Letters to the Editor
nickn
Published Letters: 15 Editor's Choice: 3
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Irish Experts
[Read the article: We're Irish! We're queer! Get used to it!]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The organizers are just usingtheir knowledge traditional Irish values. They are far more expert in being Irish than the people of Dublin where the gay group marches in the parade every year.
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Baby Steps
[Read the article: Still grave and deteriorating]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Well Congress is temporizing to "give escalation a chance" which we're now told will take six months of more lies before the new crew admit that it's not working. Then of course, there will be another escalation request. So the body count will continue. My own thought is that a Senator that comes back for re-election with "I supported a non binding resolution" should be told that they'll get a non binding commendation but not an actual vote from an election.
If they're too feeble to stop the war, I'd like to see Congress at least start to reign in the War Criminal wing of the Republican party. Zero funding Guantanamo Prison, reinstating Habeas Corpus and passing a law that all US prisoners on non combatant soil be brought to the US and be entitled a trial in the US legal system?
Does Congress think it also has to support our torturers with unlimited funding?
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Note to Pilot. Never ever underestimate the publics hatred for being abused for profit
[Read the article: Ask the pilot]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As concessions go, I don't notice much conceding.
You take the proposed law about three hour delays and turn it into a straw man about a 2 hour delay Why not be generous and say that the law should apply after a fifteen minute delay and won't you silly passengers be sorry then? If we've been sitting for three hours in a plane, then people should have the right to get off even if it delays the flight or reduces corporate profit.
You go on to say that cases like this are really really rare and so there's no need for a law. Why are you concerned about such a law existing if it will so rarely penalize an airline? If it actually does cost the airlines significant amounts of money, they either figure out what they can do to avoid it, or get the pressure on to fix what you describe as the broken air traffic system.
The noise you're hearing from your passengers is the hatred for the way they are systemically abused by the airlines;for example lying about flight delays.
Finally, the complaint about too much regulation is silly given how regulated airlines are. No doubt it's a great pain to follow the federally mandated inspections and maintenance and a great cost to not just let pilots fly more without adequate sleep. The Federal goverment regulates these because the airlines can't be trusted to do this themselves.
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Some homework
[Read the article: Is my 13-year-old son gay?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Lyour son know that you'll love him no matter what is a good idea and leaving him alone to find his own answers even better. You might want to do your own homework if he does come back with the news that he is gay.; finding the local branch of PFLAG (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays might be a good start. And while gay porn has its place in the world, there's more to life than porn; find out if there's a local gay youth organization. Good luck.
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Genetics and smell
[Read the article: How to be an asparagus superhero]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The smell of your urine after eating asparagus is more complicated. Some people produce methyl mercaptan and others don't. However it's the ability to detect the smell is also genetically determine. Some people can smell it and others can't even if their urine stinks.
http://www.studentbmj.com/back_issues/0800/education/277.html
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The Gonzales Affair
[Read the article: The attorney general's "tremendous credibility problem"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm waiting for a Senator to ask him why he should be thought competent to hold office given his health problems are causing these severe memory lapses.
And after the fun interrogations the question remains will anything other than posturing come out of this.
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In the proper order please
[Read the article: "Even Richard Nixon knew it was time to resign"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Yes Bush should resign or be removed from office for abetting and concealing the criminal actions of Libby, Cheney and Rove. But before that, it's imperative that Cheney should resign or be forced from office for his misdeeds. The damage he's done as vice president pales to what he would do as president.
None of this will happen as long as the congressional republicans and crypto republicans continue to support the demands of party and faction over the need to support the constitution and the rule of law.
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Suicide rates rising for Girls.
[Read the article: Girls' suicide rates soar]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If the article is implying that the rate of girls suicides are rising and the rates for boys aren't, I have several questions;
and unlike many here no answers.
I don't know if the rate of anti depressant drugs prescription is rising, (or in particular those with strong suicidal side effects). However it is clear that the number of uninsured is rising dramatically. Is there any particular lack of health care support that would effect girls more than boys?
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Joseph Smith and revelations
[Read the article: The Mormons are coming]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Those who believe that Joseph Smith honestly translated a set of holy gold plates have to explain his later translation of the Book of Abraham from heiroglyphics that came with a mummy.
This was before heiroglyphics could be translated and later translations show that the text had nothing to do with Abraham.
My conclusion is that he invented the heiroglyphic translation and it's not hard to imagine he invented the earlier objects and translation as well.
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Flip Flopping on Choice
[Read the article: Stop lying to yourself. You love Dennis Kucinich]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Kucinitch has taken many admirable positions; I'm fond of the attempt to impeach Cheney and his simple position on Gay Marriage. However it is worth noting that he was steadfastly anti-choice in Congress for his career until just before he ran for president when he "evolved" his position.
Still, watching Hilary in particular say that she prefers to think of herself as pro civil union instead of anti-gay marriage makes me realize that I'm pro Senator Hilary rather than anti President Hilary.
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But a simpler use sticks it to the man.
[Read the article: Ask the pilot]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Here's a related use for your I-phone. When I'm in Seattle and they announce that my flight departureis delayed a half hour, and I can tell online that it hasn't left it's starting city an hour or two away, it's time to plan accordingly. The airlines like to dribble out the delays this way to keep you from rebooking on another airline.