A note to our readers

Another Sunday . . . afternoon.

Last weekend, the plan was to get back together at night and do the editorial. We got back together but it didn't happen. (Read Beth's column if that's news to you.)

So when problems began happening, we made the decision that hell or high water, we'd stick it out until we got the editorial and our note posted.

Which we have. Here's what you're missing. "Dear Third Estate Sunday Review." That was written with four e-mails from readers and us riffing on one another to come up with the replies. No one took notes. We thought it was an easy feature and Ty did the typing. It was going to be the first thing posted. It was lost in posting. Here's the second thing you're missing a dialogue with Wally of The Daily Jot on blogging. That actually shows up as posted in our "edit posts" window on Blogger. It just doesn't show up on the site. We're not going to worry about it. (No offense to Wally.) Sometimes those entries that don't display but show posted pop up on their own. The third thing was a creative effort that was Ty's idea and when it was lost, Ty argued that it was proof we neede to put more time into it and shoot for next week. The fourth thing that was lost was the editorial. Lost and lost repeatedly.

Maybe it was a sign. On a break to rush over to The Common Ills and get posts up there, C.I. put up two of Isaiah's latest. Laughing at the latest The World Today Just Nuts, we couldn't help but think there was a better editorial topic. (For the record, the lost editorial wasn't endorsing Michael Bloomberg for mayor. To read that kind of nonsense, you need to pick up The New York Times.) So that's what we went with.

In addition, you have the latest TV review from Ava & C.I., who caution that they do know people involved with the show, and while they feel this review is better than last week's they wouldn't rank it as one of their finest. (The rest of us laughed repeatedly. We think you will too.)

You also have the news review which was the biggest pain in the ass ever. Computer screens kept freezing. That was Jess' parents, Wally's, you name it. Conference calls would be going smoothly (which is how we do it) and suddenly, we'd all have a dial tone. Not counting the time required to all get back on the line, we're not sure whether we went an hour or over (or under, though we doubt it).

It was a night of "fun" to put it mildly -- that quickly became a morning of fun and now an afternoon of fun. But, to Matt Lauer it, we're happy to report some good news: we all worked effectively together and, though very tired, if we had to stay up two more hours, the core of The Third Estate Sunday Review (Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.) gladly would. Big difference from last weekend.

A piece we did get up that we worked many hours on (seriously, we debated and argued over each and every word, pretty much) is another humorous look at the watchdog you all know. We think Watchdog Daily stands with our earlier parody and that you'll laugh when you read it.

We thank Dallas for his help, Jess' parents for their help, Maria for allowing us to repost her entry and Isaiah for allowing us to use not one, but two of his The World Today Just Nuts comics.

We also thank the following for their participation (help is too mild a word) and contributions:

Elaine of Like Maria Said Paz, Cedric of Cedric's Big Mix, Rebecca of Sex and Politics and Screeds and Attitude, Betty of Thomas Friedman is a Great Man, Kat of Kat's Korner (of The Common Ills), Mike of Mikey Likes It!, and Wally of The Daily Jot.


With the exceptions of this note (written by the people who sign off at the bottom) and the TV review (written by Ava & C.I.) the above worked on every feature this week, including the lost ones.

Hopefully you'll find something that will make you laugh, make your scream in anger or make you think.

-- Jim, Dona, Ty, Jess, Ava and C.I.