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Last week I was on vacation in Maine, which meant that I had a lot of time to sit around and read southern Maine's most popular newspaper, the Portland Press Herald. Nearly every day of my vacation, I was gobsmacked with wonderment at something in the paper. (I considered doing a daily series on Slog about items found in the Herald, but the rickety dial-up internet would not have been able to deal with the strain of Slogging.)

Usually, I was blown away by the letters to the editor page. Steven Edmondson, for instance, was considering buying a smartphone:

I was not against owning a fancy phone with additional features, until I recently learned these phones require a data package that costs above and beyond your monthly contract.

Is it wrong to want a cell phone that simply makes and takes calls with an occasional text message thrown in? Am I too stingy or too old-fashioned?...I don't believe I am alone. If this is the technological superhighway, direct me to the slow lane.

Can you hear me now?

And Jeanie Woodward understands exactly what is going on with Obama:

There is a picture of Obama taking his shoes off at a Muslim worship service. His wife doesn't go with him to Muslim countries as woman are not allowed. I am connecting the dots, how about you?...I am 99.9 percent sure I know where he is coming from.

Sometimes the surprises migrated into more prominent parts of the Press Herald. On September 11th, the paper ran a front page story about Maine Muslims praying to mark the ending of Ramadan. The next day, they ran a front-page apology for featuring Muslims on the front page on September 11th:

Many saw Saturday's front-page story and photo regarding the local observance of the end of Ramadan as offensive, particularly on the day, Sept. 11, when our nation and the world were paying tribute to those who died in the 9/11 terrorist attacks nine years ago.

We have acknowledged that we erred by at least not offering balance to the story and its prominent position on the front page.

(How do you offer "balance" to a puff piece about the end of a local religious observance? Do they "balance" their stories about Easter services with photos of Satan worshippers?) My favorite story of the week had to do with a Portland City Councilman who says that other members of the council are ignoring him. He has responded to being left out in the cold by writing a protest poem and releasing it to the media. Here is the poem:

‘WHY MUST ONE STRUGGLE TO BE HEARD?’

Councilors so comfortable in their seats,
Councilors so lacking maturity,
Practicing mean-spirituality,
Are out of touch with reality.
Why must one struggle to be heard?
It’s because their conduct is absurd.
Why should Portland have to compete
With their self-regard; their care — for needs
Unmet or ill-considered — that falls
Somewhere else than with us all?
Though now I question, Is this the hour
For speaking truth to haughty power?,
I will do so 'til I’m hoarse,
Because the answer is, Of Course.

In conclusion, I am so fucking happy to be home in Seattle.