Bird

This is bigger than Big Bird or even binders full of women. The first two presidential debates and vast public reaction have raised too many media-related questions to be addressed in one column. But the ones involving huge conversations in social media demand a closer look - especially in terms of who's doing the talking and how representative or biased they might be. Tuesday's town hall showdown generated 12.24 million comments on Twitter and Facebook, making it the top political event of all time in social media.

I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank the entire Baltimore Orioles organization for a wonderful 2012 season. Having been an Orioles fan over the past 40-plus years, I have witnessed their success and have also stuck with them over the past 15 years since they last made the playoffs. This year was a special season as they turned their record around from 69 wins and 93 losses in 2011 to having 93 wins and 69 losses this season. It was also special season with the 20-year anniversary for Oriole Park at Camden Yards and the unveiling of the six statues for the Oriole Hall of Fame players.

See that above? On the right, you have the present-day girls' Big Bird costume. On the left? That's me in the 1982 version of the girls' Big Bird costume. Wait, my bad. Back then, it was just a Big Bird costume, no gender roles necessary. I mean, I know this has been going for ages, and that Halloween has turned into a way for people (grownups, one hopes) to let out their sexpot side for a day. (Check out this illustration of how costumes evolve from unicorn to sexy unicorn, nurse to sexy nurse, bee to sexy bee.)

Seems to me that philanthropist George Soros could pitch in and save Big Bird instead of helping President Obama reach his $1 billion campaign donation goal ("Big lies and Big Bird," Oct. 8). As far as "big lies" goes, what Mr. Romney is saying is no worse than what candidate Obama said in calling President George W. Bush "unpatriotic and irresponsible" for adding to the deficit. It's funny, too, that Mr. Romney's plan sounds like Gov. Martin O'Malley's holding the tax-rate the same but changing deductions and exemptions for higher-salaried folks.

A recent editorial states that the Corporation for Public Broadcasting "gets all of $450 million" in federal funding, as if this amount were peanuts ("Big lies and Big Bird," Oct 8). But $450 million could hire 9,000 teachers at $50,000 per year. Surely, 9,000 teachers, instructing about 30 kids each, for six hours per day, could do a lot more good than Big Bird could with kids watching a TV screen for an hour every day. Sal D'Avella, Sykesville

Mitt Romney may have won the first presidential debate, but what stuck in many people's minds was his threat to fire Big Bird. Apparently, Mr. Romney thinks America's debt problem can be fixed by picking up pennies along Sesame Street. Pressed to explain how he would balance the federal budget while cutting trillions of dollars in taxes, the allegedly masterful debater offered up just two specifics: He would repeal "Obamacare" (even though the Congressional Budget Office says the health care act actually reduces deficit spending)

Two of the more memorable observations to come out of Mitt Romney during the first presidential debate had to do with fibs and Big Bird. The candidate said that as the father of sons, he knows that repeating a lie doesn't make it true. As to the latter? Look out, "Sesame Street," your days as a "victim" on the federal dole are numbered. The two seemingly unrelated remarks are worth mentioning because they intersect in Mr. Romney's tax and budget plans which, even by the most generous of interpretations, don't add up. If President Barack Obama failed in the debate, it was in not making that point strongly enough.

The city of Baltimore and the state of Maryland have an ongoing love affair with the football Ravens, and rightly so. We have seen the Hall of Fame players, the future Hall of Famers, and some very dedicated organizational personnel represent the purple and black. The pride runs deep, from 80-year-old seniors to their pre-teen grandkids. There is an obvious buzz in the air the days following a victory, such as the nail-biter the Ravens just won over the Brady Bunch Patriots. We shed some tears and admired the fierce loyalty of Torrey Smith who bravely chose to play hours after learning of his younger brother's death ("Winning tribute," Sept.

If the Orioles' 4-2, 18-inning, five-hour and 44-minute victory over the Seattle Mariners wasn't weird enough, consider the plight of reliever Tommy Hunteron Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. He picked up the win. And some bird excrement in the process. We're not joking. Hunter was in the bullpen, about to enter in the 16th inning, when one of many seagulls at Safeco Field, deposited some droppings on Hunter's hat. “I was minding my own business, not doing anything. I thought it was [reliever Luis]

There is no doubt that bird strikes are a growing problem that is likely to result in airline tragedy, but your recent editorial fails to discuss exactly what the FAA can do about it ("Don't count on another miracle," Sept. 14). It seems to me that any solution that would work would be objected to by environmentalists. Perhaps we could station shooters to kill as many birds as possible around airports. That would surely be unpopular, even if effective, but short of that, what are realistic options?