WELCOME TO THE CARNIVAL OF GLEE. Can't you just smell the elephants? For anyone with a hankerin' to date the bearded lady - or be the bearded lady for that matter - this is the site for you!

Do you enjoy essays about politics, life and popular culture? Want to read about the latest in science? It's all here - most likely being made fun of, except on the "Serious Thought" page. And if you can't tell the funny stuff from the serious stuff, well, just remember this is the media in the modern age.

Plus, we're very excited about our "Really Short Fiction" page. The only thing better than a short story is a REALLY short story. And we've got 'em; brief works of fiction that offer that little dollop of ice cream on top of your carnival corn dog.

See that creepy hand in the upper right corner of your screen? That's the hand of Arnie the Carnie. Arnie's been with the Carnival of Glee for decades. He's done it all: sold tickets, guessed people's weight, mopped out the roller coaster, rigged the dart-throwing game. Everything. Sure the body odor and wandering glass eye are unsettling, but we love him all the same.

This is not a traditional carnival: no long lines, teenagers dressed in sweaty, bulbous-headed licensed character costume, or food on sticks. This is a Carnival of Glee - that state of mind where mere happiness just isn't enough.

This website is devoted to the open examination - and frequently open ridicule - of all things: politics, art, culture, and life. In these pages, you'll find topical humor and the occasional serious thought. If you want cotton candy, bring your own.

And if you're afraid of clowns, well, maybe skip the pieces about Congress. Hahahaha! That's the kind of fine humor you'll get at this website and our sister blog at www.carnivalglee.blogspot.com Groan if you want, but just remember how much you paid to get in here.

Too lazy to actually do the reading yourself? Then check out the latest episode of our Carnival Pod-Cast. Don't feel bad about taking the attention-span-defeating tendencies of the Internet and watering your ability to focus even more. It's all good.

Remember, anyone can be happy. Only a few achieve glee.