http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/ The Magazine's recommended daily allowance of news, culture and your letters. en Copyright 2009 Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:14:33 +0000 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/?v=4.1 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss As a medical statistician, I am usually very sceptical of any health stories, and usually find that once I look closely, the headlines aren't justified by the data. Today, however, I shall make an exception. Alcohol 'protects men's hearts' is just obviously true and there is therefore no need for me to look behind the headline. Adam, London, UK Re Energy-saving bulbs 'get dimmer': It's a good job you used the quotes. "Energy-saving bulbs' maximum brightness reduces over time, but not as badly as traditional bulbs." Doesn't trip off the tongue half as well. Andrew, Malvern, UK Extremely low temperatures may make whisky "slightly cloudy"? I left a bottle of Canadian whisky in the trunk of my car overnight several years ago, and there were pieces of ice floating in it by morning. Of course, it's possible that Edmonton gets colder than Antarctica. Chris, Toronto, Canada Re Paper Monitor's fascination with fascinators. Having recently worn a hat adorned with a fascinator to a wedding, the only purpose has to be decorative. Calling it a bow would have sufficed. Candace, New Jersey, US Monitor note: Terminology must be different on this side of the pond, where a fascinator is a rinky-dinky little hat. Or a bow/feather/flower in place of a hat. With regards to the shortest ever Paper Monitor, I think this one is a serious contender. Steve Bowman, London 0.7 miles in 4 minutes (Paper Monitor)? That's a very speedy 5.7mph! Kathryn, London Paper Monitor, if you can manage that I'll send you a whole pack of custard creams. Mandy Nichols, Leeds Paper Monitor replies: You're on - no, wait - I got in a muddle. It is 14 minutes. "Boeing said in a statement: 'We will not be making any comment.'" So why make a statement? Mary, Manchester, UK To follow on the discussion (Wednesday letters), my late grandmother always insisted the plural of "poof" was "pooves". There was never any offence meant as she was describing her brother and his boyfriend. Rob, London I favour "roofs" because, unlike "hooves", I can't detect a vowel phoneme change in the plural form, but I imagine both are acceptable. English spellings haven't always been standard. On the other hand, Latin spellings were pretty consistent - which is why accede, succeed, concede, and yes, supercede, are usually spelled with a "c"- because the Latin verb is cedo, cedere (cessi, cessurus), meaning "to yield" (et al). Truce? Or must we continue to make trivial arguments and unfair insults over something as fluid and wonderful as language? Nadja, Bostonian in Moscow, Russia http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_796.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_796.shtml Your Letters Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:14:33 +0000 If you'll forgive me for taking a break from my normal witticisms, I'd just like to say how much I enjoyed your pictures of wildlife at Kew Gardens. It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen for a long time, and I encourage all Monitorites to take a few minutes to have a look. Adam, London, UK I managed a score of 0/7 on the Sun headlines quiz, and I really tried. It was only after finishing however, that I realised how happy that made me. My unblemished ignorance means that I am entirely out of kilter with the Sun and all it stands for. Either that or I'm so eager to turn the front page that I fail to pay any attention to the headlines... Ashley Pearson, Hull For once I'm soooo glad to have got 0 in a 7 questions quiz. Jenn, Bridgend They're back! Can somebody please inform the BBC's science department that chromosomes are not made of sausages? Katherine, Canberra, Australia Objecting to Thought for the Day!? It's not as if the media is short of non-religious opinion. I'm becoming more and more ashamed to be an atheist. Michael, Rockville, MD, US Ergonomics is a made-up word, is it? What, you mean unlike all those other words which occur naturally in underground seams? Samuel, Leeds According to the map in Driver lost on 600km shops trip, the wrong turn only occurred after around 200km... which is still a long way to travel to pop down to the shops. Basil Long, Nottingham Marie (Tuesday letters), all dictionaries that I have consulted say roofs is the plural of roof, as does a friend of mine who is an English teacher. This does mean that the BBC is wrong though. Dave Cassar, London I went to school in the 1950s and was taught the plural of roof is rooves, just as the plural of hoof is hooves. The addition of just an "s" appears to be either due to American influences or laziness. Frequent incorrect use eventually becomes accepted, just like supercede is now accepted as an alternative spelling of supersede. Graeme Watson, Tewkesbury, Glos, UK What about leaf? Is it leafs or leaves? My wife