Sexy John

I'm writing to thank you for the head-turning cover photo on last week's issue [Oct. 13]. Clearly John Kerry has been hiding his light under a bushel. Friends doubted me when I said I had seen a sexy photo of Kerry, but could only respond with surprised assent when they saw the picture for themselves. Why isn't this photo on the campaign literature? The people have a right to know the truth about our candidates.

Lola Rogers
Seattle

Swift-boating Appelo

Tim Appelo's obvious bias towards John Kerry couldn't be any clearer [Fall Books, "Now We're Playing Pigball!" Oct. 13]. His diatribe, while amusing, is wrought with factual errors and outright lies. I can only conclude that Appelo is a moron, albeit one with an extremely big mouth. Given the opportunity, I would be happy to spit in Kerry's face. He is a man totally devoid of honor, who betrayed his country, his shipmates, and an entire generation of men and women who served in Vietnam. Appelo, on the other hand, is simply an asshole!

Richard Montgomery
Palm Bay, FL

Clean, But Mediocre

Knute Berger is right—corruption Seattle-style doesn't have much oomph to it [Mossback, "Strippergate and Starbucks," Oct. 13]. I came upon it among some of the public service unions and their leadership who telemarket to support their coffers, and among landlord vultures who cater to students, but nothing to compare with a really big city. And I hear from friends that there's a bit of it on the waterfront. Again, very small-time by comparison. However, this is what helps make Seattle and its art scene, especially its main theaters, into a kind of temple to mediocrity. The elimination of the after-hours clubs in the '40s, things like that. The famous troubles of the homegrown 800-pound gorillas, of course, is cause for hope.

M. Roloff
Seattle

Critic's Canon Misfires

Re Rod Smith's review of Tom Waits' Real Gone ["Resident Evil Two," Oct. 13]: I hate to quibble with an overall positive review, but Smith's claim that "Only 'Baby Gonna Leave Me' . . . finds the guitarist [me] venturing into anything even vaguely resembling rock's domain . . . " bugs me.

I make no claims for the quality of my work, but yo: "Top of the Hill" (and its guitar parts) references hip-hop/funk; "Metropolitan Glide" references the JB's; "Hoist That Rag" has boogaloo Latin/R&B/rock influences from Joe Bataan through Santana; "Shake It" references the Yardbirds; and while the exact border between rock and blues is elusive, "Make It Rain" works within a blues/R&B tradition that "vaguely resembl[es]" rock—or to be more historically accurate, that Brian Jones (the one influence Smith places within rock's "domain") worked very hard to resemble.

Moreover, these tunes rock—and if that represents a contradiction with, for example, Latin influence, don't tell Chuck Berry, Los Lobos, whoever wrote "Louie Louie" (technically, a cha-cha), and all the hip-hop artists incorporating Latin riffs into their work this year.

Smith should be careful where he aims that canon—his "domain" excludes much of rock's past and all of its future. In the words of a great rocker, "Open up the window, gimme some air."

Marc Ribot

IKEA Diner Drivel

The readers of Seattle Weekly deserve more than a shopping trip afterthought that regrettably provides us with too much information about reviewer Neal Schindler and simply confirms what the consuming public already knows about cafeteria food [The Nosh, Oct. 13].

The IKEA global success as a home-furnishings destination is unparalleled; their catalog is leafed though countless times during the year in our household, and we make a couple of purchasing trips (86 miles round-trip) annually. The IKEA cafeteria is a customer service and passable. End of story . . . except in the Weekly.

In a town that abounds with some of the nation's best dining, why dedicate precious news space and waste your considerable readership's time on such drivel? Perhaps you might want to consider a little vetting on Schindler's list.

John Robert Hill
Everett

Don't Call It Meritage

"Wines that blend, say, cabernet sauvignon with syrah are called Meritage wines, but don't take it from us, take Purple House's Meritage/Bordeaux blends wine primer" [Food Files, Oct. 13]:

Cabernet sauvignon with syrah should never be called Meritage wine. Blends of two or more Bordeaux grapes (cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, merlot, malbec, petit verdot, gros verdot, carmenere, St. Macaire) may be called Meritage if the winery belongs to the Meritage Association.

Dieter H. Schafer
Hospitality-and- Wine-Education.com
Mercer Island

Like a Fox

For a piece I expected to be biased against our troops, I found Erin Solaro's "Lionesses of Iraq" [Oct. 6] to be one of the best, fairest, and most touching pieces of writing about the Iraqi liberation. If I were not disabled and the military would take me, I would proudly go to Iraq or Afghanistan and give my country, my state, and my alma mater, Skagit Valley College, my all.

I want to commend the Seattle Weekly for being indeed what Fox News says they are: "fair and balanced." You get conservative and liberal viewpoints, all for free as if it's television, and genuine respect for the country and the flag all in one.

Thanks for all you do.

Josef Kunzler
Sedro-Woolley

Not a Master Debater