Life is funny. It invites laughter ¡ª sometimes in mysterious ways.

The story to follow that introductory remark will feature three characters: a priest, a comedian and an ostrich. More accurately, as regards the latter, an ostrich researcher, Yasuhiro Tsukamoto ¡ª whose business card shows not his own face but an ostrich¡¯s. Some researchers identify with the object of their research to that degree.

The chosen three are among several contributors to a series of articles in this month¡¯s PHP magazine titled ¡°The secret to a day¡¯s happiness.¡± Happiness, this implies, is to be taken one day at a time ¡ª following, as often as not, a radical break with the past.