Saturday 9: The Fool on the Hill (1968)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
1) As an April Fool's prank, Taco Bell once announced they had purchased The Liberty Bell and renamed it The Taco Liberty Bell. Describe your perfect taco. I know that foodies will mock me, but I do like Taco Bell's soft taco. I have a sensitive tummy, but their meat and fixings don't upset it. And as someone whose diet necessarily leans to bland, their tacos can really hit the spot. (I’ll take a Mountain Dew with that, please.)
2) Similarly, as an April Fool's prank, the Ford Motor Co. was supposed to wipe out the national deficit by purchasing the naming rites to a beloved monument, renaming it the Ford Lincoln Mercury Memorial. What model car do you drive? No car.
3) In 1998, Burger King got in on the April Fool's Day fun by promoting a special "Left-Handed Whopper," designed to be easier for a leftie to hold. Describe your perfect burger. Medium well, with cheddar cheese, bacon and egg. And then, a nap.
4) In 1962, when color TV was still new, a Swedish station pranked viewers by telling them they could convert their black/white sets to color by cutting up a nylon stocking and stretching it across the screen. Of course, in 1962, more women wore nylons and screens were smaller. How big is your TV? Are there any nylon stockings in your home? My living room TV is 20”. And I do have some pantyhose somewhere in my bureau. I should dump them. They’re so old and have gone unworn for so long, they might turn to dust in my hands.
5) In 1957, the BBC ran an April Fool's story about how the Swiss were enjoying a "bumper spaghetti crop," with spaghetti literally growing on trees. Viewers who called the station, asking how to grow a spaghetti tree of their own, were told to place a sprig of spaghetti in a can of tomato sauce and hope for the best. Have you ever fallen for an April Fool's prank? None that I can remember. I’m not a fan of practical jokes.
6) When Crazy Sam was growing up, her mother would surprise her on April Fool's Day by slipping a rubber worm or plastic spider in her lunch box. When you were in school, did you more frequently brown bag it or buy your lunch in the cafeteria line? My standard trip through the high school lunch line included a slice of thin crust pizza, Coke and a strawberry shortcake ice cream bar. I chose strawberry because they were in the back of the freezer case and I’d ask the nearest boy to get it for me. Back in the olden days, teenage boys liked feeling big and strong. I was such a minx! (If no cute boy was around, I’d have chocolate.)
7) This week's song was an international hit for Sergio Mendes and Brasil 66. Because of the song's bossa nova arrangement, everyone assumed the lead singer, Lani Hall, was Brazilian. She was a folk singer from Chicago. Sergio Mendes discovered her at a charity benefit. Can you think of a time when doing good really paid off for you? Doing good always makes me happy. Helping others is the easiest high there is!
8) In 1968, when this record was popular, Pierre Trudeau became Prime Minister of Canada. Today his son holds that office. When did you most recently visit our neighbor to the north? About 20 years ago.
9) Random question: Name three websites you visit every day. Goodreads, Facebook, and Farmville.
