, compliments, or publicity. --Thomas Wolfe

Some Fun, Some Not So Fun Facts of the Week: On October 3, 1967 singer/songwriter Woody Guthrie died in New York City at the age of 55. He had spent the last decade of his life in the hospital, suffering from Huntington's chorea, now called Huntington's disease. This week a first one-time gene therapy was announced that can markedly slow progression of this disease, paving the way for the first ever treatment to alter the course of this rare, inherited brain disorder. ~~Alro Guthrie doesn't seem to have the disease. My foster sister was at risk for Huntington's.

Video of the Week: Ethyl Waters as Buelah (:41) https://youtu.be/Rj1EpgQ95cA?t=8 An entire episode of the Buelah show can be seen at https://youtu.be/42Ldm5jyHhw?t=9

The true worth of a race must be measured by the character of its womanhood. --Mary McLeod Bethune

All dreams spin out of the same web. --Hopi Tribe

No, absolutely not. Nobody wants to see you in your high school cheerleader outfit.  When owls attend their high school reunion they go to their owlma mater.

..........She is like a cat in the dark.........Fleetwood Mac with Lindsey Buckingham …..Rhiannon

3) Yes, smiling is contagious. When you see someone smile, your brain's mirror neurons fire, as if you were smiling yourself. These neurons help us understand and imitate the actions and intentions of others.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Boy, you got more loose screws than a hardware store in an earthquake. --Submitted by ff of ks

Weird Word of the Week: Clinomania – An excessive desire to stay in bed or a reluctance to get out of bed. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/

Dragon of the Week:

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Kill tree fungus or mistletoe. Before cutting down a tree plagued by fungus or mistletoe, pour one or two gallons of Clorox around the base of the tree. Repeat four month later. In many cases, the tree roots drink up the Clorox, killing the fungus or mistletoe, enabling the tree to heal itself. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clorox2.html

If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys. --Chief Dan George, Tsleil-Waututh Nation

The class of 1944 gets together for their class reunion. Not many people are left, but two of the 10 people to attend were Harry, an 88 year old widower, and Esther, an 87 year old divorcee. Over the course of the evening, they had a great time chatting about old times and their families. They each felt a real connection and by the time the night was out, Harry had proposed and Esther had happily accepted. The next morning, Harry woke up and was frustrated to realize that he couldn't remember Esther's answer to his proposal. Embarrassed, he picks up the phone to call her. "Hello, Esther? I'm so sorry, but my memory isn't what it used to be. Last night, when I asked you to marry me, did you say yes or no?" "I said YES!" Esther exclaimed excitedly. "And I'm so glad that you called, because for the life of me I couldn't remember who asked!"

...........Well who am I to keep you down.........Fleetwood Mac with Lindsey Buckingham …..Dreams

4) No, a baby's first smile is not intentional; it's a reflexive action that typically occurs during sleep or when the baby is gassy, though some research suggests newborns may also smile in response to positive physical stimuli like a cheek stroke or a sweet smell. The first intentional, or social smile, appears later, around 6-8 weeks of age, when the baby begins to smile in response to familiar faces, voices, and other social cues from the caregiver.

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Defibulators Repulse Me --Submitted by cf of ks

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Archon 2025 (3/5, Collinville, IL) ...bringing the dance stage to those who love the spotlight... https://www.archonstl.org/

Seasonal Quote of the Week: Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower. --Albert Camus

Spark of Joy of the Week: For my son David Christopher... If my name were Christopher, I'd go by Stop. --Jason --Submitted by UUHS ~~We nicknamed him Topher...because everyone uses Chris. I like Stop better.

Humankind has not woven the web of life. We are but one thread within it. Whatever we do to the web, we do to ourselves. All things are bound together. All things connect. --Chief Seattle, Duwamish

If the USSR got back together would it be called the Soviet Reunion?  The only people at my high school reunion to whom I could said, “You still look exactly the same” were the identical twins, Larry and Gary.

..........custom build bike doing 103.........Tommy Lee …..KickStart My Heart

5) Worldwide smiling is a yes and no situation. While the physical act of smiling is a universal expression of happiness, its frequency, intensity, and interpretation vary significantly depending on cultural norms. In some cultures, smiling is a routine social gesture, while in others it is reserved for sincere displays of emotion or can even be viewed with suspicion. FYI: In Navajo (Diné) culture, the baby's first laugh is a sacred moment that marks their welcome into the human community from the spiritual world. The person who elicits the first laugh hosts a celebration, the Wee Chi'deedloh ceremony, to formally initiate the baby into the community and teach the values of generosity and community, symbolized by the baby gifting guests rock salt and other presents which are symbols of laughter.

Protest Sign of the Week: The Constitution Wasn't Written In Pencil

Quote of the Week: We need to be weapons of mass construction, weapons of mass love. It's not enough just to change the system. We need to change ourselves. --Assata Shakur

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I hope Elon Musk never gets into a scandal because ElonGate would be really drawn out. --The Language Nerds -–Submitted by sb of ar

Today's Peace of History: October 3, 1904: Mary McLeod Bethune opened her first school for African-American students in Daytona Beach, Florida.

I have seen that in any great undertaking it is not enough for a man to depend simply upon himself. --Teton Sioux Tribe

The invitation to my high school reunion mentioned a potluck. So I brought weed and poker chips.  At the 40^th college reunion, Sarah met her classmate she hadn't seen since graduation. “Joyce,” she said, “You look just like you did in college. You really haven't changed a bit.” ”I know,” said Joyce, “It was terrible going through college looking like a 62 year old.

..........Start a little movement in your sacroiliac..........Chubby Checker …..;The Hucklebuck

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, October 3, 2025: ePistle aGain. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: There is only one party in the United States: The Property Party...and it has two right wings: Republican and Democrat. --Gore Vidal

Cost of War:

As of 10/02/25 State Department Costs: $275,201,629,518

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

As of 10/02/25 Homeland Security: ,$1,211,719,049,337

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

As of 10/02/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,330,563,388,123

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

As of 10/02/25 Military Costs: $3,169,927,861,773

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

As of 10/02/25 Veterans Care: $4,511,273,625,607

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

As of 10/02/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,499,687,508,762

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

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

Cease to be a drudge, seek to be an artist. --Mary McLeod Bethune

Famous Last Words: Welcome, my sister, death. --St Francis of Assist who died October 3 of several serious health issues (leprosy, stomach ailments...)

..........You may hear angel cheer...........James Darren …..Come Fly With Me

The Holy Land is everywhere. --Black Elk, Oglala Sioux

Thank God for name tags.  And if you don't go to the reunion everyone will assume you still have big hair and wear gogo boots.

May Peace weave your days

And Joy thread your nights

prairie mama

christine

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