In the 25 August 2002 newsletter, there was a paid ad for an anti-Bush bumper sticker. The ad’s headline: There’s Dirt Under Every Bu$h. That led to (ahem) several reader letters:
Editorial
Spawn of Satan
I’m “anti-Christian” again (darn it!) — according to a few Catholic readers, anyway. I refer to the story about the fastest-growing religion in Australia:
Let’s Go to Pluto!
Yes, True is about weird news. More importantly, it’s about thinking, which implies a quest for knowledge and understanding. That’s most evident in my editorials; here are two of them on the same subject, starting with one from May 2002:
Your TV Wants to Control You
Just how clueless is Hollywood? Very. It’s bad enough that they try to jam crap down our throats all the time, but they also demand that you sit and watch that commercial for “Tide” detergent — all 26 times it runs tonight.
ZT: Legislative Action
I ran more “zero tolerance” stories last week, and I’m noticing a new trend: when I run the stories, I get mail from readers asking what they can do about this trend, since it obviously is a trend and not just an isolated happening. The new trend: many ask if I would please provide the mail/email address of the schools involved so you can give the administrators a piece of your mind.
ZT: Too Much Coverage?
A couple of letters regarding Zero Tolerance, starting with Wayne in NWT, Canada:
Airline Insecurity — a Symptom of a Worse Disease
Author’s Note: This is the original version of my “Airline Insecurity” essay, published shortly after 9/11, originally found at this URL, which now has a 2002 version with a different slant. As I’m putting this version back online in 2026, I actually no longer remember why I replaced and re-dated that page: it’s been too long ago now. But for various reasons I think it is a good idea to put this version online again, in pretty much the same layout as I wrote it back then. [Offsite links have been repointed to the Internet Archive.]
After 9/11: Flying the Friendly Skies
Exactly six weeks after terrorists turned several of our airliners into guided missiles, I flew again.
What the HELL?!!?
The Briefest of Backgrounds
For those coming in from other links, This is True is a pioneer in online publishing. Since 1994, it has been the email leader of “weird news.” Subscribers get stories every week by email with true tales of human stupidity, all tagged with humorous, opinionated or ironic commentary by me, Randy Cassingham.
Terrorism Continues at Home
I’ve been editorializing — for a couple of years now — that “Zero Tolerance” policies and laws “terrorize” school children. It’s hard enough for adults in America to understand the new way of life as we face true terrorism; imagine how hard it is for kids. Here’s how one child tried to cope — and how the “adults” around him reacted.
Fundamentally Wrong
Written 21 September 2001. Also see the 2005 Update
ZT Madness is Spreading!
You might think “Zero Tolerance” is a playground issue — just a way for school administrators to deal with violent kids. If you did, you would be wrong.
Response to ZT: Let’s Mailbomb the Schools!?
After yet more recent “zero tolerance” stories, the tenor of readers is “we want to do something about this!” I’ve had several questions like this, from Aaron in California:
Grasp Of The Obvious
Email makes it easy to complain. Too easy. I find people will literally complain about anything they see online.
We Made It!
When I was a kid, I would sometimes wonder if I’d live to see the 21st Century. I’m not particularly old, so it wasn’t a question of dying of old age first, but rather that I grew up in 1960s Los Angeles, with all the anxiety that entailed.
Religious Freedom: Only for Christians?
Bryant in Kansas, responding to a couple of recent stories that touched on religion, says: “I’ve grown weary of your newsletter, and your anti-Christian bent. I always wonder why anything ‘Christian’ gets blasted and not any other religion? Don’t tell me that it’s because Christians are so narrow minded. I won’t buy into that one.”
Online Video: Simply Cool
Editorial Comments made in the 2 July 2000 issue:
Idiots, or Not Idiots — That is the Question
I got this most interesting letter from a reader:
Unclear on the Concept
One of my pet peeves is Public Relations Flacks. These are not to be confused with Public Relations Professionals — PR people who do a good job getting The Word out about their clients. They hate the word “flack,” but when they make their clients look bad — well, they’re inviting the derision.
Museum of Geopolitical Insanity
My recent story on preserving a nuclear missile silo brought a fair amount of mail. Let’s start with the story: