# Is it April 1? Because this cannot possibly be for real... **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 31, 2002, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955 "2002-12-31T23:06:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Forbin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5e9695/32.png) [@Forbin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Forbin)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/21 "2003-01-01T00:50:07Z")
A friend related to me that a co-worker of his had an unusual name. Said co-worker was a motorcycle enthusiast. His name? (obviously changed to this one too BTW) Chopper Rider Chopper Rider? :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![neutron\_star](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/51bf81/32.png) [@neutron\_star](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/neutron_star)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/22 "2003-01-01T02:35:41Z")
A few years back, a man legally changed his name to “Trout Fishing in America”, after the novel of the same name by Richard Brautigan. ---
**Author:** ![cornflakes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@cornflakes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cornflakes)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/23 "2003-01-01T03:21:04Z")
[sub](This may be the last time that this is remotely funny, so…[/sub] That’s it, the terrorists have won. ---
**Author:** ![Flamsterette\_X](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/41988e/32.png) [@Flamsterette\_X](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flamsterette_X)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/24 "2003-01-01T04:38:23Z")
> [@](#): > > - > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by danceswithcats \* > > \*\*I’ve got a clipping saved regarding a fellow who changed his name in '98 to “Heywood Jablowme”. Seriously! \*\* > > Originally posted by Emperor Penguin \* > \*\*Heh. I remember that. It was done by a local radio station, CFOX, as part of their toughest contest ever. Ahhh, memories. \*\* Yup, I remember that one too… those were the days, all right. As for this guy changing his name to “Jack Ass” and _then_ suing when the show got popular, is he going to cry foul every single time someone calls another person a jackass? I wonder… F\_X ---
**Author:** ![Mockingbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c68b51/32.png) [@Mockingbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mockingbird)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/25 "2003-01-01T04:58:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Enderw24 \* > \*\*I blame lawyers for this. \*\* Shakespeare was right. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![StPaul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/58f4c7/32.png) [@StPaul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StPaul)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/26 "2003-01-01T05:43:19Z")
What is it that draws so many crackpots to Montana? Does that state offer tax breaks for lunatics? Do the other states pay Montana to warehouse the country’s insane? Is there a big statue there that’s inscribed “Send me your mad, your oddballs, your gibbering idiots longing to make fools of themselves”? ---
**Author:** ![jkirkman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac8455/32.png) [@jkirkman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jkirkman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 8:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/27 "2003-01-01T08:34:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > \*\*The Green Bay Football Packers are an unstoppable ball of dredlocks and talent that cannot be beaten until two weeks from now. > \*\* Well, you are almost certainly right, but don’t tell Mike Vick, ok? Maybe, if the Packers lose, you could dream that Brett Favre came to you for advice as to if he should retire? And maybe you could convince him that his real future was as a slave to your every whim? It COULD happen… ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/28 "2003-01-01T14:23:36Z")
> [@](#): > > I will admit that the suit is largely without grounds in my eyes Largely without grounds? Well that’s the understatement of the year. The sad thing is that Viacom is going to have to pay real money to defend itself against this baseless lawsuit. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/29 "2003-01-01T15:48:23Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jkirkman \* > \*\* > > Maybe, if the Packers lose, you could dream that Brett Favre came to you for advice as to if he should retire? And maybe you could convince him that his real future was as a slave to your every whim? > > It COULD happen… \*\* The day I dream of Brett Favre being a slave to my every whim is the day I should be committed. I’d never get the stench of beer and tobacco out of my carpeting. blech. But you’re right. He’s washed up and should retire. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TV\_time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f17d59/32.png) [@TV\_time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TV_time)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2003, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/30 "2003-01-01T16:22:43Z")
This just in: > [@](#): > > \*\*Lawyers for a herd of male mules have announced that they are intending to sue the Montana man who had his name legally changed to “Jack Ass” and later announced his intention to sue the popular television show and movie “Jackass”. > > The attorneys say that their clients contend the man defames all male mules throughout the world by his clear stupidity. The attorneys further stated that they do not expect the suit to be settled out of court. They expect it to go all the way to trial. > > “Our clients are pretty stubborn,” said lead attorney for the plaintiffs, Iam A. Shyster\*.\*\* \*[sub]I just made this up. Please don’t take it seriously. I did this once before as a joke and I got a nasty note from one of the mods saying that they had received complaints about me quoting non-factual information. Once again - I just made this up.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![Wikkit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c0e974/32.png) [@Wikkit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wikkit)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 3:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/31 "2003-01-02T03:54:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by minty green \* > \*\*Somebody’s going to blame it on lawyers, right? > > Go on, I dare ya. \*\* This story was in the [Stella Awards](http://www.StellaAwards.com) issue #11, from December 11th. > [@](#): > > “For over two years I have searched for an attorney with some courage > to go up against MTV for the infringement and plagiarizing they have > done,” he says, but he couldn’t and gave up – and filed a suit on his > own against Viacom, which owns both MTV and Paramount Pictures, which > distributes “Jackass the Movie”. I think this one was a win for the lawyers in that he has to represent himself. There are obviously still jack asses in the legal system, though. ---
