One never knows where in a Website to put the small pieces of whimsy that occasionally come to mind.  These entries aren't intended to go for the jugular; rather, our target is the funny bone.

The Curmudgeon's Short Dictionary of Modern Phrases Nontraditional definitions to describe the baggage of contemporary life.     Messages to Reform the World A sample of messages that might help to eliminate some common annoyances.     Flies A bit of ephemera about the common housefly.     The Wacky World of English A light-hearted look at some curiosities that make the English language vastly amusing (but exasperating for those who learn it as a second language).     Happy Birthday to Me This is just what the title says it is.     Fearless Predictions for 2006 A mostly tongue-in-cheek look at the year to come.     Be Brief This short essay instructs by negative example.     How to Be a Manager Some tips on being a manager from someone who never made the grade.     The Goof List A collection of blunders from published sources.     The Wal-Mart Shopping Experience Thrills of shopping at the world's largest retailer.     Bugs A few remarks on little critters I like – and those I don't.     Resolutions The curmudgeon makes some resolutions for 2005.     Whatever Happened to the Heebie-Jeebies? A light-hearted reminiscence about some wonderful diseases (and treatments) that have vanished – or have they?     Trees A satire of a poem that deserves all the ridicule it can get.     Messages I Never Sent A collection of notes that I never sent, intended for people I hardly know, some of whom have a perverse wish to hear from me.     A True Story Just a little (and true) anecdote that I wanted to share.     Clever Answering Machine Messages Some witty greetings that people put on their answering machines.     The Plow Here's a little poem that I threw together this winter, the first poem I've written in a very long time (after deciding that I'm a lot better at prose than I am at poetry).     The Limitations of Spell-Check A light-hearted look at what could happen if we believe that spell-checking will catch all our errors – or, if you prefer, awl are arrows.