Many of you have written to request a definition of “irony,” currently the most misused word in the English language except for “elite.” Rather than define irony, which any damned fool with a dictionary can do, I have chosen instead to give you an example ripped from today’s headlines:

Oil companies have long suspected that the Arctic contained substantial energy resources, and have been spending billions recently to get their hands on tracts for exploration. As melting ice caps have opened up prospects that were once considered too harsh to explore, a race has begun among Arctic nations, including the United States, Russia, and Canada, for control of these resources.