pronounces them "roofs" and "leafs" which drives me mad, because they are surely correctly pronounced "rooves" and "leaves", but how are they spelt? Simon, Colchester, UK Re Meg and Allan J's letters, I experienced difficulties with the site over the weekend. Page was loading but only header and footer was visible, no content. Iani, Aberystwyth You wanted an explanation of missing items. Explanations I cannot give, but facts I can: Today I am able to see Your Letters in Magazine Monitor, but Paper Monitor still comes up with a blank screen; 10 things' gives me Your Letters again; and WBQ and Web Monitor are blank, though the text is available via the "text only" button. Something weird is going on... Joy Uings, Sale, UK Allan J, Meg - you're not alone, I don't get the Monitor either, it's to do with Internet Explorer 8. You have to run it in compatibility view to see everything properly. Nick, Swindon, UK In IE, I can see the header, then a big bit of empty space, then the footer, then more empty space. This is since about Thursday. In Firefox, I can see it all fine. What happened on Thursday? Anna, Flitwick, UK http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_795.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_795.shtml Your Letters Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:07:07 +0000 Is it just me or does this photo of Gaddafi make him look uncannily like Alan Rickman?Mike Harper, Devon, UK Meg, Geneva, (Friday's letters) was right! Caption Competition gone, letters gone, and no, it's not my computer either. Can we get it fixed?Allan J, Calgary, Canada Monitor: You'll need to explain more - things seem fine from this end. Dan (Monday's letters), your maths is all right but your assumptions aren't. To make the calculation you need to also know the average cost of a regulated and unregulated fare (you have assumed they are the same). It also isn't clear whether the stats means 40% of tickets bought are regulated or 40% of defined journey/ticket type combinations. I think it is probably the latter, in which case the number of people buying each ticket type is also required.Ian, Winchester, UK And I suppose it's not to late to hope John Cleese will go in for the 100m crawl?Fred, Rotherham Your story today about train station got me thinking... about the plural of 'roof'. In your article you used 'rooves' which I had not seen before. An online search found a split in opinion between 'roofs' and 'rooves'. Could any reader shed more light on the matter and put my mind at rest?Marie, Orpington Your article on train stations twice uses the phrase "total journey experience". Is that what we used to call a "train journey"? Adam, London, UK For sheer minimalism, try Dovey Junction. Essentially a triangular platform in the middle of nowhere, provided to assist those who forgot to change carriages at Machynlleth. Ben Norwood, Magazine Facebook page http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_794.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_794.shtml Your Letters Tue, 17 Nov 2009 17:50:22 +0000 What about the head, fins and tail ?Paul Greggor, London Today's Springsteen quote is indeed very Spinal Tap, but a headline on Dutch Ceefax today is equally old fashioned rock 'n roll custom: "Metal band trashes hotel room", about a Norwegian band causing 5000 euros worth of damage to a Dutch hotel room. Nothing new, of course, but the Dutch Ceefax service presented it as its main headline today, as if these things had never happened before.Johan van Slooten, Urk, The Netherlands I know my math skills aren't quite what they used to be, but I'm pretty certain that if the total fare increase is 1.1% and we know that 40% of the fares decrease by 0.4%, that means that the remaining 60% went up by 2.1%. So did we really need Atoc to tell us that in the first place?Dan, Cambridge Jonny (Friday Letters) - you have it the wrong way around. The test was whether CD is better than iPod, so the CD player should have been connected to the same model of dock for a fair comparison. and I'll bet you any money the CD would still have won.Richard, Reading Close encounters of the furred kind? Sorry, I'll get my chinchilla...Rob, London, UK Wouldn't putting the forest park "firmly in the spotlight" rather defeat the point?Adam, London, UK http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_793.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_793.shtml Your Letters Mon, 16 Nov 2009 16:11:27 +0000 Re Pee to help make your garden grow: If 10 of the 60 male staff members peeing on a hay bale has saved 30% of the estate's water consumption from flushing toilets, then the 50 female staff members must have been flushing less than half as often as their male counterparts. The complete opposite of every other house in the country. Rob, Sheffield, UK How can you possibly make John Humphreys' quip the quote of the day, when the very same story contains this gem from Dimbles himself: "Trust my wife's bullock to take me out." Tim Barrow, London, UK An unfortunately placed bit of dirt on my computer screen had him being knocked out by his wife's buttock. I spent a few confused minutes wondering why it was being loaded on to a trailer in the first place. Jim, Crowborough 7 days quiz. Mixing up Bert and Ernie. Unforgivable. Rachel, Leeds Monitor note: Am very, very ashamed. This CD v iPod "experiment" is ridiculous. It has nothing to with the iPod, although admittedly the result "larger speaker sounds better than smaller speaker" wouldn't have the same cutting edge journalistic feel to it. If the iPod was plugged in to the large speakers the result would have been very different. Oh, and a sample of 10 data points is far too small to draw statistically valid conclusions. I'll get my note.