In this week's e-comments, readers suggested still more ways to go green; responded to Peter Meinke's "Poet's Notebook" on crime and punishment; sent a shout-out to the Tandoori Trailer; and continued the dialogue about art and art collecting triggered by Megan Voeller's piece on the Jeff Whipple museum in Ybor. And on tampacalling.com, the debates have already begun about Wade Tatangelo's list of the top 25 rock bands to debut in the last 20 years. (Look for the list on p. 53 of this week's issue.)
Re "100 ways to go green right now," April 19: Great piece, gang! I especially like # 40: "Annoy Rick Baker" [re] curbside recycling. All 100 are great ways to go forward in green, but don't forget cleaning up the mess humans have made for 100 years. … cleaning that up is green, too.
Kurt Z
Wow! Some really great ideas … and some very interesting too … #98: Don't have kids. Not quite sustainable … as there'd be nobody left within a pretty short time … but very low impact on the planet.
Another obvious one (from my perspective) relates to outdoor lighting. Have you looked for stars in the night sky lately? If you're like most Americans, you can't see more than a few dozen of the many thousands that should be visible because of light pollution. Light pollution is the excess and misdirected light that we send up into the night sky. This costs the U.S. over $10 billion annually. This is not the total cost of outdoor lighting. … just that portion of it that is so misdirected that it shines up at the space station. This consumes hundreds of millions of tons of coal. … produces large quantities of green house gas … and provides society with absolutely no value whatsoever. More information about light pollution can be found online at starrynightlights.com/lpIndex.html.
Anthony
Thank you for mentioning Eco-Libris on your list and for all the other great recommendations. I already saved it in my favorites!
Raz Godelnik, Eco-Libris
Re "The Whipple effect," by Megan Voeller (April 2): First, I would like to thank Megan Voeller for attempting and sometimes succeeding in bringing about a critical debate in this community. I do think looking at all the comments Jeff Whipple's new "museum " has sparked we are finally getting somewhere.
As a veteran art collector who has recently moved to the Bay Area I am quite surprised at the lack of critical thinking and the over-powering arrogant behavior of a large part of the community who pretend to support the arts but do not realize by just showing up for a party they are not supporting the creative thinker making the work or the space that is showing it. … I have also experienced that many of the artists in this community disregard the fact that there is a real art market (as in stock market) that has its rules and regulations, manners and specificities of existence. …
In regards to the Whipple Museum, my suggestion to Mr. Harvey's generosity would be for him to hire a curator for the space who could organize exhibitions of Bay area artists and national artists every six months so that there would be an active cultural center in Ybor. …
Please do not forget that critical space within an arts community is what makes it survive and thrive. If an artist, a curator or an institution is unable to hear criticism and have a healthy response to it, they need to be doing something else or not go public with their thinking.
Copper queen
Re "Poet's Notebook: Crime watch," by Peter Meinke (March 5): It is ironic, isn't it, that so many of our citizens are in jail for choosing to use substances declared forbidden by a government that so loudly espouses freedom? Egads. (What's more private than our own brain chemistry? How is this conceivably the government's business?) Such contradictions have been woven into the American fabric from the beginning: the genocide of the natives, slavery, the lack of women's rights, the establishment of state religion (our officials swearing in on the Bible, etc.) despite statements to the contrary in the First Amendment.
But things get better, don't they? It seems a glacial pace, but with any luck, and with folk like you, Peter, continuing to voice reason, in poetry and fiction and these online scribblings, surely eventually the humane strain of humanity will gain enough momentum and mass to rise above the Wolf and the Lion.
honestpoet
Re "The Tandoori Trailer," by Eric Snider, June '07 Food Issue: I am from South Africa and have enjoyed good Indian food (along with cricket) all my life growing up. Since coming to Tampa, we had been unable to find really great tasting Indian. Well, we tried the Tandoor Trailer last night and it was AMAZING!!! I am so excited as it is down the road from our home and I can't wait to try absolutely EVERYTHING.
Shona
Comment posted by Luc on tampacalling.com, re "Greatest rock band of past 20 years?": Green Day? RATM?! Weezer?!! Oasis?!!!!! You've got to be flipping kidding. This list stinks.
This article appears in Apr 30 – May 6, 2008.