TO THE EDITOR
SEX APPEAL
In 1992, those of us who had supported the
Jerry Brown for President campaign in Lane
County joined together around the banner
“Vote for Hillary’s Husband” in the general
election. Although I am mindful of an anar-
chist tidbit of wisdom, “Don’t vote, it only en-
courages the bastards,” I do vote, selectively.
Last time around I supported my old colleague
from the national Committee for Non-Violent
Action, David McReynolds, running as a
Democratic socialist.
But the prospect of Hillary herself, dam-
aged goods to be sure, but no more or less so
than any major officeholder, that has a real
draw for me. My mother, as a girl, lived in an
America that denied women the vote. To go
from there to Clinton’s lead among
Democratic presidential contenders, within my
mother’s lifetime, gives me hope that the op-
pressive monoculture of power is amenable to
humanizing change.
Women, people of color, immigrant and lo-
cally born youth, progressive geezers like me,
etc., we are the hope of the future, if there is to
be one that avoids the endlessly devastating
impacts of global climate change and swelling
worldwide populations. So, I may vote for
Hillary’s husband’s wife, or not. I wish Dennis
Kucinich had a chance — he has the mind and
the heart.
Paul Prensky
Eugene
PISSING AND MOANING
Dear whiny, disgruntled Eugeneans: What
will you bitch about this week? “¡Ask a
Mexican!”? Dan Savage? Downtown? Sally
Sheklow? Unjust prison sentences for people
you’ve never met? Something new and excit-
ing that you can imagine slights your fragile
little sensitive existence in some way? Or will
you do what most humans are wont to do when
there is no current drama to nibble at — invent
one? Here’s an idea: Every time you feel angry
about some injustice or other, simply go to
your sink and turn the tap. Voila! You have run-
ning water! Get over yourselves now, please.
I have three children — they are 9, 7 and 10
months. And all of them put together on their
worst day cannot generate a fraction of the
piss-and-moan wattage you people are putting
out. And I’ll stop right here and say that if you
find yourself already feeling angry and indig-
nant at this letter, then you are most likely the
kind of person I am talking about. Give me a
break, children! Most of you preach tolerance
(rag it to death, in fact), but are you not the
most intolerant creatures on the planet?
Whenever a new idea crops up, you imme-
diately pop it under your microscopes and
scour it for flaws, PC discrepancies and ways
that it doesn’t jibe with your paradigm in gen-
eral. This being the case, you all must really
hate yourselves, for if there’s one thing you
will simply not put up with, it’s a sanctimo-
nious hypocrite, right?
Every week when I open the Weekly, I see
the same names under the same old whiny
inane drivel. Give it a rest already! It should be
obvious to you by now that it is not possible to
bitch problems away. What happens is you
begin to bitch for the sake of bitching and you
lose any concept of what you think you are
fussing about. Wait. I am bitching right now,
aren’t I? See how easy it is to realize that you
are being a pill?
So, EW, let me make it clear that I love you.
I find your paper highly entertaining and in-
formative, and I cannot thank you enough for
making yourself available to everyone at no
cost. I also ask that while you don’t let these
bell-clangers influence what you print, please
never stop printing them. Because probably
the most entertaining part of the paper is when
I get to read the frothy ravings of a bunch of
angry, petty adult dumbasses.
Rodney C. Cimburke Jr.
Cottage Grove
Health & Wellness Center
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
Yoga for People Who Can’t Bend:
Karen Lacritz , Wednesdays 6—7:30 PM
Begins January 9
Relax & Renew with Meditation: Jude
Kehoe
Mondays 6:30—7:30 PM, 1/21/08—2/25/08
Motion Mantra—Catherine Cowsill
Monthly Saturday classes 9:00—10:15 AM
Yoga with Donna: Donna O’Neil
Mondays 5:30—7:00 PM, Begins 1/14/08
Nia—With Heather McCarley
Tuesdays 7—8:00 PM, Begins 1/8/08
Aromatherapy - Creating a Sensual Mas-
sage Blend: With Sandi Thompson,
Saturday February 2, 2:00—3:30 PM
Goddess Yoga: With Shannon Reeder
Fridays 4:45—6:00 PM, Begins 1/11/08
Massage for Couples and Pairs: With
Mike Jackson & Julie Wolfgram
Thursdays 7—9:00 PM 1/10/08—1/31/08
Little Yogis: With Kelly Merril
Wednesdays 3:30—4:30PM, begins 1/9/08
Free First Sunday Yoga: Shannon Reeder
First Sunday of each month, Begins 2/3/2008
Register for Classes at BodyJaz
2868 Willamette Street 868-1575
More information at:
www.bodyjaz.com
FORESTS AND CLIMATE
Despite claims from NASA, the U.N. and
the British Government’s Stern Review that
logging the world’s forests is the second cause
of climate change (after fossil fuels) — up to
25 percent of human-caused carbon emissions
— we’ve heard hardly a peep from either the
mainstream media or the mainstream environ-
mental movement about the most compelling
reason yet presented to protect and preserve
our remaining natural forests.
Mainly because of the Bali climate summit
in December, we’re finally seeing a few blips
on the radar screen about the need to stop na-
Tickets 434-7000, 868 High St
www.theshedd.org
The Shedd Institute
Tuesday
BeauSoleil
01.22
avec Michael Doucet
At The Shedd
01.22 BeauSoleil
01.31-02:08 Jazz Kings: Well, Git It!
02.02 Chris Smither
02.09 Brazilian Guitar Festival
02.14 The Bad Plus
02.20 Carolina Chocolate Drops
02.21 Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars
02.24 Cadillac Sky
03.01 The Magical Moombah:
Rumbles River Rambles
03.04 Balkan Beat Box
See www.theshedd.org for full listing.
Saturday
02.02
Chris Smither
JANUARY 3, 2008
5