Readers this week defended pot growers, railed against Radiohead and asked where they could buy Truck Titz (Wayne Garcia's idea, and it's so crazy it just might work). We're also running another kind of reader contribution this week: the first winning photo from our website's Flickr-powered YouShoot feature. We've been asking shooters to submit their best Tampa-bay related photography to our Flickr page; when we see one we really like, we pay for it and run it in the print edition as our YouShoot shot of the week. Tom Sabo, the first winner, sent us the evocative Ybor scene at right. For more information, click on CLFlickr on our home page or go to flickr.com/groups/creativeloafing.tampa.
And one more photo-related note: Elsewhere in this issue, I give a nod to our photographer Marina Williams for her intrepid Summer Guide shots. At right is a shot of Marina in action, shooting cover mermaid Stayce McConnell at Weeki Wachee Springs in a photo by the Springs' John Athanason.
Re "The Bipartisan Guide to Ridiculous Legislation," by Alex Pickett, April 30: You failed to mention in the article that Sen. (R) Carey Baker is an owner of a gun shop in Eustis. Wouldn't it be a bit more beneficial to the citizens of Florida if he would get rid of his gun shop rather than devoting his time and energy to ridding the pick-'em ups of "dangling participles"? After all, guns kill — Truck Nutz don't!
Where can we purchase the Truck Titz? My little Honda Del Sol sports car would really look cute with a pair of these on the front — she'd be another Dolly Parton! Yee Haw.
Judie Carbaugh
Re "Hail to the chiefs (Radiohead leads the way)," by Wade Tatangelo, April 30: I can't believe you put "listenability" and "Radiohead" in the same article. I'd go on here, but instead I'll just include a link to the best article ever written about Radiohead: somethingawful.com/d/your-band-sucks/radiohead-sucks.php. But hey, if you're into albums full of whiny duets with R2-D2, I guess Radiohead is pretty rad.
David Jenkins
Re "The 25 most important rock bands to debut in the last 20 years," by Wade Tatangelo, April 30: You have lost your bloody mind!!! You forgot Kyuss and/ or Queens of the Stone Age. … Stoner rock is the only redeeming music since the grunge days, not to mention Fu Manchu or even Nebula. I know music and am kind to those who are new or floundering for influence. Alice in Chains, Monster Magnet, I could go on. … Just give them honorable mention at least, pretty please!
N Radley
Re "Spring Hill's pot crop," by Alex Pickett, April 16: This prohibition is ethically wrong. The state and federal authorities are trumping our rights as human beings in lieu of their version of law. Most growers are kind respectable people that make easy non-violent targets. This is a cash cow for the police agencies. Why not target the multinational drug companies like Purdue Pharma who manufacture Oxycontin. They are the real scourge of our society not farmers. This is a plant. God created it. Abuse of it is not good, but is it dangerous?? Lets take out the drug companies and the impotent politicians who do their bidding. Prohibition reform is a must. Are we not collectively coming into a new era of consciousness, or are we to return to the archaic puritan values of a minority. Stand up for your rights as a human! Speak your voice to these cowards in congress!
Dan
CORRECTION
In last week's cover story "Nutz 2 U," our satirical "Republican" memo may have left the impression that Pinellas County Commissioner Calvin Harris is a Republican. He is a Democrat.
This article appears in May 7-13, 2008.