Here's some news to tickle your funny bone

I think I'm somewhat funny despite the opinions of my family, friends, co-workers, people I deal with and complete strangers.
Sometimes the pressure to make this column amusing is overwhelming. There are weeks where nothing entertaining happens in politics. There are weeks where there is something serious to discuss and attempts to be witty have to take a backseat to analysis.
This isn't one of those weeks.
Quite a few things landed on my desk that made me laugh, and you know how I love to share.
State Rep. Tom Letson of Warren, D-64th, sent a press release touting his vote to eliminate words such as "lunatic," "idiot" and "imbecile" from the Ohio Revised Code in favor of "more modern, inclusive language," such as "a person with a mental illness" and an "incompetent person."
Before I go further, let me state that I agree with the language changes. [I could take a cheap shot by stating those words still apply to a few politicians I know, but I'm above that.]
Here are a few observations.
First, why has it taken so long for the state House to get around to changing the language? Was imbecile and idiot OK 20 years ago or even last month, but not now?
Letson felt compelled to alert the media that he voted for the language change.
Typically a House member will send a press release about a bill they were responsible for introducing, one that ends with a close vote or legislation that brings money to their districts. The House voted 98-0 on the change and the bill had one sponsor and 74 cosponsors, including Letson.
In the announcement, Letson said the law removed 10 uses of the word "idiot," 55 uses of "insane," two "imbeciles" and six "lunatics" from Ohio Revised Code. Who took the time to count?
Also at the state level, the Senate recently voted 29-3 in favor of legislation to create a foreign trade office in India and to either enhance the state's office in China or add a second one there. The no votes came from state Sens. Jason Wilson of Columbiana, D-30th; Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd; and Susan Morano of Lorain, D-13th.
The offices in India and China would encourage companies in those countries to use the services of Ohio businesses and would also provide information for companies in India and China about opening facilities in this state, said Steve Schoney, acting deputy director for the state Department of Development's economic development division.
The state's current 11 foreign trade offices have helped accomplish both goals, Schoney said.
Wilson and Cafaro said they voted against the bill because state Sen. Robert F. Spada of North Royalton, R-24th and the bill's sponsor, discussed the emerging middle class in those two countries before the vote. The two are concerned that trade agreements with other countries have hurt the United States even though there is nothing in the bill regarding trade agreements.
"We need to focus on growing Ohio's middle class," Wilson said.
Cafaro added: "When you engage in this kind of discussion with countries like India and China that have a history of taking jobs from the United States ... somewhere down the road it opens a potential door or could lead to unintentional implications" of Americans losing more jobs.
But Schoney points out the concerns of Wilson and Cafaro are the main reasons the state has foreign trade offices.
"We look at the offices as a tool to counter those trends," he said.
The offices permit trade "to be a two-way street rather than the one-way street it has traditionally been," Schoney added.
I made comments last week about the numerous spelling mistakes in an announcement by the new North County Democrats Club. The announcement misspelled Mahoning three times as well as the last names of the club's president and vice president.
I received another letter this week about the club's meeting at 7:30 p.m. Monday at Our Place Restaurant in Campbell. Among the topics is "discussion concerning the first annual Skolnick Spelling Bee to be held in the near future."
I found that rather amusing and was pleasantly surprised to see that only the word "restaurant" was spelled incorrectly.