If you are like the editor of this weblog and find yourself
getting grumpy when overrun by lame attempts at
humor, we have some important advice for you:
Stay out of the blogisphere for the next few
days. April Fool’s “humor” will be everywhere,
and scarcely any of it is likely to be funny or
original.
not!
If you’re thinking of writing your own piece of fun April 1
humor or satire — please reconsider. If you must do so,
kindly avoid writing posts that are made to look and sound
authentic, and declare that well-known or beloved people
are dead. [you know who you are]
In a wonderful piece of April First honesty, Bert Foer, the
president of the American Antitrust Institute, revealed today
that There Is Nothing Funny About Antitrust (AAI, March 31,
2006). Discussing a confidential report by Attorney General
Gonzales, Foer quotes what he calls a “business blogsite”:
“Do you crack jokes about antitrust law? If you can,
you should give yourself a lot of credit, because The
Daily Show got all geared up to do a segment on the
Madison free-drinks antitrust problem and they gave up.
They didn’t know how to make it funny. That’s what I heard”.2
2 http://althouse.blogspot.com/2004/04/do-you-crack-jokes-about-antitrust-law.html.
[Did you see who AAI thinks is a “business blogger” — Law Professor
Ann Althouse. That is funny.] Having written speeches for antitrust
officials in Washington, back in my youth, I can confirm that coming
up with a good, ice-breaking, competition-policy joke is nearly impossible.
Between Intellectual Property Rights & Antitrust,” which is the topic of
their Annual Conference, on June 21, 2006, in Washington, D.C.
Our pledge to you: No lame attempts at humor at this website from today, March 31, 2006 through April. 2, 2006.
not funny update (11 PM): Go to our post on Nino Scalia’s crude gesture,
for discussion of the actual photo of the moment. It seems pathetic to Your
Editor that a purportedly courageous Jurist has to prevaricate like a ten-year-
old after making an obscene gesture — and even utilize a U.S. Supreme Court
spokeswoman to make his excuses. [By the way, if you are still wondering what
a gumbah is see our new “goomba goombah gumba gumbah.”]
April Fool’s Day —
a skylark’s song
way over my head
april snow
a pat of butter
melts in the pan
“April Fool’s Day” – The Heron’s Nest (June 2001); “april snow” – Mayfly #27
growing old–
even the cherry blossoms
a bit annoying
into the snake’s hole
oh foolish
mouse
translated by David G. Lanoue
April 1
no one but me
to make a fool of me
on the old snow shovel cherry blossoms
during discussion
on the meaning of life the crunch
of a student’s apple
from Almost Unseen (Brooks Books, 2000)
