International

The Liars' Hall of Fame

DANNEBROG, JULY 5. A visit to this town in central Nebraska, U.S., will squelch any suspicion that the National Liars' Hall of Fame is just a tall tale. It really exists. Honest. Creator and humorist Roger Welsch will tell you the museum is dedicated to ``the art of prevarication and metric mendacity.'' It is often compared with the Smithsonian and attracts just under two million visitors a year.

Of course, Mr. Welsch warns on his business cards, you cannot believe anything you see in the museum. The main street through town is called Roger Welsch Avenue. (Ask Mr. Welsch, he will tell you that having a road named after him just means he has to shovel the snow there in the winter.)

Over the years, the author and former television commentator has collected a few favourites for the museum's collection. Coloured golf balls are kept in a box labelled ``golf balls as big as hail.'' A miniature yellow plastic football covered in X's is autographed by all of the Nebraska Cornhuskers. A fly swatter with a gaping hole in its plastic mesh is accompanied by a certificate of approval from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the lesser-known Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Flies. — AP

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