Friday, March 24, 2017

eLizabethan ePistle

Famous First Words: O for a Muse of Fire...William Shakespeare Henry V
This is Shakespeare Week (March 20-26). Knock, Knock. Who's there? The Earl of Oxford. The Earl of Oxford who? Exactly.
..........My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun.........Sting …..Sister Moon (Sonnet 130)
Love all, trust a few, do wrong to none. --William Shakespeare
It is a warm (67°F), windy Friday morning. The sky is covered with giant, gray cotton balls smoosched together and driven to the northeast by 16 mph breezes. Under them small wisps are tortured into other shapes: dragons and darts. The clouds mute the rising sun and make it seems as though it is earlier in the day. There is bird song aplenty but none has made it to the backyard. Alas, when the trash truck grinds its way down the street the sweet music disappears altogether. Pax and Puck share perimeter duty pacing the fence barking at Kirsten as she rides her bike off to work and at the man across the street who has the audacity to walk to his car. The world has begun to show color: greens, of course, some deep, some frivolously pastel and trees flowering in white and more slowly with greens and yellow formal flowers and purple lawn cover. A lovely world. I sniff the air for the smell of rain, but cannot find it. Ah, the din departs and the bird song returns; how pleasant. Puck and I return indoors out of the wind into the aroma of fresh coffee and left over incense. The Northwest Blend decaf, properly processed, sparkles on my tongue and kisses the morning with spice. Good morning, ePistliers.
Hope your weekend is a thing divine, ePistliers.                  (The Tempest)
Dr Seuss meets William Shakespeare: From Hamlet Hears a Hoof: Art thou my mother? Neigh. / I ask to be, or not to be. That is the question, I ask of me.
..........I'm not even acquainted with my old desires.........Bob Dylan …..Bye and Bye (As You Like It)
Trivia Questions: Happy Name Day, Pluto!
^ What was Pluto god of, anyway?
^^ How long would it take a ray traveling at light speed from the surface of Earth to reach Pluto?
^^^ What is unique about the rotation of Pluto and Uranus?
^^^^ How much would one weigh on Pluto?
^^^^^ Know anything about Pluto's moons?
Fake Library Statistic of the Week: Top librarian responses to any situation: -45% chocolate -28% tea -25% cake -15% loud sighing https://www.facebook.com/FakeLibStats/?fref=ts
Moonbeam: and I am awaiting perpetually and forever a renaissance of wonder --Lawrence Ferlinghetti
Walmart meets William Shakespeare: Now is the winter of our discount tent. / Green Hops in Beer
..........And I want to be free..........October Project ….Ariel (The Tempest)
Lenten Message of the Week: Forgive other people as quickly as you expect God to forgive you.
Big Hello: Witéj – Kashubian (Poland)
Weekend of the Week American Crossword Puzzle Weekend (March 24-26) -

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: MidSouthCon (March 24-26, Memphis, TN) - The area’s longest running Science Fiction Convention celebrates its 35th anniversary! http://midsouthcon.org/
Shall I compare thee to a winter’s night?
Like icy snow, the blistering winds doth blow
Thou art just as cruel, and filled with spite
Those cold, cruel seeds reaped, in thy soul hath sowed
..........Let's kill all the lawyers..........The Eagles …..Get Over It (Henry VI)
^ Pluto was the King of the Underworld; a sort of Hades 2.1.
Almanac: It is Friday, March 24, 2017. The moon will be new on Monday and is in Aquarius. The UN has declared this World Tuberculosis Day (World Hehalth Organization) and International Day for the Right to the Truth concerning Gross Human Rights Violations and for the Dignity of Victims (A/RES/65/196). It is also National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day and Agriculture Day.
Among those born on this day were Georgius Agricola (1494), Rufus King (1755), Joseph Liouville (1809), Elisa Felix (1821), John Wesley Powell and William Morris (1834), Andrew Mellon (1855), Emile Fabre (1869), Harry Houdini (1874), Fatty Arbuckle (1887), Arthur Murray (1895), Wilhelm Reich (1897), Thomas Dewey (1902), Malcolm Muggeridge (1903), John Cameron Swayze (1906), Lucia Chase (1907), Clyde Barrow (1909), Fritz Liebert and Joseph Barbera (1911), Lawrence Ferlinghetti (1919), Gene Nelson (1920), Normal Fell (1924), Steve McQueen (1930), Patti Labelle (1944), and Lara Flynn Boyle (1970).
On March twenty-fourth the Peace of Boulogne was signed (France & England, 1550), King James VI became King James I of England (1603), Williams was granted a charter to colonize Rhode Island (1664), Britian enacted the Quartering Act (1765), Aleksandr Romanov became emperor of Russia (1801), Canada granted suffrage to blacks (1837), Manhattan Kansas was founded (as New Boston, 1855), the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company formed (1868), the first telephone call between NYC and Chiacgo was put through (1883), the first automobile was sold (1898), Greece became a republic again (1924), the then planet Pluto was named (1930), Major Bowes' Original Amateur House went national (NBC Radio, 1935), Rockefeller donated the East River site to the United Nations (1947), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof opened (1955), Elvis joined the army (1958), the Kennedy half dollar was issued (1964), and Isabel Peron was deposed (1976).
This Week: Saturday, March 25 – Earth Hour & Tolkien Reading Day
Night Sky (3/15): Venus, by virtue of orbiting closer to the Sun than Earth, also moves faster. Periodically, it "laps" our planet and passes almost directly between us and the Sun. This is known as "inferior conjunction," and for several days around that time, Venus may be too close to the Sun to be visible in our skies at all (March 25, 2017, 10:00 am EDT).
Sunday, March 26 – Purple Day and Spinach Day
Night Sky (3/16): This is the time of year when the dim Little Dipper (Ursa Minor) juts to the right from Polaris (the Little Dipper's handle-end) during late evening. The much brighter Big Dipper curls over high above it, "dumping water" into it.
Monday, March 27 – Mule Day & Quirky Country Music Song Titles Day
Night Sky (3/27): The moon is new in Aries.
Tuesday, March 28 – Be Mad Day & Weed Appreciation Day
Night Sky (3/28): Mars (magnitude +1.4, in Aries) is the brightest "star" moderately low due west in late twilight. The orange stars Alpha Arietis and Alpha Ceti in the same general area are fainter. In a telescope, Mars is a hopeless little fuzzblob 4.4 arcseconds across.
Wednesday, March 29 – Little Red Wagon Day & Texas Loves the Children Day
Night Sky (3/29): Saturn (magnitude +0.5, in Sagittarius upper right of the Teapot) rises in the early morning hours and glows in the southeast to south before and during dawn. Redder Antares (magnitude +1.0) twinkles 18° to Saturn's right
Thursday, March 30 – Pencil Day & World Bi-polar Day

