GREEN MEANS... NOOOOO!

HEY PORTLAND MERCURY!!! What the holy... is this shit?? It is 5:12 pm. At 4 pm TODAY, all your lousy Green Lantern screening tixs ARE GONE??? I repeat, WHAT THE... Merc?????

-Angry snubbed reader

TOOLS OF TERRORISM

Your otherwise awesome articles in "The Republican's Guide to Bicycling" [Feature, June 9] failed to comment on the link between automobile drivers and terrorists. The news has been filled for years with reports of deadly car bombs and truck bombs. You never hear of anyone blowing up a police recruiting center or a marketplace with a bike.

-pdxbassplayer

REPUBLICANS ON WHEELS

I'm a [Republican] with a luxury car, bike rack, and two [mountain bikes] that never see the light of day in Portland [because] they're nice bikes ["The Republican's Guide to Bicycling," Feature, June 9]. The only Republicans I know who commute by bike daily have suspended drivers' licenses from DUI. Sometimes, I'm glad Portland is liberal. If Portland was red-blood [Republican], it would dwarf Las Vegas, have a 12-lane freeway with no shoulder, and giant billboards advertising some liberal nonprofit group thanking a nasty casino for its "support."

-posted by rainierman

Until the cycling community and the city officials really start caring about the safety of cyclists, why should I care? The city does not care about their safety enough to require them to wear helmets, and start licensing and ticketing those who do not obey stop sign and red light laws. The laws in the city want to put the safety of the cyclist purely on the drivers' shoulders.

-posted by luckybulldog13pdx

HOME STEADY

DEAR SARAH [MIRK]—Thank you for your fine article about Naomi's [Organic Farm Supply] ["Make Way for the Parking Lot!" News, June 9]. Naomi's is also kind of an anchor to two other new businesses in Sellwood. One is the Portland Homestead Supply, which will be focusing on home crafts like canning, candle making, as well as chicken and goat supplies. Another, the Portland Homesteaders tell me, is a beekeepers' store opening up close by. Another angle is that of a new, unique woman-owned organic farm supply store and nursery going up against a soulless regional corporation trying to open their 450th store. This story is tailor-made for an alternative publication to champion.  

-Russ Stoll

HOTTER THAN LAVA

Doesn't anybody realize that nerds are pretty much invariably hotter than lava in the sack ["Nerd Fears Are Real," I, Anonymous, June 9]? I'm serious... try one on, and you'll see what I mean. Those weird-ass pants with the baggy butts hide some serious nerd junk. You know the old saying: Once you go nerd, you're leavin' the herd.

-posted by Ron

THE DAWN OF A NEW AGE

Fourth Edition D&D is pretty much pandering to the WoW crowd, so I was surprised you didn't make that comparison ["Dungeons & Dragons & Diablo," Geek Out, June 9]. I just started playing with a 4E group in Oakland and it's pretty strange to me how the rules feel like a videogame. Healing surges? Goddamn, I had to scrounge draughts of potions of extra healing for years, and now I can get a quarter of my HP back as a standard action? This ain't no Gygaxian age anymore...

-posted by Absent Mindful

FOR REALS, Absent Mindful, the Gygaxian age is like... so over. Luckily the age of you winning the Mercury's letter/comment of the week is nigh! You get two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!, where the food will give you healing surges for days.