Comments by rannmann
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Posted on March 19 at 9:01 a.m.
love the wicked irony of it all.
spelling whiz kid.
misspelling journalism graduate.
the democrat ... really a nice ambassador for natchez--except if one can spell. then it becomes a bad joke.
please hire a proof-reader or maybe the trinity kid. just a thought ...
Posted on November 23 at 10:26 a.m.
roxy:
my deepest condolences on the death of your mom. she was one special lady.
best:
randy smith
helena, montana
Posted on November 22 at 11:05 a.m.
this is almost worse than "the dart."
is there NO MORE important news in town?
and, teach4peace, you are exactly right. apparently, the editor doesn't know how to edit. article depth and overall writing quality is just bad. reminds me of the brilliant person that designs the announcements on the local cable channel. it must be really sobering for visitors who come to natchez for its culture, only to see such poor grammar. the announcements are so poorly written it's almost comedic. i even called the cable company and inquired about it, but to no avail. what a terrific ambassador for the town.
thanks, democrat, for such intriguing and newsworthy articles. i guess that's why i read on-line every morning, that i can be the most informed person in montana, where i live. i'm comforted knowing i won't have to walk the extra blocks for an atm on my next visit.
Posted on November 6 at 9:40 a.m.
"The El Camino Corridor Commission’s biannual conference ..."
"The other conference of the year takes place in Washington, D.C. ... "
today's word lesson: the difference between the prefixes BI- and SEMI- as they apply to the word annual. "BIANNUAL" means every other year. "SEMIANNUAL" means twice per year.
reporter's and editor's grades: ZERO ... and i think they both know what THAT means ...
Posted on October 29 at 9:54 a.m.
mike--it ISN'T the same thing. the links i posted suggest that while broadside collisions decreased, rear-end collisions increased dramatically as drivers were extra cautious in not being cited by big brother's cameras. additionally, citizens in other locations have been cited many times for making right turns on red. how can a camera differentiate? if a driver transgresses the red light--no matter the reason--he is cited. simply put, he cannot go through the red, regardless of circumstance--and the camera cannot determine if a turn is legal. a camera is just a device designed to make photos. no exceptions. and what about the cost? don't you see that this money could be better spent, like perhaps giving law enforcement a raise? alderman tell us that the cams are to "catch" offenders. but, i promise you the placement of them is to gain profit at the expense of its citizens. natchez lawmen are already responsible for writing tickets. are we telling them that their enforcement practices are a complete failure? law enforcement is responsible for upholding and enforcing the law. LET THEM DO WHAT THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO DO! i don't want to put down any public servant, especially those who are trained to protect us. however, to take this out of their hands is just wrong. it is their duty to not only address crimes against the city's residents, but to enforce traffic violations. costs for the cams are way prohibitive, especially for a town whose streets are rapidly turning to gravel because city officials tell us that the town cannot afford to fix them. read the other comments--tourism WILL be affected by the installation for the cams. too many of them have seen the fallacies of the cams in their own cities. i've lived in dallas and seen it firsthand. these things are money-wasters for a town of natchez' size. and, again, not to beat a dead horse, but the city is NOT installing the cams for safety's sake. it is to generate revenue, sometimes unfairly. if a person is going to commit a crime, even if it is just running a red light, he is going to do it. the cams are not a safety net so as to eliminate all traffic violations. what's next--photographing smokers in their cars? using the cams for seat belt enforcement? what about cellphone usage? if we allow big brother to invade our privacy like this, will it not set off a whole range of "uses" for the cams? natchez cannot afford the cams, and it will cause its citizens resentment not only because of the cost, but because folks don't want a machine--not operated by humans--to judge whether or not a crime has been committed. while i appreciate the supposed "good" they might do, i firmly believe that frustration will outweigh the benefits.
Posted on October 29 at 7:55 a.m.
