LETTERS

Last week's cover story—on First Friday—blew away these readers. Really!

The Las Vegas Weekly truly outdid itself with this week's cover story. We were blown away by everything from Benjamen Purvis's paint-by-numbers cover to Martin Stein's interview with Godt-Cleary Projects Director Michelle Quinn. Thank you so much for the coverage and your support of First Friday for the last two years.

This week was especially meaningful for us, since October 2004 marks the second anniversary of our event, which started in October 2002 with about 300 people, the Las Vegas Arts District and a prayer. Since then, we have seen over 20 new arts-related businesses move into the Las Vegas Arts District neighborhood, including Modify, Dust, Durette Studio, Dray's Place, The Painted Couch and D'Loe's House of Style, to mention a few. Estimates indicate we had about 6,500 visitors to October 1's First Friday.

There is no doubt that many of your readers have become loyal friends of First Friday, and we appreciate your efforts.

As you know, with help from the folks from The City of Las Vegas Cultural Affairs Division, we have entered into a new era with First Friday. Barrick Gaming became our very first corporate sponsor, and we have started to beef up our arts and entertainment programming. We'll keep doing the best we know how to keep up our efforts and continue to provide the Las Vegas community with our version of an art crawl and social block party.

Once again, thanks to Scott Dickensheets, Stacy Willis, Martin Stein, art critic Chuck Twardy, Kate Silver, Damon Hodge, Benjamen Purvis and the rest of the staff at the Las Vegas Weekly for your wonderful support of our grassroots event.

Our football picks columnist was a little hard on himself recently for flubbing his math. A sympathetic reader writes:

Please tell Matt Jacob not to be so hard on himself (Matt Jacob's Fearless Football Picks, Sept 23-29.). Dan Rather had information available that he did not seek out before he made his journalistic blunder. If Jacobs had made his picks on the Tuesday following the games and still come out 3 for 7, then he truly would be in the company of fools such as Mr. Rather. Matt is not a fool. Apparently he's just not real good at picking winners.

In response to "Yes, She Wants Fries With That" by Bonnie J. Toadvyn, September 30 letters: It appears that you're another misguided Bleeding Heart, Bonnie, and very sympathetic towards the urban parasites (street bums) that plague our city, but that doesn't mean that I have to be one, too! There's a big difference between the homeless (one who's lost his or her income), the helpless (one who's mentally or physically impaired) and the worthless (a freeloader). Ninety-five percent of the lowlifes that I've seen around town fit into this latter category. These people don't want to work, or they can't land a job because they're undesirable to employers due to their lack of skills, discipline and positive attitude, which makes them a liability instead of an asset to any company. These individuals give up trying (instead of improving on their inadequacies) and sink into a subcultural realm of street barbarism where they scratch out a menial living panhandling and begging from unsuspecting and sympathetic Bleeding Hearts like you, Bonnie.

I don't believe that they should be incarcerated to keep them segregated from those of us who are refined in our social graces, but at least, they could be forced to live in a state-run campground (outside of town and out of sight) where they can act and live like animals if that's all they know how to do!

P.S. After thought, there is another category of people on the street, and they are the Urban Campers. These individuals have incomes (some as high as $2,000 a month or more). They work full- or part-time jobs, get monthly retirement checks or pensions but squander all their money (in two or three days) gambling, drinking and or abusing drugs. So, for the rest of the month, they live as street bums too!

Did anybody else think that George Bush looked remarkably like Dana Carvey's character "Church Lady" during the cutaway shots of him during last night's debate?

Isn't it special that Bush's true colors were on display before all as he paused and stuttered and hemmed and hawed, clearly uncomfortable, clearly impotent when confronted with the truth about just where his "convictions" have led this country? Without a script or speech written by professionals to follow, without any buffer from criticism, the leader of the free world sounded like a broken record—an old LP whose needle got stuck in a groove.

During last night's debate, Sen. Kerry kept it real—very real. He was a strong presence under pressure. Watching Kerry, one truly got the sense that here was a man who could talk about the consequences of a fruitless war without a script. Why? Because Kerry experienced it firsthand while fighting for his country overseas in actual combat, watching while his buddies took bullets before plunging into the dirty green swamp waters of Vietnam.

War is hell. And this war with Iraq, a tragic and expensive farce.

"Colossal misjudgement"? Kerry was being kind when he described it this way. Entering war with Iraq was based on lies, supported by a cowardly Congress and driven by "code-red" fear.

Since Bush is so hung up on the "message" being sent, it's time for We the People on November 2 to send him and his administration a message loud and clear.

Vote the bum out! (So ends this Church Chat.)

Reader Bralio Mendez, who recently touched off a memorable exchange of letters about God and politics, was surprised that we published his last missive.

Sir: You have the guts of a mad viper, and the balls of a loose confederate cannon! I never thought for one minute that you would really publish my letter to T.C. Carroll (September 30).

I got my information from the following resource: That Can't Be In The Bible, by Dr. Brujo.

http://216.147.87.38/ThatCantBeInTheBible/Index.htm

P.S. I thought for sure that the name T.C. Carroll was in reality a pseudonym for Kate Silver. I know that she is an ordained minister.