WHERE THERE’S SMOKE THERE’S IGNORANCE

DEAR MERCURY—To Mandee, the smokin’ vegan who is only
comfortable hurting herself [“A Cry for Help,” Letters, Jan 10]: Please
get off your high horse for a brief reality check. You claim to
minimize your footprint by riding a bike. At the same time, you
provide direct support to one of the vilest institutions in the history
of capitalism: the tobacco industry. Your continued financial aid
perpetuates decades of misinformation, denial, and predatory
advertising, often aimed at children, women, and the poor (to say
nothing of the environmental consequences of growing and processing
tobacco, and manufacturing its many chemical additives). This has
in turn directly resulted in the deaths of untold thousands of
people. If you want to smoke that is fine, but to claim you do so
in a bubble is the paragon of ignorance.    

 Grant

BORING BOULEVARD

DEAR MERCURY—Nice article [“Jacked Up,” News, Jan 10].
The same thing is also happening down the street with my store, Home
Ec. The building was recently bought by a greedy development company.
And they are raising our rent by almost 50 percent, which we, as a
small business, cannot afford. Developers do not care about our
neighborhoods and what makes them great and unique… they only care
about money. The only people who can afford the jacked-up rents
these bastards are imposing are corporate chain stores. Hawthorne
is quickly becoming another NW 23rd, and will be soon filled with
boring, sterile, cookie-cutter yuppie shops.

 Blackie, Home Ec.

C’MON, TELL US

GREETINGS—Latest article was great [“Get a Room!” Feature, Jan
10]. Been living by myself now for over a decade in my dark-as-a-cave
apartment, which I can sleep so smoothly in. Nice to know any dishes in
the sink are mine, and it is not causing a problem for anyone else. One
reason people are so fussy over who they share living space with is
because if they get the wrong person in there, it can have a hellish
impact on their daily life.

I’ve had to endure loads of stuff left over from previous tenants,
sometimes including pregnant animals. I’ve had people stealing my
food, cats messing up my artwork, roommates playing with guns when they
drink, roommates scamming landlords, landlords scamming tenants, sewer
overflow-flooded basements, an entire basement [used] as a cat box, the
list goes on and on. In all fairness, people living with me have had to
put up with my crap. My dirty habits, my noise. People calling in the
middle of the night, my vomit in the bathtub in the morning. Your
magazine should sponsor a contest with a prize for the worst
roommate story. I know of one that happened to the coworker of a former
friend of mine. It is really too horrible to tell people. But I’d be
curious what others have to say. 

Chris 

THE OTHER HALF

DEAR MERCURY—Great story [“Get a Room!” Feature, Jan
10]. Now you should have Jennifer Furniss do one from the other side:
from a homeowner who has had to deal with the freaks on craigslist,
along with the roommates from hell. One guy had held up a
bank. One renter spent three days naked in bed and hard, with the
door open, when he was supposed to be in court for beating his
woman. I could write a book. I had no idea of what I was getting
myself into when I started renting a room.

Walt

WE’RE SNOTMIMES(!?)

DEAR MERCURY—Dark Lord is missing the point [“Dark Lord
of Error,” Letters, Best of ’07 Edition, Dec 27]. If King left
Gorgoroth months ago due to ideological conflicts within the band, then
Gorgoroth would have already replaced King with Jimmy Horncleft of the
Tustin Toiletheads. Dark Lord don’t know metal. Rooting for
Infernus while burning on a warped drip torch is too benign for such a
sporangiophore like Dark Lord. He better check his ledger if he is
going to be badmouthin’ the Snotmimes in the Mercury. I say piss
off—if you have a full bladder!

Mentalenema2000 

CONGRATULATIONS TO MENTALE- NEMA2000 for inscrutably
defending us against Dark Lord’s earlier suggestion that we “hang on a
crooked cross.” For this act of heroism, Mentalenema2000 gets two
tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and No Fish! Go Fish!, where you can
order your food rare, medium, or burning on a warped drip
torch.