Letters

Why don't they just cover the gals with Teflon? That way both the strippers and Commerce City can keep clean.

Roy Jones
Denver

I know Mary Wamsley personally, having worked with her for several years at the Lakewood Police Department. If she is as intolerant of sex-oriented businesses as she was of non-Christian religions, I'm not surprised at the reaction she's getting in Commerce City. She has always been a zealot and has consistently misrepresented factual information about certain non-Christian religions (Wicca), which she always characterized as "devil worship."

Although it happened years ago, I still remember the religious bigotry I had to deal with when she was on duty.

Bill Mattocks
via the Internet

True Blue
Obviously, a great deal in this life goes right over the head of one Bill Gallo, including a "thinking" computer's defeat of a brilliant human in a game of war ("Beating His Chess," May 22).

Even current computers can't be safely compared to mechanical devices, and Gallo should know that engineers are turning to the organic, especially the human brain, for inspiration in computer design. The implications stagger most imaginations. (Not Gallo's--whoosh!) Specifi-cally, we must ask what happens to computers if the next da Vinci works with artificial intelligence? In the general sense, we must admit that we can't diminish what computers can do. And, we must concede, someday Deep Blue will be considered primitive.

Mere circuitry will never possess immortal soul, but thinking and creativity require mind, not soul. (See much of modern art or the snide ranting of Bill Gallo's column for proof of the same.)

Finally, as Gary Kasparov suggested, for the purposes of competitive play, it doesn't matter if Deep Blue was genuinely thinking or not. The real issue is: Does it seem to us, in every way, to be "intelligent"? I believe Kasparov. I trust his intuition. In a practical sense, the goddamn thing is rational.

Mark Kolopajlo
Denver

Koby or Not Koby
Kenny Be's Worst-Case Scenario in the May 22 issue, "Koby Komix," was the funniest thing I've seen since Boulder's police chief shot himself in the foot.

When Koby is fired, maybe Boulder can get Kenny Be to do the job!
Alex Murphy
Boulder

Wow, all the new dung from the Ramsey case. Anyone notice how similar this is to the O.J. case? The Ramseys are so interested in finding the killer, we may soon see them on a golf course in Florida. Meanwhile, don't be surprised if Timothy McVeigh's lawyers cry that their client wasn't allowed the privilege of using the media to profess how much he loved the people of Oklahoma and how his only goal in life is to find the perpetrator. Yes--you, too, can make a killing in the golf-course business.

Cal Anton
Denver

Grease Trap
Listening to Procter & Gamble and Frito-Lay trade barbs with the CSPI about olestra (Stuart Steers's "The Big Queasy," May 15) is a lot like listening to the Democrats and Republicans lambaste each other: Most of what each one says about the other is absolutely correct. Obviously, they can't both possibly be right. But just as in partisan politics, what almost no one seems to consider is the third possibility: that they could both be wrong.

Patrick L. Lilly
Colorado Springs

Vocal Locals
With reference to Eric Dexheimer's "An Unholy Union," in the May 15 issue, it sounds like more of the dues-paying rank and file members of UFCW Local 7 need to go to their union meetings to ask questions and see for themselves how their local union is conducting business. Involvement and oversight by the membership will help to put UFCW Local 7 on a more professional, responsible and ethical track. Local 7's leadership apparently needs to be reminded that greed, sexual harassment and violence have absolutely no place in a workers' union--and that these are some of the very things that unions historically have fought against.

UFCW Local 7 rank and file members, it's time to take back your union!
Molly McClellan
Lakewood

What's the Rush?
I loved Michael Roberts's "To Rush or Not to Rush?" in the May 15 Westword! As an objective journalist, he didn't judge Rush for the reader, instead allowing Geddy Lee's comments to speak for Rush.

And Geddy is absolutely right: The people who truly follow the band come from so many different walks of life. I attended the show with a retired couple in their sixties!

Thanks again for publishing the interview with Geddy. I can't begin to tell you how much that band, their lyrics and music have affected my life and the way I live. Their music is my heartbeat.

W. David Epperson
via the Internet

I was extremely overjoyed to see an interview with Geddy Lee in Westword. In Roberts's article, the issue of understanding the music and direction of Rush came up--the point being that a great number of people have said over the years, and still say, that they just don't get this band and their message.

First of all, as a longtime fan from 1980 to the present, I say if you truly give the band's music and their many discs a chance, you quickly discover that they are a band of many messages. Their lyrical content has tackled challenging subject matter on every release. It's sort of a philosopher's band; however, don't sell them short, they are three of the most talented musicians on the face of Mother Earth.

A consequential point that may hinder your ability to grasp a band like Rush is the fact that it has always been closely related to the era that made it a household name. The early Eighties saw the birth of hard rock and heavy metal as an art form. Closely associated to that musical era, though, were numerous and now nameless hair bands that largely represented the musical direction of the Eighties. Hence, it became easy for music fans to regard Rush as just another hair band.

Yet if you are to truly understand them, you must first understand that this band understands a great deal about life: the absolute challenge of life, the absoluteness of change, the challenge of dealing with subject matter that is a challenge for modern society to deal with. In a sense, the music is a reflection of the overall general direction of humanity.

