Can't help ourselves — things happen: Is New Times branching into the pimping business, as it flaunts a provocatively attired, heathen bimbo, on the front cover ("The Night Rider," Marya Summers, February 16)? This violates the tenets of the Holy Bible, as to how God/Jesus desires women to dress and behave. A photo such as this is as bad as an X-rated photo, to true Jews, true Christians, and true Moslems. Nonetheless, may the good Lord bless all the staff at New Times, in the most holy and the most almighty name of Jesus. Hallelujah and shalom.
Gary DeSarro
West Palm Beach
Our Own La-La-Land
Wake up and stop painting the roses: You have signaled a new era in Hollywood politics... the one that will evolve as residents who once voted blindly for Mara and the real-estate Mafia begin seeing the vulture-like edifices rise on Hollywood Boulevard, Federal Highway, A1A, Dixie Highway, and 441, crowding the sidewalks and the senses ("Access Hollywood," Trevor Aaronson, February 16).
Redevelopment, yes... Those who wanted the city cleaned up and who voted on a redevelopment platform were swayed to the "Mara Hari Beat," but what is happening now? Redevelopment, or over-the-top overdevelopment, with huge incentives that would choke a rhino? With a very iffy contract, are the police going to the polls to try to convince voters to choose the same old decoy-duck politicos for the millionth time?
Even having city officials ignore street crime is not working too well anymore. Citizens are speaking out and insisting that the "Historic Drug District" in Liberia, Highland Gardens, and Prostituteville on U.S. 1 be shut down.
You and even the daily papers are pointing to what can't be sugarcoated for all time. There is an old saying, "You can't make cream cheese out of s—-," and the next election should be a pictorial representation of a toilet bowl that says "FLUSH!"
Asa Boynton
Hollywood
Blue Nose Walking
The long reach of the rules: It is a shame that St. Thomas Aquinas High School felt the need to be involved ("Stop the Internets!," Bob Norman, February 16). At the beginning of the school year, another student was harassed and her car was vandalized, and it was all written about on MySpace.com, but the school did not take action like it did with these students.
I guess it was because the boys were athletes and the girls were cheerleaders, all from well-to-do families. Unfortunately, the schools can govern everything that the students do, even in their private lives, because the conduct rules that children and parents both sign give the school the right to govern the student when it wants. Unfortunately, it doesn't do the same for itself and its staff!
Patti Vivacue
Hollywood
Punk Clowns
Got any cartoons you want to show us? I read Jason Budjinski's NOFX article with interest ("Media Hijackers," February 16). Particularly how "Fat" Mike Burkett is going to "piss off a lot of Christians." He's really gutsy — the Christians are going to just be annoyed, pissed off, and turn the other cheek.
Let's see if he's got some real balls and tells us how he is going to piss off some Muslims. But, of course, they aren't at all like Christians. They behead people, burn cars, have riots, etc. If he had the guts to say anything about this, he would get his ass severely kicked. But it's a lot easier to be a rebel when you're picking on people who you know won't fight back much.
Greg Roth
City withheld by request
It's the Puppy Mills, Stupid
Never buy from a pet store: You really need to find out about puppy mills. This is where all pet stores and online dog sellers obtain their dogs — because they are cheap to purchase ("Puppy Love?," Julia Reischel, January 26).
No reputable breeder would ever sell through a pet store or online website. Breeders want to meet new owners and help them choose the right, healthy pup. It is important to get a referral to a reputable breeder through a breed club or breed rescue group. Puppy-mill puppies are sick, genetically defective, and raised in cruel conditions.
Many thousands of people get suckered every year by these commercial breeding factories.
Jess Kramer
Miami
Nice Article, Bro
No love for the tree trimmer: Awesome article! I think you hit the nail on the head with Bro-Man ("Bros and Cons," Bob Norman, February 9). The tree trimmer has become a very inconsiderate neighbor, parking his trucks on the right of way, blocking our narrow roads, yelling at moms dropping kids at the bus stop near his drive, telling BSO sergeants to go away through his gate speaker, and provoking dead-end investigations into long-term resident backfill wetlands, which used county resources (BSO helicopters) to do aerial surveys. Not well-received by many.
Thanks for exposing the inner purity of the Bro-Man.
Ron Faberman
Parkland
The trimmer could use Bob's edge: Everyone loved "Bros and Cons." Bob Norman's writing has such a fun edge — the stuff he writes about everyone's hopeless and pathetic antics is not only incisive; it's entertaining.
Sara Goodman Lapidus
Parkland
Give Bob a badge: With "Bros and Cons," Bob Norman nails another one. Any chance you could give him a leave of absence from the paper so he could run for state attorney? Someone needs to put a stop to all of this garbage!
Ralph Boyd
Margate
