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Each year, my wife and I rent a traditionally styled narrow boat for a week or two. We travel across the lovely British countryside at 4 m.p.h., taking in the scenery, mooring nightly at a pub, conversing with the locals, soaking up the history of the country. Then I too can say, like Dr. Johnson, "Life has not many things better than this."
KEN GRACE
Innisfil, Ont.

Things Are Fine in Fargo

Your story about the pressures on major airlines to change the way they operate [BUSINESS, Aug. 26] included a reference implying that the Fargo, N.D., airport could be facing cutbacks in service. That is not the case. Fargo is one of the few cities that have experienced an increase in capacity since Sept. 11. We are fortunate to have air carriers that are expanding their service to meet the demand of the traveling public.
SHAWN A. DOBBERSTEIN
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
HECTOR INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Fargo, N.D.

Abduction Stories

Walter Kirn made an extremely important point in his commentary "Invasion of the Baby Snatchers" [VIEWPOINT, Aug. 26]. While it is urgent to have a nationwide alert system for missing or abducted children, we also need to raise awareness about those overlooked children who need love, guidance and security. Couples should strongly consider adoption instead of spending thousands of dollars for fertility treatments. SCOTT O'CONNOR Las Vegas

I applaud the attention being given to child abductions. It is high time that we are outraged by these crimes and take steps to stop them. This problem is real, no matter how few children are involved. The many children on public assistance or otherwise "lost" is a different issue. To suggest that kidnappings are getting too much of the attention does not help and, worse, it could lessen chances that law enforcement, communities and the media will use every resource available to find abducted children.
LAURA KOTZ
Greensboro, N.C.

Not Fit for Man nor Beast

Thank you for having the guts to show pictures of the lethal poison-gas experiment that may have been carried out on a puppy by al-Qaeda, even if people don't like seeing them [NOTEBOOK, Aug. 26]. I encourage you to expand your coverage of vivisection; there are countless animal experiments as horrific as the ones you showed. More people should know that this is going on.
PATRICIA PANITZ
Centerville, Mass.

Was it necessary to show the pictures of the dying puppy? The written description provided was graphic enough without the accompanying photos. In fact, the first line of the article states that "the footage is sickening to watch." So why subject your readers to the photos from this video tape? It was truly upsetting.
EILEEN ROGERS
Lewiston, N.Y.

Women Catching Waves

I really enjoyed your story on women's surfing and the new movie Blue Crush [SPORT, Aug. 26] but was disappointed by the comments of Sam George, editor of Surfer magazine, who said, "Surfing is the ultimate male club" and "Men don't want to see women in the water." Maybe the men of the previous generation of surfers didn't want to have to share the waves with women, but it seems to me the boys of today do. They have grown up surfing next to their sisters, female classmates and girlfriends. Men and women are once again happily surfing side by side, as they did in ancient Polynesia, where surfing began.
LISA ROSELLI
Cape May, N.J.