While “Smiling in Hell” usually leans towards the humorous in its presentation of ideas, memories, thoughts and opinions, the following takes a more seriouser bent toward those elements in society geared to ‘wind me up.’ Note, then, that this modest epistle, not unlike Freud’s couch, is my effort to bleed, like a medieval physician, those annoying and disturbing vitriols from my psyche in an attempt to lower my blood pressure and allow the writer to start the new year with a light and jaunty leap in his step.