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I've got to be getting better about posting the links up...

October 20: Internet makes blogging another source for news

October 27: PETA too extreme

New letter!!!

I got this in response to my column on PETA:

After reading your pg on PETA, it is very clear to me that you are a person with a very low spirituality level. Your closed minded and slefish, and you will except and stand by anything that anyone says as long as it tries to justify your nasty ways. Ya know, your one of those horrible people that can only have some kind of compassion towards ANY life, human or non human, only if you were forced to live in a tiny cage for 2 years. And by the way, your wasting all that grain and water that can be given to millions of poor and miserable people that you pretend to care so much about. Instead, you feed it to cows and pigs which need A LOT of it, only to kill them and "gain" like a pound of their bloody flesh just for the taste of it. Also, you should REALLY concider going vegetarian since it looks like you spend many days in McDonalds or or licking cheese off a knife. Your fat dude, i'm just being honest here...not even trying to be mean!

I feel ashamed that you are a part of the human race. And don't bother bother calling YOUR SLEF a christian......your not a great person at all. Because great Christian people.....when they know about what hell animals live through....they try to stop it instead of working towards making more of it

Once again, name withheld, to protect the guilty.

So, in the classic Rob style, let's break this down piece by piece...

After reading your pg on PETA, it is very clear to me that you are a person with a very low spirituality level.

Glad it's clear to you, since you lost me on the fourth word (WTF is a "pg"?).

Your closed minded and slefish, and you will except and stand by anything that anyone says as long as it tries to justify your nasty ways.

I'm not closed-minded. If I was, I'd be liberal. :D

Ya know, your one of those horrible people that can only have some kind of compassion towards ANY life, human or non human, only if you were forced to live in a tiny cage for 2 years.

I have lived in a tiny cage for two years. It's called the University Village Apartments. You've also managed to insult how much I love my family, my friends, and my pets, which frankly, I find insulting.

I had one dog growing up. We played, we brought her inside to sleep when the weather became cold. When she started getting old, it was a struggle watching her walk around with arthritis. One of the hardest things I ever had to do was when I was 14 years old and had to dig her grave. So please, do not even attempt to tell me about compassion.

And by the way, your wasting all that grain and water that can be given to millions of poor and miserable people that you pretend to care so much about.

And, evidentially, from reading what you said those people would only deserve to get that food if they fit into your dietary profile. They would also be malnourished from lack of protein & vitamin B12, for starters. Nice. *thumbs up*

Instead, you feed it to cows and pigs which need A LOT of it, only to kill them and "gain" like a pound of their bloody flesh just for the taste of it.

We would still be feeding grain to cows and pigs anyways, wouldn't we? Wouldn't they die anyways? Go extinct? To withhold food from animals to give it all to humans? You seem lost here...

Also, you should REALLY concider going vegetarian since it looks like you spend many days in McDonalds or or licking cheese off a knife. Your fat dude, i'm just being honest here...not even trying to be mean!

Well, haven't set foot in McDonalds for two years, and I haven't eaten any sort of fast food in six months. Sorry to burst the bubble on your little theory and I use a cheese slicer. In fact, I only eat meat once a day. When the schedule of a college student gets hectic, white rice with soy sauce is a pretty good meal, as is spaghetti and veggie pasta sauce. After I'm done picking apart your little letter, I'll probably grab some celery and peanut butter.

My weight has nothing to do with eating meat, since I known many overweight vegetarians--who don't cheat. Besides, I don't see where you're having room to complain. Show your face.

I feel ashamed that you are a part of the human race. And don't bother bother calling YOUR SLEF a christian......your not a great person at all.

I would suggest a refresher on the 13th chapter of John and the 12th chapter of Romans. I still love you, and am happy you're a part of the human race, because that's what the teachings of Jesus taught me to do. Then Paul wrote on it a little bit. It's a great concept. You ought to give it a try.

In addition, I've been the lead vocalist/bassist in a Christian rock band, played bass for the worship band at my church, and volunteer my time in the maintenance of Onerock.com, one of the most popular websites in the world for Catholic teens (I'm not even Catholic, I just have that kind of respect for them...btw, your letter has been posted there, and all the vegetarians and animal rights supporters are having trouble getting your point), and I'm not allowed to call myself a Christian?

