Ask the Fiddler #8: Roadkill Cuisine: Scrambled Armadillo Brains, Anyone?

fiddler-75Editor’s Note: Ask The Fiddler is a lifestyle advice column that aims to remedy more chaos and confusion than it creates. Questions may be submitted to us here at Art of the Prank, and good luck.


Dear Fiddler:

Is there any validity to the Roadkill Diet or is it just another prank?

Susie in Seattle

Dear Susie,

From what I”ve read, the Roadkill Diet is a very effective weight-loss regimen. The author of a book on the subject, nutritionist Newton Garfield, lost an amazing 75 lbs. in three months, existing on delicacies such as scrambled egg white with armadillo brains, or squirrel noodle salad.

roadkilla-200It has been suggested that weight loss may be due to aversion, that is to say, dieters would rather starve than eat roadkill. True, there seem to be legitimate concerns about the safety of eating animals found dead on the road. However, Garfield states: “If you aren”t immediately sickened by the odor, odds are it”s safe to eat.”

Regrettably, I have been unable to locate a copy of the recipe book and so cannot provide advice to the chef for preparation of owl curry or skunk stew. Other cookbooks exist, but they do not take the matter seriously.

Viewed statistically, there is no question that roadkill could be a major source of sustenance for many of us in this country. This is, after all, America, the land of bountiful abundance. We have a whole lot of roadkill. It is estimated that over one million animals die every day on our roads. Continue reading “Ask the Fiddler #8: Roadkill Cuisine: Scrambled Armadillo Brains, Anyone?”

Ask The Fiddler #7: Your Parents’ Worst Nightmare Career

fiddler-75Editor’s Note: Ask The Fiddler is a lifestyle advice column that aims to remedy more chaos and confusion than it creates. Questions may be submitted to us here at Art of the Prank, and good luck.


Dear Fiddler: Is it possible to make a career of pranking?

Vinnie in Cleveland

Dear Vinnie,

Of course it is. Fame and fortune await. Just get your mojo working. Need help? You”ll want to send for my informative booklet, “How to Prank Your Bank.” And, then, you”ll want to be prepared to spend five or ten years behind bars if something goes wrong.

To be practical, though, possible doesn”t mean probable. And pranking has a whole crazy carnival of meanings, as a look through the index here at Art of the Prank indicates.

So the wiser choice might be to consider pranking as a secondary calling. Establish yourself on some more respectable platform from which to leap. There are pathways through art, theater, literature and a host of other professions.

Personally, I favor archaeology and anthropology.

Piltdown-gang-425

Continue reading “Ask The Fiddler #7: Your Parents’ Worst Nightmare Career”

Fiddle File #2

fiddler-75Editor’s Note: Ask The Fiddler is a lifestyle advice column that aims to remedy more chaos and confusion than it creates. Questions may be submitted to us here at Art of the Prank, and good luck.


The Fiddle File #2

Here we go with another madcap roundup of hoaxes, scams and damn fool idiocy making the rounds these days. Take heed. Some of these fiddles may soon be showing up on your computer, phone or even up close and personal. Check it out:

scream-197Los Angeles: Quality medical care “¦ The surgeon pranks your face while you are under anesthesia.

Tennessee: Children At Play… Torching neighborhood sewers.

San Francisco Bay Area: Clear the house, we”re from the government, inspecting for poisonous snakes (and stealing anything of value).

Disney World: Pardon us, we”re heading for the front of the line with our hire-the-handicapped helper.

Nationwide: You’re due a bundle in unclaimed cash, just give us all your personal info. Story is from Vegas but the scam is running around the country.

Colorado: It”s the old jump screaming from the closet prank. Bang! You”re d-e-a-d.

St. Louis: Here”s a tip “¦ You”ll never see the whopping big tip the insanely generous customer scribbled on the bill.

Nationwide: Wrap your car with ads while we empty your bank account. This report is from California but it”s happening wherever the hustlers find a willing victim.

Florida: Flush with cash? Don”t invest in toilet fans.

Spotted a hoax or scam deserving mention in our next roundup? We”d be happy to hear from you Art of the Prank. You might save some reader a heap of hurting (or give them wild ideas for their next fiddle).

Ask The Fiddler #6: Hey, What”s That Sound?

fiddler-75Editor’s Note: Ask The Fiddler is a lifestyle advice column that aims to remedy more chaos and confusion than it creates. Questions may be submitted to us here at Art of the Prank, and good luck.


Dear Fiddler:

Do you hear a strange humming sound?

Charlie in Cincinnati

Dear Charlie:

Sure. My sources tell me it emanates from a secret enclave of chanting mystics hidden deep in the Himalayas.

But then, you could reasonably be a little suspicious of the sources of a guy who hangs out with the Art of the Prank crowd.

whsongs-200Well, there are plenty of other theories about the weird hum heard in many locations throughout the world. It has been blamed on everything from industrial or traffic noise to seismic disturbances.

As you might imagine, conspiracy theories abound. It”s space alien communication or government mind control experiments.

Any other ideas? Continue reading “Ask The Fiddler #6: Hey, What”s That Sound?”

Ask The Fiddler #5: Acrophobic Seeks Advice

fiddler-75Editor’s Note: Ask The Fiddler is a lifestyle advice column that aims to remedy more chaos and confusion than it creates. Questions may be submitted to us here at Art of the Prank, and good luck.


Dear Fiddler:

I”m trying to make a good impression on this lady who is wild about mountaineers. Trouble is, I”m afraid of heights. Can I prank my way into her heart?

Vernon in Georgia

Dear Vernon,

Well, my fearful friend, have we got a mountain for you! It happens that in the strange but true file we”ve discovered what just may be the right molehill to meet your needs. It”s a genuine, certified mountain, reportedly the world”s shortest peak.

View from the Summit-425

Mt. Wycheproof, a granite outcropping stands 141 ft. above the surrounding outback plain in the Victoria region of Australia. The mountain is said to be five miles shorter than Everest. In comparison, you would be at a greater height crossing some bridges, for example the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, at 186 ft.

There you go. The trip up and down would be a walk in the park, but it would earn bragging rights. Maybe there”s a rent-a-Sherpa on duty, you could get a picture

Yours truly,

The Fiddler


Remember our motto here at camp: “If you take advice from The Fiddler, you need advice.” Send comments and questions to: Art of the Prank.


image: rednomadoz.blogspot.com


The Fiddler is a creation of W.J. Elvin III