Kleptomaniac from Cleveland.

Laughter is good for you.

It helps release endorphins in the body which act as a natural painkiller; laughter also improves our immune systems. It can be more effective than medicine.

Robin Dunbar, professor of evolutionary psychology at the University of Oxford, has carried out a number of studies into laughter. He believes that “laughter helps release endorphins in the body which act as a natural painkiller. Laughter also builds up our immune systems.”

Comedian and columnist Richard Herring highlights the importance of laughter:

• Laughter is a social tool which brings us closer together and extends our existence.

• If you want to get through life and be happy and experience the minimum of stress, then it’s vital.

• To be able to laugh in the face of the horrible stuff that goes on in our lives is something that keeps us sane and relatively happy. Laughter isn’t the best medicine—actual medicine has a better track record—but being able to laugh at stuff certainly gives us a better chance of a long life.

• Laughter is an antidote to fear, the moment we realize something strange or dangerous is actually harmless.

Laughter is a way to cope with difficult moments in one’s life and the difficult challenges facing modern society. It is a social tool that allows people to communicate shared experiences. We are social creatures who use humor as a lubricant for better relationships.

I’m sure you will find this video of Johnny Carson and Jack Webb irresistibly funny. I know I do every time I view it.

The video opens with Jack Webb:

This is the City. Los Angeles.

Some people rob for pleasure. Some rob because it’s there. You never know. My name’s Friday, I’m a cop. I was working the day watch out of Robbery when I got a call from the Acme School Bell Company. There’d been a robbery.

Can you watch The Copper Clappers Caper and keep a straight face? I can’t.

Bonus:

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Ed: B. Bemel