Got a twofer in today’s Idaho newspapers

The first one was called TVs effects may be much greater than we realize. (Letter 4, plus comments at bottom)

A funny thing about this is that when I forwarded this article onto my psychology instructor from last year, I e-mailed her the comments link, rather than the story link. After a few seconds, I realized that the distraction that probably contributed to this boo-boo was the TV! Usually I have some soft cable radio playing in the background, but this week with the Olympics going on, seeing Michael Phelps shower alongside Dana Torres greatly distracted me.

The second letter was another cell zinger. This time the Times-News titled it Cell phones, not cell towers, are the problem. I had tried to submit this letter as an extended 540-word commentary, but they didn’t go for it. I wasn’t sure that I could whittle it down enough, so that it would still hold all of my strong points, but I did my best. The only strong point I left out was about how sometimes we can use cell phones as a tool for keeping drivers chipper and alert on long road trips, by starting up a stimulating conversation with a friend for a few minutes, when highway fatigue start slipping in.

Phrases not used in the final commentary can still be used later for a rebuttal or another commentary. It’s always good to have a few well thought out counterpunches at ready stand-by in the event some harsh critic attacks your article.