Top 10 April Fools' Day Joke Web Sites

By Scott Spanbauer, PC World

Normally staid sites and individuals celebrate April 1 with weird, silly and elaborate hoax pages. Here are our favorite pranks of years past. Will anything make the list in 2008?

What is it about April Fools' Day jokes that we love so much? Perhaps it's that, in the midst of the crushing influx of information that many of us cope with daily, a well-constructed prank provides a welcome break. For a moment, we smile, even when the joke is a tried-and-true chestnut.Google has a strong tradition of sublime hilarity each April 1. Last year, the company announced two faux products designed to elicit a chuckle from unsuspecting (and suspecting) readers: Gmail Paper (6GB of messages, rendered as hard copy) and Google TiSP, a plumbing-based Internet service provider dedicated to harnessing the underutilized potential of the nation's "dark porcelain." (See PC World Senior Writer Tom Spring's complete slide show for a retrospective of Google's April Fools' and other fun inventions over the years.)In recent times, many other sites have pulled our collective leg with April Fools' pages marked by realistic graphics and ridiculous but deadpan copy. Here are 10 of our favorites. Just click the linked header for each entry to see the prank (or its fallout) come to life.

10. Facebook Funnies
Last year, Facebook users noticed some unusual entries scattered among News Feed updates, including the announcement of a new LivePoke feature, which invited users to dispatch a real live person to physically poke their Facebook friends (offer limited to first 100 members of a network). Another entry reported that Harry (Potter, not PC World's editor-in-chief McCracken) and Voldemort (more of a MySpace kind of guy anyway) had returned to their former relationship status as mortal enemies. Good work guys, and better luck next year on moving up our list.

9. Dead Fairy on eBay
In late March 2007, Dan Baines posted a Web page describing (and illustrating with detailed photos) the discovery of what appeared to be the remains of a "real" fairy. Baines claimed that the mummified fairy corpse was recovered along an old Roman road in Derbyshire, England, by a dog-walker who preferred to remain anonymous. The bones of its diminutive, humanlike skeleton were hollow, like a bird's, making it "particularly light," an anatomical peculiarity whose contribution to airworthiness was enhanced by the body's extremely leaflike -- uh, lifelike -- wings.

Over the next several days Baines, a magician and prop-maker, received hundreds of messages from credulous and (and in some instances worried) fairy-loving readers. To put their minds at ease, he revealed the hoax. Eventually Baines sold his creation on eBay for £280.

8. PodShave and PodShaveLady
Sometimes, a prank's premise is so plausible that you have to ask yourself: "Why isn't there a product like that?" When iLounge posted breaking news of a new video-playing iPod V from Apple on March 31, 2004, no one took the bait. The real video iPod, which was just around the corner, made too much sense for the iPod V prank to be funny.But wags at the now-defunct PodGear.net had more success with their electric-razor attachments for iPod Classic or Mini. Several Apple news sites, including PC World's sister publication Macworld, posted tongue-in-cheek reviews of these ersatz iPod accessories, leaving many wondering, "Does my back hair need grooming -- and can I dance to it?"

7. Wikipædia Brittanica
If we can believe Wikipedia's own Wiki page on the subject (at first unqualified, but subsequently clearly labeled as a joke), the popular user-created reference site was nearly absorbed by venerable dead-tree competitor Encyclopædia Britannica on April 1, 2005. Despite the promise of handsome severance packages for the founders of what was slated to become known as Wikimædia, the deal likely fell through -- perhaps due to the onerous financial burden it would have placed on contributors to the newly merged publications. Though future costs were estimated at an astronomical £99.97 for each page creation or edit, the new Wikipædia promised to offset them by offering contributors a chance to win a rare photo of Margaret Thatcher from her days on the burlesque circuit.

6. Water on Mars
NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day tends to be a beautiful high-resolution image of a far-off nebula, one of the moons of Saturn, or perhaps a comet streaking through the heavens. But the most startlingly unexpected image in the Astronomy Picture of the Day archive may be a photograph dated April 1, 2005, that conclusively establishes the presence of water on Mars.In other space-related news, alert readers of the ordinarily factual Space Daily news site were surprised to learn on the same day that President Bush had canceled the Space Shuttle program.
5. Animated Tattoos
It was only a matter of time before someone achieved a technological breakthrough to lift body art above its humble drunken-sailor beginnings. That breakthrough was announced and documented on April 1, 2006, when the trusted HowStuffWorks Web site revealed the secret behind the animated tattoo -- the Programmable Subcutaneous Visible Implant (PSVI).