..........As merry as the days were long..........The Smith …..You've Got Everything Now (Much Ado About Nothing)
^^ A radio signal moving at the speed of light takes about 4 hours to reach Pluto from Earth.
Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Laura Palmer was a coke-addicted hooker fighting off literal demon possession but she still supported Meals on Wheels. --Submitted by cc of ks
Moonbeam: ...a few dead minds in the higher places..........Lawrence Ferlinghetti The world is a beautiful place
Late Night Snacks: Today was the start of March Madness. That’s right, President Drumpf released his new budget today. --Seth Meyers / You guys have all been watching the March Madness games — that’s why we’re on a little later tonight. So, drunk people just getting home: Welcome to the show. And senior citizens sitting down to breakfast: Good morning. --James Corden / They say American businesses will lose more than $2 billion in productivity because of the tournament. If that’s true, we should probably get rid of it, right? Can you imagine if Donald Drumpf canceled the NCAA tournament? Then we’d see some marches. --Jimmy Kimmel / El Chapo’s lawyers say that while in US custody, his health is deteriorating. El Chapo has lost so much weight, he’s down two tunnel sizes. --Conan O'Brien / We were supposed to get up to 2 feet of snow, but it turned to sleet early — just cold and brittle, right in your face. It reminded me of Kellyanne Conway. --Stephen Colbert
When lenity and cruelty play for a kingdom, the gentler gamester is the soonest winner. --William Shakespeare
..........and my daddy said, 'Stay away from Juliet'.........Taylor Swift …..Love Story (Romeo & Juliet)
^^^ Like Uranus, Pluto rotates on its side.
Worthless Fact of the Week: A group of New England Free-Staters traveled to Kansas Territory under the auspices of the New England Emigrant Aid Company to found a Free-State town. Led by Isaac Goodnow, the first members of the group selected the current Manhattan location for the Aid Company's new settlement.
Weird Word of the Week: Artilect - used as a term for devices that exhibit autonomous learning behavior, a blend from artificial intellect. It was apparently coined by Professor Hugo de Garis, head of the Brain Builder Group at the Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute in Kyoto, Japan. Prof de Garis, who calls himself an intelligist (another word he seems to have invented), argues that by 2050 we shall indeed have computers of superhuman intelligence. http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-art1.htm
Wicked Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: May you live to be so old that the mere sight of you horrifies young children and ex-lovers. --submitted by bb of ks ~~Been there, done that.
Wacky Uses for Common Products: Shine Shoes. To shine shoes, use the cotton tip of a Tampax Tampon to buff. Many soldiers in the US Military buff their shoes and boots with Tampax Tampons to achieve an impressive shine for inspections. http://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/tampax.html
Let me not to the marriage of true swine
Admit impediments. With his big car
He's won your heart, and you have punctured mine.
...........Oh, there ain't no love no, Montagues or Capulets..........Arctic Monkeys …..I Bet You Look Good on the Dance Floor (Romeo and Juliet)
^^^^ A person on Pluto would weigh 1/15 what they weigh on Earth. The astronauts on the Moon had 1/6 of their Earth weight.
Word Shakespeare Made Up of the Week: Frugal – economical in use or expenditure, not wasteful. The Merry Wives of Windsor Act II Scene I: Mistress Page: I was then frugal of my mirth: Heaven forgive me.
Amazing Thing on the Internet of the Week: Paint like Pollock. Warning – a blank screen with no instructions pops up and you have to move your mouse for anything to happen and you click the mouse button to change colors. http://www.jacksonpollock.org/
Puck the Brave Episode of the Week: Here's our fearless Puck in action in the case of the Running Walker.
Let me not to the secret hiding place,
You put the chocolate cookie, that I love,
Filled with dark cocoa, and  a biscuit base,
With some firm's Label that's printed above
..........No man's a jester playing Shakespeare.........Elton John …..The King Must Die (King Lear)
^^^^^ Pluto has five moons down to a detection limit of about 1 km in diameter. In order of distance from Pluto, they are Charon, Styx, Nix, Kerberos, and Hydra.
Month of the Week: March is Women's History Month …

