Motley Moose – Archive

Since 2008 – Progress Through Politics

The Daily F Bomb, Monday 4/1/13

Interrogatories

Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what? What April Fool pranks have been played on you?  What qualities do you require in a friend? Name one thing you will never, ever do. Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed?

The Twitter Emitter

On This Day

In 1789, the House of Representatives held its first full meeting in New York City and elected Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania as first Speaker of the House.

In 1853, Cincinnati, Ohio introduced the novel idea of paying its firefighters a regular salary to risk their lives saving other peoples’ stuff.

In 1918, the RAF (Royal Air Force) was established in Great Britain.

In 1933, the recently elected Nazi Party began their systematic persecution of Jews with a boycott on all Jewish businesses.

In 1960, the first weather satellite, TIROS-1, was launched from Cape Canaveral.

In 1970, President Nixon signed a bill that banned cigarette advertising on radio and TV.

In 1987, President Reagan declared AIDS to be Public Health Enemy Number One.

In 2008, the Pentagon released to the public a legal memo from March 14, 2003, approving the use of “harsh interrogation techniques,” AKA torture, against terror suspects.

Born on This Day

1578 – William Harvey, English physician (d. 1657)

1766 – François-Xavier Fabre, French painter (d. 1837)

The makeshift toga and the beer concealed in a paper bag signaled to others that this man should be avoided.

1785 – Ferdinand Olivier, German painter (d. 1841)

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1790 – Louis-Charles-Auguste Couder, French painter (d. 1873)

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1809 – Nikolai Gogol, Russian writer (d. 1852)

1815 – Otto von Bismarck, German statesman (d. 1898)

1821 – Geskel Saloman, Swedish painter (d. 1902)

1831 – Albert Anker, Swiss painter (d. 1910)

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1854 – Bill Traylor, American artist (d. 1949)

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1856 – Charles Maurin, French painter (d. 1914)

1868 – Edmond Rostand, French dramatist (d. 1918)

1883 – Lon Chaney, Sr., American actor (d. 1930)

1884 – Laurette Taylor, American actress (d. 1946)

1885 – Wallace Beery, American actor (d. 1949)

1895 – Alberta Hunter, American singer (d. 1984)

1897 – Nita Naldi, American actress (d. 1961)

1901 – Whittaker Chambers, American writer, editor, and defector (d. 1961)

1902 – Mary Miles Minter, American actress (d. 1984)

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1909 – Eddy Duchin, American pianist and bandleader (d. 1951)

1920 – Toshiro Mifune, Japanese actor (d. 1997)

1926 – Anne McCaffrey, American author (d. 2011)

1929 – Milan Kundera, Czech writer

1929 – Jane Powell, American actress, singer, and dancer

1932 – Debbie Reynolds, American actress

1942 – Phil Margo, American musician (The Tokens)

1945 – John Barbata, American drummer (The Sentinals, The Turtles, and Jefferson Airplane)

1946 – Ronnie Lane, English musician, songwriter, and producer (Faces and Small Faces) (d. 1997)

1947 – Robin Scott, English singer (M)

1949 – Gil Scott-Heron, American musician and author (d. 2011)

1950 – Samuel Alito, American lawyer and, unfortunately, Supreme Court justice

1958 – D. Boon, American musician (Minutemen and The Reactionaries) (d. 1985)

1960 – Michael Praed, English actor

1961 – Susan Boyle, Scottish singer

1961 – Mark White, British guitarist (ABC)

1971 – Method Man, American rapper (Wu-Tang Clan)

1972 – Albert Hughes, American director

1972 – Allen Hughes, American director

1973 – Rachel Maddow, American television host and political analyst

1980 – Bijou Phillips, American actress

Died on This Day

1204 – Eleanor of Aquitaine (b. 1122)

1611 – Gillis van Valkenborch, Flemish painter (b. 1570)

1621 – Cristofano Allori, Italian painter (b. 1577)

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1649 – Juan Bautista Mayno, Spanish painter (b. 1569)

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1839 – Benjamin Pierce, American politician (b. 1757)

1839 – Nicolas-Didier Boguet, French painter (b. 1755)

1852 – Edwin Austin Abbey, American painter (d. 1911)

1881 – Hugues Merle, painter (b. 1823)

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1890 – Francois-Emile de Lansac, painter (b. 1803)

1910 – Andreas Achenbach, German landscape painter (b. 1815)