Warning: The article's graphic photos of the PSVI implantation procedure are definitely not for the squeamish.

Buoyed by the article's success, HowStuffWorks followed it up last April with another behind-the-scenes look at tech implantation: How Cell-Phone Implants Work.

4. Indescribably Geek-elicious
ThinkGeek, the Web-based retailer of "Stuff for Smart Masses," usually observes April Fools' Day by posting new products that not only serve as a catalyst for mirth, but often defy the laws of physics. Starting in 2002 with the Desktop Zero-Point Power Generator, which converted abundant and "naturally occurring" electromagnetic energy into 120-volt AC power ("less than 600 rem of residual ionizing radiation!"), ThinkGeek went on to offer CaffeDerm caffeine-delivering dermal patches (reminiscent of Nicarest smokable nicotine sticks, reported in the Onion back in 1998); a Buzzaire caffeine inhaler; a PC EZ-Bake Oven (fits in a 5¼-inch drive bay); wireless extension cords; the vinyl-ripping, 2-terabyte, 33-pound iZilla Media Monster digital media player; and a USB desktop tanning center.

But latter-day Edisons at ThinkGeek outdid themselves with the Screened Sphorb, a device so unbelievably awesome that its accompanying QuickTime video -- to say nothing of the attendant text description -- doesn't begin to capture its multifaceted brilliance. What self-respecting geek could pass up a product that lets you "mod elementals AND screen drive in twice the time using only half of the optional memory pods, while the other half waits to achieve a normalized state" -- for a mere $39.99? Best of all, legacy Sphorbs are fully engaged in the emulation process!
Caveat emptor: No matter what assurances ThinkGeek's Screened Sphorb page makes about availability, the item may remain on back order indefinitely (or infinitely).

3. Beyond Buggy
Usually, the moderated posts on the Forum on Risks to the Public in Computers and Related Systems (a.k.a. Risks) focus soberly on news about security flaws in computer programs -- and the life-threatening unintended consequences of those programs. But around the first of April each year, Risks takes a decidedly silly turn, featuring satirical, sometimes macabre and possibly fictitious reports of technology gone wrong.

Examples from the April 1 2006, issue include reports about a motorist trapped in a traffic circle for 14 hours by his car's malfunctioning lane-keeping software; and about the announcement at Cambridge University of new full-scale mapping software (where 1 kilometer of the real world is represented by 1 km of the map) that had revealed errors in the location of actual roads and buildings. (Spokesman Lewis Carroll assured reporters that the maps would be annotated to reflect the real-world errors.)

Then there was a post about the "successful" evacuation of an Airbus 380 in 90 seconds. The latter quotes a statistics-enamored Airbus source, who downplayed reports of injuries during the record- (and femur-) breaking deplaning: "In a group of 853 people, the chances that one person has a broken leg and doesn't yet know it are substantial. The test showed that everyone came out at least as healthy as when they went in."

2. Opera SoundWave
The Web-browser business is highly competitive, and developers like the Mozilla Foundation, Microsoft and Opera are always trying to outdo each other with breakthrough enhancements. So it seemed like business as usual when, on April 1, 2005, Opera issued a press release announcing Opera SoundWave, described as an exciting platform-independent real-time technology for short- and medium-range interpersonal communication.The company stated that it had accidentally discovered SoundWave during an R&D study to speech-enable Opera's e-mail client, and included a link to a demo of the analog-signal-processing technology.

We hoped that continued healthy competition in the browser market would prompt further advances in Web-enabled communications, but Opera's ill-advised 2006 venture into stock photography was a disappointing follow-up.

1. Deer in Camouflage
On April 1, 2007, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' blog, "The PETA Files" (say it out loud), contained a brief entry regarding a new Minnesota-based anti-hunting group called Hunting is Downright Evil (HIDE), which had developed an ingenious new plan to protect local deer from hunters -- first tranquilizing them (the deer, not the hunters), then painting them with a camouflage pattern, and finally rereleasing them into the wild. It certainly gave a new twist to the term "deerhide."