Famous Kansans: Colleen McMurphy, a lead character from the show China Beach, was from a "small town" in Kansas. http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0041921/quotes
Today's Peace of History, March 24, 1967: In Chicago, Rev Martin Luther King, Jr. led an anti-war march for the first time opposing the Vietnam War by saying: Our arrogance can be our doom. It can bring the curtains down on our national drama . . . Ultimately, a great nation is a compassionate nation The bombs in Vietnam explode at home—they destroy the dream and possibility for a decent America .
All the world's a bar,
And all the men and women merely drinkers;
They have their hiccups and their staggerings:
And one man in a day drinks many glasses.
..........lives after them..........Iron Maiden …..The Evil That Men Do (Julius Caesar)
Masthead of the Week: fRiday ePistle March 24, 2016. eLizabethian ePistle. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Not fake, but certainly not real. Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. 1800 Goodell Ct. Lawrence, KS 66046
Moonbeam: No more chanting Hare Krishna while Rome burns. --Lawrence Ferlinghetti Populist Manifesto No. 1
Cost of War:
Tax dollars spent in Afghanistan: as of 3/23/17: $766,622,940,811.
Tax dollars spent in Afghanistan: as of 3/16/17: $765,975,573,307.
Tax dollars spent on the Iraq war since 2001 as of 3/23/17: $820,377,566,100.
Tax dollars spent on the Iraq war since 2001 as of 316/17: $820,318,645,804.
Tax dollars spent on Daesh conflict as of 3/23/17: $14,205,580,617.
Tax dollars spent on Daesh conflict as of 3/16/17: $14,106,096,224.
Tax dollars spent on the Pentagon Slush Fund as of 3/23/17: $145,236,882,918.
Tax dollars spent on the Pentagon Slush Fund as of 3/16/17: $144,683,345,247.
Tax dollars spent on all wars since 2001 as of 3/23/17: $1,750,769,213,183.
Tax dollars spent on all wars since 2001 as of 3/16/17: $1,749,417,403,437.
Corruption wins not more than honesty. Still in the right hand carry gentle peace, to silence envious tongues. --William Shakespeare
..........Oh untimely death..........The Beatles …..I Am the Walrus (King Lear)
How many Henry VIs does it take to change a light bulb? One one, but he has to do it in three parts. / How many Macbeths does it take to change a light bulb? I wouldn't know. Every time he sees a working light bulb, he yells, “Out, out brief candle!” and smashes it to bits.
Famous Last Words: And let's away, to part the glories of this happy day. --Julius Caesar.
May Peace grace your bounteous table
And Joy be your sweet companion
prairie mama
christine
Last Laugh:

Posted by at No comments:

Friday, March 17, 2017

ePistle eTude

Famous First Words: Connecting Ships, Ports, and People … IMO World Maritime Day Website
March is Music in Our Schools Month: Teacher: What are you going to do in the school talent show? Pupil: I'm going to sing "Old Lady River." Teacher: Don't you mean "Old Man River?" Pupil: No, I'm singing about a lady river - Missis Sippi!
..........Seinntear stair are chlairsigh cheoil ….......The Chieftains …...Mo Ghile Mear
All conflict is about difference, whether the difference is race, religion or nationality. The European visionaries decided that difference is not a threat, difference is natural. Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace - respect for diversity. --John Hume
It is a warm (58°F) Friday morning. The sky is covered with white clouds – thick in the east to hid the rising sun but thinning as they move westward. The bird song is in surround sound coming from every direction and coming in a range of tones and tempos. Even Puck gave up barking his way around the perimeter to listen. The earth smells of rain and dampness although there is no evidence of precipitation but there is humidity hanging in the air. Now and then a car drives by on its way to work, no doubt, given the hour; it is a distraction from the bird concert which continues unabated. Pax and Pepper join us in the warm morning; the Pax howl is a true contrast to the bird cantata with its deep bass. But we return indoors. The rooms smell of coffee and morning. Puck settles in on the bed for his early morning nap and I prepare hot, creamy, sweetened Moose Munch. Ahhh, sweet morning, and now I get to write to you...
Hope your weekend sings in your ears, ePistliers.
Pupil (after singing a song horribly): How did you like my execution? Music Teacher: I'm all in favor of it. / The teacher laughed when I sat down at the piano with my hands tied behind my back. She didn't know I could play by ear.
..........So, if you're glum and feeling down just feel like us and act the clown….......The Chieftains …...Changing Your Demeanour
Trivia Questions: Happy Birthday to the Camp Fire Girls !
^ How many names has this organization had anyway?
^^ Where was the organization founded?
^^^ How many girls were in the original troop?
^^^^ How many of the 5 program levels can you name?
^^^^^ What is the manufacturing label for the camp fire uniform?
Fake Library Statistic of the Week: 26% of librarians think that the worst part of working at the reference desk is that no one can see your awesome socks. https://www.facebook.com/FakeLibStats/?fref=ts
Moonbeam: When an individual is protesting society's refusal to acknowledge his dignity as a human being, his very act of protest confers dignity on him. --Bayard Rustin
“I didn't say your voice was out of this world, Johnny, I said it was unearthly.” / Passing notes in class takes on a whole new meaning if you teach music.
..........Giving thanks for God's graces and the birth of the rebel Jesus….......The Chieftains …...The Rebel Jesus
Something to Think About of the Week: Pollock and Motherwell: Legends of Abstract Expressionism is coming the the Nelson Museum July 8 – Oct 29. It will feature Pollock's Mural and Motherwell's Elegy to the Spanish Republic No. 126. Whose up for a Pollock Party. http://www.nelson-atkins.org/art/exhibitions/pollock-motherwell/
Big Hello: Mendvt – Kalmyk (Mongolia & Russia)
Week of the Week: Termite Awareness Week (March 12-18) …

