Letters

Swing Set

Girl talk: I wanted to thank Deb Hipp for her article about Tootsie’s (“Body Snatchers,” February 22.) I don’t go to Tootsie’s often these days, but when I do, I am appalled at the number of hetero couples who have become fixtures.

What bothers me is that Tootsie’s and its management deny any problems with them. In the past, couples have been warned and even asked to leave for harassing the women. I have witnessed this. I hear lesbians commenting about the couples, and trust me, they aren’t being kind. I believe that Tootsie’s will continue to deny any problems as long as the straight couples continue to come and spend their money.

Once again, thank you for addressing this issue.

Name Withheld Upon Request

Kansas City, Missouri

Testosterone test: I enjoyed Deb Hipp’s article about Tootsie’s. I thought it was well written, and I was interested in what she had to say. When I come to Kansas City, I always look for the Pitch because of its attitude. I live in Ohio, and where I live there is nothing like it. I must say we clean the snow and ice off the roads better there, though.

I am a heterosexual man, and as much as I hate to say it, a ménage à trois has rattled around in my masturbatory fantasies on occasion. I would probably run as fast as I could from any encounter with one, but it is a man’s fantasy, and as I said, I am a man. I was born that way. Sort of a birth defect.

That said, the one angle that I think Hipp missed was the lesbians who actually went home with these swingers. I would think that there have to be some takers and actually some who enjoy it. I can’t believe that all women, regardless of sexual orientation, are not interested in group sex of one kind or the other. It’s also true that all men are not interested in a ménage à trois or group sex. Hard to believe, huh? But it’s true. Maybe it’s more about how much testosterone some men have and how little others have. I don’t know. I am not sure I understand swingers, but I also think it’s wrong to assume that the man is the instigator of all ménage à trois activity, though I would guess most of it is.

Alexander Fisher

Swanton, Ohio

Lucky Stiff

Turned on: Casey Logan is a star in the making (“Woody Watch,” February 15). This guy has got the total package; this was a smart way to write about a delicate subject. This is really unfair to the nightlife of Olathe.

Thank you, Casey, for bringing such a delicate problem to light and exposing the truth.

Scott Trupiano

Columbia

Dribble-Down Theory

Rules of enragement: Based on the letters in the Pitch defending JaRon Rush, I just can’t give up the topic yet.

Let’s see. While in high school, JaRon broke the Missouri State High School Activities Association regulations regarding eligibility. He cost his teammates their state championship titles. A post-JaRon penalty cost hundreds of boys at his high school, none of whom ever played basketball with him, the opportunity to play in postseason competition. To my knowledge, he has never even offered an apology to his teammates or to his school.

He misrepresented to his school principal the ownership of an automobile that was being provided improperly to him. He chose to live with a wealthy businessman rather than his family. Do I need to know more?

No one is kicking JaRon while he’s down. He’s down strictly as a result of his own actions. He’s where he deserves to be.

J. David Holt

Kansas City, Missouri

JaRon Rules! Because I am a college student attending a school in the Northeast, my mother sends me articles from the local Kansas City papers in the mail. Though she warned me about this one, I was still shocked after reading the content (Greg Hall’s “Drooped Dreams,” February 1).

Hall glossed over JaRon’s life thus far and pointed out snippets of information that in no way painted a complete picture of Rush’s talent and strengths as an individual. To insinuate that his life and basketball career are over at the age of 21 is appalling. Hang in there, JaRon, life goes on — with or without basketball. Hopefully, though, life will go on without filthy, uninformed articles by Greg Hall.

Katherine Holland

Hartford, Connecticut

A House Divided

The mom trap: In 1986, when I was 4 years old, my mother was dropped off at the place described in Deb Hipp’s story as the (“House of Horrors” January 25). I was left with my grandparents, who insisted on placing her there because she was not taking her medication for epilepsy. She had also just lost her boyfriend and was suffering from a nervous breakdown.

As I grew up without a mother, times were really hard for me. I grew up in group and foster homes. I could never seem to rescue my mother. My grandparents wouldn’t take me to see her. When I reached my teens, I finally ran away from the group homes. And, as I grew older, I always wanted to rescue her from that place.

