From: dilip@cs.utexas.edu (Dilip DSouza)
Subject: MadHatterDay
Date: 7 Oct 88 14:11:39 GMT
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas


Unfortunately, this is a day late, but still, do go out and celebrate.

cheers,
dilip.
===============



			Third MadHatterDay
 
October 6, 1988 marks the third celebration of MadHatterDay.  April Fools'
Day isn't enough; MadHatterDay is intended to be a second silly day in the
year.  On MadHatterDay you don't have to be a politician (or even wear a
suit) in order to go about saying outrageous things that no sane person
could believe.  Non-sequiturs are the order of the day...marketing claims
and campaign promises merge with reality...television is wisdom...news-
papers contain news...
 
Why October 6?  The illustrations (by John Tenniel) accompanying the
original _Alice's_Adventures_in_Wonderland_ show the Mad Hatter wearing a
hat with a slip of paper saying "In this style 10/6-".  Never mind that
"10/6-" really meant "ten shillings sixpence" (after all, time IS money,
right?)--just take it as guidance to behave "in the style" of the Mad
Hatter on October 6.  (That is a US interpretation; in Britain, the
holiday is celebrated on June 10.)
 
Although the date for MadHatterDay is chosen according to the logic (?)
indicated, it is also set almost precisely six months away from April
Fools' Day (to provide a well-timed second silly day) and in the full of
the election season--which seems particularly appropriate this year.
 
There's plenty of madness about us, if we just look:
	- the 3-piece suit:  Does this REALLY make sense?  Do you really
	  trust major monetary decisions to people who wear at least three
	  layers of clothing in the summertime?...with a special device to
	  restrict blood flow to the brain while making the decisions?
	- the automobile:  Do you REALLY believe that we distill the juice
	  from rotten dinosaur food and explode it in metal boxes in order
	  to travel about?
	- exercise:  Do you understand why folks strive to get out of
	  manual labor and into a desk job...and then join a health club
	  because they don't get any exercise otherwise?
	- food:  Why do we spend equal amounts on excessive food and on
	  diet gimmicks/plans?
	- Daylight Savings Time:  Do you really think there's an extra hour
	  in the summertime?  Does resetting the clock change anything?
	  (There are--honest!--proposals for "year-'round DST".  People
	  actually prefer getting up at 7 on a clock set an hour ahead to
	  getting up at 6!)
The truly mad person is the one who takes our world seriously.
 
 
+---------+
| In This |
|  Style  |
|  10/6-  |
+---------+
-- 
Dick Dunn      UUCP: {ncar,nbires}!ico!rcd           (303)449-2870
   ...Are you making this up as you go along?

===============
-- 
You killed my father. Prepare to die.
Dilip D'Souza.   University of Texas, CS Department.
dilip@cs.utexas.edu