“Courteous Reader,

I might in this place attempt to gain thy Favour, by declaring that I write Almanacks with no other View than that of the publick Good; but in this I should not be sincere; and Men are now a-days too wise to be deceiv’d by Pretences how specious soever. The plain Truth of the Matter is, I am excessive poor.... The Printer has offer'd me some considerable share of the Profits, and I have thus begun to comply with my Dame’s desire.”

October is a good month. Philadelphia is a good city. Writing jokes is a good hobby. 27 is a good age. The greatest Philadelphian in history started writing jokes in October, when he was 27 years old.

I’ll never catch up with you, Ben. But it’s October 2005, I’m 27, and I grew up near Philadelphia. I’ve got this Web site here, and some jokes to tell. It’s a start.