13 minute read
Letters
from July 19, 2012
In the can
Welcome to this week’s Reno News & Review.
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They say you live and you learn. I hope I live long enough to see if that’s true. However, this weekend, I did learn how to can apricots, which actually contained a whole series of little lessons. First, canning uses jars, not cans. They should call it “jarring.”
Second, who even knew that apricots grew in Reno? I didn’t recall ever seeing any before, but as soon as my girl’s tree went ripe, and we picked probably 15 pounds worth of fruit, suddenly everybody started bringing apricots around. They came ripe around the same time as the local cherries, so I’m guessing that, like cherries, they’re about a triennial fruit hereabouts.
Third, I always thought canning was a difficult, even dangerous, activity. Come on. I’m a dude. When the women in Nebraska started canning, generally speaking, we dudes found our ways to the pool hall. Turns out, it’s quite literally easy as pie. It’s analogous to how the womenfolk kicked us men out of kitchens at Thanksgiving then claimed it was hard to cook a turkey.
Finally, and here’s the takeaway for you other folks who will find inspiration to can some fruit with the thought that, if a dummy like myself can do it, anyone can. Canning is fruit, sugar, pectin, apply heat. You can buy a huge 25-quart aluminum pot at Marketon on Wells Avenue for about $17. The next cheapest we saw was around $70. And if you don’t have any fruit or vegetables you want to preserve for winter, this pot is big enough to soak both your feet in.
It’s as though the light at the end of the tunnel is one of those little laser sights on a semi-automatic weapon. Have you voted in our Biggest Little Best of Northern Nevada reader’s poll yet? The poll is still open until Aug. 3. Simply go to our website, http://www.newsreview.com/reno/ballot/bestof reno12.
— D. Brian Burghart brianb@newsreview.com
Are you there Jake? It’s me.
Here it comes, the good news and the bad news for atheists and agnostics. The good news: God does exist, and He loves you. He has proven His love by coming here as one of us and suffering the most incredible torture known to mankind to pay a debt He did not owe, because we owed a debt we could not pay.
Why do I believe this? It’s not just blind faith, but common sense and proof that God does exist. Please consider these things: What holds the stars in their place? What takes the salty water from the oceans, purifies it, and drops it where we can drink it? What about the four seasons, the balance of nature, and the intricate ways our bodies work? Do you think that this was all an accident? If so, your faith is much greater than mine. That’s like throwing a bomb into a junkyard and producing a 747!
How do I know that the Bible is true? History and prophecy. Hundreds of years before His birth, it was written when, where, and the lineage of the birth of Jesus. Crucifixion was described hundreds of years before it existed. Who knew? God knew. Prophecy has come true so far, and still does.
What if you’re right and I’m wrong? What have I lost? Nothing. What if I’m right and you’re wrong? What have you lost? Everything, forever. God loves you so much that He will give you what you desire. If your desire is to know Him and love Him, He will honor that with eternal life in paradise. If you reject Him, He will honor that also, but with a broken heart. God is gracious and won’t force Himself on you. No matter how unfair you think the God you don’t believe in is, He still gives you a free will to choose. Now you know. And here’s the bad news: Now you know. Bo Rapp Reno
Nobody really does
Re “Misused forum” (Editorial, July 12):
It’s not often that I agree with the political commentary of your newspaper, but this time you hit the nail on the head. There is no question that the mayor violated his public duty as the mayor of Reno and perhaps his oath as well. What seems difficult to understand is that the mayor was not cognizant of this public relations blunder. Amayor as well as any other politician on city, state and national levels should always be willing to face the music of his constituency especially on those few occasions that are required by law or tradition. Mayor Cashell, you owe the citizens of Reno an apology for failing to perform this duty.
Fred Speckmann Reno
It’s like rain on your wedding day
Acaptivating read, Jake. From the first word to the very last, you had my mind a willing prisoner. I applaud your passion, it really comes through in the writing, and we all know how arguments really shine when there is an ax to grind. I especially enjoyed the part where you began to laundrylist the evils done in the name of religion, or the atrocities committed by the religious. No self-respecting atheist would stoop to that kind of inhumanity. By the way, Josef Stalin was a great man. I, too, think it is silly how these people read their “holy books” only to confirm their sorry beliefs.
It always excites me to see Science pitted against Religion—the two of them being utterly incompatible. Now that would be the pay-per-view event of the ages. I can see it now, Sir Isaac Newton in the Science corner against Sir Isaac Newton in the Religion corner! Perfect match-up. I understand how we have to admit that there were some great minds throughout history who did happen to be religious men and women. But I am glad we can attribute that glowering hole in your argument to their own failure in reasoning. They were great minds, but ours are even greater. It is a great thing, Science. The answers to all the mysteries of the universe at our fingertips! And that’s how we know God is not real, right? Because Science. As a hardcore believer in everything you had to say in your article, I have faith that we will show these pre-literate extremists what it is to present an argument based on reason and fact. It is obvious, if there was a God, anyone, anyone, could discern the truth of His existence, and His presence in their lives. But because He doesn’t, it is up to you and me and the internet (which I can’t see and don’t necessarily understand, but accept its presence because of its huge impact on my daily life) to spread the good news. And the good news? Oh, we don’t matter. We are made of matter, but ultimately we don’t matter. We’re all just a happy accident in a vast universe that cares not a whit what we do. Alexander Karcher Reno
Jake’s folly
Jake, I have thought heavily about your article. There is an underlying anger towards anybody religious. It is safe to assume that your views come from the way you were raised and people from your past. It is sad that you are using this to maliciously attack religious people. Making a general statement that “Christians” are all uneducated and foolish for their personal belief is foolish in itself. Why can’t you allow people to live the way that they choose? Is this article an attempt to create your own following of people? People who slander and attack anyone religious. To beat down a person for who they are and what they believe is exactly what is wrong with our society and our entire world.
