Fat Thursday

As I consider myself to be a "distant nephew" of Uncle Gilbert and Aunt Frances, and since it is Thursday, we shall begin with some fat jokes. Yes, I am rather fat, thought definitely not as fat as "our Mister Chesterton." I also am somewhat of a joke, being a doctor. Really! (in the Latin sense, of course.) It's great fun, too: when I visit a friend of mine named James, I love to say "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a physician."

OK, fat. First, since today is the feast of St. Phili Neri, we should quote something he wrote.

[Note: our "network policy" here is to give references whenever possible - after all, I have enjoyed so many books, perhaps you would like to know which ones!]

Now, if I can just keep from being side-tracked again. What was I doing? Oh, yes, the Neri quote.

Dum de dum... (flips through books, reads something else for a while, suddenly realises he is supposed to be writing an entry! OK, ok!)

Ah! Here it is. "In general, give the body rather too much food than too little." [Tilted Haloes 12]

Now, that is not really a fat joke. But it kind of explains the fat jokes we shall be examining here. And if you want to find out about how to be ascetic and fat, you need to read Chesterton. And here is one of GKC's very own fat jokes. OK, actually two. (He liked to poke fun at himself whenever possible.)

"...there are jokes against me. They range from the ancient but admirable story that my old-world chivalry prompted me to give up my seat to three ladies to the more recent and realistic anecdote, which tells how my neighbours remonstrated with a noisy local factory, pleading that 'Mr. Chesterton can't write', and received the serene reply 'Yes. We were aware of that'." [GKC as MC, 270]

I can't write either. When I sit here, I just hit keys and hope it spells a wrod. But most times I just get things like
/**/
which is a handy thing for politicians who speak C.
(In English, this is pronounced "no comment".)