Letters to the Editor
Xanthro
Published Letters: 522 Editor's Choice: 47
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Enough about Lieberman already
[Read the article: Whatever's best for Holy Joe]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Seriously, how about some attention on seats Democracts can take away from Republicans.
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Nerdam stop implying something I've never done
[Read the article: Whatever's best for Holy Joe]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Enough bashing the Democrats, Xanthro"
You haven't seen me bash Democrats, you've seen me question certain strategys, and there's a difference.
You are the one who keeps bashing others.
"Nerdnam's 11th commandment for Democrats: Democrats shall not speak ill of any Democratic nominee after the primaries."
Here you imply that I've spoken ill of Lamont, and I haven't.
"Lieberman's no longer a Democrat, so the hell with him. But Lamont is a Democrat who should be fully supported."
Sorry, Lieberman is no longer the Democratic candidate, but you don't get to decide who is and who isn't in the party.
I'm not going to be sending money or support to either, because it is a waste when there are seats that can't get us control of the Senate to be had.
What I object to is the incessant emphasis on a Democratic seat in a close election.
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This can't be a surprise!
[Read the article: The baby bust]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Seriously, this shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.
It's news worthy in the same manner that reporting the Sun will set in the West is news worthy.
That said, many issues that are considered Liberal are gaining acceptance with time, such as gay marriage, the problem is that this doesn't always translate into election victory, even in the long run.
It's one of the reasons why I keep stressing we need to win over Republican votes in order to win national elections.
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$30,000 is a career for Women?
[Read the article: Unhappily ever after]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm shocked this wasn't mentioned in the article.
Professional women make far more than $30,000.
It just shows that Forbes thinks women are inferior, and Salon didn't call them on the point.
Most of the truely happy couples I know the women make far more than $30,000.
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Astrology is not science.
[Read the article: Pluto's retreat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"Deep astrology has elements of the scientific,"
No, it doesn't. It's a belief system in the same manner that creationism is. Neither have anything to do with science.
"but to me, it's more of a skillful art, like good psychotherapy."
Astrology doesn't even rise to that level.
Fortune cookies are as scientifc and astrology.
"I'm not one who insists that astrology be considered a science, because I don't think modern science has all the answers, especially since its practioners are immersed in the same culture we all are, with its blind spots and biases. What science knows how to do, it does beautifully. But until it develops further, its capacity for having the last word is limited."
Typical logic used by those who do not understand science, and instead try to substitue their own value systems.
Science never claims to have all the answers, because that goes against the basic premise of scientific inquiry.
Science is about understanding events and developing theories that explain these events and provide a predictive nature.
If you drop something, it falls to the ground. The theory of gravity explains this. There are certain guildlines, such as mass and gravity are related, gravitational force lessens with distance.
All forces found in nature behave in certain ways. If planets could influence our personalities, then some force from the planets would be required. Either this the strength of this unknown force is affected by distance or it is not.
If it is not affected by distance, the stars and galaxies would have far more affect than any planet.
If it is affected by distance, then the nearer planets would overwhelm the more distance ones.
It's not scientific because not only can you not describe what force this is, or measure it, or predicate with it, but such a force cannot even exist in the manner required by astrology.
Believe in it all you want, but it is a form of religion, and not a form of science.
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Why Astrology is derided.
[Read the article: Pluto's retreat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"And people will still deride Astrology as nonsense.. even though the strongest opponents of Astrology know nothing about it. why?"
Nonsense should be derided as nonsense.
Seriously, if you are anyone else thinks that Pluto had anything to do with the Aids, you are beyond reasonable help.
What I don't understand about those who defend the "scientific" nature of astrology is why bother and why assume that needing to know the mumbo jumbo of Astrology is needed to know it's bunk.
Nobody needs to know anything about the specifics of astrology in order to know it's no different than a forture cookie.
Having complex charts and equations doesn't make something science.
Since Xena is large than Pluto, why doesn't it affect astrology? Because it wasn't discovered, and if undiscovered planets don't affect astrology, then how does this astrology force get affected by it's discovery?
It's grammar school silly, and anyone who's passed third grade science should see it as such.
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Of course we know what sign we were born under
[Read the article: Pluto's retreat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I bet if I asked any of you people...y'know, the ones that are saying nasty things about astrologers and such...what your sign is, you would say it reflexively. Of course, you would then sputter, "But I don't believe in it!" I've seen it happen many a time, usually followed by someone asking me, sotto voce, to do thier chart for them.
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Afterall, we normally know when we were born, so this means we usually know our astrological sign.
Astrology can be fun, like doing a crossword puzzle, or reading Dear Abby, or going to a Tarot reading, or reading sheep entrails to determine the future.
None of them are science and neither is Astrology.
Don't mistake participation as acceptance of something being legitimate or real.
If we were at a party and you were doing readings, I'd probably join in, and I'd be polite and wouldn't try to refute any of it, but knowing all the while it's hogwash.
It's like participating in a magic act, it doesn't mean you actually think someone was sawed in half.
It's entertainment, that's all.