Chicago Saturday, August 30, 2008 3:43 PM
Editors, Chicago Sun-Times
Gntlepeople:
Your Saturday, August 30 front-page headline "Maverick Rolls the Dice" referring to John McCain's VP choice of a "first term" governor with "limited experience" contrasts revealingly with the second paragraph reference to "the youthful and charismatic Barack Obama."
Governor Sarah Palin is further described as "chief of one of the least-populated states." Are things so tight at the Sun-Times you don't have a $10 almanac that clearly shows Alaska is the 4th least populated state?
You say further that Palin's "elder son is fighting in Iraq" and quote a description of her as "a working mother with a child in Iraq...," and have a picture of her with "fifth child, son Trig...." A subsequent article clears up this fog by pointing out it's 18-year-old son Trig, due to be deployed to Iraq in September." [Note, I was wrong here: Track is in Iraq, baby trig is home]
Then you quote Obama spokesman Bill Burton: "John McCain put the former mayor of a town 9,000 with zero foreign policy experience a heartbeat away from the presidency." Well now, how big is the town Obama was mayor of? And altho being governor of a state separated from Russia by a strait about half that of Mackinac is not the nation's number 1 foreign relations subject (right now, at least,) it has significantly more responsibility than slogging thru the mud of Indonesia between ages 6 and 10 (which is itself probably more significant than chairing the Senate Foreign Relations committee for 20 years,).
It is fun watching the pathetic attempts of Obama backers trying to inflate his top government experience, 8 years as an Illinois state senator, as any more than that of a Chicago Cubs' ball girl. To the Sun-Times credit, you do quote McCain backers saying the undeniable facts that Palin has "two years of executive experience that no one else has on either ticket" and "She made more decisions in two years as chief executive of a state than Barack Obama did in his entire career in the Illinois Legislature...."
School board, city council, mayor, governor... that's lots more significant political slogging than 'community organizer' (AKA in Chicago as junior precinct captain,) State Senator and really inspiring teleprompter reader.
Arnold H Nelson
5056 North Marine Drive
Chicago 60640
ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
NYTimes called on global warming crap
Chicago IL Thursday, August 28, 2008 11PMcdt
Editors, New York Times
Gentlepeople:
Your Thursday, August 28 article "As Arctic Sea Ice Melts...."brought back amusing memories of a similar Times article of Saturday, August 19, 2000, John Noble Wilford's "The North Pole is melting" that breathlessly declared: "[A]n ice-free patch of ocean about a mile wide has opened at the very top of the world, ... more evidence that global warming may be real...."
That was followed only four days later by an equally bedazzled climate change enthusiast's Op-Ed "In the (Un)Frozen North" that started right out: "The 19th century's dream of an open polar sea has become the 21st century's nightmare."
But then five days later, Mr. Wilford wrote another article (Tuesday, August 29, 2000) quoting another expert: "[T]here's nothing to be necessarily alarmed about. There's been open water at the pole before."
Finally, the Times made honest journalists out of themselves with this Correction:
"A front-page article in the August 19, 2000 edition ... about the sighting of open water at the North Pole misstated the normal conditions of the sea ice there...."
But there still seems to be a problem with the most recent article, that starts out "[Officials have] reported that sea ice in the Arctic now covers about 2.03 million square miles" pointing out that this could be on the way to a new "record" since "the lowest point since satellite measurements began in 1979 was 1.65 million square miles, last September."
Folks, the earth is 4.5 billion years old, and you are concerned with the possibility of a record... for the last 29 years? A little simple arithmetic shows that the last 29 years of 4.5 billion years is equivalent to the last 8 seconds of a 40-year-old human's lifetime. If a doctor detected a pulse rate change in that subject over such a period, would he declare “We’re moving ... beyond a point of no return” as the head of a "multinational scientific assessment of Arctic conditions" is quoted in the article?
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
Editors, New York Times
Gentlepeople:
Your Thursday, August 28 article "As Arctic Sea Ice Melts...."brought back amusing memories of a similar Times article of Saturday, August 19, 2000, John Noble Wilford's "The North Pole is melting" that breathlessly declared: "[A]n ice-free patch of ocean about a mile wide has opened at the very top of the world, ... more evidence that global warming may be real...."
That was followed only four days later by an equally bedazzled climate change enthusiast's Op-Ed "In the (Un)Frozen North" that started right out: "The 19th century's dream of an open polar sea has become the 21st century's nightmare."
But then five days later, Mr. Wilford wrote another article (Tuesday, August 29, 2000) quoting another expert: "[T]here's nothing to be necessarily alarmed about. There's been open water at the pole before."
Finally, the Times made honest journalists out of themselves with this Correction:
"A front-page article in the August 19, 2000 edition ... about the sighting of open water at the North Pole misstated the normal conditions of the sea ice there...."
