When I'm in the mood for a laugh, which is always, I like to pick up one of these three books. The joke book has over 2,000 one-liners, stories, hilarious gags and other comedy from some of the world's greatest comedians. It's hard to pick a favorite, so I won't try. Fair warning: this book is full of adult humor. Groucho Marx, Mae West, Henny Youngman, Richard Pryor...you get the idea. The excuse book has hilarious excuses for just about any situation and why they will or won't work. It contains gems like the one I use most often, "I haven't had my coffee yet." Of course, that excuse loses its effectiveness after noon. We even have a book to help you learn to call in sick with humor. The author claims if you use the techniques in the Sick Day Handbook, you'll have your "DDD: Doctor of Downright Devious" in no time. I don't know about that--the excuses are hilarious, but marginally believable.

When I feel a little more serious-minded and my curiosity gets the best of me, I like to read books about secret or forbidden Things. Given my interest in all Things sci-fi, reading about antigravity propulsion was fascinating. The book takes the idea out of the movies and into the real world. The author gives a detailed history of experimentation with antigravity, beginning with Nikola Tesla, and even includes some controversial evidence that NASA and other world government agencies have had--and used--the technology for years. And "Fire From The Sky" reveals how German scientists used Tesla's ideas to construct "flying saucers" and tells of a post-war alliance between the US, Germany and Russia that furthered the research. The most startling claim is that complete plans for one type of "UFO" were captured at a BMW auto factory after the war. There seems to be a boundary between science and psuedo-science, but in all this reading, I still can't figure out where that line is drawn. Is the science in these books forbidden because it's true? Or because it's untrue? Or does the actual truth lie somewhere in between? More than the weather, it's my curiosity that keeps me reading...and reading...and reading...

Until next week,
Bobby