Despite the telltale date right next to the blog post's title, dozens of commentators blasted away at HIDE, PETA and each other until sunset. Only at 5:44 p.m. on April 1 -- after a score of vitriolic denunciations of deer painting, hunt interference and "tree-huggin' idiots" -- did a lone voice finally interject: "Y'all know what day it is, right?"

Needless to say, most subsequent commentators persisted in not getting it. PETA was no newcomer to the art of the prank, either: In 2000, the organization announced plans to sabotage a Texas bass fishing tournament by knocking the fish out with tranquilizers. It's a joke, son.

Contributing Editor Scott Spanbauer moonlights as a college Spanish instructor and part-time Shinto priest. No, really.

[via MSN]

Tips for Starting a Day Care

By Fiona Lohrenz
You've always dreamed about starting your own day care business. The perfect situation which allows you to be with your kids whilst bringing in much needed money and being your own boss. But due to fear of the unknown you haven't done so. You're afraid to take that risk.

Here's my tip, remove the fear. Sample the environment first, familiarise yourself with the business to see if it is something you would truly enjoy. This is the ultimate form of research, total immersion. Try to get a job or even get volunteer work at a day care (ideally one that allows staff to bring their kids or arrange a temporary child care arrangement whilst you research your potential business). Do whatever it takes to get the time off, use your vacation days, arrange a leave of absence.

There is nothing like on the ground experience to figure out your suitability for a particular profession. Hands on,practical experience will introduce you to the nitty gritty of daily operations. You can learn invaluable lessons and glean tips and hints that could otherwise cause you to fall at the first hurdle. Observation and practical application is great for figuring out what works and what doesn't.

Your research period should be your sponge phase. Use it to soak up every atom of information possible. Take a copy book with you and jot down notes on your breaks, while it's still fresh in your head. Do the same thing when you get home in the evening before you forget those little nuggets. Oogle all paperwork, policies and procedures every chance you get. There'll be a lot so just try to remember key points for now. You can flesh that stuff out later. Just get an overview of how it all fits together.

Don't be afraid to ask questions, especially of the owner or more senior, experienced staff. Observe how they work, how they interact with children, parents and other staff. Try to identify different roles e.g. does each room have a keyworker and assistants? How does that work and could it be more effective? You will notice weaknesses too but use those to your advantage learning what not to do. Be aware of health and safety routines and issues. Hone in on any behavioural problems and notice what is the procedure for dealing with same.

Every successful business has effective systems, policies and procedures in place enabling it to run smoothly. The same applies to day care, once you remove the fear of the unknown by immersing yourself in the daily operations of a day care all the pieces will come together in your head enabling you to get beyond the fear to a more confident and constructive place. Most importantly though, it will give you a very good idea if child care is a business in which you could thrive. Passion and interest are paramount...these are what carry you through the tough times to success.

Now, what have you got to lose? Get researching. Potentially, you are gaining the perfect business for you and your family.

Fiona Lohrenz has been running her own day care for the past 10 years and is the founder of a childcare website that offers articles and resources for child care providers and parents. She has also produced 'Start a ChildCare Business' DVD. Fiona can be reached at her website here:http://www.childcareonly.com

Flag Day Party Menu Ideas for a Patriotic Party

By Gail Leino

Flag Day commemorates the adoption of the United States flag in 1777. While this is a holiday most of the United States doesn’t celebrate with any real traditions, it is an important holiday nonetheless. If you’re celebrating Flag Day, why not try some of the following food ideas:

Being held on June 14th you will find many people tend to barbeque for the occasion. They will have an outdoor picnic filled with the traditional picnic foods. Barbeque chicken, hamburgers, ribs, hot dogs, potato salad, pudding, jell-o, and even cakes.

Pudding: Tapioca pudding is just one of the desserts you may find at a barbeque. Tapioca pudding is made with milk, tapioca, egg, and vanilla. You heat the milk and egg in the pan adding in the tapioca until it boils. Once it has boiled you add the vanilla and let it cool in dessert dishes. You may wish to top it with a little whipped cream and a cherry.