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Anomaly Con (March 17-19 / Denver) Colorado's Own Steampunk and Alternate History Convention. https://www.anomalycon.com/ ~~Alt History is what you get with an Alt President...
You have a fine voice; you probably shouldn't spoil it by singing. / I really like the song you say, Sally, one of these days you should put it to music.
..........He went his way homeward with one star awake..........The Chieftains …..He Moved Through the Fair
^ Camp Fire, formerly Camp Fire USA and originally Camp Fire Girls of America. In 1975 it changed its name to Camp Fire Boys and Girls. Total of 4 names that I could track down; but I wouldn't be surprised if I missed one or two.
Almanac: It is Friday, March 17, 2017. The moon will be last quarter on Monday and is in Scorpio. It is St. Patrick's Day. In Boston MA it is Evacuation Day (1776) and worldwide it is Maritime Day.
Among those born on this day were James IV (Scotland, 1473), Francesco Albana (1578), Georg Osterreich (1664), Georg Ohm (1787), James Bridger (1804), Gottlieb Daimler (1834), Kate Greenaway (1846), Frederic Ayers (1876), Gloria Swanson (1899), Bayard Rustin (1910), Nat King Cole (1919), Stephen Dodgson (1924), James B. Irwin (1930), Tom Mattingly II (1936), Rudolf Nureyev (1938), Edward Harper (1941), Paul Kantner (1942), Danny DeVito (1944), John Sebastian (1944), William F. Gibson (1948), Patrick Duffy (1949), Kurt Russell and Scott Gorham (1951), Gary Sinise (1955), Don Griffin (1964), Rob Lowe (1964), and Mia Hamm (1972).
On March seventeenth Patrick was carried off to Ireland (432), Magellan landed on the Philippines (1521), France invaded Flanders (1537), the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held in NYC (1762), the Britain repealed the Stamp Act (1766), Texas abolsihed slavery (1836), the rubber band was patented (1845), the National Association of Professional Base-Ball players was organized (1871), Eleanor married Franklin Roosevelt (1905), the Camp Fire Girls organized (1912), Tsar Nicolas II abdicated (1917), O'Neill's Welded premiered (1924), the US failed to sign the League of Nations disarmament treaty (1927), the National Gallery of Art opened (1941), Element 98 was announced (Californium, 1950), Elvis bought Graceland (1957), the Dalai Lama fled Tibet (1959), Bill Cousy played his last NBA game (1963), and Golda Meir became Israel's fourth prime minster (1969).
Night Sky (3/17): On the divide between the winter and spring sky is the dim constellation Cancer. It lies between Gemini to its west and Leo to its east. Dim maybe, but Cancer holds something unique: the Beehive Star Cluster, M44, in its middle. The Beehive shows dimly to the naked eye if you have little or no light pollution. With binoculars, it's a snap even from fairly polluted areas.
This Week: Saturday, March 18 – Forgive Mom and Dad Day & Worldwide Quilting Day
Sunday, March 19 – National Poultry Day & Goddess of Fertility Day
Night Sky (3/19) – A good night to observe the Appenine mountain chain on the moon if you have a small telescope. The big black spot is the crater Plato.
Monday, March 20 – Great American Meat Out & Atheist Pride Day
Night Sky (3/20) – Jupiter in due south at an elevation of 34°. With a small telescope you can see the equatorial bands and sometimes the Great Red Spot.
Tuesday, March 21 – National Agriculture Day & Common Courtesy Day
Night Sky (3/21) - Saturn rises well after midnight and will be high in the pre-dawn sky. Mercury becomes visible about twilight.
Wednesday, March 22 – As Young As You Feel Day & National Goof-Off Day
Night Sky (3/22) - Mars gets dimmer and recedes from Venus which is in the lower right sky at twilight.
Thursday, March 23 – OK Day, National Tamale Day, & World Meteorological Day
..........Tubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff..........The Chieftains …..Winnie the Pooh
^^ Camp Fire Girls was founded in Sebago Lake, Maine by Mrs Charles Farnsworth and Luther & Charlotte Gulick.
Funniest thing I read of the Week: We're Feminists, We're Old, We're Back ...a protest sign outside the state house in Albany, NY.
Funniest Thing I Heard of the Week: Steven Bannon looks like AIDS that came down with a person.
Moonbeam: A woman once said to me, “Any religion that is to be any good to one must be one they make for themselves.” and it is so. She, curiously, was a clergyman's wife. --Kate Greenaway
Late Night Snacks: The GOP’s new healthcare bill cleared its first hurdle early this morning, when it was passed by the House Ways and Means Committee, after roughly 18 hours of debate. And anyone who’s spent 18 hours trying to pass something knows what you get at the end. --Stephen Colbert / New research says that Neanderthals used to relieve pain by chewing on a plant containing the main ingredient in aspirin. Or as that’s now being called, “the Republican healthcare plan.” --Conan O'Brien / The people are really excited about Huntsman's appointment. There is even going to be a movie about Jon Huntsman joining the Drumpf administration. It’s called “So White and the Huntsman,” coming soon to an Imax near you. --James Corden / But it’s a serious thing, and the Centers for Disease Control reminds you, still the best way to avoid contracting an STD is to get really into Dungeons and Dragons in high school. --Jimmy Kimmel
It is a rule of international law that weapons and methods of warfare which do not discriminate between combatants and civilians should never be used. Aerial bombings from balloons were outlawed; the use of "dum-dum" bullets was outlawed and made a crime, on the grounds that they inflict unnecessary suffering. The bombing of hospitals and civilian targets was outlawed. All these principles and standards have suddenly vanished. They are not even mentioned by those whose responsibility it is to uphold them. The use of the most cruel, terrible and indiscriminate weapon of all time, the nuclear weapons, is not even outlawed. --Sean MacBride
Of course your voice is pure; you strain it every time you sing. / Music teachers write music in a notebook.
..........as white as the milk........The Chieftains …..O the Holly She Bears a Berry
^^^ There were 17 maidens at the first Camp Fire Girls summer camp.
Worthless Fact of the Week: The rubber band, also known as an elastic band, laggy band, gum band, or elastic, is usually ring shaped and commonly used to hold multiple objects together. The rubber band was patented in England on March 17, 1845, by Stephen Perry.
Wicked Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Ponder: Every corpse on Everest was once an extremely motivated person. --Submitted by ma of oh
Weird Word of the Week: Zoochosis – the degrading effect of zoos on the animals they contain. From the 1990s. http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-zoo1.htm
Wacky Uses for Common Products: Relieve a toothache. Apply a dab of Tabasco Pepper Sauce to the gum. Made from a variety of pepper called Capsicum frutescens, Tabasco Pepper Sauce contains an alkaloid called capsaicin that has been proven to numb pain when applied topically. http://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/tabasco.html
When the music teacher asked Johnny about his favorite songs he said he had 5 of them, 3 Blind Mice and Tea for 2. / When a music teacher needs to repair an orchestra, he used a band aid.
...........I ramble through old Ireland and travel Scotland o'er..........The Chieftains …..The Lily of the West
^^^^ The 5 program levels are Little Stars (3-5 years), Starflight (k-2nd grade), Adventure (3-5 grades), Discover (6-8 grades), and Horizon (high school).
Word Shakespeare Made Up of the Week: Flawed – blemished, damaged, or imperfect is some way. King Lear Act V Scene III Edgar: but his flaw'd heart, Alacks, too weak the conflict to support.
Amazing Thing on the Internet of the Week: The Cray Machine paints abstract pictures triggered by lower case letter that you type. It's a lot of fun. http://www.zefrank.com/snm/index.html
Puck the Brave Episode of the Week: Here's our fearless Puck trying on outfits for the March for Science (4/22) in the case of the Physicist Pharaoh Hound.
Sally brought a ladder to choir practice because the music teacher asked her to sing higher. / What did the teacher call the short drummer with good rhythm? The metro gnome.
..........And love and whiskey make her old and gray.........The Chieftains …..Love Is Teasin'
^^^^^ Camp Fire outfits and accessories were marketed by WoHeLo which was the name of the first camp created by the organization.
Month of the Week: March is Paws to Read month …

