WE LIKE MEAT

Huzzah to you for returning my beloved comic "Red Meat" to the front of your publication. "Red Meat" reminds readers of what a comic strip is: a short joke played across three panels. "Red Meat" knows its audience as well as its purpose. It gives us truly dark humor that is actually both dark and humorous.
Jeff Novak, Tampa

AGE DISCRIMINATION

I'm so sorry that you entirely missed the beauty and creativeness that the Hat Trick Theatre brought to the performance of Waiting for Godot ("{a href="http://www.weeklyplanet.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A104057">Not Worth the Waiting," by Mark Leib, Sept. 6-12). Jon, Paul, Jack and Kevin did a great job in this production. They all worked so well with what they have, considering their lack of stage room. Through the duration of the play I felt connected with these characters, and I was entranced by their performance. As for the ages of the characters, when has that ever mattered when it comes to acting? Celebrities are always playing someone older or younger than they really are; that shouldn't even be a factor in your review. These men do a marvelous job of making you believe they are as old as they say.
Anonymous, Via website

NO, REALLY, IT'S THAT BAD

I am writing in response to the misleading article on foie gras ("Foie Gras or Faux Pas?" by Brian Ries, Sept. 6-12), in which the cruelty inflicted upon the birds is minimized and secondary to Mr. Ries' search for a meal he feels he's worthy of. Mr. Ries makes the ridiculous assertion that some of the ducks "may want to be force-fed" while others find it merely "uncomfortable." The truth is that a recent investigation into the two leading producers of foie gras found the ducks crammed into filthy, feces-laden cages. Barrels were filled with ducks who had choked to death or whose organs had been ruptured during the forced feeding. Yes, dead ducks. Fifteen ducks were rescued, including two that were being eaten alive by rats. Mr. Ries may continue his quest for the perfect appetizer; hopefully an enlightened public will reject such abject cruelty.
Joseph Patner, St. Pete Beach

WINE LOVERS UNITE!

I read your columns very often and find your candor and occasional rant to be not only quite entertaining, but also a blessed variance in the world of wine writers (Corkscrew, "Wine Typecasting," by Taylor Eason, Sept. 6-12). Your jaunts into each stereotypical segment's attitudes when interacting with wine were so close to some of my own previous comments that I felt like I was reading an article I had written myself. I fall perfectly into the category of Wine Enthusiast, a term I use every single day to explain my fervor for devouring all things wine. Your blatant ousting of the Satisfied Sippers was just downright hilarious. One thing that really caught my attention was the fact that you dropped the occasional profanity. I considered it to be an excellent way to give a black eye to the stuffy/placid/repetitive nature exuded by other wine writers. Many thanks to you, Taylor, for such an interesting article and one that was filled with a degree of candor that is rarely seen.
J.C. Milam, Vice President of World Wineries Inc.

F-THAT

How about hiring a more creative columnist than Hollis Gillespie? In nearly every column she feels the need to write "fuck you." Does she constantly have to include those words because that's the way she actually speaks? If so, she sounds like some young kid who just learned a swear word and needs to say it all the time. Or does Hollis actually think that an alternative newspaper needs a "fuck you" in every column just to be on the edge, interesting, different from the mainstream papers? Someone needs to remind her that quality, not quantity, is important. Truth be told, her columns are banal and she couldn't paint a picture with words if her life depended on it. What a waste of space in an otherwise interesting newspaper.
Bob Saronson, Via e-mail

This article appears in Sep 20-26, 2006.