LETTERS

Rolling with changes

In the grand scheme of things, curling newsprint just ain’t that big a deal.

But having a first-class newspaper delivered by a dedicated carrier who trudges 450 feet across an icy creek and up a bluff to plop it two feet from my front door is both appreciated and highly unusual.

We may assume the appearance of curling newsprint is done in the name of economy. I am both willing to tolerate the aggravation and to offer additional economies for consideration:

A 22-inch by 22-inch multipage unit is awkward. Avoid transporting problems and curling by printing on a continuous two-column-wide strip punctuated by periodic weakened strips every four or five inches, allowing simple rearranging.

For paper stock, a more easily dissolved type of paper would avoid non-green burning or landfill waste.

I suspect gallons of ink are being imprudently wasted, and suggest watering down the ink to provide an unobtrusive, light gray pattern transmitting the news. It may prove frugal and desirable to invest some ink savings into a pleasant, aromatic scent to waft throughout the house until disposal.

The innovative Arkansas Democrat-Gazette would then accomplish the following benefits:

An appropriately long, segmented, scented, easily carried and delivered roll of dissolvable non-curling news of the day. An interior cardboard tube would help in arranging the various features and would easily fit over a mounted roller device installed at the most comfortable reading location.

Voila, no more curling!

And creative subscribers may find even more uses in this new format.

DICK PRICE

Little Rock

Shrinking, shrinking

New complaint? How about what seems to be the slow demise of Sunday’s Parade supplement?

JEAN BLOMQUIST

Little Rock

Maybe long-lost kin?

Could it be that Ed Hudnall and Senator Harry Reid are related? Both appear to be totally consumed by the Koch brothers and their support for those of a conservative nature while totally disregarding the millions spent/contributed by labor unions to further the agenda benefiting labor unions and the liberal cause. I would say the Koch brothers even the scale! ED HENRY SR. Mount Ida Worse things in world

I see the curls are still bringing complaints. Wow. What is this world coming to? I have been getting my paper for years and when it curls, I just lay it down on the table to read it. No problem.

There are so many other things in the world to complain about. Maybe someone could look into their heart, mind, soul and life and really try and help someone else out.

There are children in need who are abused and unwanted, even homeless. There are pets people toss out in the county because they don’t want to feed them any more for some unknown reason. They’ll get hit or starve if someone out there doesn’t feed them. Some elderly people’s kids no longer want to be bothered with them so they put their parents in a nursing home or just ignore them and they have an accident and wind up dying of neglect.

Think of all the things going on around us, people. Why waste our precious lines on complaints of silly paper curls? God loves a complainer, but can’t we find a good complaint for his words he gave us to use?

God bless you for the laughs anyway. It gives us a smile with our morning tea or coffee.

COOKIE DAVIS

Garfield

There is a bright side

Perhaps this should be filed under “One man’s trash, etc.” Having a rather severe problem with arthritis in my hands, and practically unusable thumbs, I rather like the curly corners of the paper.

For years I have had difficulty separating and turning pages in magazines and newspapers. Curling corners make it much easier for me to enjoy my paper each morning, as they separate on their own and start the turn for me.

SALLY L. BRUNE

Russellville

Exercise your brain!

If you are among those having problems with curling corners, consider yourself fortunate. Your brain needs exercise, just like the rest of your body. Curling corners is highly recommended as an ideal form of exercise for your brain.

The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette may be the very thing you need to prevent brain drain. Where else can you multitask so easily every day? All you have to do is place your left hand about three-quarters of the way up the left side of the newspaper with your thumb pointing up toward the corner. Use your right hand to grasp the right side of the newspaper about one-third of the way up that side of the paper, and quickly flip the bottom of the paper up toward the top of the paper. Make sure the paper folds with the bottom edge behind the top edge. Then place the folded edge on the table or on your lap and read to your heart’s content.

Continue in this manner with successive pages until you have read the entire paper. You may need to alternate which hand is up or down, depending on which page of the paper you are perusing.

Don’t be discouraged if you have

difficulty with this exercise initially. It will become easier with practice. You will reach a point where you can read the entire paper without becoming frustrated by curling corners.

JOYCE McCONAUGHY

Rogers

Immunity deal awful

Let me get this straight. The former state treasurer conspired with a broker to gin up business for him for which he gave her $36,000 in cash. Meanwhile, the broker made off with $2.5 million. The people of the state are out many millions because of the scheme.

The former treasurer is charged and convicted. But why is the broker getting off without so much as returning the money he pocketed? I can almost understand granting him immunity from prosecution for his testimony, but shouldn’t he at least be forced to return the money? Who made this awful deal?

FRANK LATIMER

Little Rock