PAWS for Reading is a program that allows children to read aloud to a therapy dog (or cat, or bunny!) in order to improve reading and communication skills. Children read individually to trained therapy pets (and their handlers) in schools, libraries, or other settings where they can feel comfortable and confident — and have fun! After all, a dog will not correct them or make them feel awkward if they stumble. http://www.pawsforpeople.org/paws-for-reading/
Famous Kansans: Major Astro – Wichita children's television character played by Tom Leahy in 1960. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Major_Astro
Today's Peace of History, March 17, 1966: Cesar Chavez and the National Farm Workers Association left Delano for Sacramento, the capital of California, a 340-mile march which would take three weeks.
Our high school band played Beethoven yesterday. Really, who won? / You're a natural musician. Your tongue is sharp and your head is flat.
..........But fair and square I surrendered there….......The Chieftains …...Star of County Down
Masthead of the Week: fRiday ePistle March X17, 2017, ePistle eTude. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Forget news; you're obsessed with news. Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. 1800 Goodell Ct. Lawrence, KS 66046
Moonbeam: The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet. --William Gibson
Cost of War:
Tax dollars spent in Afghanistan: as of 3/16/17: $765,975,573,307.
Tax dollars spent in Afghanistan: as of 3/9/17: $765,282,072,910.
Tax dollars spent on the Iraq war since 2001 as of 316/17: $820,318,645,804.
Tax dollars spent on the Iraq war since 2001 as of 3/9/17: $820,298,378,835.
Tax dollars spent on Daesh conflict as of 3/16/17: $14,106,096,224.
Tax dollars spent on Daesh conflict as of 3/9/17: $13,999,487,926.
Tax dollars spent on the Pentagon Slush Fund as of 3/16/17: $144,683,345,247.
Tax dollars spent on the Pentagon Slush Fund as of 3/9/17: $144,090,139,307.
Tax dollars spent on all wars since 2001 as of 3/16/17: $1,749,417,403,437.
Tax dollars spent on all wars since 2001 as of 3/9/17: $1,745,940,586,232.
If we want to reap the harvest of peace and justice in the future, we will have to sow seeds of nonviolence, here and now, in the present. --Mairead Corrigan Maguire. For St. Patrick's Day, all three of today's peace quotes are from Irish Nobel Peace Winners
..........So fare thee well….......The Chieftains …...Paddy's Green Shamrock Shore ~~The Chieftains for St. Patrick's Day
“Look how gracefully that girl eats her corn on the cob,” my mother said at the local barbecue restaurant. Well, she does play flute in the school band.
Famous Last Words: May the Lord God help Russia! --Tsar Nicholas II From his abdication proclamation.
May Peace shine warm upon your face
And Joy fall soft upon your life.
prairie mama
christine
Last Laugh:

