It's That Day of the Year...

... that makes me cringe while still offering surprises that truly make me laugh.

So I won't try to fool you all, but I will share some of the laughs.

The best April Fool's joke I ever saw is one I have framed and hanging in my dining room. People always look at it strangely... first of all, why would someone have a Taco Bell ad framed and hanging in their own home? And second, huh, really? ... until I point out the date: April 1, 1996.

Today, I got an e-mail from Paper.com with this title: "Paper.com Set to Merge with Rock.com and Scissors.com."

A link on Google's main page will open up new horizons, maybe beyond your wildest dreams. That crazy Richard Branson sure does like an adventure.

Unfortunately, my application was not received with we-couldn't-do-it-without-you-Alison rejoicing:

Well, you're distressingly normal and could conceivably adjust to life as a deep space pioneer, though we recommend instead that you leave the Mars missions to the serious whack jobs who scored over 130 and instead finish year 3 of law school, tuck your toddler into bed, design Web 2.0 applications, run for Congress or do whatever other normal, healthy, middle-of-the-road thing you're currently doing with your normal, healthy, middle-of-the-road life. If you're determined to give Virgle a try, though, you can submit your video here.

I've thought of myself as many things before. But never quite distressingly normal. But it's okay, because Google is offering me another life-changing resource. And, believe it or not, I actually fell for this one for at least half a minute.

And finally, Etsy is not without its own bit of the fun, here and here.

Find more delightful April Fool's jokes from years past at the Museum of Hoaxes (and there's more about the Taco Liberty Bell).

Happy April Fool's Day! Here's hoping it's a funny but painless one.

(If it's quiet here for the next few days, it's because I am deeply entrenched in tax preparation, and I assure you, that's no hoax, no joke and not all that much fun, but definitely an adventure with new horizons.)