Letters to the Editor
MarieA
Published Letters: 264 Editor's Choice: 19
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The Reaper's Bret Harrison
[Read the article: I Like to Watch]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]While "The Reaper" is ho-hum, Bret Harrison is an excellent actor (underutilized here) and I'd like to see more of him.
I really enjoyed "The Loop" (what a great show, hope it survives) and could see that Harrison is an excellent ensemble actor.
I could really see him being the "new" Dick Van Dyke with the right vehicle, because he's very good at his own timing and leaving room for others to work.
How about giving him a nod, Heather!
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Don't try to scare me
[Read the article: Life will kill you]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I grew up around chemical plants and refineries, near a lake filled with raw effluent and a toxic waste dump. So I know that there's some bad stuff in the world.
But when I read the claim of a "significant decline in the birth of baby boys," it sounded funny to me, so I Googled the sex ratio of the U. S. and found a population distribution chart from 1860 to 2006. Although that chart does not show births, it does indicate the male to female ratio for population under 5. That ratio has actually increased (probably the result of better disease control and safety measures), although I'm not sure if the amount is really statistically significant. If the male birth rate is in such a tailspin, why has the ratio been holding quite steady at more than 104 males to females under 5 since 1970 (it was slightly lower in 1960)?
Anecdotes and clever diatribes do not science make.
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What was compromised by the Bin Laden "Tape Leak"?
[Read the article: Perino watch]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]This stuff about a "leak" sounds bogus to me. Intelligence was really compromised because a tape which was apparently made for public transmission was revealed to the American public?
Or are they upset that the tape was out there before the Administration was able to put its own translation (who knows how good those are) and talking points to it?
It was refreshing to see the Bin Laden tape put out there withtout the usual blathering, I will say that.
But really, unless somebody credible explains how this tape compromises intelligence gathering, I'm just going to believe it's the usual Administration bullshit.
For the record, I like Perino because she's so clueless and out of the loop that it obviously reveals that about 85% of what the Administration "wants you to know" is only spin and lies. And that 1% is a generous estimate of truth-telling.
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Here's some REAL advice
[Read the article: Lonely single guy tired of being lonely and single seeks person ]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]What is the climb a mountain nonsense?
Anyone who is going on dates and can't get to the third date ever has some kind of problem. It isn't your age, your social circle, your income, your looks.
So what is it?
Ask your friends. Ask your pastor. Talk to several people, not just one. Press them for honesty and objective observation. Go to a counselor. Something is going on. Maybe it's nothing very deep-seated. Maybe you give off some air of desperation or disinterest or you're boring or have piggy table manners.
Watch dating shows like "Confessions of a Matchmaker" on A&E. Read some books like "Everything I Know About Dating I Learned in Business School".
Don't climb the mountain unless there's somebody up there who's going to give you an honest appraisal of your dating self.
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The Rule of Law - Oh Please, It Hurts to Laugh!
[Read the article: The Beltway Establishment's contempt for the rule of law]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Unfortunately, the Rule of Law hasn't constrained presidents much since the founding of the Republic, but the 20th Century set the Presidency on a super-slick sled down the slippery slope of lawlessness and now it's got some real speed.
I'm glad that Salon.com readers have finally got some ol' time religion about The Constitution. Just be sure to keep the faith when the next President Clinton is handed the Imperial Presidency on a platter.
I expect to see scathing op-eds here when she says, "Constitution? What Constitution?"
P. S. Here's a sad note. Dennis Kucinich has a copy of the Constitution in his pocket and Ron Paul is the only candidate who always mentions Constitutional restraints, yet these two are probably the most disdained of the presidential candidates.
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Online polls Are Stupid -- Ron Paul Supporters Are Smart
[Read the article: They don't call them "unscientific" surveys for nothing]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Online polls only serve to drive traffic to a site. It is not surprising, however, that powerful people in the media think they can take a "show of hands" with an online poll. They have demonstrated ad nauseam that they do not understand statistics and the scientific method.
Ron Paul supporters are very wired in, a high percentage are young (under 35) and they use their techno-savvy to vote for Ron Paul.
So, I shall have to quote the young: Suck it, online polls.
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A modest proposal
[Read the article: My letter to the most important man in American politics]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Let the Democrats and Republicans fund their own primaries like other parties (i.e., the Libertarian Party), setting them free to set their own dates and releasing the taxpayers from funding overblown party politics.
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Maybe this isn't the horror it appears
[Read the article: Home-decorating dreams?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]At one point in my life, I would have been appalled at such a thing, although I certainly played with similar (albeit less detailed) toys when I was a child.
Having now struggled for some years to be more domestic, because I took on the job of running of the household after years at a professional career, I wish that I had become more adept at household work when I was a kid.
I have taught myself the rudiments and think I have even developed some expertise in decorating, but it doesn't come naturally to me.
While I'm not keen on the commercial aspects of all of this stuff (buy more, be perfect!), there is value to playing house, and if kids want to do it, then it doesn't mean they won't become president.
Time to lighten up.
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Here or there, get professional assistance
[Read the article: Will my family drag us down?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The great thing about money is that it buys professional assistance. Regardless of whether you move hither or yon, you should definitely have the most professional help you and your family can afford (there are likely to be resources in the community that are available to your mother).
Taking care of sick relatives is much easier in an oversight position than an actual, physical caregiver role.
Don't be a hero in this regard. Use your expertise to manage, not to do.