# Jonny, Leicester Where are you Magazine Monitor? Isn't it bad enough that normally you discriminate against international readers by making it difficult to find you, now you've just gone off completely? Caption competition? Gone. Your letters? Gone. More about today's quote? Gone. Arghhhhhhhhhhh Am I supposed to work this afternoon? Is that it? (Or is it just a problem with my computer?) Meg, Geneva, Switzerland Monitor note: It's not me, it's you. If I could come out of retirement and say how chuffed I am to join Simon Rooke on 50 captions selected by the Monitor. I'd like to thank my little helpers who've been submitting on my behalf since I hung up my quill. They will now join me as I slip back into retirement. It's been a blast. Stig, London, UK May I just thank all those that enter the caption competition every week. They never fail to make me laugh, often long and loudly. Kudos to you all. Tim Dennell http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_792.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_792.shtml Your Letters Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:21:11 +0000 So the computerised marking system doesn't like repetition, or metaphor, or dramatic effect. Well, Paper Monitor, you'd better hope that it doesn't recognise Little Britain jokes, or you're getting marked down for plagiarism (twice).Ruaraidh Gillies, Wirral, UK Re Police cycling guide (Paper Monitor): I'm not sure that four-year-old Nelly is such an expert at all. She fell off, I note. And hurt her knee. Frankly, I think Nelly might benefit from a 93-page pamphlet. Chris, London The picture on today's Daily Mini-Quiz has the text of "Actor posing as policeman" - which is seen when placing your mouse pointer over it. This isn't some "actor posing as a policeman", this is the legend that is PC Plum from Balamory. My two-year-old daughter will confirm this.Martin, High Wycombe, UK I saw Xbox gamer 'gutted' after cut off and feel that community service would be a less harsh sentence for software theft.Ed, Clacton, UK "A spokesperson for the X Factor declined to comment on Sting's interview, saying he was entitled to his opinion." So in what way did they decline to comment?Simon, Edinburgh Further to Rachel and Ken's letters (Wednesday letters), a sure sign is when you become completely invisible to teenagers walking towards you and have to step into the road to get past. Very worrying as I am only 34 and this has been happening to me for about five years.Emma, Jersey http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_791.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_791.shtml Your Letters Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:45:47 +0000 Re Project Laundry and Americans' attitudes to washing lines (Web Monitor), in the game Sim City 4, one of the signs that a property is going to the dogs is a washing line appearing in the garden. A little bit geeky, but true. Louise, Botto Re Noisy sex woman loses appeal bid: The council is reported as measuring sound levels of "47 decibels". That's "average residence noise", according to noise charts. Am I missing out on something at home? Steve-O, Sheffield Is there a fexionary entry for the feeling of wanting to read a news story which is dominating the 'most read' chart, but not daring to because you are at work? You know the one I mean. Ken, Cheslmsford Monitor note: This one, perchance? Sarah (Tuesday letters), who wants a word for the nagging fear that you have just typed utter babble - for many of us this state is called "normality". Graham, Hayle Sarah, I believe it is called "blogging". Ben, Bournemouth Provided you restricted yourself to 140 characters of utter babble, it's called "twittering". Tim, Helston Rachel (Tuesday letters), the most reliable way to tell if age is creeping up on you is whether you have noticed how young policemen look these days. BTW, did anyone else who was watching Sunday's Remembrance ceremony at the Cenotaph notice how young our new First Sea Lord looks? Adam, London, UK Rachel, I have started reading Monitor letters, laughing and only then realising that it was I who wrote it. My memory's not what it used to be. Rob, London Rachel, the other day I saved an empty jar because I thought it was "a useful size". I'm only 25. Jenny, Manchester, UK You know when you're old when:You see a poster for a new album and you don't know which is the band and which is the album titleYou find driving aimlessly