NOT a good idea! perhaps our aldermen need to do a bit more research on why these things simply are not a good idea. big safety issue. additionally, the way these cameras are set up, they automatically act as judge, jury, and executioner.
read these articles for more details:
http://www.tribtown.com/opinion/cameras_... (tribtown, jackson county, indiana) and http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/... (wall street journal.)
the cameras are designed to act as a cash cow more than anything. are there intersections in the tiny town of natchez that really require cameras to catch offenders? why not place a patrolman there to keep an eye on potential traffic offenders? the money is already being spent for their salaries. the cameras are quite expensive--usually from $60K-$90K each. should natchez expect a "profit" from the placement of cameras? its citizens better be prepared to start shelling out their cash.
Posted on October 28 at 9:07 a.m.
to ntzmom:
... gee, and i thought i was addressing your racial bias. sure seemed out of bounds to me.
and one more thing: what the heck does a marching band have to do with the u.s. "ranking" in education? NOTHING. these supposed rankings are compiled from national statistics, not just college students, and surely not exclusively from college kids in a marching band.
again i say: quit tearing down a college-sanctioned activity and creating comparisons to failing (according to your stats) education in the united states.
it is a BAND. let 'em do their thing in their way and, quite possibly, gain some esteem from what they and their fans see as great entertainment.
Posted on October 28 at 5:44 a.m.
ntzmom:
waaaay out of line! do you have any idea as to how much work it takes a marching band--ANY marching band--to put on an entertaining halftime show? have you ever seen alcorn's band in person? and, where do you get off in determining how ANYONE should conduct themselves? your idea of 'how a college kid should act' is tunnel visioned and biased. have you ever seen the alcorn chorus? ever been to the alcorn campus? how about the campus in natchez? of all things--you place yourself above everyone who might have a different view of entertainment than yours.
the only problem i have with alcorn's band is that they don't perform enough in the natchez area. your comment only helps to exacerbate long-held stereotypes while completely closing the door to learning about different cultures and expanding one's view of the world.
if you don't care for their style, well, that is your right. but, by tearing down hard work by college kids trying to do the right thing in participating in extra-curricular activities is just mindless. look at the larger picture. be positive in trying to change criticisms that have been levied against ANY college student for their school sponsored activities.
born and raised in natchez, i now live in montana. oh, to have alcorn's band to perform here. they would meet large and cheering crowds. if alcorn band never came to natchez again, who could blame them with comments and long-held beliefs like yours?
Posted on August 13 at 12:18 p.m.
I find it interesting that some use "concern for (Binky's) soul" and "forgiveness" as reasons to continue to vote for the guy. Okay, concern for his soul is of vital importance, as is concern for our own souls. But, though spiritually we may find room to exonerate him, there is no question that he should be removed from office. One's soul status should not be confused at all with one's ability to do his job. Let us be clear: Binky has NOT done the job asked of him.
I also find it interesting that the Circuit Clerk in Jefferson county has been tried and convicted on basically the same charges. Has the "good-ole boy" justice on display been enough to ensure that Binky keeps his job? Almost. It's come very close. But, the final say still belongs in the hands of the voters. I suppose I'll never understand why Binky got even one vote. But, I take comfort in the fact that nearly 70% of the voters did NOT support him. A runoff should tell the tale about the "new" Natchez ... and whether or not this new era of justice for all will include Binky.
Shame on the judge that wouldn't even accept the Binkster's plea of "guilty." Shame on the judge that allowed him to even run again. Sure, Binky's sorry, made a mistake, blah, blah.
Natchez, let the era of progression and equality of justice continue. Kick this thief out of office, and by a landslide.
Well done, Mr. Cooper, for having the set to tell it like it truly is ... sometimes so difficult in a small southern town. You are to be commended.
As a native of Natchez now living in Montana, I still read the Democrat on-line. I shall henceforth give more attention to Mr. Cooper's well-researched editorials.
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Posted on March 27 at 9:03 a.m.
Nelene, Kitty, Penny, Kendall:
We send our deepest condolences on Marion's passing. He was a generous and loving Christian man. We miss you and wish we could be there for the service. Mrs. Nelene: we will talk very soon.
Love:
Randy and Rebecca Smith
Helena, Montana
On Obituary for N.M. Steed