Yes, Stay Home!

Thanks for Peter Byrne's vital warning about the dangers of the local outdoors ("Are We Having Fun Yet?," Cover Story, Aug. 16). It's all true! Except he forgot to mention bears and bobcats and West Nile disease, and hepatitis and giardia should you drink untreated water! If you go outside town limits, you can see vultures almost any time you look up. What do you think they're eating? Stay home, lock the doors, stay off those trails (and leave them vacant for me)! I'm an expert on poison oak, having grown up running around in the brush in Saratoga, and I learned to spot it in all of its clever disguises ... but it's awful, and often hard to see. Do stay home.

Bob Dennis, San Jose

Reed: Keep Digging!

I enjoyed reading Fly's coverage about the new political blog that's going after Chuck Reed. (Aug. 9).

When people ask me why I'm working as a volunteer with the Reed Campaign, I tell them that I don't like the direction that the Gonzales administration has taken our city, and that I believe that a Chavez-led administration will just be "four more years of Gonzales." I also tell people that I'm supporting Reed because he voted against the "Taj Mahal" city hall, and that he voted against the city government's attempt to take (through the use of eminent domain) the Tropicana Shopping Center from the current owners and merchants. (Chavez voted in favor of both actions.)

I have just two words for those desperately trying to uncover some political dirt on Chuck Reed: Keep Digging!

Pete Campbell, San Jose

Ixnay on the Ipmunkchay

Re "Manic Hispanic" (Cover Story, Aug. 9): Thank you thank you for running this story. Thank you, George, for highlighting the real deal, our real purpose. Although I'm from the class of 2001 and am 23, and Elizabeth Ortega is 21, not 25, but those details aside thank you, thank you. Oh yeah, and I do not have chipmunk cheeks, aight homie?

Meno Masacre, San Jose

Don't Let Our Youth Go to Waste

Hey guys, what's up..my name is Liz Ortega and I am the singer for La Grita. I would like to thank everyone who worked on this article, I really enjoyed reading it! But ... a little problem is ... I'm not 25 years old! I'm 21!!!! hahaha ...anyways ...just wanted to clear that out ... Thanks again and best wishes to all!

Liz Ortega, Fremont

We apologize to both of the musicians featured in our Latino-punk feature whose ages we totally screwed up. Certainly they're wise beyond their years and everything, but still ...—Editor

We All Need To Step Up

I agree with Theresa Vander Horn (Letters, Aug. 9): men just want to have fun without all that commitment stuff. I guess it's just in our nature to be ever-ready. But alas, it does take two to tango and men generally have a willing female partner with whom to temporarily enjoy "being one." Unfortunately, Ms. Vander Horn and her sisters are left with unintended physical consequences of the horizontal bop.

A healthy dose of responsibility is due on both sides of the equation. Men, you want to avoid needlessly creating zygotes. But, if you do and paternity tests show that you're the "maker," then clearly you're part of the action. Men, take precautions! Ladies, if you don't want a bundle of alleged joy out of the momentary union then precautions are always necessary, yours and his! Basic urges will never cease; however, we can have fun without throwing caution to the wind, especially in today's STD-ridden world.

Society's the third leg that's sorely failing us all. Healthy progeny with loving parents is what society says it wants. Yet actions to squash informed approaches to intimacy exist from our president on down, preventing wanted children from becoming a reality. Easy and low-cost birth control access and promotion, over the counter nonprescription morning-after pill availability, RU 486 use vs. surgery and dissemination of accurate pregnancy information rather than fantasy would help both sexes play on a level field. Who knows, it might even improve relationships.

Dwight Nickerson, Saratoga

Send letters to the editor here.