round the countryside, finding "a nice place for coffee" and driving home again a worthwhile way to spend a dayYou suddenly realise that teenagers are a different species This last happened to me at about 33 - I'm now 43 so am ancient. Ken, Hornchurch, Essex Dear Rob, First of all I'd like to say how much I look forward to reading your contributions to the Monitor (Tuesday letters). Your easy style and wonderfully witty comments make great copy. It's always a fortunate day for us all when your comments are included. I would also like to congratulate you on your recent good fortune, would that Lady Luck was smiling at me a bit more these days, but sadly she turns her face away from me. I have to say that loan of a few pounds would make all the difference to my life... Vicky, East London Judging by the number of Tuesday's letters that are from across the Atlantic, I think I've spotted the loop-hole in how to get this one published... Martin, High Wycombe, US (not really) http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_790.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_790.shtml Your Letters Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:12:22 +0000 In addition to the perception of poverty, air drying laundry also suffers from dirty air (Web Monitor). When I was a kid, drying clothes outside in fresh air was better than using a dryer. Today, the clothes attract and absorb all kinds of strange pollutants and end up smelling odd. Plus, there's an urban privacy issue concerning undergarments hung up for all to see. Jay, Armada MI, US I love my solar dryer. There's something different in the way clothes smell when they're allowed to dry in the wind and the sun. Robert Melvin, Lakewood, Colorado, US We take great pride to hang the laundry outside for savings and mostly environmental reasons (Web Monitor). And I am talking year-round. You'll see me with boots in the snow, hurrying to hang the wash so it does not freeze before it is on the line. Once up, it dries very well - "sublimation", water goes from the frozen state right into the dry winter air. We use the electric dryer not more than twice a year, when it unpredictably rains on the laundry. Kurt D Stottmeier, S Carver, MA, US UK lottery winners unveiled: Now where did I put that family tree? Dave, Cambridge I play the Lottery every Saturday, and I'm a little worried about their announcing the winners of the £45m Euromillions. Did they have the choice (and, if so, why did they agree?). I certainly wouldn't want anybody knowing about the £10 I won last week. Rob Falconer, Llandough, Wales Ah, so BBC news is starting a sideline in quashing rumours? In that case, I'd like to put people straight about what didn't (and never will) happen between me and Harry. Anyone else got a use for this new service? I have a feeling they might have bitten off more than they could chew... Louise, Oxford Re Thriving trade in out-of-date best-before foods: Seems you've broken Approved Foods and Food Bargains - good work Magazine! liamf1, via Twitter Amen, Peter (Monday letters). Clearly, the worst thing about Hannah Montana is the accent, and all of us have twangs. I wish I too could be accent-free, just like the people wherever Caroline (Friday letters) is from who've managed to avoid this linguistic plague. Nadja, north of Boston, US I'd like to put forward the following, from this story, as a contender for quote of the day: "We'd consider the koala with the same level of diligence and dedication as if it were the death adder" - Bob Beeton, Chairman of the Australian Threatened Species Steering Committee. Dec, Belfast Yesterday I found myself saving an odd piece of string and a folded sheet of foil. Today I think I will begin using the phrase "Mind you...". Is this the insidious onset of age? Rachel, Minnetonka Can my fellow Monitorites help me? Does anyone know a word for the nagging fear that you have just typed utter babble. Sarah, Colchester http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_789.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_789.shtml Your Letters Tue, 10 Nov 2009 15:44:46 +0000 How appropriate that after his hit song, Tom should have continued his interest in traffic matters on the motorway.Simon Rooke, Nottingham, UK What's with all the text on the main picture of the Greggs article? After seeing it I felt like I didn't need to read the rest of the article. I still did though, because I love you.Rob, London "There's a huge chunk of blokes who want lots of food cheaply. (Greggs is) doing that job absolutely superbly." "Huge chunk of blokes", or "huge chunky blokes"? Was this a typo?Martin, Bristol, UK The picture of Gordon Brown not bowing his head at the cenotaph, which Paper Monitor describes as "rather inconclusive", also shows him not eating custard, not smoking, not heading a football and not winking at the Queen, amongst many other non-activities. What sort of picture WOULD have conclusively showed him not bowing?John Whapshott, Westbury, England Oh Caroline, (Friday's letters), your parents have done a bang up job with you, and their draconian measures have made you the well-rounded person your letter suggests. Peter, Cardiff, Bristol "Macaques find fake monkeys creepy." Really? Can't think why.Rob, London, UK http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_788.