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DRUNK ON THREE
BEERS' WORDS
It has been my pleasure to have been reviewed by every member of the theater staff at the OC Weekly. I particularly enjoy being reviewed by Joel Beers. Even when he trashes me, he does it with wit and style. I hope that's what he was displaying when he responded to Robert Montano's letter concerning being misidentified in a review (Letters, March 10) . While it sounds noble to think of actors acting for the “love of craft and the satisfaction of a job well-done,” I live and die by what Beers describes as “three words of praise from a stranger” and “good press.” As many times as I've told myself that reviews don't matter when, by God, one has one's integrity, I still find myself smugly satisfied when they like me and despondent when they don't. If it was all about “love of craft,” I wouldn't go ripping into the Weekly every Thursday to devour the reviews.
Susan E. Taylor
via e-mail
TEAM CARPENTER
I knew Tim Carpenter in the early 1980s and was always impressed by the sheer will he exhibited in pushing for policies that would make for a better world (Nick Schou's The Importance of Being Tim, March 17). What the article fails to mention, however, is that Tim has carried on despite illnesses that often kill other people. The fact that he is still with us amazes me, and Orange County is lucky to have him. I vehemently disagree with Tim on the Three Strikes issue, and our personalities never really meshed very well, but Tim was good at speaking the language that politicos understand, and that is what made him such an effective advocate. I hope he continues for decades to come to try to get people here to do the right thing.
Gary Garland
Yorba Linda
DREAD TED
Kudos go to Buddy Seigal for occasionally steering Ted Nugent away from self-validation and toward actual musical subjects (American Psycho, March 17). Nugent's quick dismissal of fellow Motor City rockers the MC5 made my arm hairs stand on end. Take any track from any album Nugent has released in the past 10-nay, 15-years, and compare it to any track from ex-MC5er Wayne Kramer's excellent live LLMF CD, and you will instantly see why Nugent avoids conversations about music. And, yes, he and Bob Dornan would get along famously. And to think I used to worship this guy back in high school.
Chris Criner
Aliso Viejo
After reading the interview with right-wing lunatic Ted Nugent, I've concluded that Buddy Seigal is a wimp. Although Seigal tries to portray himself as a fearless, on-the-edge, “take-no-prisoners” journalist, this interview proves otherwise. Apparently, Buddy “The Wimp” Seigal was so enamored of Nugent's three-chord bullshit that he just couldn't bring himself to challenge Nugent on his anti-Semitic and ultra-right-wing political views. Everyone else is challenged in these pages for their politics, yet morons like Nugent get off scot-free. What's up with that?
Libguy Jim
Tustin
Buddy Seigal responds: Dear Mr. Girly Man, (1) This story was a straight interview, not a political opinion piece (nancy boy). My job is not to challenge the subject's political views; it's to elicit interesting responses to the questions (wussbag). (2) For that matter, why do you assume I don't agree with Nugent's politics (pantywaist)? (3) I bet the Nuge's grandma could beat you up with one hand tied behind her broad, hairy back (candy ass).
NOT THE GUY WHO
PLAYED BEAVER
I appreciate Matt Coker's suggestion that Irvine Valley College president Raghu Mathur consider moving his office to the courthouse (A Clockwork Orange, March 10). It's true Mathur has spent much time there, witnessing one failed case after another, paying off his lawyers and his opponents' attorneys with taxpayer cash. But I like better the Taxpayer Accountability Project's suggestion that Mathur and the board of trustees personally reimburse the district for the thousands of dollars they've spent persecuting faculty and students. That's justice. November promises another opportunity for justice. Four trustees are up for re-election, including Steven Frogue. It's time to reform the board.
Thanks for your continuing, thoughtful coverage of our district's struggles. It heartens those of us who work and study on the district's two campuses.
Lisa Alvarez
professor of English
Irvine Valley College
McCAIN'S A STUPID IRISHMAN
Thanks for the story about the UC Irvine student protest of John McCain's use of the word “gook” (R. Scott Moxley and Vu Nguyen's Quiet Riot, March 10) . It's inspiring to see students who are committed and courageous and making a difference.
Quynh Nguyen
San Diego
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