Don't Feed The Pigs

Re "Cutting Off the Air" (MetroNews, May 23): What we have here is the RIAA, who have been for all these years set up like gods and controlled who got heard and who didn't. They could offer slave deals to artists if they chose to. They could manipulate artists if they chose to, and believe me they did!

Now people want the right to choose what they want to hear and see and not have some wealthy self-appointed "God of the Arts" corporation decide what they would allow the public to see, hear and buy!

A portion of the population has awoken and said, "Hey, we don't need you deciding what we like and dislike and shaping our cultural tastes, the public can make that decision for themselves!"

The RIAA, CRB, Sony, EMI, Warner Bros., BMG, all major record labels and Feinstein—who looks after Hollywood interests and who is on the CRB—don't like that and want to be able to put up the gatekeepers again and monopolize all the profits in their pockets like they have been doing since God knows when!

They are not used to fair competition in the market place and wish to remain in the seat of the privileged. Can you imagine if you had a business and could legislate laws so that you had no competitors?

Oh, how Macy's, Sears, Eaton's (in Canada) would have loved a deal like that.

Now that Internet Radio and websites like "YouTube" etc. have come into existence, they have the potential to level the playing field. The RIAA and their croonies don't like that!

When a pig is used to standing at the trough alone for all these years, it gets vicious when it has to share and work at the trough to get fed. That is the reality I see clearly!

Cliff Dawe, Winnipeg, Manitoba

He Looks Mahlevous

Last week's Fly ("Catch Me If You Ken," May 16) mentioned that Supervisor Ken Yeager is biking to work every day this month and asked, "How the hell does this guy look so good, even at the end of the ride?" That's the beauty of cycling in Santa Clara Valley; it's flat and the weather is moderate enough for year-round riding. Many of us live less than five miles from where we work—the perfect distance for a bike commute. Kudos to Ken for showing that it's possible to do good and look good!

Corinne Winter, San Jose

Captured Spirit Of C.A.R.

I was at the interview when Marianne Messina spoke with Judy Gitthelsohn ("Cycle of Art and Life," MetroArts, May 2) and am completely thrilled with how well she wrote this story. She captured the energy of the C.A.R. children and the spirit of Judy's work. Well done! This has got to be one of the best stories written about Judy's work with our C.A.R artists.

Wendy Kuehnl, Community Association for Rehabilitation (C.A.R), Palo Alto

Review Conjures Work Vividly

Re Jess review ("Cutting Edge," MetroArts, March 28): I loved Michael Gant's reading of Jess' art at the San Jose Museum of Art. As the show's curator, I never tire of looking at Jess' poetic work, which Gant so vividly conjures. Thank you, Michael. A Big Bertha champagne bottle to you!

Ingrid Schaffner Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, Pa.

We were all excited by your letter, Ingrid, until Michael explained to us that the champagne thing was an in–joke about a metaphorical reference. Metaphorical champagne don't wet the whistle, Ingrid! Thanks for nothing!—Editor

Don't Call Me 'Whitebread'

Your review of Red Charcoal Restaurant in San Jose ("Seoul Searching," MetroMenu, Aug. 3, 2005) is disturbing. This is a great find of a restaurant, and the food is very nice!  I was offended that you refer to the typical American palate as "whitebread." What a racist statement. I am your "whitebread" American, and I enjoy various international tastes—spicy or not. I enjoy the wonderful diversity of eating in Silicon Valley, and don't like to be classified with unkind statements about my nationality. It is particularly offensive to mix these statements with this restaurant review. Red Charcoal deserves better from Metro.

Susanne Sill, San Jose

Send letters to the editor here.