A Lease Deal Someone Could Love

Re: “A Privatization Scheme That Might Make Sense—Might,” posted by Mick Dumke, February 23

I want the government to manage my water supply and pick up my garbage. I also want the government to fix the streets and bridges and police the streets and put out fires.

I don’t see why the government should be in charge of hosting conventions.

We can own the building, we can collect taxes on the shows, we can benefit from increased tourism. But it’s not necessary for us to manage the whole operation.

Privatize it.

41st Ward progressive

War Porn

Re: “Recent History: The Hurt Locker: the first post-Iraq Iraq war movie,” by J.R. Jones, July 9

[Kathryn Bigelow’s] film offers a vicarious thrill via yet another standard-issue psychopath high on violence in somebody else’s country where the deaths of a million people are consigned to cinematic oblivion. The hype around Bigelow is that she may be the first female director to win an Oscar. How insulting that a woman is celebrated for a typically violent all-male war movie.

abc

Too New to Review

Re: “Better Bar Food: Eleven gastropubs, from the Bad Apple to the Publican,” by Mike Sula, Martha Bayne, and Rob Christopher, February 18

How the heck did you all miss Revolution Brewing?

Carter O’Brien

Both Revolution Brewing and Longman & Eagle are too new for us to review: Revolution opened February 2, Longman January 20, and our policy is to wait at least four weeks before reviewing rather than, e.g., judge a place that’s so slammed people are waiting more than an hour for a seat, as happened when Revolution opened. If you’re interested, we wrote about Josh Deth’s struggles to open Revolution last year (tinyurl.com/ylrauo4).

I also blogged about it (tinyurl.com/ye3wlc2). We’re not oblivious, we’re just abiding by standard professional guidelines. Reviews of both are coming up soon.

Kate Schmidt

Reader restaurants editor

Mad as Hell

Re: “How open is an ‘open’ council meeting?,” posted by Mick Dumke, February 22

Anybody else noticing a sharp increase in these types of citizenry “mad as hell, and we’re not going to take this anymore” stories, from national to local, and with variations on political affiliations? Politicians of all stripes had better wake the fuck up.

Prescott

I agree. And it isn’t just the right-leaning “Tea Party” crowd either. The left-leaning “Coffee Rebellion” masses are also getting restless. I expect to see many incumbents tarred and feathered on their way out of office in every election henceforth. Good riddance, probably.

Mike Foulks

Iain Burgess, Key Architect of the Chicago Postpunk Sound

Re: “RIP Iain Burgess, Key Architect of the Chicago Postpunk Sound,” posted by Peter Margasak, February 12

Iain produced sessions for my band, Toothpaste, back around ’84 at CRC. The guy obviously LOVED what he was doing, proving that a 24-track analog recording studio was the best playground ever. Years later, I created the open for Ch. 2’s Sunday night “Sports Extra” show and used the Didjits’ “Under the Christmas Fish”—yes, an Iain Burgess recording. That whole album is in the rock ‘n’ roll pantheon, IMHO. So is Pegboy’s Three Chord Monte. Electrifying, as all good rock should be. Whatta bloke.

Alzo

Hell on Wheels

Re: “Wheel of Misfortune,” posted by Cliff Doerksen, February 9

When Toronto Police recently investigated all the bicycle related accidents, they found the cyclist was only to blame in 10% of them, the other 90% were the driver not paying proper attention. Nothing in that old article shows they even tried to determine who was at fault, just made assumptions as people still do now. But facts are more important than assumptions.

cb71

I would like to see the term “wheelmen” revived. Being a “cyclist” or “bike commuter” is ho-hum. I wanna be a “wheelman” . . . but not so much a scorcher.

spicnspan

A Second Chance to Hear Patti Smith

“Re: “Patti Smith Reading 2/21,” posted by Whet Moser

Chicago Public Radio has audio of the Chicago Public Library reading at www.chicagopublicradio.org/Content.aspx?audioID=40188.

jdunlevy

Jack Leb, Light Artist

Re: “He Paints With Light: In the photo lab, Jack Leb turns a negative into a thing of beauty. In his life, as he made his way through the Middle East and across the sea to America, he sometimes had to do the same,” by Nadia Oehlsen, November 23, 2000

Wonderful story. Thanks. I worked for Jack in the late 80s at Gamma and learned so much as a printer and about life in general. My memory is that Jack ran a mini United Nations there at Gamma and treated everyone with respect and grace. All while being a complete badass. He is truly an amazing teacher and I feel lucky to have that experience.

dave allen