Letters to the Editor
JTD
Published Letters: 18 Editor's Choice: 6
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what changed
[Read the article: The courage of Mayor Jerry Sanders]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A few have replied here that they applaud Sanders' openness to changing his mind. I don't think that's exactly what's happened. I have no special access to his mind, but I live in San Diego and I've watched this moderate Republican pander to and/or get pushed around by conservative mau maus on a number of issues (taxes first and foremost). I suspect this began similarly: that Sanders has felt all along that supporting gay marriage is the right thing to do, and that until yesterday, he pretended otherwise. I applaud the stand he took, and perhaps this will encourage him to stand up in other areas. He did change his mind about whether he would pander on this issue, but I don't think that his mind ever needed changing on the issue itself.
The political risk for him may also be overstated. Greater San Diego is conservative, but in the city Dems have a registration lead over the GOP. Sanders has had a rough few months and probably had more to worry about from a strong Democratic challenger than from a primary challenge on his right. Vetoing the measure would position him with the conservative base but lose centrist Dems and put independents in play. The risks from his right should be more manageable.
That said, I don't doubt that his sentiment is genuine. I'm glad to see him do the right thing.
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punch away
[Read the article: Why are Bluetooth headsets so lame?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You've gotten at part of the issue -- people want to see that you're not crazy (ie. threatening) -- but I agree with other commenters that the best design can't overcome the fundamental problem.
Cell phones do a world of violence to the old separation of public and private space. While we've given up most of that to accept cell phone utility, we've held on to a shred with the gestures involved in using them. Hand to side of face? Maybe standing aside slightly? Aha, you're separating yourself. You understand that you're intruding your living room into our square, and as long as you understand, we can coexist.
BT headsets are 'always on' in a way. If you're standing next to me in line with one in your head, I don't know if you're using it or not. I don't know if your attention is here or divided. I don't know if you're in our space or your own, and further, it seems you don't care at all to give me a sign.
So why do we want to punch people with headsets? Because they are either too self-enamored, stupid, or sociopathic to acknowledge the shared space around them. That punching instinct is a response to a genuine threat.
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libraries
[Read the article: Kindle: Amazon's e-book reader is here]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I want to know if existing digital lending services like netLibrary and Overdrive will work with this, or can be made to. Anyone know if the DRM supports something like that?
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not exactly
[Read the article: Green investing 101]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]A check on the claims of green investing, and the concerns of investors: buying stock (or doing so indirectly via a fund), except in the case of an IPO, does not give that company any money. You're buying shares from some other shmo who's selling, that's all.
(When companies need extra money, they usually go to a bank for a loan. Stocks are just a way of dividing up ownership of the economy with very, very fine granularity.)
There's an argument to be made that a high valuation gives a company some leverage, but that's limited. A high share price is more likely to follow from a company's strength than the other way around. Likewise, a high valuation in itself guarantees a company (and it's "investors") nothing.
Bonds are somewhat different, since they represent loans to companies. Though bond trading also takes place after the bond's terms are set, green investing has a more realistic claim to make there. To be more direct still, there are community development banks which use investor deposits to make loans screened for community needs and green principles.
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not much there either
[Read the article: Green investing 101]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think it's also easy to overstate the effect of shareholder stewardship. Management makes all the day to day decisions for companies, while shareholders wield tools that are extremely weak and blunt by comparison. Even with a substantial stake in a company (a high-risk move), green funds have to contend with other shareholders over the investment/corporate imperative: maximize return. Shareholder activism can do some good in an advisory and watchdog capacity, but don't expect more than that.
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@Tyler_Mason
[Read the article: Green investing 101]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I don't have firsthand experience here, so take this with a grain of salt. My understanding, though, is that shareholder democracy is fairly toothless. Management has many ways of dodging, stalling, pacifying, sabotaging, or simply ignoring shareholder motions when it cares to. When a company is in crisis, sometimes a broad shareholder action can set direction. But in ordinary cases, where a battle with management would be called for, most capable management knows it holds the cards.
Like I said, though, shareholders can serve a useful advisory/watchdog role. But they're not the "deciders".
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the movie
[Read the article: A moral "Compass"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's nice to hear everyone's interest in the movie, but I'm afraid I have to dissent. I saw the movie, and it wasn't that good. I'm a fan of the books, and wanted to like the movie. I don't mind that the movie changed some things, and slightly recast the Magisterium. That's fine. But despite some good bits, the movie was too hurried in its storytelling, speeding through the meanings and motivations, missing most of the drama. So, in my view, that's the context for the discussion, the 'boycott' and so on. Too bad, because Pullman's story is so good.