Famous First Words: Make yourself comfortable. --Superman First words spoken - Action Comics #1 (June 1938)
The 2026 Tour de France begins tomorrow in Barcelona. Chuck Norris once won the Tour de France on a stationary bike. /\ I had a boyfriend who cycled. He used to say things like, “I want to strip you like an undeserved Tour de France title. /\ Two Kerrymen were sitting in a pub when the Tour de France came on the tv. One of the guys turned to the other and asked, “Why do they do that? Why ride miles and miles, up and down hills, around bends, day after day, for weeks? Why do they torture themselves like that?” “It's all for the money,” says the other, “The winner gets half a million pounds.” “I see”, says the questioner, “but why do the others do it?”
..........Whisper of how I'm yearning to mingle with the old time throng..........James Cagney …..Give My Regards To Broadway ~~All of today's song were written or co-written by George M Cohan
Some people think outside the box.
Freedom Week (4-11): The only way to deal with an unfree world is to become so absolutely free that your very existence is an act of rebellion. --Albert Camus
It is a splendid Friday morning. 77°F with a light wind is not yet hot but it is a little muggy. Birds are busy chattering and singing before the sun gets too high and too hot. There are no real clouds, only small puffs of humidity hovering here and there. They do not provide shade nor play peek-a-boo with the sun. Puck has been out and returned to sleep and cough under my desk. Veronica was around earlier but has disappeared upstairs somewhere leaving a trail of catnip mice and brightly colored balls. I am sipping my doctored decaf and gently petting Puck with my foot. Algeria lost their world cup game last night and Lawrence is mourning the loss. I am not looking forward to a weekend of fireworks and frightened birds (Puck has never paid much attention; explosions, meh). Be safe out there, ePistliers, happy 250th birthday!
~~Yes, last week I said I was drinking leaded coffee instead of my usual decaf. No, I have not “fallen off the wagon”. I had a restless night and needed a pick-me-up.
Hope all your weekend fireworks are beautiful, matriots and patriots.
First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Forget a blue wave. I want a Mamdani tsunami. https://www.facebook.com/wokeginger
The first Tour de France was actually won by the 7th German Panzer Division. /\ First my bike chain went rusty, next my handlebars came loose, then my whole bike fell apart. Chain reaction!
..........I'm a real live nephew of my Uncle Sam.........Bert Parks …..I'm A Yankee Doodle Dandy
Some people can't find the box.
Trivia Questions: Happy 136th Birthday to Idaho!
Do you know the origin and/or meaning of the name Idaho?
What percentage of Idaho is “public land”?
About how many acres of Idaho are considered “wild land”?
What percentage of the US potato crop comes from Idaho?
Do you know Idaho's nickname?
Big Hello: Tereq – Vōro (Estonia, 75,000 speakers) https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm
Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Here's my issue, why are fancy burgers so tall. What do you expect me to do with that? Unlock my jaw like a serpent? I can't accommodate that. A good burger should have a wider circumference, not more height. Think about a frisbee or a vinyl. That's ambition, that's progress. --super mario griff --Submitted by Writers, Readers and General Tomfoolery
Image of the Week: My daughter Kirsten sent me this picture of her in Gig Harbor, WA. ~~Fine Print: Pride Education Acceptance Compassion Equity
First Freedom Quote of the Week: If you've never been in my shoes, you have ZERO business telling me how to tie my laces. --Submitted by Feral Spiritualists
Just WATCHING the Tour de France makes my back hurt. I'm just gonna schedule a massage. /\ A 3 time Tour de France winner just said it was time he retired. Then he bought two brand new Continental tyres with wheels.
..........Long before the fashions came.........Bob Hope …..Mary's A Grand Old Name
Some people are the reason the box has a warning label.
Moonbeam: Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old. --Franz Kafka
Blasphemy of the Week: Behold, the dumpster is burning with fire, but the dumpster is not consumed. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door
Coffee Joke of the Week: Coffee is my spirit animal.
Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: At middle age, the growth of a woman's hair on her legs slows down, which gives her time to care for her newly acquired beard. --Submitted by ks of ks
I watch the Tour de France, only I call it “Tour de Tight Pants”. /\ I once had a job fixing broken bicycle horns. My company's motto was “beep repaired”
..........I'm glad you told me the truth.........Henry Burr …..You Remind Me Of My Mother
1) Version 1: Idaho derived from a Native American word that means “the land of many waters”. English has kept closely to the indigenous pronunciation. Version 2: Despite the popular belief that it is an Indigenous term meaning "Gem of the Mountains," the name "Idaho" is actually not a Native American word. It was fabricated by a white mining lobbyist, George M. Willing, who falsely claimed it was a Shoshone phrase before Congress named the territory
Almanac: It is Friday, July 3, 2026. The moon was full last Monday (6/29) and is in Aquarius. Today is American Sparkling Wine Day, Compliment Your Mirror Day, Drop A Rock Day aka Rock Painting Day, International Plastic Bag Free Day, National Crown Day aka Black Hair Independence Day, National Deep Fried Clams Day, Sparkling Wine Day, Stay Out Of The Sun Day, and Superman Day. Because it is the first Friday it is also Big Tech Day.
Among those born on this day were Louis XI of France 1423, Samuel de Champlain 1567, John Singleton Copley 1738, Charlotte Perkins Gilman 1860, Geroge M Cohan 1878, Franz Kafka 1883,
George Sanders 1906, Tony Curtis 1925, David Lynch 1929, Roger Christian 1934, Tom Stoppard 1937, Gloria Allred 1941, Geraldo Rivera 1943, and Tom Cruise 1962.
On July third The city of Quebec was founded (1608). The 1st savings bank in the US opened (NYC) (1819). The 1st state normal school in the US opened (MA) (1839). Idaho became the 43rd state (1890). The Jaycees were forced to admit women as members (1984).
Night Sky, 7/3: Predawn planets in the east: Mars, Saturn, Jupiter, & Pluto.
Fraternal Picture of the Week: Sword Fight with Balloon Weapons
Extra Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: These gas prices are the reason the armies in Revelation are riding horses. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door
This Week: Saturday, July 4 – USA Independence Day ...Happy Two Hundred and fiftieth!!
…......You're a high flying flag.........Mike Story …..You're A Grand Old Flag
Sunday, July 5 – Bikini Day & Thong Day
Night Sky, : Predawn Mars & Uranus can be seen in the east (Taurus). Saturn & Neptune rise early in the evening. Jupiter is low in the west just after sunset.
Monday, July 6 – International Kissing Day & World Kiss Day
Night Sky, 7/6: Earth at Aphelion: Earth will be at its greatest distance from the sun this year at 12 pm CDT.
Tuesday, July 7 – Chocolate Day & Dive Bar Day & National Day of Rock n' Roll & Tell The Truth Day
Wednesday, July 8 – National Video Game Day & SCUD (Savor the Comic, Unplug the Drama)
Night Sky, : Sunrise: 6:01 am CDT Sunset: 8:48 pm CDT 14 Hours and 47 minutes of daylight Moonrise: 12:50 am Moonset: 2:48 pm
Thursday, July 9 – Bald Is In Day & Deadhead Day & National Dimples Day
Amsterdam is like the Tour de France: a lot of people on drugs riding bikes. /\ My old man was a peddler. He sold bicycles door to door.
..........So we ought to all be glad that we're alive.........George M Cohan .....I'm Mighty Glad I'm Living, That's All
2) A whopping 63% of the state is considered public land. ...parks, reserves, lakes, and rivers, etc. I don't know whether it includes buildings, lawns, roads, and jails, etc.
Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I set my standards high. Actually I do a lot of things high. --Submitted by ks of ks
Moonbeam: Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy. --Franz Kafka
Fun Fact of the Week: We are all born ignorant, but one must work hard to remain stupid. --Benjamin Franklin
Video of the Week: An explanation of why the Jaycees were forced to admit women: (:50) Roberts vs Jaycees
Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it. --George Bernard Shaw
A small insect nest in the middle of a little used highway was destroyed when all 186 Tour de France riders ran over it. Talk about cross ants. /\ An environmentalist entered the Tour de France but every night he would run the same route that they had biked during the day. He just had to recycle
..........Then the fates blow rather breezy.........George M Cohan …..Life's A Funny Proposition After All
3) There are about 4,522,506 acres of wild land in Idaho. Yes, this means there are no roads there.
Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: If kinetic energy can be converted to thermal energy, how hard do I need to slap a chicken to cook it?
Weird Word of the Week: Heliolatry: A worship or reverence of the sun https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/heliolatry
Dragon of the Week: 40 feet high, made of train parts
Wacky Uses for Common Products: Clean mold and mildew from clothes. Pour a two liter bottle of Coca-Cola into a washing machine, add your regular detergent, let the machine fill with water, and let the clothes soak for thirty minutes before running them through the regular cycle. https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/cocacola3.html
There is a new reality show this summer where the goal is to do as many drugs as possible without dying or getting caught. It's called the Tour de France. /\ It gets more expensive to buy a tyre pump every year. It's all because of inflation.
...........The folks expect a street parade.........George M Cohan …..You Won't Do Any Business If You Haven't Got A Band
4) Nearly one third of America's potatoes are grown in Idaho.
Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Instead of “single” as a marital status, I prefer “independently owned and operated”. --Submitted by INRITH
Science Fiction Convention of the Week: CONvergence 2026 (2-5, Minneapolis, MN) ...the Geek in the Machine. https://www.convergence-con.org/
Surprise Blasphemy of the Week: It's strange that God made Shakespeare a better writer than Himself.? --Sam Harris --Submitted by MMS
Spark of Joy of the Week: If common sense were free, there'd still be people waiting for it to go on sale. --Submitted by jm or ks
Lance Armstrong is amazing. To recover from testicular cancer and win the Tour de France 7 consecutive times. I don't care that he used drugs. When I was using drugs I couldn't even find my bike. /\ Did you hear about the lunatic who won the Tour de France in one day? He took the psycho path.
..........H A double R I G A N.........James Cagney ....Harrigan
5) Idaho is sometimes called the Gem State. 72 types of precious stones are found in the state.
Protest Sign of the Week: Sperm Cause All Abortions Outlaw Ejaculation
Quote of the Week: So, if you are too tired to speak, sit next to me for I, too, am fluent in silence. --R Arnold --Submitted by bu of ks
Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I'm having dejamnesia vu. I think I've forgotten this before. --Submitted by cp of ks
Today's Peace of History: July 3, 1835: Children employed in the silk mills at Paterson, NJ, went on strike for an eleven-hour workday and a six-day work week rather than 12-14 hour days. With the help of adults, they won a compromise settlement of a 69-hour week.
A cyclist threw in the towel halfway through the race; picked up his bike and went home. Seconds later a minor avalanche killed 3 teammates that he had been riding next to. Survival of Defeatist. /\ Bank tellers are barred from the Tour de France because they keep losing their balance.
..........The Yanks are coming.........Nora Bayes …..Over There
Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, July 3, 2026: Cycled ePistle . Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.
Moonbeam: A book should serve as the ax for the frozen sea within us. --Franz Kafka
Cost of War:
Pentagon Spending as of 7/2/26: $766,664,729,346 ~~That's three billion, nine hundred and forty one million, two hundred and eighty-nine thousand five hundred and seventeen dollar in one day!
Pentagon Spending as of 7/1/26: $762,723,439,829
***Make wars unprofitable and you make them impossible. --A Philip Randolph
Pentagon Spending in June 2026: $82,621,957,422
Pentagon Spending in May 2026: $87,601,145,719
Pentagon Spending in April 2026: $81,264,897,194
https://www.nationalpriorities.org/cost-of/
Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest. --Denis Diderot
Famous Last Words: Are you still there? --Jim Morrison who died 7/3/71 of heart failure perhaps caused by a heroin overdose.
.........Don't forget to come back home.........Ada Jones …..So Long, Mary
Today I rode my bike a mile to the store. So, I guess you can say my Tour de France dreams are getting pretty serious. /\ Lance Armstrong was selling his Tour de France bikes. A potential buyer asked what's the lowest he would go and he said, “About two mph, otherwise you'd tip over.”
May Peace be your companion
And Joy be your sidekick
prairie mama
christine
Last Laugh:
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