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Are you a good liar?

How many of you recall that I was named the World Champion Liar in 2007 by the Burlington Liars' Club? That's right. At first it was rather embarrassing, what with me being a longtime journalist, an Opinion page editor who seeks the truth in every issue, and the author of a nonfiction book. Of course, these "lies" in the annual contest are just jokes. I thought I had a good one in 2007, so I sent it in.

Here it is: “The Wisconsin River was so low this year that the local government started taxing us for more property on our riverfront lot.”

My wife and I do own a lot on the Wisconsin River near Muscoda. The joke came from an actual comment I made to a friend, a lawyer who lives in the home next to our lot and who just happened to be chairman of the town of Eagle. We were standing and looking at the river's dwindling water flow. I could have made the same comment this summer: too much sand; too little water.

I thought the joke might strike a chord with judges because it neatly tied into one sentence two common concerns: high property taxes and weather extremes that many believe are caused by global warming. That's exactly what an official with the Burlington Liars Club told me when he informed me that I indeed had won the top honor.

The only other time I entered was in 2001. That joke was several sentences, and I took note that most of those recognized by the club were shorter.

Last year's winning joke, sent in by Gareth Seehawer of Oconto Falls, suggested his grandson is the most persuasive liar he has ever met. "By the time (the boy) was 2 years old, he could dirty his diaper and make his mother believe someone else had done it."

The deadline to enter is Dec. 15. A club official told the Kenosha News that fewer than 50 entries had been received, and the contest usually attracts about 300.

I'm not sure I have another good one ready to send in. How about you? It costs only $1 to enter.

For more information, click here.

Greg Peck