Excerpts from reader commentary on News staffers’ online blog postings last week. Online comments come from registered users, but — unlike reviewed and verified Everybody’s Column letters — can be posted under pen names.

Matters of Opinion: George Pyle posted links to a lot of stories about a sad Veterans Day, one that combined thanks for those who served with mourning for victims of the shootings at Fort Hood. David, Amherst responded:

I salute the troops, the men and women who do the grunt and dirty work. . . . My cousin was bayoneted in Korea. One uncle was a bombardier in the South Pacific. My other uncle fought through the Africa campaign and onto Anzio. Another kin was chief medic on the USS Constellation in the Tonkin Gulf. And I was placed in Vietnam with the Old Reliables, 9th Infantry Division. We all survived, but know the stress that is held even by parents and families on the home front.

BobbyCat noted that veterans are well worthy of recognition, but added a regional twist:

My problem with patriotic celebrations is that

we talk the talk about fighting for freedom and celebrating democracy but we turn a blind eye to what’s happening around us.

If some foreign power threatened to invade New York State and replace our democratically elected officials with a 3-man politburo in Albany, we would take up arms and fight them from the Pensy border to the St. Lawrence River to Montauk Point. I’d grab my guns and go join the fight, wouldn’t you?

Outrages & Insights: Jim Heaney blogged about being reluctantly impressed by the “Extreme Makeover” redo of a house on Massachusetts Avenue. Buffalo Libertarian saw a reason for the fast-paced progress:

Notice that this event is going forward without the government being involved. I think that is key: getting the government out of the way so that ordinary people and charitable organizations

can band together and do what the government has failed to do.

Miers on Music: Jeff Miers posted a couple of blogs on Tuesday’s Metallica concert in HSBC Arena, asking for comments beforehand on the band’s best songs and, afterward, for comments on the playlist and performance. Chet Zeshonski said:

Tonight’s show was very good. The set list was heavy on Death Magnetic (6 songs), of course, which is a welcome change for a band that has a vast catalog of old material and plays a lot of the same songs at every show.

Kill ’Em All was well represented with three songs. They played “Damage, Inc.,” which was a welcome surprise, and “Blitzkrieg.” I could have done without the done-to-death “Enter Sandman” and “Nothing Else Matters,” but they didn’t ask me for set list suggestions. (If they had, I would have asked for “Eye of the Beholder” and “Disposable Heroes” in their place.)

Anyway, the show was full of a lot of energy. As is typically the case for a heavy metal show, however, the acoustics were awful. If you weren’t

familiar with any of the bands before tonight’s show, you probably found it hard to listen along and wondered what all the fuss was about. But that’s a problem common to all concerts, I’m afraid.

Morning Joe added:

Amazing show. Better than the ’04 show. One of the best I’ve seen on this tour as well. Band was TOTALLY into it, and the crowd was surprisingly great as well.

Now the 5-year wait for the next one begins. lol.

Billboard: Mark Gaughan blogged about the Bills activating young receiver James Hardy, prompting some discussion of the team’s passing game. crazyoldman said:

I am glad Hardy is in, but till we throw the ball to him, TO and Evans he is of no significance.

charlie added:

We can’t follow the approach the good teams in the NFL use, not with our ownership and coaches’ minor league approach. Plus I am sure they are thrilled with practicing five-yard pass routes from captain checkdown.