Letters
The New Male Obsession
"I wish men could step back from their testosterone-steeped minds and see themselves as handicapped, not enabled, by this hormone." JULIE FITZ Auburn Hills, Mich.
Your report on testosterone and its increased use revealed a depressing situation in America [HEALTH, April 24]. Men are striving for physical perfection but doing little about the degradation of basic moral values in society. Gun violence is becoming a regular occurrence. There are more pressing issues than trying to satisfy a man's insatiable ego by using testosterone gel. ROEL CONRAD E. JAMIS Cagayan de Oro City, the Philippines
My libido and energy level bottomed out a few years ago. I felt I was getting old fast at the still somewhat young age of 53. Now, thankfully, my doctor has me on a 150-mg shot of testosterone every two weeks. After more than a year of this regimen, I feel much more energetic and look great. I highly recommend T replacement for any male who would like to remain in vigorous health as opposed to enduring a long slow decline from his 50s on. PHIL MATHEWS San Francisco
At last! What women have known for years is public knowledge--men are just as insecure about and obsessed with their body image as women are accused of being. That's what I call progress! ALLISON STANDISH Austin, Texas
Your cover story contained an error regarding the dosage of Unimed Pharmaceuticals' AndroGel testosterone ointment. The approved use of AndroGel is for application once a day, not several times a day. Overuse of any testosterone product can result in levels of testosterone well above the upper-normal range that provide no known benefit and may increase the risk of side effects. Your report also stated that the daily dose of the gel could provide 10 mg to 40 mg of testosterone. In fact, a single dose of AndroGel delivers between 5 mg and 10 mg of the hormone, depending on the amount prescribed. Men who have normal levels of testosterone should not use any testosterone product. It is a powerful hormone whose usage requires the supervision of a physician. And finally, AndroGel should not be used by women. ROBERT E. DUDLEY PRESIDENT AND CEO Unimed Pharmaceuticals Inc. Deerfield, Ill.
One of the most serious consequences of testosterone-hormone use in men is sterility, because the production of testosterone and sperm in the testicles is inhibited. Therefore many men who take anabolic steroids are infertile. For adolescent boys or adult men with conditions that require testosterone, it is advised to supplement the hormone with a second treatment, one that stimulates sperm production. SARAH K. GIRARDI, M.D. New York City
I have experienced neither the highs of aggression nor the lows of depression that you reported as being so common with testosterone-hormone therapy. But there is one depressing fact: I now pay $149 for the same amount of product that four years ago cost me $22. SANFORD I. GOSSMAN San Rafael, Calif.
Yeah, right. More testosterone. Just what the world needs! TOM M. GEORGES Boulder, Colo.
The Testosteroni Man
After reading Joel Stein's account of finding out his testosterone level [VIEWPOINT, April 24], I was convinced that his editors at TIME should give him a raise, no matter what his T level is. This was the most intelligent satirical piece I've ever read in TIME. Stein's suggestion that he would enjoy getting his dose of testosterone as pasta with a light sauce known as "testosteroni" was hilarious. DON PERRYMAN Roswell, Ga.
I have enjoyed Stein's outspoken articles on various topics. The one on testosterone, however, was unnecessarily crass and offensive. I implore the editors to keep such unwanted immorality out of your otherwise fantastic magazine. If Stein's articles had some purpose, I might overlook his failings. But as they are intended only for humor, their value is completely negated by the frequent references to sex and pornography. ANGELIQUE MOSES Searcy, Ark.
I finally got to see what Stein looks like. Zowie! Now I'm in love not only with the writer but also with his bod! LORI INDOVINA VALUS McHenry, Ill.
Save the Planet
Congratulations on your issue covering Earth Day 2000 and the celebration of the 30th anniversary of this event [SPECIAL EDITION, April-May]. As a marine biologist, I am gravely concerned about the delicate balance of the aquatic ecosystem and how it will be affected by global warming. I was appalled, however, by the choice of Leonardo DiCaprio to write about global warming. DiCaprio has adopted a facade of "caring" about the environment, but ethically he had no problem starring in a movie like The Beach, for which the production team altered the beach in one of Thailand's most cherished natural parks. Do I smell free publicity here or what? HAYDEN DE GRAAF Phuket, Thailand
Your special issue should have relied more on the numerous well-documented scientific studies that support the conclusions you reached in your articles. Marxists have found a successful way to preach their gospel: using lies (which they think nobody can prove false) to make the masses afraid. But those who care about the environment have proof in scientific studies to substantiate important information about it. We need to bring it to the attention of those who have the power to change the course of disastrous political decisions. JOHANNES W. BLOEMENDAL Abcoude, the Netherlands
The environmental problems afflicting the earth will not be solved until people in the mainstream adjust their behavior so that they live in harmony with nature. But environmentalists also need to adapt to a new reality and join in a search for workable solutions rather than acting like prophets crying in the wilderness. The best solutions can be found in compromise. In the quest to attain sustainable global development, the middle way must be sought--and sought urgently. RAYMOND M. KEOGH Bray, Ireland
Zimbabwe's Cheerless Future
Nothing about Zimbabwe's president, Robert Mugabe [NOTEBOOK, May 1], has changed in more than 20 years. He is a barbaric tyrant who has been aided and abetted by the international community. Had the Ian Smith regime of the '60s and '70s prevailed, Zimbabwe would now be well down the democratic road to equitable land distribution as well as peace and harmony--not to mention economic stability. Britain, in particular, has a lot to answer for, especially the lives of the white farmers (and their loyal black workers) who are being sacrificed on the altar of political expedience. DAVID J. PARSLEY Johannesburg
In Defense of Greenspan
You published letters that criticized Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan's recent actions and their effect on the stock market [LETTERS, April 3], but many people have not considered Greenspan's uncanny ability to see into the future. When his actions impact the dollar, critics say nothing, but when they affect markets around the world, then all of a sudden people are full of ideas about how things should be handled. Bashing Greenspan is not productive; why not be patient? Deep down, we know that he sees the whole picture and that he won't let us down. JAMES FOX Dundalk, Ireland
The Pace of Globalization
The common goal of the new radicals who gathered to protest policies of the World Bank and the IMF [WORLD, April 24] was best defined by George Soros in The Crisis of Global Capitalism. He theorizes that organizations like the WTO, the IMF and the World Bank are trying to engineer a world that will be based on market values, whereas we antiglobalists want a different world, one based on community values. The well-being of people should take precedence over the well-being of corporations. JIM GEIWITZ Victoria, B.C.