Because great Christian people.....when they know about what hell animals live through....they try to stop it instead of working towards making more of it.

Like I said in my article...five loaves of bread and two FISH.

Also, have any leaders of major denominations come out and said their members should be vegetarians? The Baptists? Presbyterians? Episcopalians? My group, the Pentecostals?

Has the Pope said anything on this?

Besides, how can you, and I'm a guessing you're a Christian, defend an organization like PETA, which supports the animal forms of abortion and euthanisia, both of which are blatently unethical, was founded by a woman, Ingrid Newkirk, who has stated in an interview with The New Yorker that sex between animals and humans can be a wonderful thing, and has often sided on issues with Princeton University professor Peter Singer, who fully advocates the killing of children after birth if it looks as though life might be too difficult for them. Where's God's love in all THAT?

So, thanks for letting me know about that splinter. Deal with your plank, and it'll be all good.

Cheers.

How I voted...

Well, election time and all that. I voted absentee, so here's my decisions:

President/Vice President: George Bush/Dick Cheney
U.S. Senator, California: Bill Jones
U.S. Congress, 2nd District: Wally Herger
State Assembly, 2nd District: Doug LaMalfa
JC District Board: Dorris Wood
Happy Camp Elementary Board: Bob Parry, Cathy Garrahan, Dan Falkenstein

Siskiyou County Measure M (Transient Occupany Tax Increase): YES

State Propositions:
1A (Protection of Local Government Revenues)- YES
59- (Public Records & Open Meetings) YES
60- (Election Rights of Political Parties) NO
60A- (Surplus Property) YES
61- (Children's Hospital Programs, Grant Program) YES
62- (Elections & Primaries) NO
63- (Mental Health Services Expansion, Funding, Tax Increase on Personal Incomes over $1 Million) NO
64- (Limits on Private Enforcement of Unfair Business Competition Laws) YES
65- (Local Government Funds, Revenues. State Mandates) NO
66- (Limitations on "Three Strikes Law, Sex Crimes Punishment) NO
67- (Emergency Medical Services Funding, Telephone Surcharge) NO
68- (Non-Tribal Commericial Gambling Expansion) NO
69- (DNA Samples, Collection, Database) YES
70- (Tribal Gaming Compacts, Exclusive Gaming Rights, Contribution to State) NO
71- (Stem Cell Research, Funding, Bonds) NO
72- (Health Care Coverage Requirements) NO

And kids, this brings me to my next point: don't do drugs.

I got this email in response to my column on bad bicyclists. I would like to respond, but honestly, I have no clue how to respond to this.

Obviously you are entitled to your opinion.  I just happen to be a

bicyclist and wanted to give you a couple of things to think about.  Have you

ever considered that reason(s) for riding on the left side (against traffic)

of the street can be because: based on the condition of the street it may

be best/safer for the rider to go against traffic; some bike riders with

darker skin (like myself) would prefer to see what a vehicle is going to do

(based on the fact that there is an extreme amount of racism out here) versus

possible problems from a vehicle that is behind the bike rider.  Of

course, the bicyclist is supposed to ride with traffic, but people in vehicles

who are whining about a bike rider "rollin'" against traffic should just

shut the hell up an act as if the rider were the same as a rider on your (or

someone else's) side riding with traffic.  After all, whether a rider

is present or not, you still need to stay out of bike lanes.  You stated

that you didn't know what a bike rider might do (swerve towards you, etc.)

while riding against traffic.  Hello!  What are you being guaranteed from a

bike rider on your side that is riding with the traffic?  Not a damn thing,

they can run into you as well.  Again, all bike riders should ride against

traffic but sometimes it is better not to.  As for your metal rod (to

swat at riders), I ride all over Redding and would love for you or someone

like you to pull that "crap" with me.  I will embrace it and commence to

"whoopin some ass" if any vehicle tried to do anything to me while I'm on my

bike and I don't give a damn what lane I'm in.




