Q. Where'd the files come from?
They're my own work. I've written them off-and-on over the last few years, a few longer ago, and some have been occasionally posted to rec.humor, rec.humor.funny, and alt.shenanigans.
Q. "Um...like, dudeman, nice work and all, but...why?"
Because it's fun, and because I really enjoy the idea that lots of people are getting a giggle and perhaps having a slightly better day from reading something I wrote. And of course I'm practical enough to say that should anyone spot something they'd like to publish, that'd make me quite happy too. ;)
Q. Can you add my files and links to your page?
Sorry, not to seem aloof, but at least for now I only intend to keep my own writing here. Submissions are respectfully declined, though you can find many other sites interested in new material by searching the Entertainment/Humor section of the Yahoo Web List at:
Their list is quite thorough and has lots of fun stuff.
Q. Any particular sources of inspiration?
A childhood spent digesting every available issue of Mad Magazine. I also find that long showers and the urgent need to get much more important things done really inspire me.
Q. Anything notable about the page or the files here?
If I may be pardoned for tooting my horn, my page was featured in an article in the Atlanta Constitution in April, including a reprint of the "50 Fun Things to do in an Elevator".
Q. Geez, what's with that list?
Dunno, but it sure was popular. ;) I tapped it out last summer in the Turbo Pascal editor while taking a programming break. I think humor that involves breaking social taboos and acting in ways that people could never bring themselves to act in real life taps into some primal mental release valve. It can be a form of stress relief for people to imagine acting our their frustrations in obnoxious ways that social decorum discourages. Or maybe it's just funny. Here's a few neat letters I received in response to it:
>Hi. Someone sent me your '50 Fun Things to do in an Elevator'. Just to >let you know that you succeeded in causing about 15 Canadian diplomats >to waste about 30 minutes laughing uncontrollably today as they read >it. Keep up the good work!
>Last night my friends and I were in the elevator and we were having a >really bad night (really bad blind dates) and we saw 50 Fun Things To >Do In an Elevator and we read it..We were in the elevator for an hour >just making jokes and laughing hysterically the entire time..Your name >and E-mail adress was at the top, and I don't know if you made it or >what..but I just wanted to tell you that it really made our night and >now it is the running joke on our campus floor..And needless to say, >it was one of the best ways to ditch our dates...thanks a million!!!! >It was a lifesaver in more ways than one.
Knowing that this happens is why I enjoy writing and posting. :)
Q. Why no graphics?
Well...as I've a small amount of cartooning ability (emphasis on small), there may eventually be some in the rare event I ever get the time to add them. But I tend to use text browsers a lot more than graphical browsers, and get irked by pages that show up as little more than [IMAGE] [IMAGE] [IMAGE]. Cute pictures can sometimes distract from content, and I like the idea of efficiency. I could devote the same number of bytes to little doodly icons as to the actual text itself, so I guess a picture really is worth a thousand words on the Web. ;)
Best wishes, and enjoy the page! Alan Meiss, ameiss@indiana.edu