Letters for June 14, 2007

Check out her pupils

Re “Hiding out in Sacramento” by Sasha Abramsky (SN&R Feature Story, June 7):

This boomer thanks you for the nostalgic flashback on the “Summer of Love” cover. I appreciate most designer David Jayne’s attention to detail: The flower-child’s pupils are appropriately wide.

So I’m curious: Did she just have an eye exam, or is David a Photoshop whiz, or …?

John Kwasnik
Sacramento

Editor’s note: You have to look close to see the perforations, but here’s a hint: Don’t lick the cover!

Bravo, Jim!

Re “Longbored” by Jim Lane (SN&R Film, June 7):

I figure the only time people write to commend SN&R is when they agree with your writer’s position. I just want to express my appreciation for some good writing: To wit, your film critic Jim Lane: “If you want a good way to keep them all straight, think of it this way: March of the Penguins is the one that won Best Documentary Feature for 2005. Happy Feet is the one that won Best Animated Feature for 2006. And Surf’s Up is the one that isn’t likely to win anything.”

I have never met Lane. I could not pick him out of a police lineup unless they had him comment on movies he’s seen. Now, I would not even care if I were to see the movie and find I strongly disagreed with Lane. I would not write back to rebut his inaccuracy like some whining Letters to the Editor writer.

So, more of this please. Talent, I mean.

Kent Powell
Sacramento

Proud of mother

Re “Mother to us all” by Seth Sandronsky (SN&R News, May 31):

Kathryn Hall-Trujillo’s boundless love and compassion is too great to be confined just to Sacramento. While we were sad to see her move on, we are justifiably proud that she was one of us here in Sacramento.

Hopefully the work she is doing in Honduras will be a stepping stone to larger venues, such as the World Health Organization or the United Nations. Wherever she goes, she gives one of the greatest gifts you can give a community: the tools to help residents lift themselves up.

And a special thanks, too, to Tchaka Muhammad for this vision and generosity in helping Kathryn spread the good example of the Birthing Project beyond its beginnings here in Sacramento.

Mike Savino
Sacramento

He was itchy, hence the name

Re “Itchy Acres Road in Granite Bay” by Noel Neuberger (SN&R Lost|Found, May 31):

I saw the picture of our road sign in SN&R and thought readers might like a little history on the name: In 1969, my wife and I built our home in what was Loomis at that time. Douglas Boulevard was a two-lane road with sheep ranches on both sides from Highway 80 to Folsom Lake. There was only one stop sign.

We built our home on 10 acres, which was covered with scrub oak and poison oak. It seemed I was always itching during the time we were building, so when we went to the fire station to register a name for the road, “Itchy Acres” seemed appropriate.

Years later, we lost our Loomis address when we were annexed into Granite Bay, but “Itchy Acres Road” remains.

Theodore Mason
Granite Bay

Could it be … Satan?

Re “Bead by bead” by Becca Costello (SN&R Nothing Ever Happens, May 31):

Becca Costello’s column about the recitation of the Aquarian Rosary at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral was mind-boggling! Attendees repeated 50 times, “Hail Mary, Mother of Gods, nourish us with wisdom and inspire us with the experience of life and death. Amen”

Jesus said to pray only to God and not to say the same things over and over when we pray (Matthew 6:6-7). God does not hear prayers recited by some mystic chanting, but only those coming from the heart and mind of a sincere person who values truth (John 4:24).

The mother of Jesus was never called “Mother of Gods” by any Bible writer. They refer to her as the mother of “God’s son” (Luke 1:35).

The prayer asks Mary to “inspire us with the experience of life and death.” Why would anyone pray for inspiration with the experience of death, as though death is something desirable? The Bible doesn’t refer to death as something inspirational, but instead says death is an “enemy” (1 Corinthians 15:26). Since it also says “the dead are conscious of nothing at all” (Ecclesiastes 9:5-6), how can it be “experienced”?