You heard it here, folks! Riding dangerously against traffic helps prevent hate crimes in Northern California!

Midwest Rules...

This reminds me of a lot of small towns...

http://musingsofachick.blogspot.com/2004/08/another-zinger-from-kandace-s.html

Bob's Voting Recommendations #1

Well, voting's coming up, and I'm here to give recommendations on the insane amount of ballot measures in California this year. I do this for two reasons: 1) I thought you might like to hear it, and 2)There's so many freakin' things to vote about, I won't remember it otherwise.

Anyways, here's installment #1:

Proposition 59- Public Records, Open Meetings, Legislative Constitutional Amendment- Rob Sez Vote YES.

Proposition 60- Election Rights of Political Parties, Legislative Consitutional Amendment- Rob Sez Vote NO.

Proposition 60A- Surplus Property, Legislative Constitutional Amendment- Rob Sez Vote YES.

Proposition 61- Children's Hospitals Programs. Grant Program. Bond Act, Initative Statute- Rob Sez Vote YES.

Proposition 62- Elections, Primaries, Initative Constitutional Amendment and Statute- Rob Sez Vote NO.

My Response to my First Hate Mail Letter to the Editor.

I think it would be best to take Alex's letter point by point, that's only fair.

What happened to the greats? What happened to the writers who peeved us but also made us chuckle?

Okay, fair assumption. The Orion has had some darn good opinion columnists.

It used to be a weekly pleasure opening up the opinion section and getting a wide variety of views transmitted with keen wit and by such names as Ryan Sabalow, Jory John, and Sarah Knowlton.

I'll agree with you on the keen wit, but "wide variety" I'm not sure on, because at least two of the people you named are admittedly quite liberal. Odd you mention those names, Alex. Ryan is the guy that got me interested in writing opinion, although I'm not sure he really knows that, and Sarah--who is still on the staff as Entertainment editor-- is someone I've taken several classes with (including, ironically, the class you and I are together in) and is just a darn good journalist, period (well, so's Ryan, who is now working for the paper in Auburn, he did place in the Hearst competition).

This year all I read is pretentious whining, especially from a Mr. Robert LaHue.

Well, glad to hear you just don't hate my guts, buddy. Or maybe I don't, because Kyle, Greg and Sarah are all strong writers.

Robert, I realize this is going to be awkward since I sit right across from you in class

No, it's not. If you think you're the first person I've had in a class to question my writing and my politics, think again, but I of course do question you mentioning that in 10,000 copies of print when it doesn't really add much to your argument.

where, curiously, you've barely uttered a word all semester--but I'm sick of this, man.

Two things here--I participate in class as much as you do, by my recollection, and once again, what does that even have to do with anything? I write my opinions once a week in print, that means I've got to be a chatterbox in an intermediate-level poetry class? I'm not going to talk if I don't feel as though I have anything constructive and worthwhile to say about the work. Period. If I wasn't talking enough in class, Jeanne would call me on it. Trust me, I know, this is the third class I've had with her. Don't stress.

All you do in your column is bitch and complain about everyone and everything you don't like

Okay, your opinion. Fair enough. But, I must point out, your three Dream Teamers up there used their columns to complain about stuff a lot, too. Run a background search of their names on the Orion website and read their stuff. I especially like Ryan's column on telemarketers, and Sarah's on the peeing Calvin car stickers.

(as a lover of cultured milk enzymes, I take particular offense to the comment you made Sept. 1 about cheese being a stupid topic to talk about)

I eat about a half-pound to pound of cheese a week myself. :D Also, it was September 8th.

and your Superman/Kryptonite analogies aren't funny, either.

Ouch.

Recently, however, you've moved beyond cliches and inconsequential nitpicking. Now you're distorting facts.

Okay, that is the most serious accusation you can make about a journalist. Better have something to back that up.

In you criticism of John Kerry during the first debate, you claim, "I'm also wondering how Kerry knows Osama bin Laden is in Afghanistan, when the coalition forces commander in Afghanistan says he's not." If you had been watching without bias, you would have noticed what Kerry acutally said was that bin laden became trapped in Tora Bora during the Afghanistan campaign but, because Bush failed to send in enough American troops to finish the job, he got away and is now missing.

