Tropins Blog

Copyright The Quipping Queen 2005

IT’S MERRY-MAKING MONTH MAY NATURALLY!
– Eccentric events and odd occasions to celebrate in May 2005 –

Compiled by Lady Beatrice Blitterlees and edited by Lord Earl Craboon

When the odd flibbertygibbet or two is flattened beyond recognition by a “medicine ball” or a daffy duffus appears on the back nine, you know it must be the merry month of May.

If truth be told, the only folks who really care what month it is are roosters. And, forget about finding a bag of loot in the barnyard of life, it has the rooster’s name on it not yours. But, there is one day you can take credit for, “Poppycock Appreciation Day”!

So, if you’re into dancing around a May pole, sending a soppy Mother’s Day card, or maybe even dressing up like a cow in the Island Dairy Victoria Day parade in British Columbia’s capital city - you’ve hit the jackpot.

On the other hand, you could chuck the whole thing and take your long awaited a trip to visit Uncle Tootall in Punkeydoodles Corners, Ontario.

Are you really committed to chewing the fat with weird Aunt Willow, playing with all those ill-behaved pets, not to mention swatting black flies and listening to those morally-uplifting tales around the campfire about the joys of living in “God’s Country”?

Why not just stay home and enjoy the frivolous festivities of MIRTHFUL MAY plus the glorious mayhem that may result from having a good time.

1. “May Pole Dancing Appreciation Day” (put on your dancing shoes, it’s time to trip the light fantastic …no that doesn’t mean gawking at the girls in g-strings)

2. “Whoohoo Awareness Day” (now’s your time to shine the spotlight on anyone you know with questionable attitudes, unusual proclivities, and tasteless pastimes)

3. “SNAFU Appreciation Day” (it’s definitely time to celebrate “Silly No-Nos and Funny Undertakings” that truly drive people up the wall or around the bend)

4. “You Deal With It Day” (the one occasion when all those “yes” folk get to surprise everyone by declaring “No” - You Deal With It …I’m going fishing today, so there!)

5. “Polka Dot & Plaid Day” (another mirthful mix and match day - a great way to make a fashion statement by wearing any weird wardrobe you please!)

6. “Toot Your Own Horn Day” (time to flaunt every frigging diploma/award you’ve got - like “Best Kisser in the World”, “First Class Stud” or “Grade 2 Grad”)

7. “Party Pooper Appreciation Day” (time to suggest that all the wet-blanket wunderkinds you know visit a God-forsaken place like Zap, North Dakota)

8. “Of Course I Love You Day” (time to honor Momma Bears, or more to the point, the wonder-women who have brought all those bundles of joy into the world — a little more flower-power if you please!)

9. “Broccoli & Brussel Sprout Appreciation Day” (for those who haven’t got a clue what frigging finger-foods are or how to make a heart-healthy veggie burger)

10. “One-Eyed-One-Horned-Flying-Purple-People-Eater Day” (time to discover what doesn’t hang out in a petting zoo, inhabit a fish tank, or live on Mars)

11. “National Nosey-Parker Day” (in recognition of all the interlopers, meddlers and busybodies you know who couldn’t survive without a piece of juicy gossip)

12. “Pluto Appreciation Day” (let “nonsense” be your guide; just ask everyone you meet today what attractions they would suggest you see when you visit your favorite planet in our solar system next week)

13. “Hand-Made Gift Appreciation Day” (use your fingers, toes, or if nothing else your wee noodle to dream up something to impress a funky friend)

14. “Frisbee Golf Tournament Day” (if boomerang won’t come back, you don’t know how to surf, and you’re tired of whacking a little white ball around 18 freaking tiny holes in the ground…why not take up a low-impact sport that doesn’t require a helmet, shoulder pads or a big bag account)

15. “House of Cards Recognition Day” (time to build a house of cards; then huff, puff and blow the bleeping thing down like Billy Goat Gruff…oh lighten up will you!)

16. “Bounce Something on Your Knee Day” (a great way to keep any screaming banshee, hollering thing, or pesky pet quiet…before you wring its neck!)

17. “Unplug It Day” (what a wonderful opportunity to rid yourself of wicked wireless devices and wretched wired weasels for at least the next 24 hours)

18. “Glove Compartment, Jump Seat & Bonnet Appreciation Day” (well it’s about time to show off your racy vocabulary…but beware of all those baby-boomer bump n’ grinders on the highway of life)

19. “Chewing Gum Awareness Day” (time to test out all those fruity flavors and then leave a nice wad behind on a freshly-painted park bench, a clean floor, or on a bedpost overnight)

20. “Polka Dot Bikini & Brief Appreciation Day” (for those who need an excuse to play that old “Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weenie Yellow Polka Dot” tune naturally)

21. “Stilts & Pogo Jumping Day” (for anyone who can’t walk on water but needs something a tad extreme to impress their wimpy relatives, boring friends or last but not least…a sees-all-knows-all boss)

22. “Gemini Recognition Day” (ever wondered who adores the color orange, hates being confided to bed, and hankers for a game of darts, snooker, or table tennis at midnight?)

