Eddie Dean and Emily Yoffe
Dear Eddie,
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StumbleUponIsn't the "ILOVEYOU" subject line in this latest computer virus brilliantly wicked? (Obviously all Slate readers know there is a dastardly virus out there that will eat not only your hard drive but all your leftover Y2K survival supplies, so if you get a message that reads "ILOVEYOU" just delete it.) We all know that every e-mail message that promises money, sex, or weight loss is bogus. But when you see "ILOVEYOU," won't millions of people think, Maybe it's that old high-school crush finally come to his/her senses. Or maybe it's from that cutie in Accounts Receivable.
I'm going to take you up on your offer to put politics aside (always a good offer when you live in Washington). I wanted to mention a story in the Times today, one of those science stories that makes you wonder--Is this the moment of the first real breakthrough, or is this just another promising avenue that turns into a dead end? It's about a recent study that has discovered that in a small group of teen-agers with either autism or retardation, almost all of them had abnormally high levels of four brain chemicals at birth. (There is a program in California that for 20 years has been keeping blood samples for later analysis from 14 percent of babies born there.) Autism is one of those devastating diseases for which there is neither a known cause nor a completely effective treatment. Its incidence has been rising in recent years, and people wonder if that's simply due to better diagnosis or to an actual increase. Because the disease generally isn't diagnosed until about age 3, there are many parents who believe that their children's autism is triggered by childhood vaccinations. If this study turns out to be right, it will show that autism, or the propensity toward it, is present at birth, and it will open up all sorts of avenues for early diagnosis and possible treatment.
Eddie, before we close, you wanted us to talk about something that really matters, and I found it in a story today in the Washington Post's zoned section, the "District Weekly." It's about a young woman at American University who wanted to build something useful as a tribute to her father who died a year ago in a construction accident. She decided to put up a playground on an abandoned lot in one of the poorest parts of Washington. She managed to negotiate the district's bureaucracy (a task that has brought generals to their knees); raise more than $50,000 from individuals, foundations, and corporations; and get 400 volunteers to build a first-class playground. The young woman's name is Kim Williams, she is 21 years old, and she matters.
Eddie, thanks for the exchange. Let me know about the cockfight--I'll leave my PETA chicken suit at home that evening.
Yours,
Emily
on the Fray
Is the Democrats' Health Care Fight a "Prisoner's Dilemma" or a "Battle of the Sexes"?
Sorry, the Iranian Regime Isn't Going To Collapse Anytime Soon
How Vegetative Patients Really Communicate With the Scientists Who Scan Their Brains
The Minstrel Origins of the Phrase "Who Dat?"
Why We Shouldn't Bother Cleaning Up the Great Pacific Garbage Patch
No Director Has Done More With Rubble Than Roberto Rossellini
Reader Response from The Fray--to be read after the final entry:
Not only should Bobo the Clown be drafted to moderate the Presidential debates [Thursday's entry], but he should chair every Congressional Committee, be given Joe Lockhart's job, and he should anchor the news on all networks.
--Will Allen
(To reply, click here.)
I know it's all the rage now to demonstrate your liberal bona fides by trashing the Confederate flag in South Carolina or Confederate History Month in Virginia, but Eddie's little diatribe against Governor Gilmore and Richmond, Virginia takes the cake [Tuesday]. I see that he has joined some of those he criticizes in hijacking history, ascribing his beliefs to be in the great tradition of Robert E. Lee.
The natural progression of not honoring Confederate History Month is to begin to impede or discourage tourists who want to visit Civil War sites or Confederate museums and cemeteries, as these people must be misguided at best or racist yahoos at worst. I'm sure that Virginians of all ethnicities who work in tourism-related businesses appreciate all the controversy and would rather not have Civil War tourists staying in hotels, eating at restaurants, or buying souvenirs. And, correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Virginia elect the one and only black governor ever to serve in the 50 states?
If you could find 50 people in Virginia who knew about the Confederate History Month proclamation before this contretemps, I would be shocked.
--Will
(To reply, click here.)
(5/4)
Slate should call this "Whenever You Can Make It To The Table" instead of the "Breakfast Table".
--NT
[See timing of Monday's posts. Matters seemed to improve during the week.]
(To reply, click here.)
So there could be genetically-engineered giant animals [Monday's entry]--but what about when politicians start splicing their genes? Imagine the havoc a 50-foot George Bush would do to the environment--dangerous. Or the monotone bellow of a 100-foot-tall Gore. O the horror.
--Chris
(To reply, click here.)
I have engineered four-legged chickens because my family likes fried chicken legs. We are as of this date unsure of the palatability of these fowl because now we can't catch them.
--eieio
(To reply, click here.)
Today Pharm Animals--Tomorrow Your Mom!
--Seeking Justice
(To reply, click here.)
[This was the title of the post. There was quite a lot more, but this seemed to hit the spot.]
Actually, if the knife that George Harrison was stabbed with had been about a half-inch to the left, he would have died instantly [Monday]. Only those with no knowledge or understanding of violence (which in this post-draft era means basically all of the chattering classes) think that knives are inherently less lethal than guns.
--Tench Coxe
(To reply, click here.)
Re: the possible break-up of Microsoft:
Oh Emily,
Some of us relate:
Poor Bill's the guy everyone loves to hate.
But fear not for your beloved Slate
Just follow His lead,
simply innovate.
--Ann
(To reply, click here.)
(5/2)