"Get Real," Joe Tone, October 15
I'll bet you're sorry that you put Bachelor Mark Huebner on last week's cover when you could have held out for Richard Heene, the swingin' star of Wife Swap and Hey, Honey, I Floated the Kid. Who needs reality TV when you have reality? Or at least what passes for it in Colorado.
Joe Randall
Denver
Wow, this is one of the worst examples of media sellouts in history. You put that douchebag on the cover just 'cuz he brought you shitty pizza? Anyone who has ever spoken with this guy would know he belongs on reality TV. His penchant for scarves and hair gel runs deep.
Gary from Denver
Posted at westword.com
Where is Rachel Plencner (from Big Brother 6) on this list? I've never even heard of some of these people, but Rachel was part of the most popular season of Big Brother and one of the most popular alliances in reality TV history (the Sovereign 6). Her competitiveness and good nature definitely gave Colorado something to be proud of. It was her and her partner's (Howie Gordon) votes that tipped the scale to the winner that season, so she definitely deserves a place on your list...and in the Top 5, no less.
Deb from Dallas
Posted at westword.com
"Ice Capades," Jonathan Shikes, October 8
I had the privilege of supporting the USAP at the South Pole Station this past summer season; I was employed as a contract network engineer for Raytheon. I was originally signed to a one-year contract for the South Pole, but had to leave after the summer season because of a medical issue. It was a great experience to be a part of that program, and the people that I met at both McMurdo and the Pole are some of the finest I have known. Although I regret not being able to complete my winter-over contract with Erin and the rest of the "Polies" I left behind, in retrospect I think a year in such isolation might have been a bit too ambitious for my first tour.
As far as Raytheon goes, other than having my winter contract terminated suddenly, overall I felt I was treated fairly. I worked in the IT department, consider myself a liberal, and can't recall any policies that I would consider over-restrictive. I think that sometimes you have staff that are not used to working for such a big company, and they find the politics, impersonality and administrative overhead that come with working for a company like that to be intimidating. In any event, I suspect that many of the decisions that impact day-to-day lives at the stations are probably more a function of the station commander than corporate policy.
Funny story: I'm on one of the last planes out of the South Pole. Normally, you fly straight from the South Pole to Christchurch, New Zealand, in the same day...but one of the C-17s had a mechanical problem and we had to spend the night at McMurdo. It just so happens that it was during a time that the station was "dry" (i.e,, no alcohol sales) due to a logistics ship that was in port for a few weeks. Apparently, this is normal practice for McMurdo, so everyone there stocks up before the dry spell. Unfortunately for those of us in transit from the pole, we were unprepared. So there you have it: I couldn't even celebrate the end of my tour with a beer! Luckily, we were out of there the next day. Just as well...the beer in Christchurch tasted much better.
P.S.: The bingo games at the Pole were epic!
Claude Clegg
Boulder
Your article on the bloggers is nothing new. Raytheon has a history of banning or censoring things they deem offensive or inappropriate in the workplace. But the Ice is not a traditional workplace, and management and HR have never learned to recognize that or deal effectively with it. Before I left for the Ice, I was told that once you cross the 60th parallel, all morality goes out the window — and you know, that is what makes it fun. We work ten-hour days with one day off a week. So people party hard to let off steam.
In the winter season of 2001, I decided to bring The Vagina Monologues down to the Ice. I had read online that it was a hit play and that they allowed groups to do it for charity. So I got the rights to put on the play and paid a minimal fee to produce it. I send out an e-mail to the women of McMurdo, falsely thinking that they all have vaginas — and got called to HR. Apparently someone was offended by my use of the word "vagina"; they considered it a dirty word and it was sexually harassing them. I was told we could not perform the play on the premises, nor could we say the word "vagina." I did not ask about "penis," but who knows about that one? The play went on at Scott Base, the Kiwi base, and since Raytheon lost face, they allowed it to take place in the library for one weekend only. We raised over $2,000 for orphans in New Zealand.
I am an HR director now, and I would never have handled the situation the way they handled it. I think I would have pulled in the offended party to have an adult conversation, because it really turned the tide and created an us vs. them atmosphere.
Jen Shaw
Denver
"Pit Bullies," Jared Jacang Maher, October 15
After reading this article, I can only remark to not only the Denver community but the country as a whole that this breed of dog, no matter what percentage of its bloodline is found to have pit bull traits or characteristics, should be put down. Anyone who believes the pit bull should be spared has never witnessed firsthand the destruction that this breed has done to other dogs and even people. There is no place for these animals in our society.
Just ask yourself a question: "Would you trust your child alone around a pit bull?" There is a reason the law was written, presented and passed. I will continue to report all sightings of dogs that resemble a pit bull to the authorities until such time as there are no more to contend with. It is not the fault of the inspectors that they are using their trained judgment to enforce the removal of dogs that fall within the "pit bull" criteria. Give them more training if that is what it takes, but continue to remove this breed from our communities.
David Blanchard
Denver
Great job!! For all of us who are against breed bans, this article was great to help our cause. A city near mine is trying to pass such a ban, and I will be sending them this. Keep up the good work!
Lena Schultz
Marysville, Washington
I hope your article makes a difference in Denver. I would consider living there if I weren't the proud owner of Patty, a pit bull. I got her when she was rescued as a puppy from South Central Los Angeles; she was found in a dumpster. She is now ten years old, and I have never had a finer or more fun pet. I will always get pit bulls and will recommend them to anyone who loves dogs. I'm constantly meeting people in Boulder who feel the same way that I do.
To have a ban on a breed is not unlike saying black people are lazy...it is flagrant and outrageous discrimination. My dog is the best friend a man could have. She is gentle and well raised, and I take credit for that. Of course an animal can be trained and abused; so can people. You report that labs are high on bite lists, and the point is obvious: If you abuse your animals, any animal can become hostile and aggressive. If you chain up your dogs and don't exercise them and you abuse them, they of course can become angry. So a breed ban is the completely wrong approach. The right approach is to target the owners. If they raise an aggressive dog, they are the ones who should be fined and prosecuted.
Back to Patty, who looks a lot like the cute pup on your cover. Patty is an ambassador for people in Boulder to see what a sweet animal she is. She loves to hike and get exercised and is a perfect personal trainer for me. She is affectionate and sensitive. So when I see this kind of discrimination, I empathize with minorities in this country, because it is so unfair and unenlightened. Denver should be ashamed for banning these fine and family-perfect animals. Turn the issue around and target the owners, and teach people how to maintain their pet — that is the course to take. If people can't see this, I "pitty" Denver. Funny how this hysteria doesn't fly in Boulder, just thirty miles north. Sounds like Denver prefers to stay in an antediluvian state with guys like Charlie Brown leading the way and carrying the banner of hate and ignorance.
Bob Carmichael
Boulder
