A really random roundup of old (probably stale) notes, quotes, clips and quips, flippancies and, perhaps, some April foolishness.

A Futurist Banquet, defined as an eccentric and strangely influential combination of culinary experiment, political statement and artistic stunts, was served up at the British Library in London.

The menu: Alaskan salmon in the rays of the sun with Mars Sauce. For dessert: Elastic Cake in a blood red zabaglione (a frothy sauce of whipped egg yolks, sugar and usually wine). Often served on fruit.

Debt is a four-letter word. Congressman Jerry Moran points out that all along parents have worked to instill wisdom, values and manners in their children. Now, he says, they have another to add to the list: save, save, save every penny you can because "the government will need it to get out of debt."

Latest evidence of the amazing debt amassed by federal government spending is passage of a $168 billion measure that borrows money from other countries -- in an attempt to stimulate the American economy, the congressman said.

* * *

In the first week of April, "I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell" by Tucker Max had been on the New York Times Book Review paperback best seller list for 24 weeks.

"Three Cups of Tea" had been on for 59 weeks.

And Barack Obama's "The Audacity of Hope" for 10 or 11 weeks.

* * *

In "The Perfect Scent: a Year Inside the Perfume Industry," author Chandler Burr wrote "The perfume world is like Hollywood ... a hit perfume has the same return as a hit movie and the sums lost on failures are identical."

* * *

The University of Kansas ranks 22nd in a list of 50 top graduate schools of education in the United States. Stanford University in California is first and Vanderbilt in Peabody, Tenn., is second.

At the University of Texas in Austin, the school of education ranks 10th in the country and its school of engineering ranks 11th.

* * *

"Put something silly in the world that ain't been there before" suggests David Myers, editor of the Southwest Kansas Register. "Spreading joy through humor and spicin' up this ol' life can be a joyous and strange thing to do."

Myers is editor of The Southwest Kansas Register which is published in Dodge City for the Catholic Diocese of Dodge City.

* * *

Quoting Shell Silverstein:

"Draw a crazy picture/ Write a nutty poem.

Sing a mumble-grumble song.

Whistle through your comb.

Do a loony-goony dance

Across the kitchen floor!

Put something silly in the world

That ain't been there before."

* * *

Queen Elizabeth, who ascended to the throne in 1952 and was crowned a year later, continues to carry out nearly 450 official engagements a year and shows little indication to slow down. (She is 82.)

* * *

NPV is for Net Present Value. HOV is High Occupancy Vehicle. PDA is Personal Digital Assistant. SMART is Smart Motorcyclists Attend Rider Training. And ABATE is an advocacy group for motorcyclists who say "We ride. We decide."

HOT is Hazardous Occupation Training. FAPRI is Food and Agricultural Policy Research Institute. CRP is Conservation Reserve Program. APHIS is the Department of Agriculture's Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service and WOAH is World Organization for Animal Health. DFA is Dairy Farmers of America. USB is United Soybean Board. ARS is Agriculture Research Service and YF&R is Young Farmer and Rancher program.

* * *

SAGARPA? Couldn't find what these initials stand for.

E-mail Dolores Hope at

dandchope@juno.com.