The caption to the accompanying picture of Trump is another matter, describing "Democratic presidential candidate Donald Trump"
All of a sudden, the man, his words and his actions made sense.
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
Thursday, April 28, 2016
Donald Trump: Not So Closet Democrat
Regarding "Trump’s foreign policy vision: America first" (Thursday Nation | World), there was little that was revelatory about Donald Trump's views in the McLatchy News article.
Wednesday, April 20, 2016
Regarding "GOP delegates in N.Y. may all go to Trump" (Wednesday Page A20), billionaire Donald Trump has complained repeatedly about the alleged fraud that denied him delegates in Republican primaries. This has happened in states as varied as Florida, Louisiana, Colorado, Wyoming and Texas.
Now, Trump stands poised to claim 100% of New York delegates despite winning only 60% of the vote.
Will his whining continue?
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
Monday, April 18, 2016
James Harden Is The Problem
Regarding "You gotta move" (Monday Sports), the subtitle of the article proclaims the obvious when it says "FLAW OF STANDING STILL ON OFFENSE RETURNS, MEANING THIS TEAM IS GOING NOWHERE FAST." The caps are appropriate, as Rockets fans have been shouting the same thing at their TV screens for the past six months.
Charles Barkley said it best in a Chronicle article from Feb 5th: "The Rockets are just not a good team, man, they've got an awful offense, just sitting around watching James Harden dribble for 20 seconds and then step back and shoot a 3-pointer or go to the basket … that wouldn't be fun to play with."
Sounds like it's time to say something else that is obvious: James Harden is the biggest part of the problem.
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
Wednesday, April 13, 2016
Neonics Crazy Or Batshit Crazy - No Difference
Regarding "Garden-care giant to drop chemicals linked to bee declines" (Wednesday A11), the article trumpets the decision by garden-care giant Ortho to stop using Neonicotinoids in their consumer products.
The problem with this pronouncement is that there is not an ounce of evidence that "Neonics" have anything to do with colony collapse disorder among bee populations. There is not a single government funded study that shows a connection; no studies from industry experts; no university funded studies. From the whole of respectable science, there is nothing that demonstrates a connection.
The sole source of "evidence" of the ill effects of Neonics comes from a variety of Lefty interest groups that got tired of losing in their efforts to ban GMOs (genetically engineered crop seeds), and needed a new whipping boy. For evidence of this, you need look no further than the quotes in the article from the "Center for Biological Diversity" and "Defenders of Wildlife". They are both part of a small and incestuous group of websites that cite each other endlessly, beating the anti-Neonics drums every day, the sound resonating across our fair land and into the ears of impressionable journalists who take it as fact because they hear the accusations oft-repeated, and like the idea of influencing the behavior of giant corporations by giving rumors the same weight as fact.
All that said, it leaves skeptics like myself to explain why a giant corporation like Ortho would remove Neonics from their products if there was nothing wrong with them. I believe the answer can be found in a quote from Ortho's vice president and general manager Tim Martin, who admits that "eliminating Neonics from Ortho products might require gardeners to apply them more frequently."
Did he just say that removing Neonics would force gardeners to buy more of his products? Why yes, yes he did.
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
P.S. - The use of Neonics by gardeners represents less than 1% of the total used worldwide. Commercial agriculture uses the other 99 point something percent. Call me crazy, but that information belonged in this article, somewhere.
The problem with this pronouncement is that there is not an ounce of evidence that "Neonics" have anything to do with colony collapse disorder among bee populations. There is not a single government funded study that shows a connection; no studies from industry experts; no university funded studies. From the whole of respectable science, there is nothing that demonstrates a connection.
The sole source of "evidence" of the ill effects of Neonics comes from a variety of Lefty interest groups that got tired of losing in their efforts to ban GMOs (genetically engineered crop seeds), and needed a new whipping boy. For evidence of this, you need look no further than the quotes in the article from the "Center for Biological Diversity" and "Defenders of Wildlife". They are both part of a small and incestuous group of websites that cite each other endlessly, beating the anti-Neonics drums every day, the sound resonating across our fair land and into the ears of impressionable journalists who take it as fact because they hear the accusations oft-repeated, and like the idea of influencing the behavior of giant corporations by giving rumors the same weight as fact.
All that said, it leaves skeptics like myself to explain why a giant corporation like Ortho would remove Neonics from their products if there was nothing wrong with them. I believe the answer can be found in a quote from Ortho's vice president and general manager Tim Martin, who admits that "eliminating Neonics from Ortho products might require gardeners to apply them more frequently."
Did he just say that removing Neonics would force gardeners to buy more of his products? Why yes, yes he did.
Pete Smith
Cypress, TX
P.S. - The use of Neonics by gardeners represents less than 1% of the total used worldwide. Commercial agriculture uses the other 99 point something percent. Call me crazy, but that information belonged in this article, somewhere.
Wednesday, April 6, 2016
LTE: Player Safety
Regarding "New double-play slide rule helps Rays beat Blue Jays" (Wednesday Sports C2), kudos to Major League Baseball for taking concrete action to curb intentional injury on the field. The article goes on to explain that the new rule is named after Chase Utley, the L.A. Dodgers 2nd basement notorious for his many attempts to disable or terrorize fielders by running out of the base-path and targeting them with his cleats.
It's appropriate that baseball teams who attempt to injure will now be penalized. Intentional injury is an affront to sportsmanship and common decency. With an ounce of luck, a similar rule will be enacted in professional football and other sports as well.
Pete Smith
13906 Crow Ridge Ct
Cypress, TX 77429
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/Thursday-letters-Baseball-rules-minimum-wage-7232822.php?cmpid=gsa-chron-result
It's appropriate that baseball teams who attempt to injure will now be penalized. Intentional injury is an affront to sportsmanship and common decency. With an ounce of luck, a similar rule will be enacted in professional football and other sports as well.
Pete Smith
13906 Crow Ridge Ct
Cypress, TX 77429
http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/letters/article/Thursday-letters-Baseball-rules-minimum-wage-7232822.php?cmpid=gsa-chron-result
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