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1917 – Scott Joplin, American musician and composer (b. 1868)

1946 – Noah Beery, Sr., American actor (b. 1882)

1965 – Helena Rubinstein, Polish-American cosmetics manufacturer (b. 1870)

1966 – Flann O’Brien, Irish humorist (b. 1911)

1976 – Max Ernst, German artist (b. 1891)

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1984 – Marvin Gaye, American singer (The Moonglows) (b. 1939)

1992 – Nigel Preston, English drummer (The Cult) (b. 1959)

1998 – Rozz Williams, American musician (Christian Death, Shadow Project) (b. 1963)

2004 – Paul Atkinson, British guitarist (The Zombies) (b. 1946)

2004 – Carrie Snodgress, American actress (b. 1946)

2004 – Enrique Grau, Columbian painter (b. 1920)

Today is

National Sourdough Bread Day

April Fools’ Day

Edible Book Day

Fossil Fools Day

One Cent Day

Firefighter Day

This Month is

Keep America Beautiful Month

National Florida Tomato Month

National Food Month

National Fresh Celery Month

National Humor Month

National Pecan Month

National Soft Pretzel Month

National Soy Foods Month

Poetry Month

Stress Awareness Month


23 comments

  1. Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what? No

    What April Fool pranks have been played on you?  None

    What qualities do you require in a friend? compassion, humor, intelligence, and a measure of geek doesn’t hurt

    Name one thing you will never, ever do. Vote for a Tea Party candidate

    Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed? I like it here but if I had a chance I would move to Ireland.

  2. blue jersey mom

    Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what? I have never pulled off a really good one.

    What April Fool pranks have been played on you?  The Penn student paper posted that the university’s name was being changed to Ben Franklin University ( so it would not be confused with Penn State). The students usually published their April Fools’ edition on a day other than April 1. It had me going for a while.

    What qualities do you require in a friend? kindness

    Name one thing you will never, ever do. Eat cat, horse, or dog.

    Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed? I love NJ. I like my house, and I like living in the northeast. The only other place I would consider is Hawai’i.  

  3. anotherdemocrat

    Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what? No, I’m not very good at that sort of thing, my face always gives it away.

    What April Fool pranks have been played on you? Well, not on me specifically, but back in the ’80s, the Austin rock station (the only one at the time) convinced a lot of people that U2 were playing a free concert in Zilker Park. Now, this was before they were U2!!!!, they wer popular, but not insanely so. Still, a lot of people went there.

    What qualities do you require in a friend? loyalty, honesty, tolerance

    Name one thing you will never, ever do. vote for a Republican

    Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed? I love Austin. My 2-page, evtremely detailed description of my dream home has exactly where in Austin I’d live if I won the lottery. Hawaii maybe, but I don’t know anyone there & I know just about everyone here (pretty much always on a first-name basis with the mayor, that’s hard to beat)

  4. pittiepat

    Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what? No

    What April Fool pranks have been played on you?  None that I remember

    What qualities do you require in a friend? Have everything I need & want in a friend — my pal of 43 years Nurse Kelley

    Name one thing you will never, ever do. Vote Republican.  (Okay, I have but it’s been more than 30 years and it will never, ever happen again.)



    Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed?  First choice – London, second choice – back to Houston.

  5. slksfca

    …I put salt in the sugar bowl on April 1. Big deal because cold cereal was our typical weekday breakfast. I believe I got spanked for my pains.

    I’ve had pranks played on me but none on April 1st.

    I require a warm heart and a sense of humor in a friend.

    I will never pierce my ears (or anything else). But I MIGHT get another tattoo someday.

    I love where I live, but would swap it for Paris if that were possible, which it isn’t.

  6. Floja Roja

    I’m just stopping by briefly before I get swamped by work again.

    I have played many an April Fools prank back when I worked for a major garment manufacturer/retailer, where everyone seemed to have that kind of sense of humor (one should only play pranks on those who would appreciate them). We had one co-worker who was newly promoted and didn’t quite have the proper boundaries he needed in his position. He was extremely flirtatious, and sometime crossed certain lines, so one April Fools morning we called him in and announced that someone had filed a sexual harassment claim against him. We totally lost it when we saw his expression, and he quickly realized we were pulling his leg, but his behavior was always better after that.

    I haven’t had any pulled on me that I didn’t get right away, though there are times I fell for a fake headline or similar before realizing what day it was.

