The Last Word

In an effort to enhance the surfing pleasure of BBC News Online readers, we welcome your comments and observations about the news. Submission guidelines at the bottom of the page.

MOON WALK
Re: Working on the Moon, 26 January. Neil Armstrong said of the lunar surface: "It's much like the high desert of the United States". Funny, isn't that where they filmed the landings?
Sion Scone
Fleet, UK

HEAVENS ABOVE
In Pope 'did not endorse Jesus film', 20 January, the Pope's spokesperson said, "He does not make judgements on art of this kind; he leaves that to others, to experts". Surely the Pope IS the expert on all things to do with Jesus, what with his direct line to God and everything. Or has he been slacking since he got the top job?
Mark Coldwell
Shoreham-by-Sea, UK

FATHER FIGURE
This is an excellent idea (Sperm donors to lose anonymity, 21 January). I have four children myself and would be happy to help give childless couples a chance to create life. That child has a right to know who its natural father is. I remember a programme about the Barnardo's children searching for years for an answer to that very question. In most cases it was emotionally distressing for them not to know. This new act would eliminate such distress.
Richard Sockett
Sheffield, England

Beagle 2, aka lunch

MARS ATTACKS
Of course there is life on Mars. And I think we all know now what it likes to eat.
H Chambers
UK

FREE FOR ALL
On the subject of student fees (Med student's debt 'unacceptable', 20 January). We don't charge paramedics for their training.
We don't charge firefighters for their training.
We don't charge police officers for their training.
Why should doctors have to pay for their training?
John Warburton
Borehamwood, UK

A BIT RICH
Re: talk of tuition fees and Money worries in your 20s? There may be a silver lining, 21 January, no one has mentioned that fees are means tested on what your parents earn. Why should I have to pay for what they earn? Am I the only student in the country wishing my parents were unemployed?
Adam Dennis
Uxbridge

IN A PUFF
I have a different point of view to the article Kids celebrate smoky saint's day, 20 January. When I was five-years-old, my father (not a smoker) also gave me a cigarette in a happy situation. After inhaling a little, I started choking. Today at 32, I'm a non-smoker. For me, smoking never had the attraction of a forbidden thing that is so effective to push many kids to smoke.
Tullio Grassi
College Park, MD, US

CONTROVERSIAL DEATHS
Why are there shortages of army kit (Hoon 'should consider his position', 19 January) when you can go to your local army surplus store and pick up desert kit for under £100? Yet the government says it will cost millions.
Phill Smith
UK

Tarted up...

EYE OF THE BEHOLDER
I was fascinated by the Mona Lisa painted by a pavement artist (Week in pictures: 17-23 January). The addition of rings and nail varnish is quite remarkable.
Ann Cooper
Orpington, UK

MANGLED WORDS
The comment from the scientist trying to find out if monkeys possess simple grammar (Monkeys 'grasp basic grammar', 21 January) is priceless: "[This] allows us, for what we do today, to give the language that we have." Perhaps he should start searching a little closer to home...
Rob
London, UK

POCKET MONEY
Surely the average 18-year-old will look at a £1,000 per annum bribe (Student incentives under scrutiny, 23 January), and decide that £5 a week is no incentive.
Dave Williams
Prudhoe, UK

ALL RELATIVE
I agree entirely with Neanderthals 'not close family', 27 January. They never visit, they didn't come to Granny's funeral and when was the last time we got a Christmas card?
Paul Gitsham
Manchester UK

NO SOFT TOUCH
Good on Mike Rowe for sticking up for himself against Microsoft and earning an XBox in the process (Boy swaps MikeRoweSoft for Xbox, 26 January). I'll forego the opportunity of hosting a current affairs site to rival all others, and swap beebeesea.co.uk with your good selves for an aerial photo of our new house. Sounds fair to me.
Joel Beebeesea
Rainford

ANIMAL WELFARE
We've seen lots of pictures of chickens suspected of having bird flu being manhandled into sacks, and these sacks being pilled up in digger blades (Thai poultry farmers grieve losses, 27 January). But the poor chickens are quite clearly still alive, as the sacks move and wriggle. Why are these poor creatures not humanely slaughtered first? Yes, I know they have to die, but there's no need for such cruel indifference and practices.
Alan Hitt
Chessington, UK

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