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When you smile....

federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky...Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
in General Banter

The world smiles with you.

Proven fact.

Enjoy.

Happy April Fool's Day.

If this is being a Fool, I'm the biggest one in the pack.

Telly03

Comments

  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran

    I don't mean to hijack @Federica's thread, but April Fool's Day is something I grew up with and love: Telling a good and inventive lie was honored and the TED-talk sensitivities had not yet kicked in.

    One of my all-time faves is the oldie, but goodie -- The Purina Diet:

    When someone asks you a dumb question wouldn't you like to respond like this?.....

    Yesterday I was buying a large bag of Purina dog chow for Athena the wonder dog at Wal-Mart and was about to check out. A woman behind me asked if I had a dog. What did she think I had, an elephant? So since I'm retired, with little to do, on impulse, I told her that no, I didn't have a dog, and that I was starting the Purina Diet again.

    Although I probably shouldn't, because I'd ended up in the hospital last time, but that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IVs in both arms.

    I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry and that the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again. (I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled with my story.)

    Horrified , she asked if I ended up in intensive care because the dog food poisoned me. I told her no; I stepped off a curb to sniff an Irish Setter's ass and a car hit us both.

    I thought the guy behind her was going to have a heart attack, he was laughing so hard!

    WAL-MART won't let me shop there anymore.

    Telly03NerimaDandelion
  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited April 2015

    Of course, the most famous April Fool's Prank ever played in the UK - and yes, it is still talked about now - was the BBC broadcast in 1957, (the year I was born) by Sir Richard Dimbleby.

    One of the most respected, renowned and revered members of the BBC establishment, of his time.
    Everybody hung on his every word, and it was he who narrated and conveyed the splendour, pomp, Majesty and unique excellence of the Coronation ceremony, of Queen Elizabeth II.

    so when this short film was broadcast - and he was the narrator - little wonder that it fooled absolutely everyone, without exception.

    It is a short 'Public Information film', but when you consider the date, and the general British ignorance (and suspicion?) of foreign fare in the UK, it really is hilarious...

  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran

    @federica -- The film appears to be blocked in this country.

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator

    Hot damn.... try googling Richard Dimbleby spaghetti harvest BBC 1957 or something....

  • genkakugenkaku Northampton, Mass. U.S.A. Veteran
    edited April 2015

    Terrific!

    If you're gonna tell a whopper, THAT'S the way to do it!

    boobysattva
  • VastmindVastmind Memphis, TN Veteran
    edited April 2015

    We all know I laugh at anything and everything....the chuckles, hahahaha, to things just crack me up, lololololol...but I've always hated April fools day. Making someone feel like a fool usually ends bad, and just the act of trying to fool people usually causes confusion and more harm than laughs....as shown by the recent example here at NB. (BTW, not the first time this example played out on this day/month).... Playing April Fools game just doesn't seem worth all the drama it causes. I hate leaving the house today...I'm forced to approach everyone with caution and suspicion.then you end up offending someone who really IS telling the truth...it feels so unnatural and very hard to go through the day for me....Is it tomorrow yet?

  • karastikarasti Breathing Minnesota Moderator

    I don't like it all that much either, but I tolerate it. I enjoy a good joke or prank but I prefer them when they happen naturally and aren't all planned out. 2 of our friends have babies that were born on April Fools and had to do a lot of convincing of their family (even the husbands) that they were indeed in labor.

    A number of years ago, our city put out an April Fools joke that made the national news. So that was really funny. But now, ever since then, they spend a bunch of money doing another one that is nothing more than a form of advertising. It lost it's appeal (for me) quickly after that. Gimmicks aren't so much funny. But when they did this, people were SO mad, and it was just hilarious to be taken on such a ride and then feel so darned stupid for having fallen for it, even for a minute, LOL

    ELY, MINN. -- April 1, 2008 -- Today it was announced that Canada has made an unprecedented offer, as a boost to tourism, to purchase the famous Boundary Waters town of Ely, Minn., and relocate it north of the U.S./Canadian border.

    In a prepared statement, the Premier of Ontario pledged Ely will retain its worldwide reputation as the entryway to the Boundary Waters, though now from the other side, as well as its legendary lakes, resorts, restaurants, gift shops and museums, including the world-famous International Wolf Center.

    Reportedly, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources has entered into negotiations with the Minnesota DNR and the Governor's office to arrive at a satisfactory price. Sources close to the deal say that Ely will become Ely, Ontario as early as 2009.

  • ShoshinShoshin No one in particular Nowhere Special Veteran

    @federica that first youtube clip reminded me of the following....

    A dear friend (who passed away in January) once got our group (a group of us meet every Monday evening to discuss the Dharma and meditate) to do laughing meditation...

    He got us to lay in a circle on the floor with our heads resting on the person's belly laying behind us, then one person would begin to laugh(which was an easy thing to do because of how ridiculous we all felt laying there) and the vibration would set off the next person and so on, one just couldn't stop laughing...

    And all I can say...it was a real laugh :D and if you ever get the chance to try it, do (It's well worth the laugh) :D

  • federicafederica Seeker of the clear blue sky... Its better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to speak out and remove all doubt Moderator
    edited April 2015

    Yes, we used to do this as a party ice-breaker... It helps to have the available space to do it... :)

  • lobsterlobster Crusty Veteran

    I am still looking for the legendary sangha of 'laughing monks' ...

    Maybe Budai has them in the sack.

    The primary story that concerns Budai in Zen (Chán) is a short kōan. In it, Budai is said to travel giving candy to poor children, only asking a penny from Zen monks or lay practitioners he meets. One day a monk walks up to him and asks, "What is the meaning of Zen?" Budai drops his bag. "How does one realize Zen?" Budai then takes up his bag and continues on his way.
    http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Budai

    HO HO HO [oops inappropriate, bad timing etc.]

    boobysattva
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