Some morning news chum, gathered while the tea cools, especially for April Fools day:
- From the “He sings! He dances!” Department: The stage company that gave us “Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson”, the emo rock musical about our 7th president is back with “Hoover: Tanned, Rested, and Ready to Rock. According to the description of the musical, “After stewing for 70 years in political disgrace (and presumed death), Herbert Hoover takes the stage to reclaim his legacy and save America in the process.” “Elvis’ classic ‘68 Comeback Special” serves as inspiration for Hoover’s own interactive, rock-infused rebirth. The musical features songs by Michael Friedman.
- From the “Don’t Bring It Back” Department: We’re now seeing it everywhere. Car dealers will make your payments if you get laid off. Suit dealers allow you to keep the suit. But one store may have gone too far. An adult DVD store in Chicago has said that if you get laid off, you don’t have to return those porn DVDs you rented. I just guess they are trying to make the world a happier place.
- From the “Let’s Take The Day Off” Department: Hot on the heels of the announcement of National Corndog Day is the announcment that April is National Grilled Cheese Month. Time to make your own greesy gooey delight — or if you are too tired, a restaurant in Los Angeles will do it for you. Just imagine, grilled cheese al carbon with jack cheese, marinated steak, bacon, avocado and chopped onions served with smoky salsa; Camembert and mushrooms; soppresatta pepper jack with pickled Calabrian peppers on white corn rye bread; chicharron de queso with cheese that’s grilled until it’s crispy then tucked inside a torta with black beans, lettuce and pico de gallo; and a combo beef dip/grilled cheese that comes with hot mustard and pickled eggs. Think your grilled cheese is the best? Then you can enter the Los Angeles Grilled Cheese Invitational on April 25 ($5 admission; $10 to compete).
- From the “Shades of the Times” Department: You knew it would happen, didn’t you. With foreclosures everywhere, it was bound to spread to corporate. It’s hit in St. Louis, where as a result of the InBev – AB merger, the maker of Budweiser stopped making payments on their factory. Foreclosure is in process, and now A-B is reduced to selling its furniture to pay for its beer habit.
- From the “And No One Knows You’re Wearing It” Department: Citing a need to free women from their tight undergarments, a company in Japan is introducing loincloths for women. Called fundoshi, they come in seven different colors and two designs — plain and chequered. More than 5,000 have been sold since December, and the company now plans to start selling them in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Singapore.
- From the “I Thought He Was Frozen” Department: The San Francisco Presdio will soon have a new exhibit: the world’s only museum dedicated to the life of Walt Disney, exploring his roles as creator of Mickey Mouse, as the man who raised animation to an art, designer of futuristic theme parks and ultimately one of the most influential cultural forces of the 20th century. No word yet on whether there will be a grinning and waving audio-animatronic Walt at the entrance.
Now, this being April Fools Day, at least one of these stories isn’t completely true. You get to figure out which one (or ones). Comments are screened.
