I thought the point of your article was fair (“When the Cure is Worse than the Disease,” Apr. 20, 2006). If consumers demand that a product be changed so as to be more reassuring to them the free market should respond in kind. It’s ironic that regulation would be necessary for this to happen especially after your use of The Journal of American Physicians as a reference.
The Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons is the official journal of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, which is not a medical or science research organization but is a political advocacy group made up of doctors and lawyers and other free market limited government advocates.
Strange then that we should use your article as information to organize others to then require our state to regulate the vaccines that they purchase for public health programs based partially on data offered by a Libertarian organization that would really prefer that regulation and public health programs didn’t exist in the first place.
I realize you reference many other reputable associations but the use of a JofAPS as a reference clouds the inferences you offer up during other parts of your story.
-Darrel Smith, Kihei
HARPING ABOUT HARPER
Seriously. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, but I hope to God that lame interview with Ben Harper was NOT the interview of her life (“Ben Harper: The interview of my life,” Apr. 13, 2006). That was an amazing opportunity, and it was unfortunately squandered.
I picked up Maui Time today, anticipating something great—a Maui Time exclusive interview with my favorite musician and the heroine HoloHolo Girl! I prepared to get psyched for the concert next week. I hoped I would learn something new about Ben Harper, or the Kokua Fest and I was sadly disappointed on all fronts.
I was also bummed by the Elvis Costello non-interview a few weeks ago. If you continue to publish crappy “interviews” like that, publicists will stop returning your phone calls. I usually love your paper, and I am underwhelmed by the standards you are setting these days. Ask some interesting questions, get some interesting answers, remember what they were, and then PUBLISH it—I’m begging you!
-Vanessa and Sam Ghantous,
via email
I really enjoyed your article about Ben Harper. I hope you were able to go to the Kokua Festival yesterday. I’m sure it was great. I recently met Ben in Jacksonville, Florida after his show. Leading up to meeting him, I saw the first-graders at my child’s school singing “With My Own Two Hands.” He is my favorite musician and I thought he should see it. It was filmed and I acquired a copy.
Anyway, he found out about it from a radio station and he called me. I related to how you felt in every way. Unfortunately, I was not expecting his call and I was not home. So, he left a nice message (which is forever saved). I got to give him the DVD in Florida and he is very polite and engaging. But, like you describe it was overwhelming and I was more star-struck than I had anticipated. So, your words were a welcome relief to me because I was absolutely blank. I could not even come with one good thing to talk about. I do pray that I can meet him again soon and be better prepared.
-Laura Bay, Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
CORRECTION
In the Apr. 27, 2006 story “AWay of Life,”we should have noted that Conscious Healing member Curtis Piligrin was the one who recorded the Divers soundtrack.
Comments
comments