But there still seems to be a problem with the most recent article, that starts out "[Officials have] reported that sea ice in the Arctic now covers about 2.03 million square miles" pointing out that this could be on the way to a new "record" since "the lowest point since satellite measurements began in 1979 was 1.65 million square miles, last September."
Folks, the earth is 4.5 billion years old, and you are concerned with the possibility of a record... for the last 29 years? A little simple arithmetic shows that the last 29 years of 4.5 billion years is equivalent to the last 8 seconds of a 40-year-old human's lifetime. If a doctor detected a pulse rate change in that subject over such a period, would he declare “We’re moving ... beyond a point of no return” as the head of a "multinational scientific assessment of Arctic conditions" is quoted in the article?
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
Thursday, August 21, 2008
WSJ apostrophe exchange
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:22:52 -0700 (PDT)
From: "Arnold Nelson"
To: "WSJ Letters"
Subject: Does the Journal have trouble with apostrophes, too?
Chicago, Thursday PM, August 21, 2008
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
A paragraph titled 'Thailand' in your fine Thursday, August 21 article "When [Olympic] Gold Turns Green" has a sentence referring to a Thai weight lifter: "The 24-year-old is the countries lone gold of these Games." "Countries"? Say it ain't so, WSJ. Since it's the possessive of "country" not a number of "countries", it should be "country's", not "countries".
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:57
From: "Martin-Sr, Paul" <Paul.Martin-Sr@wsj.com>
To: ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Subject: RE: Does the Journal have trouble with apostrophes, too?
Mr. Nelson:
Thank you for your note about the misuse of “countries” for “country’s” in the Journal article.
We appreciate readers like you who hold us to high standards -- especially when their notes are as gracious as yours.
Sincerely, Paul Martin WSJ stylebook editor
From: "Arnold Nelson"
To: "WSJ Letters"
Subject: Does the Journal have trouble with apostrophes, too?
Chicago, Thursday PM, August 21, 2008
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
A paragraph titled 'Thailand' in your fine Thursday, August 21 article "When [Olympic] Gold Turns Green" has a sentence referring to a Thai weight lifter: "The 24-year-old is the countries lone gold of these Games." "Countries"? Say it ain't so, WSJ. Since it's the possessive of "country" not a number of "countries", it should be "country's", not "countries".
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 2008 17:57
From: "Martin-Sr, Paul" <Paul.Martin-Sr@wsj.com>
To: ah_nelson@yahoo.com
Subject: RE: Does the Journal have trouble with apostrophes, too?
Mr. Nelson:
Thank you for your note about the misuse of “countries” for “country’s” in the Journal article.
We appreciate readers like you who hold us to high standards -- especially when their notes are as gracious as yours.
Sincerely, Paul Martin WSJ stylebook editor
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Another Obamaphile (in WSJ)
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 2008 14:12CDT
From: "Arnold Nelson"
To: "WSJ Letters" S
Subject: Is a single example of an "unsubstantiated charge" too much to ask?
Chicago, Wednesday PM, August 20, 2008
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
In the Wednesday, August 20 Notable and Quotable, Peter Wehner, writing about Jerome Corsi's recent Obama biography, says "it's wrong and reckless to throw out unsubstantiated charges and smears against Senator Obama."
This WSJ feature is certainly limited in length. This one is 160 words, but a recent one is 280 words. Wouldn't 120 additional words be plenty for Mr. Wehner to give just one example of an actual "unsubstantiated charge" or "smear". I haven't read Mr. Corsi's book, but I understand it is heavily sourced. It should be easy for Mr. Wehner to demonstrate such a sweeping statement, for the sake of his own credibility.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
;Never printed, no response]
From: "Arnold Nelson"
To: "WSJ Letters" S
Subject: Is a single example of an "unsubstantiated charge" too much to ask?
Chicago, Wednesday PM, August 20, 2008
Editors, Wall Street Journal
Gentlepeople:
In the Wednesday, August 20 Notable and Quotable, Peter Wehner, writing about Jerome Corsi's recent Obama biography, says "it's wrong and reckless to throw out unsubstantiated charges and smears against Senator Obama."
This WSJ feature is certainly limited in length. This one is 160 words, but a recent one is 280 words. Wouldn't 120 additional words be plenty for Mr. Wehner to give just one example of an actual "unsubstantiated charge" or "smear". I haven't read Mr. Corsi's book, but I understand it is heavily sourced. It should be easy for Mr. Wehner to demonstrate such a sweeping statement, for the sake of his own credibility.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
;Never printed, no response]
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
New York Times and Carl Sandburg
Date: Tue, 19 Aug 2008 06:14CDT
From: "Arnold Nelson"
To: "NYTimes Letters" <letters@nytimes.com.>
Subject: Shoulders
Chicago IL Tuesday, August 19, 2008 6AMcdt
Editors, New York Times
Gentlepeople:
Your Thursday, August 14, 2008 sports section headline "Chicago Has Shoulders Broad Enough to Host Games" was great for an article on Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. I mean, isn't Chicago commonly referred to as 'the city of broad shoulders'?