Fruit Salad: This is another great addition to your Flay Day menu. All you need is eight different fruits from bananas, apples, grapes, cherries, peaches, pineapple, strawberries, and oranges. You combine these chopped fruits together in a bowl, add a little sugar if desired and let it sit in the fridge for an hour to cool. For a bit of zing, squeeze some fresh lemon or lime juice over the top. The combination of sweet and sour is delicious.

While Flag Day may not be celebrated in every home you can add to your family traditions by celebrating a day that means a lot to the beginning of our country. Flag Day may seem like just another day to have a little fun with friends and family, but don’t forget the importance.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for Flag Day party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Dubai Lifestyle - The History of the City and Day to Day Life in Dubai

By Rhiannon Williamson

Background Information to the United Arab Emirates and Dubai: -

Dubai is one of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE); it is located in the Middle East. The UAE borders the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf and is situated between Oman and Saudi Arabia. The United Arab Emirates was formed in 1971 by the then ‘Trucial States’ after their independence from Britain.

The UAE is governed by a Supreme Council of Rulers, the council is made up of the seven emirs and they appoint the prime minister and the cabinet for the country. Despite being ultimately ruled by the Supreme Council, as with the other six states, Dubai maintains a large degree of autonomy from the UAE when it comes to general decision making for the city’s development.

Oil was first discovered in the United Arab Emirates in the 1950s, before that the country’s economy was built on fishing and pearling, since 1962, when Abu Dhabi became the first of the emirates to begin exporting the oil, the country's economy has been completely transformed.

Sheikh Zayed, who has been the president of the UAE since its inception, quickly understood the economic potential for the country from the oil industry. He has continued to ensure that each of the emirates benefits from the oil generated wealth, he has insisted on the reinvestment of oil revenues into the healthcare system, the education system and the general national infrastructure.

The development of the oil industry has led to a large influx of foreign workers to the UAE, in fact Dubai’s population is the fastest growing in the world and the foreign population makes up about three quarters of the entire UAE population! As a direct result of this fact the UAE is one of the most liberal countries in the Gulf, with other cultures and beliefs tolerated. Dubai has also been quick to understand the need for diversification. Oil in the region is only projected to last for about 30 years and so Dubai has successfully embarked upon a major diversification program aimed to at developing industries and commercial enterprises to take the place of oil as the predominate commodity of the state's economy.

The climate in Dubai is sub-tropical and arid or desert like. The city enjoys almost year round sunny blue skies. Rain is infrequent and if it does fall, it falls in the winter.

Temperatures range from lows of 10°C to extreme summer highs of 48°C. The average maximum daily temperature in January is 24°C and the average maximum daily temperature in July is 41°C when humidity is very high.

About the city of Dubai
Dubai is recognised as the commercial and tourism capital of the UAE and is globally regarded as one of the most sophisticated, futuristic and cosmopolitan cities in the world, in fact Dubai is something of a phenomenon! It is an Arab Muslim society with the fastest growing foreign population in the world, and it has successfully developed harmony through ethnic diversity. It is a city with unrivalled levels of economic energy and architectural ambition, a unique city of contrasts where the most modern and architecturally stunning skyscrapers stand alongside traditional beautiful Arabic structures.

The experiences and attractions available in Dubai are many and varied. From the miles of immaculate beautiful white sandy beaches to the richly exotic Arabian heritage, from the awe inspiring majesty of the desert to the lively international bars, restaurants and nightclubs – a visitor to Dubai is guaranteed an incredible, never to be forgotten experience. In 2003 Dubai was voted safest holiday destination in the world by Conde Nast Traveller magazine, and in fact Dubai is recognised globally as one of the safest cities in the world. Living in Dubai you will find that it is virtually crime-free with the Dubai police ensuring personal safety and security. Anyone found guilty of committing a serious crime will be severely punished. Alcohol and drug related offences are considered serious.

The economy of the city of Dubai is a mainly service-driven economy, with every business amenity from banking to telecommunications offered. International trading and industrialisation are actively encouraged through the provision of favourable taxation advantages, offshore status, specialist free trade zones etc. Recent innovative projects in the city include the foundation of Dubai Media City and Dubai Internet City, bringing 21st century technology to Dubai in the world's very first ‘Free Zone’ wholly dedicated to e-business.

