Sound Off

Batch Data Processor | Saturday, Jul 7 2007 9:20 PM

Last Updated: Saturday, Jul 7 2007 9:23 PM

Reader: I found your response regarding the Ann Coulter issue rather amusing, if not erroneous in itself. You start your response with "not so fast." I'm going to say the same: "Not so fast, Mr. Jenner." What you have overlooked is the fact that Ann Coulter's remark about Mr. Edwards was stated. I'm certain you understand the word. If not, look it up in Webster's.

You have a nice day.

-- Russell Patrone

Reader: Regarding Californian's reprinting of AP's distortions of Ann Coulter:

NOT SO FAST, JENNER!

You claim "Maher's statements (about Cheney) certainly did provoke a significant outcry at the time he made them." Jenner, you have ZERO proof for that statement; simply reproduce the Californian EDITORIAL condemning Maher's comment. You can't because it doesn't exist. Please don't lie to us. Then you say, "How do Maher's comments excuse Coulter's remarks about Edwards?"

NOT SO FAST, JENNER!

Do you have to play intentionally dumb to protect your liberal bias and thirst for "yellow journalism"? Obviously, Coulter was asserting that Maher's remarks WERE NOT WIDELY CONDEMNED at the time he made them; she WAS NOT asserting that his joke was funny! In order for us to believe your idiotic self-justification, we must accept that you have NO idea of the meaning or use of irony in speech.

NOT SO FAST, JENNER!

-- Chris Pavik

Jenner: You're correct in pointing out that we didn't publish an editorial condemning Maher -- nor did we run one condemning Coulter. Californian columnist Marylee Shrider did include Maher's comments in a column (ironically) decrying Coulter's use of the word "faggot" in referring to Democrat presidential hopeful John Edwards. I'll admit that the loudest protests I remember in the outcry over Maher's remarks came primarily from talk radio hosts and bloggers.

And I think I do understand rhetorical language and irony.

The point I was trying to make -- and perhaps failed to effectively make -- is that Maher was out of line when he made his comments about the vice president being dead, and that Coulter is out of line for making similar comments about Edwards being dead, no matter who spoke first or how they spin their comments.

Reader: "Meeting has causal tone"

I would imagine that you will get many comments about this headline from last Sunday's paper. Unfortunately spell-check cannot distinguish between two correctly spelled words. CAUSAL or CASUAL. Which do you think it should have been?

--Al Abrams

Jenner: It certainly should have been "casual." I regret this mistake, as I do every error. While editors should spell-check every page, I don't think in this instance that's the true culprit. I think we were moving too fast and didn't proof that page carefully enough.

We'll endeavor to do better. Thanks for the note.

Reader: I've gotta know: Who is the absolute idiot who decided to discontinue the weekly TV section? The "replacement" offers no daytime programming, no late night programming, no weekend sports and no way to know what's on any time in the future. Perhaps it will force me to spend more time reading the paper, right? Not quite. I've canceled.

-- Don Allen

Reader: We miss having a "daytime TV schedule" for the week in Sunday's Eye Section. And now we have to search a long list every day for the night-time schedule. Aren't the people who have all the channels you are listing plush enough to buy The TV Guide weekly? Why compete with TV Guide? If you persist with the current method, couldn't stations be grouped according to Bakersfield ones first, then the Los Angeles stations, etc.? Just wondering? Remember it's hard for us "oldies" to accept change.

Long-term subscribers,

-- Allen and Belva Warkentin

Jenner: Unfortunately, TV Guide stopped running local listings long before we did. I know it's hard to accept change, and I regret that we've upset some longtime subscribers by our decision.

Reader: I am very disappointed that you have discontinued having the Sunday TV section. If you do not bring it back, I will cancel my subscription. My brother-in-law feels the same way. Bring back the TV section and have less HUGE FULL-PAGE ADVERTISEMENTS! I have been a subscriber for 50+ years.

-- Virginia Wahl

Jenner: Virginia, I truly appreciate and respect our 50-year relationship. However, I don't believe we will restore the weekly TV section, and I hope you and other readers will continue to patronize the advertisers who buy those full-page ads.

Reader: I just returned from an extended vacation and I'm the reading Sunday, July 1, paper for the first time in a little bit. I'm looking at the Sunday TV listings and I see the new format where you've regrouped and you've added National Geographic channel which I don't believe was included before. I know you've received a lot of grief recently about discontinuing the old TV guide in Sunday's paper. I wanted you to know that I like this new format and I'm glad you did it this way.

-- Jerry Cox

Jenner: Thanks for your note, Jerry.

Reader: I am a years-long subscriber to The Californian. When I moved from Bakersfield to Rosamond in 2005, I kept my subscription and recently renewed it for another 6 months. My local carrier is simply fantastic and quite often my paper is delivered as early as 4 a.m. I cannot imagine trying to start my day without reading The Californian from "cover to cover." But alas, even the best of the best has occasional glitches and I have become disappointed in the weekly Sports section report about area fishing.

There are not many places to go fishing in and around the Rosamond area.

Since I retired I simply do not enjoy driving long distances as much as I used to. I have been to Brite Lake near Tehachapi several times -- a very lovely setting and only 25 miles from my home. Problem is, each time I've been there it has been "fished out" from the previous planting/stocking and it isn't much fun casting a line for hours without even a nibble. No one seems to know when the next time the lake will be stocked, so I faithfully read your weekly column for an update on Brite Lake fishing.

I am disappointed that the report has been erroneous for the past numerous weeks. I would like to believe there is an acceptable answer to this "glitch" and have my faith in your column restored. Perhaps you get your information about Brite Lake from Tehachapi Parks and Recreation Department and maybe you have merely been reporting the information as you receive it. I would appreciate this problem being looked into and corrected.

Thank you,

-- Sid Highley

Jenner: Thanks for bringing this to our attention. Sports Editor Tony Lacava has spoken with the people who prepare that report and has been assured that the problem will be addressed. Please let us know if you don't see immediate improvement.

Reader: Your information on the questionable business practices of Crisp & Cole is most enlightening. I hope it also enlightens the CSUB trustees who selected that firm to build a commercial project to enhance the campus i.e. provide more revenue. If the series doesn't enlighten the trustees, we alumni had better enlighten them.

-- Audrey Cochran, RNCS, CCCN

Jenner: Cal State Bakersfield officials announced earlier this week they were terminating their discussions with the real estate firm regarding the building of twin office towers on campus.

Reader: I would like to take this opportunity to express my deepest thanks for giving me the opportunity to be a contributing writer for The Californian.

Bakersfield is my hometown and it's an honor to write for my hometown paper. I enjoy writing stories about my past like Hacinda (sic) Palace.

Thanks for giving Jennifer Baldwin the job of Contributions Editor. She is very professional and courteous and helpful. The people of Bakersfield are lucky to have a hometown newspaper that is there for all of us.

-- J.D. Harris

Reader: Thank you for publishing my letter (unedited!) and that of another letter writer concerning the circus.

I was not a subscriber of your newspaper until you ran James Burger's stories about our County shelter a couple of years ago. When I read people were threatening to cancel their subscriptions because of the photo on the front page, I became and remain a subscriber in support of your decision. Too bad if it was upsetting to people having their morning cup of coffee.

The last victims to receive attention are animals. I know most people would use the excuse that there are more important issues, but I think Gandhi would answer that best: "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated."

Thank you.

-- Stacey Augustson