Letters: Needless worries over coalition talks

I don't know why the whole country is so worried waiting for the outcome of these coalition talks. In the Netherlands it took over 100 days, in Belgium it took over a year. Nobody panicked and "things" kept ticking as per usual, no problem. Surely there are better things to worry about.

HARRY BRASSER
Rotorua

Importance of harmony

First of all I have to congratulate Tommy on a well written article which hit the nail on the head (Daily Post, October 11). I too went to school in Taneatua (Ruatoki's closest town). I don't remember Tame Iti but I do remember heaps of kids from Ruatoki who couldn't speak English coming to school and everyone got along fine. It would have put more strain on the teachers I guess but that was in the day when people didn't complain or strike - hard work got you through. Everybody was treated the same - you put a foot out of line and you got the strap.

What I'm trying to say is we are all Kiwis. We should all try and get along for the harmony of society and the greater good of our country and never, never judge a book by its cover.

GAVIN MUIR
Rotorua

We are all mutants

The very clever and incredibly popular TV series X-Men is an accurate description of our plight: we are all mutants. Each person inherits several hundred damaging, hereditary mutations from their parents. They in turn add their own batch of hereditary mutations, which they pass on.

Where X-Men goes wrong is in portraying the mutations as giving enhancements. In reality, genetic studies reveal that no extra features are added by mutations: all that happens is that existing features get damaged. As Kondrashov, the genetic specialist, says "Why aren't we dead 100 times over?"

Are there super-powers, though? That would be a spiritual question.

GJ PHILIP
Rotorua