Diane Church
Placerville

Kate’s very bad day

Re “Lone-star state” by Kate Washington (SN&R Dish, May 31):

I am writing about the review by Kate Washington in regards to Tex Wasabi’s. I feel she owes them an apology. I was shocked when I read it.

My husband and I have eaten there several times because the food was excellent. The waiter was very kind and efficient. Even the manager stopped by to see if we were happy.

We had the BBQ pork. It was tender and very tasty. The veggies were al dente and very tasty. The garlic French fries were the best in town. The dessert I had was peach cobbler—hot and delicious. All the food was very good. The coffee was excellent and the Jack Daniels was very well served.

I’ve lived in Sacramento more than 30 years and eaten in many nice places by choice. We plan to return to Tex Wasabi’s soon. We are in our late 70s and enjoy good food.

Washington’s report was very rude and in poor taste. Was she having a bad day?

Cathy Werner
Sacramento

Griffith’s not funny …

Re “Dixieland: Hey, it still sucks” by Jackson Griffith (SN&R Trust Your Ears, May 31):

I’ve just read the unfortunate piece by your reporter regarding the Sacramento Jazz Jubilee. I’m not sure what mushrooms he might have had on his pizza; he couldn’t have bought it from a sidewalk vendor in Old Sacramento, because there were no sidewalk pizza vendors there. He surely must have been at some festival that existed only in his mushroom-induced imagination.

There was, however, a jazz festival that featured a dozen different styles of music, including 60 bands that were not playing traditional jazz. The happy result was an audience that was younger, more diverse and, frankly, hipper, for such acts as the Rebirth Brass Band and other contemporary groups.

We have worked hard to broaden the Jazz Jubilee into something that appeals to a very wide audience. It is a pity that Mr. Griffith felt he had to reinforce a stereotype that has long since been superannuated.

Ah. Perhaps he thought he was being funny. Not.

Jill Harper
executive director Sacramento Jazz Jubilee

… in fact, he sucks!

Re “Dixieland: Hey, it still sucks” by Jackson Griffith (SN&R Trust Your Ears, May 31):

As Americans, we treasure our right to freedom of expression. What a pity this freedom allows the moronic babblings of misinformed, narrow-minded and obviously disturbed individuals like Jackson Griffith.

Griffith, your opinion of some of the world’s greatest music sucks! You apparently were late for your daily appointment with your therapist and were unable to listen to and enjoy the many world-class bands at our Jubilee. And, hey, Griffith, I don’t know where you’ve been for the past few years, but the Jubilee features classic jazz, New Orleans funk, blues, swing, zydeco, Western swing, mainstream, big bands, jump jive, Latin, ragtime and gospel. Wake up and smell the success.

Vivian Abraham
via fax

Munger mongers hate

Re “The trouble with Jerry” by Kel Munger (SN&R Essay, May 24):

This article tells us a lot about leftist anger—make that hatred—of its opponents. The left has little or no belief in the concept of “decency” as traditionally understood by Western civilization. They place great value on individuals’ expressing themselves and they view self-censorship as a form of fascism.

Kel Munger reveals herself as a true hatemonger.

Bill Nichols
Long Beach

Free of guilt

Re “The Sacramento Union” (SN&R Advertisement, June 7):

I started placing SN&R pages on my carpet months ago to deter my cat from peeing. I always felt bad about it because I love the articles and don’t want my cat accidentally peeing on them.

But then your CEO Jeff vonKaenel got rid of ethics and started taking money from a hate group, the Sacramento Union. Now I can read a call to stop bigotry in one page, then flip over to a racist attack on every minority group in the area on the Sac Union “advertising” section.

I feel guilt no more!

Now I cut out Jeff’s image, place it next to the hateful phrases strewn all over the Sacramento Union, and hope that if my cat does unfortunately pee, she pees all over Jeff and his “free speech.”

Holly Lopez
Sacramento