At Sin Nickel, we take ourselves seriously yet express ourselves in the manner of fools. We say and do absurd things. We go too far.

Why? In absurd times, principled absurdity is the most appropriate response.

Diogenes the Cynic became well-known for walking down the street in bright daylight, carrying a lamp. When asked what he was doing, he said, "I am looking for an honest man." It was an absurd thing to do, but Diogenes saw that he was not the only source of absurdity in his society.

He saw the light of the sun just like everyone else, but he also saw the darkness of the ideas and actions that surrounded him. His irrational actions reflected the grotesque form of those ideas and actions.

We have tried too long to counter the marching, bloody absurdity of greedy, hateful terror surging through our society, pouring from Pennsylvania Avenue down every other street in America, and out into the world. The effect has been liken the effect of countering a grizzly bear with an absorbent paper towel.

We cannot hope to stop the destruction with sincere, direct methods. So, we will counter by becoming jesters who play and sing at the edge of a sword's blade.

Even as we hit the floor in a pratfall, we are in cynical earnest.