From readers

TECHNOLOGY HEADACHE

Rant: From a reader: “Has anyone tried to hook up the new digital box to a TV that doesn’t have cable access? What a nightmare. Our Mom can’t afford to add cable or buy a new HD-ready TV. Therefore, we thought we’d be ahead of the game and get her digital box early before the big rush and get her up and running. However, we have spent at least four hours and several trips to Radio Shack to get it to work properly. The TV works fine; however, you can’t get a DVD or VCR to play on the screen, and the universal remote that comes in the box doesn’t work with her TV. Back to Radio Shack to buy more items to get it to work and yet, another hour later, it still isn’t working. This requirement that everyone have digital TV is ridiculous.”

GREEN LAWNS?

Rant: A resident writes: “My neighborhood is covered in litter due to people stuffing fliers into our mailboxes. It’s windy today, so the neon green fliers from ‘Green Lawn underground sprinklers’ are all over. Why are they not responsible for cleaning up their mess?”

From staff

WALK THAT WAY

Rant: People always rant about drivers, but what about walkers? I must look like an easy target, because I always end up playing “chicken” at the mall with people who walk straight into me until I have to move to the side. Zigzagging through the mall is annoying. I wonder if these people are so distracted they don’t realize they’re being rude. I understand it at the holidays, when stores are a disaster with foot traffic, but in the spring? Really? It’s not that hard to use common courtesy. – Joanna Miller

SMARTYBUCKS

Rave: Awhile ago, I ranted about Starbucks dropping almond flavoring from its coffee repertoire. Today, I have an answer, or at least a place to blog about the lack of almond flavoring. At www.starbucks.com/blogs, the company gives customers a place to offer input. However, most of the input is a little more “outside the box” than me missing my favorite coffee drink. The most amusing to me? An idea for a splash guard to cover the plastic lid opening on disposable coffee cup lids. Necessary? Someone thought so. If there’s anyone who wants to share input, blog away. Your ideas are “under review” by Starbucks’ corporate honchos. What next? Maybe they’ll give you an office with a window.  – Joanna Miller

STAR PARTY-POOPER

Rant: If someone knows how I can get tickets to KDWB’s Star Party without either having to exacerbate the tendonitis in my dialing thumb or paying a greedy person $150 for these “free” tickets on Craigslist, let me know. I actually got through and got the correct answers for one contest this week. They took my name, asked me for the answers, told me they were correct, then promptly put me on hold and then came back and said they already got a winner. Huh? Then why did they bother with me? I’m way too old to call radio stations frantically trying to win tickets. I’m probably way too old for Star Party in general (at a ripe old 33), but I have to see my boys, Maroon 5. I have never, ever won a contest of any kind. I got so close this week, I could taste it. But alas, it was not in the cards. I might have to sit this one out. I guess I won’t die if I don’t have to sit through performances by strippers (er, singers) Danity Kane and the four other “artists” they play on KDWB just to see Maroon 5 play three songs. – Lori Carlson

HURRAY FOR MAY

Rave: The first weekend of May is one of my favorites to spend in the Twin Cities area. I spent last weekend hopping from Cinco de Mayo celebrations on St. Paul’s West Side to the Minneapolis May Day Parade at Powderhorn Park. Weather-permitting, these are two great events I highly suggest anyone who has never gone to check out some time. It’s simply a great way to ring in May. The costumes, festivities and food are hard to come by on any given weekend. Check out the link to my May Day parade photos from my Flickr site by searching for “Do you Flickr?” at www.plamerican.com. – Shawn Hogendorf

KNOWLEDGE IS POWER

Rave: Here’s to the Prior Lake High School Knowledge Bowl team. This group of area wiz kids was recognized during the Laker Pride showcase during the Prior Lake-Savage Area School Board meeting on Monday night. During their presentation, they stumped the entire School Board with a couple of questions they were asked during various meets this year. It must take a lot of dedication and studying to learn and retain all the information these students are asked to recall during competitions. Simply put, even with plenty of time to think of my answers (these students have seconds to respond), I would be completely stumped 80 percent of the time. The other 20 percent of questions would probably be educated guesses that I would be thrilled to get right. Nice work, Knowledge Bowl team, and good luck next year.—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.