a little levity

If you were to go back through the posts in the Glimpse into the Commonplace Book label i would seem to be a rather serious, thoughtful person. I'm  not saying that isn't true, but it seems high time to let the sparkle ponies run free a bit.
This week's quote ended up copied into my book for three reasons:
1. it contains one of my favorite words: pandemonium (quick mental morsel - this word was invented by John Milton in Paradise Lost)
2. it is a great example of comedy of the ridiculous
3. it appeared in a scene of Tim Powers' The Anubis Gates that was so not funny that its startling inclusion broke the tension and made me bray out loud with laughter

"What's a pandemonium?" whispered one of the men in the rear.
"It's like a calliope," answered a companion. "I heard one played at the Harmony Fair last summer, when i went there to see my sister's boy play his organ."
"His what?"
"His organ."
"Lord. People pay money to see things like that?"

Let's lighten the mood this weekend people and have some fun.