**Author:** ![Albert\_Rose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9de053/32.png) [@Albert\_Rose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Albert_Rose)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/32 "2003-01-02T04:17:48Z")
Actually, I blame the judges. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/33 "2003-01-02T05:46:06Z")
But **AlbertRose** , the judge has little control on his own over whether the case itself is heard. Judges can’t just preemptively throw out cases they believe to have no merit. The lawyers for Viacom must start the process. They would do so by filing a Rule 11 motion which, in layman’s terms, says “this case is a waste of everyone’s time and we want compensation for even having to defend against it.” **jarbabyj** thank you. **Hastur** , would that it were true. It’d make it so much easier to land a job, what with all the vacancies. ---
**Author:** ![aenea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/34 "2003-01-02T21:13:35Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by StPaul \* > \*\*What is it that draws so many crackpots to Montana? Does that state offer tax breaks for lunatics? Do the other states pay Montana to warehouse the country’s insane? Is there a big statue there that’s inscribed “Send me your mad, your oddballs, your gibbering idiots longing to make fools of themselves”? \*\* I am not from Montana, but I did live there 9 looong years. Montana is so rural, it makes Wisconsen look donwright crowded. There are people there who are _proud_ of the fact that they have never even been outside of the county they were born in. Cost of living is still very low, as are any wages to be found. There is usually 1-4 sheriff officers in a given county, with only 1 or 2 on duty at a given time, and the few ‘city’ cops patroll the small towns and the back roads. So there are very few officers to enforce any particular law. I had never met a functionally illiterate person before moving up there. I met quite a few while living there. Literally could not sign their names, and it didn’t bother them one little bit. All of the jokes that can be said about southerners or sheep farmers apply in Montana also. People actually still put a shot of whiskey in the baby’s bottle to get them to sleep well. :eek: There are some really wonderful things about Montana also, but you wanted to know why all the loons seem to migrate up there. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2003, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/35 "2003-01-02T21:48:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jarbabyj \* > \*\*I’d never get the stench of beer and tobacco out of my carpeting. > \*\* :insert Summer’s Eve joke here: ---
**Author:** ![stockton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5a626/32.png) [@stockton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stockton)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/36 "2003-01-03T00:10:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by TV time \* > \*\*This just in: > > Lawyers for a herd of male mules have announced that they are intending to sue the Montana man who had his name legally changed to “Jack Ass” and later announced his intention to sue the popular television show and movie “Jackass”. > > The attorneys say that their clients contend the man defames all male mules throughout the world by his clear stupidity. The attorneys further stated that they do not expect the suit to be settled out of court. They expect it to go all the way to trial.\*\* Hey, **TVtime** - I’ve always been under the impression (and if I’m wrong, someone will surely be along to correct me in about 2 freakin’ seconds) that mules were the sterile FEMALE offspring of an ass (donkey) and a horse. Ain’t no such critter as a male mule… **munch** and **jarbabyj** , you guys are killing me right now!!! (munch for his joke, and jar for thinking the Packers will beat my Falcons). …and I’m changing my name to Richard Head immediately (I went to school with Dick Long. Really!) Where’s **imthjckaz** , or however he spells it? I think he has potential for a class-action here… ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/37 "2003-01-03T01:20:37Z")
stockton - sterile, but not necessarily female AFAIK. Re: The OP - This would be pretty damn funny if the guy just had a twisted sense of humor and this was all a big joke. But then again - how do we know for sure that it’s not? ---
**Author:** ![auntnut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@auntnut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/auntnut)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 6:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/38 "2003-01-03T06:18:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by danceswithcats \* > \*\*I’ve got a clipping saved regarding a fellow who changed his name in '98 to “Heywood Jablowme”. Seriously! \*\* I’ll have you know, I just woke up my crabby ass sleeping boyfriend with my hysterical laughing, AND ITS ALL YOUR FAULT (P.S. thanks, I needed that!) ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 9:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/39 "2003-01-03T09:11:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by aenea \* > \*\*I am not from Montana, but I did live there 9 looong years. > > Montana is so rural, it makes Wisconsen look donwright crowded. There are people there who are _proud_ of the fact that they have never even been outside of the county they were born in. > > Cost of living is still very low, as are any wages to be found. There is usually 1-4 sheriff officers in a given county, with only 1 or 2 on duty at a given time, and the few ‘city’ cops patroll the small towns and the back roads. So there are very few officers to enforce any particular law. > > I had never met a functionally illiterate person before moving up there. I met quite a few while living there. Literally could not sign their names, and it didn’t bother them one little bit. > > All of the jokes that can be said about southerners or sheep farmers apply in Montana also. > > People actually still put a shot of whiskey in the baby’s bottle to get them to sleep well. :eek: > > There are some really wonderful things about Montana also, but you wanted to know why all the loons seem to migrate up there. \*\* Where did you live? Great Falls isn’t like that. Bozeman isn’t like that. Helena isn’t like that. Missoula isn’t like that. Granted, it’s not LA or even Sacramento, but it’s not all bad. I would be willing to bet that the small town like Choteau and Ulm and such are pretty much exactly like small towns with agrarian base industry all over the country. ---
**Author:** ![aenea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c68b51/32.png) [@aenea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aenea)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2003, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955/40 "2003-01-03T14:42:57Z")
Livingston, outside of Bozeman. Yes, it is like that, trust me. I went to school at MSU Bozeman, and still miss that town and some of the people there. Don’t miss Livingston one tiny little smidge though. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-april-1-because-this-cannot-possibly-be-for-real/145955.md?page=3)