CRAIG CONLEY (Prof. Oddfellow) is recognized by Encarta as “America’s most creative and diligent scholar of letters, words and punctuation.” He has been called a “language fanatic” by Page Six gossip columnist Cindy Adams, a “cult hero” by Publisher’s Weekly, a “monk for the modern age” by George Parker, and “a true Renaissance man of the modern era, diving headfirst into comprehensive, open-minded study of realms obscured or merely obscure” by Clint Marsh. An eccentric scholar, Conley’s ideas are often decades ahead of their time. He invented the concept of the “virtual pet” in 1980, fifteen years before the debut of the popular “Tamagotchi” in Japan. His virtual pet, actually a rare flower, still thrives and has reached an incomprehensible size. Conley’s website is OneLetterWords.com.
Yes, the very best thing about being a Christmas tree is feeling someone place a crown on your top. However, in full disclosure we prefer an angel. Also, three things: store a bunch of pinecones within yourself so that you can drop them very realistically, avoid felt stumps as they're slipping hazards, and consider carefully before going oldschool and featuring actual lit candles as decorations. Photos from 150 Things to Make and Do by Juliet Moxley.
What nobody wants to talk about is the fact that when a Christmas tree has odd branches that stick out too far, they get chopped off. From More Great Pretenders by Joy Wilt Berry.