Beatle Booster

Thanks much for the short piece on Brian Ellis (“Boundless,” Music, April 1). One thing I have learned from decades of reading music journalism is that performers who publicly disrespect the Beatles are often trying to overcompensate for their own deficiencies, so I suspect that you have saved me some time and trouble. If nothing else, referring to the most popular and successful musician of our age (Paul McCartney) as a writer of “grandma songs” suggests a lack of good judgment on Ellis’s part, but it probably also tells me all I need to know about this immature artist.

Markel Tumlin
via email

Twister Sister

I just want to give the Reader a big thank you for bringing the brain-twister puzzles back (“Brainstorms”)! When I opened the paper to look at the crossword, I got a pleasant surprise; actually, I couldn’t believe my eyes. The anticipatory feeling I get with my weekly Reader is back.

Thank you, thank you.

Mary Bucaro
via email

Quote, No Quote

I wanted to let the editor, Jim Holman, know that I really did not appreciate, nor did all of the people that I know appreciate, the article about Pastor Jim Garlow (“S.D. on the Q.T.,” March 25). That was extremely misleading. That was very misleading in that you had quoted everything from him. There was nothing on that page or in that article — this was the article regarding Prop 8.5 — to say that this was a joke or a satire. And actually, there could be lawsuits against the Reader for doing that. It is appalling to me that you did that and that you allowed that.

Vicky C.
Lemon Grove

Crockery

Regarding the article by Chad Deal, “The Wild Wild East” (Cover Story, March 25). You talked to a Mr. Steve Scaroni, who is also a harvest contractor. He says that money is not the issue. He also said he could double the wages he offers in the United States and still come up shorthanded. What a crock!

An article in the San Diego Union-Tribune published Friday, February 23, 2001, written by Diane Lindquist, states that in Mexicali, “At the peak of the 3 a.m. to 5 a.m. commute, as many as 5,000 Mexicans walk through the pedestrian gates each hour. They have U.S.-issued permits, which allow them to work days in the United States and go home to Mexico at night. But even with this abundance of workers, Imperial Valley growers” — like Mr. Scaroni — “are leading the call for more foreign workers.”

The Union-Tribune article says that “as many as 10,000 people” are waiting in Calexico, California, parking lots, early in the morning, hoping for work. “Scaroni offered explanations for why there appear to be more workers than jobs most mornings,” the article continued. “They probably don’t want to work in the first place.… A lot come for the socializing, to see their friends.” Another crock!

He is also quoted as saying, “I’d probably skip to El Salvador because they are great people and hard workers.”

To Mr. Scaroni, please double the wages now, and you will see how many people will go and work for you. Or is that another crock you are throwing?

Name Withheld
National City

Wait A Minute, Man

Dear Chad, I was extremely disappointed to see “The Wild Wild East” as a cover story in the Reader (March 25). The fact that you intended to positively feature a group of racist extremists such as the Minutemen is quite mind-boggling and disappointing, given all the other activities that are going on in our San Diego communities. The Minutemen are racists that despise immigrants, period, and do not differentiate between legal and illegal immigrants, despite their arguing the contrary. For example, Brandon mentions that Border Patrol doesn’t question his presence in the desert because he is a “gringo,” implying the that color of one’s skin determines nationality?

Officer Rosas was a Latino Border Patrol agent. I guess if he had not worn a uniform he would have been treated differently by both the Minutemen and his own agency. How about feature the good doings of the Border Patrol instead of Minutemen? These are exactly the causes why our immigration system is broken: prejudices!!! These prejudices don’t let us move forward as a country nor acknowledge the broken immigration system, only prolong it. The majority of “illegal” immigrants actually come in legally but overstay their visa term. Others who try to come in legally better be ready to die waiting in line for an answer.

If a Chinese national enters our country by boat without a visa, he is an “illegal.” If a Cuban enters our country by boat without a visa, then he/she is welcomed with legal permanent resident status and eventually U.S. citizenship under our “wet feet, dry feet policy,” and nobody seems to throw a fit about it. Don’t we owe a whole lot more to China than to Cuba?