23. “Cow Pie Appreciation Day” (okay, so you’re lactose intolerant and your hay fever allergy makes you grumpy…but the least you can do is quit complaining and moo right along with a whole bunch of other color-coordinated cows doing what comes naturally in the annual Island Farms “Victoria Day” parade)

24. “National Ninnyhammer Day” (time to honor all the Naysayers, Nimrods, and Nit-Pickers in your circle of fly-by-night friends and fickle family members)

25. “Silly Putty Appreciation Day” (you may not be able to color between the lines, but manipulating Silly Putty …well that takes skill, experience, and a diploma in really, really dumb stuff … good news …you’re overqualified on all counts)

26. “Bubble Blowing Challenge” (and you thought this was a contest for adults with short-attention spans, a large lung capacity, and an abiding interest in detergents)

27. “Smack Your Lips Day” (a great opportunity for those without pucker power to avoid whistling while they work or else winning the affection of lost pets)

28. “Flashlight Tag Day” (for all those A-type personalities who need to overcome their fear of the dark, creepy glow-worms, or extraterrestrials out for an evening stroll)

29. “Groovy Dance Day” (time to teach someone you know with two large left feet how to do the “frug”, the “shimmy”, the “monkey”, the “swim”, the “loco-motion”, the “bus stop” and of course the ever-popular but classic “fox trot”)

30. “Paint-By-Numbers Day” (so you aren’t Rembrandt but if you can read, count and aren’t color-blind, you’ll find this more entertaining than feeding pigeons)

31. “Pied Piper & Pig-In-A-Poke Recognition Day” (time to nominate anyone you know who truly deserves the prestigious “Pinhead of the Year Award”)

About the Author

Lady Beatrice Blitterlees and Lord Earl Craboon are frequent-fops-for-hire who, from time to time, provide much needed comic relief in the constipated Court of “The Quipping Queen” at www.quippingqueen.blogspot.com

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April Fool’s Day originates from Germany. It is believed to be the brain child of Gabriel Hoffman who lived in Damstadt during the 1860’s. The day is celebrated in many countries with the execution of elaborate practical jokes on unsuspecting victims. April 1st is the accepted date for April Fool’s Day when both simple and very sophisticated jokes are known to catch out the unwary or the gullible.

There is evidence of a similar day in the Gregorian calendar of 1582 and even as far back as ancient Rome when the practice would have been observed on New Years Day. Originally April Fool’s Day jokes typically would have involved sending a person on a ridiculous errand. A builders merchant might send an apprentice to obtain some sky hooks or a long wait ( weight ) and embarrass them after a period of time with the utterance of the words April Fool.

It is tradition for the jokes or pranks to end by noon. Carrying out an April Fool’s Day joke on someone after this time is said to bring bad luck. Over the years there have been some very elaborate hoaxes even by large TV corporations. The BBC managed to convince its audience in 1957 that Swiss farmers were enjoying a bumper spaghetti crop. They showed footage of spaghetti growing on trees and were inundated with calls from the general public asking for advice on growing spaghetti. The BBC even had the audacity to suggest placing a sprig of spaghetti in a tin of tomato sauce to assist its growth.

April 1st is not an officially recognised holiday or event but it is practised regularly in the UK. Prince Charles has been reported to have enjoyed April 1st when until as recently as 2003 he would cause havoc at Buckingham Palace where his favourite trick was to place a whoopee cushion under the bottoms of Royalty, including his mothers - Queen Elizabeth!

There have been many hoaxes and some famous mistakes by media corporations in reporting stories in error. There are also several April Fool’s Day spoofs on the internet. Sometimes these seemingly innocent pranks can cause financial damage or panic when things are taken too far.

In Birmingham on April 1st 1986, a group of students became convinced that the Black plague had returned to the city. Such was the level of confusion and clever manipulation of a drama class and its students, that hospitals in the city were put on full alert and 900 students were sent home by the governor. The full scale of the hoax was not revealed until the following day when embarrassed school committee members faced the media and issued an apology to parents.

In 2001 Birmingham Council became embroiled in an April Fool’s Day conspiracy involving Pebble Mill on the Bristol Road. They received what they thought was official notification from the BBC of severe structural damage to the BBC building, caused they were informed by a severe earth tremor. The council acted swiftly and informed the BBC that it had secured space in the Mailbox for all of the BBC staff and studio teams. This particular hoax was only discovered on the day of the move when Birmingham County Council received a fax message which simply read ‘ April Fools’ and was accompanied by a fax message of the original notification. Michael Johnson, Assistant Director was questioned by Channel 4 in an embarrassing fiasco where Johnson looked bewildered and confused and clearly had no knowledge of events leading to the change of location of the BBC headquarters in Birmingham.

April Fool’s Day is illegal in the Peoples Republic of China, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Alaska, Cuba and Bolivia.

http://www.birminghamuk.com

About the Author

From Birmingham UK Com. Everyone welcome. Drop by sometime soon.

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