If you find the subject matter too challenging and you're not sure how to understand it, chances are you probably lack what it takes to understand it. That's okay, though, all you gotta do is listen to the music. It's a quick remedy as an ultra solution.

Chaz Mattson
via the Internet

Just saw Michael Roberts's "To Rush or Not to Rush?" It's good to see that he decided to give them another chance or another listen to see if anything persuaded him to like them. Heck, I wish it would have been me who would have been able to interview Geddy. In my mind, that would have been a real honor. Good job, and thanks for dropping my name.

John Castellano
Englewood

DJ Stands for Dumb Jerk
Regarding Michael Roberts's May 1 Feedback:
I can recall a time when I could turn my FM dial to 92X and enjoy alternative rock with quality DJs. But now our dials are on KBPI, and we have to tolerate juvenile phrases and remarks of sophomoric jerk DJs. I can no longer stand a four-hour shift of the Whipping Boy and count all the times he makes a reference to his penis. The scenario remains the same: Some ditsy bimbo calls to make a request, only to get verbally abused and humiliated. Even worse, this breed of "dis-jockeys" replays the phone call over the airwaves with infantile references to kinky sex and masturbation--so much that I think I've developed an eating disorder.

I believe that people want to hear music. And with that, an intellectual DJ with an interest in the artists and their work rather than everyone else's sex lives. While the KBPI staff mostly plays Green Day and Bush (oh, joy) on an hourly basis, they must play the artists like Tool. They freely joke about the song "Prison Sex," which has nothing to do with inmates dropping soap in the showers. No wonder Tool doesn't print lyrics; people just don't want to think.

Maybe Jacor thinks that this is the way alternative rock should be broadcast. That's fine--to them it all comes down to making money. But I think that the DJs on KBPI should take a little more responsibility and do their jobs on more of an informative basis, instead of priding themselves on how hung they are. Let's get some real DJs back on the radio. It's giving alternative rock a bad name.

Eric Ibelins
Denver

I've given up on listening to KBPI. Well, actually, I've given up on FM radio altogether for now; at least AM talk has different topics every day. Referring to Michael Roberts's April 24 "Future Shock" on the Orb (although I am not a big fan), the scariest thing about MTV and the majors getting ahold of electronic-based music (or is it "electronica," the hip buzzword I had never even heard of until a couple of months ago?) is that besides truly independent hardcore punk, dance music was one of the only other uninfiltrated genres left. And now MTV and big record companies will do the same with it as they have with many other meritorious genres through the years: just put it out on the streets, pimp it well through videos and magazines, whore it for all it's worth, beat the shit out of it, then dump it when it gets old and unattractive or unprofitable, whichever comes first.

What I mean by this is when they get done with a type of music, it does not get played anymore. And if it does, it is put into a category like "lost Eighties treasure chest" or "Huggy Bear's boogie-woogie Seventies disco dynamite hits" instead of just playing songs for what they are (or were)--good songs! But due to unimaginative radio, closed- and narrow-minded record companies, magazines and media in general, different types of valid music are never to be heard alongside each other. And most of the puppets who get their music and info about music from these cesspools of mediocrity don't even know that there is more out there than what's being presented to them--or is it fed to them?

DJ-OK
via the Internet

Who Do U2 Trust?
Michael Roberts's May 8 review of U2, "Flop Mart," was terrible. Maybe you should get someone who knows about music to review concerts. I sincerely hope that you continue to distribute this worthless piece of pulp for free, because no one with half a brain would read it.

Matt Bechak
via the Internet

Roberts captured my feelings about U2 exactly. As a longtime fan, I was heartbroken to have them sell out so obviously that I had to admit it (although secretly I knew they did ten years ago with Rattle and Hum). All I have now is Sonic Youth and Paul Westerberg.

Sean Kendall
via the Internet

Roberts's "review" of U2's PopMart tour totally disgusted me. Having been a fan of U2 for over ten years now (and a ticket-holder for the Tampa concert stop), I can honestly say that Roberts's views are in the minority--as I am sure you will find out. U2's uniqueness probably intimidates people like you. They are the biggest band in the world! Maybe Roberts should take the time to listen to their music once again with a bit more of an open mind. He'd be amazed at their intensity and their commitment to their work.

And as far as their concert goes, well, they are only giving the public what they want. Think about it.

Carolyn Regan
via the Internet

Lonesome for You
John Jesitus's "Just in Kase," in the April 24 issue, was a beautifully written piece on this marvelous guy. I have seen Lonesome Dan in the bars since January, and I could not have more respect for someone. He is a fabulous musician. It's good to see him get some recognition.

Phoebe Stevens
Denver

That Takes the Cake
I like to eat out once a month. I read Kyle Wagner's May 1 "A New Vintage," and based on her praise for crab cakes at Pinots, I gave the place a try.

Thank you, Kyle Wagner! The crab cakes are heavenly, food for the gods. Pinots and Starfish (another restaurant I discovered through Ms. Wagner's reviews) have the best crab cakes in town.

I can only occasionally treat myself to a restaurant, so I really appreciate Ms. Wagner's reviews. Thank you, Westword!

Peter Gross
Denver

I visited La Pasadita Inn on Kyle's recommendation ("A Fine Swine," May 8), and it was great. Good food and excellent prices. I think she needs to go back and try the flan; she could write a whole column just on that.

David Schuster
via the Internet

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