Letters may be edited for clarity and length. E-mail to le*****@oc******.com, or send to Letters to the Editor, c/o OC Weekly, 1666 N. Main St., Ste. 500, Santa Ana, CA 92701. Or fax to (714) 550-5908.
A HUGH-GE PLAYER HATER
Jim Washburn debating Hugh on the war would make a classic podcast [“Why We Work,” Sept. 1]. Hewitt regularly interviews the main cogs in the machine of politics, media, and military, i.e., Gen. Abizaid interview—free podcast at www.townhall.com. Gus, don't player hate—your page lines my parrot's cage.
John Melkerson
Via e-mail
COKER'S BIG MOUTH SHOULD KNOW NO SECRETS
Mangia Mangia has been one of my favorite restaurants since shortly after it opened—the chicken pappagallo is a favorite, but I also like to venture onto the specials board from time to time [Matt Coker's “Make These Chickens Sing,” Aug. 24]. The lobster raviolis are amazing. Giuseppe and Pietro's success over the years has driven me to visiting on off nights; the place is just too crowded on Fridays and Saturdays. And now you, Matt Coker, have gone and exposed one of the true hidden gems of Orange County. The place is going to be crawling with pretentious OC foodophiles and my nice quiet Wednesday evenings will be no more. Damn you, Matt Coker, DAMN YOU!!!!!
David Hastie
General Manager, Memphis Caf
Via e-mail
Matt Coker responds: True story: a priest told me pretty much the same thing. Only it was “damn you, my son.”
WAIT A MINUTE, JIM
I just finished reading your piece on Gilchrist online [Gustavo Arellano's “Goodbye, Jim,” Aug. 25]. It was poignant in a curious sort of way. I found myself wanting to feel saddened for the old Jim as he evolves into a caricature of himself, but I just can't do it. Gilchrist and his Minutemen mob have become all too familiar to us here in Costa Mesa, as he strokes our young mayor, Allan Mansoor. He's placed our mayor, unwitting dupe that he is, on the tip of the lance in Gilchrist's battle against illegal aliens. Gilchrist named him an honorary Minuteman, and that group has embraced Mansoor as the second coming. They're in the midst of providing him with large piles of money for his re-election campaign. At a recent fund-raising picnic, a covey of Minutebabes hovered around Mansoor like some kind of harem chicks. It's all very sad, indeed. Thanks for the excellent article. Keep them coming.
Geoff West
Via e-mail
BARF FREAKING BARF
I had to barf when I read your “reader's” letter from Jim Brachman [“Letters,” Aug. 18]. The one statement I can agree with him is on the need for a discussion of the facts regarding the 2000 “election.” Unfortunately for Jim, he has few of those facts in hand and seems to see reality through authoritarian-lensed glasses. He cites President Snort's win in the 2000 presidential race by having the majority in the electoral college but conveniently neglects to mention that the lead the Shrub enjoyed was entirely due to the Fascist Five of the U.S. Supreme Court halting (for the first time in our country's history) the counting of votes in a U.S. presidential election. The Republican “States Rights” Party hypocritically and heartily applauded the U.S. Supreme Court stepping in to halt the counting of votes for fear of “tainting” their previously determined anointment of the GOP interlopers. I guess the repugnant Right found the feds overruling the Florida Supreme Court's interpretation of Florida law as priceless in its states rights irony. The citation from the “liberal media's” examination of the votes is truly nauseating, as if one had bothered to read past the headline you would find that four recounts were conducted on the ballots cast. Two surveys focused only on the recounted counties that Gore had requested in his petition and two that recounted the entire state (each counting the ballots in a strict/loose interpretation of election law). In three of the four recounts, Gore beat Bush, thus making the Shrub an illegitimate occupant of the White House for those four years. Unfortunately for our country, it was to be an illegality that continued with the violations by BushCo. of Ohio election law in 2004, but that's another letter. Barf freaking barf.
John Brooks
Long Beach
THE REVIEW THAT ATE THEIR SHARK
My brother and I are in the band Pop Noir. I just thought I'd write to say that we've been enjoying Ellen Griley's articles recently. . . . I liked the Matt Costa one [“The Costa Fame,” Aug. 24], and I thought her review of the Midnight Movies at OCMA [Live Review, Aug. 24] was spot-on (we were there, too). I was going to say, “Hope to see you around, maybe even at one of our shows.” Although, having just read her review of the Shark That Ate My Friend [“Of Course, Dad,” Aug. 31], I must confess I'm now a little nervous. Very funny stuff, but it did make my sphincter pucker at the thought of what she might do to Pop Noir. Still, we're brave, so we'll take the chance!
Keep up the good work.
Luke McGarry
Via e-mail
DEPT. OF CORRECTIONS
In her live review of the Shark That Ate My Friend [“Of Course, Dad,” Aug. 31], Ellen Griley noted that the band walked in “with a $700 keyboard and a pair of parents behind them” and asked, “Are these bands all young rich kids?” A number of fans wrote in to answer: no, the band is not rich. They might be young, but they have day jobs and work hard to pay for their equipment.