You are that angry man who divides people. You are turning people against people. Obviously, a religious choice has nothing to do with education. Obviously, just because you are atheist or just because you are Christian doesn’t make you good or evil. I hope that you rethink your argument and see the harm that your words cause. In addition, I have a feeling that you have a large number of people praying for you!
Jessica Estes Reno
Food for thought
Re “Family values” (Arts & Culture, July 5):
The author moans about the choices offered for kids’meals and then asks, “Why not offer half orders of regular menu items?” Many restaurants do offer half orders, but they charge 70 percent of the price. If you are looking to save money and give your child a wider variety of food experiences, it might be better to just order a meal for yourself and ask for an extra plate.
Karen Marie Sparks
Don’t stop believin’
Since I don’t know everything there is to know about the universe, I believe the Earth will turn into a pumpkin at the stroke of midnight. I also believe there are magical wombats living under my bed. I believe psychics know the future and that all so-called scams are legit. I’ll leave the door open for talking pigs and toads that drive fancy cars. The more ludicrous, the more I’ll believe in it. Including God, whom I think was created by the burps of a herd of gassy unicorns.
Larry Taylor Reno
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THIS MODERN WORLD BY TOM TOMORROW
One vision for downtown
From coast to coast, New York to Los Angeles, Reno is thought of as a latrine. That is the nation’s perception of our beautiful city. At least, that’s the takeaway message from the feature stories that ran Sunday in the New York Times, “With Gambling in Decline, a Faded Reno Tries to Reinvent Itself,” and the Los Angeles Times, “Nevada isn’t a sure bet for Obama.”
We’ve written about this a hundred times, and this isn’t the kind of validation we needed, but let’s talk about it again, and again, we’ll propose our solution.
Downtown Reno is the most memorable thing most tourists see in Reno. Since the vast majority of people who visit stay in hotels, and our hotel rooms are primarily downtown, it is a necessity. Downtown Reno is the first and last impression people have of our town. They may see the mountains, lakes, river, suburbs, ski slopes and biking trails in between, but the first and last impression they have of our town is of a toilet: at least 13 closed hotels, businesses and casinos downtown; drug dealers, panhandlers and wastrels; and of the open casinos, at least two appear to be siphoning out the last of the profits and not maintaining or upgrading their properties before they pull out of town.
And that’s those property owners’prerogative: Take the money and run. But it is not the prerogative of Renoites. We have choices, but as long as our elected officials are carrying water for the casinos instead of for us, things are going to continue to deteriorate.
If Reno wants to represent itself as an outdoor destination, an outdoor destination must be the predominate impression visitors have of Reno.
If Reno wants to represent itself as a haven for highend businesses, a haven for high-end businesses must be the predominate impression visitors have of Reno.
Both these impressions have the same solution, but it seems our elected officials are too cowardly to take it: Shut down Virginia Street from the south side of Sixth Street to the river, leaving Sixth, Fourth and Second streets open to east-west traffic. Make Sierra and Center streets two-way traffic. Put a layer of soil down on the closed streets.
Does anyone believe Apple is going to tolerate traffic not being able to reach their downtown operation because of whatever “special” event is going on that week? They will not. Having Second, Fourth, Sixth, Sierra and Center streets open at all times will alleviate this fundamental business infrastructure issue.
And then what? How about grass, trees, flowers, shrubs, shade, bicycle access, walking paths, and subtle emergency access? How about gas-lit lamps for evenings, or a fountain like the one at the theater in Sparks? How about a beer garden or a patio for coffee consumption? How about a stage and amphitheater on that pad over the train trench or turn the stage at Harrah’s toward Reno’s new Central Park? The casinos could have much improved “special” events from now until the zombie apocalypse.
These improvements would cost one-tenth, if that, of what it cost to redo Virginia Street this spring.
The New York Times and the Los Angeles Times could not see the simple fact that most of Reno was built and rebuilt in the last 20 years and not faded at all. By necessity, they looked at the only faded part of our city and reported the truth. Just as tens of thousands of bowlers will return home and report the same thing. Why?Because it’s the truth.
But it doesn’t have to be. Ω
How would you change Reno?
Asked at Michael’s Deli, 628 S. Virginia St.
Tim Carter
Merchant I’d make it easier for street performers to just show up and perform. Quit charging people a hundred bucks for a permit so they can stand on the corner and play a guitar.
Michael Carter
Student I think the [Sierra] Spirit bus should come down to Midtown. There’s a lot of fun things in Reno, but the Spirit bus won’t get you there.
Nancy Cisneros
Hospital patient advocate I think maybe improve some of the parks for the kids. Maybe change some of the material they use. It gets really hot outside on the kids’bottoms when they go down the slide. Maybe upgrade the equipment. More grass, also. Gravel isn’t easy on my little boy’s sandals, and that’s uncomfortable for him, or if he falls. More grass and upgrade the toys.
Bob Howell
Retiree I’d like to see the planning commission actually plan something. I’d like to see clean streets, few panhandlers, and basically a cheerier people.
Charles Robinson
Construction worker Drinking laws. I lived in Vegas, and it wasn’t a problem to walk down the street with open containers. We should have the same law here in Reno.
