What if there were a minimum daily requirement for laughter? Martha Beck believes laughter is an essential ingredient for a joyful life. In her book The Joy Diet ( a must read), she discusses the benefits of laughing every day. I remember reading about Norman Cousins. He was diagnosed with a terminal illness and used laughter to cure it. He watched reruns of the 3 Stooges every day and found that his pain tolerance increased in direct proportion to the time he spent laughing. In fact, if he laughed for 3 hours each morning, his day was pain free. He chronicles his healing experience in his landmark book: Anatomy of an Illness as Perceived by the Patient: Reflections on Healing and Regeneration I haven't yet read it, but I intend to. Anyhow, I believe in laughter. It always lifts my mood. In fact, when I think of some of my favorite people to be around, they are people who either stimulate my mind or make me laugh. I can't feel mad or sad when I'm laugh...