One has to wonder, what kind of palate does this woman have? And what are her culinary credentials to match the often confusing, false remarks she makes about food?
Caroline Segui
Miami Beach
Pooch: Keeping the Streets Safe for Normal Folks
In response to John Lantigua's article "Deconstructing Tommy" (October 8), what must South Beach pied piper extraordinaire Tommy Pooch do to get a little respect from New Times?
The man resuscitates comatose clubs and restaurants, grins and greets nonstop from dusk to dawn, does crust-quality control at three pizzerias, and then goes home to address the needs of an eighteen-year-old girlfriend, for Pete's sake! Where would this friendly felon find time to be a gangster (as Lantigua obviously hoped he was)?
So what if he's got it wrong in thinking he is "selling sex" in the club business. Lantigua didn't look any deeper. Why should Pooch?
Tommy Pooch keeps the bored, idle rich off the streets. And that is a public service!
R. Jerome
Miami Beach
The Music World According to Brih
It was quite hard to read Adam St. James's "Live Music: Dead on Arrival" (September 24). The article failed in so many ways.
First, you don't tell bar owners how to run their business. They know the real problems. These people -- especially the owners of Churchill's, the Hungry Sailor, and Tobacco Road -- have tried all kinds of formulas, and all of them still have their own unique problems.
Second, you never say the musician's or group's name is unimportant. One of the reasons musicians play is that being heard and known is very important to them. Same with writers. How would Mr. St. James feel if "Live Music: Dead on Arrival" came out without his unimportant name on it?
Third, you don't go out and ask questions of a former music editor if you are the current music editor. Greg Baker may have had his share of shining moments, but they definitely weren't at New Times when he was music editor. The last article of his I read was about Ted Nugent, who actually thought (and I'm not making this up) he was greater and better than Paul McCartney ("A Few Bones to Pick," June 9, 1994). The worst part was that Baker was a complete sucker for Nugent's antics.
Last but not least, the local music scene would have benefited more if the energy, time, and paper used in producing "Live Music: Dead on Arrival" had been spent on musicians' flyers instead.
Brih Mendiola
Coconut Grove
Alien Hordes Mock Gutless Gringos
Regarding Kathy Glasgow's story "The Smuggler as Savior" (September 17), smugglers of illegal aliens, such as Juan Garcia Pino, have been mocking gutless gringos and milking the spineless justice system with impunity -- for three decades! Law-abiding residents and decent citizens of Miami-Dade County insist on stricter immigration controls. As members of Americans for Immigration Control, we demand the immediate deportation of Juan Garcia Pino and all other lawbreakers!
It is typical that the U.S. attorney and the state attorney decline to prosecute him in federal or state court. That his transmission shop may be violating zoning and DERM/EPA regulations is glossed over as well, along with his frequent lawbreaking escapades.
The invasion of America by hordes of aliens took place without firing a shot. Fellow Americans, it is time to get a grip and grow some cojones instead of just lying down and taking it. No more coddling and rewarding of criminals, or else!
Howard Williamson
Miami
