Archive: November 2005
Thanks All Around
Readers are expressing thanks across the site, for everything from the simple pleasures of life, to the dynamics of the political world. NotSuzanne29 is thankful for the potential of things: "I like term-limits for the office of prez." Budpratt, too, is forward-looking: "I am thankful that the neo-con blitzkrieg is grinding to a halt... recent elections show that the juggernaut is running out of gas. That it looks like we may soon have candidates whose first language isn't Bush-Speak (B.S.") Well, don't count your turkeys, I mean chickens, before they're hatched there, Budpratt. And hello, Kendydemocrt who writes that he is thankful for, "...the 1st Amendment that allows us to read and listen to a wide variety of opinions and to express our own... and of course the ignore option on this forum."...
By Lindsay Howerton | November 23, 2005; 12:36 PM ET | Email a Comment
Write On!
I can't tell if Achenbach is admiring writing freedom here, or expressing a critical view mired in creative frustrations. Not that he should be frustrated. That guy is funny. Or to be more economical: He funny, ha ha. His readers jumped on the critical bandwagon, at least briefly. BC tells it ultra economically: "Some people like Hemmingway, some like Neal Stephenson." Now that's fodder for research....
By Lindsay Howerton | November 22, 2005; 12:37 PM ET | Comments (8)
Out-of-Control Fans
A Post article on bumbling, inebriated and annoying sports fans has readers voicing choice complaints on ball games gone bad. RalphZero confesses that its hard to be on your best behavior when your team is on the line. "I was at some Redskin game a couple years ago and some drunken obnoxious Redskin fan started funneling Pabst Blue Ribbon and the moron puked all over my shoes and seat...wait a minute...never mind...that was me!!!" Ah, yuk, yuk, yuk. I mean yuck, yuck, yuck!...
By Lindsay Howerton | November 21, 2005; 1:32 PM ET | Comments (2)
Evolution Devolves
What happens next, when The Kansas Board of Education starts doubting, oh, geology, or, um, physics? We can call the Board's shift to "doubt centered" evolution studies a landmark for local control, but at what cost to students? The readers weigh in. Redeemed says, "I oppose evolution( and many others) like I/we do because I/we know in my/our heart of hearts it's a total lie. And being that we live in a Republic, other views should be given equal time. I still fail to understand we you people get sooooooo upset with this concept.It's totally fair. I guess you don't like fairness."...
By Lindsay Howerton | November 14, 2005; 12:46 PM ET | Comments (11)
iPod Porn
Porn is now poised to sweep onto pocket-sized iPod screens for pennies a pop. Now that's evolution. Or so I say. The readers, they've got another take. HeyMistah's is pretty funny. "I'm so happy to see that once again, we have learned that the most important use for our ever evolving technology is for porn. I'm not a prude, but how pathetic must one be that they need it in their hand (no pun intended.") "Just a few days ago, my sister informed me of her crusade to rid the Internet and bookstands of porn," says CAR_101 . "I told her 'Good Luck!'"...
By Lindsay Howerton | November 14, 2005; 12:44 PM ET | Comments (2)
Christmas Comes But All The Year
Joel Achenbach hit the mark with a blog yesterday on Starbucks Coffee's over-early Christmas decor. Maybe the retail wizards, fearing predictions of a glum holiday season, have decided that if the season is made into two months, rather than one, they can claim to have outpaced last year and performed well in the fourth quarter. Whatever the reason, I'm not listening to holiday tunes with coffee until Advent, so now I know where not to go. Here are the readers' takes. TBG says Starbucks is not alone in rushing the seasons. "Caribou Coffee is keeping right up with Starbucks. Went into Caribou this morning only to hear Christmas Carols and to see and excess of holiday decor. Even the cups and napkins have snowflakes on them. Yikes."...
By Lindsay Howerton | November 11, 2005; 12:03 PM ET | Email a Comment
Prenatal Testing
Readers are having a serious, considered conversation about the implications of the new early detection Down's syndrome pre-natal test that was announced today. "I am the father of a Downs child. She is now 21 years old and my life has never known a greater joy. My life is so much richer because of my good girl than it would have been without her, or even had she been a so-called 'normal' child, " writes HondosNo1Fan, adding, "Whether or not to abort a pregnancy is always a deeply personal decision. This is why I am so vehemently pro-choice -- our government must not be permitted the power to intrude so deeply into our citizens' most personal aspects of our lives. But my fear is that some people who deeply want children, who are as well prepared to become parents as people can be...will now decide to abort once they learn...
By Lindsay Howerton | November 10, 2005; 2:02 PM ET | Email a Comment
Virginia Elections
Its down to the wire for the Virginia Gubernatorial elections and I thought it would be fun to see who's hawking for whom among readers posting comments to the Race to Richmond blog. Colin Sheldon writes, "Kilgore's appearances were not the only efforts of his campaign on Saturday. Northern Virginians received a mailer today, attacking Tim Kaine and extolling the virtues of Republican State Senator Russ Potts. A big, last minute expenditure by the Potts campaign on the eve of the election? Not so. On page 2, we find the real source. 'Paid for and authorized by Virginians for Jerry Kilgore.' To date, Kilgore's campaign has been nothing but smears and innuendos against the other guy. It is certainly ironic -- and sadly cynical -- that the first positive visions Kilgore can provide in this campaign are about Russ Potts and not himself." Well, Republicans aren't the only ones playing...
By Lindsay Howerton | November 7, 2005; 2:03 PM ET | Email a Comment
Senators Gone Wild!
Nothing like a little Senate floor rumble to remind us that all politics is theater. Or so says Media Notes critic Howard Kurtz. Truthdr also sniffed out grand acting. "The Democrats have drawn the line in the sand and are about to be buried on this. Reports last night called the effort a means to change the subject not concern for the situation, interesting to say the least...By sand bagging and surprise the Dems have removed any civility in the Senate. Carping and muck raking would be fine if Bush were running in 2008 but he is not."...
By Lindsay Howerton | November 2, 2005; 1:20 PM ET | Comments (1)
