DH just sent me a series of hilarious links to a film blog The comments are the best part, but for brevity's sake I'll just quote the salient parts of the original posts. (Bold mine.)

Part 1, in which there is a slight misunderstanding:

I thought I was all safe and locked in at Park City's Star Hotel, having stayed there during the '07 and '08 Sundance Film Festivals and having left a cowboy hat there as a token of my intention to return the following year. A cowboy hat left behind means you're a true-blue guy! But I failed to place a proper, formal confirmation call to proprietor Carol Rixey, and now she's given away my room. So now I have to scramble with the festival starting in 20 days.

Part 2, in which the blogger requests permission to sleep on the hotel's couch:

It would be greatly appreciated if you could grant me this small favor, as you left me in the lurch this year. I thought I'd made it clear as a bell that I intended to return, having stayed in your wonderful abode the last two years and leaving my cowboy hat there and telling you I'd wear it when I returned in '09 and so on.

Part 2.5 from the comments, after several commenters point out that a cowboy hat is not, in fact, a hotel reservation:

Yes, yes...if I'd left a cash deposit or a credit-card number then the room would have been assured. I'm not an idiot. But leaving the cowboy hat and plainly stating to the proprietor that I'd come back and wear it the following year (especially after having stayed at the Star in '07 and '08 and been part of the family there, in a sense) was a very emotionally vivid and pronounced way of stating my intentions. It was a message that is recognized by everyone all over the world. It's even recognized in the animal kingdom (i.e., leaving your scent on a piece of turf).

If you go out with a girl and she comes home with you and stays the night and she leaves her underwear or bra or socks in your bedroom after she leaves the next morning, we all know that's a universal message that says, "I want to come back and get to know you better and probably have sex with you again." Everyone knows that. Leaving an article of clothing, something with your scent and paw-prints and sweat residue on it, means that you intend to come back and spray your scent around some more.

Part 3, in which the hotel proprietor finds this guy's blog:

I just heard from [hotel owner] that she considers my having discussed the matter in the column to be a form of blackmail (a somewhat hysterical interpretation, in my view) and that she's given my hat to the Park City police and that I can pick it up there when I get to town. The fuzz, for God's sake! She's brought the cops into this! Talk about a violation of the trust that comes with friendship and the values of good grandma-hood!

[editor's note, this woman is not his grandma]

The idea that nice people can turn around and suddenly act erratically and illogically (to put it in gentle terms) is not a very pleasant one, but obviously it happens. Good God.

And Epilogue: "Emotionally Vivid Cowboy Hat" The Song

I am in TEARS I'm laughing so hard. I know it's a lot of links, but seriously, the entire saga is worth a look if you have time.

If you go out with a girl and she comes home with you and stays the night and she leaves her underwear or bra or socks in your bedroom after she leaves the next morning, we all know that's a universal message that says, "I want to come back and get to know you better and probably have sex with you again."

Or she wanted to leave so badly that she would not only chew off her own arm to get away but was also so rushed so she forgot clothes.

This is my favorite response:

I'm going to leave my Hammer pants at the Omni this year. If I show up at Comic Con the year following and I don't have a reservation I'm going to kick someone's ass. Then write 90 blogs about it instead of realizing I made a mistake.

Or she wanted to leave so badly that she would not only chew off her own arm to get away but was also so rushed so she forgot clothes.

That interpretation is brought up a little further down in the comments, yes.

Jesus christ, today was another Day. It just isn't relenting. Clusterfuck of amazing proportions. And I'll get yelled at about it next week!

And then I came home and Devi's torn her claw again. I don't think it is the same one as 2 months ago. This one is her left, last I seem to think was her right and whichever it was it'd healed up such that when I checked her claws this weekend, it was fine. So who knows. If it doesn't improve over the weekend, I'll call the vet's. I'm probably taking tuesday off for a dentist appt anyway (crown to be fashioned and a temp put in).... It isn't bothering her any.

In funny news, I'd emailed the squidfire dude a picture of D in his shirt and how that was the one clothes item to get any acknowledgement at all, and enthusiastic at that, because hey! Appreciation for your work is always welcome.

He replied with a picture of HIS nephew wearing one of his shirts. Hee. Aunts and uncles can't resist.

Aww, I'm watching PBS and they are talking about the rover's Rock Abrasion Tool! lori! The earthbound rover lab/room!

I've got invites for NYE, but since I have to be home in the morning, I don't want to be driving that night and I don't really wanna, I'll decline.

Lillian and Matilda have Squidfire shirts too!

eta: No pictures though. Hint hint.

ZOMG there's an mp3 of his conversation with the Park City Police department trying to confirm that they have the hat:

[link]

This is the comment I love:

I wish there was some way for everyone in the world to read this post. So that "He left his hat" could become the universal expression that describe "An unreasonable person with a completely baseless gripe."

These are the ones I got, finally:

For D: [link] For T: [link] For Dad: [link] For Josh: [link] and [link]

I just love his stuff.

Teppy, surely the Buffistas can make that happen! Go forth and spread the meme!

Also, I have a new tag.