STOP YOUR WINING

Hey y'all. It's too bad "The Beat Report" on July 14 was wasted on the wining of "post punk crybabies" ("Young, loud, and snotty," July 14, 2000). I was listening to punk rock in the '70s, and I love a lot of Portland music as a whole. Haven't we heard these cries from every generation of music? We all hate shaved head ball cap jocks . . . What's new? So far no band from Portland has made it enough to "sell out." I will line the cat box with this page from the Marvels.

Mike Ness RULES!

Ted Smith, born 7-16-64
Londonderry, New Hampshire

HUD THE HORRIBLE

I work for a nonprofit housing organization in Vermont, and I got a copy of your article "Atilla the HUD" (July 21, 2000) and just had to write. Thank you, thank you, thank you for writing this great article! I've been going through the same problems with the Department of Housing and Urban Development for months now and storm around the office saying the exact same things other nonprofit staff are quoted as saying in your article. Except for working with a handful of helpful HUD community builders, the process of recertification [to participate in HUD's low-cost home-buying program] has been a complete nightmare.

It was so validating to know others are being just as tortured and are just as outraged by HUD's ludicrous demands. And most satisfying was knowing that your article has made it into the hands of those who need to hear it most, and it is having an effect. We have heard that headquarters has had a change of strategy and now wants their staff to work on helping nonprofits get qualified instead of making up reasons to disqualify them. Boy, they're really thinking outside of the box now! So, thanks! You made my day!

Amy Demetrowitz
Burlington, Vermont

THE BIG W

Thank you for putting the spotlight on the Republic Convention ("Silly in Philly" August 4, 2000). Was it just me and my "W"-is-for-Wiener fixation, or did anybody else out there see all those Republicans banging each other all week long on TV with those party-provided red, white, and blue wieners? What was up with that? I don't know about you all but I loved it! Seeing all those Republicans banging those big, long wieners to the music and speeches and to each other! Wow! Then they topped it off with the wiggling worship of his most royal wiener! Almost enough to make me vote for 'em. (Naha, only kidding.)

Tom Connolly
Portland, Maine

(Ed. note: Tom Connolly is a former gubernatorial candidate who believes the "W" in George W. Bush stands for wiener.)

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