Early?

For those readers in the US you will think I am a day early with some ideas for April Fools Day pranks,for most of the rest of the world it will be more timely. If nothing else it will give you an extra day to let the ideas simmer until they produce a truly inspired prank. In some countries the fun only last until noon which would be a great inconvenience. The offering today is from the Museum of Hoaxes where they think of April Fools as an opportunity for misfits and pranksters.
In 1992 it was announced that Richard Nixon was running for president again. His slogan was: "I didn't do anything wrong,and I won't do it again." In 1957 the BBC aired a story on the Swiss spaghetti crop showing peasants plucking strands of pasta from trees. In 1962 Swedish TV (black and white) brought in an expert to describe how to make television appear in color. The expert told viewers to put an old nylon stocking over their TV then move their heads back and forth to align the color spectrum. In 1998 Burger King ran an ad for a left- handed Whopper. In 1996 Taco Bell announced it had bought the Liberty Bell and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Concerned citizens started calling the National Historic Park in Philadelphia to complain. I hope these have served to inspire you to prankster greatness!

Not Just Fiction

Among my varied reading interests,murder mysteries seem to be a common thread with many of the authors. Although I enjoy being able to figure things out before they are presented,it also is a disappointment and I tend to feel somewhat cheated. It seems as though I am once again veering off track so down to the meat of the subject!
After reading about this real life Murder Club,I find myself wondering if there are other such clubs? The Vidocq Society (pronounced Vee-dock) is an exclusive crime solving organization that meets monthly at the Union League of Philadelphia. The society is named for an 18th century French detective. They apply their collective forensic skills and experience to "cold case" homicides and unsolved deaths. As a public service the professionals and private citizens donate their talents to solve cases officially brought to them.
What a mental challenge it would be to participate in a group solving "cold case"crimes...they also enjoy gourmet meals at their meetings!


Union League of Philadelphia



Courage

This story really touched something in me so I wanted to share it with anyone who might not have seen it.
Two grandfathers competed today in Spain,one from Finland the other from Belgium ages 94 and 95...the event the 100 meter dash! I am not entirely clear if they were racing for a veteran's charity or if it was an event crafted for veterans to compete in,but either way what a spirit lifting story! One can only hope to have the kind of courage and stamina to be able to remain active and alert at that advanced age. I will try to include the link for the video,but they don't always come up like they should,so keep your fingers crossed!

inagist.com/all/317625847550967809/

Unbelievable

For some reason in the last few days I have come across several state laws that are quite amusing and a little hard to believe that they are still on the books. All but one of these I have verified,so I will leave you to puzzle out which one is possibly made up!
In Minnesota it is illegal to cross state lines with a duck on your head...it is also illegal to enter the state with a chicken on your head (I am not sure about either chickens or ducks,but parrots do love to roost on your head). In Atlanta,Georgia it is illegal to tie a giraffe to a telephone pole or a street lamp. In Baltimore,Maryland it is illegal to take a lion to the movies. In Zion,Illinois it is illegal to give cats,dogs,or other domesticated animals a lighted cigar. In Los Angeles,CA. it is illegal to bathe two babies at the same time in the same tub. In Alabama it is illegal for a driver to be blindfolded while operating a vehicle. In Alaska it is an offense to push a live moose out of a moving airplane (even a dead moose would be offensive to anyone it landed on). In Arizona donkeys cannot sleep in bathtubs (this is not the only state with this law on the books,who would have thought it was such an extensive problem?). In Washington when two trains come to a crossing neither shall go until the other has passed (is it just me,or does this sound like a weird math problem?) In Utah it is illegal not to drink milk (I wonder if the state pays to relocate people who are lactose intolerant?),it is also an offense to hunt whales which will doubtlessly save many of those endangered inland whales!

Design Flaw?

There may be some drawbacks to being the tallest mammal in the world,the first one that comes to mind about the giraffe is because of their long neck they also have the highest blood pressure of any mammal,2-3x that of a healthy man (I have to insert a mental image here of a blood pressure cuff on a giraffe...where would it go anyway?). As a result of their blood pressure they are easily frightened,or stressed to death. A giraffe can clean its ears with its own tongue (this is a less than appealing talent,though I am sure it comes in handy). Giraffes are always alert for predators so they only sleep a few minutes at a time and average only 30 minutes a day. I never realized that the coat patterns differ not only between the nine subspecies but are unique to each animal. The picture I am using should show some of this difference,at least it seems different from the patterns that I think of as usual. Feeding primarily on acacia leaves giraffes can eat up to 77 lbs a day. The acacia has all the nutrients,except calcium and salt that they need. The leaves also contain a lot of water,allowing them less frequent trips to the watering holes where their predators wait. The way they have to splay their front legs to reach the water leaves them extremely vulnerable. When they do drink they can consume 12 gallons at one setting. Their unique body design also seems to be their Achilles heel.

Family Affair

There are a couple of ways you can think about this story,one is to understand how the parents could get so desperate,another is why couldn't they get help in a more acceptable manner (especially since it happened in Utah,but maybe they were the wrong religion?).
Police arrested a husband and wife robbery team that had their two children (5 and 2 years old) along (being destitute they couldn't very well afford day care). They told police they robbed the bank because they were facing eviction and medical bills. The woman entered the bank and showed the teller a note demanding money,then ran back to the waiting car. When the police searched the vehicle they found the note and hundreds of dollars in cash.

A Study in Irony

A DUI is never a laughing matter though in this case I think at least a smirk would be a tolerable response.
On Christmas Eve of last year around 7:30 pm (a little early to be drunk) a 55 year old Massachusetts man was arrested in Vermont for driving onto the lawn of AA co-founder Bill Wilson's one time home. The house was the birthplace of Wilson,and is now a place of sanctuary where people can come to give thanks for their new lives. The building also hosts several Alcoholics Anonymous meetings every week (maybe he was dropping in for a meeting?). The man told police he thought he was driving into a parking lot. Apparently he didn't get the memo that law enforcement is always on high alert for holidays,or possibly he got the memo but was too drunk to remember?