I guess this is why Tony Dolz, a Cuban immigrant and one of the founders of the Minutemen Project, feels he has the right to speak out against illegal immigration. Fortunately, there was a policy in place to welcome him with open arms and that doesn’t limit the number of Cubans coming to America nor require them to wait almost a couple of decades to be cleared by the Department of Homeland Security.

Let’s stop the hate rhetoric that has made us unable to move forward on this issue for decades. History shows that people have migrated since mankind has existed. In the world, extreme nationalism has only proven to be disastrous (world wars, etc.), and this is what the Founding Fathers ran away from in the first place — they were immigrants too?!?! “Illegal immigrants” didn’t exist back then because Native Americans didn’t deem them illegal.

Maribel
via email

Tripworthy

Re “Tuned, You and Me” (Music, March 25).

I adored Sabira’s performance at the La Jolla Shores Hotel; she’s worth a trip to San Diego anytime.

Charles Berdiansky
via email

Hot-Blooded Filly

I’ve known and followed Sabira’s musical talent for years (Music, March 25). She has a beautiful, clear, strong voice that doesn’t even need any music, but her music is awesome also! She writes and performs her own songs with beauty, harmony, and humor, plays so many instruments (including banjo), can take on any persona for any kind of party — whether country western (“She’s a hot-blooded filly and she’s been in the stall too long,” a song written by Sabira), reggae, jazz, renaissance, classic rock, pop, you name it, she and her band perform it with all the costumes and act that go with it! They love what they are doing and it shows. Please write more about Sabira so we can follow her career and promote her!

E. Clare Wallace-Clamme
via email

It’s Normal

Your City Heights article (“Changes in City Heights,” Cover Story, March 18) was a good story, but it mentioned Adams Elementary, which is not in City Heights. It’s in Normal Heights.

Name Withheld
via voicemail

Damage On A Plate

It’s disappointing that Naomi Wise knows well enough to mention the endangered bluefin tuna population and yet eats it anyway (“Tapas on Tokyo Time,” Restaurant Review, March 18). Same with ankimo, as the bottom trawls used to catch monkfish often tear up the ocean floor and are known to snare sea turtles and marine mammals as well.

Eating even a little bit of bluefin requires the butchering of a whole fish, which creates the demand that fuels the market and pushes the species closer to the brink. This is the situation humans find ourselves in, wanting to put stuff in our mouths so badly that we ignore the consequences. We don’t even know what it takes to bring us most of the things we consume, and in the odd circumstance when we have that knowledge we don’t feel compelled to act.

The question I think we all need to ask ourselves is whether the desire to eat certain foods justifies things like environmental damage and the extinction of species when there’s an enormous variety of wonderful, ethically acceptable alternatives. I think if you are a conscious and considerate human, your answer will be no. All that’s left is to behave accordingly.

Please visit seafoodwatch.org for more info.

Josh Johnson
via email

The Real Deal

I enjoyed Dave Good’s music article “The Last Real DJ,” in your March 18 issue. Being a big fan of 88.3, it is good to learn a little more about any of their regular DJs.

San Diego is most fortunate to have such a musical resource with their devotion to real jazz. I was never a fan of the “light” jazz that seems to be so popular here. That reminds me of drinking light beer — no body or substance, so why bother? I’d rather drink lemonade. But variety is healthy, and this would be a pretty boring world if we all had the same taste.

Tim
via email

A Big Bowl Of Words

Re “From Disneyland to Ducasse” (Restaurant Review, March 11).

While it is great to see more positive reviews from Naomi Wise, someone needs to explain to her that experience writing restaurant reviews does not give her license to write novels listing every last detail of her dining experience. She could be equated to the Charles Dickens of restaurant reviewers. Her review was so lengthy that I would imagine her doing a disservice to Blanca, leaving potential diners unaware of the stunning menu because they simply didn’t care to finish reading about the restaurant.

The dishes at Blanca are creative, inspired, but, most importantly, reserved. Ms. Wise could take a hint from chef Neroni and try to be a little more understated. I was also disappointed to scroll through the entirety of the review that took an entire lunch hour to complete, to find no mention of the impressive desserts. While chef Neroni has done excellent work for Blanca, it should also be mentioned that he has made an excellent choice in his pastry chef. One could make a visit to Blanca based on cocktails and desserts alone.

