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A reader sends: "A recent True story noted that students in the UK do not understand the true dangers of Internet use and that critical thinking needs to be taught better to help with determining truth from fiction. For one of my students taking a critical thinking/philosophy of knowledge class, I recommended that her class take a look at this site and discuss what it is telling us." Considering how many people have been taken in by this very funny site, that's a smart suggestion. (Hint: you might know Dihydrogen Monoxide by its more common name: "water".) From This is True for 11 July 2004 Suggestions for further reading:
 By: Sir John Hargrave List Price: $9.95 Amazon Price: $9.95 Editorial Review: From Legendary Internet Humorist Sir John Hargrave comes Prank The Monkey Each month, over 1.5 million people tune into Sir John Hargrave's comedy Web site, zug.com, which shronicles his cleverly crafted pranks on such high-profile targets as Michael Jackson, Ashton Kutcher, and the entire U.S. Senate. Born on April Fool's Day, Sir John secretly began his site on a company computer in 1995, making it the world's oldest comedy site. Co-workers loved reading about his hilarious, real-life stories such as subsisting on a diet of Olestra-laden potato chips for a solid week, or trying to kiss Microsoft CEO Bill Gates at a technology Industry party. That kind of establishment-tweaking stunt became Sir John's speacialty. But it was a 2001 piece called "The Credit Card Prank" that turned the Internet humorist into an Internet Celebrity. "I was tired of being asked to sign my name every time I used my credit card," he explains,"So I started signing every wacky name I could think of. to see if anyone would notice." No one did. But the photos of his credit card receipts--forged with names from "Mariah Carey" to "Zeus"--did get noticed by bloggers, who passed around the article nearly 20 million times. In his new book, Prank The Monkey, Sir John goes after targets like Wal-Mart, Starbucks, e-mail spammers, Madonna, and even the British Royal Family, skewering each target with a cleverly orchestrated prank. He challenges the IRS by filling out his tax returns in Roman numerals; he tricks Elizabeth Hurley into signing a will the bequeaths all her assets to Hargrave estate. Despite its bad-boy stylings, Prank The Monkey is a wickedly funny book, proving that one man armed with nothing but a cell phone and a computer can take on the world's most powerful institutions. And in the process, he might just become an Internet institution himself.  By: Institute Historian T. F. Peterson List Price: $19.95 Amazon Price: $13.57 Editorial Review: Before the term hacking became associated with computers, MIT undergraduates used it to describe any activity that took their minds off studying, suggested an unusual solution to a technical problem, or generally fostered nondestructive mischief. The MIT hacking culture has given us such treasures as police cars and cows on the Great Dome, a disappearing door to the President's office, and the commencement game of "Al Gore Buzzword Bingo." Hacks can be technical, physical, virtual, or verbal. Often the underlying motivation is to conquer the inaccessible and make possible the improbable. Hacks can express dissatisfaction with local culture or with administrative decisions, but mostly they are remarkably good-spirited. They are also by definition ephemeral. Fortunately, the MIT Museum has amassed a unique collection of hack-related pictures, reports, and remnants. Nightwork collects the best materials from this collection, to entertain innocent bystanders and inspire new generations of practitioners.  By: John Austin List Price: $14.95 Amazon Price: $10.17 Editorial Review: BAD BEHAVIOR 101 Forget about Punk’d. Or any of those other stupid hidden camera shows. Executing the perfect prank is an art that demands deft craftsmanship and sly cunning. Whether you’re talking about a good-natured practical joke between roommates or an elaborate hit against a nosy neighbor, nothing sends a message with satisfying elegance like a well-designed prank. But how can you, just some regular schmo, become an ultimate prankster? Welcome to Prank University! Here are 100 essential pranks—from classics such as Doorbell Drench and Silly-String Sleep to more modern operations like Quick Leg Shave, Wasabi Paste, and Plastic Forking (you’ll have to look inside for that one, but trust us, it’s good). Step-by-step instructions and ingenious diagrams make these diabolical schemes all too easy. An icon system denotes prank difficulty as well as the number of accomplices needed, costs involved (if any), and whether to film the event for posterity. Just remember to use this information judiciously . . . you never know when some young jokester (also armed with this book) might be coming after you. With Prank University, jackass class is in session!  By: Juliette Cezzar List Price: $15.95 Amazon Price: $11.96 Editorial Review: Office Mayhem is a survival guide to Mondays in your cubicle and a primer on enduring the everyday monotony and pointlessness of modern office life. This mischievous handbook features tips on how to booby-trap your colleague’s desk drawers, and how to build office guns with basic (and standard issued) office supplies. Learn tech tactics for the insider scoop on surveillance, spying, backstabbing, sabotage, and everything else to climb the corporate ladder ahead of your fellow professional slaves. Enjoy your day job with this shamelessly humorous companion to workplace hijinks, edited by the rebellious employees of Jack Spade. Look for the watch-the-clock flipbook (countdown from 4:00pm to 5:00pm)!  By: Robin Epstein List Price: $3.99 Amazon Price: $3.99 Editorial Review: It's the girls versus the boys! Spelling Bee season has arrived and the Groovy Girls are ready for more slumberrific F-U-N! During their second pajama party, the Groovies play a mysterious board game that spooks them almost as much as the boys' "Boo!". Before you can say marshmallow bunny and artichoke s'mores, the prank war is off and running. Join the Slumberrific Six for some unBEElievable adventures! |
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