Taboo Subject
Re: "Swing Shift" by John F. Sugg
(July 5-11)
I am little concerned how the fight against Club Taboo was portrayed in your recent article. First of all there are some errors in your article. Nebraska Avenue is easily a residential neighborhood, where 300 feet behind every seedy motel and used car dealership is a middle class house. The police are definitely making an impact on the hookers and pimps who, according to your article, plague the area. I am a neighbor to the Club Taboo.
The fact is that Club Taboo is an adult business operating in a residential area. Whether or not it operates out in the open, people do pay money to Club Taboo to engage in adult activity. So who cares? Does this really affect anyone? These people are discreet. Unfortunately this affects us directly; the people of these neighborhoods have been feeling this plight for years. Land is cheap and some what disorganized zoning-wise, so we have the people who want to make money by offering adult services under the guise of legitimate commercial businesses. When is someone going to stick up for the middle class people of Seminole Heights? We have the right to create a neighborhood friendly to children. Why is it OK to lie and bend the law for the people who have more money to use our neighborhood for profit? We are a street of families. I thought the Weekly Planet represents the grass roots movement to rejuvenate neighborhoods.
I must agree there was excess force by Tampa police, but when the people of Club Taboo deny any adult activity is going on in the house, I would imagine you need proof to dispute those allegations.
Toni Willis
Seminole Heights
Tampa
The Mean, The Bad and The Poorly Endowed
Re: "Scary White Guys" by Don Hazen (June 28-July 4)
Don Hazen's profile of the morally messy little mob manning Washington these days was right on the money. This crew scares the bejesus out of me, and I am doubly scared since some of the white jackasses who voted them in still have not figured out what is going on. On a more positive note, a few are gradually catching on and rethinking their politics.
Presently, the strongest hope for humanity and restoring decent values to our society lies with newspapers like yours that come out fearlessly and tell the truth. Seeing the sad state of America's government in black and white may provoke enough thought to eventually bring about change.
Unfortunately, the power vultures are working fast and eating us up rapidly — feeding funds to their corporate friends while raping our schools and social services programs. Men devoid of morals promised a naive public to restore them, but that was just talk. These people do not give one shit who has an abortion, but they do care who pays for it. OK, Christian Right, what do you think now?
For the rest of us who do know it is important to keep speaking out, to join liberal groups that care about human life (living life, not the unborn fetus nonsense Bush spouts), and to keep pushing. These guys have to be voted out.
Adele Ida Walter
Tampa
………
Sure M&M's a lowlife. But Roger "The Rocket" Clemens? He's probably the best pitcher the last 20 years along with Greg Maddux. He's on the verge of winning. Who cares what he does off the field? I pay to see him blow hitters away in between the lines. I don't have to live with him. Shit, if I had his money I'd have a mansion and a yacht. And a perpetual babefest 24/7. There wouldn't be time to settle down.
The fact that he's married and his wife supports him, totally, says something about him. Being a Mets fan, as well, I thought Mike Piazza woosed out during the World Series. He should've retaliated. Why do you think the Yankees won? Because, Clemens pumped up those "Damn Yankees" from Da Bronx (my hometown).
Scott Sillen
Via e-mail
………
There is an explanation to why scary guys are the way they are: penis size.
Scary white guys have small penises. This fact makes them very hostile toward other men, especially Hispanic- and African-American men, who we all know are of larger endowment than your average white guy, scary or not, as well as gay men (a study last year showed that on average gay men have larger penises than heterosexual men). A study not covered by the heterosexual media (look it up if you don't believe me) but that is another story. They are also hostile to women because they fear that even women might have more balls than they do. Their tireless search for power, money and control is a smokescreen for their real problem; they have little or no self-esteem; they feel inadequate because of their little peepees, hence the need to prove their worth by amassing money and power.
So next time you see Dick Greco pushing poor black families out of the city, or Tumble-Bush attacking the environment, and most of all Cheney, who I believe to have the smallest wiggler in America, espousing the benefits of fossil fuels, don't hate them; feel sorry for them, for they have little hoses.