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_788.shtml Your Letters Mon, 09 Nov 2009 15:28:35 +0000 As a child of the 80s/90s, I clearly remember my parents banning any form of 'accent' on television. Sesame Street, Teenage Mutant Hero Turtles... even Eastenders. Though distraught at the time, I'm glad that they did. My job involves working with children on a regular basis, and I notice that some of them have distinct American twangs to their voices, particularly the girls, due to the influences of Hannah Montana and the High School Musicals. Rant over. Caroline Wallis, via Facebook Re Stadium Naming Rights. "One wonders if there are any fans now who refer to it as Ashburton Grove." Yes, there are quite a few fans who refer to the E******* as Ashburton Grove.Edd, Cardiff Yes, there are still people who call it Ashburton Grove.Ian C, Kent Michael (Thursday's letters), only if it sells cupcakes. Jim O'Connor, Winchester She blamed it all on a mix-up, I see...Graham, Frome Thank you for this week's Friday bear story. Can we have another one next week too?Dr Toes, Carharrack If this is a fish: > (Thursday's letters), then this: >, is a fsh! It's got no "i"! Ahahahahaha... Er. I'll get me oilskins.James, Stockport To Angela (Thursday's letters), this is a mouse ~~( )8>Emily Parry, Portsmouth http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_787.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_787.shtml Your Letters Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:36:00 +0000 To Liam, Northampton (Wednesday's letters), steam engines where used to power machinery (pumping water out of mines, operating the machines in cotton mills), before the invention of the steam train. I'll get me coat. Martin, Manchester, Lancashire Liam (Wednesday's letters), it took over a century of development to get from the first stationary steam engines to the point where they could be made powerful and light enough to be used for locomotion. Tim, London The CIA's favourite Xtreme sport?Rahere, Smithfield So, after the Wicker Man, it's the Silicon WomanRob, Wales I believe it's traditional in most cultures for people to turn up at their own funeral. The only thing that made this story remarkable, but that wasn't mentioned in the headline, was that the individual was still alive.Bob Peters, Leeds, UK They're reopening a cafe on the ground floor of the building where I work. Does this mean that the recession is over?Michael Hall, Croydon, UK Okay I'm a little behind the times here (been busy, went out for lunch etc) but I'd just like to thank Fi (Wednesday's letters) for spelling her evil laugh with a "B". I have had looong discussions with a colleague who maintains it begins with an "M". But it doesn't. "Mwah ha ha" is someone laughing after they've air-kissed you.Kaylie, Runcorn, UK This is a fish >. Angelina Williams http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_786.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_786.shtml Your Letters Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:20:14 +0000 Re the top 10 inventions, are Stevenson's Rocket and the steam engine not essentially the same thing? Liam, Northampton The £1,000 rail ticket that can be bought in advance for £561 seems an excellent example of a situation where one would advertise to all their associates how much they had saved, while still paying what seems to be an extortionate amount, perhaps even better than never-ending furniture sales. James O, Oxford Well done Steve Hill for your ecological thinking (Tuesday letters). Why use up fresh electrons on a new web-based news story when we can recycle the old ones. And it's far more interesting than some of the recent stories. P.S. are you really in the Women's Institute? Ralph, Cumbria Steve (Tuesday letters) - let it lie. Think of the Kids. Lee Pike, Auckland, New Zealand Kat (Tuesday letters), I initially agreed, and then went on to find my own moment illustrating your point. May I suggest "Anticiphany"? Bas, London I was so intrigued by the idea of a soup plot until I realised that I'd misread the headline. Adam, London, UK http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_785.