Letters to the Editor
jebldmm
Published Letters: 933 Editor's Choice: 164
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I find it odd that we worry about drugs so much
[Read the article: King Kaufman's Sports Daily]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I knew a man who played football for the 49'ers. He was never a first tier player. He didn't make enough money that he didn't need to earn a living after he left the field. He didn't have any major injuries. But his brain was scrambled from being knocked down too many times. He had to write everything down, because his memory was so bad. He had convulsions periodically. No steroids - just the risks inherent in the game.
We worry about kids using steroids and trashing their bodies, but accept that some kids will break legs, arms, and even necks, and some will have permanent disabilities as a result of their time on the field. Boxing is even worse than football. How many punchdrunk boxers are out there who never had a shot at the big time, but suffer the same consequences as those who did?
I don't know much about steroids. They're probably a bad idea, since they give people who are willing to trash their bodies an advantage over those who won't... but at the same time, I have to recognize the irony that people who hit and get hit a bit harder, who tolerate a bit more pain, who are willing to play through injures, turning minor problems into major disabilities, have an advantage already. Sports in general rewards those who are willing to sacrifice long term health in exhange for short term victories. That's the nature of the game.
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I think Clinton is right
[Read the article: Clinton's primary night gambit]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]If Obama were doing this, the same people who are attacking Clinton would be praising him for his willingness to buck the system and his innovative strategy for doing so without violating the oaths he has made. Clinton promised not to campaign in Florida. She didn't promise not to try to get their votes to matter. She didn't promise not to thank them if they voted for her. She didn't promise to ignore the state. If she had, it would have been a foolish promise. I honestly wish that Edwards had thought of this strategy instead of Clinton. The beef the DNC has with Florida is with the state party that pushed up the primary, not the voters. Telling the voters that their votes don't matter is not good political strategy, imo, and I'm glad that at least one of the candidates is willing to stand up to the DNC and say that their votes do matter.
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It is a big deal
[Read the article: Clinton, Obama campaigns fight over Florida's significance]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Florida is one of the largest states in the nation, and it is likely to play a pivotal role in the November elections. This is like the biggest, most official, poll that will be done in Florida, and the winner is Clinton. That bodes well for her. The spin, however, is a different matter. It is being played out as "Clinton wins meaningless victory". It would actually be more realistic to assign the "meaningless victory" to South Carolina, since it is unlikely to play any role in the eventual election of a Democratic President. A realistic assessment, however, does not fit the media storyline involving the rise of Obama, so I won't expect to hear it anywhere prominent.
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Microsoft NEVER invented anything better
[Read the article: Why Microsoft's bid for Yahoo is an act of surrender]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Time after time, Microsoft has grown larger by buying out or simply copying the technology of more innovative companies. There is a reason they are known as "the Borg". They aren't "surrendering" when they take over a new company. They're just continuing their normal pattern of growth.
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Why a woman can't be elected president
[Read the article: Clinton "cries" again]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Not in the foreseeable future. If she doesn't show emotion, she is cold and calculating. If she shows any emotion, however slight, she is ... cold and calculating.
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I'll bet they already have a memo ready for tomorrow night...
[Read the article: Lowering expectations]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...trumpeting Obama's upset victory over Clinton. I wish, once again, that the media were less poll driven and more issue driven. I see many articles about the current standings of the candidates, but very few about how the candidates actually differ on issues. I guess it's easier to write a formula article and just fill in the numbers than it is to write an analytical piece about who believes what.
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"Sorority Sister"
[Read the article: The race for California]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]"feminist girlfriend appeal" "the Clinton's unite by dividing". No evidence of this, by the way, other than an Obama supporter. Bill Clinton makes one "sour grapes" statement that is more petulant than racist, and that feeds the meme. Obama supporters and the media are determined to make this about race v. gender, so it becomes about race and gender, no matter what the candidates do.
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You need a gerbil
[Read the article: What I wouldn't do for my cat]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Or maybe a hamster. Something disposable, that you won't feel obliged to take to the vet if it gets sick. I can understand you not wanting to pay a lot for the cat's care, but I can't understand how you could object to the vet taking care of the animal and then finding a good home for it rather than putting it down because you didn't want to pay. Would you actually rather see the cat die than be in somebody else's home? I have 3 dogs, and have spent a fortune on them. They make me happy. They bring many things into my life. But if i couldn't care for them, and somebody else could, I would let them go rather than let them die. They aren't possesions, they are living creatures that at least deserve a chance.