Carlos Milan
Via e-mail
I'm glad to see that you recognized that L. Ron Hubbard is a prominent local guy. As you so rightly put it, "Scientology has been a boon to Clearwater," and as the founder of the worldwide religion that now calls 10,000 contributing Tampa Bay residents its adherents, I would say he is a significant local boy.
L. Ron Hubbard may seem pretty scary to the established status quo who try to mold society as they see fit and make sure individuals stay in their groove and don't change. Based on the truths he codified, Scientologists have been strong enough to buck powerful, corrupt monopolies. And a win for us has been and is a win for every single free being.
It is because of our stand for true, free-thinking principles that the St. Pete Times was none too pleased when, after a 40-year unprecedented battle, the IRS recognized the Church's charitable status and eligibility for tax exemption. On the other hand, the people who really care about Clearwater and the future have become our best friends. L. Ron Hubbard is scary to the drug dealer because we can undo the damage caused by drugs and he is scary to the masters of psychiatry and psychology, who would foist on society all the unworkable claptrap that leads to illiteracy, criminality and war. It was L. Ron Hubbard who said, "True sanity is that condition wherein one is sufficiently intelligent to solve his problems without physical violence or destroying other beings and yet survive happily."
We are free-thinking people, thanks to L. Ron Hubbard.
Pat Harney
Public Affairs Director
Church of Scientology
Too Cool for You
Re: "Spins" Radiohead/Amnesiac review (June 28-July 4)
I am writing this letter in response to Eric Snider's review of the latest Radiohead album, Amnesiac. At first, I was just a little put off by Mr. Snider's clear dismissal of and halfhearted listening to the disc. He couldn't even get the names of the tracks straight; "Crushed Tin Box" is not a song by itself. It is half of the lead track's title. "Pyramid Song" is wrongly named as being a "… cryptic robot vocal." The track in question is actually "Pulk/Pull Revolving Doors," which is also wrongly referred to in the review. As a fan of the band, I was compelled to defend the group that has inspired so many. Granted, Amnesiac is not as focused or as rock 'n' roll as OK Computer and The Bends, nor is it the jangly guitar-driven pop that was Pablo Honey. Amnesiac and Kid A are both fine pieces of art, at times engaging and/or ambient, evolutionary and beautiful. Mr. Snider is certainly entitled to his opinion; I just wish he had taken the time to form one.
Beyond being the scorned fan, there is in my opinion a greater problem here. This may be quite a jump to make, but hear me out.
I moved here last year from San Francisco and nearly put myself right back on the plane. Tampa Bay appeared to be a culturally disconnected city, and I was very disappointed (as are probably a great many people that have to live here). I was pleased to see the familiar tabloid format that is the Weekly Planet (now don't get puffed up; the Guardian you ain't). I was pleased to find Tampa Theatre. I was drawn to Ybor City's clubs and shops, however silly and wanna-be-Bourbon-Street they are, in search of culture. Bummer. There is very little going on in Tampa Bay.
I live in a city where the club owners won't support a new band if they don't cover Creed or have a DJ, a place that has few outlets for those that seek new and alternative sounds, sights and ideas. Or maybe it is thought that all those tattoo shops and nightclubs are the alternative. I couldn't disagree more. That stuff is shopping mall crap.
I see that Tampa Bay is growing little by little, and I do have a great deal of optimism about this beautiful part of the country. But today, I am just a little disheartened by the narrowness and conservative thinking (not to mention the worst drivers EVER).
So I guess, regardless of my opinion of the music, what bothers me most is that the latest record from a recently Grammy-nominated band was so quickly and curtly dismissed by a publication that models itself after the alternative papers that started in the real Bay area.
Come on, folks, if we are going to ever be the real deal, we're going to have to stop bouncing everybody at the gate that doesn't fit our mold. Didn't we learn that in grade school?
Jason Trunzo
St. Petersburg
CORRECTIONS
Black Out, a showcase of Bay area artists, is presented by Szilage Gallery at Covivant Gallery through July 29. The List contained a notice that implied the show was presented by Covivant. "Roll Playing," the Food review in our June 28-July 4 issue, of Samurai Blue Sushi and Sake Bar, contained the incorrect name of the studio responsible for the restaurant's graphics. It's Humouring the Fates at www.fates.com.
This article appears in Jul 18-24, 2001.