"There are too many people like him in San Diego"

No Mainstream Media Here

Re: “Angel’s No Angel” (December 10 cover story)

Finally, you guys are describing a military automatic assault rifle — the ones that the mainstream media keep thinking that the public can buy from Big 5 Sporting Goods — like the idiots at KPBS, CBS, NBC, etcetera.

• John
• Campo

Not to Judge a Book By Its Cover or Anything, But...

My wife just brought home today’s Reader, December 10. I looked at your cover story, “Angel’s No Angel.” I read the first two paragraphs, and I saw the picture of Angel and Lydia Lopez.

The loss of Angel is no great loss to the world. Just look at the picture of him with his tattooed throat and chest, and his silly-looking little goatee and mustache, with his backwards baseball cap and dark glasses. Then there’s his silly little twit, Lydia, with her head against his cheek, whoever she is.

It’s no big loss to the world. There are too many people like him in San Diego and in this country.

• Name withheld
• via voicemail

Black and White

I was just reading News Ticker in your December 10th issue ­— the first story, “So 1860s.” I didn’t know that there was a San Diego Black Police Officers’ Association. I figured it would be African-American. Is there a white one too? I didn’t even know Lemon Grove had San Diego police; I thought they were sheriffs.

This thing has racism written all over it.

• Name withheld
• via voicemail

A Little Hippo Goes a Long Way

OMG! I was five years old in 1953 when I heard “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” and pestered my parents for one (Blurt: “Gayla, Matilda, and Norm,” December 9). Bless their hearts they found a board game with plastic animals, including a hippopotamus!

I think I may still know all the words. Thank you, Gayla Peevey.

• Elizabeth Lunn
• Serra Mesa

Too Funny?

Opened up today’s Reader (December 10) and had to laugh. There’s an ad for rain barrels, with a coupon for 10% off. But the coupon is “not valid on rain barrels”! Too funny.

• Renae Carta
• via email

Pimples on the Face of San Diego

Regarding “From Thrift to Spiff,” the current Hillcrest Thrift Trader site that is going to be torn down soon, and FoundationForForm’s plans to build an apartment complex with retail.

First, Hillcrest has a parking problem. I want to know the parking site plan for the new construction. How many units, what retail establishments?

Second, FoundationForForm built a godawful building at the former North Park post office. Really — it makes you wince to see it.

You report that FoundationForForm is now building residences on 30th Street. Could you be more specific about this construction on a street that is already stop-and-go congested, with “sharrows” (gag me), no parking, and stupid bike racks?

I am very interested in how new construction in San Diego is infilling/replacing older buildings with high rise and high density, when central San Diego residential areas already suffer from congestion and lack of parking. The new construction is occurring in historic neighborhoods where the distinctive architecture defines its character and is the draw to the area. When new construction destroys the essence of what the place offers, it creates a tear in the fabric of the place. FoundationForForm seems to be worming itself into these pockets of our neighborhoods and changing the face of the place.

My point is this: Could Reader staff or contributors please follow-up or expand reporting on FoundationForForm? Who are they? From San Diego? What are architectural renderings for their current projects, vis a vis style, adaptation to the neighborhood, opinion from surrounding residents? Did they get any construction variances, contribute to politicians, have a lobbyist, overpay/underpay for these sites? Community ties at all? Neighborhood notices/meetings? Negative feedback that they ignore? Complaints about quality of construction? My hope is to focus the pubic eye on this construction company that is creating pimples on San Diego’s face.

Tangentially related to new construction, what’s with all these condo/apartment complexes sitting on top of retail space? Who wants to live in this type of building? Could a writer interview many residents of these types of buildings to shed some light on why all the new construction is like this? And do people actually like it? I just don’t see wanting to live above, say, a dry cleaner or a burger shop that stays open until 11 p.m., with customers coming and going. I think it would be very disconcerting to have the general public at your front door.

I think the Reader is the most relevant paper in San Diego right now. I wish everyone read it because I think San Diegans are so ignorant of what’s going on in San Diego.

• Name withheld
• Golden Hill

No Cup of Sugar

I have read a lot of articles in your paper about Airbnb, and the effect it is having on neighbors of the rented properties. This is pretty much happening in my very own neighborhood. So, I found it pretty hilarious/ironic/depressing when I saw a realty for-sale flyer today advertising that the property “rents easily on Air B&B.” I’m sure the neighbors are thrilled! (Not.)

• Name withheld
• North Park

Businesses Can’t Survive without Payment

I wanted to thank you for alerting the public about Yelp. It is a monster company.

I was hoping you could also do a story about another greedy, giant company we call Groupon. I know everyone is obsessed with it, which is why people should know that they take 40 percent of the profit after making you offer your service at 50 percent or more off the original price. People have no idea that we make nothing on it — only the hope of getting a new customer.

That would be fine except that people are jumping around from deal to deal and place to place, making nobody any money except for Groupon, and nobody getting new customers even when they are completely happy with what they received.

I try to inform people, and when I do people are shocked to hear it. I would love to see a main cover story about this so that Groupon is exposed, and customers are informed about what they are purchasing. Like Yelp this coupon service has put several small businesses out of business. This everybody-wants-everything-for-free madness needs to stop. Businesses cannot survive without payment.

Another story is this younger generation (college age) ruining everything! There’s no more loyalty (with businesses), they ruined the dating scene (Date? What’s that?), and tipping is becoming a lost art of gratitude.

Okay. I’m done. Thanks for letting me vent.

• Name withheld
• Point Loma