"Fluffy bunny + twitchy nose + big ears = great stew."

I like laughing. I think laughing is important for good mental health. I think Robin Williams, Lily Tomlin, Gildna Radnor, Carol Burnett and the like have helped millions of people who needed a laugh in order to step back from their troubles for a few minutes. Troubles that threatened to overwhelm them but became smaller because of the short laugh-vacation that allowed them to gain some perspective. Or perhaps laughing let them say to themselves, "I'll think about this tomorrow. Right now I'm taking a break." And with distance, the pressure was released just enough that they could get a handle on their situation and face it.

Laughter is just good fun sometimes. Being silly is a necessary part of the human condition. Laughing just plain feels good. Why else would we pay people to make us laugh? Why else are class clowns popular with their fellow students? Why is YouTube so popular?

Ever watch kids laugh? Their mouths open, their eyes crinkle; sometimes their entire body shakes and jiggles. It's fun to watch them. And how about charting the ability of a baby to laugh and chortle? How does a little baby know what's funny or pleasurable enough to make her smile? Sure, tickling can make a baby or toddler laugh, but the really interesting thing is to watch a sense of humor develop in a child. She starts out laughing at Daddy's funny faces and moves on to appreciate the cat's antics or a sibling's silly dance. When she gets a wicked little grin on her angelic face and runs away from Mommy when it's diaper-changing time, her sense of humor probably has something to do with power and escape and ending up in Mommy's arms. And so it goes, a sense of humor is developed and laughter ensues.

Why we laugh is the subject of scientific studies and is fascinating in itself, but why we laugh may not be as important as the laughing itself. We need to laugh. I had a few good laughs today when I discovered a blog called The Sleep Talkin' Man. It seems a guy in England talks in his sleep - a lot. And he says the craziest, funniest things. In fact, they are so funny that his wife set up a voice-activated recorder and in the morning she transcribes his bon mots onto the blog. They even sell T-shirts with some of his sayings. My partner, Mr. Cynical, says there is no way this guy is asleep, but I saw the couple on a British TV morning show courtesy of YouTube and they look legit to me.

What does Adam say? Here is a sample: "Fluffy bunny + twitchy nose + big ears = great stew." or "I've got a really terrible terrible feeling about this custard tart. Terrible." And,"Peeing standing up rules!" These are mild ones. Don't tell your kids about this Sleep Talkin' Man blog because some of the language is not suitable for young eyes. I like these:"Don't... Don't put the noodles and the dumplings together in the boat. They'll fight! The noodles are bullies. Poor dumplings." Imagine these in a British accent said by a guy with his eyes closed. Hilarious. I was really enjoying this stuff. Apparently he has a thing about badgers as these animals appear in his nighttime conversations with - well, who knows who he is talking to? He's asleep.

I've had my shot of laughter today, have you had yours?

Here is my "poem" for this post. It consists of some of his nightly proclamations artfully arranged to approximate free verse. I call it


"Skipping to work makes everything better."


"I'd rather peel off my skin
and bathe my weeping raw flesh in a
bath of vinegar
than spend any time with you.
But that's just my opinion.
Don't take it personally."

"Elephant trunks should be used for
elephant things only.
Nothing else."

"My vision of hell is a lentil casserole."

"Badger tickling: proceed with caution"

"Vampire penguins?
Zombie guinea pigs?
We're done for.... done for."

"I don't want to die! I love sex.
And furry animals."

"Put it down!
Step away from the yam.
Step away!"

"I've got a really
terrible
terrible
feeling about this custard tart.
Terrible."

"Be happy happy happy happy."



I leave you with the perfect reply to someone injudicious enough to remark upon your girth.

"I haven't put on weight.
Your eyes are fat."

Thank you Adam, your brain is a wondrous thing.
Here is the URL for Sleep Talkin' Man.
http://sleeptalkinman.blogspot.com/