LETTERS IN THE EDITOR'S MAILBAG.Byline: The Register-Guard All Anna Nicole, all the time As all 6.5 billion of us know, Anna Nicole Smith is dead. As with the media coverage of Anna in life, I'm sure the media coverage for Anna in death will be a very big deal. After all, the media invented her and when such an invention finally morphs itself into oblivion, the expired product frequently morphs again as a pupa pupa (py  `pə), name for the third stage in the life of an insect that undergoes complete metamorphosis, i.e., develops from the egg through the larva and the pupa stages to the adult. with a time-stamp, the
expiration date Expiration DateThe day on which an options or futures contract is no longer valid and, therefore, ceases to exist. Notes: The expiration date for all listed stock options in the U.S. commanded only by the commercial potential. Think of Elvis. So we'll undoubtedly see more of Anna in the coming months than we saw while she breathlessly breathed. We'll watch her morph from pupa to larva larva, in zoology larva, independent, immature animal that undergoes a profound change, or metamorphosis, to assume the typical adult form. Larvae occur in almost all of the animal phyla; because most are tiny or microscopic, they are rarely seen. to blonde-bewigged chrysalis chrysalis (krĭs`əlĭs): see pupa. . She will crawl across our retinas whenever a news bite is needed somewhere between Geico or Ditech and the latest mayhem outside of the Green Zone. We'll hear warm encomiums for this drug-besotted creature by the cynical folks who created her. They'll sound sincere and look spectacular on camera. I wish I'd never heard of Anna Nicole Smith. Or Paris Hilton  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. .
Or Donald Trump. Or the other depressing media creatures who bump and
swarm about our psyches like a room full of buzzing mosquitoes. They are
newsworthy but never noteworthy. They offer nothing yet receive much.
Their existence belittles honest work and sincere endeavor. They are
marketing products forced upon us because our amoral a·mor·al adj. 1. Not admitting of moral distinctions or judgments; neither moral nor immoral. 2. Lacking moral sensibility; not caring about right and wrong. , capitalist machine is the dominant paradigm of our cynical culture. And we're now fighting a marketed war because of it. Rest in peace, Anna. I only wish it were true. TOM ERWIN (Entity Relationship for WINdows) A data modeling program for Windows from Computer Associates. It allows the database schemas to be built graphically and turns the graphs into the appropriate SQL code for creating PowerBuilder, DB2, Oracle, Sybase and other databases. Eugene Franklin needs an overpass It's time for the city of Eugene, working with the university and state, to build a pedestrian/bike crossing over Franklin Boulevard adjacent to the university campus. Increasing auto, truck and bus traffic is making surface crossing of this highway very unsafe. The four-plus traffic lanes and the new faster bus service makes it even more dangerous for the increasing pedestrian/bike traffic going to the university areas. This crossing is needed before another fatal accident happens on this important city boulevard. JOHN PORTER Eugene More data needed on Gardasil Will we repeat history? 1940 to 1971 - Diethylstilbestrol diethylstilbestrol: see DES. , or DES, was prescribed to women to prevent miscarriages. Some daughters of DES women had abnormally developed uteruses, vaginas and cervixes; they are also more susceptible to a rare vaginal and cervical cancer Cervical Cancer Definition Cervical cancer is a disease in which the cells of the cervix become abnormal and start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors. . 1970 - The Dalkon Shield Dalkon shield An IUD produced by AH Robins that was withdrawn from the market in 1974. See Pelvic inflammatory disease. Cf Copper-7, Intrauterine device. contraceptive device contraceptive device n. Any of various devices used to prevent pregnancy, including the diaphragm, condom, and intrauterine device. was known by the company to cause dangerous pelvic inflammatory disease pelvic inflammatory disease (PID), infection of the female reproductive organs, usually resulting from infection with the bacteria that cause chlamydia or gonorrhea. . Some 235,000 American women suffered injuries from the device; most injuries involved life-threatening pelvic infections. The Dalkon Shield caused more than 200 spontaneous septic abortions, and 33 women died of complications. 1992 - The drug Paxil is used to treat depression, bipolar disorder bipolar disorder, formerly manic-depressive disorder or manic-depression, severe mental disorder involving manic episodes that are usually accompanied by episodes of depression. and anxiety disorder anxiety disorder n. Any of various psychiatric disorders in which anxiety is either the primary disturbance or is the result of confronting a feared situation or object. . Two studies found that Paxil significantly increased the risk of heart defects in fetuses, a fact the company failed to uncover during testing. A lawsuit alleges Paxil was promoted for use by children and adolescents, while information about the medication's safety was concealed. 2007 - Gardasil is a new, unproven vaccine that is touted to prevent infection from the human papillomavirus human papillomavirus (HPV), any of a family of more than 60 viruses that cause various growths, including plantar warts and genital warts, a sexually transmitted disease. Detectable warts can be or removed, usually by chemicals, freezing, or laser, but often recur. sexually transmitted disease sexually transmitted disease (STD) or venereal disease, term for infections acquired mainly through sexual contact. Five diseases were traditionally known as venereal diseases: gonorrhea, syphilis, and the less common granuloma inguinale, . At a list price of $360 for each child, the government wants to test this new drug on our 11- and 12-year-old daughters. What will the unknown, unrecognized or concealed effects be? Cancer? Sterility? Birth defects birth defects, abnormalities in physical or mental structure or function that are present at birth. They range from minor to seriously deforming or life-threatening. A major defect of some type occurs in approximately 3% of all births. ? If there is one thing that pharmaceutical companies have taught us, it is that profits come before the safety and welfare of our children. TERRY JACOBS Eugene Zoning produced tax savings In the gun-to-the-head