    Most important friend qualities are humor, intelligence, and honesty. I would add liberal, but the qualities I named are very rare in conservatives these days, so it would be redundant.

    I will never vote Republican. In fact, that is my New Years resolution every year, and I have no trouble keeping it.

    If I could live anywhere, probably Stinson Beach. Until the tide comes in for good.

  7. Your serene lunch with entitled cat pic of the day.

    Since books are not really edible, I will have to work today to put food on the table.

    But I am looking forward with great delight to National Humor Month.

    For those who have not seen Google’s April Fools offering, this video introduces Google Nose (the Beta):

    Have a great day!!

  8. princesspat

    The Easter bunny seems to have eaten my homework:) I’m soooo sleepy this morning I’ll be an easy target if the grand kids decide to prank me. It’s spring break for the kids so it will be a busy fun day for me.

  9. jlms qkw

    creative. would love to find backstory on that painting.

    eleanor of aquitane kinda rocked.  kind of a badass, but certainly used the power available to her to advance her agenda.  

    umm, i don’t think so.

    zomg, i had a coworker – they put goldfish into the water cooler, used scotch tape liberally on the phones, left icy hot in strategic locations – i think they must have been in the office for hours ahead of time.  and it was a state agency!  

    i’m not a never or always kind of person, but let’s see.  i will never be an astronaut, despite kurt warner’s attempts to let me live my dreams.

    i love where i live, but the politics and social conditions are a bit repressive.  i probably will retire a bit south.  where it doesn’t snow.  although given climate change, i wonder how utah’s snow future is . . .  

  10. DeniseVelez

    Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what? What April Fool pranks have been played on you? No, and none. My dad’s birthday was April 1st, so we didn’t pay much attention to it as April Fools Day.

    What qualities do you require in a friend? Empathy and honesty.



    Name one thing you will never, ever do.
    Vote for a wing-nut.

    Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed? If I had a bucket of money I’d move to Brazil in a heartbeat – we can actually afford to live there now – but we can’t afford the airfares back and forth to the States, so we won’t be moving unless we hit the lotto (which I don’t play)

  11. DeniseVelez

    Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what? What April Fool pranks have been played on you? No, and none. My dad’s birthday was April 1st, so we didn’t pay much attention to it as April Fools Day.

    What qualities do you require in a friend? Empathy and honesty.



    Name one thing you will never, ever do.
    Vote for a wing-nut.

    Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed? If I had a bucket of money I’d move to Brazil in a heartbeat – we can actually afford to live there now – but we can’t afford the airfares back and forth to the States, so we won’t be moving unless we hit the lotto (which I don’t play)

  12. Pam from Calif

    Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what? Not really~ does a fun video count?

    What April Fool pranks have been played on you?   none that I can remember

    What qualities do you require in a friend? loyalty & honesty

    Name one thing you will never, ever do. hurt anyone intentionally

    Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed?  I would live in a different city  

  13. Avilyn

    Where did the weekend go?  It was supposed to be a long one, too, just too much time spent travelling/visiting and not enough time relaxing.

    Q&A:

    Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what?  Probably when I was a kid.  Can’t think of any offhand tho.

    What April Fool pranks have been played on you?  None that I can think of.  

    What qualities do you require in a friend?  This is requiring thought.  Trustworthiness, I think.  And apparently geekiness, as I can’t think of any friends who aren’t geeks.  

    Name one thing you will never, ever do.  Win the ‘Perfect Housekeeper of the Year’ award.

    Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed?  Would definitely live somewhere else.  I like New Jersey, but we’re currently in a townhouse which I hate.  I’d rather be in a rancher somewhere in Central/South Jersey.  Which we’re looking at actually doing in a few years.  🙂  Otherwise, I think I’d like to live in Scotland.  Beautiful, beautiful country.

  14. Have you ever played an April Fool prank on anyone, and if so, what?

    no

    What April Fool pranks have been played on you?

    Jim’s mom was a prankster. She played lots of tricks, all in fun.

    What qualities do you require in a friend?

    compassion, trustworthy, fun

    Name one thing you will never, ever do.

    Deliberately pour net-negative into the universe.

    Do you like it where you live, or would you live elsewhere if circumstances and money allowed?

    I do like it here. Circumstances to live elsewhere would have to include that it is no harder than it currently is to see my loved ones. But given that, I can imagine living in the Pacific northwest, or in Ireland or Scotland.  

Comments are closed.