The Last Word

We welcome your comments and observations about the news. Submission guidelines at the bottom of the page.

TWO WHEELS GOOD?
Re: Police chiefs defend bike courses, 15 March: how come they aren't asked to "defend" police driving courses in the same way?
Guy Chapman
Reading, UK

ACRONYM CORNER
The government's proposals to tackle the UK's binge-drinking culture (Binge-drinking plans 'not enough' 15 March) are called the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England. Is that wise?
Ray Gray, London, England

HALF MEASURES
In Binge-drinking culture confronted, 15 March, you report: "Measures could include city centre marshals to patrol areas such as taxi ranks and late night bus stops". Didn't those people in blue uniforms and big helmets use to do this?
Dave Williams
Prudhoe, UK

TRANSPARENT DANGER
Windows 'fatal trap for UK birds', 15 March 2004. This is what comes of not reading Bill Gates' End User Licence Agreements.
Chrissie Nyssen
Aberdeen, Scotland

RESUME VIGILANCE
In Fake job ads mask credit card scam, 16 March, you report: "Hernan Daguerre, European director of communications for Monster.co.uk, said Monster was not aware that any of the job adverts on its site were being placed by conmen. Mr Daguerre said all applicants should be vigilant when replying to adverts and avoid giving out too much personal information." Better not send my CV then.
Robert Taylor
London, UK

LOOKALIKE
Looking at Philip Pullman Faces of the Week, 13 March, I can't help wondering... has anyone ever seen him and Sven-Goran Eriksson in the same room together?
Dave McCarthy
Northampton, UK

NO MYSTERY
So, "the level of teenagers having sex and getting pregnant is as high as ever. And nobody really knows why..." (From The puzzle of teenagers and sex, 12 March. Come now, no need to be coy.
Joel Hames
London, UK

NO MYSTERY II
If the findings into teenage pregnancy rates shows that nothing the government has done has resulted in a reduction in the rate, will it now stop spending money on the schemes that don't work, or continue to claim that without the schemes there'd be even more pregnancies?
Neil Harbott
US

CHILL OUT
In Snowball fights and summer dreams, 11 March, student Alastair Geddes says he makes portions of spaghetti bolognaise and then "leave[s] them in the fridge to reheat". Personally I'd use the oven but hey who's judging.
Charlotte Anderson
Kent, England

SWING LOW
Following on from Roy Burrows' comments in last week's Last Word concerning the new Volvo designed by women, he mentions that regardless of storage space provided it would be impossible to open the gull wing doors in a supermarket car park because of the vehicles parked on either side. Does he not realise that the proximity of cars parked on either side of any vehicle is no longer a concern for society? People will simply do as they do now - smash the door into the neighbouring vehicle's bodywork. In fact it often helps if the neighbouring vehicle is JUST the right distance away, allowing maximum "swing speed" to be attained on your door before it strikes the other cars door.
Phil Mason
Macclesfield, UK

THE HORROR THE HOROSCOPE
If scientists have discovered a new planet, does this mean that my horoscopes have been wrong all these years and that, in fact, explains why I never win the lottery, have an exciting development at work or meet a tall, dark handsome stranger? Or is that because horoscopes are still a pile of (for want of a better word) tosh?
Annela Seddon
Bristol, UK

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The Last Word is updated on Wednesday each week.

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