dIscounted ePistle

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Trivia Questions: Happy 97^th Birthday to Mickey Mouse

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

2. What were Mickey's first words?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sunday, September 21 – International Day of Peace

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dragon of the Week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cost of War:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May Peace light your days

And Joy brighten your nights

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

nOnplayer ePistle

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

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

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

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

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

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

Hope your weekend is really virtual or virtually real, Gamers

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

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

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

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

Trivia Questions: It is Cloud Appreciation Day

1. How many kinds of clouds are there?

2. How do clouds make rain?

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

4. How do clouds get their colors?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Courage is grace under pressure. --Ernest Hemingway

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Mom and the boys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dragon of the Week:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Cost of the War on Terror:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May Peace grace your days

And Grace fill your Joy

prairie mama

christine

Last Laugh:

aN ePistle oF mAnners

Famous First Words: Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? --Freddie Mercury Bohemian Rhapsody

Celebrate Bring Your Manners At Work Day! I don't know whether it's still good manners to open a door for a lady, but I have discovered it does not apply to airplane doors. ++ MAGA Manners: Good manners, like public transportation, were designed to be used by others, not us.

Love...is quiet understanding, mutual confidence, sharing and forgiving. It is loyalty through good and bad times. It settles for less than perfection and makes allowances for human weaknesses. --Ann Landers

..........Here we go 'round again..........Kingston Trio …..Molly Dee

...the nature of peace-whether peace will simply mean that the guns are silenced, that the bombs no longer fall, that the tanks cease to roll, or whether it will mean that the nations of the Middle East can deal with each other as neighbors and as equals and as friends, with a full range of diplomatic and cultural and economic and human relations between them. --Jimmy Carter Report on the Camp David Conference, 1978

It is a chilly Friday morning. The sky is a slate gray without texture, without darker gray areas, and without a light spot where the sun must be. The 60°F is comfortable when the wind takes a breath and only slightly cold when it exhales again. Tree limbs move slowly giving the wall of foliage a psychedelic feel. The birds and squirrels and even mama rabbit have been to the patio for breakfast. The bluejays yell what I assume are warnings. And the squirrels sometimes fuss squeakily at the birds or the other squirrels and always at the cat. This morning is relatively quiet. The crows don't come at all anymore. I am drinking decaf – properly doctored – and Puck is asleep under my desk. I can hear his gentle snoring as I type. Veronica has spent some time in the doorway playing “protect the bird seed”. Tomorrow, Kirsten, my daughter, will be in town; always a wonderful time. So, it is a gentle, pleasant morning and now I get to make it better by writing to you.

Hope your weekend matters no matter its manners, ePistliers

First Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Infinity is just the universe's way of saying “Scroll down”. --Submitted by Club42

For lunch we went to an Indian restaurant for some curry. After the waitress took our order, a little old lady came to our table and said, “What a nice looking group of people, so well dressed and with such good manners. We found out later that it was the complimentary nan. ++ You can tell if an American has been well brought up; they use silencers at school shootings.

Everything that I understand, I understand only because I love. --Leo Tolstoy

..........He whistled and he sang till the greenwoods rang..........Kingston Trio …..The Whistling Gypsy

Trivia Questions:

1. How many people in the US were food insecure in 2023?

1. How many food banks are there in the US?

2. How much food passes through the banks per year?

3. About how many people work for and/or support the banks?

4. Do you know where the closest food bank is to you?

Big Hello: ¡hola! - Spanish https://www.omniglot.com/language/phrases/hello.htm

Second Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: I already told you I am not turning your water into pumpkin spice latte.

Image of the Week: Our house with its new paint job.

Insult of the Week: He's not human; he's an empty space disguised as a human. --John Fowles The Collector

If it is bad manners to talk with your mouth full, is it bad manners for a deaf person to talk with food in their hands? ++ Throwing the bouquet to see who's next: good manners at a wedding, bad manners at a funeral.

Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third. --Marge Piercy

..........His candle just at twelve o'clock began to burn quite palely..........Kingston Trio …..The Unfortunate Miss Bailey

Moonbeam: You shouldn't get too close to the truth, because then maybe you stop being funny. --Bob Newhart

Blasphemy of the Week: God: I do not send hurricanes to punish you. That's what Christian rock is for. --Submitted by Wittenburg Door

Coffee Joke of the Week: So, is the Starbucks Computer System programmed in JavaScript?

Next Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The future is just the past dressed in shinier packaging. --Submitted by Club42

When Obi Wan was teaching at the Tatooine Finishing School he was known for saying “Use the forks”. ++ Quote from the not so great pumpkin: I raised the best kids. So polite. Already today Don Jr has said, “Pardon me, dad” at least 20 time. He has such great manners.

