This morning, I was reading something and got linked to an old posting on the Dilbert blog about the formulas in humor. One of my favorite classes in college was humor writing and "getting" some of these very constructs unlocked a lot of humor and jokes for me.

Anyway, in the midst of a giant pile of comments on the posting, were links to several comic strips. I noted a few of them to check out when I got home. A few were duds, but I think I've got a pretty good evening of laughs ahead of me when I discovered this one.

First of all, it features a wide variety of visual styles. The strip is beautifully drawn and often relies on the visual for the joke. The topics are often disturbing and biting, but very funny. More than one is just plain *wrong*.

They do often take a bit of thought to get, but that's part of what makes them worthwhile. I'm a huge fan of a joke that takes 2-3 leaps before you get the payoff. Basically, if you don't get the joke in the one I'm posting, you probably shouldn't bother.

And, many are not safe for work. You've been warned. However, if you're looking for some non-family-safe humor to make you laugh, give it a shot.

This is one of those things that just struck me funny. Il Buddino pudding mold is a plastic mold for making pudding into the shape of the Buddha. What I was wondering was if you filled these with jello and fruit cocktail, would you end up with a Lutheran Buddha?

This quote, found via Freakonomics, who found it in the NY Times, is too good not to share.

Nicholas Wade:

The first American to be able to claim descent from Genghis Khan has been discovered. He is Thomas R. Robinson, an associate professor of accounting at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Fla.

If you've ever read any article talking about misheard lyrics, you know that a LOT of people hear Jimi Hendrix's singing on Purple Haze as "kiss this guy" instead of "kiss the sky". That's not particularly interesting or funny. To me, that line has always been pretty clear.

What *is* funny is that his singing of the song at a concert on May 24, 1969 in San Diego just came across my Yahoo Music station and in that version, he actually sings "kiss that guy", as clear as day. Clearly he got the joke while he was still alive and played off of it a bit. Very funny. Or maybe I just need to wake up more.

Photo: Bee Sparkle

Day 3. The rain continues its oppresive occupation of the entire region. It has become relentless in its attempts to permeate everything. Mushrooms are sprouting in the back yard and may provide our only nourishment should the eternal blocking of the sun continue long enough to stop normal food production. Many in the neighborhood have left, seeking daylight after hearing tales of regions to the west and south that are exposed to the sun.

However, I, because of a deep hatred of hot weather, remain. I have pinned my hopes on the predictions of the meteorological prophets: an end to the rain and a return of partly cloudy within days. And yet, the grumblings about the prophets and their failed predictions from the past still linger.

I shall continue to write in this place until the water overtakes my electrical supply.