Here are some of your responses to Mike Straka's last column...
Ronald Jackson writes: Right on, who really cares about what's his name?? And you are right about the money being better spent — it could have been used to buy a few toilet seats for the space program.
Vanessa in Fieldale, Va., writes: Concerning Jerome A. about Mayor Villaraigosa’s affair: "Who knows maybe Mrs. Straka has her eye on some young stud that can reach items on the top shelf at the grocery store?" While I understand Jerome's dis on you about being "vertically challenged," it allows me to bring up a GRRRR!!! My boyfriend is 6'4". NEVER can he go into a grocery store that some "little ol' lady" asks him to get something from the top shelf. He graciously does, but maybe they can learn to bring along someone who is at least average height who can help them get their groceries.
Becky in Arizona quotes Mike: "And then there are the ones who try to hurt your career by starting or repeating rumors about you. Sometimes those rumors start off harmless enough, but soon they're harmful. It's always better to not say anything at all about your coworkers." AMEN. Also, neighbors, no matter WHAT neighborhood you live in should also not start or spread rumors. Especially when they add the spin that is inevitable.
Sarah in Appleton, Wis.: I recently bought your book and read it cover to cover. It’s absolutely hilarious and the best summer book I’ve read so far. My favorite article was regarding the straws that come with McDonald’s shakes and how small they are, causing major “suck” problems. We’ll I recently bought a milkshake at Burger King and had to write you right away. The straw they gave me with this milkshake was GIGANTIC! I have attached a picture for you. Apparently someone at Burger King read your book and decided a bigger straw was exactly what they needed for the competitive edge. Next time you want a milkshake but not a brain hemorrhage, hit Burger King! Thanks for keeping a smile on our faces.
Eric in Houston: In response to your onion rant (and another I read about tomatoes), while I share your dislike of onions, my only complaint is when they are chopped up and it is difficult to remove every last one. Whole rings of raw onions I can just pick off easily and toss (same with tomatoes, but that is sacrilegious), however it never fails with chopped onions that I miss one and bite into that horrific crunch in the middle of what was otherwise a good meal. My true Grrr! goes to every sandwich/fast food place in America that feels the need to slather the vile goo known as mayonnaise on everything. It is impossible to remove it all, no matter how many napkins you use. Once a sandwich has been infected with mayo it is rendered inedible. Grrr! to the mayo-pushing restaurants, and a big GRRR! to the fast-food joint that, when I sent back my chicken sandwich reminding them I had requested NO MAYO, they gave me a "new" one which looked remarkably like the one I had just handed them only with the goo sloppily (and visibly) smeared off.
Ryan in Austin: You just hit one of my Grrrs in your response to another. There is no such thing as an ATM machine! That would make it an Automated Teller Machine Machine. File that with the Department of Redundancy Department. (And don't get me started on "PIN" Numbers!)
Leanne in Montgomery, Ala.: I used to work in a hospital where food disappeared out of the refrigerators constantly. I even had someone open my homemade salad and eat half and put it back. When I complained to my co-workers they said, “Did you put your name on it?” DID I PUT MY NAME ON IT? Why should I have to? Whoever ate it knew it wasn’t theirs. They knew they didn’t bring it. I wonder if all of my co-workers go to the grocery store and randomly pull food off the shelves and eat it. I’m sure the manager of the store will be perfectly fine with the explanation for why they are stealing food as, “Well, this didn’t have anyone’s name on it!” OBLIVIONS!
Shannon in Ohio: My latest grrr is the trend of leaving trash in shopping carts. Empty water or soft drink bottles, food wrappers or packaging, crumpled shopping lists and coupon flyers, etc. What is up with this?? There are trash cans outside the stores, inside the doors by the shopping carts, and by each of the cart corrals in the parking lots. (We needn't discuss the lazy Obliviots who can't even be bothered to push their empty carts to the cart corrals. That's an entirely different problem.) Why is it so difficult to understand that trash cans are made to receive trash and shopping carts are not? It's hard enough to find a shopping cart that hasn't permanently entwined itself with one of its many companions — I really don't need to find the only one I can pull loose is littered with someone else's trash!
Harry N. writes: Are they paying you to write this garbage? I don’t think people care about your personal opinion. Obviously you have absolutely no clue at all about the most popular sport on earth.
Matt L. writes: Your opinions on soccer are irrelevant since you are a self-proclaimed soccer hater, instead you mention Ladanian Tomlinson who is part of the mega pro-sports machines that include pro football, basketball and baseball. At least soccer has not devolved into thuggery (as in basketball) and under-inspiring baseball. If you can’t stand soccer and you need to talk sports then college sports are the purest form.
Kristyn in Mission Viejo, Calif.: Mike, I understand that paying this soccer player isn't going to make everyone fall in love with the sport. However, you say that you play soccer and you don't like to watch it. What soccer do you watch? Do you watch the MLS or the EPL? When you watch the soccer played here in America, it is nothing compared to watching soccer played in England or in other parts of the world. The quality of soccer played in EPL (English Premiere League) is well worth getting angry and pissed off about when your team loses. It's worth getting up at 6 a.m. to watch your team play due to the time difference. It is definitely worth traveling to England to tell people you've been there. David Beckham has the star quality to get people to maybe get a little bit interested in the sport. Maybe they won't turn into soccer hooligans, but getting the sport known in America as much as it known around the rest of the world will be great. Maybe David Beckham doesn't have the same skill as Pele. But he sure can draw a crowd to the Home Depot Stadium. David Beckham is also extremely good-looking and this could bring more women to the sport. I totally agree that we need some American heroes in this sport. With Beckham here, this can get the league more noticed and more support for those players. The reason people like to watch the English Premiere League and the Spanish League is because they have the best players in the world. If you're going to watch soccer, you might as well watch the best players playing against each other. You don't see us Americans watching pro football in Austria. I am very sure if Ladanian Tomlinson decided to play his last years in Austria there would be lots of media attention as well.
Kim W. writes: I don't know if your articles are intended to incense people or not, but writing an article in this manner appears to show only a bias, an ignorance or stupidity. Americans are the least interested in a sport for its true sport. They only care what ESPN has created and you appear to be a product of it. If you play or watch soccer at all, you will know that the American version of soccer can't compete internationally (yet) and that is why Americans can't embrace it. David Beckham by himself won't turn that around, but more money and better talent will. Until Americans understand that to compete in this sport we need more talent, more money and more support, we will never compete with the one sport played around the world. The rest of the world doesn't care if we compete, but we sure do.
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