It’s time to look at listener mail
TEXT OF LETTERS SEGMENT
KAI RYSSDAL: The first listener letter of 2008 comes from physician Dan Johnson in San Diego. He thought our commentary on the high cost of treating chronic diseases put the blame in the wrong place. Dr. Johnson says people rely too heavily on specialists and not enough on the family doctor.
Dan Johnson: As long as insurance payers and the federal government continue to reward specialists for procedures and interventions and forget about a preventative medicine, our country will continue to play catch-up when it comes to health-care spending.
Another commentary, this time about immigration, irritated more than a couple of you. Christine Widgren was one of many listeners who felt that we left out a very important word when characterizing the nation’s attitude toward immigrants.
Christine Widgren: I know of no voters or politicians who have opinions or positions against “immigrants.” There are citizens and politicians who are against immigrants who entered the U.S. ILLEGALLY. There is a big, big difference.
Our piece yesterday about gadgets for your car got one listener thinking. Michael Pettengill is that listener. He lives in Merrimack, N.H.
Michael Pettengill: I have to ask: Is anyone looking at cars that get me around without me having to buy gas or spend a lot of money just to travel a dozen miles every once in a while? Should I be looking to Google or Microsoft or Apple for my next transportation vehicle?
Every once in a while we get something flat wrong on this program. Bill Jetchick wrote to say an interview last week about the proliferation of college football bowl games left a couple of wrong impressions.
Bill Jetchick: The first one was that teams with a losing record qualified for bowl games. That is not true, although it it is true that a couple teams had a losing record overall after losing their bowl game.
Case in point, Colorado was 6-6 before its appearance in the Independence Bowl. It ended up with a losing record after it lost there to Alabama.
One other thing I ought to mention about that interview. Intercollegiate women’s tiddlywinks don’t exist, of course. It was a joke. It was a joke that didn’t work. But, it was a joke.
And finally, for those who somehow missed it when it aired last month. …
KAI ROCK STAR: I’m a cowboy. On a steel horse ride. I’m wanted. … Dead or alive.
That was me trying and failing at the video game “Rock Band.” A lot of people wrote in to say they enjoyed the piece. And I thank them for that. Every single one of ’em, though, agreed I ought to keep my day job.
If you want to critique me or something else you hear on the program, write to us. Our website is marketplace.org. Click on the link that says Contact.
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