Seattle has a fairly large homeless population, so it’s not uncommon to see someone standing on a street corner, cardboard sign in hand, asking for money.

This weekend, I saw two signs that, if nothing else, deserve points for honesty and creativity, respectively.

The first read: “Why lie? Need money to buy beer.”

The second read: “Ninjas killed my parents. Need money to learn Kung Fu.”

Seriously.

It’s kind of funny, but I have to wonder: Does it trivialize the plight of the hardworking poor who have fallen through the cracks through no fault of their own?