...screaming into the Abyss she says...it's Thursday afternoon and I've just, somehow, erased all of the ePistle except the last laugh cartoon...
Famous First Words: Marley was dead, to begin with. --Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol
Hanukkah (14-22) You will know the Hanukkah Hippie by the dredellocks. /// Two menorahs are sitting in the window. One turns to the other and says, “Wow, it’s getting hot with all these candles.” The other looks back and says, “Whoa, a talking menorah!”
If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten that we belong to each other. --Mother Teresa
..........Mi yimalel gevurot Yisrael.........Stereo Sinai ...Mi Yimalel (Who Can Retell)
These are the times that try men's souls. --Thomas Paine American Crisis.
It is frazzled Friday morning. I was up until nearly 3 patching this ePistle together. And I've only finished my last proof this morning. It is a clear, cold (19°F) morning. I am sorry it lacks the usual polish. I will take steps to not let this happen again. Thank you for your patience. Have a great weekend and a great holiday!
Hope your weekend is filled with whatever holiday spirit excites you, celebrants.
First Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: My brain just logged me out due to inactivity and now I can't remember my password. --Submitted by Laughing Librarian
Miriam goes to the post office to buy stamps for her Hanukkah cards. She says to the cashier, "Please may I have 50 Hanukkah stamps?" The cashier asks, "What denomination?" Miriam says, "Oy vey, has it come to this? Okay, give me 6 Orthodox, 12 Conservative, and 32 Reform." /// Two menorahs are sitting in the window. One turns to the other and says, “Wow, it’s getting hot with all these candles.” The other looks back and says, “Whoa, a talking menorah!”
...make me an instrument of thy peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. --Francis of Assisi
..........A yontef a sheyner.........Theodore Bikel …..Oy Khanike (Oh Chanukah)
Trivia Questions: Here we are in the midst of the Christmas Bird Count!
Who organizes the Christmas Bird Count (CBC)?
When did the CBC begin?
What scientific uses does the CBC have?
What were the numbers found at the first CBC?
What were last year's numbers?
Big Hello: Bavini kazɔɔ – Tem (Togo, Ghana, & Benin. Note the first backward c should have an acute (') over it, but I couldn't find that in my special characters font. https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm
Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: The Pettysburg Address is over. --Kissing Fish Book
Seasonal Quote of the Evening: “Welcome, newcomers. The tradition of Festivus begins with the airing of grievances.” —Frank Costanza
Saturnalia (17/23): Macrobius is hilarious, have you read the one about the boy from the provinces, that was a lookalike to Augustus? The emperor summoned him, to confirm the resemblance, and then he asked "Tell me boy, did your mother came to Rome frequently?" And the boy answers: "No, but my dad came here a lot"
Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice. --Baruch Spinoza
..........There is no exit planet.........Marilyn Manson …..Saturnalia
Moonbeam: Cats are people, and the sooner the world accepts that fact, the better off the world will be. --H Allen Smith
Blasphemy of the Evening: Going on a reverse mission trip...headed to Utah to teach people the joys of sinning. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door
Coffee Joke of the Evening: I woke up because my coffee needed me.
Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: I am both the problem and the troubleshooting guide. --Submitted by Club42
Today at the taberna I said, “Io Saturnalia” to the cashier. She said, “Merry Christmas, sire” back to me. I smiled and said “You don't have to be afraid any more. Emperor Julian has given us Saturnalia back” She started crying tear of joy and said, “Io Saturnalia” and then everyone in the taberna clapped. /// Caninius Rebilius was consul (supposedly a year-long post) for a single day. “We have a watchful consult in Caninius,” observed Cicero. “He didn’t see a moment’s sleep during his term.”
It isn't enough to talk about peace. One must believe in it. And it isn't enough to believe in it. One must work at it. --Eleanor Roosevelt
..........Ev'ry man's a king and ev'ry king's a clown.........My Little Pony Cast …..Topsy Turvy
1) The Christmas Bird Count is a volunteer-conducted census organized by the National Audubon Society. Bird watchers in the Western Hemisphere, primarily North and South America participate.
Almanac: It is Friday, December 19, 2025. The moon will be new tomorrow and is in Sagittarius. Today is Look for an Evergreen Day and National Emo Day. Because it is the third Friday, it is also National Ugly Christmas Sweater Day and Underdog Day.
Among those born on this day were William Parry (1790), Thomas Andrews (1813), A. A. Michelson (1852), Walter Braunfels (1882), Ferdinando Liuzzi (1884), Oliver Le Farge (1901), H. Allen Smith (1906), Edith Piaf (1915), Jimmy Dickens (1920), Cicely Tyson (1922), Phil Ochs (1940), Tim Reid (1944), Richard Leakey (1944), Zal Yanovsky (1944), Marianne Faithful (1946), Daryl Hannah (1960), Reggie White (1961), and Jennifer Beals (1963).
