Stories With Happy Endings

[billroper]

Ok, now let me start by prefacing this with the statement that I have no way of knowing if this story is actually true. But I got it from Marty Burke who got it from this website. And if you look down the linked page past the "Rathergate" discussion, you'll find an amusing letter from a fellow who decided that having one campaign sign stolen from his lawn was quite enough, thank you very much.

Overall, it was a fine triumph of American ingenuity. :)

Comments

[mrlogic.livejournal.com]

The Democrat in Washington thoroughly deserved what he got. Nobody deserves to have property desecrated, regardless of views. I wish these idiots wouldn't go around making Democrats look bad.

[billroper]

I agree with you. And I wouldn't enjoy seeing a report of some Republican doing this sort of stupid crap either.

[shsilver.livejournal.com]

Agreed all the way around, but it sounds awfully like an urban legend.

[billroper]

Oh, quite possibly. (Observe the disclaimers.) But it's still a good story.

Anything on Snopes?

[tigertoy.livejournal.com]

A significant factual omission which I don't think any real Washingtonian would make: The major reason that it's a big no-no to actually live in Washington and not have your car registered there is not sales tax, it is the car registration fee (which is in fact a tax) itself. It costs several hundred dollars to get Washington plates. I have no idea if the sales tax claim is true, but it is not the main reason people want to avoid registering their cars in Washington.

[dbcooper.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure about the sign story (nothing on Snopes yet), but could we pleeeeeeease retire the suffix "-gate" for scandal stories? The only reason it made sense for Watergate was because the break-in took place at the Watergate Hotel.

Adding "-gate" to every penny-ante scandal that comes down the pike:

1) Marginalizes the original big-deal Watergate scandal.
2) Cheapens the new scandal.
3) Improperly suggests that the original Watergate scandal was about water.
4) Annoys me in the manner of non-words like "nucular," "orientate," and the like.

*pant* *pant* Okay, that's enough ranting from me for now.

[billroper]

I don't disagree with you. The only reason I used it here is because that's what the other web page referred to it as and I wanted to be clear.

[dbcooper.livejournal.com]

Fair enough. I just felt a serious need to respond. If the sign story is true, I also agree with your stance.