Humor Articles and Ezines
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1. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 23
May 27, 2023
"The Developer" ">The Mirror Rearview: Special Report # 22 (May 27, 2023) An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, an independent journalist for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Utopia County, an imaginary USA municipality.
Utopia County Executive, Alice N. Wonderland, hosted the annual “State of the County” presentation, announcing recent executive actions and legislative policies implemented by the County commissioners. The sixty-minute speech resulted in over twenty standing ovations from the press and select leaders of the municipality.
Ms. Wonderland, who wore a ma... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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2. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 22
May 27, 2023
The Mirror Rearview: Special Report # 22 (May 27, 2023) An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, an independent journalist for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Utopia County, an imaginary USA municipality.
Utopia County Executive, Alice N. Wonderland, hosted the annual “State of the County” presentation, announcing recent executive actions and legislative policies implemented by the County commissioners. The sixty-minute speech resulted in over twenty standing ovations from the press and select leaders of the municipality.
Ms. Wonderland, who wore a mask with the letters... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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3. GRAHAM GETS HIS WINGS
December 23, 2022
A few years ago, I wrote about my closest high school buddy earning his wings. Dennis Hull first soloed in a Cessna before graduation. Further, Dennis became a Wright Brothers expert as a docent at Pima Air Museum in Tucson and flew a 1911 Wright Flyer (twice) at the Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio. He said it was a real bugs-in-the-teeth experience. The guy loved airplanes constantly building models including the remote-control variety—one the size of a small car. Dennis always wanted me to get into a glider (sailplane) with him, but I declined. The closest was when we (separately) “flew” F-... (read more)
Author: Gene Myers
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4. CHRISTMAS and ROMANCE
November 14, 2022
Here we go again. Ho, ho, ho and a bottle of….wait a minute—it doesn’t go that way. This is the seventh Christmas-themed essay I’ve written for www.amazines.com over the last 12 years. The previous six articles are listed at the end of this blurb along with a short description of each should you, dear reader, get the urge to peruse them. (I hope you do.) Well, it’s mid-November and I’ve already viewed several Hallmark Christmas movies, perhaps in the mood for cheesy, well-worn, predictable, plotlines, to wit: boy meets girl, conflict, spark, boy gets girl, misunderstanding, boy loses... (read more)
Author: Gene Myers
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5. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 21
May 18, 2022
The Mirror Rearview: Special Report # 21 (May 18, 2022)
An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, an independent journalist for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Utopia County, formerly Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality.
Alice N. Wonderland, Laicos County Executive, has officially been renamed Utopia County and the county seat has been changed from Laicos City to Nirvana. The county and city councils unanimously voted for the name changes.
Stemming from the invasion of Ukraine, Ms. Wonderland has imposed punitive actions against anyone in Utopia County who h... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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6. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 20
December 03, 2021
"The Developer" ">The Mirror Rearview: Special Report # 19 (December 3, 2021) An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, an independent journalist for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Twelve months ago, Laicos County Executive, Alice N. Wonderland ordered a permanent lockdown of its residents to curtail the spread of COVID-19, based upon the recommendations of Dr. I. M. Gloomy, an epidemiologist, and Dr. Max Panik, head of the County Department of Health. However, using a lottery number system, Laicos County residents are allow... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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7. How to Cheat at Golf
August 16, 2021
How To Cheat at Golf I have been around the game of golf since I was a young teenager, working as a caddie at a private country club. I have played over 2,000 rounds with hundreds of golfers and participate in amateur tournaments and match play at my private golf clubs. I have observed the most gross violations of the rules on the course, as well as how golfers rig official handicaps. The following is a summary of the best tactics to win at golf by cheating. On the course: 1 Improve your golf ball lie or position on the course. This is best accomplished by a little foot kick or... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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8. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 19
October 19, 2020
The Mirror Rearview: Special Report # 19 (October 19, 2020) An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, a Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous eighteen reports. I returned from Sweden a month ago, only because my visa had expired…I wanted to stay there much longer. I’m now in depression, having to comply with the lock downs imposed by Laicos County Executive, Alice N. Wonderland. This afternoon after learning that most restrictions have been lifted in Florida, I rewrote the lyrics to The... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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9. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 18
July 08, 2020
The Mirror Rearview: Special Report # 18 (July 8, 2020)
An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, a Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous seventeen reports.
