April fool or truth??

I have found it impossible to identify any April Fools reports in the papers today. The modern world has become such a strange and alien place for me that very little of it makes sense and all of it seems like a bizarre joke.

Tim w

The Google Maps for NES is good.

On radio 4 this morning there were a couple of "professionals reviewing the paper, they admitted that they were not certain of which were the April Fools, and which not. There was however an amusing bit on about OAPs having to take keep fit classes in order to earn their State Pension, I be that got a few blood pressures up.

Radio 4 managed a couple. Extra tax on chilled Champagne in the 8:00am news and a bit in "Sunday" about llamas being used instead of donkeys at Palm Sunday services.

I heard something about donkey rustling but missed most of it.

Which potentially saves on pensions...!

It would be most unfortunate if a rash announcement on BBC Radio 4 lead to strokes and heart attacks - especially since there was an unfortunate link between a rash announcement by the government and an accidental self-immolation last week.

But yes, I agree with Tim that it's hard to tell the difference. Today I am on the lookout for the false stories the papers want us to believe. But on a normal day could you believe

Romanian doctors won't treat children unless they are bribed first

The newspaper reviewers on this mornings Andrew Marr show had the same dilemma.

I bought the Sun today and picked out the definite April Fool, that was a story about athlete Mo Farah being wrapped in a protective training suit made from cotton wool. There were also 2 probable April Fools; James Bond is going to open the Olympics, and there is a secret internet called DarkWeb that is only known to drug dealers and other criminals, they can see descriptions and photos online and when the package arrives there can be a note saying "thank you for using Cocaine Warehouse". Or similar.

You'll recognise one when you see it; because people are so stupid and gullible these days, there aren't any subtle wind-ups any more. They have to make it so far-fetched that even the dimwits can see it's a hoax.

But I agree with your point, there is so much bizarre news that you would be forgiven for dismissing most of it as a joke.

I don't know who Mo Farrah is so I'll take your word about that one. The James Bond story has been "outed" as an April Fool but the Dark Web has been discussed on worthy Radio Four programmes in the past so I guess it must exist.

My favourite - apart from the Ikea one that's been highlighted already

- is Google Nigeria.

I ignore all news on April 1. It saves wasting so much time trying to find any fact among he fiction. But then things are not much better any other day of the year.

The daft thing about the IKEA dog chair is that a lot of people would actually buy one!

Loved the Nigerian thing LOL!

I only heard part of each of them. Woke up at about 7:30 when the clock radio came on halfway through the bit about llamas and donkeys then managed to doze of again to re-awake part way through the bit in he news about champagne - probably based on

No, there wasn't. That was good old-fashioned native stupidity coming to the fore.

of thing those daft bu**ers would do. :-)

You fool! You're not supposed to let on. Big Tone will be around for a word later.

LA Times. Sun 1/4/2008

At approximately 2pm in the Compton suburb of Los Angelis, local man Salazar Fernando was sitting on his front porch when he was hit in the chest by a 9cm Cox?s Orange Pippin. He was declared dead at the scene.

Police chief Charlie Beck described the scene, ?Mr Fernando was the victim of a vicious ?run-by fruiting? probably carried out by a local rival fruit selling gang.

A spokesman for the LA coroner?s office told the LA Times ?Spent ammunition has been recovered from the scene and was being used in an ?amazing Tarte Tatin?

An LA Times reporter spoke to the victim?s girlfriend who said that she had only met Mr Fernando at last years Orange County Milk Of Magnesia Summer Road Show and that she had no knowledge of any gang activity.

Police are appealing for any witnesses to the fruiting to come forward.