The City cartoon, printed on the same page, purports to be an "update" of failures in the War on Terror. It deserves a similar fisking. The first panel claims that "so far, we've managed to kill three times as many innocent civilians as al-Qaeda killed on Sept. 11...." It's appalling enough that Derf sees fit to determine anybody's "innocence," but worse that he delightedly compares the months of our liberation efforts on multiple fronts to al-Qaeda's body count on a single day.
Moral relativism at its finest.
Actually, this summer, fewer humans died in the sweltering war zone in Iraq than French elderly died in their apartments due to the typical compassionate nonintervention of the French government. One might imagine that's almost not funny enough to make Derf's comic strip. No, only this country can do wrong.
If Bush's "regime" was so awfully repressive, how would this bedwetter's factually inaccurate crap see print?
Maureen Lawlor
Kansas City, Missouri
But I find it amusing that the same Pitch that blasted Abercrombie & Fitch for hiring only "good-looking" people (Ben Paynter's "Don't Hate Me Because I'm Beautiful," September 4) is the same Pitch that tells us to go to a certain McDonald's because it has "hot Brazilian men" and names the "Best Hottie on Channel 2" as well as a myriad of other completely vain (yet funny) titles ("Best of Kansas City," October 9).
I've got another in-depth story for you to cover. Apparently, there's a "restaurant" in KC that only hires hot girls and puts them in tight tank tops and even tighter orange shorts. Where's the outrage? And, I hear that strip joints hire only hot women. Well, good strip joints, anyhow.
Brian Boye
Lee's Summit
Dude needs to grow up and stop blaming some ex-wife! Pitiful.
Name Withheld Upon Request
Johnson should have more clearly defined exactly how much Mr. Silverman makes from this operation. He does not live in a million-dollar home, drive a Mercedes or decorate his family with many frills. They are upper-middle-class and are active in the community. If UMB would take a chance on the same clientele, there would be no reason for Mr. Silverman to charge the rates that he does. The other side of the coin is that if Mr. Silverman was not there to help Ms. Lewis, where would she be with her salary cut? Perhaps with no home at all. We need to look at the "big picture" before we condemn someone who is actually a very decent human being.
Steve Williamson
Kansas City, Missouri
But over the last two years, Ferruzza has softened, and he seems to have moved away from that mocking and self-aggrandizing tone. Instead, he has been writing columns that showcase his considerable talents. Ferruzza knows food, and his writing informs his readers about cuisine in a sophisticated yet understandable manner. Even those of us with undeveloped palates can appreciate his perspective and can make better dining choices because of his recommendations. He places local restaurants in historical and spatial perspective, reminding his readers of how local neighborhoods and architecture have changed. Similarly, he enlightens the reader with culinary histories ranging from discourses on Italian delicacies to the food staples of Americana. Ferruzza also seems to realize that venues for food and drink are inseparable from the processes of urban redevelopment that Kansas City so desperately needs; when he showcases urban restaurants, a subtext is included that says our city has something to offer.
So thanks, Charles, for a great column. And by the way, I never wear Tevas and white socks anymore.
Ed Scanlon
Kansas City, Missouri
Art Director Doug Kubert dominated the Midwest in the 2003 contest put on by Print, the national graphic-design magazine. His covers for the issues of June 20, 2002 (designed around an illustration by Brian Stauffer, depicting the victims of failed plastic surgery), and August 29, 2002 (Kubert called on local artist David Terrill to illustrate a story about a KU girl gored during the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain), were named Regional Annual Winners. And his layouts for "Jacking Around" (a February 7, 2002, story about lawsuits and investigations dogging the Lone Jack Police Department), "Lover's Leap" (a March 28, 2002, story about a near-murderous romance between skydivers) and "No Contest" (an August 1, 2002, story about an elderly doctor charged with rape) were all named Regional Annual Winner/Feature Spread.
The Pitch also took home several plaques after the Missouri Press Association's annual awards banquet on September 27. Competing against other weeklies around the state, Kubert won first place for Best Newspaper Design and second place for Best Front Page. Writer Deb Hipp won first and second place in the feature story category (for "Feminine High Jinks," August 22, 2002, and "Adventures in Tight Lacing," January 9, 2003, respectively). Joe Miller earned top honors for Best Young People's Coverage (for "La Familia," January 23, 2003) as well as for Best Coverage of Government (for "Money Changes Everything," July 25, 2002; "The Eternal Question No. 1," October 24, 2002; and "Smell of Success," March 6, 2003). He also merited an honorable mention in the same category for "Nace Baiting" (February 13, 2003). Casey Logan nabbed second place in the Business Story category (for "Little Blight Lies," July 11, 2002). And Allie Johnson earned honorable mention in Investigative Reporting ("Hell on Wheels," September 5, 2002).
All of these winners live forever at pitch.com.
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