I came from out of town, and Christine Allen wouldn’t let me visit. When I called, sometimes she said that my mother was asleep. I feel as if I were robbed from having my mom. I love her and care for her so much. It just seemed like when I tried to take her away from there, Ms. Allen said I wouldn’t get her and that that was her home. I even planned on kidnapping her. I always felt like something wasn’t right.

I’m not asking for sympathy. I don’t think Ms. Allen should have her place opened back up because many more people will suffer. My mom and I have grown apart, and I want to have a better relationship with her. She is well and safe now, but I would feel better if she and I were side by side.

I really want to thank everyone who has stuck by my mother’s side, especially Trooper Alex Petigna. As for all the other people who were left in that situation, I cry all the time, and it’s always on my mind. If I ever had a wish, it would be to spend the rest of my life with my mother and family — but mostly my mom. Maybe by my speaking out, people would think twice about leaving their loved ones in there. I really wish I had made the time, because time is running out.

Pamela Harris

Newport News, Virginia

Storm Affront

Burn, baby, burn: Okay, apparently I don’t pay as much attention to the Pitch Tourist Weekly even when I’m actually reading it. I thought I had actually read the February 15 issue until a good friend of mine asked what I thought about Andrew Miller’s article on the Pyro Room (Around Hear). Well, to be honest, I had to go back, and I read about The Hurricane’s “resurgence in recent months because of its decision to make room for some of the city’s most cutting-edge rock bands … on a schedule that had become cluttered with pathetic ’80s hangers-on, limp cover bands and DJ-only nights.”

“Resurgence”? Please! Has Miller been to The Hurricane on a Sunday or Wednesday lately? I doubt it.

“Cutting-edge”? More please! KC has no bands that fit this description — just the same old tired 1994 rehash industro-grunge wannabes that didn’t fly the first time.

If your band can draw a crowd, you will have no problem playing out in this town. Stop crying that you can’t play anywhere because of another (cover) band, unfriendly crowds, a DJ or whatever. Get something worth seeing and you will play. Until then you can enjoy my new original project, Catfight, or just come and get all the Baloney Ponyz or Disco Dick you can stand!

Good luck, and keep practicing!

Curtis Anderson

Riverside

House of Yes

Flea control: I have never laughed so hard as when I read Scott Wilson’s review of the Geddy Lee solo album, My Favorite Headache (Hear and Now, February 8). Mr. Wilson said it sounded like Flea auditioning for Yes. I’m still laughing about it as I’m writing this e-mail. I can just picture Flea at an audition, hunched over, playing “Roundabout.” Thumbs up to Mr. Wilson for his humor and detailed insight.

Mark Westfall

Mission

Sonny Delight

The day the music died: Regarding Andrew Miller’s Around Hear column about Sonny Kenner (February 1): Sonny was a genius when it came to playing what I consider the greatest instrument in jazz music. The man could really unwind and make you fall asleep the second he started playing his music.

Anyone who does not know the music of Sonny Kenner is not a natural-born human being, so drop by your nearest record store and buy yourself some real jazz of Mr. Guitar, Sonny Kenner.

God bless you, Sonny, and I pray that you will play on in spirit when I leave this world.

Tony Lordi

Kansas City, Missouri

Get Bent

The joy of X: I am writing in regards to the recent letters and lies concerning the New Year’s Eve show featuring Everybody’s X and Band X (otherwise known as Bent) (Andrew Miller’s Around Hear, January 18). I was there that night, and I would like to tell everyone that in no shape or form did it come close to being a hostile environment. In fact, there were hardly any people there at all.

I would also like to say to Everybody’s X that if they are going to be man enough to talk trash and lies about other people, then be man enough to write the name of the people they are speaking of. I understand that they were probably afraid of getting their scrawny asses kicked, but come on, let’s be adults here. We are all out of high school!

I would also like to add some good points about Band X, like the benefit shows that they have done, never once asking for anything in return. One show was for a small little girl who was very sick, and the other was for an up-and-coming radio station. So I feel that Everybody’s X should really quit acting like a bunch of whining little girls and should just realize that the reason no one clapped was not because they were told not to; it was because they suck!

I would also like to point out that in one of Everybody’s X’s whining sessions, they apologized to Canvas for the crowd that they had the night of the New Year’s Eve show. Well, how would they know about the crowd? Everybody’s X left right after they played.

Rebecca Burris

Kansas City, Missouri