Letters for August 5, 2010

Use sun screen

Re “Can alt energy save Nevada?” (Feature story, July 29):

This is a great article. My hat’s off to those who dare speak the truth and spit in the eye of the do-nothing, corrupt political leadership in this state.

Lauren Scott
Reno

Money from mining

Re “Can alt energy save Nevada?” (Feature story, July 29):

Dennis Myers does his usual effective and thoughtful work examining this critical issue. While mining in Nevada is mentioned, I believe the recent run-up in precious metals prices might make this an excellent time to turn to that sector for at least temporary assistance in these difficult times. The amateur investigations I’ve done seem to indicate a comfortable profit margin for the industry, but what do I know? And of course, by their own admission, they already make major contributions to Nevada’s economy when salaries, local taxes, contributions and other factors are considered. Also, “temporary” has a way of becoming permanent, and I’m confident the industry would not show much enthusiasm for such a proposal. How about a feature piece? I vote for Mr. Myers!

Steve Waclo
Carson City

No. 1 gadfly

Re “Community silenced” (News, July 8):

They’re shooting the messenger, Sam Dehne … again.

The public officials are blaming Sam Dehne for SNCAT closing up. Is Sam responsible for Hot August Nights leaving town and the Reno Aces being in last place, too? And the fact that Reno City Hall’s beloved and expensive Artown is flopping? The report says that public officials don’t like gadflies. Surprise! (Gadfly: a person who arouses lazy citizens from apathy and ignorance. Watchdog: a successful gadfly.) Indirectly, this “circumventuous” flapdoodle is right on the mark, as in-the-know citizens well understand. Washoe County got rid of SNCAT in hopes of controlling how and where TV viewers could (or actually could not) see Sam Dehne’s never-ending and ubiquitous watchdogging. Then Reno City Hall did the same thing, for the exact same reason. And then they stuck the citizens way out in cable box cyberspace. (Meetings that were seen on channels 13 and 17 were relegated all the way up to 213 and 217.) On top of that, the budgets of those two bloated and mostly propagandistic entities far exceed what SNCAT’s budget used to be. And the RG-J and most of the rest of media are intricate parts of this disloyal and diabolical scheme dedicated to the (successful) dumbing down of Reno. Thus, ironically Sam Dehne deserves more blame (or is it credit?) for the sad demise of SNCAT than just about all the other citizens added together. Never before have so many bureaucrats feared and envied one person: Sam Dehne. Never. Now Sam is “relegated” to Google and YouTube. A fair reporter would have contacted Sam Dehne … since Sam Dehne was the epitome of SNCAT.

Sam Dehne
Reno

Not light fare

Re “Ultraviolent” (Film, April 22):

A spunky little girl stylistically murdering people in what looks like a music video is distasteful. I don’t consider myself reserved or even particularly sensitive to violence in movies. I don’t often cast judgment on people for their peculiar tastes, and I do not lead a sheltered life. However, I am sensitive to the fact that there is a fetish people have for dressed-up, violent little girls and that mainstream movies are now satisfying that disgusting and stupid image.

Other stupid humor in this movie: A kid jacking off to old people and African tribal women. Some Armenian guy with a history of mental problems.

A joke isn’t funny just because you insert an Eastern European ethnicity. It’s not random unless you don’t know what an Armenian is. If it is funny to you, it’s because of ignorance.

I sent an email to a bunch of friends, and they all agreed with me that this movie is idiotic, and they also thought it was a children’s movie, a PG movie, when they saw advertisements for it. We are all in our mid-20s and found it extremely immature and disturbing. You should read a review that’s critical of this movie because I’ve read some good ones. People understand this movie. It’s not that some people “don’t get it.” I read comic books. Some of my family and friends do. There are differences in the way violence is portrayed in Kick-Ass and violence in other comics. It isn’t satire. You are actually supposed to be engrossed in this movie.

Also, this movie was marketed as a kids’ movie. Most of the trailers on television would appeal to children. I can’t believe this movie is for adults, but it has so many mindless and cutesy elements to it.

Your review is shocking. I can’t believe you are a film critic and like this movie. I’m being honest. I’m not saying I want you to lose your job, but I think you should reexamine what you liked about this movie. A part of me believes you could not have enjoyed this movie.

Richard Louis
Needham, Mass.

SNCAT deserved to die

Re “Community silenced” (News, July 8):

Yep, everyone has an opinion about why SNCAT was shut down.

This article ignores the fact that it was the board and staff and management at SNCAT that drove it into the ground. The city governments in Washoe County reacted to economic conditions and the fact that SNCAT cablecasts a boring, lousy product, poor television production value and had harmful and toxic relations with local city and county governments, plain and simple. Whatever social redeeming values the SNCAT board purported, it was still a television station they used to run, and what is seen on the screen has to be entertaining and resourceful. How do I know? I have been a television management professional for over 40 years (commercial network, public and public access television), I was associated with those SNCAT people as executive director in 2002 and 2003, and now I run an extremely successful Public Access station that is welcomed by the community and the city government with a multi-year, multi-million dollar contract. SNCAT, they have gotten what they created, failure. This has nothing to do with Sam Dehne.

Fred Fichman
Houston, Texas

Wall Street wins

Re “Politics and protection: Two sides of same coin?” (Reviled & Revered, July 29):

In February, the Washington Post’s Center for Responsive Politics reported that Wall Street’s bias toward Democrats is now completely gone, just in time for the new Citizens United rules to give billionaires carte blanche to bankroll Republican campaigns from coast to coast. That will leave “collectivist” interests that represent us non-billionaires out in the cold.

Rich Dunn
Carson City

Last word

Re “A matter of principle” (Editor’s note, July 29):

I did appreciate everything you said in your editorial response. But I still take issue with the decision to print this story [by RN&R staffer Brad Bynum about his tour with a band] because, regardless of the presence or lack of monetary gain, it was still very much a conflict of interest. Honestly, I should not be surprised, because despite your claim, you have covered staff writers’ musical endeavors before, including Brad’s: “Identity crisis,” www.newsreview. com/reno/content?oid=23962. I guess my real issue comes from the newspaper’s tag line: “Your Independent Alternative News and Entertainment Resource,” which essentially is just a long way of saying exactly what your paper has turned into: a fanzine. There’s nothing wrong with that, just don’t get offended when it’s proposed that you’re less than objective choosing your cover story topics.

Austin Anderson
Reno