The easy way out: Thanks to Michael Roberts for "Death Wish," his Message in the March 31 issue. I hate almost every take on Hunter Thompson's death that I've read. He's no hero for his final act. This was one last pimp -- only to the whole world. I loved the Good Doctor, but the truth is that most of what he did was done with little regard for how it would affect others. His death is the best example of that.
I hate how the media glorifies suicide for celebrities and glosses over it otherwise. I feel that it's one of the hardest ways to lose a person, if not the hardest. You can't blame the cancer, the drunk driver or heart attack. You can't say "It was God's will." You have to blame the person who takes his own life, and you get to feel that way for the rest of your life.
Dying's easy; not dying is the hard part.
Erin Murphy
Denver
Lore bore: In "Death Wish," Michael Roberts says it all for me. I'm old enough to have endured decades of Hunter S. Thompson's ceaselessly recounted lore and hagiography. Granted, he had a knack for self-promotion and one interesting book, Hell's Angels, to his name. The rest of it I just never got. Thanks for reassuring me that I'm not alone on this.
Dan Njegomir
via the Internet
Butt seriously: Kity Ironton's "A Real Drag," in the March 31 issue, is a great piece. It's funny and true, as it points out the pain of quitting. Tell Kenny Be that Worst-Case Scenario is great, too.
Brandon Lavato
via the Internet
Misery loves company: As a smoker who is also trying to quit, I have to tell you that "A Real Drag" was very funny. Thank you for sharing it.
Judy Snow
Denver
A slap at CSAP: I agree with Adam Cayton-Holland's critique of the CSAP program (What's So Funny, March 17), but he gave young people bad advice when he suggested that they jump through hoops and be true to their school. It is defeatist attitudes like that that have gotten us into our current mess. Would Adam have said the same thing to black students about their segregated schools in the Jim Crow South?
Teachers are made to feel isolated and afraid by the politically motivated, culturally biased, educationally destructive monster that is CSAP, so you can imagine its effect on students, especially the large majority who do not test well.
Tim Babbidge
Aurora
Strike while the irony is hot: Just wanted to say thanks for Kenny Be's Worst-Case Scenario in the March 10 issue, "Favorite Filmstrips of the Denver Public Schools." Too bad it is too true, and the ones who suffer are our students and us, the teachers. Stay tuned for the next filmstrip: "Denver Teachers Strike for Respect."
Barbara Jones
Denver
Is everybody happy? Every year. How do you do it, every single year? The annual Best of Denver issue gives me enough different things, places and food to try for at least the next year, so thanks for all your hard work putting out the Best Of.
It seems like every year that goes by, Westword gains more notoriety, with people who have gained mention in the Best Of issue bragging more loudly than ever before. (Including the mention -- with pride -- of having the newscaster with the Best Hair. That's kind of sad.) One thing I would like to see, if possible, would be a Best Happy Hour -- Food/Drink/Entertainment category. It's not like you have anything on your plate already, so I'm sure you can find the time to squeeze it in.
Someone over there is going to hate me for adding another category to next year's issue...
Seth Fraser
Denver
The bust of Denver: For Best TV Sportscaster, why doesn't anyone in Colorado recognize the genius that is Lionel Bienvenu? Drew Soicher sucks! Thanks for another totally irrelevant Best of Denver.
Alex Boian
via the Internet
The old ball game: "Drew...he's got balls." That's because he's a... (rhymes with 'shtick').
Soicher was run out of the CBS affiliate in San Francisco over his self-aggrandizing antics. Isn't that so "Denver," picking up and celebrating someone else's castaways and second-stringers? KUSA doesn't have a weekday sportscaster. They have a guy who uses sports to talk about himself.
Even if we do watch KUSA at the top of the hour, we switch to KCNC at the 10:20 break before being exposed to the mugging Soicher.
Phil Waters
Evergreen
Ward of the state: I thought Westword was putting out the Best of Denver, not the Best of the Middle East. What was Mark Schneider talking about in his letter last week? Ward Churchill is about the worst thing to happen to Colorado (with the University of Colorado football-recruiting scandal coming in a close second), so I appreciated the idea of him being the Best Candidate to Replace Gary Barnett.
I love the Best of Denver! People who don't like it should just ignore that issue.
Heather Miller
Denver
Hard work: Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jason Sheehan, for your honest and often brutal reviews of restaurants. Far too many people in Denver still seem to think it's 1982, when no one had ever heard of Denver, let alone the food. Far too many restaurants in this town think they can throw some crap on a plate and charge $20 for it and we'll be grateful. Thank you for making it so much harder for them.
Kristin Kelly
via the Internet
Spam on wry: As a Honolulu native, when I saw the words "spam musubi," I knew that Jason Sheehan was for me. An L&L opening in the Denver area -- that's the best news I've heard all year! My favorites: shrimp curry, an authentic fast-food saimin and, at the top, the ever-popular chicken katsu.
Jason Sheehan, you're my hero.
Robin Klevansky
Denver
