From readers

NOT SO PRETTY

Rant: Some cleanup tips from a reader: “During a recent Sunday drive, I could not help but notice how many homes in Prior Lake appear to be in violation of city residential codes. It appears that the city does not have the time or resources to deal with residents whose yards are unsightly and full of junk. I would like to suggest that the city assign a group of residents to take pictures of violations and send them to the city to issue fines and work with homeowners in an effort to clean up the overall appearance, home values and image of our city. I would also like to suggest the Prior Lake American print the city codes and requirements for residential properties to assist residents who are not aware of what their responsibilities are.”

RANT TURNS TO RAVE

Rave: The writer of a rant about City Hall energy wasting writes again: “My rant has become a rave. Thanks to the powers that be, they dimmed the lights at City Hall!”

From staff

BRITNEY II

Rant: As if her super catchy songs playing over and over weren’t enough, Miley Cyrus topped not only the music charts but the Internet gossip blogs this week with her peek-a-boo bra photo. So, if you weren’t already sick of hearing Miley on the radio, now, you can be sick of hearing about her inappropriate behavior. Why can’t Disney get some talent that isn’t trashy for kids’ shows? – Joanna Miller

SUNNY VIEW

Rave: The sunshine this week was amplified when workers at the Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community center planted a lovely assortment of flowers outside of the building entrance. It made my day to see the flower beds filled with fresh blooms. – Joanna Miller

TICKET MASTER PLAN

Rave: Though I’d rather have our lawmakers focus on, say, replacing bridges, I do have to rave about the bill to outlaw ticket-buying software that allows people to snatch up large quantities of concert tickets. True fans have been repeatedly shut out by greedy buyers who gobble up tickets and resell them at highly inflated prices. The bill has passed both House and Senate. Hopefully Gov. Pawlenty won’t veto it. And now if we could just pass a law banning Ticketmaster from charging such outlandish service fees, we’d be set. – Lori Carlson

ANNOYING US SOFTLY

Rave: Rob O’Connor’s “Ten Most Annoying Singers” list on Yahoo! Music is almost right on. I can think of few voices more obnoxious than those of Celine Dion, Michael Bolton, James Blunt or that guy from Creed. I do take issue with a couple of his choices, though. John Mayer isn’t really an annoying singer, as long as you close your eyes when he’s making those weird faces. And though Billy Corgan’s voice is grating, his band, Smashing Pumpkins, has produced some excellent music through the years. I’m not quite sure why O’Connor chose to bash Conor Oberst, because he just doesn’t really seem all that annoying, at least not as much as, for instance, Jessica Simpson. – Lori Carlson

‘JUNO’ ONE MORE TIME

Rave: This rave is well past due, but thanks to DVD release, writing about how great the movie “Juno” is can still be timely. I haven’t laughed so hard at a movie written about a serious topic in a very long time. I would venture to say, I have never laughed this hard at a serious movie. The writing is fabulous. The acting is spot on and the soundtrack rocks. For anyone who hasn’t seen this movie yet, I highly suggest it. —Shawn Hogendorf

ALL HOPPED UP

Rant: As I walked into the drug store across the street from my house this week, I saw something that grabbed my attention – a new candy bar named Snickers Charged. Now, I love my Snickers, don’t get me wrong, but enough with the caffeine- and taurine-laced foods and beverages. My goodness, they’re everywhere. I understand that market research tells companies we’re all busy, tired and need a boost to get through the day, but when does it stop? A charged coffee from Holiday for breakfast, a Red Bull for brunch, a Mountain Dew for lunch, a Snickers Charged for dinner and no sleep ‘til next week. What’s next? I’m going to guess that market research will call for a company to develop a jolted Granny Smith apple, for those who need to stay awake, but prefer a healthy option. – Shawn Hogendorf      

Do you have a rant or a rave? Send us your musings:

E-mail: rantsandraves@swpub.com

Address: Prior Lake American, Attn: Rants and Raves, P.O. Box 538, Prior Lake, MN, 55372

Guidelines: Reader rants and raves must be no more than 100 words. The deadline is noon each Wednesday.

Rants and raves that are potentially libelous will not be printed or will be edited.

Submissions will not be refused because staff disagrees with their content. Anonymous submissions are acceptable; however, including a contact name and/or phone number is helpful for staff, who may have questions about the submission.

Rants and raves may be edited as space requires. All publication decisions will be made by the editor.