Day to Day Life in Dubai

Accommodation
If you are considering moving to Dubai one of your first thoughts will no doubt be finding somewhere to live. This is not something you’ll find too tricky, there are many companies advertising rental accommodation in the classified sections of local newspapers and they offer everything from private villas to luxury apartments or even shared accommodation. Whatever your budgetary and lifestyle requirements are, the specialist relocation and housing companies will be sure to have something to assist you. If you prefer to find your accommodation privately and avoid any agency costs, many people use supermarkets notice boards to advertise or request accommodation.

In terms of which areas of the city offer the type of accommodation you are after, Jumeirah, Umm Sequiem and the Safa Park area are upmarket and offer villa-type accommodation. Satwa and Garhoud also offer villas but are slightly cheaper. Rashidiya, Mirdif and Al Quoz are mainly Arabic areas and they actually attract a lot of expats.

If you are after an apartment the most popular areas are around Bur Dubai, the Sheikh Zayed Road with cheaper flats are available in Deira, Satwa and Karama. Some of the more exclusive apartment developments offer shared gym and pool facilities together with garaged car parking and the like.

Education
If you are considering moving to Dubai with family and are interested in finding out about the education system and the availability and quality of schools, one of the best ways is to ask around! Because of the numbers of expats in Dubai there is actually a large number of primary and secondary schools from which you can to choose. Most schools are private fee paying schools and really the best way to get an idea of the reputation of a school is to ask friends, colleagues and other expats who live in Dubai. Many of the schools also have their own websites where you can learn about the curriculum they follow, after school programs etc.

When it comes to enrolling your child in the UAE there are a few restrictions you should be aware of. For example you are not allowed to change your child’s school during the academic year…unless approval is given by the Ministry of Education and the circumstances are ‘special’.

This means that you have to make sure the school you choose for your child will definitely suit them. Another restriction you should be aware of is that is you move to Dubai on or after the 1st May each year you can’t enrol your child into the schooling system for that year. Instead you’ll have to enrol for the beginning of the new school year which is usually the beginning of September.

Health
Another consideration you may have if thinking about relocation to Dubai may be the state of the health care system available there. It is fair to say that Dubai has many very well equipped hospitals and surgeries. Dubai’s Department of Health and Medical Services runs Dubai, Rashid, Maktoum and Al Wasl hospitals, with Dubai Hospital one of the best medical centres in the entire Middle East. Al Wasl is a maternity and gynaecology hospital.

The Department of Health also run out patient clinics or surgeries and in addition there are a number of quality private hospitals in Dubai offering in and out patient facilities – e.g., The American and Welcare Hospitals. Overall both the private and publicly offered health care services in Dubai are first class.

Working
Working in Dubai you will enjoy a tax free salary and all shop goods can be bought at tax free prices, making it an incredibly attractive city to international workers and international companies. Job opportunities in Dubai and diverse and plentiful, particularly since the additions of the Media and Internet cities…Dubai is a city expanding its horizons at an unrivalled rate.

It is important to mention that some countries worldwide have tax laws enabling them to tax their nationals on their worldwide income. It is important to check your status with an international accountant before taking up employment in the city.

Lifestyle
Dubai has a thriving expat population who make the most of their tax free lifestyle in this amazing city of opportunity. The nightlife in the city is excellent, with cocktail bars, wine bars, themed bars and typical British or Irish pubs available, many of which offer food and entertainment as well.

High standard international cuisine is available in the city’s many restaurants and if you are looking for lively evening entertainment there are numerous night clubs around the city. Some of the clubs attract international DJs; there are also Middle Eastern, Indian and Asian nightclubs offering entertainment with singers and dancers. Dubai also welcomes international touring singing and entertainment acts which cater to all tastes and ages…from traditional theatre groups to ballet, from opera to international rock and pop bands - all are regular visitors to the United Arab Emirates.

You can be assured of an exciting pace of life in Dubai and a high standard of living.

Rhiannon Williamson is an experienced publisher who has produced articles for leading travel and tourism guides and financial magazines. Her specialist knowledge about both travel and finance gives her site Shelter Offshore the unique ability to literally cover every single aspect of moving & living abroad - including the often less discussed offshore tax advantages that can be available when leaving our homeland.