Duff McKagan: Things I Am Thankful For This Year: Hey Duff, I was so glad to run across your blog; I enjoyed reading it. I hope that you get the oportunity to read this comment. I am also thankful that there may be a plan to bring the troops back home for good as well. I lost my husband, Rodney, to the war in Iraq in May 2004. He was only 28. We had been married for three and a half years. I am very thankful for the time I was able to have with him. I want the troops home so that no one else loses a relative or friend. THANK YOU so much for thinking of the troops. I have been a fan of yours from the 80s to the present. There probably isn't a day that goes by that I don't listen to your music, whether its at the gym, in my car, or at home. Music has been some of the best therapy for me. I think you are a very admirable person and talented musician. I hope to see you play live at a concert one day....until then, keep rockin'! - Submitted by Amanda

Michael Vick Should Be Allowed Back in the NFL: If anyone can find a case where someone has paid a greater price for dog fighting than please post it. Two years in jail and losing $100 million is a heavy price to pay. It is the heaviest sentence EVER for dog fighting. Enough is enough. Let the man run around with a football and provide for his family. Michael Vick would like to personally thank Pacman Jones for guaranteeing his chance to return to the NFL. If you think Michael Vick is a poor human being that shouldn't be playing in the NFL, please do a google search on Leonard Little and get back to me. - Submitted by Dick Fur

Obama's Elected, But It's No Time to Snooze: Some existing groups aren't quite as progressive. I went to the Eagles near Queen Anne with a buddy and his brother who was an Iraq vet. That was probably the only reason they let us in. Now, granted we went as a goof (it was July 4th and we were tanked), but their rules were right there before us when we asked for admission. On the sign up sheet there were a number of questions and three stood out: Do you believe in God? Are you or have you ever been a Communist? Have you ever been charged with a felony? My buddy asked about the God question and we were told that was very important. My buddy then asked What about the felony thing? And the man told him that wasn't that big of a deal - just as long as you weren't a Communist or didn't believe in God. - Submitted by Levi Larrington

Seattle Sinner Expanding to St. Louis: St. Louis is fortunate to be getting the Sinner! I have been reading it cover to cover for years, and I will continue to do so. I haven't read an underground publication that is so equally loving to freaks like us as well as community minded like it is. Good on ya sinner for spreading the love! - Submitted by Suzy Butterfly

A Dategirl Success Story: Definitely get yourself something terrific. I got a great banjo that I'd craved for a long time when I realized my significant other wasn't going to get it for me (a BANJO?? was his response -- and he's a professional musician!!). And the greatest gift of all? A shelter animal, all for yourself. They're waiting. - Submitted by Susan

School Closure Bombshells: Thurgood Marshall and Hawthorne will lose Title I funding anyway if APP students move in aE” there will be too few students on free or reduced lunch for the schools to qualify as Title I sites. Neither APP nor the regular programs will have any room to grow under this proposal (neighborhood students will get forced out). Nor will any transportation savings be effected: if anything, busing costs will go up. I don't see that moving APP to Thurgood Marshall and Hawthorne even meets the stated objectives of the district, let alone the needs of the school communities affected. I am not against a split, which is needed anyway as Lowell is bursting at the seams; only against this version.)In addition, special education students are scheduled to be moved out of both Lowell and Meany, without any indication of where they're to go. Shouldn't the most vulnerable population's needs have been settled first? I am also worried about maintaining the condition of shuttered buildings: the last thing we need is a repeat of the Viewlands fiasco. - Submitted by Helen

No One's Singing Hallelujah in Bellevue Philharmonic Labor Dispute: What this article does not mention is that a mass firing is not the the way bring up the artistic stanard of the orchestra. The conductor was doing a fine job of weeding out the weaker players despite tenure. McCausland makes a weak point and is her politics and connections to players and contractors in the Seattle Symphony are showing. - Submitted by Experienced Musician