Paul Pfenning sent the following letter (response sent from mail@cartalk.com).

Dear Brothers Magliozzi,

At the risk of sounding just like any of your relatives, I must tell you how disappointed I am with you both.

The specific instance to which I refer was your recent conversation with Becca's dad, Topher Bill. This was truly a lost opportunity to strike a meaningful blow against anal retentiveness and anal retainees everywhere.

Instead, you let that cheese weenie off the hook with no real criticism of his terrible and injurious personal defect. (Would you have responded more vigorously if this guy had mentioned that the was an engineer for...Chrysler?)

The question that must be asked is, What has happened to reduce your usually stinging repartee to the levels of "Whose car is it, Topher?" The answer has to be that this is, undoubtedly, Tom's fault.

I have noticed recently a "California lilt" in Tom's attitude. I have no doubt whatsoever that if Tom spent less time in psychic communion with Ozium Expialidocious (probably some ancient "tofu warrior"), the level of critical thought and dialogue on your show would increase exponentially. If Tom really requires some type of "psychic connection" to function, he should send this Expialidocious guy back to the cemetary in San Francisco where he is buried, and spend some time trying to channel up...General George Patton.

I am firmly convinced that after a few sessions with the good general, Tom will be able to "slap around" any anal-retentive goofball caller (or battle-fatigued soldier) with the best of them.

Sincerely yours,

Paul Pfenning
Castle Rock, CO

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