Bitch Out
Trash day: This is in response to Brooke Hawkins’ letter “Pool Sharks” (August 21). I have never been to the adult pool at Oceans of Fun, and I am not even an overweight lady who wears a thong, but what kind of pompous bitch writes a letter and makes comments about “overweight women” and “local trash”?
I don’t live in the Northland either — but stay in OP, Brooke.
Name Withheld Upon Request
Pummel Horse
Test your mettle: The guy in Casey Logan’s “Metal Mania” (August 28) appears to have been looking for a fight. He had no reason to approach the men and ask them to repeat the comment.
In a jury I would only find the youths guilty — not the corporation — but I would find Fuller 75 percent to blame for going after the youths.
BTW: I wear kilts.
BTW2: My iguanas prefer to poop on your paper 2 to 1 (3 iguanas). Then I “pitch” it into the proper container for this kind of paper.
David P. Woods
Shawnee
Clothes-minded
Tan lines: I just finished Ben Paynter’s “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful” (September 4), and the details of the Abercrombie & Fitch chain are chilling. It was appropriately Patrick Batemanesque to give outfit descriptions of the people interviewed, who, themselves, had an un-Batemanesque decency in regard to how they were being used and expected to use others.
The one time I walked into an A&F store, I remember everyone being tan, really tan. But they don’t hire people of color. That’s bizarre. And a little sickening.
Good work!
Melina Neet
Kansas City, Missouri
Bad fit: Thanks for writing “Don’t Hate Me Because I’m Beautiful.” I never read the cover story, but I read this one. I think it’s my first. I’ve always seen Abercrombie this way, and it’s great that there’s some real justification for my distaste for their bland interests.
Miles Bonny
Lawrence
African Studies
Oil slick: Interesting story on the plight of the local Sudanese and Somali settlers in our community (Kendrick Blackwood’s “Out of Africa,” August 28). Many of them come here as part of a U.S. State Department program that helps them flee the repression of the Islamic extremists in control of the Sudan government in the northern part of that country. The northern part of the Sudan has oil, so the extremists control it. If they want slaves, they go to the southern part and steal children and women and use them up north.
But there is hope. A new nonprofit organization called Jump Start Sudan (www.jump-start-sudan.org) makes missions back to the Sudan with food, clothing and medical supplies collected, ironically, by Kansas City Sudanese refugees. And just recently, many longtime residents of the Kansas City community, including Hearttoheart.org, have donated money and medical supplies.
I will be carrying one of two suitcases, donated by H2H, to the Sudan in September on behalf of Jump Start Sudan. It will be filled with medicine for the village of Akon, a place with one doctor, one clinic with no supplies, and 90,000 residents. Jump Start Sudan is still in need of donations, but Heart to Heart deserves a big pat on the back!
Bill Williams
Kansas City, Missouri
World beat: I’ve been reading about the civil war in Sudan, which is unbelievable and extremely brutal. In your article, the young Sudanese and Somalis seem to be reenacting the same story that the European immigrants to this country lived through.
Consider the attitudes and values our grandparents or great-grandparents brought with them and the kind of work they had to do (butchering meat, loading up trucks). What interests me most about the story is that here in the Midwest we have an oasis of world cultural diversity — especially in the Northeast — and yet, in many ways, the Northeast is one of the most depressing areas of the city.
These new immigrants can breathe new life into a grand old part of the city and create the world they want to live in rather than accepting it in its current neglected state.
I think that the city of Kansas City and investors should do everything they can to encourage the growth of immigrant business in that sector of the city to create an asset for the city at large in the form of a culturally rich, walkable, livable district.
Name Withheld Upon Request
Whip Smart
Walls of Jericho: I would just like to say that Casey Logan’s “Touchy Stuff” (August 21) on Contra Naturam was very unfair to Jericho. He left him no chance for rebuttal and gave his members maybe one quote.
Being a member of the troupe, I would just like to say in Jericho’s defense that he has my full and complete trust and has never hurt me in any way that was not safe, sane or consensual. Maybe Logan should have asked us instead of asking the FORMER members of the troupe.
Name Withheld Upon Request
Slash and burn: 1. Jericho has never claimed that Contra Naturam originated the fetish scene in this area. A correct statement would be that we originated the high level of fetish performance in this area.
2. Famine knew full well that there was going to be a picture of him in the University Daily Kansan — a staff photographer took the picture! To get upset later when his bosses found out is just pure stupidity.
3. Jericho has never claimed to build the Web page. Famine did. (And my, what a horribly tacky job it was, I might add.)
4. The few fliers Famine made had to be redone due to his lack of talent.
5. Sterling’s claim that she was cut by a hot knife is misleading. Jericho did the same thing to me, except on my neck. The only reason it scarred was because it was hot, and it definitely didn’t hurt. A month later, my scar was gone.
6. There are NO safety issues at our shows. We don’t take chances on the things that are important. We have also taken the precaution to have a registered nurse on hand at all times, just in case the unthinkable happens.
Yes, we put on a damn good show, but we take care of the safety issue first. We take our jobs seriously and this is how Contra Naturam has risen above and beyond the rest.
Ion
Contra Naturam Fetish Theatre
Lawrence
Editor’s note: Ion might want to reread Jericho’s very unequivocal claim to starting the local scene: “Contra Naturam created the fetish scene in this area. While I don’t expect people to jump on the bandwagon … I do think it is rude to pick up an idea, look at the people who originated it and spit on them.”
Kitchen Sink
California dreaming: Hahaha! And I thought it was just ME who had a few issues with California Pizza Kitchen (Charles Ferruzza’s “Pizza Haute,” August 14).
I used to go to these places when I was traveling and checking out our mall accounts. I figured they were the lesser of all evils offered in food courts. I’d be famished, the food would come out looking quite nice, then — zzzz.
He’s spot-on about that corn soup, though. I’d always get a cup of that with a salad. I’d risk the Thai chicken pizza every now and then. (Is that still on the menu? It’s been years.) It would remind me of the one they did at the old Classic Cup on the Plaza. Other times, I’d just chastise myself for knowing better.
Anyhow, thanks again for the giggles.
Linda Fleischman
Kansas City, Missouri
Bar Stool
Frozen assets: Whoa — Jen Chen was way off on her La Cocina review (Night Ranger, August 28). She is right that Wednesday is the best night, but she is wrong that the margaritas are crap. Her first mistake was going with a frozen margarita. Any margarita aficionado who knows anything knows that on-the-rocks is the only way to really judge a margarita. Another thing she really missed is the great food. I think you will be hard-pressed to find more authentic Mexican food in the entire country.
I hate to admit it, but I am a bit happy to see her terrible miscalculations, because it will keep our Wednesday night crowd just the way we like it.
Cori Culp
Prairie Village
