Subversion of the expectation

"Research carried out at the University of Southampton has concluded that participants in drug trials should be better informed about the potential significant benefits and possible side-effects of placebos."

Now, I don't want to knock placebos. An oncologist invented that flower essences thingamagiggy because of the research coming out on the positive effects of placebos, and he had nothing better.

But I really wish they hadn't brought up the possible side-effects of placebos, because now I KNOW I'm going to suffer from them, hypochondriac that I am.

At any rate, when I found out about this research, I laughed out loud, and that's worth something.

I sent a postcard to my sister this week that said "Does this postcard smell funny?" 

What does funny smell like, anyway? Certainly that postcard!