Posted on 03/31/2006 10:17:18 AM PST by Nachum
Time to dust off the whoopee cushions and hand buzzers. April Fools' Day is here and there's no better place for wisecracks and shenanigans than at work.
In its annual April Fools' Day survey, CareerBuilder.com found 33 percent of workers have played a practical joke on a co-worker and 17 percent are planning office tricks for this year's holiday.
Although it might be thrilling to finally one-up the office funnyman, pranks also help beat something that's no laughing matter: workplace stress.
More than half of workers reported working under stress in another CareerBuilder.com survey. Stress and worry on the job can be harmful, causing problems that damage your health and performance. Having fun with co-workers can provide stress relief, build rapport, make work more enjoyable and possibly improve productivity.
If you want to commit an act of April Foolery at work and need some inspiration, here are the top 10 work gags from CareerBuilder.com's survey:
1. Changed the caller ID on a co-worker's phone to read "Mr. Kitten" every time he called someone.
2. Placed random objects from people's desks in the vending machine.
3. Placed a live goldfish in an IV bag in a clinic.
4. Snuck onto someone else's computer and sent out an "I love you" e-mail to the entire office.
5. Wall papered someone's entire cube with headshots of his co-workers.
6. Convinced a colleague that a co-worker was in love with him.
7. Sat on the copier and placed the copies back in the paper bin. Anytime co-workers made copies, they had the image of the prankster's backside in the background.
8. Turned all the clocks in the office one hour back to make the work day seem longer.
9. Locked all the doors, shut off the lights and put a "Closed" sign in the window when the boss went out for lunch.
10. Placed fake rubber chocolates in the break room and watched as co-workers tried to chew them.
Kate Lorenz is the article and advice editor for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
Many years ago my Mom pulled this on the family. It has been repeated a few times.
Make pancakes for the family breakfast. The top pancake of each stake is made by taking a piece of paper towel cut to the proper size and dipped in pancake batter. This pancake will be too tough to cut through. Be sure your stake is normal and wonder why everyone else is having such a problem.
LMAO!!! That is one of the best I've ever heard!
get some fake insects and put them at the foot of their beds or in thier lunchboxes (on school days)
I printed out a copy of CDC's Giardiasis
fact sheet, and left it, folded neatly, on the TP dispenser in the restroom.
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dpd/parasites/giardiasis/factsht_giardia.htm
People just can't leave reading material alone.
If I could spell this might make sense
stake = stack
4. Laxative in my snacks
Actually had a co-worker tell me of when he did this to disclose a snack-stealer at this old workplace. Turned out to be a little Filipino lady that no one suspected.
No more snacks were stolen afterwards.
Now, that is winner. Kids will fall that for sure!
Oh man, that's funny!
Some incredible weather changes:
Extreme Winter Sudden Change Days
When the cold front associated with a winter low-pressure system ushers in the blast of cold air of an arctic outbreak, the local air temperature can drop precipitously in a few hours. There are many recorded instances of extreme temperature drops, but here are a few to chill your bones.
Browning, Montana: In 24 hours over January 23 to 24, 1916, the temperature dropped 100 Fahrenheit degrees (55.6 Celsius degrees) from 44 oF (6.7oC) above zero to minus 56 oF (-48.9oC)
.
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma: A classic Blue Norther hit Oklahoma on November 11, 1911 (11/11/11!!). In a few hours time, temperatures plunged from a balmy, and record, high of 83 oF (28oC), to a record low of 17 oF (-8oC). By the next morning the temperature fell to 14 oF (-10oC) a drop of 69 Fahrenheit degrees (38.3 Celsius degrees) in less than 24 hours. This event is the only date left in the Oklahoma City record books on which the existing record high and record low temperatures for the date occurred on the same day.
Rapid City, South Dakota: On the morning of Jan. 10, 1911, the temperature fell 62 Fahrenheit degrees (34.4 Celsius degrees), from 49 oF (9.4oC) at 6 a.m. to -13 oF (-25 oC) at 8 a.m. From 7 AM to 7:15 AM that same day, Rapid City's temperature plunged from 55 oF (12.8 oC) to 8 oF (-13.3 oC) a 47 Fahrenheit degrees (26 Celsius degrees) temperature drop in 15 minutes.
http://www.islandnet.com/~see/weather/elements/arcticoutbreak.htm
My eight-year-old daughter and I have been making tasty fakes for my wife for years. We'll use desert ingredients to make realistic looking pork chops, stew or chili, and then cook the real thing.
My wife comes home, and the whole house smells like "what's for dinner". It isn't until the first bite she figures it out. My daughter loves it!
Now we just have to figure out how to pull this off on a Saturday...
"A "practical joker" desrves applause for his wit according to its quality. Bastinado is about right. For exceptional wit one might grant keelhauling. But staking him out on an anthill should be reserved for the very wittiest."
SECOND INTERMISSION
More from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long
"Time Enough For Love"
Robert A. Heinlein
A friend of mine in the Army went one better. His lunch was being stolen repeatedly. He kept snakes at home (boas, pythons, etc) and fed them "pinkies" which are euthanized baby rats. One day he made up a fake lunch with a submarine sandwich in it. You've probably guessed it - pinkies on rye with lots of mayo. The top sergeant had a bad day after sampling it.
April Fools!
We are business casual where I work. I sent out a memo to my boss as if it came from HIS boss (with the secretary's help) telling him about the new dress policy for manager's...coat and tie all of the time from now on. The secretary thought it was so funny she sent it to all of the managers. I didn't really get into trouble, but it got mixed reactions. My boss saw it was a joke right away, but some of our Indian managers believed it and thought it was great. They were looking forward to dressing up.
let me know how it goes. You could use circles of fabric if your paper towels are cheap.
Apparently, you have been seduced by the dark side of the force.
sweet
god it works GREAT!!!! thanks..
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