Posted by at No comments:

Friday, March 10, 2017

eMbellished ePistle

Famous First Words: Charles the Second, by the grace of God... --Charter of the Territory of Pennsylvania
Happy International Bagpipe Day ! Do you know about the joke invented by a drunk Irishman? It's called bagpipes and the Scots still don't get it. / What's the only thing worse than a bagpiper? Good question, I'll get back to you.
..........Philosophy, is the talk on a cereal box..........Edie Brickell …..What I Am
It's crucial to understand that as a society, we can reorganize. We can reorganize socially, politically, and economically, and we can reorganize according to our values. --Rebecca Adamson
It is a chilly (27°F) Friday morning. There is not a cloud in the sky, not even a waning jet trail and the breeze is light but cold. Bird song is full and varied from the cheeing of the starling flock, the call and answer of unseen cardinals to the friendly chirping of the sparrows. There is even a woodpecker somewhere beating out percussion. Puck runs the perimeter and determines neither squirrels nor rabbits haunt the backyard and so he moves on to smell smaller, interior clumps of grass. The cold has muted recent scents of spring...soil and dampness, growth and flowers. It's true the willow is dressed in spring green and showing it off in the wind. And trees with white blossoms are dancing about in their new clothes. If it weren't cold, it would be a delightful sight. But I retreat to the breezeless inside, to the warmth and hum of the furnace, to the smell and taste of fresh brewed decaf. I observe a moment of silence, mouth full of the taste of sweet coffee, thoughts of you in my head. Ahhh, and then the trash truck passes by, straining to a stop, and crashes and banging trash cans. Reality intrudes again.
Hope the weekend is a grace note**, ePistliers.
  **Bagpiper's grace note - a short note which isn't part of the melody and doesn't officially take up any time
   ** Embellishment - clusters of grace notes which produce particular rhythmic effects.
Why do so many people hate a bagpipe right off? It saves time. / A group of terrorists hijacked a plane full of bagpipers. They called ground control with a list of demands. Then they told the negotiator if their demands aren't met they will release one bagpiper player an hour.
..........We'll never be this forever..........Edie Brickell …..Stranger Things
Trivia Questions: Happy Birthday, Purdue.
^ Where is Purdue anyway?
^^ About how many students attend Purdue?
^^^ Where did the name come from?
^^^^ What is the Purdue mascot?
^^^^^ In what conference does Purdue play sports?
Fake Library Statistic of the Week: During a normal work day, a librarian will ask "How did that happen?" 47 times. https://www.facebook.com/FakeLibStats/?fref=ts
Moonbeam: The world is my country, science is my religion. --Constantijn Huygens Jr.
Know why bagpipers always walk when they play; a moving target is harder to hit. / Know why bagpipers always walk when they play; so they can annoy even more people.
..........Raise the window, listen to the rain..........Edie Brickell …..Times Like This
Something to Think About of the Week: So, if we're going to fast from anything this Lent, Pope Francis suggests that even more than candy or alcohol, we fast from indifference towards others.
Big Hello: Salut/ Bouônjour – Jèrriais (Norman language – Channel Islands)
Week of the Week: National Sleep Awareness Week … Fall asleep much faster – decorate your bedroom like a church.
Science Fiction Convention of the Week: RevelCon 28: The Little Con with a Texas Sized Heart (3/10-12, Houston TX) …

