He's oppressing the needy: Regarding the "Let's Party" item in March 17's Tailpipe column: It's not surprising that the federal government sprang the specific plans for the Organization of American States meeting here on the city manager at the last minute.
The city shouldn't allow the federal government to treat it in such a way and should not even have agreed to host the OAS meeting in June in the first place. No one should support the hypocrisy of an organization that, on the one hand, is mandated to protect human rights and to promote sustainable development but, on the other hand, pushes the proposed FTAA agenda that will allow multinational corporations to nullify state and federal labor and environmental laws in North and South America.
The FTAA and other "free trade" deals will hurt many local economies and the environment, and hence no local governments should support them -- or the hypocritical OAS, which has sold out to them.
Ann Solero
Fort Lauderdale
Jose Lambiet Has Him Down
He's oppressing the working press: As to Mr. [Jose] Lambiet's criticism of the old [British] reporters' "doing journalism from barstools and being lazy," this upstart has no contemporary, firsthand knowledge of our profession or how "barstool journalism" works ("Elvis Lives!" Trevor Aaronson, March 10).
Whilst we, indeed, parked our arses in some of the best gin joints in the most exotic locations in all the world, the purpose of said visits was not to get pissed but to get the competition -- or the quarry -- pissed. Too much alcohol takes the polish off furniture -- and people!
I wonder: Could Mr. Lambiet have kept up with us, spending a 14-hour day in Little Italy chasing a story, getting to the hotel exhausted at 2 a.m., only to be awakened by a call at 3 a.m., then heading bleary-eyed back to Mulberry Street by 4 a.m. to meet a contact? Interview until dawn, race back to the hotel, write the story, get the film processed, printed, captioned, and couriered to the paper by deadline? Lazy? What bloody cheek!
Mr. Lambiet speaks with contempt, as have other new kids on the block, of a golden tabloid era he could only but dream of having been part of.
Slainte!
Jim Leggett
"Ace Tabloid Photographer"
Via the Internet
Karma Live!
This letter is in response to Courtney Hambright's March 3 Night Court column, "Karma Is Dead." While Hambright wrote a good article, the information was incorrect. Karma is not closed. The club has changed management. The old staff may not have known what was going on. The fact is, we are open Friday and Saturday nights. This week, we'll have a party atmosphere with DJ Z on Friday and DJ Confusion on Saturday.
We're planning events at the club for every weekend. And we are seeking any promoters who have worked here in the past. It's a great venue. Please come down, enjoy it, and have a good time.
David Gaudiana
General Manager, Karma Lounge
Fort Lauderdale
Dem Liberals Have Her Down
Creationists, Unite! If creationists get their way, we'll have to stop teaching that nothing created something. No longer will we be able to say that nonliving chemicals "miraculously," oops, I mean "spontaneously" generated life. Forget that, in spite of natural law (entropy), simple chemicals developed mind-bogglingly complex genetic codes all by nothing more than time and chance ("The Fish Walks," Tailpipe, March 3).
How dare they demand logic and reason be brought into it! I hate to point out to Amir Valliani that John Scopes, the teacher in the Scopes Monkey Trial, was hired and compensated by the American Civil Liberties Union with the intent of challenging the "anti-evolution" law. He was not prosecuted, only asked not to do it. Besides, as is usually the case, the evolutionists lost on scientific grounds but won the media circus.
Maybe someday the horses' tailpipes that teach this stuff will evolve into people who let the evidence guide the theory and not the other way around. Though I doubt it.
Robyn Stuart
Hallandale Beach
The Post Has Randy Down
Find mentors for the boys, fer crissakes: A few weeks ago, I happened upon your hot-off-the-press February 24 issue. What an uplifting and fortuitous experience.
Here's the context: The Palm Beach Post's Accent section queried readers about Laura Bush's 2005 campaign to help America's Youth. Dead center in the first lady's crosshairs: the evil that is boys. While preparing a response to the Post, it helped in no small measure to have Deirdra Funcheon's clear voice and coverage of Todd Goldman's "Boys Are Stupid" artist profile ("Don't Throw Rocks at Him," Night & Day).
I sent the Post a copy of Funcheon's story with my letter, which I'm afraid must have "blown too hot" across the well-coifed staff writers and their print advertisers here on South Florida's East Coast. In fact, they told me that it was "too edgy" and that I should find a more "suitable publisher."
Randy Eady
Boca Raton
Whatchamacallit
The names we give our members: Courtney Hambright's February 24 column, "Body Language," was brilliant -- and well worth reading, sharing, and discussing. I'm 52 years old, a father of two kids in college, and I passed along your article to them. Thank you for a great article!
Pete Silver
Hollywood
