“Puns are the feeblest species of humor because they are ephemeral: whatever comic force they possess never outlasts the split second it takes to resolve the semantic confusion. Most resemble mathematical formulas: clever, perhaps, but hardly occasion for knee-slapping. The worst smack of tawdriness, even indecency, which is why puns, like off-color jokes, are often [...]
Archive for April 1st, 2009
To Wit, the Pun: “The Feeblest Species of Humor”
Posted in Books, Humor, Language, Literature, Writers & Writing on April 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
Today’s Sign of the Apocalypse: Miss Universe Has “Fun” at Guantanamo
Posted in Crimes & Misdemeanors, International Affairs, Politics, Popular Culture, Sign of the Apocalypse, The Americas on April 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“A ‘relaxing, calm, beautiful place’ may not be everyone’s description of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, where the United States holds about 240 prisoners in a detention center that has drawn condemnation from around the world. “But this was the opinion of reigning Miss Universe Dayana Mendoza of Venezuela, who visited the U.S. naval facility in eastern [...]
Read & Relax: Six Minutes to a Calmer You
Posted in Books, Health & Medicine, Human Behavior on April 1, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
“Reading is the best way to relax and even six minutes can be enough to reduce the stress levels by more than two thirds, according to new research. “And it works better and faster than other methods to calm frazzled nerves such as listening to music, going for a walk or settling down with a [...]
