Here’s to foolishness as April rolls in
Published 12:04 am Saturday, March 29, 2014
Where did March go? Somehow, it is almost April, which begins, of course, with April Fools’ Day, the widely recognized day for playing practical jokes.
When I was a UA co-ed working at The Crimson White, we produced an annual April Fools’ edition, making up all kinds of funny stories. My senior year, the quad was covered with snow the morning that special newspaper hit the street, making it all the more surreal.
Where can pranks be more fun than the office? A story that landed in my inbox today from the website Live playfully listed a number of pranks that shouldn’t get one fired.
• The Post-It Prank: One could literally cover a co-workers desk with post-its, or, the sticky note program of a computer could be used to cover a computer screen with virtual post-its.
Some of my Star-News co-workers and former co-workers, well Mollie Riley and Shannon Harris, love to prank on birthdays. They once covered a small pick-up with yellow post-its. At first glace, it looked like a homecoming parade float covered with tissue paper.
Another time, they totally trashed an office with newsprint, and they once placed a classified ad for free goats and listed a co-worker’s phone number.
• Drawing a Blank: Turn the brightness setting all the way up and the contrast settings all the way down on your coworkers’ monitor, leaving a seemingly frozen screen for them to return to. Get ready to watch them freak as they think that their computer monitor has fizzled out on them.
• Sneaky as a Mouse: If you’re looking for easy pranks to pull on someone’s computer, when your coworker isn’t looking, install a wireless mouse to their computer. When they come back, control the mouse from the desk over, and watch them ponder in confusion as their computer takes on a life of its own.
• No. You Called Me!: Commonly known as the Chinese Food Prank Call. If your office phone has the ability to make conference calls, you can prank two people at once. Dial one coworker’s extension, then quickly dial the other’s into a conference call. They will both answer at once while you listen in as the confusion ensues as to who called who- easily among our favorite phone pranks.
• Tape: Both Live playfully and Buzzfeed suggested using plain old tape to play a joke. Place tape over the mouthpiece of a co-worker’s phone, one suggested. Another suggested covering the sensor on a mouse or a remote and watching while a frustrated user tried to figure out what happened.
• The eyes have it: To entertain the kids, stick googly eyes on the containers of food in your refrigerator.
Happy almost-April, y’all. And don’t try these tricks on anyone who doesn’t love to laugh.