Your report on the "new radicals" who demonstrated in Washington opened my mind to the issue of globalization. Isn't it ironic how we fear globalization and yet support the growth of the Internet, which is resulting in the oneness of the human race? Globalization involves big responsibilities. Our world is becoming a smaller place in which to live, and we must keep our minds open to change while maintaining our heritage and culture. Globalization will eventually come, and there's no way to stop it. We have to prepare ourselves now or be left behind. MARY ABIGAIL C. TANBONLIONG Pasig City, the Philippines
Americans, after enjoying a decade of prosperity with low rates of inflation and seeing a historically low rate of unemployment (4.1%), seem to be confused. The U.S. achievements are largely the result of a heightened pace of globalization that comes from high technology and the Internet. Having accomplished so much in such a short time, Americans do not seem to know where to go. There appears to be an identity crisis. Materialism can't satiate all human desires. PRABHAT KUMAR New Delhi
The IMF Around the Globe
Your story on the involvement of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Tanzania incorrectly suggested that IMF advice destroys social safety nets [WORLD, April 24]. For more than a decade, social spending has increased faster in poor countries with IMF programs than in those without; so has economic growth.
In Tanzania, school enrollment, far from falling a third since 1993, has changed little. And the inflow of new aid, which far exceeds external debt service, is helping Tanzania boost its spending on essential social services. You asserted that the poor in Tanzania and in Africa generally were "hammered" by poor policy advice from the IMF. Not so. The reforms of recent years are helping farmers to sell their crops again, schools to have proper textbooks and hospitals to have the drugs they need.
Another of your stories, "Seattle Sequel" [BUSINESS, April 17], incorrectly stated that Angola has $12.2 billion in "IMF debt service." Angola has never borrowed from the IMF and hence owes nothing. The other three countries cited with "IMF debt service" of $54 billion--Vietnam, Sudan and the Ivory Coast--in fact owe the fund a total of $2.5 billion. THOMAS C. DAWSON Director, External Relations International Monetary Fund Washington
The piece on the IMF and Tanzania was terrific. It provided a clear and balanced view that can help citizens understand the reality behind the slogans. Unless the IMF gives up its strategy of trying to help the poor by first investing in the rich, a few tweaks of its policies here and there will not change much. As you say, the poor are "structurally adjusted half to death." DALE LINDSEY Cleveland, Ohio
A Question of Humiliation
In the report on the newly released trove of documents about the Vietnam War [HISTORY, April 24], I'm not sure which of President Gerald Ford's "humiliations" bothered me the most--his comment that "no one knows more than I how humiliating it was...[to] watch our troops get kicked out of Vietnam" or his reference to the "military humiliation" there. Notwithstanding the end result of the Vietnam conflict, the U.S. troops' clear domination of nearly every fire fight makes it hard to consider this a military humiliation. Vietnam was a political and domestic failure. The true humiliation? Well, that was saved for our troops when they got back home. TOM THORSTAD Madison, Wis.
The Lessons of Columbine
In response to your question "can we prevent another Columbine?" [EDUCATION, April 24], the answer is most assuredly no--not with our present philosophy. If a person really wants to kill another human being, it is going to happen; there is no way to stop a desperate person. We can pass no laws to prevent this. We're trying to remove a splinter by cutting the whole finger off. MICHAEL YERKE Houghton, Mich.
Your article included a list of traits that may help identify a kid at risk of committing violence. One trait was "tends to dislike popular students or those who bully others." What kind of message does that send? The lessons of Columbine still haven't been learned if greater tolerance for individuality isn't encouraged. We need to get at the root causes of anger and face the basic problems instead of treating the symptoms. RON SIRULL Pompano Beach, Fla.
As an eighth-grader, I have a strong opinion about the efforts to stop school violence. The safety and lockdown measures being taken in public schools are absurd and infringe on a student's already limited privacy. As for the "warning signs," isn't it a clear indication of danger when someone states that he has plans to kill another student? The profiling system, Mosaic, could forever cast an eight-year-old as a troublemaker, even if his crime were only drawing an armed stick figure. Friends would stay away from him, crippling any social life he might have. What a system. DAVID SEAMAN, age 14 Crownsville, Md.
How to Help Rwandans
Thank you for your coverage of the infant-mortality rate and death of new mothers in Rwanda and for bringing to the world's attention--again--the terrible problems that still exist in parts of Africa [WORLD, April 17]. We are glad to learn how to respond to the International Rescue Committee and Netaid project, but please publish an address for those of us who don't have computers or don't want to use our credit card on the Internet. ANNE E. CORLEY Bristol, Va.
Donations for Rwandan relief can be sent to the International Rescue Committee at P.O. Box 98152, Dept. TM, Washington, DC 20090-8152.