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_785.shtml Your Letters Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:10:13 +0000 "While cheerfulness fosters creativity, gloominess breeds attentiveness and careful thinking" (Feeling grumpy 'is good for you'). As someone who works in a creative industry where attention to detail is important, I'm wondering how I can find a middle ground here... would indifference do it? Sue, London Astute readers (and watchers) of the Oxford Street X-crossing story will notice that the "cymbal" struck by Boris Johnson is in fact a tam-tam. This is not to be confused with a gong, which, as we all know, has a raised boss or nipple and is tuned to a specific pitch. Sarah, Oxon I was at a course yesterday which involved some discussion of psychological problems in society and how we view them, and who should show up on screen but Drunk Girl to illustrate addiction (Paper Monitors and Letters passem). Alex K, Bath Does anyone know an expression for the emotional rollercoaster you experience when your interest is piqued upon seeing an awesome headline, followed by the disappointment of realising it can't possibly live up to your expectations as you click on it, succeeded by the euphoria of it being an even better story than you had initially imagined? Kat Gregg, Coventry It is indeed confusing, bx19 (Monday letters). As an English teacher I tell my students that "up to" suggests any number from (in this case) 1 to 70,000, whereas "as many as" suggests an estimate close to 70,000. A perfect example, I feel, of how statistics can be manipulated to mean whatever you want them to mean. Dick Savage, Plzen, Czech Republic Jan (Monday letters), a friend in London tells me it's gotten rather cold there. If you were a strawberry, would you grow in this weather? Nadja, north of Boston, US Julie - I always blame mine on the cat too. Good try, but I'm on to you... D Trump, Liverpool, UK Julie, my brother's cat often startles itself with the noises it produces. Basil Long, Nottingham Could you post a link to the Man marries goat story? I'm trying to get it back into the Most Read Top 10 again. Cheers in advance. Steve Hill, Milwaukee, WI, US Monitor note: OK, keep an eye out... and may she rest in peace. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_784.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_784.shtml Your Letters Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:32:12 +0000 Maisy (Letters, Friday), cats most certainly do break wind - very quietly! I have a small black cat named Shirley who makes the most vile smells - just when she has sat on my lap!!Julie, Leek I note from this week's 10 Things that bears do not in fact like honey. But has research been done into their liking for porridge? Or indeed pickernic baskets? May childhood beliefs are at stake here...Charlotte, Crystal Palace, London "Bears don't like honey" refers to black bears - this is what the TV programme was about. So why have you used a picture of a *brown* bear to illustrate the headline 10 Things - Bears don't like honey and nine other snippets"?Paul Levy, Lancaster Pre-promotion nominative determinism visible here.Bas, London I was going to write a witty comment about this story suggesting that we can still be considered a child at 25. I then realised I'd read it incorrectly, which was disappointing as I thought it meant I'd got a few more years left of taking my laundry home.Amy-Jo, London Re your poppy story: Poppies are NOT sold. They are distributed and donations welcomed and accepted. I assume this is the case in UK as well as Canada.Ernest Middleton, Dartmouth Nova Scotia Canada Why have strawberry and rasberry prices risen by 250% in the past week?Jan Maguire, High Easter, UK So, which is which? Up to, or As Many As?bx19, Warrington, Euroland http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_783.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/11/your_letters_783.shtml Your Letters Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:17:25 +0000 Now, this is what I call work experience. Ralph, Cumbria I thought the quote of the day was spot on. Most people have no idea what keeps a plane in the air, so having them praying rather than screaming is a much better option. I have joked with several airlines that if 100 years ago I had suggested that we lock people up in metal cylinders with fireworks attached to them, fired them into the air and that they would pay for the privilege, they'd think I was mad. John Airey, Peterborough, UK Re The methane makers: do cats break wind? Maisy, Milton Keynes Ah Halloween approaches again and I'm almost looking forward to it again. It's my one and only opportunity to ply all the neighbourhood's little darlings with the most E-number-laden sweets I can find, in the gleeful hope that they will be oh so hyper and badly-behaved by bedtime. BWAAHHH HAAAAAA HAAAAAA! Fi, Gloucestershire, UK "But an industry spokesman said it was not gravely concerned about Wal-Mart's move [to start selling coffins]..." I think I died a little inside when I read that. Caro, Lincolnshire Winner of the Caption Competition! Yeah, baby - we are the champions!! About the kudos. I know it's only a small amount but I would really appreciate it if you could let the Scouts handle it. I'd hate it to get spilt during a game of no-look basketball. Decoyman, Wallingford, UK Re Straw ends poll station axe plans: This could be construed as an all noun headline, although if it is, I'm not sure I want to think too much about what "Straw ends" are in that context. Adam, London, UK http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/10/your_letters_782.shtml http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/magazinemonitor/2009/10/your_letters_782.shtml Your Letters Fri, 30 Oct 2009 17:56:41 +0000