Quote of the Day (Bruce McCall, on Sources of Summer Laughter)

“Note: An estimated seventy-five percent of all books of humor that confirm to current laughter-safety guidelines are now out-of-print. Owners of summer cottages may wish to conduct under-bed searches for any book by Erma Bombeck, Andy Rooney, Art Buchwald, Dave Barry, Bill Cosby, or Tim Allen.”—Canadian author-illustrator Bruce McCall, “Shouts and Murmurs: Laughter-Safety Guidelines Set,” The New Yorker, Nov. 19, 2001

Quote of the Day (Bruce McCall, Imagining Kim Jong-un’s ‘Smiling-Charm Offensive’)

“State Secret, do not read

“Instructions for smiling-charm offensive: E-mail to supreme hair fan D. Trump JPEGS of enlarged black-and-white photos of the head of V. Putin, revealing advanced male-pattern baldness, and color glossies of Kim’s luxuriant pompadour. Follow this by delivering to the main White House gate, under cover of night, a live baby seal, club included, in a basket. Immediately commence five-for-the-price-of-one blowout sale of Ivanka Trump handbags, shoes, and fashion jewelry at every D.P.R.K. government outlet mart.”— Bruce McCall, “Shouts and Murmurs: Kim Jong-un No Patsy,” The New Yorker, March 27, 2017

The photo accompanying this post, showing North Korea’s Kim Jong-un meeting with South Korean envoys at the Workers' Party of Korea main building, was taken March 6, 2018, by Blue House (Republic of Korea).