A note about Current

Blather, Hank, Head-on, Nerve, Pearls, Prattle, Slant, Spout, Think and Thrust.

Those are among the dozens of suggestions that didn’t make it as the new name of this section. Clash made a vigorous coup attempt. It was gently fended off by such heartfelt suggestions as Hugs, Wimp and Kumbaya.

Current, while bland in an Al Gore sort of way, was the only name that seemed not to give anyone fits. And everyone likes that suggestion of electricity.

So why change the section’s title at all?

It’s time for a change. For months, as our colleagues on the Op-Ed and editorial pages* have been striving to redefine the form with their innovations, the Sunday section has been experimenting with ways to present ideas, arguments and information in essays, columns, graphics-driven “charticles” and cartoons.

With this handsome new design, we’ll redouble our efforts to find well-written content that spans the ideological spectrum and do our best to present it with pretension and intellectual flab removed. Our goal is to prove that “smart” and “fun” are complementary concepts.

And please don’t overlook what we’re doing on the Web. For a look, drop by www.latimes.com/livecurrent where we’ve invited readers to join John Yoo, Alan Dershowitz, Marci Hamilton and other top-notch legal scholars in our live discussion of the Supreme Court.

Another reason for the change: We want Times staff writers to offer analysis in these pages. That couldn’t happen while the section was called Opinion. Good mainstream newspaper journalists work hard to keep their biases out of their reportage. This paper’s editors want there to be no confusion about The Times’ commitment to the ideal of objective reporting.

Now, while it remains inappropriate for Times staff writer Alissa J. Rubin to offer her personal views about the U.S. decision to invade Iraq -- don’t worry, there are plenty of nonstaffers all too eager to offer theirs’ -- she could authoritatively analyze the evolution of a constitution or give an insider’s account what it’s like to cover the war while concealed in traditional Islamic clothing.

Some of you have been thrilled by what we’re doing. Some of you have argued, rather pointedly, that you loathe it! Despise it!

Either way, please take comfort in knowing that the change won’t stop just because the section has a new design and title.

Bob Sipchen

Editor, Current

*Sunday Current contains two other pages, which are complementary but independent. Andres Martinez oversees the editorial page seven days a week, and the page opposite the editorials (Op-Ed) is the province of Nicholas Goldberg.