Dear Teribus,

Although I agree with those who believe this incident is reflective of the way our civil rights are slowly being diminished by overzealous politicians, I was impressed with the style of your comments above. However, the effect of your argument was completely lost when I reached this phrase -- "storm in a teacup". The phrase you were looking for was tempest in a teacup (it's the alliteration that produces the effective auditory response, even when it is only read). I hate to be pedantic; however, it upsets me when an articulate person (no matter which side of an argument they represent) makes such a jarring error.

Even a hoary and hackneyed cliché deserves to be quoted correctly. Argue on, 'Catters.

Jumping off my soapbox now and running for cover, Áine