State legislators have approved funds to erect a statue to honor Alice N. Wonderland, the Laicos County Executive, for her extraordinary leadership, especially after the Covid-19 virus outbreak. A notable sculpture artist will create a 30-foot tall marble image of Ms. Wonderland and will be erected in Wonderland Park next year. The ... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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10. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 17
May 04, 2020
The Mirror Rearview: Special Report # 17
An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, a Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous sixteen reports.
Sales tax collections from businesses in Laicos County have quickly evaporated, as well as taxes on lodging, car rental, local wages, and the deferral on payments for homeowner properties. Trey Easurer, the Laicos County Auditor, confirmed the County is hemorrhaging its operating reserves as staffing increased in the County, coupled with the signifi... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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11. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 16
April 13, 2020
The Mirror Rearview; Report # 16 An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, a Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous fifteen reports.
(April 13, 2020) This investigative reporter has learned that Laicos County Executive Alice N. Wonderland has ordered all television and radio stations in the County to focus coverage on “feel good” stories and avoid any reference to the number of deaths, hospitalizations, and confirmed cases of Coronavirus. Violations are subject to a $100,000 fine for the fir... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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12. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 15
April 03, 2020
Special Report # 15: Stephen P. Bye, correspondent for the Mirror Rearview.
An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, a Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous 14 reports for further background.
(April 3, 2020) I’m back on the beat as an unpaid reporter for The Mirror Rearview after a twelve-month absence, while serving my sentence in prison. Thankfully, my attorney, Sue Yourbutt, took my case to the State Supreme Court, who ruled I was inappropriately arrested for expressing free speech ... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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13. Political Correctness in Professional Team Nicknames
December 23, 2019
Political Correctness in Professional Sports Team Nicknames
With the groundswell of political correctness rising from multiple tribes and polarized camps involving gender equality, politics, age discrimination, religion, and other mainstream issues, there is growing pressure to change the nicknames of several professional sports teams.
Politics: Republicans vs. Democrats…Red vs. Blue. Several teams must change their colors or nicknames in order to avoid protests from opposite party voters. These include the St. Louis BLUES; Boston RED Sox, Washington REDskins; Detroit REDwings... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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14. The Washington Nationals and DC Politics
November 01, 2019
The Washington Nationals and DC Politics How about the inspiring performance of the Washington Nationals, who “stayed in the fight” to become World Series champions? I must have missed Donald Trumps “Tweet” informing the world that he was solely responsible for the Nationals’ victory, claiming their success was solely derived from his political theme of “Nationalism.” Two former Major League Baseball teams in Washington were called the Senators. Although they did win the World Series in 1924, the adage about the former team’s record was “first in war, first in peace…and last in the A... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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15. Airplane Toilet Challenges (Part IV)
October 20, 2019
Airplane Toilets-The Future of Airplane Travel (Part IV)
Further down the runway, the airplane industry will change the use of toilets as follows:
1) Airlines will soon charge a fee for using restrooms in the coach section by selling tokens in the gate waiting area. 2) In the toilets, three thin sheets of toilet paper will be released twice. The amount of soap allotted will be a small drop. The faucet water will be limited to one strike of the handle and only one tiny napkin will be dispensed by an automatic sensor. 3) Ultimately, toilets in coach section will be eliminated comple... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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16. Airplane Toilet Challenges (Part III)
September 08, 2019
Airplane Toilet Challenges (Part III)
After a long delay due to turbulence, a trip to the toilet in the rear of the plane can also be an adventure. After the seatbelt sign goes off, here’s what to do:
1) Act cool and roll your eyes when twenty people immediately rise and jostle for position in the toilet queue line. 2) Nonchalantly make your way back to the toilet twenty minutes later when the line subsides. 3) Curse at the clueless passengers who attempt to return to their seat and block your way to the toilet when they could simply duck into a vacant aisle seat. 4) Avoid touchin... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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17. Airline Toilet Challenges (Part II)
August 02, 2019
Airplane Toilet Challenges (Part II)
How often have you had the urge to pee on an airplane when the attendants block the aisles behind your row with service carts? Obviously, the only option is to use the first-class toilet. However, one problem…the purser has drawn the curtain that separates the cabins. Here are the recommended steps:
