Oh. My. God.

[conuly]

So, I was reading this article on things people have actually sent in the mail, and one item mentioned was "potatoes". As in: stick a stamp on a potato, shove it in a mailbox.

The article erroneously stated that one company will do that for you if you can't be bothered to obtain your own spuds. This is incorrect. There are not one, but two companies devoted to mailing potatoes, Mail-a-Spud and Potato Parcel.

Wait, I was wrong. There are at least three of them, including Mystery Potato. Dear god. I think I've found my new form of protest. My congresscritters might ignore my emails, and my phone calls, and my letters, and my clever cosplay + sign - but I'm damn sure they won't ignore a potato.

It may be pricier than the other options, but it's worth it.

Comments

[zesty_pinto]

I remember first hearing about this when it was popularized by the Cards Against Humanity guys. I thought it was rather amusing as well, and I honestly am curious if this can be group pushed in some way.

[conuly]

After some more research, it appears that only Mail A Spud just shoves your potato in the mail. The rest of them box it up.

[archangelbeth]

Will you want stamped potatoes sent or boxed potatoes? ...and what type of potato? I'm thinking the Russet, for the rants that UrsulaV/TKingfisher does about them... *evil grin*

[conuly]

Stamped, naturally. If you were an elected official, would you open a box from an unknown person?

[jack]

Surely they have people who do that? I mean, I agree about the precautions they should take, but if there's something potentially dangerous, just leaving it unopened could be just as bad, they must have to deal with parcels somehow.

[archangelbeth]

I would assume, like Jack, that they must have someone to open the mail (carefully)... But a stamped spud is, indeed, that much more awesome.

Mail-A-Spud, you say? *evil grin*

[conuly]

Say it with potatoes.

[amaebi]

Ah! I had been vaguely thinking of carving messages on potatoes!

[amaebi]

Duh. A postage stamp.

[conuly]

Several postage stamps - potatoes weight a little bit more than postcards, after all :)

[goss]

*giggles*

America is weird.

[conuly]

At least one of those ships internationally - but they put their potatoes in packages first, so boo.

[goss]

The poor mailman... XD

[conuly]

What, they can withstand rain and sleet and gloom of night, but potatoes are too much for them?

[solarbird]

MYSTERY POTATO is my Devo cover band.

[conuly]

Wait, I don't know if you're joking or if that's just a great coincidence.

[solarbird]

I'm joking. "_______ is my _______ cover band" is running gag in at least some musician circles.

[seren_ccd]

OMG. This is SO AWESOME!!!!

[conuly]

YES.

[seren_ccd]

Yam the Man!!!

(Sorry, I had to add to it!)

[colonelsandgeeks]

That just sounds utterly bizarre! Delightfully so, actually but bizarre nonetheless

[conuly]

I KNOW.

[bibliofile]

For more fun, look up Mail Art. AIUI it helps to develop a friendly relationship with the folks at your local Post Office, because you usually want to get that stuff hand canceled.

My favorite video with mail art in it* is the documentary How to draw a bunny, about the artist Ray Johnson. At one point he's carrying a partial mannequin that he'd just received in the mail.

*admittedly the only video I've seen with mail art in it

[conuly]

Mail Art. Check.

[smile_n_cuddle]

For some reason, this news makes me ridiculously happy. I am so obsessed with growing sweet potatoes that I think one of the coolest gifts ever is giving someone a beautifully-growing sweet potato potted plant.

I don't think people feel that way, so I try to avoid it. But I still always want to give people potatoes as presents. :/ LOL

[conuly]

The girls don't like sweet potatoes. I do, and sometimes buy them just for me.

Once, a few years ago, I couldn't find the sweet potatoes I'd bought for a snack. Shrug, I eventually bought new ones. Meanwhile, out in the yard, a vine was growing that we couldn't figure out what it was. When we finally yanked it up...!

Of course, the girls had tossed the sweet potatoes out the window. When I saw what was in the ground under the vine, I called them and teased them, saying I'd make them eat them.

[smile_n_cuddle]

That's so funny! My whole front garden has sweet potato ground cover, and it's also in portions of my back yard! I make them into smoothies with bananas, or use them when making vegan pancakes!

[dani_meows]

If mailed from Florida would the potato be baked before it made it to the congresscritters?

[conuly]

Rotted, most likely. Potatoes and the humid subtropics don't mix well.

[amaebi]

I love that!