The Butter Rum Cartoon

POPE LEO XIV's FIRST ENCYCLICAL TAKES ON A.I.

Magnifica humanitas

Pope Leo XIV's first Encyclical Letter, titled Magnifica humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), on preserving the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, will be released on Monday 25 May 2026. It bears the Pope's signature dated 15 May, 135th anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum novarum.

I will be reading this one!

NANCY AND SLUGGO MONTHS, BY ERNIE BUSHMILLER

DINOSAURS AND OTHER PREHISTORIC ANIMALS

After I finished 5th grade in Blaine, Washington, we moved to Allen, Washington. Here I am in Allen at 11 years old, reading Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Animals, by Darlene Geis. I could name every dinosaur I had read about in the books I had, and could tell you several facts about each one.

Now, 66 years later, I just ordered a used, hardcover copy of this very book, for $10.37 including postage. It'll be a joy to read these 105 pages again!

It was today, after sitting on the porch here in Branson, Missouri, smoking a Missouri Meerschaum corncob pipe with my son Andrew, that I renewed my enthusiasm about dinosaurs. Not only did I find this book again, but want to begin collecting Papo dinosaur figures - large, detailed replicas made in France. Here are some of many:

They are quite expensive, averaging about $40 each, but hey, nothing's too good for the Lund Library. I plan to get the Tyrannosaurus Rex first. And wouldn't the Pteranodon look great hanging from the ceiling?

Life is fun.