You're right about what Kerry said. He said that line a good three or four times, it was hard to miss it. He also said bin Laden is still in Afghanistan once, and in passing. Also, out of curiosity, since I was watching with so much bias (I didn't know I had to watch impartially, being an OPINION columnist and all), was any of my criticism of Bush off?

Whether bin Laden really was in Tora Bora at that time was debatable, but Kerry never said bin Laden is still in Afghanistan, as you claimed.

Lemme see...I jotted down the note the second he said it. I wasn't recalling it through a drunken haze the morning after or anything. I was also watching it on a large-screen TV with the volume plenty high for me hear what Kerry was saying. I'm sure he said that.

Get your facts straight and don't mislead the public like our commander-and-thief.

Wait...could this be exposing a true intention?

Ironically, you ended your column with "(The debate) was everythhing I expected: name-calling, finger-pointing and trash-talking..." well those are exactly the kinds of things your writing does exceptionally well each week.

Well, we agree it is doing something good at least. Wonder what you're going to say about that poem we're critiquing in class this week...

Cheers, and I'll see ya Thursday in class!

Yep. See you there. If I feel like speaking up, I will. I wouldn't expect anything else for you or the other 20-something people for who you just made a whole lot of unnecessary tension.

My First Hate Mail Letter to the Editor.

This didn't get put in the online version, but I post it here for you all:

Columnist should call whine-1-1

Dear Editor,
What happened to the greats? What happened to the writers who peeved us but also made us chuckle? It used to be a weekly pleasure opening up the opinion section and getting a wide variety of views transmitted with keen wit and by such names as Ryan Sabalow, Jory John, and Sarah Knowlton. This year all I read is pretentious whining, especially from a Mr. Robert LaHue.
Robert, I realize this is going to be awkward since I sit right across from you in class--where, curiously, you've barely uttered a word all semester--but I'm sick of this, man. All you do in your column is bitch and complain about everyone and everything you don't like (as a lover of cultured milk enzymes, I take particular offense to the comment you made Sept. 1 about cheese being a stupid topic to talk about), and your Superman/Kryptonite analogies aren't funny, either. Recently, however, you've moved beyond cliches and inconsequential nitpicking. Now you're distorting facts. In you criticism of John Kerry during the first debate, you claim, "I'm also wondering how Kerry knows Osama bin Laden is in Afghanistan, when the coalition forces commander in Afghanistan says he's not." If you had been watching without bias, you would have noticed what Kerry acutally said was that bin laden became trapped in Tora Bora during the Afghanistan campaign but, because Bush failed to send in enough American troops to finish the job, he got away and is now missing. Whether bin Laden really was in Tora Bora at that time was debatable, but kerry never said bin Laden is still in Afghanistan, as you claimed. Get your facts straight and don't mislead the public like our commander-and-thief.
Ironically, you ended your column with "(The debate) was everythhing I expected: name-calling, finger-pointing and trash-talking..." well those are exactly the kinds of things your writing does exceptionally well each week.
Cheers, and I'll see ya Thursday in class!

Alex Camarota
Senior, English

Comments to come, and you're going to love 'em...

New Column!

Abortion everyone's issue.

Heart U, Auntie!

Why do I love reading my aunt, the city editor at the Vacaville Reporter?

Because she can be the smart ass I only dream of being.

Here's an interesting revelation...

Through the process of blog reading, I stumbled across this blog from a seminarinan in Missouri. Recent posts talk about his group invading a John Kerry rally wearing their uniforms and sweatshirts saying "dedicated to the defense of all human life" and having anti-abortion signage.

As you might imagine, that went over as well as a skunk at a picnic.

The signs getting them thrown out, I can see. Campaigns don't want rallies showing discontent. It's this that was the kicker, as told to this blogging seminarian by another seminarian that was there:

"while you and Michael were talking to security about the signs, we
were told that those who were wearing the sweatshirts would have to take them
off, because the slogan "Dedicated to the defense of all human life" was
considered "anti-Kerry".

