This letter and response in his column was pretty funny. It's a letter from an irate, animal-loving reader:

Wow, so what was it that made you want to become a butcher and decide animals have no rights? So if you hadn't become a "writer" (for lack of a better word) I guess you would be a serial killer? Talk about a walking stereotype, you look and sound like some white trash, animal hating, gun-toting, red-nosed crying in his beer, unhealthy and pasty meat-eating, NASCAR loving male. I'm right aren't I? How very sad and small you are.
- R.K., on an Animal Planet

And Kass' response:
Dear R.K.: Yes, I am a meat-eating White Sox fan. But you're mistaken. I'm not very sad. Actually, I'm quite the jolly fellow. And I'm not very small, because I love animals more than you love animals. I love them with oregano, salt, pepper, lemon and butter. I love them broiled, fried, roasted, and grilled. And I love animals slow smoked for hours over hickory, with a tangy sauce.

Speaking of the Tribune, I'd like to thank Eric Zorn for the Christmas present I received in today's mail. It's a copy of "Former Child Stars: The Story of America's Least Wanted," by Joal Ryan. You can read Eric's blog here. I'm thinking the book will be good at least for bathtub reading, if not fun blog material.

P.S. Current sounds: "Mrs. Potter's Lullabye," Counting Crows. The next song on this CD is Aimee Mann's "Save Me."