I do agree that Blanca is a choice food lovers should make if they are in Solana Beach. However, something a little less wordy would make me more inclined to dine there again.

Name Withheld by Request
via email

I’ve Got Issues

Re “Home Owner Association Horror Stories” (Cover Story, February 18).

Issue 1. Sewers not built to code. The homeowners’ association sued the City of Escondido and the builder; then the HOA pocketed and spent the money. Now they say the HOA is not responsible for the sewers that run through everyone’s property, every which way. Many homes over the years flooded with sewage. The homeowners find their insurance won’t cover it, and the HOA says “not ours”; the City says “not ours.”

Issue 2. Gates always broken. Many, many years reported many, many times that someone ran into the gates, when the true story is the gates break and close on vehicles. Much reporting through the property management company twisted.

Issue 3. Birds in cages in yards. Now, this is a single-family-residence neighborhood. One owner was run out of the community because of birds in a yard cage making bird noises. Now, this is on the edge of an open wild canyon space with trees. Now we have another home that has a renter in it with a birdcage. Fines, fines, fines. People just hate to see anyone else have or enjoy anything. Talk of bird flu. What? They are in a cage — can it really be spread in/by caged animals?

Issue 4. Let neighbors tear out their drainage, which is required by the CC&Rs and building codes. Does not inspect work afterwards. Does not monitor that work is done by anyone who knows anything. I have an idiot neighbor who hired an idiot, built a fence twice without support or common building codes. Idiots don’t know that just because you don’t need a city permit does not mean you can build dangerous. Another problem with this neighbor is termites. And they use untreated wood and put in the ground. They use the wood fence on our hill as a retaining wall to hold the dirt up. And then they have a smear/slander/libel campaign against me. It is so ridiculous it is laughable. Unfortunately, what it causes the other neighbors to do is close their drapes, hide out, and move.

Name Withheld by Request
via email

Return Of The Droll

I was annoyed that Barbarella was getting a bit trite (been reading her stuff since February 2003, when I moved to San Diego), but the last few columns have been great! Thanks, Barbarella! I’m glad to see her getting back to her droll self!

Bev Lockhart
via email

Death Lives!

This is in regard to the “Blurt” article “Know Your Metal,” in the February 4 issue.

It is known that there are death-metal bands that exist in San Diego. Ritual Torture and band members should have already realized there are only a handful of venues that showcase metal bands. If you are unsigned and have no product, you should expect rejection from promoters and club owners. It’s business; don’t take it personally.

If there is a brotherhood among a select few death-metal bands, it’s concerning to me that only three other death-metal bands were mentioned, and if that is the case, what are they doing about the current metal situation here in San Diego? Complaining about other forms of music such as punk, glam, alternative, metalcore, hip-hop, etc. — I really can care less about that so-called music or noise and what they are trying to define, destroy, or create. Like in the past, other forms of music and their cultures do not affect death-metal music or the true loyal fans. It never has and never will. This music has existed for 25 years, and most of the world has no idea or concept about death metal. It is not designed for mainstream listening, and I am fine with that.

However, I do suspect the not-so-true and -loyal death-metal fan or musician may not know what this music represents. What it represents is freedom of artistic expression at its most extreme. There are countries in this world where metal music of any kind is forbidden and condemned by their government. It is simply against the law. It may seem unbelievable, but it is true. The metal history lesson to be learned is we should be grateful here in the United States of America for what we have. It is our constitutional right that should never be taken for granted. Can anyone imagine the prohibition act against metal music in the United States? My advice to Ritual Torture or any other band that complains is, if you’re discontented about the trials and tribulations that happen within metal, remember that at least you’re given the opportunity. You have the liberty to do so, don’t waste it.

Tony D. Metal
Spring Valley

Ardent Roamer

I have always enjoyed relating to “Roam-O-Rama,” with its detailed diagrams (maps) indicating thoroughfares and hikes throughout. So useful to anyone visiting these areas.

Also enjoy the additional areas included but often thought how convenient it would be to include a small map with each location, thus eliminating reference to an atlas, which is a nuisance. Do hope you can accommodate.

Name Withheld