Uh-huh. Gotcha. Instead of saying that's a big 10-4, how about that's a big Dubya-'04?

Feedback to the feedback.

I learned that one of my favorite former Orion columnists had a unique way to respond to every contradictory feedback. He would send back short emails that said (and I quote here): "f*ck you."

Well, I'm more creative than that. So, here's my first response to feedback given to my Orion columns.

This is in response to my column on bad bicyclists:

Write something with some substance. If you want to rant about trivial affairs i suggest you go to www.geocities.com and get a website. No one needs to hear about the ways you will get back at those pesky bicycle riders: "I'll clothesline you with a metal rod.", "some even pedal slower, like they want me to lose my temper and leave an impression of my car's grill tattooed on their forehead.", "I believe all drivers should get to a keep a metal rod especially for these morons." If you are going to write immature pieces at least make them humorous.

Chris J

Well, Chris, I appreciate the feedback. Oddly enough, I have created several Geocities websites since 1997. I was even bold enough to press my HTML luck with Angelfire on at least three seperate occasions. I think I even went with Homestead with the website for my old band in high school. Heck, maybe you'll even find this blog, or my personal blog on a different blog site.

I'm not totally sure if this is just your first time reading my column, or if you've been a loyal "reader o' Robert" since Week 1, since that was only the second time I didn't write something with a political bent to it. The first one was Week 2, when I talked about mosquito bites. If you run a search of my name at the Orion's website, you can find all the articles I've written thus far in the semester and a half I've worked there (25 at last count).

Something else I found quite interesting: you say no one needs to hear about it, yet you read it. Not only did you read, it hit enough of a nerve with you to compel you to type out that message with several grammatical errors to me and quote three of my one-liners, including not the first one, but the last seven words of the column! Evidentially what I'm writing is grabbing readers' attention. That's what columnists are supposed to do. So, since it's evidentially working, I may just have to write about stuff like this a little bit more.

And I was chuckling quite a bit while I was reading it. That's all that mattered to me. Whether you laughed or not was arbitrary.

Heart U Chris, and keep reading! Otherwise, I'll clothesline you with a metal rod.

-RL

P.S. Nice cheap advertising for Geocities. I'm sure Yahoo! will have your check in the mail right away. Also, let them know that they need to let people copy and paste text from a Word Document into PageBuilder, and that the click-off ads don't play nice with Firefox.

I almost forgot...

I actually had two stories in The Orion this week. In addition to the debate column, I wrote this for the special section (Services Guide) on Butte Station rush:

http://www.orion-online.net/vnews/display.v/ART/2004/10/06/416312b0d358d?in_archive=1

I kind of "eh" on how it turned out.

Swedes...

Here's a real dandy from the Swedish government:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20041005/od_nm/tax_dc

This kind of strikes me, since it really hits that nerve I have concerning blanket accusations and responsibility. Because other guys rape women, I would have to pay for it simply because I'm a guy? Nope. I don't think so.

Of course, remember, this is the country where a peace prize named after the inventor of dynamite is awarded, so how much rationality can we really expect from its government?

New Column!

Debate at least entertaining.

They were originally giving Aaron Hansel, our webmaster, credit for it. After I sounded a WTF, Amy fixed it pronto. Amy, you rock.

What you've been missing:

Here's a back issue of my Orion columns:

August 25: Get in the know, vote
September 1: Fight the bite
September 8: Downtown parties not my scene
September 15: Liberalism not for me
September 22: Waste of time to vandalize campaign signs
September 29: Bicyclists should stick to road

Okay, I'm back.

I'm going to try to get some more updating going on here. I promise.

I'm probably going to use this mostly as a launch pad to poke fun at some of the asinine comments that get sent to me through The Orion webiste, since I've gotten some pretty good ones.

The one thing I've learned about being an opinion columnist since starting six weeks ago: Everybody who reads your stuff thinks they can do your job better than you do.

I mean, as Rodney Carrington says, "I don't come make fun of you at your job, throw rocks at you while you're mowing, so shut the hell up."