Now it's your turn: Who deserves the honor of the best letter of the quarter?

Out of hundreds of contributions, here are the finalists for Best Comment of the Quarter

A long time ago in a newsletter far, far away—all the way back to the first of April—I announced that each quarter Tropic Press would recognize the Best Letter of the Quarter among the hundreds of contributions that fill the Comments sections.

The idea was this:

I’d collect what I thought were the most clever, unique, funny, or just plain interesting comments, and at the end of the quarter pick out the top ten and let you help decide who should get the prize.

Why?

Well, my motivation was twofold. For one, I wanted to do a little something to encourage this sort of interaction among ourselves, and it was also a way to say thank you. After all, some of the cleverest writing in these newsletters comes from the contributors to the Comments sections (and from the crazy questions Miss Mingo gets each week, although they aren’t included here).

As a way to facilitate this, I began including a “Letter of the Week” in Sunday’s WEEKLY DEBRIEF edition, which I also launched around the same time.

So, the second quarter of the year is up, and it’s time to pick. In addition to the weekly letters featured in the Sunday newsletters, I have included several more that caught my eye. And, I should add, it was a chore narrowing this down as much as I already have. In fact, I couldn’t hold it to ten, as you will see.

The contest rules, as stated when this began, are these:

At the end of each quarter, I’ll offer up my (admittedly subjective) favorites and publish them collectively for everyone to admire and ask for your thoughts on who should be the Quarterly Winner. I’ll weigh the input and make an announcement shortly thereafter.

That lucky and talented individual will receive a genuine, one-of-a-kind Tropic Press Contributor CERTIFICATE and a free Miss Mingo coffee mug.

At the end of the year, we’ll post the top letters of the year—the winners of each quarter—and the Grand Prize Winner will get yet another one-of-a-kind, invaluable CERTIFICATE and a complete autographed set of my six-part Strange Files series of mysterious novels.

Rules (there are always rules):

• Comments must be posted using the COMMENTS button accompanying every newsletter. I receive a lot of email directly from readers who simply hit the “reply” button on their email, which is great, but then only I see it. Replies using the COMMENTS button are shared with everyone.

• Since I’m starting this in April, there will be only three quarterly winners this year. But that’s good news for the finalists—less competition.

• I do not obtain, save, retain, or even read anyone’s personal information other than email addresses. So, if you are a winner, I will need your snail mail address to mail your certificate and other prizes. Or, if that is a concern, I can meet you at the corner of Walk and Don’t Walk or at the nearest mutually convenient tavern (mutually convenient meaning near me). First drink’s on me.

So, now it is your turn to weigh in. Who deserves the honors? Email me here with your vote. Oh, and if you think I’ve overlooked a letter that should have been included, feel free to add it to the list, including one of your own if you like. Send your vote to:

And here are the contestants:

“There is no ambiguity as to what is happening. The present Supreme Court is the most corrupt court this country has ever seen and will go down in infamy as Trump’s personal law firm.”

—Richard Bellerose

I wonder if Trump will demand that all hurricanes be named after himself. Hurricane Trump 1, Hurricane Trump 2, etc. After all, he is nothing more than an out of control, big blowhard. The corrupt Florida Supreme Court is giving the corrupt Trump-loving Roberts Court a run for its money. So as long as someone is Republican, they can lie to the court? What’s next? Maybe giving Epstein a posthumous pardon…”

— MPT

Trump and his CORRUPTION are making the US the laughingstock of the planet. Enough is enough; this criminal needs to be impeached.

—George Terranova

Trump is trying to kill us by hiring incompetent boobs, and does anyone want to take bets on when he bankrupts America?

—Janet Robinson

“I remember being embarrassed by having George W. as president. God, what I would give to have him back. I saw a map yesterday of the states that are actively trying to gerrymander their red states redder. Know what? It was a map of the 1861 Confederacy. It’s not conservatism. It’s racism. Ask a MAGA why he’s for Trump, and he will fumble round and say things like “Trump’s a businessman” or “Trump tells it like it is” but what he really means is “Trump is no longer giving our country away to people of color.”

— Nick Gallup

In a make-believe world, Trump ideas sound acceptable. In reality, Trump has little concern for the details and responsibilities that accompany ambitious sounding ideas. Could it be that Trump’s many bankruptcy filings in the real world were also caused by poor planning?

— Robert Kain

Traditionally, it takes six nails to close a coffin lid. How many have we banged into the lid on our environment’s coffin so far? Who is wielding the hammer? How many nails are still in his mouth?

—Charles G. Masi

First, thank you for what you do - cutting through the BS of this administration and speaking to truth.

Next, Trump doesn’t have a sense of humor that would be considered funny. His is of the perverted, “I am King and I will f$^k up all who don’t bend to my will.”

He has waged war on seven countries - I don’t think that includes the United States. He wages war on the very people he’s supposed to represent and care for, giving no thought to the lives being destroyed. The list is long, but I’m only mention three:

1. Our military and families

2. Healthcare

3. Free elections

We the people want our civil rights and are willing to fight for them.

--Christine Howard

Funny, in the State of Florida they did away with the Firearm Registration List - so, if you have your weapon stolen, that information is no longer available for Law Enforcement agencies. But Trump wants a Voters Registration List - isn’t that something that smacks of what the Nazi’s and other oppressive tyrants do to control the population????

--Bruce Nachman

He’s not joking when he muses aloud he’s a king. And he’ll do anything to not have to talk himself out of his convenient delusion. His last resort to ensure his perverted vision is to avoid the inconvenience of an election that he’s certain to lose.

The only thing between him and an ermine-clad coronation is SCOTUS. Just this week, the Court threw a mortal fear of failure of further court ventures when they came close to laughing him out of the room to his face in a full court hearing on birthright citizenship.

He’s got a ninth-inning at bat coming up, and he’ll be swinging for the fence. Failing all else, he will not hesitate to sign an executive order cancelling the 2026 election. Otherwise, a Democratic House will impeach him, and a Democratic Senate will convict him.

--David Fetzer

What Trump either doesn’t realize or chooses to violate is the consensus of his owning class that long ago ceased to fear democracy as they discovered they could control public sentiment with ‘advertising’, essentially propaganda for the owning class and subterfuge. Thus, for decades public preferences have had little or no effect on legislation or Presidential whim. On the other hand, many of us believe that his intention is not only to destroy democracy, but the owning class (which he rightly calls ‘The Deep State) as well.

--Tedder 130

When Trump acts like he is kidding it is his way of floating an idea to see who jumps on the band wagon. Just like his accusing the Democrats of election fraud while he goes out and blatantly commits election fraud, well election interference for sure. It is his narcissisms, he cannot control it and it will continue to destroy our country as we knew it before he showed up. We have a mentally ill man at the helm. Maybe we should start treating him like the sociopath he is, if only congress would do their job.

--Sharon Krueger

It’s a bold strategy—ignoring constitutional checks and balances to start an unauthorized war in the Middle East and then threatening another regime change just 90 miles off our coast. Between the endless Defense Department spending and Senate Republicans finally pushing back with War Powers Resolutions, we’re watching taxpayer money get incinerated before sunrise. A masterclass in destroying a country. Maybe that is actually Trump’s intent.

--Tracy Duba

So, thanks for joining in and, again, here’s where to send your thoughts on who should win this quarter’s prize:

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Thanks for your support

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the Free State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce

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