Children's books aren't the issue: Regarding Rob Jordan's story "Commie Book Ban" (August 10): Being the son of an ex-political prisoner of Cuba, I find this to be a sad political game and media whoring on behalf of Cubans who care less about Cuba being free and more about Cuban pride and their own private agendas. To have this silly children's book brought to the attention of a weak and shameless media that already should be reporting continuously and unbiasedly on more pressing and urgent matters — such as our government's abuse of power and its contempt for the laws of the land, or even the Middle East conflicts — than reporting on a children's book.
This book may not be accurate by any sense of the word, but it is not enough to respectively garner any serious coverage. Banning this book is as ineffective as the Cuban embargo at eliminating a dictator when the rest of the world, especially corporations, does not even register the Cuban issue. So please stop instigating private agendas and start reporting on what matters. If Cuba matters this much, then report on how the Cuban embargo is a shameless tool of the Republican party to hold onto a hard-headed Cuban community bent on winning an old grudge rather then securing their children's, if not their own, futures in America.
Ariel Capote
Miami Beach
Better read, uh, red: Rob Jordan's story "Commie Book Ban" is an interesting take on what's really behind the Vamos a Cuba debate. I just wanted to clear something up: Some of my best friends teach. Really, I'm not just screwing around. I even teach sometimes. And, for the record, most teachers' union Commies are cool with me too. They don't worry me nearly as much as the reds under my bed. Damn noisy rabble. I swear to God they're organizing.
Okay, so thanks for all the fish.
Michael Caputo
Bay Harbor Islands
Takes one to know one? Regarding Trevor Aaronson's "Classroom Felon, Part 2" (August 10): I am a third-year law school student at St. Thomas University. Out of all the classes I have had to date, I found professor Steven Clark's to be the best at teaching law school students what the real world of law will be like. I feel that I am able to make such a comment because many of my family members are lawyers.
I think many law schools just teach you how to pass the state bar exam. Clark is the type of teacher who teaches his students how to practice law in the real world. There are very few teachers who are experts in their fields who decide to teach, but there are many mediocre professionals who choose to teach because they cannot make it in the real world. Just as Dan Marino would make a fine football coach, Clark is a great teacher of criminal law. If the police are looking for you, you should be looking for a lawyer who took Clark's criminal law class.
Lowell Kuvin
Miami Beach
People can and do change: I appreciate the article "Classroom Felon" (July 13) by Trevor Aaronson. It validates some aspirations I have of going to law school. I am a convicted felon. People can change and progressively move toward positive life experiences. I read a story about Cupcake Brown and now this one. Thanks for shedding light on people who in some way are an inspiration to others, climbing out from under the hideous perception of "felon." Good job.
Parrish Godchild
Nashville, Tennessee
Even socks and Birkenstocks are better: Regarding The Bitch's column about men wearing sandals, "The Scourge of Mandals" (August 10): God, was she on target. My girlfriend and I have long discussions about this. I think it has become an epidemic, for Christ's sake, particularly here in South Florida, where every dickhead visiting from points north is wearing some kind of flip-flops, allowing the most hideous exposure of feet that have been covered up at least eight months of the year. Then we have to look at the ugliest feet in the world wearing freakin' sandals. The only thing I ask is: Somehow, someway, can we pass an ordinance forbidding anyone with ugly feet and toes from wearing sandals, flip-flops, and the like? By the way, I never, ever wear flip-flops or sandals in public. However, women with pretty feet are of course encouraged to wear sandals — and six-inch stilettos.
Charles E. Byrd
Buena Vista
Not footloose: I've always been a big advocate of closed-toe shoes. I'm not a foot puritan, but yeesh! Are people blind? The photos of gross mandals in The Bitch's "The Scourge of Mandals" wants to turn me straight, and going outside to see flip-flops in daylight on everyone around me wants to make me go celibate. Does it feel that good to get crap on your feet and then let the world see it? I can't wait for cooler weather so people cover up, but I guess I'm not the fashion police and I have to be more understanding of people with genes that tell their feet to flush buckets of sweat. Besides that, though, people don't give a shit if they look gross. It's been instilled by their leader, Mother Britney Spears.
Nathan-Lam Vuong
Coral Gables
But for sure a major geek: Jake Nelson hit Adam Singer square on the head with the phrase "a certain undeniable nerdiness" in his story "The Bedroom Tapes" (August 10). I have known Adam for a couple of years, and we converse on a pretty regular basis. We talk music; we talk life. He is quite a bit like the brother I never had.
This article makes me happy and gives me hope that he is scratching his name into some area of Miami nightlife and getting closer to something bigger.
Adam Batley
Gainesville
And wants to read more about the gameosphere: Hi there! I liked Trevor Aaronson's "Megabyte Millionaire" (August 3) very much — most of all because of the multiple angles in the story. You did a very thorough job on the research; you have plowed deep and far to get that information. This is by far the best article I have read concerning EU/Club Neverdie and the infamous Jon Jacobs.
Suggestion: Why not try to capture what goes on up on the asteroid any given week and do an article about that?
Kristoffer Haskjold
Via the Internet
The letter writer is an inhumane boor: After stunning consensus on the horror of foie gras on these letter pages, finally Jacqueline Church of Suite101.com had to pop up and attempt to defend the indefensible in her letter "More Foie Skirmishing" (August 3).
Jacqueline suggests there are more important things we (compassionate people) should be focusing on. She probably doesn't understand that people go hungry every night and inner-city children go without, because there are too many people in this country who are not prepared to support government programs to stop poverty. She probably also doesn't understand that there is plenty of food for everyone in the world, but too many world leaders spend their time eating "gourmet food" with their buddies rather than concentrating on bringing peace and prosperity to all.
People who are compassionate to animals are compassionate people. They lament the starving of the world's poor and the senseless death of people on both sides of wars.
We give our voices to animals because every day nine billion of them live in horrendous conditions in factory farms, suffering intense confinement, brutality, and pain for their entire lives.
If Jacqueline doesn't see the intense suffering of these animals as being worthy of focus, then I can't see her giving a damn about anybody who cannot afford her "gourmet" standard of living.
Just this once, Jacqueline, please stop deflecting an issue in an attempt to defend the indefensible, and try to see both human and animal suffering for what it is — a result of the inhumanity of mankind.
Brad King, organizer
South Florida Animal Rights Meetup Group
Miami Beach
Via word of Internet: Thank you so much to Jake Nelson for writing the Live Wire piece about me (July 27). It was truly a pleasant surprise. I e-mailed the link to the online article to more than 1000 recipients and posted it on MySpace as well. Your support is deeply appreciated.
Tiffany Miranda
Miami
I want to bring all my friends: I read Jake Nelson's Live Wire piece about Niña Pastori (July 13). La Pastori was absolutely wonderful when she performed at Macarena. Even though the venue was not befitting of her talent, she outdid herself in her delivery, which ranged from ballads to bulerías. Macarena is a delightful place, and I thank its management for inviting La Niña here, but it did not have the suitable space for her Miami fans. Maybe next time we host La Pastori, Miami will honor her with a stage that will appropriately accommodate her talent, caliber, and presence.
Mercedes V. Abad
Miami
