Here's a little song I1 wrote, you might want to sing it note by note. (The title is thanks to Bruce Anthon, in this article there is a line about the infinite patience of people working in instrument shops, withstanding endless renditions of "Smoke On The Stairway To Roadhouse …

Of my "Bambrick" ancestors, the earliest we know anything about is John Bambrick, born 1791 in Windsor, England. His parents were possibly Valentine Bambrick (b1770, in the parish of Longford) and Frances Bambrick (b17__, nee Logan). I haven't been able to trace further details a…

The secret source of humor itself is not joy but sorrow. —Famous Smart Alec, Samuel Clemens Analyzing a joke is like dissecting a frog, in the end they both die. —Woody Allen I used to believe that jokes stopped being funny when they were analyzed. But since becoming a father I…

There are timeless pieces of culture - even though most timeless pieces are in themselves *of* a particular time. Stewart Lee - Content Provider. (Few things are as tragic as the youtube ads for Michael Mcintyre shown over this video. It's like you're driving a Bugatti Veyron, …

It is hard to find practical guides to doing anything magical. Magicians don't like to reveal where to place the hinges or what to feed your pet dove. So I like it when an article gives away the secrets, like this one: Charles Finch: "Writing Great Mystery Plots" Here's the kern…