Letters for March 20-26, 2008

Waive the Waiver

How that fresh lemon scent could turn you off: That was a great piece on Maroone and Auto Nation ("They Can't Be Beat," Bob Norman, March 13). I was surprised the cases made it to court. The last few cars I have purchased have been at various Maroone dealers, and they always try to get you to sign a document waiving your rights and agreeing to use an arbitration service to mediate disputes. The last car I purchased was last month, and the salesman was quite thrown off course when I refused to sign it. He actually had to call his manager and find out what to do. They ended up writing the word "Declined" in my signature area.

John Wood

Lantana

The Right Stuff

If only you'd mention us, we could really get upset: I am shocked and dismayed by "The Muscle Men" by Michael Mooney (March 13). We have been loyal advertisers in New Times for three years. We have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars advertising our services in your paper to build a successful brand name for our clinic. In one article, you have completely destroyed the brand we have built. The article you published was so one-sided and has completely mischaracterized the nature of our business. We were not even contacted by the reporter to show the other side of the story.

I do agree that there have been rogue companies that have been marketing HGH and testosterone to athletes and ball players. We do not agree with the business practices of these companies and believe these companies should be closed down if they are distributing steroids and other hormones illegally to people who do not need them. However, your article implies that all companies that are operating in South Florida operate in the same illegal and unethical manner. This could not be further from the truth. In addition, you characterize testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH) as not having any medical benefits and is only prescribed by rejuvenation clinics for the purposes of muscle building and athletic performance. However, there is another side of the industry that is not even mentioned in the article.

Our clinic, AAG Health & Wellness, only prescribes testosterone and growth hormone to patients with hormonal deficiencies. We do not prescribe to people under 35, people with optimal hormonal level, people without symptoms, athletes, or body-builders. All of our patients are required to have a physical exam, detailed lab work, and detailed body composition and bone density testing to ensure the patient is a suitable candidate that is indeed suffering from testosterone or growth hormone deficiencies. Our physicians are not afraid to reject a patient if he is not a suitable candidate. All of our patients are required to have follow-up lab work. Everything we do is legal and ethical.

Mark White, AAG Health & Wellness

Aventura

Editor's Note: White and his firm were never mentioned in the article. No one accused AAG of illegally marketing hormone to athletes, and the article does not say that all companies do so.

Man-Child Comes Alive

Catchiness is the easy part: Excellent writing ("Man-Child in the Promised Land," Jonathan Cunningham, March 6). I had never really thought about Sean Kingston other than how catchy his "Beautiful Girls" song was and how young he is. You've opened my eyes to the life behind the music. Interesting. Good work.

Dorrian McGhee

Detroit

The singer behind the song: I was just browsing around online newspapers and came upon this article. It was very entertaining. This piece really captures Sean Kingston's journey to stardom. Your references to his upbringing are very well-written and prove to be poignant flashbacks in the story. Your perspective is impressive as well. I appreciated your honestly when you describe Sean's attitude toward money now that he has it. It was brave of you to write about his moments of naiveté and his mother's struggles with the law. Thanks for providing insight into a culture, a people, and an artist that I otherwise would know very little about.

Risa Mickens

Taylor, Arizona

Woodstock Revered

Some of those chicks actually shaved daily: Who is this Bill Frogameni guy and whence his anal fixation ("Go Ahead: Try the Brown Acid," Calendar, March 6)? And why do your editors let him get away spouting ignorant and factually inaccurate clichés about the '60s: "unwashed masses of smelly dudes and hirsute chicks...the soap-and-razor-averse hippie nation." Is that what passes for wit at New Times? I know your calendar listings aren't the highest priority (or at least, based on Frogameni's "Woodstock" item, they aren't), but surely you can do better than that. And just for the record, he's wrong about the music, too. It doesn't hold up all that well.

Steve Ellman

West Palm Beach

Naked Guys, Boo Hoo