One need only look out the window to see what crazy, busy times we are living in, but let's see what floated to the top for Mercury readers this week: Smells like Syria (obvi), tallow (stay with me; all will be explained), jailhouse rape (again, this will make sense in a minute), Right 2 Dream Too, and Burning Man. Let's unpack, shall we?

—Shamus took issue with columnist Ann Romano's perceived belief that the nerve gas attacks on civilians were real. It is true that one shouldn't be too hasty in deciding at what point people have killed each other too badly, and it's time to go in and kill a little bit more of them.

—Occasionally people end up with the wrong impression of us. It happens. But it's only every once in a while that people get us so wrong that they think we are involved in completely unrelated industries. Like this person who desperately wants to buy beef and mutton tallow from us in large quantities. Whatever did we do to give that impression?

—Dresden wrote in to express shock and outrage over last week's Stumptown ad:

Uuuuum, I guess I could see that.

—A person in the Pearl (surprise!) wrote in to fret over the relocation of Right 2 Dream Too. An R2DToo-er wrote her back.

—I think it's so interesting that people are talking about Burning Man again.

Letters to the Editor: Connecting with your friendly hometown media and your less friendly hometown internet trolls. Every week!