They got me
Tuesday, Apr 1, 2014 - Posted by Rich Miller
* So, Greg Baise at the Illinois Manufacturers Association e-mailed today saying I should congratulate Mark Denzler when I see him next. Attached to the e-mail was a press release. The headline…
Illinois Chamber Announces Mark Denzler as New Head of Government Affairs
Wow. Interesting move, I thought. I thought Denzler was next in line after Baise finally decided to retire after 75 years at the IMA, or whatever it’s been.
* The text…
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce incoming CEO Todd C. Maisch has chosen Mark Denzler to take over the reigns of government affairs at the Chamber and serve as his number two.
I actually texted someone at that point that there could be a big job opening in town.
* But then there were the quotes, like this one from Ray Drake, the Chamber’s board chairman…
Denzler currently serves as VP & COO of the Illinois Manufacturers Association. He will have to broaden his horizons and step up his lobbying game to meet the high government affairs standards of the Illinois Chamber. Incoming CEO Todd Maisch is confident that under his mentorship Denzler will soon grow into the role. I hope that Mr. Maisch is correct. This is a huge gamble from the perspective of the Chamber Board.
* From Todd Maisch, the Chamber’s incoming CEO…
“I see Mark as someone I can mold and grow into a truly great business advocate. For the past decade Mr. Denzler has proven himself to be fairly competent in manufacturing related issues. I hope this move to represent the broader business community will not be too overwhelming for him.”
* From Baise…
“Denzler has served me well as an assistant. Mr. Maisch is lucky to find someone whom he can mold in his image. I congratulate both gentlemen on the opportunities that lay ahead for them.”
Your favorite April Fools Day pranks?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:35 pm:
My kids would always call me at work pretending to be from the Brookfield Zoo and tell me it was time to return to the Monkey House.
When they were real little, they’d do it about ten times a day and laugh themselves silly every time.
Now they just call for money and it’s no joke.
- Funny - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:37 pm:
Kraig Lounsberry and Rob Karr pulled off a classic!!!!!!!
- 47th Ward - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:39 pm:
WXRT did a day-long gag about CDs becoming corroded and unplayable over time, based on a report on Businessweek. Apparently, something in the manufacturing process caused the discs to break down and thua CDs wouldn’t last more than about 10 years. Not coincidentally, this must have been in the mid-1990s when the oldest CDs were about 10 years old.
Sure enough, every now and then during the day, the music skipped or stopped mid-song and the DJ had to come on and apologize for the problem and play another song. Lin Brehmer broke the news in the morning, Terri Hemmert was in tears because she thought she’d lose all of her rare Beatles CDs. Frank E. Lee said he was leaving work early so he could race home and make copies of his collection.
It was really well done. They totally got me. I didn’t realize it was an April Fool’s gag until a week or so later when I was searching for the original Businessweek article to show a friend who didn’t believe me.
- Jaded - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:42 pm:
Sid Finch Sports Illustrated 1985. As a teenager I bought it hook line and sinker.
- Soccermom - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:47 pm:
Sid Finch was brilliant.
And I assume that using “reigns” when they meant “reins” was part of the joke?
- wordslinger - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 12:51 pm:
Jaded, the guy who posed for the photos as Sid Finch lives in my Oak Park neighborhood. He used to hang at the old Candlelight in DeKalb when he went to NIU.
You bought a barefoot pitcher from Tibet with a 168 mph fastball? Okay.
- CircularFiringSquad - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 1:00 pm:
I thought the Rauner farmer release was the best April Fool’s joke
- 32nd Ward Roscoe Village - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 1:05 pm:
Yes, I know this is a political site, but for those us who have other interests as well, here are a couple from this year:
For film and food lovers:
http://skyfullofbacon.com/blog/?p=5191
For silent film lovers:
http://nitrateville.com/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=17315
- Jaded - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 1:06 pm:
==You bought a barefoot pitcher from Tibet with a 168 mph fastball?==
Yep. It was in sports illustrated and I was 15.
But hey, at least I didn’t fall for that whole “Hope and change” thing, so I got that going for me.
- Northsider - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 1:45 pm:
Sidd Finch and the BBC’s Spaghetti Harvest story are 1 and 1a, but the Scottish brewer Innis & Gunn had a good one today: http://www.innisandgunn.com/keep-discovering/blog/were-launching-original-in-wooden-bottles
- So what? - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 2:30 pm:
Today’s front page of the K3 Daily Journal isn’t the best but the gullible will believe it. It is about the pathetic interchange design and it winning an award.
- Anonymous - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 2:41 pm:
I enjoy many of those created by Google and Youtube, this one was from last year:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H542nLTTbu0
What’s funny is some other things google “fools” you with they may actually be working on.
- that guy - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 3:11 pm:
Lounsberry is the king. Well done.
- G'Kar - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 4:45 pm:
Finch and the Spaghetti Harvest are two of my favorites. I also like this one today from Visit Scotland: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hGGf-u1VU7c
- Soccermom - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 5:03 pm:
The Spaghetti Harvest was incredible.
- Louis Howe - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 6:11 pm:
Greg Baise….From young Jacksonville Alderman to Big Jim’s dog walker to Director of IDOT. Baise has made a career out of making the most out of very little.
- RNUG - Tuesday, Apr 1, 14 @ 9:19 pm:
Best April Fool’s joke that wasn’t a joke -
Years ago my wife got a call from her sister on April 1 to announce the sister had just gotten married. My wife refused to believe it, thinking it was a joke. It wasn’t; her sister and husband just celebrated a whole bunch of years together today.