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It's been a tough year
for the world, in many ways. So
maybe it's appropriate that as we end 2004 we
pause to take a deep breath and share a good
laugh. Laughter is not only
fun, it's good for you and more contagious than
the common cold.
So, this week
we're taking a lighthearted look at laughter.
As a side benefit, you'll pick up a few good
jokes for the New Year's Eve party, and be able
to feel smarter than SOME people have proved
to be (if the stories are to be believed.) Wishing
you a happy, healthy and enjoyable New Year.
See you soon!
Ed and Mary
Longanecker
Iris City Cleaners and Laundering Company
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| Definition
of the Week
GELOTOLOGY
--
The scientific study of laughter (we
kid you not.) |
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| We
still have a little time for that forgotten
Tuxedo for New Years Eve. If you forgot
to get the tux, we can help. There is
a 2 day short window from December 27th
to December 29th to have tuxedo here for
your gala on new years eve. Call right
away 385 9707 and ask for Kim or Becky
to arrange a correct measuring for wishing
in the new year. |
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No
Laughing Matter Coupon!
We know it wasn't
your mistake. Someone else spilled it
on you, right? But no matter how it got there,
it's got to come out. Start
the New Year off right - have $20 in dry cleaning
done and we'll laugh off $5 of it as our gift
to you. (Include
first page of this e-mail with your order. Offer
expires January 15, 2005. Cannot be combined
with other offers.)
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What's
so funny?
Believe
it or not, scientists aren't exactly sure why
we laugh, or what mechanisms are involved in
getting us started - kind of
like the way they can't figure out how cats
purr. But one thing is certain: once we get
going, laughter is contagious.
Those who study laughter (yes,
they do -- probably our tax dollars at work
again!) say that it is the universal language.
Though there are
hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects,
all humans understand laughter without translation.
They also say we use it as punctuation, rather
than letting it interrupt our speech. We use
it to communicate with other people - sometimes
to include them and bond with them, sometimes
to push them away ("laughing with" versus "laughing
at".)
There
are also those who say laughter is actually
good for us, as it causes us to breathe differently,
relax, and release good chemicals into our bodies
that combat stress. Some people
seem to laugh at the wrong times (when something
sad happens, or when there is danger) but this
is just a way to relieve tension.
We first start to laugh around
3 months of age, and get really good at it around
5 or 6 years old. Adults don't laugh as much
as children, probably because they don't look
at life the same way and play a lot less. They'd
do better to laugh than to worry, though, as
it helps improve mental health and is as good
a work-out as exercise if it's done regularly
and well. The average
adult laughs about 17 times a day.
Humans are the only species
that laughs (though some imitate laughter, like parrots,
they don't really originate the laugh) and each
person has an individual "laugh print" - a distinctive
way that he or she laughs that is identifiable.
We all laugh, even children born blind and deaf
(and who therefore aren't taught laughter by
their parents).
Laughter
isn't about jokes! It's about relationships.
Sure, we laugh at jokes, but most of our laughter
comes as a result of observing life around us
and seeing it as absurd or amusing. We frequently
laugh when among friends, and at things that
aren't inherently funny. The
humor grows from the situation and the relationship
we share with those present.
Those who laugh are less stressed because they
are not as threatened or embarrassed by life.
Read
more about laughter -
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A
Web of Laughter
If
you need a laugh, the internet is a great repository
of things to make you chuckle, giggle, or just
bust out with a belly guffaw.
Many of the internet sites include various aspects
of amusement, including interesting facts about
the world (truth IS funnier than fiction), quotes
by famous (or infamous) people, and stories
(purportedly true) about people who are too
funny for words. Here's
a sampling, with links to the sources and plenty
more help you laugh in the New Year. Enjoy!
The
Darwin Awards
These "awards" are given
annually (and almost always posthumously) to
people who "helped improve the human genome
by accidentally killing themselves in really
stupid ways, and therefore removing themselves
from the gene pool so they could not reproduce."
- A
Runner-up in 2003:
A New Jersey couple was severely injured when
1/4 of a stick of dynamite blew up in their
car. They'd been
driving around at 2 a.m., bored, when
they thought it would be fun to light the
stick and toss it out the window to see what
it did. Unfortunately,
they failed to notice that the window was
closed.... (and this is a runner-up
- you'll have to go read the winners.)
We
all do dumb things
Stories about people being stupid can get us
giggling faster than anything else.
- A
woman was seen at work putting her credit
card into her computer's floppy drive and
pulling it out very quickly.
When asked what she was doing, she said she
was shopping on the internet, and it kept
asking for a credit card number - so she was
using the "ATM thingy" on the computer. (No
wonder they ask you not to surf the web on
company time.)
Actual examples
from High School papers on analogies and metaphors
- "He was deeply in love.
When she spoke, he thought he heard bells,
as if she were a garbage truck backing up."
- "The little boat drifted
across the pond exactly the way a bowling
ball wouldn't."
Interesting
facts
- 50%
of the people in the world have never made
or received a telephone call. (That's
OK, all those people with cell phones more
than make up for them.)
Laws
of the Land - actual laws on the books in the
US
We're
a society of laws, many made for our own good.
But sometimes you've got to wonder about the
situations that must have arisen frequently
enough to cause lawmakers to prohibit them.
- Alabama
- it is illegal to operate a motor vehicle
while blindfolded.
- Florida
- There is a law prohibiting unmarried women
from parachuting on Sundays, with the possibility
of arrest, a fine or jail time if they do.
- Iowa
- Kisses may last up to, but not longer than,
5 minutes.
- Kentucky
- It is illegal to transport an ice cream
cone in your pocket.
Insurance
claim form statements
- "The car in front hit the
pedestrian, but he got up so I hit him again."
(ouch!)
- "I was thrown from the
car as it left the road. I was later found
in a ditch by some stray cows." (This
guy was not having a good day.)
Gems
from personnel files
- "I think he got into the
gene pool when the lifeguard wasn't watching."
- "She's got a full 6-pack,
but lacks the plastic thingy to hold it together."
- "His men would follow him
anywhere, but only out of morbid curiosity."
Headlines
from across the country
- "Shot Off Woman's Leg Helps
Nicklaus to 66"
- "Red Tape Holds Up New
Bridge"
- "Hospitals Are Sued By
7 Foot Doctors"
Want
more?
Be sure to set aside more
than a few minutes for browsing when you hit
these sites. Time flies when you're laughing!
- Darwin
Awards - year by year, they only get worse.
- Tech-Sol
- worth ignoring all the advertising on
the site to browse the large index of stories,
jokes, quotes and much more.
- Weird
Wild Web - another index of lots of stories,
quotes, insurance claims and more.
- Net
Funnies -- Funny stories of (supposedly)
true experiences.
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We
are enormously appreciative of the opportunity
to share our weekly newsletters with you.
We feel that much of the content is valuable
for anyone who purchases fine clothing and is
interested in their preservations and cleaning.
Click on the bubbly glasses to the
left if your would like to send this and future
newsletters to a friend.
Thanks a million, Ed and Mary
The Iris
City Cleaners Connection is a weekly
news letter dedicated to the interest of fine
garment care, restoration, and conservation.
It is published in Mt Pleasant, Iowa by Iris
City Cleaners and is an extension of our services
described in www.iriscitycleaners.com
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