Prose

“A Letter from Bin Laden to Al-Qaeda (circa 2010),” by Peter Dabbene

May 31st, 2011 | By

Dear Agents of Al-Qaeda:

It is I, Osama bin Laden, your fearless leader—contacting you from a small den where I hide like a tiny mammal during the Cretaceous era. Praise Allah, on with the Jihad, and all that. Now, on to other matters.



“How to Tell the Difference Between Mules, Burros, Asses, Donkeys, and TV Executives,” by Jay Morris

May 25th, 2011 | By

All of these creatures are related to the wild ass, a wacky, horse-like animal known for its sly wit, aggressive behavior during mating season, and an inability to effectively manipulate small power tools such as drills, electric hole punchers, and can openers. The wild ass is now virtually extinct, with small pockets of survivors inhabiting semi-desert regions of Northern Tibet. It is estimated that two or three individuals may also exist by attending liberal arts colleges in the Eastern United States, prolonging their stay by changing majors frequently.



“Polite Stabbing, A Manifesto in Common Decency,” by Nick Hilbourn

May 18th, 2011 | By

Hello, my name is Nick Hilbourn and I’m a professional English major. I would like to move away from the humor column format to talk about an important social topic: stabbing.

Common decency does not stop at the dinner table. Even as we speak, people are being stabbed without so much as an ‘excuse me’ or ‘hello, how are you?’ It is the downfall of society when something as small as a simple stab cannot be done without a bit cordiality.



“My Life Over the Past Year, As Depicted By My Web Browser’s Favorites Bar,” by Michael Wolman

May 11th, 2011 | By

June 2010
10012 Weather Forecast and Conditions
Wedding Dresses – Wedding Engagement – Wedding Ideas – Wedding Planning – TheKnot.com
Yahoo! Finance – My Portfolio
[company name redacted] Remote Email Login
Access the [company name redacted] VPN | VPN



“My Kind of Dog,” by Vivian Witkind Davis

May 4th, 2011 | By

I love dogs, and I dote on my children. But when our daughter started to beg for a dog for her sixteenth birthday, I was determined to resist.

“All I want is a dog. Nothing else. Nothing,” said Charlotte, used to getting her way with her parents. What Charlotte really wanted was a cat, but her father, Jack, claims to be allergic to them. Being resourceful, Charlotte went on the American Kennel Club website to find a breed that was as much like a cat as possible. She found what she was looking for and began to ply me with offhand remarks like “Pomeranians are exceptionally trainable” and “Sixteen is one of the most important birthdays of all.”