Letters to the Editor
DurianJoe
Published Letters: 1310 Editor's Choice: 69
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Healthy Skeptic
[Read the article: Battered and fired]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Okay asshole, I misread something. That makes me human. Your response makes you an asshole.
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Last word to you, healthy skeptic
[Read the article: Battered and fired]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm guessing you're maybe 22 years-old. You better learn in life that there are ways to point out mistakes. One is to be constructive, the other is to do what you do, i.e., be an asshole. The latter could send you to the hospital in the real world.
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It is paternalistic, so find a different doctor.
[Read the article: Too young to tie your tubes?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Adult women should have the right to have their tubes tied or otherwise be sterilized, and doctors with ethical concerns about that or any other medical procedure should be free to decline to perform it.
The obvious slippery slope scenario is those pharmacists who refuse to dispense birth control. Shouldn't they be afforded the same rights as doctors? The answer, in the absence of laws or professional codes of conduct that say otherwise, is yes, although the owner of the pharmacy should have the right to fire employees who act contrary to company policy.
The ultimate answer is to promote a liberal and religiously tolerant society which maximizes women's equal rights and minimizes rightwing religious zealotry.
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Response to Canuckistan Bob
[Read the article: "40 Reasons Not to Have Children"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]CB, I disagree with you that we who are child-free do not have an investment in the future. First off -- and this is a variation of the response to those who question where atheists can possibly get their morality from -- I have an ethical and moral concern for the wellbeing of people in this world, including their children. It's akin to people in a rich country caring about what happens to kids in a poor country. We have no genetic investment in those kids, but it's the right thing to do. I also have an ethical and moral concern for the future wellbeing of nonhuman animals, and plants, and even the continued existence of natural wonders like Bryce Canyon.
Moreover, my wife and I have got loads of nieces and nephews. Some of are friends have kids. We care about all of them and want their future to be bright.
Lastly, if there are no healthy kids in the future, who is going to invent all those nanomachines and rejuvenation therapies which will make us eternally youthful? :)
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A not-so-Healthy Skeptic
[Read the article: Roundup: Fake wombs and (even faker) female superheroes]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...a simpleton and an asshole. Just like the Broadsheet writers and much of their blogroll. -- Healthy Skeptic
It must suck to be you. Poor "Healthy" Skeptic, a genius surrounded by fools. You enjoy calling people "morons" and "trolls" and worse, but spending hours and hours online lashing out at strangers won’t solve your real problems.
No matter how much bile you spew here, you'll never exhaust your supply. You might want to try something more constructive, such as exercise or meditation. Better yet, go see a real therapist instead of self-medicating on internet chat boards.
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There already are waiting periods.
[Read the article: Too young to tie your tubes?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Maybe not six months, but a few weeks at least, and that's enough time to consider second thoughts.
When I had my vasectomy, my doctor asked me if I had kids. I said no. He asked if my wife agreed with my decision. I said yes. He then told me the days of the week he was available, and to call back with a preferred date for the operation. Between this and that, I had my vasectomy about 6 weeks after my initial consultation.
I'm sure it's the same with women seeking to have their tubes tied, and wouldn't be surprised if the process actually stretched out longer, given the greater complexity involved with the operation. (Men's goods are external and thus easily accessed).
Of course, all of this presumes that the woman in question did not already give her decision a great deal of thought, which I doubt is the case almost every time.
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Recruit the young 'uns
[Read the article: Requiem for a poker game]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It is sad to see poker become yet the latest victim of the process of corporate crapitization of everything. Still, the rebel forces can fight back against the empire.
My own bi-weekly game has been running for about 17 years, and in all that time, the stakes have remained at their shocking high levels of nickle, dime, quarter. A bad night is a $10 loss; I hold the record for the best night, with a win of $32. But that's not the point: we joke, we drink, we insult each other with gusto, we break for dinner, and most importantly, we play our games for the sheer joy of it.
We're also recruiting. Our three oldest members are in their 60's, three are in the 50's, and I and another guy are in our 40's. We've just brought in a guy in his 20's, and if things go as they have before, he'll do the same in a decade or two as well. And that is how you beat back Darth Poker.
Small is beautiful (especially when you're going for low).
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Race has nothing to do with Vick's case.
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This case is about cruelty to animals, namely, dogfighting. Michael Vick's race has nothing at all to do with this. It is about behavior, not skin color, and people who either try to support Vick or condemn him based on his race should be ashamed of themselves.
Dogfights are organized by whites, blacks, latinos, asians, and every other kind of person. The lesson is that scumbags come in all colors.
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Tell your roommate to knock it off.
[Read the article: My roommate bounces my cats the wrong way]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]LW, your cats depend on you to protect them. If you don't speak up for them, no one else will. If you think your roommate is hurting your cats, then do the right thing. Tell your roommate very firmly to stop bouncing your cats and holding them upside down. Don't make it a request, make it a demand.
Don't wait until your cats get injured, because by then it will be too late.