compensation vs. development Measure 37 decisions faced by cash-strapped governments, is the question of the very real tax savings that many of the parcels enjoyed for years addressed? Should not the benefitting landowners be responsible for the back taxes on their property as if they had always been zoned for development? KRIS MILLEGAN Springfield Bush policies mirror the Titanic There are a number of parallels between the actions of Capt. Edward John Smith of the Titanic and President George Walker Bush with respect to Iraq. For instance, Captain Smith refused to change course in spite of being told there were major ice fields in his path. Smith even went so far as to increase speed - urged on by White Star Line's managing director J. Bruce Ismay Joseph Bruce Ismay (December 12, 1862 – October 15, 1937) was a British businessman who served as Managing Director of the White Star Line of steamships. He travelled on (and survived) the doomed maiden voyage of his company's marquee ocean liner, the RMS Titanic. - even after being told of the ice fields. Furthermore, Smith was the sole decider for the ship and ignored the dangers facing him regardless of signals he was receiving from other ship captains. The crew of the Titanic was also ill equipped for the ice fields that fateful night because the lookouts in the crow's nest had no binoculars and the life boats were inadequate. History buffs to this day argue over whether Captain Smith lost his mind before the Titanic sank to the bottom of the Atlantic, leaving the passengers and crew to deal with the catastrophe. Let's just hope Iran isn't the next iceberg we hit. JOHN LAWRENCE Eugene Bush, Cheney false Republicans Real Republicans are pro-business and pragmatic, but we are not liars. Vice President Dick Cheney and President Bush are fake Republicans. They have been misusing the Republican Party for seven years now. The liars are now producing more lies and faked evidence to start yet another war, and they should be kicked out of the party. While everyone else is piddling around and watching the Republican Party go down the toilet, the Republicans of Eugene need to stand up and show the world that we have the backbone to do what is right. We need to write and distribute an e-mail newsletter disowning dis·own tr.v. dis·owned, dis·own·ing, dis·owns To refuse to acknowledge or accept as one's own; repudiate. Noun 1. Cheney and Bush. The rest of the country should follow our example so that we can elect a new Republican National Committee and it can elect a new chairman. When we do that, people will cheer. Then we can take back the House, take back the Senate and elect a real Republican president. DAN BRENNAN Eugene Piercy has bigger fish to fry Eugene Mayor Kitty Piercy's guest viewpoint, "Support same-sex marriage," on St. Valentine's Day St. Valentine’s Day (February 14) day of celebration of love. [Western Folklore: Leach, 1153] See : Love (Register-Guard, Feb. 14) suggests legislation in favor of same-sex unions is a step in the right direction, but only a step. Her ultimate goal would be gay marriage. While agreeing that civil unions seem a logical way to solve the gay relationship debate, and until the word "marriage" is universally recognized as meaning a union between whatever, one might wish our mayor could find solutions closer to making our downtown area vigorous again, our streets in better repair and our City Council less contentious. There are certainly plenty of voices speaking out about gay issues today but only one mayor of Eugene, Oregon, devoted to making the trains run on time. BERNIE CLARK Eugene Logging would help counties Almost every day, another article appears in the paper regarding the funding crisis that the counties will experience if the federal government does not renew county payments legislation. Has anyone thought about solving the funding crisis by allowing the harvest of our federal lands on a sustained-yield basis? This would produce income for our counties and schools, jobs for our communities and environmental benefits for our forests that are subject to catastrophic fire and insect infestation infestation /in·fes·ta·tion/ (-fes-ta´shun) parasitic attack or subsistence on the skin and/or its appendages, as by insects, mites, or ticks; sometimes used to denote parasitic invasion of the organs and tissues, as by helminths. . ROBYN L. BENNETT Eugene It's hard to find a hot meal "Hot plate Senora, careful, hot plate." How many times have I heard that when my Mexican dinner is being placed in front of me, steam rising? I have two words back: "Muchas gracias." This simple act is rarely matched. Chinese food holds a close second. Dining out is no longer a matter of convenience. To have someone else cook and place a plate of hot food in front of me that is full of flavor, fresh and carefully prepared, is a treat. So, why is it so hard to find? In the past year my husband and I have eaten out two dozen times at some of Eugene's elite restaurants. None have been able to deliver a hot, steaming plate of food. Some have been lukewarm but mostly cold. We always avoid peak hours; there are usually only two of us. We always politely ask the server to bring the food hot. Sending food back is a problem, it makes you feel embarrassed. They may have it merely re-heated in a microwave. Microwaves dry out meat and curdle cur·dle v. cur·dled, cur·dling, cur·dles v.intr. 1. a. To change into curd. See Synonyms at coagulate. b. sauces with cream or butter. If the food takes long to re-heat, then the other person has usually finished eating. WENDY COLE Eugene Police can be distracted, too Would the two new Senate bills that would ban the use of cell phones and other personal communication devices while operating a motor vehicle also apply to police officers who routinely read their computer call screens while driving? GENE WELCH Walterville U.S. quality of life is slipping Over the years, as a measure of how well our elected officials have protected the political and economic interests of the American people, the quality of life (standard of living) in the United States has been allowed to sink to 10th among the industrialized in·dus·tri·al·ize v. in·dus·tri·al·ized, in·dus·tri·al·iz·ing, in·dus·tri·al·iz·es v.tr. 1. To develop industry in (a country or society, for example). 2. countries of the world. This is according to a United Nations report released in January of 2006. Norway was credited with having the highest quality of life. PATRICK ATKINSON Eugene |
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