It was when my mother brought me to the den of iniquity known as "The Library" that I met up with the fellows who corrupted me, such as Mark Twain, Ambrose Bierce, Isaac Asimov, and Robert Heinlein. My sainted mother would never have... OK, OK, that's enough.

 The true story is that I was taught by my parents that humor is anger turned sideways, and I embraced that ideal, figuring that nobody died from being hit with a coconut cream pie in the face. They gave me a love of wordplay that I never really gave up, And yes, the gentles listed above (and other worthies such as Terry Pratchett and Lawrence J. Peter) helped me develop my style of humor of poking fun at the serious things that have ridiculous aspects. And my job as a computer programmer has provided me with plenty of ridiculous things.