If you understand each other you will be kind to each other. --John Steinbeck

..........Tell me what were their names..........Kingston Trio …..Reuben James

1) In 2023, an estimated 47.4 million Americans lived in food-insecure households. This was 13.5% of households. And included 13.8 million children

Almanac: It is Friday, September 5, 2025. The moon will be full (Harvest or Corn) on Sunday (9/9) and is in Sagittarius. Today is Acme Positivity Day, Be Late for Something Day, International Day Of Charity, Jury Rights Day, and National Cheese Pizza Day. Because it is the first Friday in September it is also Bring Your Manners to Work Day, National Dog Walker Appreciation Day, National Food Bank Day, National Lazy Mom's Day, and Stand Up To Cancer Day.

Among those born on this day were Louis VIII (1187), Louis XIV (1638), Giacomo Meyerbeer (1791), Jesse James (1847), Darryl F. Zanuck (1902), John Cage (1912), Jack Valenti (1921), Bob Newhart (1929), Carol Lawrence (1934), John Stewart (1939, Kingston Trio member and songwriter, Daydream Believer), Raquel Welch (1940), Al Stewart (1945), Freddie Mercury (1946), Dweezil Zappa (1969), and Tina Yothers (1973).

On September fifth the first Continental Congress assembled (1774), The United States signed a peace treaty with Algiers (1795), Houston was elected president of the Republic of Texas (1836), the first Labor Day parade was held in NYC (10,000 marched, (1882), France seized Chad (1900), the Camp David Peace Conference opened (1978),

Night Sky, 9/5: The waxing gibbous Moon shines in the south-southeast this evening, on a line between Altair and Fomalhaut. Altair is the bright star three or four fists above the Moon and maybe somewhat to the right. Fomalhaut, the Autumn Star, rises a little after dark depending on your latitude. Imagine a line from Altair down through the Moon and continuing on. The line will hit either Fomalhaut or the place on your horizon to watch for Fomalhaut to rise. http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/sky-at-a-glance/

Fraternal Picture of the Week: Playing … ?Hulk Hogan vs Gorgeous George ?Anteaus & Hercules

Extra Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Having cats in the house is like living with art that sometimes throws up on the carpet.

This Week: Saturday, September 6 – National Play Outside Day & National Tailgating Day & World Beard Day

Sunday, September 7 – Grandma Moses Day & Grateful Patient Day & Pet Rock Day

Night Sky, 9/7: Full Moon (1:09 pm CDT) in Pisces. Saturn follows about 8° or 10° behind it across the sky tonight. There is a total lunar eclipse which is not visible in either of the American continents.

Monday, September 8 – Iguana Awareness Day & Star Trek Day & World Physical Therapy Day

Tuesday, September 9 – Ants On A Log Day & National Teddy Bear Day & Wonderful Weirdos Day

Night Sky, 9/9: Epsilon Perseids (ε-Perseids) won’t put on much of a show this year coming just two days after the Full Moon, so the moonlight will wash out all but the brightest meteors

Wednesday, September 10 – Swap Ideas Day & World Suicide Prevention Day

Night Sky, 8/10: Uranus (magnitude 5.7, in Taurus near the Pleiades) rises around 10 or 11 pm and gets high in the east in the early morning hours. In a telescope it's a tiny but definitely non-stellar dot 3.6 arcseconds wide.

Thursday, September 11 – Libraries Remember Day & Remember Freedom Day

Little Known Fact: The dinosaur with the best manners was the Pleaseiosaur. ++ What can you do with crude oil? Teach it manners.

In the end, we will conserve only what we love, we will love only what we understand, and we will understand only what we are taught. --Baba Dioum

..........A fight for the winnin' I'll be there..........Kingston Trio …..One More Town

2) There are more than 200 food banks in the US that are part of the Feeding America Network. Additionally there are thousands of independent food banks and other charitable organizations (food pantries, meal programs, etc.).

Preantepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The problem is, everyone is looking for unconditional love carrying a bag full of conditions. --Prince Ea

Moonbeam: I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones. --John Cage

Fun Fact of the Week: National Be Late For Something Day! The Procrastinators' Club of America was founded in 1956 by Les Waas. Shortly after the club's beginning, the committee designated September 5th as Be Late for Something

Video of the Week: For Jury Rights Day – a courtroom scene from Night Court featuring Brent Spiner as the defendant. https://youtu.be/gfSyhQqeLBg ~~The Wheelers were going to become regular cast members by buying the newsstand. However, Brent got the role of Data

...secure and recognized boundaries, the end of military occupation, and the granting of self-government or else the return to other nations of territories which have been occupied by Israel since the 1967 conflict. --Jimmy Carter

True love is born from understanding. --Gautama Buddha

Is it considered bad manners to eat fried chicken with your fingers? Yes, eat your fingers separately. ++ Good manners sometimes means simply putting up with other people's bad manners. --H Jackson Brown Jr

..........The anchor is weighed..........Kingston Trio …..Away Rio

3) It is estimated that 6.24 billion pounds of food is distributed annually through food banks and meal prep charities.

Antepenultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: When gardeners quit, do they throw in the trowel?

Weird Word of the Week: Nihilarian: A person who deals with things lacking in substance or meaning, often in a philosophical sense. https://word-lists.com/word-lists/100-rare-words-with-beautiful-meanings/

Dragon of the Week:

Wacky Uses for Common Products: Clean the inside of a washing machine. If your whites are coming out gray, clean the washing machines by filling it with hot water and adding one quart clorox bleach. Run the machine through the longest cycle, and immediately upon completion of that cycle, repeat with one quart Heinz White Vinegar (instead of the bleach). https://www.wackyuses.com/wacky/clorox.html

Even the simplest act of understanding, love, and attention can produce the biggest results. --Alicia Keys

Clara was such a polite clown, always making a nice jester. ++ Don't believe that song. The red nosed reindeer was so obnoxious they renamed him RUDEolph.

...........Doin' what I think I should..........Kingston Trio …..Greenback Dollar

4) About 136,000 people in the US are paid to operate food pantries and soup kitchens. However over 2 million volunteers serve each month. (2014)

Penultimate Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: The Golden Deceiver goes half a weekend without committing an impeachable offense, and we all just assume he's dead. --Submitted by USDS

Science Fiction Convention of the Week: Scare-A-Con 2025 (5-7, Syracuse, NY) The ultimate horror and pop culture gathering https://scareacon.com/

Skewed Quote of the Week: This isn't just plain corruption; this is fancy corruption. This is corruption with raisins in it. --with thanks to Dorothy Parker

Spark of Joy of the Week: Image of a young man at the arrival gate in an airport. He stands alone and holds a sign with a single word. - Godot

Understanding is the essence of love. --Thich Nhat Hanh

Simply being a parent does not give you an excuse for bad manners. --Rosalind Wiseman ++ MAGA Manners: 1) Never take beer to a job interview. 2) Identify the person in your yard before shooting at them. 3) It is considered poor taste to take a cooler to church.

..........Born to the task to keep us free..........Kingston Trio …..The New Frontier

5) Search “food pantries City, State” OR check with your local library. They usually maintain lists of resources. Also churches can be helpful too.

Protest Sign of the Week: Resist Much – Obey Little --Walt Whitman

Better Protest Sign of the Week: Republicans For Voldemort

Quote of the Week: As Christians, we must be guided not by political vagaries, but by the sure and certain knowledge that the kingdom of God is revealed to us in the struggles of those on the margins. --Rev. Sean Rowe

Final Funniest Thing I Read of the Week: Every atom in your body used to be somewhere far more interesting. --Submitted by Club42

Today's Peace of History: September 5, 1882: Well over 10,000 workers demanding the 8-hour day marched to protest working conditions in the first-ever US Labor Day parade, held in New York City. About a quarter million New Yorkers turned out to watch.

People who talk about revolution and class struggle without referring explicitly to everyday life, without understanding what is subversive about love and what is positive in the refusal of constraints, such people have a corpse in their mouth. --Raoul Vaneigem

Manners is the noise you don't make while eating soup. ++ MAGA Manners: Yes, it is still considered tacky to drive a uhaul to a funeral.

..........I gotta walk that lonesome valley..........Kingston Trio …..Reverend Mr Black

Masthead of the Week: Friday ePistle, September 5, 2025: aN ePistle oF mAnners. Online at: http://fridayepistle.blogspot.com/ Exclusive editor: Christine Smith. Lawrence, KS.

Moonbeam: You can't fake listening. It shows. --Rachel Welch

Cost of War:

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

As of 08/28/25 State Department Costs: $273,406,653,236

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

As of 08/28/25 Homeland Security: $1,208,683,123,912

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

As of 08/28/25 Interest on War Debt: $1,322,756,685,821

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

As of 08/28/25 Military Costs: $3,164,000,527,146

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

As of 08/28/25 Veterans Care: $4,452,095,003,912

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

As of 08/28/25 Total Cost of Wars: $10,420,944,508,947

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

...there is the painful human question of the fate of the Palestinians who live or who have lived in these disputed regions. --Jimmy Carter

Famous Last Words: Nothing really matters to me. --Freddie Mercury Bohemian Rhapsody

..........And we're comin' one by one..........Kingston Trio …..Road To Freedom

When people need love and understanding and support the most is when they deserve it the least. --Lou Holtz

Politeness is half good manners and half good lying. ++ The hardest job kids face today is learning good manners without seeing any. --Fred Astaire ++ You can't be truly rude until you understand good manners. --Rita Mae Brown

May Peace inhabit your mind

And Joy animate your soul

prairie mama

christine

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