On this week's Mercury Letters page, we dive once again into the mind of our readers and find... GOLD! No, just kidding. But we do find some hurt feelings and misinformed rage.

—So, it may be reasonable to assume that James Taylor wrote "Sweet Baby James" about himself, and that would make him kind of an "asshole," but Rick says that's not true and that Music Editor Ned is an "asshole" for thinking that, and thus the "asshole" cycle of life continues unabated. All is well.

—Brian isn't the only one to say something to this effect regarding the recent shooting at Reynolds High School, but it bears repeating: "Whether it's the NRA, the videogame producers, the psychiatrists, or the media at fault... will somebody please grow a pair of balls and stop this shit?"

—There are questions about a highly paid consultant's bill to the city, and, uh, "Saint Johns Flasher" doesn't think he should be surprised, considering "city employees are subject to dismissal for fudging on their overtime." Fair's fair.

—Discussion of the weirdly perma-barricaded sidewalk under the Burnside Bridge inspired some pontification on homelessness by wolkenkaiser, who paints a picture of "liberal fools eagerly erecting turnstiles for their bedraggled poster children to spin through."

—Keith's not satisfied with the recent victory for marriage equality in Oregon. He wants group marriage, and he wants it now!

—And finally, Alex is a woman on a bike who commutes on the Springwater. Our call to make cycling more appealing and our look at how camp cleanups are being handled on places like the Springwater created some conflict for her: "I have seen guys at camps yelling obscenities, making intimidating gestures, and once: pants down/dick in hand... Can you not see that cleaning up the camps would make biking safer?" We can! And as News Reporter Dirk Vanderhart explains, "our story only questioned why Portland Parks and Recreation isn't cleaning up the Springwater in the way the mayor's office said those cleanups would be carried out. No one wants dangerous behaviors to thrive out there."

Letters: Write one, will ya?