Letters posted here are associated with the following Salon Premium Member:

Tideswimmer

Published Letters: 719
Editor's Choice: 49

Sunday, February 17, 2008 02:50 PM
Original article: Story Minute

I win anyway!

Let's see... there were 10 letters when I wrote this. If we subtract the three letters that directly commented on the original prediction of 8, then that is seven; with this one, that makes 8. I win! I'm so totally cool it's hard to believe.

Geez, I sound like one of Carol's obsessive characters. Must. Get. Life.

Anyway, now I can say that I really enjoy the kind of dimension warping reality stories Carol plays with sometime. They're actually pretty good science fiction tales wrapped up in a few panels.

Saturday, February 16, 2008 11:10 AM

The stroke of midnight

I'm confused. Is that the stroke of midnight Eastern Time? That would mean it's only 9 p.m. where I live. Does that mean I have three more hours until the bombs start falling, or do I head for the fallout shelter at nine? What about people in Hawaii?

I'll check back for an answer later. Right now, I'm off to fight the crowds at hardware stores for what few back-up generators might remain; then it's off to the store for water and all the canned food my car can carry.

How foolish we all are as a nation! If we would just let Bush break the law as he sees fit, we could all be safe! Is that so much to ask, really, to give up our constitution in order to preserve our freedom? Won't somebody, please, just once, think of the children?

Thursday, February 14, 2008 08:38 PM
Original article: Story Minute

Bet

I bet this cartoon gets eight letters in response.

Thursday, February 14, 2008 01:05 AM
Original article: Tom the Dancing Bug

Harlem Globetrotters

I saw that game too when I was a kid. What made me suspicious was when the Trotters formed a kind of circle under the basket and they just kept the ball going around and around, then up through the basket, then around again, over and over and racked up a quick 20 points that way. I didn't think you could do something like that, but they did it.

As to Roger Clemens, how stupid can he be? Hasn't he learned by now the lessons of Alberto Gonzales? All he has to do is keep saying "I can't remember" or "It's our contention that the Founding Fathers' primary objective was to cede all power to an untouchable unitary executive branch" or "I don't have an answer for you at this time, but I can have one for you by 2112."

Say things like that and congress will thank you for your service to the country, and then talk about how it's a shame that partisan politicians have put aside the important business of the country in order to pursue this obviously pointless line of inquiry, which can only serve to increase the political rancor in the country.

In other words, I agree with the "Exactly" person above. Why is congress spending their time on this?

Monday, February 11, 2008 11:37 PM

Harold Haller

Excellent work; too good, in fact, considering the source.

Sunday, February 10, 2008 06:34 PM
Original article: This Modern World

I don't care

I'm voting for the surrender monkey, whoever that is. Surrender at once, I say. Surrender as hard as we can.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008 02:33 AM
Original article: The K Chronicles

Yes, but...

At the risk of sounding like the old fogey in the strip, I do think he has a point. I remember in the early 1960s, sitting on my dad's lap, especially on a sunday, and having him read the comics section to me. Lil Abner, Dick Tracy, Terry and the Pirates, Prince Valiant, Rick O'Shay and funny strips, too, like Alley Oop, Gordo (as someone noted, Gus Arriola just died) and Pogo.

There were lots of others, too. The comics section back then was several more pages than they are today. Today's funny pages just simply don't compare on any level. Sorry, but they don't. Lil Abner and Pogo had the social commentary and satire, Dick Tracy and Terry and the Pirates provided adventure, and Prince Valiant, at that time, was often just flat out beautiful to look at.

I look at the comics section now, and can't imagine reading it to my kid. The section is thin, and most of the comics are lame, and most of the jokes are aimed at adults, and the art doesn't compare to comics back then.

I think Keith is great, but I don't think yearning for the old days necessarily makes one just a cranky old man.

Friday, February 1, 2008 11:14 AM
Original article: "Over Her Dead Body"

Post in haste

Repent it later. In my original post below I made two mistakes. First, the young girl does not ask her "dead," she asks her "dad." I think I made this mistake because the trailer may have instilled a death wish in me: Please, let there be an end!

Second, the tag line was supposed to read "What is the worst romantic comedy ever? Definitely, not maybe, it's "Definitely, Maybe."

As to this film, I think the worst part of all the worst parts was when the psychic comes to understand that she is, in fact, conversing with a real live ghost, the first thing she does is say, "Here, catch," as she tosses a ball to it.

Because, you know, I think if a ghost appeared to me like that — thus challenging, destroying or confirming whatever world-view I'd built for myself — the first thing that I would want to do is to see that ghost try to catch something. Ha ha!

I'm sure the scene was badly edited for the trailer, but still. No matter how it's edited, this woman is supposed to be a human being, and we are expected to identify with her, and yet her imagination is not fired up to even the slightest degree. Aaaaaagggghhh! So much comedic and interesting possibilities are just tossed away, literally, on a cheap throw-away gag.

Why are these movies so determinedly stupid?

Friday, February 1, 2008 02:16 AM
Original article: Tom the Dancing Bug

Now this is how to do it!

Someone else mentioned Kansas O'Flaherty. This one strip is a perfect illustration of why KOF sucks so completely. In just a few panels, Bolling creates a brilliant allegory of the mysteries of why bad things happen to people in a world that is supposedly ruled by a loving and merciful god. It has a several solid chuckles and concludes with two solid punchlines. "Don't worry, chum, it's all part of my plan." Hilarious.

Too bad the letter's stream turned into a referendum on Bebop-o.

Go Bolling! Go away KOF!

Most Active Letters Threads

359

A key British official reminds us of the forgotten anthrax attack

A vast array of establishment and expert sources do not believe this episode was really resolved.
323

Tough-guy John Bolton, hiding under his bed

As usual, right-wing pseudo-warriors are drowning in extreme cowardice.
178

Is Obama's civil liberties record understandable?

Was it unreasonable to expect him to adhere to his commitments regarding the Constitution?
154

Phil Carter's resignation from key detainee policy post

Many of the "War on Terror" policies he spent years condemning were ones expressly embraced by Obama.
99

Palin, Prejean: Beastly treatment for beauties

The governor turned author must fight what the pageant queen learned: Politics and hotness make strange bedfellows

View all »

Letters Help

Currently in Salon