Other Convention of the Week: This week my daughter attended National Bike Summit 2017 in DC. http://bikeleague.org/summit --The pedestrian (lemming) stepped off the curb into the road without looking and got knocked down by a passing cyclist: “You were lucky” said the cyclist “What are you on about! That really hurt!” said the pedestrian “Usually I drive a bus!” the cyclist replied.
Have you ever heard anyone say, “that's the bagpiper's Porsche”? / The very definition of a gentleman is someone who knows how to play bagpipes but doesn't.
..........I've spent a little time with you, I want a little more..........Edie Brickell …..Good Times
^ Purdue is in Lafayette, Indiana
Almanac: It is Friday, March 10, 2017. The moon will be full (Worm) on Sunday and is in Virgo. In addition to International Bagpipe Day it is International Day of Awesomeness, Land Line Telephone Day, Mario Day, Salvation Army Day, US Paper Money Day, Women & Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day, and World Sleep Day. Dominica and St Lucia celebrate Independence Day (1967) and Laos comemmorates Teachers' Day. Because it is Friday it is also Arbor Day in New Mexico and Middle Name Pride Day.
Among those born on this day were Ferdinand I of Germany (1503), Constantije Huygens Jr. (1628), John Playfair (1748), Willem R Foelofs (1822), Alexander III Romanov (1845), Jakob Wassermann (1873), Barry Fitzgerald (1888), Sam Jaffe (1891), Arthur Honnegger (1892), James Herriot (1916), Jethro Burns (1920 or 23, there is a dispute), Ara Parseghian (1923), James Earl Ray (1928), Gary Owens (1935), Chuck Norris (Carlos Ray, 1940), Kim Campbell (1947), Eddie Grundy (1948), Sharon Stone (1958), and Edie Brickell (1966).
On March tenth William Penn received a charter for the territory of Pennsylvania (1681), Franklin and Marshell College was founded (1787), the pile driver was patented (1791), Hawaii minted its first money (1847), the US issued its first paper money (1862), Purdue University admitted its first student (1874), Bell made the first telephone call (1876), Franck's Psyche debuted (1888), the multigraph duplicating machine was patented (1903), Ravel's Sonatine premiered (1906), The Pittsburgh Courier began publishing (1910), Nevada became the first state to regulate narcotics (1933), J Edgar Hoover declined the post of baseball commissioner (1951), Sweet Bird of Youth premiered (1959), James Earl Ray plead guilty to the murder of Martin Luther King, Jr (1969), the Rings of Uranus were discovered (1977), and 1 million Greeks attended Melina Mercouri's funeral (1994).
Night Sky (3/10): The waxing moon shines to the right of the Sickle of Leo, a few degrees to the lower left of Regulus.
This Week: Saturday, March 11 – National Johnny Appleseed Day & National Worship of Tools Day
Sunday, March 12 – Plant a Flower Day & Daylight Saving Time Day
Night Sky (3/12): If you follow the curve of the Dipper's handle out and around by a little more than a Dipper length, you'll arc to Arcturus, now rising in the east.
Monday, March 13 – Good Samaritan Day & K9 Veterans Day
Night Sky (3/13): Half an hour after sunset, Mars, Uranus are within a few degrees of each other and Venus is to their lower right are visible west. Mercury is also in the west in the evening sky.
Tuesday, March 14 – Learn About Butterflies Day & National Pi Day
Night Sky (3/14): Look at the two stars forming the open top of the Dipper's bowl. Follow this line past the bowl's lip far across the sky, and you crash into Capella.
Wednesday, March 15 – National Shoe the World Day & Everything You Think Is Wrong Day
Night Sky (3/15): Before sunrise we have Jupiter (SW), Saturn (S), Neptune and Venus (E).
Thursday, March 16 – Everything You Do Is Right Day & National Freedom of Information Day
You can tell the bunch of people on your porch are bagpipers because no one know when to come in. / Did you hear about the bagpiper who played in tune? Neither did I.
..........Give me strength and give me love..........Edie Brickell …..Black and Blue
^^ about 40,000 students attend Purdue
Funniest thing I read of the Week: I'm no biologist but has anyone tried sprinkling salt on Steve Bannon. --Sarah Lazarus submitted by lj of ks
Moonbeam: Cats are connoisseurs of comfort. --James Herriot
Late Night Snacks: A new financial app from JP Morgan can now do in seconds what it once took Wall Street financiers 360,000 hours to accomplish. That’s right, the app wrecks the global economy. --Conan O'Brien / For those of you keeping score at home, Donald Drumpf has gone golfing six times in 30 days. That explains the bumper sticker on Air Force One: “I’d rather be golfing, and there’s a 20% chance that I am.” --Stephen Colbert / Apparently, House Republicans are keeping their Obamacare replacement bill hidden in a basement in Congress, and other lawmakers can’t get to it. Then Nicolas Cage was like, “Don’t worry, you guys — I got this! I gotta break through the dome and find the hidden treasure!” --Jimmy Fallon / The Senate today also confirmed Ben Carson as secretary of Housing and Urban Development. The news came as a surprise to Carson, who thought he dreamed it. --Seth Meyers / Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway were the presenters that announced the wrong film. Basically they were the Sean Spicers of the Oscars. --James Corden
Why are they the ones that get to say what is right and wrong? The profits before people way makes it hard to get along. We want a world that's fair and just with peace for everyone. We've got to go on now, we must, before our world is done. We want our world back. --Robert Alan Silverstein.
The bagpiper has fingers like lightning; they rarely struck the same spot twice. / How many bagpipers does it take to screw in a light bulb? 5: one to do it and four to criticize his fingering style.
..........But they whisper in my soul..........Edie Brickell …..Strings of Love
^^^ Businessman John Purdue donated land and money to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture in his name.
Worthless Fact of the Week: In 1847, the Kingdom of Hawai'i, under the reign of King Kamehaheha III, issued its first official coinage—a large one-cent copper penny—to alleviate the chronic shortage of small denomination coins circulating in the kingdom.
Weird Word of the Week: Yuhangyuan – the Chinese term for an astronaut. (replaces taikonaut – a western word made up to mean Chinese astronaut) http://www.worldwidewords.org/turnsofphrase/tp-yuh1.htm
Wicked Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I'm calling a family meeting. Because Mommy can't fight fascism if she has to pick up after y'all. --Jane Wright Jones --submitted by ls of ks
Wacky Uses for Common Products: Stop yourself from biting your fingernails. Use a cotton swab to dab your fingernails with Tabasco Pepper Sauce. Let dry. Should your fingernails unconsciously wander up to your lips, the zesty tang will quickly jolt your attention, reminding you to correct your behavior. http://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/tabasco.html
The difference between a trampoline and a bagpipe is that you take your shoes off when you jump on a trampoline. / Know how to make a chain saw sound like a bagpipe, add more vibrato.
...........Looked up through the white light and reached out his hand..........Edie Brickell …..Lost In the Moment
^^^^ Purdue Pete is a mascot of Purdue. Despite his visible and constant on-field presence at Purdue sporting events, Pete is not the official mascot of the university. The official mascot of Purdue is the Boilermaker Special.
Word Shakespeare Made Up of the Week: fixture – a piece of equipment or furniture that is fixed in position. The Merry Wives of Windsor Act III Scene III Falstaff: ...and the firm fixture of thy foot would give an excellent motion to thy gait in a semi-circled farthingale.
Amazing Thing on the Internet of the Week: Astronaut Kjell Lindren playing Amazing Grace on the bagpipes on the International Space Station: Click Here
Puck the Brave Episode of the Week: Here's our fearless Puck ignoring the Great White Light in the case of the Mystic Mioritic.
Funniest Video on the Internet of the Week: East India Company singing “Trump USA” in the style of the Village People's YMCA. http://boingboing.net/2017/02/28/watch-the-trump-song-a-parod.html
In some parts of the world leaving your bagpipes on the dashboard serves as a handicapped parking permit. / What's the difference between the Great Highland and the Northumbrian bagpipes? The GHB burns longer but the Northumbrian burns hotter.
..........I heard the angels laughing way above my head..........Edie Brickell …..10,000 Angels
^^^^^ Purdue is part of the Big Ten Conference.
Month of the Week: March is Mad for Plaid Month …

