Letters to the Editor
Published Letters: 28 Editor's Choice: 3
-
Dexter
[Read the article: I Like to Watch]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Dear Heather,
Love ya, mean it.
Want dark? Want creepy? Watch Dexter on Showtime! We TiVo'd this on a lark because it has Six Feet Under's Michael C. Hall as the main character. He's a police forensics expert who's also a serial killer going after irredemable bad guys. Apparently, he had some traumatic experience as a child and his cop adopted dad turned his killing urges towards people who "deserve" it. His girlfriend is a battered wife who is so scarred she doesn't want sex, which suits the sexless Dexter just fine (since he gets his kicks in slicing people apart). AND they have a new serial killer drying out and carving prostitutes who is playing with Dexter as one pro to another.
Oh, and it's set in Miami.
The only way this can be darker is if he starts stalking his cop sister. Go watch this show!!!
Rich
-
It's not the turbulence, it's what you don't know!
[Read the article: Ask the pilot]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As a "nervous" flyer, I have to say the anxiety isn't turbulence itself. It's really based on what you don't know about the turbulence. Sometimes during turbulence I find myself thinking: "is it wind causing the turbulence or has the cargo bay accidentally opened and torn off the airplane?"
I agree with another poster that I actually find mild constant turbulence to be somewhat soothing. What gets my anxiety up are sudden unexplained sounds and movements. They MAY be related to turbulence, but we don't know. And THAT'S what gets me to death-grip my seat. I also tense up when someone shuts an overhead bin behind me, or sudden sounds that sound like they're coming from cargo, or even the "fasten seat belt" chime that comes on with no warning.
So while I understand why you, Patrick, never fully understood turbulence anxiety until recently, I don't think you still get it: it's not the turbulence, it's the anxiety of WHAT ELSE is happening to the plane? If more flight attendants and pilots were trained with humor to communicate this to passengers, the anxiety level of many would decrease.
Rich
-
Santa: Fairy tales, lies, and abuse
[Read the article: My 13-year-old still believes in Santa Claus]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I can't believe people still abuse their children this way. I call it "abuse" because they make their kids invest emotionally in an absolute lie, and when children learn the truth sooner or later in a usually traumatic manner.
No matter how "cute" it seems your kids believe in something ridiculous, you are emotionally harming your child. You're raising your kids to believe in fairy tale magic AND indoctrinating them in our oh-so-wonderful consumer culture. And you expect us to believe your children are "bright". Oh yeah. Applause.
Childhood innocense is a beautiful thing especially when used to teach them about the amazing natural world we live in. Filling their heads with lies and fairy tales is such a sad, sad thing to see.
Rich
-
Would you allow a cosmetic nosejob on a newborn?
[Read the article: The unkindest cut]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Cuz that's the equivalent when circumcising totally healthy newborns. The only reason to medically circumcise is of course if there's something wrong (that is, other than it just being there!) with the foreskin.
Otherwise, it's just like giving a newborn an unnecessary nose job or a facelift. This type of surgery would certainly qualify as abuse and would not be allowed.
Circumcision in the 21st centry is so un-freakin-believable to me. To think that people still believe that a healthy uncircumcised NEWBORN has something wrong with it to require immediate surgery is ridiculous. Mother nature DOES know what she is doing, ya know.
Here's a compromise: A big stereotype is girls getting their noses done for their sweet sixteen present. How about a circumcision for boys for THEIR sixteenth birthday? At least then they can decide for themselves.
Rich
-
He first tried doing the right thing
[Read the article: Soldier of conscience]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Is everyone reacting to only the headline? It seems no one has read the actual article:
1) He had already served one tour of duty in Iraq,
2) He APPLIED for conscientious objector status and was rejected(!)
3) Only THEN he considered desertion, and did so.
While I still don't like the desertion part and feel maybe he could have done more without doing that (is there an appeals system? I don't know), it does sound as if he first tried doing it the right way.
Rich
-
Never heard of that song
[Read the article: I Like to Watch]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]That's right, never heard of it. So it worked for me. In fact, I barely even understood what they were mumbling, so no big deal.
I'm more just slightly devastated over the choice of the final 5: Tyrol and Tigh? Wow, next to Starbuck they were the most human and fallible characters, and Tyrol's comment of "so a switch is thrown and that's it" was just chilling to hear. Can't wait to see what happens in January!
-
Spend a few years as an adult first...
[Read the article: I'm almost 21. Should I buy some guns?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]The letter writer is "almost 21" and has already "spent a few years as a communist, a few as an anarchist". Are you freakin' kidding me? First live a few years as an adult (you'll get there once you understand why your statement was so laughable), then decide. By then I hope you realize--and I can't believe I have to say this--that A GUN IS NOT A TOY.
-
Does anyone remember any black characters in Tolkien?
[Read the article: Why can't gay dwarves get married in Middle-earth?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I sure don't (unless you count the "swarthy" bad guys). So are they also restricting playable characters to be only white?
This issue is obviously "unimportant" outside the gaming world. But I bet those people who said "who cares" to this still will hold their Superbowls and their World Series and Nascar, nevermind we're at war, etc etc. SURELY you're not the only ones who can hold more than one item in your head (then again, given how so many people are ignorant on what's going on....)
Rich
-
Sure it's silly, but...
[Read the article: Why can't gay dwarves get married in Middle-earth?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]...it's no more silly than getting into a snit fit over Don Imus and HE got fired. C'mon, if the company wrote the software to include only white characters (just like in Tolkien's books, after all!) then we'd have Jackson and Sharpton leading the protest.
Face it, it's "a waste of space" because it only affects gays & lesbians and something as "silly" as gay marriage.
Rich