Bravo, Avila

Thanks for your great cover story on improvisational theater in the Bay Area ["Out of Their Heads," 6/2/04]. Robert Avila did a great job of capturing both the history of improv in San Francisco and the current state of affairs. All of us at BATS Improv are thrilled with our role in the development and expansion of the art form and appreciate the inclusion in your piece.

The article does such a good job talking about the thriving improv scene in San Francisco, we were surprised to see that this year's Best of the Bay poll did away with the "Best Improv Company" category. BATS has been proud to win the award for five of the last six years, and we were looking forward to hearing from the audience again.

Thanks again for the article.

John Kovacevich managing director, BATS Improv
San Francisco

Propaganda against Jews

I'm not surprised that the Bay Guardian published an anti-Israel screed (complete with a time and place where San Franciscans will be celebrating in case anyone feels like throwing a few rocks); and since I believe in the First Amendment, I wouldn't have wanted the Bay Guardian not to publish this "ad" [paid advertisement, 6/9/04]. And having published it, the Bay Guardian owes its readers the chance to view a sampling of responses.

The ad's points are exaggerated where convenient and incomplete where inconvenient, but of course accuracy is not the point. It is convenient, for instance, to forget that when Jordan and Egypt controlled certain Palestinian territories, a Palestinian state was never even an option. It's convenient not to mention the role that Syria and Lebanon play in denying the rights of Palestinians so that their plight is all the more pathetic (and of course, more media-friendly). Propaganda against Jews in the Middle East takes precedence over the human rights of all its inhabitants.

Haley Kish
San Francisco

The ketchup caper

With all the eulogizing over former president Ronald Reagan, I can't help noticing the omission of one act that I believe defined his social policy for low- and no-income people.

For the school lunch program, he called ketchup a vegetable (never mind that's a by-product of what is, scientifically speaking, a fruit).

T.J. Johnston
San Francisco

Demand cleaner cars

How is grousing about gas prices every few years with each new run-up in gasoline prices working for you?

When was the last time you, your class, group, or organization asked auto makers to make cleaner-air vehicles? When was the last time you asked others to ask auto makers to make more efficient and cleaner-air vehicles? When was the last time you supported auto-alternative transportation modes for others, if not for yourself?

Tell auto makers (as often as it takes) that you'd like them to phase in existing fuel-efficiency technologies that would as much as or more than double the gas mileage of most cars, light trucks, and SUVs, and would save consumers in reduced fuel costs as much as or more then three times what these technologies would cost to install in new vehicles: (1) continuously variable valve engines, (2) integrated starter-generators, and (3) continuously variable automatic transmissions.

You don't have to wait 15 to 20 years or longer (if ever) for hydrogen fuel technologies to be developed and deployed to keep fuel costs low; these other technologies exist right now. All you have to do is convince the auto industry to take them down from off the shelf and put them in new vehicles for more efficient motoring and a cleaner-air future.

And consider practicing one or more of the dozen or more random and planned acts of carlessnesshood for cheaper gas and cleaner air.

Rand Knox
San Rafael

For the record

Last week's 8 Days a Week preview of the June 16 Bloomsday event at the Mechanics' Institute Library misstated the name of Mark André Singer.

A June 2 editorial cartoon suggested that a "North Beach Gallery" has been closed after attacks over a painting depicting prisoner abuse in Iraq. The gallery in question was the Capobianco. The North Beach Gallery, at Powell and Columbus Streets, is still open and was not involved in the controversy. We apologize for any misunderstanding.