2002

The Loonie Takes a Tumble

International currency markets were rattled by the unexpected news that Canada's finance minister, Paul Martin, was quitting his job in order to breed prize Charolais cattle and handsome Fawn Runner ducks. The Canadian dollar promptly experienced a sell-off and fell to its lowest level in a month. The currency only began to recover after Martin's office issued a denial, insisting that the minister had no plans to become a cattle and duck farmer. The fake news was quickly traced back to Bourque.org, a news site run by Pierre Bourque, where it had been posted the day before as an April Fool joke. Dennis Gartman, editor of The Gartman Letter, had mistaken the announcement for real news and included it in his daily e-mail report, thereby giving it wider distribution. Bourque later told a reporter that he was astonished his spoof hadn't instantly been recognized for what it was, noting, The ducks were the tell-tale sign.

Whistling Carrots

The British supermarket chain Tesco ran an ad in The Sun announcing the successful development of a genetically modified 'whistling carrot.' The ad explained that the carrots had been specially engineered to grow with tapered airholes in their side. When fully cooked, these airholes caused the vegetable to emit a 97 decibel signal indicating they should be removed from the stove. Opponents of their carrots envisioned a nightmare scenario for future generations becoming as deaf as a post, albeit with improved vision.