LaGuardia

During a seventeen day newspaper strike diminuitive New York Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia read the funnies to his constituents.

Undoubtably, many of us in the senior crowd might argue today that the funnies are neither "funny" -  nor as important today.

If true, that's sad. They were a big part of my childhood and may have foretold  the origin of my warped humor.

Comic relief was something we really appreciated back when LaGuardia was in office (1934 through 1945) - and perhaps even more so today.

While comics are still published - and some like Peanuts etc. remain funny - much of todays newpaper humor comes from some really clever political cartoons on the comment pages. Perhaps. this is because sometimes real life can still lend itself to some chuckles.

I can't draw worth a darn  - thus, no cartoons. And some would suggest, I have a rather sick sense of humor. Nevertheless, here's my humble input as to what's happening in parts of our great country these days.

Denham Springs, Louisiana: "A US District judge issued an order temporarily barring city officials from interfering with a woman hanging Christmas lights in the shape of a finger on her roof. Sarah Childs was in a dispute with neighbors, so she decided to send a message. Neighbors complained and police threatened to arrest her, so she and the American Civil Liberties Union sued the city.

A hearing is scheduled for January 7 in Baton Rouge".

(Some would suggest that the judges decision to schedule the hearing for January 7 has a Solomon like resemblance. By then, most folks will already be busy  shopping for that perfect Easter basket.  Perhaps the matter might best be heard in a moot court.)

Auburn, Indiana: "A truck driver from Illinois has been sentenced to 180 days in jail for badly damaging a 140 year old wooden covered bridge in Northeastern Indiana by driving a too-tall semitrailer through it."

(One assumes that if the man had been from Indiana - instead of Illinois - he would have received a life sentence - as he really should have known better.)

Louisville, Kentucky: "The Kentucky Court of Appeals upheld a decision awarding a man no (-0-) damages from a doctor who cut off a cancer riddled section of his penis during what was scheduled to be a circumcision. The court rejected efforts by Phillip Seaton of Waddy to force physician John Patterson to compensate him for removing the organ without seeking his consent first during a 2007 operation. Patterson "maintains" he found cancer in the man's penis during the surgery and that it had to be removed. Seaton, now in his 60's claimed he wasn't given a chance to seek a second opinion."

(Caution: While any red blooded man can clearly sympathize with the plight of  Mr. Seaton or the weight of the decision for his doctor, we feel a responsibility to advise all men that, if you're planning to have a late-in-life circumcision, perhaps Kentucky might not be your first choice.)

Fairview, Pennsylvania: A black Ohio trucker has settled his federal civil rights lawsuit against a Burger King franchise in northwestern Pennsylvania. Glenn Gordwin contends a white female employee working at the restaurant along interstate 90 spit on his "Whopper Jr". in 2008. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

(Dear Mr. Goodwin, if true that someone spit on your Whopper Jr, you have our complete empathy, but you should hear what they're doing in Kentucky - and you don't get a settlement.)