Right, so, April 1st, A, and it’s got to be fool-related, surely? Surely. The Birthday Book quotation of the day comes from Edward Young:

Nothing exceeds in ridicule, no doubt,
a fool in fashion, save a fool that’s out.

This got me thinking about getting older, trying to keep up, to be the man of mode, when the fashion boat has sailed and tootles its mirth at you, across the harbour, hopping on the quayside. Happily, working with young people (secondary school teacher) reminds me often enough that kids can be blunt in their brutality, especially if you’re perceived to be making a move on something that ain’t yours, old timer. Although I’m so far hip enough to not attempt the sort of classic try-hard, embarrassing dad gambits (‘Hey, what’s this? It’s got a good beat…’) at school, with two preschoolers at home, I’m sure it’s just a matter of time before my irrelevance is made evident. Hip… replacement.

My view on keeping apace with the musical Joneses takes a big cue from Mad magazine, who once did a section on ‘It’s scary to think that…’

Tomorrow’s kids will have invented bands that offend people who grew up listening to the Beastie Boys.

Insert your current pop nightmare… As I said, just a matter of time!

We conclude with the wonderful Guided By Voices: ‘A Good Flying Bird’

“Fools and kings decide
ways to live your life
This is just the way we want to be.”