1) Tug the curtain aside, acting confident like you’re a first-class passenger. 2) When the purser becomes confrontational, point at the service carts blocking your path to the rear restrooms. 3) Patiently listen to the purser’s lecture about the pri... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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18. Airplane Toilet Challenges (Part I)
May 30, 2019
Airplane Toilet Challenges (Part I) Most of you have flown on an airplane at some point in your life and probably had to use the toilet facilities on a flight. Most of the older planes were better designed for travelers, however, as time has passed, the airlines have added more rows, shrunk the seat widths, eliminated a potty or two, and shrunk the size of the restroom. They might as well post a sign outside the toilet door… “skinny folks only”. Have you ever rushed to the gate to board a plane and didn’t have time for a last restroom stop? And then, how often is your plane held in t... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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19. Baseball...America's Favorite Nap-time
March 31, 2019
Baseball…America’s Favorite Nap-time The long, boring Major League baseball season has started and once again, the old fogies who control the rules rejected ideas about speeding up the sport…so baseball still barely edges out watching paint dry or grass grow in a list of most exciting events. The committee has some new concepts, but use Spring Training games or the minor leagues to test the ideas. I predict that one minor change will be adopted over the next twenty years. Team owners, however, are very content to maintain outdated rules to ensure that games continue at an excruciatingly s... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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20. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 14
March 17, 2019
Report # 14: An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye, a former Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous thirteen reports on the seven-month history of the transformation that has occurred in Laicos County. March 17, 2019: I now write as an independent blogger, as I was terminated last week as a correspondent for the Mirror Rearview by their backward-looking ownership group. The Mirror Rearview readers supposedly indicated that my reflective columns violated the paper’s motto, “The Mirror neve... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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21. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 13
February 14, 2019
Report # 13; An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye; Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous twelve reports on the six-month history of the transformation that has occurred at the three Laicos County public golf courses. (February 14) After several days roaming the streets of Laicos County I gathered candid comments about the recent decisions by the Laicos County Commissioners on the golf course operations and the new adopted tax measures. The following are direct quotes from answers to a fe... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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22. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 12
January 31, 2019
Special Report # 12; An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye; Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous eleven reports on the six-month history of the transformation that has occurred at the three Laicos County public golf courses.
(January 31, 2019) Yesterday afternoon, Alice N. Wonderland held a press conference to announce the steps the Laicos County Commissioners approved for dealing with the on-going losses at the three County golf operations, as well as recapturing the twenty million doll... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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23. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 11
January 12, 2019
Special Report # 11; An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye; Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous ten reports on the five-month history of the transformation that has occurred at the three Laicos County public golf courses. (January 12, 2019) The Laicos County Commissioners held a public hearing earlier this week at the Laicos County Auditorium after an audit revealed that over twenty million dollars have been spent by the County on improvements made at the three public golf courses. It w... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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24. The Mirror Rearview; Report # 10
December 23, 2018
Special Report # 10; An on-going series from Stephen P. Bye; Correspondent for the Mirror Rearview, a fictional newspaper in Laicos County, an imaginary USA municipality. Please refer to the previous nine reports on the five-month history of the transformation that has occurred at the Laicos County public golf courses.
(December 23, 2018): The Laicos County Commissioners held an emergency meeting last night to discuss several measures to stem the rapidly declining revenues at the three County golf courses. Operating losses have also mounted recently, especially since the implementation of... (read more)
Author: Stephen Bye
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25. A New Lease On Life: Five Flops That Became Cult Films
December 15, 2018
There are hundreds of movies made every year, and while each one feels it has a fighting chance to be one of the best, a select few fall flat on their face & become cult films. At one time, having the cult film moniker attached a film meant that is was just a bogus movie being hyped up in arthouse theaters. Now, it’s not such a bad thing as some of the most popular movies of all-time are technically box office flops that have developed cult-like followings.
Here are five movies that were once failures in theaters, but over time, they’ve become beloved by audiences around the world:
T... (read more)
Author: Alfred Mears
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