This section narrates some very interesting anecdotes
that are funny and thought provoking at the same time. The story of
'John Kallam's Qualifications' brings out how senseless we are to real
geniuses and how much we deem 'degrees' to prove one's abilities.
Indeed, the implementation of rules should not make us fools. 'Explosion
in Wisconsin Sate Capitol Building' brings out the satire on Senate and
Assembly debates that were targeted on one April Fools' Day by The
Madison Capital Times.
Jonathan Swift spread the rumor of 'John Partridge's Demise' so
skillfully that the astrologer could not fully convince the people of
his being alive for the rest of his life. It's a funny incident and
tells us how people take a published piece of paper much more seriously
that a real person in flesh and blood. 'Gangsters' Delight' narrates two
stories. One is about Russia, where diamond encrusted grenades were said
to be launched, especially for the gangsters who like to 'kill in style'
while the other one is about a charity organization that had thought of
helping the homeless by giving them guns and ammunition, instead of
food, shelter or vocational turning.
Explosion in Wisconsin State Capitol Building
The Madison Capital Times thought of a really witty satire on the constant debates that go on in the Senate and Assembly in 1933. On 1st of April, it announced that there had been explosions in the Wisconsin state capitol building that had turned it to ruins. Along with the article, a phony picture was also published that depicted that the Capitol Building was collapsing.
Gangsters' Delight
There are two April Fool stories that are sure to be gangsters' delight. Both stories belong to late 1990s. In 1996, Russian gangsters were increasingly becoming more and more active and ruthless. So, Itar-Tass thought that perhaps these heartless mercenaries would like to 'kill in style' with the help of diamond encrusted grenades that were being manufactured by a military factory for the first time in history, especially for Russian gangsters.
John Kallam's Qualifications
Colonel John Kallam served for 20 years in the US Army from late 1930s to late 1950s. Having done BA in criminology, he had an illustrious profile as an investigator during the Nuremberg trials of Nazi war criminals, organizing civilian police forces in Germany in the post-war era for several years and writing a number of books on criminal justice. After retiring from military service, he joined as a lecturer in the Fresno State College of California that later came to be known as the California State University, Fresno.
John Partridge's Demise
Jonathan Swift, the famous satirist, played an elaborate joke on the famous astrologer known as John Partridge. In February 1708, he assumed a pseudonym Isaac Bickerstaff, a rival astrologer of Partridge, who suddenly made an appearance in London by publishing an almanac in which Partridge's death was predicted on 29th March of that year and the fever was to be the cause of his demise.
