I can see we could have a lot of fun with this. Actually, when I saw this
"term" for the first time this morning over at MOBIRD (list), I thought
it was somebody's name, maybe someone looking for someone by that name,
email maybe. Nah, don't think Hookem's hooked up to the Internet or has email
yet. Certainly had never heard the term associated with a 'bird' before,
or anything for that matter. Sounds more like a term of endearment a couple
fishermen out in a rowboat on the Skagit might say, "Hook'em! Pate"
whoever Pate might be. I even asked good 'ol Mr. know-it-all, Dr. Google (PhD in
everything) right off the top, and even Dr. Google was stumped for the
first time in history bringing up nothing but the ABA link. I wonder now if
"Watson" might know...an excellent question for "Jeopardy." Even if
"Watson" is about to run Citibank now and decide all of our economic futures
henceforth, I'll bet even "Watson" won't know who or what "Hookem Pate" is.

Then, there's another problem, what do we call the thing when we see one?
Simply 'hookem?' "Hey, Barnie, I got a 'hookem' over here. See it? No.
Just to the left of that snag that looks like an small gray owl in repose?
Oh, got it, thanks!". What are kids going to do now, or worse, say?!?...,
when going on a 'hookem-hunt?' Sounds like a lot of 'hokum' to me. How
about those courtship displays, winnowing hookem pates, hookem's on a fence
post, in a tree? Still, more problems..., 4-letter codes..., HOOK, HOPA,
HOTE, HOEM (ho hum)?

So, is this truly a most masterful April Fool's joke and I've really
fallen (hard) for it, or is it indeed real??? Time will soon surely tell. In
the meantime and as I often must keep reminding myself, "Trust no-one,
believe nothing." So many questions, so little time. I believe the answer is
"April Fools!"
See: _ABA Blog_ (http://blog.aba.org/)

Richard Rowlett
Bellevue (Eastgate), WA