Letters to the Editor - Sinking August 19 2004

I usually enjoy reading the articles in the Loaf, but was quite disappointed and disturbed with the article “Who is Rob Martinson ... and why do so many people hate him?” (Aug. 12). I wasn’t disturbed by Mr. Martinson, but by the tacky mud-slinging style of Steve Fennessy.

Rather than being an informative article, it appeared as though your writer was venting a personal vendetta against Mr. Martinson, spending more time, energy and words airing Martinson’s dirty laundry of almost seven years ago than telling a newsworthy story. I’m still trying to determine whether the story was about a software developer, a sleazy marketing affiliate, or the idea that if you do drugs, it’ll someday lead to doing spam (yes, that makes about as much sense as your article did).

Your writer explained that Sanford Wallace was the one who was actually responsible for the guerilla marketing campaign, and even says that Martinson was not happy with the way his product was being marketed and issued a cease-and-desist order that “Spamford” ignored. Sounds like the real story should have been about Spamford, not Martinson. I just have a hard time believing this was worthy of a cover story. If you’re having a hard time writing a newsworthy story with meaning behind it, airing someone’s dirty laundry that’s irrelevant to the story doesn’t make a better story, it just makes you look like you don’t know how to write.

You’re sinking to the level of the Star and the Globe, only they write about personalities and topics that people actually care about.

One last comment: When I entered your website to get your e-mail addresses, I became inundated with a countless number of pop-up ads for crap I could care less about. It was absolutely impossible to close the pop-up window promoting screen savers without taking me to the site selling these screen savers. Every time I closed that window, the same pop-up reappeared. You’re no better than anyone you wrote about. Or has Spamford been handling your marketing?

Pat Malloy, Atlanta



Editor’s note: Our website does have a “pop-under” ad that changes frequently, but we’ve had no problem closing the ad when visiting our website. While the ad does change every two or so pages, it does not multiply
the ad changes within the same window.


br>?Looks good on the fridge
[The most recent] Don’t Panic could not have captured more perfectly my recent musing about the latest machinations of the evil empire (News & Views, Aug. 12). Although I cannot wait to read every week’s Don’t Panic (OK, I can wait until after I have finished “Talk of the Town” and my horoscope), this week’s article goes on the fridge.

Thank you for contributing to my decor and my awareness.

-- Allen Garrett, Atlanta


br>?Who’s Randy?
Your piece on [Jacquelyn Howard] was marginal at best (For Art’s Sake, “Exposed,” Aug. 5). It was a great start on a bigger piece about the figurative arts here in Atlanta. I suggest you contact any competent figurative artist to work on that larger piece. And they will all tell you that the male models they work with are professional and courteous, intelligent and physically appealing. Your pathetic agenda to paint male models as randy exhibitionists didn’t go unnoticed.

-- Anthony Melita, Atlanta

?

You confuse me
Please don’t come up with a sequel or prequel to “The Republican Beatitudes” (Fishwrapper, July 22). Although some may have found your article humorous and entertaining, I found it empty and lacking truth.

You say G.W. Bush kidnapped God. Wow, do you really think he has that much power?

You state that the Republicans just want to assault pregnant women who want an abortion. In my experience, I’ve seen that the pro-lifers just want to inform these women of their options in the hope that they will choose to protect the life of their unborn child.

You also made the assertion that John Boswell came to the conclusion (which I don’t know anything about John Boswell or his methodology) that homosexual marriage was accepted, even celebrated, by the ancient church. Well, part of the church in the 19th century celebrated slavery. Just because the church accepts things doesn’t necessarily make them right.

Oh, by the way, holiness is not determined exclusively by whom you love. Jesus said if you love ME, you’ll follow my commandments.

I’m confused. Who has the log and who has the speck in their eye?

-- D. Bartlett, Charlotte, N.C.


br>?You said it, Mister!
Just finished reading your article on the horrid architecture Atlanta has to showcase (“That’s fugly,” July 29) and agree with all the points being made 100 percent. I guess you could say I had one of those, “Now-that-you-mention-it” moments.

-- Matt Antico, Atlanta


br>?Open your eyes
I just had to commend you and the “fugly” experts on this article (“That’s fugly,” July 29). It made for laugh-out-loud hilarious reading and I think, hits city planners right where it should. It also makes me appreciate living intown even more. I only hope city planners and designers will start to take your comments seriously.

-- Greg Gongola, Atlanta

?You spoke my mind
“That’s Fugly” is what I’ve complained about for years, just a whole lot wittier (July 29).

That “Renaissance” subdivision is near where I live. When I saw it, I laughed out loud. Then I cried.

-- Troy Sidle, Marietta


br>?Welcome wagon
Thank you so much for a very funny blurb about my artwork, my new community and my relationship to it (For Art’s Sake, “Summer sizzles,” July 8). I could not stop laughing and my colleagues in the department thought it was hilarious. In regards to the community: I love it here, I am having a great time — I think they like me as I am a generally nice person with, as you noted, some way outside interests.

-- Richard A. Lou,

chairman, art department

Georgia College & State University