Letters to the Editor
pacificwhim
Published Letters: 201 Editor's Choice: 37
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What is the damned point?
[Read the article: Sixty votes against the "surge"?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Who cares what the Senate passes? It's a non-binding resolution with language more watered down than a blackjack table vodka and tonic. It's worthless posturing that Bush will laugh at.
Jesus H. people, if you're going to take action, take action that will have an effect: cut funding for the surge or for the entire war. Impeach the delusional simian. Don't just, as Steven Colbert said so memorably, rearrange the deck chairs on the Hindenburg.
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Here we go again
[Read the article: God and gorillas]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]And so it begins as it does with all these Atoms & Eden interviews: the strident atheists and religion haters will spew their venom, the theists will pontificate, and the few moderate, open minds who care to comment will say intelligent, ecumenical things about the fact that we don't have all the answers in our crazy world.
In other words, we'll proceed as we always do: with 90% of us sure that OUR way is the ONLY right way, while everyone else is deluded. And reasoned dialogue dies slowly.
Sigh.
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Only one answer
[Read the article: A time for the Senate to lead]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]All this noodling about is irrelevant. There is still only one legitimate answer to the staggering corruption, incompetence and perfidy of the Bush admninistration that continues to spend lives and treasure like neither matters: IMPEACHMENT.
If we do not impeach these monsters for their crimes, then try them for crimes against humanity, our government has no credibility whatsoever. They must be held accountable. Impeachment should be the House's top priority.
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The Law of Attraction Redux
[Read the article: Oprah's ugly secret]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm an ghostwriter for people in the self-help industry (yes, I'm a whore, but the work allows me to write my personal projects about good writing technique and journalistic works about privacy protection), and The Secret is nothing more than the bullshit Law of Attraction repackaged for the 465th time by the latest slick shyster. It's a load of crap for the self-esteem-challenged set.
I've sat in packed ballrooms watching slack-jawed as hundreds of dewy-eyed simpletons soaked in some speaker's pronouncements that they could visualize their success and make it happen. Provided, of course, that they slurp up the speaker's book and audio CD set at the back of the room for only $599——personal coaching program for a mere $2499! What a bargain, as my Korean laundress used to say.
I believe in the power of intention, but the only way to achieve success in this life is to:
a. Decide what success means to you (news flash to Oprah: it may not be wealth).
b. Make a plan to achieve it.
c. Have a positive attitude.
d. Work your ass off and never quit.
e. Treat people right and do great work so people will help you along the way.
That's the formula, ladies and gents. Unfortunately, no one will ever buy 2 million copies of "The Bust Your Butt 23 Hours a Day Secret to Success." And astonishingly enough, some of us want only a nice living, a comfortable house in a great town, a peaceful existence with the people we love, our health, and the opportunity to give back and help others less fortunate than us...like suckers who blow their money on The Secret.
PS: I'm getting ready to blow the lid of this BS self-help industry with a book/documentary in 2008. Stay tuned.
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Two reasons...
[Read the article: This Modern World]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...I look forward to Sunday evening: The Simpsons and a new TMW.
Bravo.
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Predictable
[Read the article: Anne Lamott's amazing grace]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]There's nothing that brings out the wild dog pack of self-congratulatory, hateful, I'm-so-much-more-evolved-than-you-spiritual-idiots (like Ben) than someone writing anything heartfelt about Christianity, especially someone as nakedly self-referential as Annie.
As a professional writer, I sometimes find her maudlin and whiny, but more often I find her honest and dead-on with her perceptions of the insecurities and terrors that sit cheek by jowl with the joys and wonders of everyday life.
Haters, hate on with your "anything spiritual is delusional twaddle" invective. You only make yourselves look like fools. True voices like Ms. Lamott's are rare treasures. Could it be that you wish you could write 1/10 as well as she, and knowing that you lack the intellect or talent, you fall back on bile as your only alternative?
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Get up, stand up
[Read the article: Democrats to Bush: Bring it on]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Bush is a fucking paper tiger and I for one am sick to death of Congress backing down because of this "you don't defy the commander in chief during wartime" bullshit. W is a lost little boy without the spine or intellect to rescue himself, so he falls back on bluster. That's all he has.
Tell him to jam it, Democrats. Shove subpoenas up his ass and if he ignores them, threaten impeachment hearings. Then once this investigation is done, impeach anyway.
Enough is enough. And as one LW said, any Dem who tolerates this in ANY way doesn't get a dime, and should be run from office.
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Are we there yet?
[Read the article: Quote of the Day]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Can we just impeach the motherfucker, please?
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Signing statements
[Read the article: Profiles in Journalism]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm still stunned (not really) by the Wolffe quote. Apparently, 90% of the nation's journalists (I'm one, a journalist, I mean) have forgotten the #1 duty of a free press: to hold those in power accountable for their actions. Period. Nothing else. Not to make friends, entertain or get Pulitzers.
And by the way, I think one of the actions of the Democratic Congress needs to be making signing statements illegal. Either the Chief Executive enforces the law as written and passed by Congress or he vetoes it. No middle ground.
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Da Prez
[Read the article: Windmills]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]D.K. just got my vote for president. He's the only one with the nutsack to do what we all know is mandatory if we're to have a nation of laws after this Neocon swamp is drained in 09.
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Words, words, words
[Read the article: I dream of living a heroic life but I fear I'm just mediocre]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If I had to give one piece of advice to the LW in addition to Cary's excellent wisdom, it would be this: write. Whatever else you do to pursue your dreams, write about what you do and why you're doing it. Words and ideas have more power to change the world than any other force.
And as the earlier LW said, there is great honor and purpose in raising quality human beings. So many screw it up that to do it right is to unleash the means for glorious change upon this world.