Well, you're not the first ones to assume that, but the headline probably got the great American poet Carl Sandburg spinning in his grave. He wrote the 1916 poem 'Chicago' describing it as "City of the Big Shoulders." And c'mon, New York Times, he was a Socialist, too.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
[Never printed, no response]
From: "Arnold Nelson"
To: "NYTimes Letters" <letters@nytimes.com.>
Subject: Shoulders
Chicago IL Tuesday, August 19, 2008 6AMcdt
Editors, New York Times
Gentlepeople:
Your Thursday, August 14, 2008 sports section headline "Chicago Has Shoulders Broad Enough to Host Games" was great for an article on Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. I mean, isn't Chicago commonly referred to as 'the city of broad shoulders'?
Well, you're not the first ones to assume that, but the headline probably got the great American poet Carl Sandburg spinning in his grave. He wrote the 1916 poem 'Chicago' describing it as "City of the Big Shoulders." And c'mon, New York Times, he was a Socialist, too.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
[Never printed, no response]
Letter to NYTimes on Chicago's "broad shoulders(?)"
Chicago IL Tuesday, August 19, 2008 6AMcdt
Editors, New York Times
Gentlepeople:
Your Thursday, August 14, 2008 sports section headline "Chicago Has Shoulders Broad Enough to Host Games" was great for an article on Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. I mean, isn't Chicago commonly referred to as 'the city of broad shoulders'?
Well, you're not the first ones to assume that, but the headline probably got the great American poet Carl Sandburg spinning in his grave. He wrote the 1916 poem 'Chicago' describing it as "City of the Big Shoulders." And c'mon, New York Times, he was a Socialist, too.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
Editors, New York Times
Gentlepeople:
Your Thursday, August 14, 2008 sports section headline "Chicago Has Shoulders Broad Enough to Host Games" was great for an article on Chicago's 2016 Olympic bid. I mean, isn't Chicago commonly referred to as 'the city of broad shoulders'?
Well, you're not the first ones to assume that, but the headline probably got the great American poet Carl Sandburg spinning in his grave. He wrote the 1916 poem 'Chicago' describing it as "City of the Big Shoulders." And c'mon, New York Times, he was a Socialist, too.
Arnold H. Nelson 5056 North Marine Drive Chicago IL 60640
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Exchange w/ Mary Schmich, ChiTrib columnist
[I thot her reply was pretty cute]
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:00 CDT
From: "Arnold Nelson"
To: "Mary Schmich" <mschmich@tribune.com>S
Subject: Say it ain't so, Mary
Mary Schmich, you are a nationally recognized newspaper columnist, so what a nobody like me is doing writing you about grammar (something you write about often, and very well) is hard to believe.
In your Sunday August 17 column "Transitions -- 'grooviest bookstore in Chicago' -- closes" you talk about Gayle and Howard closing their bookshop. You use the sentence "They were both in recovery programs — him for his addiction, her for her enabling — the day in 1989...."
The only objects in this phrase are 'recovery programs,' so how can you refer to Gayle and Howard here with the object pronouns 'him' and 'her'? Wasn't 'he' in a recovery program, and wasn't 'she' also in a recovery program?
Outside of that, you are a great interviewer, writer, and especially, a grammarian.
Arn Nelson 5056 North marine Drive Chicago
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:04CDT
From: "Schmich, Mary"
To: "Arnold Nelson"
Subject: RE: Say it ain't so, Mary
Dang, Arn. I think you is right.
Thanks for reading so attentively and for coupling a compliment with a correction.
Mary Schmich
Date: Sun, 17 Aug 2008 14:00 CDT
From: "Arnold Nelson"
To: "Mary Schmich" <mschmich@tribune.com>S
Subject: Say it ain't so, Mary
Mary Schmich, you are a nationally recognized newspaper columnist, so what a nobody like me is doing writing you about grammar (something you write about often, and very well) is hard to believe.
In your Sunday August 17 column "Transitions -- 'grooviest bookstore in Chicago' -- closes" you talk about Gayle and Howard closing their bookshop. You use the sentence "They were both in recovery programs — him for his addiction, her for her enabling — the day in 1989...."
The only objects in this phrase are 'recovery programs,' so how can you refer to Gayle and Howard here with the object pronouns 'him' and 'her'? Wasn't 'he' in a recovery program, and wasn't 'she' also in a recovery program?
Outside of that, you are a great interviewer, writer, and especially, a grammarian.
Arn Nelson 5056 North marine Drive Chicago
Date: Mon, 18 Aug 2008 16:04CDT
From: "Schmich, Mary"
To: "Arnold Nelson"
Subject: RE: Say it ain't so, Mary
Dang, Arn. I think you is right.
Thanks for reading so attentively and for coupling a compliment with a correction.
Mary Schmich
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