time for something funny for a change in RRAP:

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Yesterday, a young Quebecker shut down the Washington DC Area's Capital
Beltway at the height of mornin rush-hour by overturning his
tractor-trailer rig loaded with wooden prefabricated stockade fence
sections, which cascaded off of the overhead ramp -- which the
overturned rig completely blocked -- onto the BMW of a lawyer for and
vice-president of Marriott International, the global
services-and-hospitality giant. The car was completely crushed and then
hit from the rear by another car.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...030200695.html

The driver, Francois Veilleux, 23, of Quebec, was charged with
"negligent driving and two other violations, offenses punishable with
fines. Neither the rainy weather nor speed appeared to be factors in the
incident, said Maryland State Police Sgt. Russell Newell", according to
_the Washington Post_.

Veilleux says his load shifted on the tight curve of the ramp, which
locally is well-known as a dangerous stretch of highway.

But high ranking officials of the Mormon Church -- which owns a nearby
property adjacent to the Beltway, on which is sited the immense and
impressive castle-like structure of the Mormon Temple -- aren't so sure.

"Look, it's clearly aimed at us. Marriott was started by a Mormon,
became rich being owned and operated by Mormons, the firm and many of
its stockholders and executive staff tithe greatly to the Church and
this represents a huge financial impact as well as the loss of one of
our own, and besides that Canuck was muttering something about
'Surrender Dorothy'. *******. Of course it was aimed at us. I just can't
figure out how they worked out the timing. We're going to track this
down and whoever is responsible, we are going to get them," said one
official whose name could not be ascertained.

"Surrender Dorothy" is both a line from the famous movie "The Wizard of
Oz" and a piece of grafitti emblazoned on a Beltway overpass in such a
way that, as drivers pass under it heading westward, it appears to be
floating in the sky above the gleaming white spires of the Temple. Quite
commonly, from anywhere nearby, one can hear the sound of cackling,
mostly coming from drivers who "get the joke".

"Between you and me," said an unnamed State Trooper who spoke only on
the condition of anonymity, "I can't count the number of people I've had
to pull over on that stretch of road for erratic driving. Some were just
drunk, but most of them were laughing so hard they just couldn't see to
drive. I've made quota, on that stretch of road, month after month for
years at a stretch."

Despite constant repaintings of the overpass to erase the grafitti,
"Surrender Dorothy" continues to re-appear. Nobody is certain how it is
that the artists manage to do it; the overpass sidings are entirely
inaccessible due to heavy fencing mandated by Federal law to prevent
people from throwing heavy objects off of the overpass onto vehicles below.

Not surprisingly, the Mormon Church takes "Surrender Dorothy" as a
personal insult, with some followers comparing it with hate-speech. One
churchgoer, interviewed at the side of the Beltway below the overpass,
was asked "How exactly can you compare a phrase from a famous family
friendly film with hate-speech?" He appeared to be lost in thought and
then was able to say only "well, it's just not right" and then screamed
"stop laughing, it's not funny, dammit!" at a wildly weaving passing
sedan full of tourists.

Mormons once suffered extreme oppression and harassment for their
religious beliefs, and are a bit jumpy about real or perceived slights
to their faith.


--
nam primi in omnibus proeliis oculi vin****ur.