A rerun: PSA: April 1

(I posted this exact same entry a couple of years ago, but it's worth reposting)

PSA: April Fools' Day
Reminder: Tomorrow (April 1) is April Fools' Day.

As a general rule, take any story you read online with a grain of salt. Two, even.

Personally, I find some aspects of the "holiday" to be repugnant. I'm not a fan of actual practical jokes (something that might tie into my love of horror movies, in which practical jokes often lead to the creation of a new serial killer), as I think they're more often than not an exercise in being mean for its own sake. And I've seen way too many of them backfire. This goes doubly for blog entries.

Remember, too, that people do die on every day of the year. Fake celebrity deaths don't work as a practical joke, in my book. The death of Brandon Lee, for example, was reported on April 1 (although he died the day before). And Martha Graham, Marvin Gaye, and Leslie Cheung all come to mind as folks who died on April 1 (can you imagine, given the way he died, if folks had just dismissed the reports of Gaye's death?).

But I do appreciate the clearly-over-the-top stuff the holiday brings out in some sites. The KOL changes, for example, or the annual ThinkGeek "sales."

So, consider this my statement that A) I won't be posting any bogus entries tomorrow, and B) that I will be pointing out some of the better fakes sites on the net.

The birthday greed list

(Idea swiped from theferrett)

My 39th birthday, as some of you know, is on April 8, eight days from now. I'll be celebrating in the traditional way, by sending my daughter to New York City for a band trip for the weekend, walking for a charity, and attending Barcamp.

I'm not currently in need of a lot of stuff, and the best thing you could get me -- donations to support me in the Walk for Change -- doesn't exactly qualify as "greed." I've already got the latest Vlad Taltos and have pre-ordered the new Bordertown book, and while there are plenty of other books I'd like to read, albums I'd like to listen to, and games I'd like to play, there's nothing I can't live without.

To quote what I wrote a few years ago, I'm not really looking for, or expecting, any gifts. I don't consider friendship to be something that hinges on people giving gifts, nor does the quality/quantity of gifts given necessarily relate to how good a person is. That goes doubly so, in these times when most people I know (ourselves included) are dealing with various monetary frustrations. All still true.

But I know that some people view gifting as a thing they want to do, and I certainly admit that I like getting gifts. If you really feel like spending money/time on me, I'm flattered and honored. I genuinely believe that it's the thought that counts, and anything someone gets me because they think I'd like it is wonderful (unless you think I'd like a flaming bag of dog poo; some gifts really aren't necessary).
For those who

Of course, there's the obligatory Amazon wishlist, which has a good chunk of stuff (like many folks, I use my wishlist as a "to buy" list for those times when I've got money or credit, so it's a little long. Sort by priority if you want to see the things I'm most interested in).

As far the traditional big gifts that tend to populate greed lists, I'm actually at a loss. I mean, I'd love a PSP, but that's about the only thing more expensive than a video game that I'm even craving. We've got video game systems, can watch DVDs, have decent computers, etc. At some point, I'd like to update our cookware and bakeware, but that's about the only thing I can imagine needing in terms of material goods.

That said, perhaps the best example of an expensive gift that I'll never justify buying myself is a subscription to MLB TV (the basic package is fine, although I'd surely use the advanced features or the minor league option if I had them, of course). My Mets have a good chance to win at least sixty games this season, and I'd love to be able to watch some of them. That's about the only big thing I can think of.

As you know (Bob), I'm a huge fan of Kingdom of Loathing. They have a store, and pretty much any item in the store (excluding the calendars, DVD, and the lime-colored lime shirt) would make great gifts (T-Shirt size XL). The coffee mugs, in particular, are ones I'd love.

If you actually play KOL, in-game items are also very welcome. :-) I'm generally hardcore-for-life, so the best gifts are familiars I don't have (you can look at my terrarium to see what I've got), but I do occasionally play aftercore, and any gifts, even ones that are pretty common, are appreciated.

If that last paragraph made no sense, you don't play KOL. Don't worry about it.

ETA to say the obvious: For those who create art, I consider that to be a wonderful gift, but I also recognize the economic reality of art; I'd rather you make something that helps your career and shares art with the world than create something that only I and those who visit me would see. That said, sharing a link to something beautiful you've drawn/written/record on my birthday would be wonderful.

That pretty much sums up my list. Assuming none of the fake items ThinkGeek announces tomorrow turn into the next Tauntaun Sleeping Bag, I don't see anything likely to change here.