The original Smart Aleck Chronicles was published to little, if any notice in 2007. As noted in the preface to that volume, it had neither plot or identifiable structure, its intended purpose being to present a series of entertainments on a wide range of ridiculous activities that constitute everyday life. Whether it was faithful to that lofty purpose remains a mystery, even to the author that made that bold declaration. Four years later, a second volume of the Smart Aleck Chronicles appears, its intent no less high minded than the standards of lunacy reached by its predecessor, its implementation no less laughable. This time, as in the previous volume, there are pithy and pointless observations that may have appeared in previous publications for which the author may have had responsibility, fictitious biographies of friends and colleagues, several short works of fiction and top ten lists of observations that may be symptomatic of clinical insanity. Further, just to ensure that the reader is not entirely dismayed, there are also several courageous attempts at poetry.
