Letters to the Editor
StefanMuc
Published Letters: 97 Editor's Choice: 4
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@brightstar65 - jerry rigging
[Read the article: Linux PCs flop on Wal-Mart shelves]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]All the points you make about the flaws in Linux (and I do agree they are there) apply to Windows too - useless directions (manuals - what manuals?) editing the registry, driver updates screwing up your system. All this is around in Windows, as well. One problem that Linux has is that Windows problems are somehow accepted - they are so familiar that they aren't even counted anymore. However many average users can not keep a Windows PC online without getting infected by Spyware. Usually they can't figure out why their system is much slower now then when they bought it (typically some almost useless tool using 90% of the CPU time) etc.
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I don't believe in New Atheists
[Read the article: I don't believe in atheists]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]You can't just take a group of people you don't like, call them "New Atheists" and suddenly they are a coherent group. There is no "new atheism", and atheism is not a movement in the first place. That's just the thing about the absence of a particular belief - just because there are multiple people who don't believe in e.g. the great pumpkin doesn't mean that they share any other convictions, world views or goals - they could be muslims, christians, communists or (obviously) atheists. Two atheists might have as much in common as a communist and a rastafarian. That's why calling atheism a religion or a belief system is so absurd.
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Re: Unreadable
[Read the article: Story Minute]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Ellen - adjust the resolution of your display. If you have a fairly modern display, then you'll still have a useful screen size if you go below the maximum supported resolution.
If the picture quality is sufficient, then the size of a web image depends on the PC of the beholder. ;-)
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Are men happier?
[Read the article: News roundup: Are modern women miserable? ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]It's a shame they didn't look into that, because that might help to find the reason for female unhappiness, too. As a society we are very much focussed on the material - owning a car, a home etc. However humans are social animals - nothing matters more to us then our interactions with other humans. (What makes you happier - a new car or finding out the person you love, loves you too?)
Some woman in Africa might be happier in some cases, because she's respected and supported in her community, and surrounded by people who love her. Another woman in the US might be fairly miserable because she's spending two hours of every day in traffic (surrounded by people who hate anyone else on the road) working in a competitive office job - surrounded by backstabbers, living with a husband who is just as much stressed out as she herself. Maybe we'd all be happier when we cut down the overtime, have a shorter commute and be less competitive. It just might not be possible to have a huge suburban house and two cars at the same time, though.
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Democratic methods for democratic societies
[Read the article: This Modern World]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In a democracy the power ultimately rests with the people. It's also ultimately the people's fault if they select an incompetent for the presidential office.
The way to change things in a democracy (no matter how flawed it undoubtedly is) is to argue your points and to convince others, to organize political campaigns, to raise funds and to run for office. Some political blogs did play a big role in that. But of course even easier than running a blog, is to claim that other people's efforts weren't enough and to hope for miracle solutions. Doesn't accomplish anything apart from discouraging others, though.
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Don't buy the house
[Read the article: I want a baby so badly it scares me]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Buying the house only ties you down - both financially and geographically. Until you're settled you should keep your options open. For now it makes more sense to invest the money - build some wealth, so that when you are in a relationship you want to settle in, you are ready to settle down financially, too.
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You are not very strong
[Read the article: I let a homeless man move in with me and now I can't get rid of him]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Unfortunately he can do what he wants because you are rather weak, and find it hard to stand up for yourself. That's just an observation, not a criticism - you can't quickly change your personality to solve this problem, you can't quickly change the emotional attachment you still have to this person. You need to solve your problem though - you no longer feel safe in your own home.
Maybe you could find a cheap room for him somewhere and pay it for a week, then move all his things there while he's away. Change the locks to your place, send him a text message and let him know that you don't trust him anymore, that you've done more than enough for him already and where you've brought his things. This avoids the direct confrontation which you probably can't handle.
It will initially be easier for him to go to that motel room, rather than try and argue his way back into your place. So there is a good chance that he'll take the easier route, and then you have him out of your place. He may try and come back though. Take the week and find someone who can be with you if he tries to return, and help you to confront him. Preferably find a male friend for this task - men are too embarassed to try their manipulations of women in front of other men. They know (or think they know) that other men see right through that.
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Pathetic
[Read the article: Hillary's slick willies]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In my opinion Hillary Clinton has no qualifications for the job she is running for. Having said that - this article has about as much insight as the sentence I just wrote - it reflects my personal opinion, nothing else. I don't really need an article with no more content than essentially "me too".
A professional writer should produce something worth reading, this piece wasn't. Please don't give this drivel space on Salon - I'd rather read an article which supports Clinton, but at least offers some arguments and stimulates the discussion.
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@clamshell
[Read the article: Opus]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The text on your "bottle" is from a Chinese dating website. Admittedly, that might well be the best medicine...