The Last Word

As a public service, and to further enhance the pleasure of BBC News Online users who should probably be getting on with their work, we welcome your comments and observations about the news. Submission guidelines at the bottom of the page.

SINGER PROTEST
Your story about Bob Dylan (Author flattered by Dylan 'lift', 10 July) has a caption "Dylan is known for his protest songs". This is 2003 and Dylan has not recorded a 'protest' song since 1963. Might it not be more worthy to refrain from falling into the trap of labelling him with reference to a very narrow section of his ouevre? I've never seen a Rolling Stones picture captioned "The Stones are known for their p***poor copies of blues standards".
Eddie Burns
Glasgow, UK

MATTER OF OPINION

From: Iraq weapons 'unlikely to be found', 10 July:
"VOTE RESULTS
WMD evidence: Time for an independent inquiry?
Results are indicative and may not reflect public opinion"
Is this a little dry humour on the part of BBC? As written, obviously (to me at least), it means the results indicate an inquiry is needed. Do you mean that results are indicative of respondents only?
Alan

BIG BLUBBER
I hope there will be some follow-up to your story on the unidentified blob washed up in Chile Is it a giant octopus or is it a big piece of blubber? (3 July) Surely I am not the only one who wants the answer to this question? I think we should be told.
Chase Madar

I DON'T BELIEVE IT
So, a "Comedy Historian" has chosen his top 20 catchphrases? ('I'm free' takes catchphrase crown, 9 July). Basil Fawlty only said "Don't mention the war" once.
Dr Trousers
Bognor Regis

ONLY SMARTIES KNOW THE ANSWER
In your article on Bournville, ( Is this the nicest place to live in Britain? 9 July), it was rather interesting to note that the survey was conducted by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. Was it research, or industrial espionage? What was nestling in their minds?
Rhodri Davies
Ynysybwl, Wales

GIRL CRAZY
RE: Logic problem (The Last Word, 7 July), surely D Prescott has his/her logic wrong? Ethel Merman is dead but not all dead people are Ethel Merman!
Don
Fareham

GIRL CRAZY (continued)
The only way the study could suggest that if a woman had the disease, she would most likely be a lesbian, would be if the chances of her being a lesbian were 50% or higher.
Mark Grout, Reading

THE ONE DEGREE
Question 3 on your Seven Days Seven Questions quiz (11 July) wanted the reader to pick one of the long links between the actor Kevin Bacon and Tom Hanks. Both starred in the 1995 movie Apollo 13 so if we were playing the game Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon then none of the answers given in that question were correct since the link would only be one.
D Berger

NO MAGIC NECESSARY
In response to the home secretary's concerns about the cost of Harry Potter CDs and tapes, I would like to point out that they are available to borrow free from your local libraries and if they don't have it they can reserve it for you for a small fee.
Jaki Knowles
England

EXCUSE THIS UNUSUAL APPROACH
I wonder if President Bush went to Africa in response to all the e-mails promising massive sums of money in return for my bank details?
Tony Sorace
Grenada

---

Last Word submission notes

We welcome your comments and observations on the news.

When submitting something to The Last Word, please include the web address of any story you are referring to. Please also include your full name, city/town and country. Submissions should be brief. Long e-mails will rarely stand the best chance of being published.

Don't forget that there are a number of other ways to get in touch with BBC News Online. If you want to point out a mistake, you should do so via the Feedback page. This will initially give you an automated response, but your point will be dealt with by a member of our team.

To take part in discussions about the issues in the news with other users of BBC News Online, go to Have Your Say, where there are always a number of debates taking place.