Bad Jammer Man
Don't block the doc: Hooray for Jammer Man, until he jams a doctor's pager in a movie theater or absent-mindedly jams an important phone call, to enjoy his nonfat latte and John Grisham novel ("Jammer Man," Michael J. Mooney, January 17).
Name withheld by request
Via the internet
Mrs. Jammer Man should be worried: Now criminals can come into your house and rob you. Should you dial 911 while locked in your bathroom, never fear. Jammer Man will be there to ensure that help doesn't arrive, and you get raped and murdered. Not necessarily in that order either.
Name withheld by request
Via the internet
Race Is Not the Answer
Don't even talk about it: I'm glad you can take something as unifying as music and make it racist ("Who Will Save Your Soul?," Jonathan Cunningham, January 17). WTF, man! Why does music have to be black or white? Just the fact that you would label an artist or type of music as increasingly white totally denounces your credibility as a writer, musician, and as a tolerant human being. You seem to be close-minded and unable to open your ears. I could go on forever about how I love the fact that the internet seems to be made for egomaniacal assholes with some shit-hole opinion to post their ideas so that the average public (comfortable enough with itself and the world to be happy and not have to post some negative shit about someone else's creativity) can think that is the average opinion. You should be proud. You just wrote an article about how, as an artist, you want to do nothing but feed off someone else's creativity for the rest of your musical life. Be careful; if you come up with something new, creative, and most of all unique (like — dare I say? — Arcade Fire, whom I don't even really like, just respect). Someone else will make an article saying it is too black, too white, too Mexican, or too European. The truth of the matter is, you suck, and you are polluting a color-free, gender-free, universally communicative art form.
Andrew Williams
Huntsville, Alabama
Gay Playground
Install it and they will not come: Tailpipe was on the money, as usual, with regard to the mysterious appearance of all that playground equipment that appeared on a well-known gay beach in Fort Lauderdale ("Where the Kids Aren't," January 3). To me, it was obvious that the female bureaucrat was lying through her teeth when she told the 'Pipe she had "no idea" how or why that equipment showed up. The bullcrap response from Fort Lauderdale's gay-bashing Mayor Naugle was the key to it all: He believes that if he fills a gay beach with "family values" playground equipment, the families who come there to use it will chase the gays away. What a complete shmuck he has become over the past few years. And what a wrong-headed idea this is.
Harvey Slavin
Hollywood
Where the Sea Cows Are
They're West Coast dreamin', dude: I haven't spotted any sea cows around South Florida lately either ("See Cows?," Tailpipe, December 20) — but while attending a wedding in Captiva last week, I was delighted to watch half a dozen of them munching and frolicking around the small marina at the resort where we were staying.
Carrie Lear
Davie
Bitter Legacy
Sympathy for the family: I do feel for the parties who lost so many years of their lives in prison for one night of bad judgment ("Kick Stop," Amy Guthrie, December 13). However, there was no mention of the victim's family or their feelings and where they are today and how this incident has impacted their lives, etc. It is a fact that this group of friends that ran in Coral Springs in the early '90s was a "bad" element. It is also a fact that this young man could have driven away from what turned out to be, sadly, his demise.
As a reader, I want to know if anyone has learned anything from all of this. Have they changed the way they think or their lives? What has the Coral Springs Police Department done to ready for hate crimes? Would it once again botch it up as badly as it has been accused of? Do they now teach about racial fairness in schools in Coral Springs/Broward County?
Name withheld by request
Fort Lauderdale
Editor's note: New Times writer Amy Guthrie was unable to reach members of the Nguyen family, despite messages left with lawyers who have represented them and searches of national databases. Coral Springs police would not discuss the case.
Uncool to the Nth
Bridges that should not be crossed: I believe that both the student and the teacher should have known better ("High School Sexical," Deirdra Funcheon, December 6). A teacher is never supposed to break the barrier between teacher and student, regardless of love. Some accuse band members of being a cult as well. We share the feelings of appreciation and respect toward our band teacher, but not once has he driven a student home, invited a student to his house, hung out outside of school, or gone on any unsanctioned trips, especially without another adult present. The teacher can be a good friend and mentor to a student or students, but when either side makes strides to advance the neutral status of teacher/student, then all those involved are to blame.
I am outraged that we are continually being harassed and judged based on the mistakes and actions of a few people. That teacher was too close, regardless of how "cool" or "amazing" he was. The students should not have allowed outings and extra time spent with the teacher. That is why I believe both sides are at fault.
Name withheld by request
Boynton Beach
