Letters for January 14, 2010

A perfect ‘10’

Re “Right or wrong” (Letters to the Editor, Jan. 7):

Charlene Aro is a bit confused. The decade did just end. She’s forgetting that “0” is the starting point. At least she does understand that a decade is a period of 10 years. Let’s review:

• 1-1-2000 to 12-31-2000, first year completed; Gore and others would like to forget this one, too.

• 1-1-2001 to 12-31-2001, second year.

• 1-1-2002 to 12-31-2002, third year.

• 1-1-2003 to 12-31-2003, fourth year.

• 1-1-2004 to 12-31-2004, fifth year.

• 1-1-2005 to 12-31-2005, sixth year.

• 1-1-2006 to 12-31-2006, seventh year.

• 1-1-2007 to 12-31-2007, eighth year.

• 1-1-2008 to 12-31-2008, ninth year.

• And, just completed … 1-1-2009 to 12-31-2009, 10th year.

Indeed, we have just completed the first decade of the 21st century. Sorry Charlene, but you’re the one who has it wrong.

Bruce Auclair
Reno

Wet Hot American Decade

Re “Bob looks back” (Feature story, Jan. 7):

Wet Hot American Summer being placed in the Top 10 of the decade has reminded me that things are still right in the universe. I spent many seasons working at a summer camp, and this became our definitive film, being quoted on a daily—hourly—frequency. One evening, a group of us were watching it in the staff lounge and an adult chaperon barged in just in time to witness a can of mixed vegetables announce, “I can suck my own ****!” Classic. Just over two years ago, I was working at a Starbucks here in town when Marguerite Moreau came in with her boyfriend en route to Burning Man. I instantly recognized her and undoubtedly overwhelmed her with my excitement to discuss the film. (Her favorite scene is the goat scene with Coop in the stable.) Thank you for including this in the list!

Burton Miller
Reno

Born in the USA

Re “Clueless” (Letters to the Editor, Dec. 24):

I’d like to reply to the letter from Mr. Rich Reamer of Crofton, Maryland, who wrote in to make the claim that Obama is not a “Natural Born Citizen” because his father was from Kenya. He made the same claim in several newspapers around the nation.

Beginning with the dissent in the Dred Scott case of 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court has consistently interpreted the phrase “natural born citizen” in Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution to mean “born on U.S. soil.” U.S. citizenship is acquired by place of birth (jus soli) and not through lineage (jus sanguinis).

The argument put forth with such confidence by Mr. Reamer was explicitly laid to rest over 100 years ago in U.S. v. Wong Kim Ark (1898), when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that a child born on U.S. soil to two Chinese citizens who weren’t even eligible for U.S. citizenship was indeed a “natural born citizen.”

Michael VanElzakker
Boulder, Colo.

Check them out

Re “Bob looks back” (Feature story, Jan. 7):

There are two directors who made their debuts post-2000 who are worthy of note: David Gordon Green (George Washington, All the Real Girls, Snow Angels) and Richard Kelly (Donnie Darko). Maybe they’re not household names, but they will be post-2010.

Robert Elli
Reno

Bob’s bad

Re “Big blue turd” (Film, Dec. 24):

So, the world was not for you. You lack the depth to connect with something that isn’t human. You, friend, are one of those people who laughed when Bambi became an orphan. It’s OK. Your lack of intelligent commentary in the hopes of a cheap laugh confirms what you are. I bet you wrote this to get a rise out of people because you live on that. Feeding on people’s negative emotions and filling your ego with the idea that you have pissed people off. Well, congratulations, you’ve done it. You’ve made a bunch of people upset because you have so childishly made comments about a movie that is truly a masterpiece. The only valid argument you’ve made is that the story is unoriginal. Yes, the primary story is unoriginal, but the best ones are recycled. It is as one commenter stated about Snow White and almost every other Disney movie ever—gonna throw those out, too? The true beauty of this movie is the world and culture the story takes place in. This is the originality of the movie. I’d like to see a simple mind like yours create anything close. Really. I challenge you.

David Drake
Palm Desert, Calif.

X marks the spot

Re “Hootenanny” (15 minutes, Dec. 31):

I was truly saddened by the news of the cancellation of the Risky Biscuit Hayseed Hoot but not entirely surprised. I’m more pissed off now. Another typical Wilkes Broadcasting manuever. Those morons have destroyed more radio stations in the name of “profit structure” than any corporation in radio history. I urge every X listener to contact Wilkes and voice their displeasure at <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">{ document.write(String.fromCharCode(60,97,32,104,114,101,102,61,34,109,97,105,108,116,111,58,105,110,102,111,64,119,105,108,107,115,98,114,111,97,100,99,97,115,116,105,110,103,46,99,111,109,34,62,105,110,102,111,64,119,105,108,107,115,98,114,111,97,100,99,97,115,116,105,110,103,46,99,111,109,60,47,97,62)) } </script>. Better yet, call them at (770) 754-3211 during East Coast business hours. Flood their switchboards with your comments. To Dondo, my friend: Thank you for 19 years of damn good music on Saturday mornings.

Thomas Orsi
Kings Beach, Calif.

Most critics bowed to pressure

Re “Big blue turd” (Film, Dec. 24):

Avatar unveils the saddest picture of film critics in decades. In order to praise this shallow, 2-D, unimaginative, generic “world,” the majority of respected and experienced critics had to throw down the toilet all their previous film education so they could hold the candle in the dark while Cameron performs an additional lobotomy on the already over-lobotomized audience. The hypnotized general audience will always bow under the burden of the pompous, constant, direct PR attacks of the studios, but that’s where the critics should stand their ground. Now it seems their ground is as big as Pandora. In short, the worst outcome of Avatar is a massive self-ridicule of the critics that puts them right where they belong. Down the toilet.

Valentin Salja
Belgrade, Serbia

Better to be silent

Re “Strange days” (News, Jan. 7):

“It’s almost impossible to ship things across country without crossing Nevada,” Carole Vilardo said. Has Carole Vilardo looked at a map of the United States lately? Has she ever heard of I-80? Or I-40? Both of these interstates go straight through, coast to coast … without setting foot on Nevada. She and Rory Reid need to go back to the brainstorming table.

Steve Michaelson
Las Vegas

Editor’s note: Maybe another look at the map is in order since I can blow a spitwad onto I-80 from the front porch of the World Headquarters of the Reno News & Review.