DEADLY GAME
Thanks for connecting the Marriage Protection Act and the tragedy in Oxnard [Steve Lowery's "Vector Control," Feb. 20]. Unfortunately, power in this country-pastoral and political-usually flows to creators of the “inhuman,” whether those “monsters: be nonbelievers, homosexuals, Democrats or Republicans. As of now, the deaths of experimenting 14-year-olds, and the wasted futures of the frightened children who kill them, maintain our current political balance. And that’s sickening.
D. PEEVE
Via thedistrictweekly.com

CROOKED GAME
Thanks for reporting on stories like Dave Wielenga’s piece on Joe Prevratil ["Everybody Loved Joe," Feb. 13]. We could use a lot more of this journalism as our city councilmembers are quite well fed by local contributors. Need a code variance? Just make a donation. Pesky anti-crony regulations? Make a donation! Want to build out onto public beach land? Oh, wait, they do that themselves (right, Mr. Colonna?).
ANDY
Via thedistrictweekly.com

PEDALING ART
I am glad the Art Theatre [Theo Douglas' "The Last Picture Show," Feb. 20] is staying, and to be fixed up is even better. Here’s an idea: Because of the parking problems in this area, install some sort of huge bike rack to promote walking or riding the bus/bike to the area. Maybe, make it some sort of piece to fit the Art Deco theme, yet big enough to lock up many bikes and strong/safe enough to prevent any bike thefts.
LP
Via thedistrictweekly.com

You can count my girl and me in for supporting the Art Theatre. Thanks for having the vision to keep the things that make Long Beach successful. One of them should be bike racks. Long Beach needs to wake up and smell the pedal power that exists in this city.
GUNTHER
Via thedistrictweekly.com

FROM THE WEB
[Regarding Dave Wielenga's "More Amputations at Press-Telegram May Turn LB's Daily Into Corporate Bureau"]

Stevie Wonder could see the writing on the wall at the Press-Telegram. Take a walk through the halls of the P-T, you can cut the tension with a knife. My question is, who will The District spar with next? Going after the P-T is like watching someone prodding one those “downed” cows.
DISTRICT READER

This has become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Less relevant news equals less local interest. Corporatizing doesn’t bring efficiency when it comes to reporting, but it does when you are trying to get out of reporting.
ANDY

I worked for a Dean Singleton paper for nearly four years before I jumped ship. I wanted to stay in SoCal, so the only option I had was a couple of alt-weeklies, online mags or the LA Times. Seeing as the Times has its own problems and I’m not witty or self-loathing enough to work for the alt-weeklies, I took a leap to the darkside: PR. It’s not what I was trained to do, but at least I know I have job security. It sucks to be a print journalist nowadays.
THE COMMISH

In the honored tradition of journalism on the death of a newspaper, I say we hold a wake. I suggest O’Connell’s. Let’s put some large photographs of Dean Singleton on the floor next to the toilets and urinals. Everybody should drink as much beer and booze as possible until their bladders reach a point of near explosion. Then, when they go to the heads to relieve themselves, everybody can “overshoot the target” and express their opinions of Mr. Singleton. This will give new meaning to being “piss drunk, pissed-off and pissed-on.”
DWIGHT K. SNIDER