Yeah but you never get a real birthday present. They buy you some suff for Xmas, look at it, pick one thing out and call it your Bday gift. Which I think is a bit like being a jerk. Hey, I’m supposed to have an actual birthday! whinges
It isn’t so much that April 1st is All Fool’s Day. It is more that the night of March 31st is All Fool’s Eve. It developed in Europe partly as a celebration of Spring, and partly in response to the expected privation of Lent.
Wild revelers would dress as Harlequin in motley and white face and with bells on their caps so as not to be recognized. Taverns were filled all night, as were establishments of… rather less repute. The festivities would go on well into the night. Those still seen on the streets in the morning light were called April Fools.
Well, the thing I find incredibly bizarre is that there’s never, never EVER been even one story about a violent retaliation. Not ONE.
For crying out loud, we’ve had shootings over things far more trivial than these blatant attacks. You’re telling me that every single goddam person in the country understands the morality of pranking and knows never to hurt anyone blah-de-blah-blah etc.?
No stabbings? No broken bones? Not even a twisted wrist?
That is seriously fucking lame, I tell you. Forget wanting out of Iraq, this is your evidence that we’ve become a nation of pussies.
Anyway (now that I’ve gotten that out of my system 
), re. April 1, the best part about it is going to various familiar websites and seeing what the’ve cooked up for this special day. Some of them are really funny. (Homestarunner.com, in particular, is a dependable winner.) I really don’t care for the “April Fools!” pranks, especially, since Lightray already mentioned, anyone with half a brain is on full red-alert caution. There’s a reason the Nigerian scam isn’t used anymore, morons.
Mine’s not the 1st, it’s the 2nd of April. I missed being born on the 1st by a mere hour and 6 minutes. WHEW!
But that doesn’t seem to stop people. All through school, I could never tell anyone on or around April 1st that my birthday was tomorrow, they’d always say something such as “oh SUUUUrre!”. I learned sometime during grade school to, if asked, just say “oh my birthday’s in April” and leave it at that.
And there were many “leftover” April Fool’s jokes for my birthday as well. A lot of friends and family considered it close enough. Now that I’m an ancient old granny, there are no more April Fool’s birthday jokes.
Maybe your friends and family will gradually tire of it too? 
So, how are things with the Cal Aggie Marching Band these days? When I was at UC Davis, there was a memorable penis and intercourse formation at a football game and the band got put on probation for a year or so for some other transgression. I hope you are living up to your infamous reputation. Or have kids these days gotten soft?
Whereas, if it weren’t for April Fool’s Day, you’d only have to explain Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.
I can sympathize with Paul, especially given his location. For understandable reasons, fuses there are sometimes short, and the attitude that one American represents every American is not all that uncommon. Not all Saudis are terrorists, of course. But Paul is in an uncomfortably close proximity to people who encourage the assassination of blasphemous cartoonists. I’d be nervous too in his situation, especially given the recklessness of some American Interneters.
Hijack!
I’ve heard about that show. I don’t think we’ve gotten soft, but of course any alum will say it was so much better when they were in it.
Travel is waaay more intense now that we’ve moved to D-1 and have to go to South Dakota, Ohio, and central Texas. Our freshman class this year was the biggest ever, (just over 100) so we’re in no danger of dying out!
Perhaps Paul in Saudi could have used this formation to demonstrate the Lewinski maneuver?
How could that not have been fun to pantomime?!
I’m just sorry I can’t get out to Fredonia tomorrow, to celebrate the day properly.
Is that really the sort of prospect Paul was nervous about, or was he just bitching about having to be the Interpreter of Silly Pointless Western Customs for an uncomprehending audience who would stare blankly and ask “Why do people in your culture think that’s funny?”?
I mean, the examples of reckless internet April Fool’s prankstering that Paul gave in his OP—namely, Dick Cheney getting a sex change or chas v’cholileh Prince Charles dying in an auto accident—don’t sound particularly likely to trigger reactions of terrorism or assassination attempts, IMHO.
Well, my family has learned better of it. And I don’t really consider people who want to have fun at my expense to be friends. My real friends wait to play pranks until some time when they’re not also ruining my birthday.
Fortunately, at 40 it’s now a non-event. It was during childhood that it was particularly hurtful. (but, really, that’s rather mild damage to have escaped childhood with, all considered)
That’s a possibility. With my melancholy temperament, I’m prone to assume the worst and to worry until the time is past. Paul could be natured completely differently. For me, the prankish sort of things typical of April Fools are mildly annoying, but not enough to pit. My concern, in his position, would be about someone hacking the White House site and making the President declare Muslims to be pigs or something.
Perhaps not over Prince Charles… However, recent polls demonstrate that Vice President Cheney is even more revered in Saudi Arabia than the Prophet Mohammed. The royal family refers to him as “The Mouth of Bush” and offers him an annual tribute of 50 black stallions to avert his holy wrath. Even the most devout Muslim women flash their headlights at him on the streets of Riyadh, although his affair with Princess Jawhara al-Ibrahim is rumored to have cooled after he accidentally shot her in the face.
Here’s a picture of King Abdullah introducing Cheney to his invisible friend “Paco.”
Actually, I think Cheney’s teaching the King how to bowl there.
Now that you mention it, Cheney may be showing the King and Paco his legendary “Ascendant Dragon” open-hand strike technique, that can split a man’s body open from sternum to groin.
I’m sure you meant to say Switzerland, not Italy.
Morning Edition reported NYC is prepared to regulate cell phone ring tones. Obvious.
Paul, have you gotten a chance to tell your coworkers about Jihad to Be There?
Daniel