Well it's April fools day 2019. Great Great Grandfather Floyd would have been 141 today. It's a birthday I always remember. April fools is associated with practical jokes and pranks. In today's world I would be a little bit leery about any of that. You can probably still get away with it among close friends and relatives but anyone else is liable to sue you! Emotional disruptions are not taken well, might even be harassment charges! Still, I'll try to remain on guard today.
I wondered how all this got started and so went to the internet. It seems that no one really knows the answer to that.I did read a couple of plausible explanations but none could be confirmed. In a way that is part of the joke I guess, April Fools, nobody knows what fool began the thing in the first place. I did read where it has been around, as All fools day and later April fools days, for centuries.I read where a professor wrote an interesting story explaining how it came be. The New York Times published the story. After a few weeks it was discovered the professor had made the whole thing up, April Fools, New York Times! They weren't the only ones that have been fooled over the years though. Sports Illustrated knowingly published a story about a new prospect, a pitcher. It created quite a stir, scouts clamoring to locate this player. April Fools, it wasn't true at all. Today, it happens almost daily on certain news outlets whether it is April Fools day or not.It's Fake News day, everyday. But I digress.
Have we lost our collective sense of humor? There are plenty of times I believe that is the case. There are plenty of times when I find myself asking, are you kidding me? What was once laughed about is now taken very seriously, it can be offensive. And that is without even getting into any of the " ism's " There are sure a lot of those being thrown around .Even professional comedians have to be a bit careful these days. There careers can end abruptly with one bad joke. Some comediennes have more leeway than others but all are vulnerable. It all depends upon who they lampoon with their jokes. It's fine to attack the right but leave the left along!
Yes today we have to be careful what we say. Wouldn't want to be accused of being insensitive. Worse than that you could get yourself labeled as a bigot! Any slightly "off color " joke will most definitely have that effect. Best not to mention any of that lest you get attacked! Used to be we didn't mention anyone's sexual preferences in a public setting, not even among close friends, but now you had best be supporting whatever choices they are making. You had best be an advocate of that, making no jokes about it. If you do, you'll have a phobia! Lots of those around these days as well. Hey, they are no laughing matter! But you know what is a laughing matter? A great deal of the things we used to believe was no laughing matter. We called them morals. I see a lot of people laughing about that these days. But I'm not going to go into all of that this morning. It's April Fools day. I will try to remain on guard against any deception. Better not turn on MSN though, wouldn't get past the first thirty seconds. LOl So, have a good day and try not to take everything so seriously. Into every life a little rain must fall is a truism, but so is sunshine and laughter. Today we should at least give it a try. I have a Doctors appt. this morning. It has been a year since my heart attack. This visit is just for a check on that, I'll be ready if the Doctor tries to pull a joke on me. I doubt he will, normally those guys have no sense of humor while at work. I guess that is being professional though. I don't think I go the whole day without pulling something on someone.
There was a Corpsman on one of my ships that had a needle he obtained from a veterinarian. That thing was huge. If a guy went to him because he felt he might have a problem in the, well, water works section, he would bring that thing out! He didn't have to say a thing before the guy was heading for the door. LOl. Everyday was April Fools day on board the ship if you were a newbie! There are a whole range of tricks to be pulled. Nowadays they call it harassment, we called it having a bit of fun. We had a female radioman on board. One of the jokes was to get one of those new guys, the kids, to go to the radio room and ask her for a fallopian tube. It was a riot, the lady wasn't offended, if fact there were tines when she told the kid her tubes were all tied up. No one felt threatened or marginalized. Bet you can't do that anymore. And I won't even tell you about getting greased. That happens when you are " squeaky " clean and brand new. Well, if you were an Engineer that is. Ah, but that was back in the old Navy days. Anyway, watch out for the fake news today, and everyday. Happy April Fools Day.
I wondered how all this got started and so went to the internet. It seems that no one really knows the answer to that.I did read a couple of plausible explanations but none could be confirmed. In a way that is part of the joke I guess, April Fools, nobody knows what fool began the thing in the first place. I did read where it has been around, as All fools day and later April fools days, for centuries.I read where a professor wrote an interesting story explaining how it came be. The New York Times published the story. After a few weeks it was discovered the professor had made the whole thing up, April Fools, New York Times! They weren't the only ones that have been fooled over the years though. Sports Illustrated knowingly published a story about a new prospect, a pitcher. It created quite a stir, scouts clamoring to locate this player. April Fools, it wasn't true at all. Today, it happens almost daily on certain news outlets whether it is April Fools day or not.It's Fake News day, everyday. But I digress.
Have we lost our collective sense of humor? There are plenty of times I believe that is the case. There are plenty of times when I find myself asking, are you kidding me? What was once laughed about is now taken very seriously, it can be offensive. And that is without even getting into any of the " ism's " There are sure a lot of those being thrown around .Even professional comedians have to be a bit careful these days. There careers can end abruptly with one bad joke. Some comediennes have more leeway than others but all are vulnerable. It all depends upon who they lampoon with their jokes. It's fine to attack the right but leave the left along!
Yes today we have to be careful what we say. Wouldn't want to be accused of being insensitive. Worse than that you could get yourself labeled as a bigot! Any slightly "off color " joke will most definitely have that effect. Best not to mention any of that lest you get attacked! Used to be we didn't mention anyone's sexual preferences in a public setting, not even among close friends, but now you had best be supporting whatever choices they are making. You had best be an advocate of that, making no jokes about it. If you do, you'll have a phobia! Lots of those around these days as well. Hey, they are no laughing matter! But you know what is a laughing matter? A great deal of the things we used to believe was no laughing matter. We called them morals. I see a lot of people laughing about that these days. But I'm not going to go into all of that this morning. It's April Fools day. I will try to remain on guard against any deception. Better not turn on MSN though, wouldn't get past the first thirty seconds. LOl So, have a good day and try not to take everything so seriously. Into every life a little rain must fall is a truism, but so is sunshine and laughter. Today we should at least give it a try. I have a Doctors appt. this morning. It has been a year since my heart attack. This visit is just for a check on that, I'll be ready if the Doctor tries to pull a joke on me. I doubt he will, normally those guys have no sense of humor while at work. I guess that is being professional though. I don't think I go the whole day without pulling something on someone.
There was a Corpsman on one of my ships that had a needle he obtained from a veterinarian. That thing was huge. If a guy went to him because he felt he might have a problem in the, well, water works section, he would bring that thing out! He didn't have to say a thing before the guy was heading for the door. LOl. Everyday was April Fools day on board the ship if you were a newbie! There are a whole range of tricks to be pulled. Nowadays they call it harassment, we called it having a bit of fun. We had a female radioman on board. One of the jokes was to get one of those new guys, the kids, to go to the radio room and ask her for a fallopian tube. It was a riot, the lady wasn't offended, if fact there were tines when she told the kid her tubes were all tied up. No one felt threatened or marginalized. Bet you can't do that anymore. And I won't even tell you about getting greased. That happens when you are " squeaky " clean and brand new. Well, if you were an Engineer that is. Ah, but that was back in the old Navy days. Anyway, watch out for the fake news today, and everyday. Happy April Fools Day.
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