Going Postal July 18 2001

Hands out, Put your hands out
I actually read and like the paper (could stand fewer sex ads, but I suppose that’s where the money is). I’m a bit more conservative than a lot of your writers but can somehow manage to read an opinion which differs from my own and not get too terribly incensed about the fact that these folks are being permitted to breathe air daily. But what’s with the hands in the lady columnists’ photos?

Hollis Gillespie, Tina Trent and Jane Catoe all have their hands in their headshots in unusual, albeit fairly cute, positions (see pages 9, 24 and 41 of this issue). I’m not really criticizing them and generally enjoy reading what’s on their minds each week. Just a bit of a coincidence perhaps?

-- Brady Born, Decatur

Sweet talk
I sincerely appreciate the write-up for HoneyMagnolia at 7 Stages in Creative Loafing this week (Scene & Herd, July 4). It’s truly hilarious. Andisheh Nouraee’s writing actually makes us sound a little more interesting than we may in truth be. I’ve received several calls from people who have seen the photo of Iyalocha featuring Christine Horn performing. We definitely will keep some of your more “biting” comments in mind. I personally loved them, however, as it’s never wise for any of us to take ourselves too seriously.

-- Boston Fielder, HoneyMagnolia Productions

Dot dud
Boy, things sure have changed in the two years I’ve been away in New York, or at least Creative Loafing has. The latest issue (“Dot-com Blues,” July 4) features a cover story about dot-coms biting the dust with techies scrambling for shelter from the recessionary rain, and generally suffering from the results of such companies’ phantom inflation of the stock market and the subsequent crash back to non 24-year-old zillionaire reality.

Now there is some up-to-the-minute, counterculture coverage Atlantans just don’t get from any other news source. C’mon, this story is a year-and-a-half old at best! What happened to this ... magazine? ... newspaper? ... local TV station?

-- Collin Ryle, Atlanta

Dot-com debacle
I laughed and laughed while reading Charles Davidson’s “Dot-Com Blues” (July 4), not because people have been “uninstalled,” but because of the circumstances that led to their “decruitments.”

The boring old sticks-in-the-mud of the world who don’t go in much for fads knew all along that the dot-com “revolution” was temporary and did not take it seriously. Hell, there’s even speculation about where all of that “venture capital” was coming from among those who have noticed that the dot-com boom coincided with Bill Clinton’s terms in office. Now he’s gone, and so is the fantasy economy. What a coincidence.

The Clinton economy and the dot-com “revolution” on which it rode were a collective hoax. They had all the ingredients of a hoax. Anybody with an ounce of wisdom saw that. There is no “new economy.” There is the same old economy we’ve always had, governed by the same old rules. One of them is that a business must turn a profit to survive (duh).

But America is a curious country. Even the most elementary wisdom has lost its purchase here. The past two generations have seemed desperate to prove they were smarter than those before them. These youngsters fell to condemning older folks, and blaming them for life’s challenging realities. It’s just a silly belief among old folks that successful people get up early, dress nicely and work hard all day. It’s the older generation’s fault that getting rich quickly is rare, and when it happens, a hidden cost is exacted from the soul. The silly preoccupation with profits is just another hang-up of the stodgy old guard that’s on its way out. Oh gosh, the host of social ills are all resultant of the intellectual deficit of the older generation. The younger generation thinks it has a better way, and will fall for the oldest tricks in its crazed attempts to be somehow smarter.

The “new” economy is an excellent example. “Rebellious” people departed from wisdom tested true through the millennia. But the magical supply of money ran out long after it should have. The result is a hideous overextension, and now millions are finding they have been dancing on hot air. It’s not even a new kind of hot air.

Hopefully, the purveyors of the “new economy” have learned something. But it’s a great time to buy a used car.

— Andy Haraldson, Atlanta

Bombers away
There have been a lot of opinions expressed about the B-1 Bomber being removed from Warner Robins Air Base, but all of the opinions have been based on emotion and not viability (Think Tank, “Word,” July 4). The B-1 is a high-maintenance pig with a low combat and mission readiness capability. It was the only operational Air Force aircraft to not fight in Desert Storm because it was not an effective weapon and was functionally outdated. B-1’s were originally designed to deliver nuclear payloads during the cold war and since have been reconfigured for conventional weapons, but I have heard of the “hangar queens” and the ineffectiveness of this particular aircraft to actually fly.

Instead of crying over the loss of a program, let’s look at the future. Warner Robbins has a multitude of professional and capable people who are truly dedicated to the defense of this country. Bring back the F-15s or another combat-capable weapon and give these hard-working patriots something to sting future enemies with.

-- Scott Rosemeier, Lawrenceville

Tilting at windmills?Why don’t we put slow-moving modified windmills into the gulf stream at the bottom of the ocean? If I am elected [lieutenant governor] next year, I will work to secure funds for this type of project. By putting more of a strain on our natural gas supplies, the cost will only become worse for gas consumers. And as for plants that cause excessive pollution, their days need to be numbered. The state needs a solid plan that helps the environment and is diversified enough to withstand even the worst emergencies. Thanks for your article (“The Power of Money,” June 27).

-- Herbie Galloway, Hampton



Who cares what Europe thinks?
Regarding Think Tank, “Should We Care What Europe Thinks of George Bush and His Policies?” June 27: Richard, nice job, very well spoken and very much to the point!

Tom, how do you sleep at night? Your lack of intelligence and knowledge causes me to sit here dumbfounded! Do all liberals look up information from the same source (the mainstream media) and just constantly regurgitate the same incorrect facts over and over again?

First, you quote David Letterman, a man who makes fun of people for a living. Since when does Letterman influence policy in the U.S.? He says these things to get a laugh. Is that all you can say about Bush is that he is a toxic Texan who only cares about big oil and big business? You see my friend, it makes me smile when I read about the same negative issues over and over again relating to Bush and Cheney being for big business and how unintelligent they are. That tells me one thing, they are doing everything right and you have nothing better to talk about.

Tom, do we really care what Europeans think of us? Are you aware that the majority of liberal-leaning socialist European leaders do not express the opinion of the majority of their fellow citizens? I have lived in Europe and Australia and I am married to a Canadian, so you could say I have a bit of an idea of exactly what is going on. I can tell you that the majority of the people I have met throughout my travels are grateful for the existence of the USA. Yes, people become jealous of our lifestyle and many people would like to see us stumble occasionally, but most everyone would enjoy living or prospering in the United States.

The other thing that really annoys me about your commentary is the fact that you show no reverence for the office of the presidency. Your constant “Dubya” and “Bush II” comments are offensive and they show your lack of character. Even in the worst of times morally for America, the last eight years under former President Clinton, you would not see reform-minded people (conservatives) writing without using the words President Clinton.

Tom, I really hope that at some point you can open your mind and realize that not only does President Bush have an agenda, but he lays it out and this one will shock you, but he actually does what he says he is going to do! Imagine that.

-- Terry Petrucci, Atlanta??