On December nineteenth Henry II was crowned (1154), Robinson Crusoe left his island (1686), Regnard's Le Joueur premiered (1696), American Crisis by Thomas Paine was published (1776), Kentucky levied the first tax for road building (1795), A Christmas Carol was published (1843), the first black Catholic priest was ordained (1891), the first Believe It Or Not column appeared (1918), Giraudoux' La Folle de Chaillot premiered (1945), the Dalai Lama fled Tibet (1950), Zanzibar became independent (1963), Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange premiered (1971), Ron Wood joined the Rolling Stones (1975), and Boris Yeltsin took control of the Kremlin (1991).
Night Sky, 12/19: On December 19, 2025, the night sky features the rare interstellar Comet 3I/ATLAS at its closest approach to Earth (though still far), visible with telescopes near the constellation Leo in the pre-dawn hours, alongside the New Moon, making for dark skies ideal for spotting faint Uranus and Neptune, plus bright Jupiter and Mercury low in the east before sunrise.
Fraternal Picture of the Evening: The ferry across Puget Sound
This Week: Saturday, December 20 – International Human Solidarity Day & Games Day & Poet Laureate Day
Sunday, December 21 – Crossword Puzzle Day & Go Caroling Day & World Basketball Day
Night Sky, 12/21: Winter begins at 9:03 am CST, as the Sun reaches the southern most point of its annual journey, directly above the Tropic of Capricorn. The Moon will return to the early evening sky later that day, as a thin 4-percent crescent low in SW at dusk.
Monday, December 22 – Be A Lover Of Silence Day & Forefathers Day
Tuesday, December 23 – Festivus & Human Light Celebration & Metric Conversion Day
Night Sky, 12/23 : The night sky will feature a lovely waxing crescent moon low in the west after sunset, perfect for spotting Earthshine, while bright planets like Jupiter and Saturn will dominate the evening, with Jupiter rising later for a nearly all-night show, plus Uranus and Neptune visible with binoculars near Saturn. Look for the crescent moon in the southwest, with Saturn and Uranus visible earlier, and Jupiter appearing later, promising a grand view of the gas giants and distant icy worlds
Wednesday, December 24 – Eggnog Day
Thursday, December 25 – Christmas & A'phabet or No “L” Day
Night Sky, 12/25: Sunrise: 7:38 am Sunset: 5:04 pm (9 hours and 26 minutes of daylight) Moonrise: 11:12 am Moon set: 10:46 pm
Yule (21-1/1): Solstice is when nature lays down for a long winter's nap. /// Winter Solstice is a special holiday for snow families. They throw cool gatherings and chillin parties. /// Today is the shortest day of the year, but don't worry, it'll pass quickly.
The most valuable possession you can own is an open heart. The most powerful weapon you can be is an instrument of peace. --Carlos Santana
..........The sun returns to light our way.........Bianca …..The Song Of Yule
2) Before the rise of the conservation movement, hunters participated in a Christmas day tradition known as a "side hunt," during which teams would compete to see who could kill the most birds. In 1900, ornithologist Frank Chapman, an officer in the fledgling Audubon Society, proposed a new Christmas tradition in which birds would be counted, not killed. And so the Christmas Bird Count was born.
Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: Does he realize that putting his name on the Kennedy Center won't take it off the Epstein file?
Moonbeam: I, too, am convinced that our ancestors came from Africa. --Richard Leakey
Fun Fact of the Evening: Ugly Sweater Day is sponsored by tipsyelves. Got an important interview on Friday? Oops, tough luck. Worried the judge will increase your sentence if you show up to court in an ugly Christmas sweater? Sorry bud, no exceptions. https://www.nationaluglychristmassweaterday.org/
Video of the Evening: Phil Ochs: I Ain't Marchin' Anymore (3:00)
The summer soldier and and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. --Thomas Paine American Crisis
I do not want the peace which passeth understanding, I want the understanding which bringeth peace. --Helen Keller
Festivus (12/23): And at the Festivus dinner you gather your family around and tell them all the ways they have disappointed you over the past year. /// May your aluminum pole have an excellent strength-to-weight ratio. /// A Happy Festivus for the Rest of Us!
..........A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices.........Hymnary …..O, Holy Night
3) The CBC tracks long-term trends in bird populations; i.e. the recovery of the Bald Eagle after the banning of DDT was traced. 2) It can also track dramatic short-term changes, i.e. it noted the biggest surge in the Snowy Owl population. And it follows the spread of invasive birds (Eurasian Collared-Dove).
Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: Hear ye! Hear ye! Robin Hood has been hospitalized with a case of menintightus. --Submitted by The Grand Duchy of Medieval Merriment
Weird Word of the Evening: Sonder: The realization that each passerby has a life as complex as one's own. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/
Dragon of the Evening: Clearly this should have been in last week, Choco-ePistle, but it was saved in 1219 instead. Beautiful any day.
Wacky Uses for Common Products: Clean a toilet. Pour a can of Coca-Cola into your toilet, let it sit for one hour, brush and flush. The citric acid, ascorbic acid, and phosphoric acid in Coke remove stains from vitreous china. When a two-liter bottle of Coca-Cola goes flat in your refrigerator, don't throw it out. Use it to clean your toilet. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/cocacola.html
It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labors of peace. --Andre Gide
Christmas (12/25): My cat ate several decorations right off of the tree. She got tinsilitis. /// Did you know that Rudolph's nose gets brighter when he backs up.
...........So hurry down the chimney tonight.........Eartha Kitt …..Santa Baby
4) For the original Christmas Bird Count, 25 surveys took place in locations ranging from Ontario to California. The 27 birders counted around 89 species—roughly 18,500 birds all told.
Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: Parenthood turns you into a morning person the same way being chased by a bear makes you a runner. --Submitted by INRITH
Science Fiction Convention of the Evening: Geek Village (29-21, Hasselt, Belgium) ...be part of something magical... https://winter.geekvillage.be/
All we are saying is give peace a chance. --John Lennon
Christmas Pageant memories: Oh yes! Angels who decide they really don’t want to be in the play—and announce it; one little one who became entranced by the candles—and decided to count them over and over; a wise man (teenager) who showed up at the live nativity with an electric blanket and a very long cord, and the year we had a camel (stuffed) because that’s what the prop shop at the circus had to offer! — Patt Kauffman
..........Hope everybody's ringing on their own bell this fine morning.........Jethro Tull …..Another Christmas Song
5) The 125th Christmas Bird Count (2024-2025) saw record participation with over 83,000 volunteers, covering nearly 2,700 areas and tallying over 44 million birds across 2,500 species, with highlights including a Yellow-headed Caracara in Texas and a Steller's Sea-Eagle in Newfoundland.
Protest Sign of the Evening: Release The Naughty List
Quote of the Evening: Everybody talks about wanting to change things and help and fix, but ultimately all you can do is fix yourself. And that's a lot. Because if you can fix yourself, it has a ripple effect.” ― Rob Reiner”
Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Evening: You make a tissue dance by putting a little boogie in it.
Today's Peace of History: December 19, 1940: Civilian Public Service (CPS) camps were established for conscientious objectors following the institution of the first peacetime draft (a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor). It was the first time members of peace-oriented religious groups (e.g., Quakers, Mennonites, Church of the Brethren) could legally avoid military conscription.
The true and solid peace of nations consists not in equality of arms, but in mutual trust alone. --Pope John XXIII
Kwanzaa (26-1/1): I can't seem to find the jokes I had in the earlier version. One was about people always interrupting to ask “what is Kwanzaa”. But what I found tonight was outright racist or had a level of sophistication of a chicken crossing the road riddle. I'm so sorry. ~~It's 2:30 in the morning and I don't know how to fix it.
..........Feel the joy as we sing.........Teddy Pendergrass …..Happy Kwanzaa
Masthead of the Evening: Friday ePistle, December 19, 2025: Holiday ePistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.
Moonbeam: I have fought against white domination. --William Perry
Cost of War:
As of 12/18/25 State Department Costs: $282,365,859,671
As of 12/11/25 State Department Costs: $281,755,871,046
As of 12/18/25 Homeland Security: $1,218,414,677,411
As of 12/11/25 Homeland Security: $1,217,752,249689
As of 12/18/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,347,780,685,731
As of 12/11/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,346,077,483,812
As of 12/18/25 Military Costs: $3,183,000,227,865
As of 12/11/25 Military Costs: $3,181,707,128,253
As of 12/18/25 Veterans Care: $4,641,783,448,346
As of 12/11/25 Veterans Care: $4,628,874,166,840
As of 12/18/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,673,346,267,140
As of 12/11/25 Total Cost of Wars: , $10,656,169,679,787
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/
“Tis surprising to see how rapidly a panic will sometimes run through a country. --Thomas Paine American Crisis
Famous Last Words: The sun is God. --J M W Turner who died of cholera 12/19/1851
..........All that we touch is more beautiful..........Sweet Honey In The Rock …..Seven Principles
Peace is not merely a distant goal that we seek, but a means by which we arrive at that goal. --Martin Luther King, Jr
New Years Day: 1/1: Calendar makers get the most excited by the New Year's countdown. /// 2024 sure went by in a blur. My resolution must've been too low.
May Peace warm your heart
And Joy comfort your soul
prairie mama
christine
Last Laugh:
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