Shameless Self Promotion of the Week: Pictures from the Stand Up to Hate demonstration are online at http://dovedrop8.wixsite.com/prairiemama/fear-2016
Famous Kansans: Clark Joseph Kent (1938), adopted child of Jonathan & Martha Kent of Smallville, KS, aka Kal-El, aka Superman. http://dc.wikia.com/wiki/Superman_(Clark_Kent)
Today's Peace of History, March 10, 1968: Cesar Chavez ended a 23-day fast for US farm workers in a Delano, California, public park with 4000 supporters at his side including Senator Robert Kennedy (D-New York). Cesar Chavez led the effort to organize farm workers into a union for better pay and better working and living conditions.
..........There comes somebody like you..........Edie Brickell …..Once In a Blue Moon
Masthead of the Week: fRiday ePistle March 10, 2017. eMbellished ePistle. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Fake? Real? Both are Bullsh*t. Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. 1800 Goodell Ct. Lawrence, KS 66046
Moonbeam: Amid all the revolutions of the globe, the economy of Nature has been uniform, ... and her laws are the only things that have resisted the general movement. The rivers and the rocks, the seas and the continents, have been changed in all their parts; but the laws which direct those changes, and the rules to which they are subject, have remained invariably the same. -John Playfair
Cost of War:
Tax dollars spent in Afghanistan: as of 3/9/17: $765,282,072,910.
Tax dollars spent in Afghanistan: as of 2/23/17: $764,310,772,154.
Tax dollars spent on the Iraq war since 2001 as of 3/9/17: $820,298,378,835.
Tax dollars spent on the Iraq war since 2001 as of 2/23/17: $820,269,991,517.
Tax dollars spent on Daesh conflict as of 3/9/17: $13,999,487,926.
Tax dollars spent on Daesh conflict as of 2/23/17: $13,850,204,096.
Tax dollars spent on the Pentagon Slush Fund as of 3/9/17: $144,090,139,307.
Tax dollars spent on the Pentagon Slush Fund as of 2/23/17: $143,259,500,614.
Tax dollars spent on all wars since 2001 as of 3/9/17: $1,745,940,586,232.
Tax dollars spent on all wars since 2001 as of 2/23/17: $1,747,968,828,708.
No piecemeal solution is going to prevent the collapse of whole societies and ecosystems...a radical re-thinking of our values, priorities, and political systems is urgent. --Maude Barlow
..........When I'm by myself nobody else can say goodbye..........Edie Brickell …..Circle
How can you tell if a bagpiper has perfect pitch? He can throw a baseball into the middle of a pond and not hit any of the ducks. / Playing a bagpipe is a lot like throwing javelin blindfolded; you don't have to be very good to get people's attention.
Famous Last Words: The miracle of love is at last complete. --Franck's Psyché
May Peace be your birl
And Joy your roll
prairie mama
christine
Last Laugh:

  **Birl - Onomatopoeic name for a Highland bagpipe embellishment on low A, consisting of two very fast taps or strikes to low G.
    **Roll - An embellishment used in uilleann piping, consisting of two grace notes on the melody note. The name derives from an analogous fiddle decoration.
Posted by at No comments:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)