;Poser
;I love your paper and read it weekly, but your cover article about the neophyte "climber" who crawls on buildings made me cringe ["Urban assault," July 5]. I was so embarrassed for him, and for all of you.
;;I'm from Colorado and I've climbed for 25 years all around the U.S. and in other countries. There were so many things in this article that made me crazy, but let me be direct. The guy you painted as a "Spider-Man" and a "daredevil" is basically an amateur clown, a showoff hot dog. I have watched these guys come and go "squish" for years.
;;First, "buildering" has been around for decades. Most climbers use it to practice. It's not some new "protest" this dude thought of. And there are many very well-respected "solo" climbers, such as Peter Croft, who climb without ropes. I've climbed 600-foot cliffs without ropes on certain occasions, and I've climbed many buildings over the years.
;;But a first-year "gym rat" who has never climbed a single real rock cliff is a poor choice to portray as the visionary of some "new wave" in climbing. And in the minds of most climbers, the fact he's such an amateur and climbs without gear isn't "spectacular," as your article stated. It just puts him in the silly, "most likely to be a quad" category. I forwarded your story to some of my climbing bros in Colorado and they laughed their asses off.
;;For instance, he snivels that no man has the right to tell him what to do because he's not destroying any buildings or putting anyone else's life in danger. But your article says he routinely pulls brick and masonry off buildings, and even pulled five bricks off from three stories up. Um, not real safe for his "fans" below. While it sounds nice, it's really ;just doing the very thing he says he doesn't ;do: damage buildings and endanger others. Besides, most climbers know the simple techniques to climb without dislodging holds unnecessarily.
;;Also, he says he's not putting his own life in danger, but then describes what he does as "let go and die, or hang on and have a chance at living." So Die Hard–like it's easy to forget it's a total contradiction. Oh wait, I suppose he meant that since he's so "talented," he already knows he won't fall. And it's precisely that type of overconfidence that ends with guys like him flopping around like a fish on the ground after missing a 30-foot landing, or worse. I've watched it over and over. No real climber actually talks like that.
;;While we are on the subject of his personal safety, I noticed he said he needed others to post his bail if he gets arrested. While it sounds so "punk rock," it probably means the dude doesn't have any health insurance, which means the rest of us will be subsidizing his hospital stay with our taxes and premiums. So much for personal responsibility and a "victimless crime."
;;Steve Bush, via the Internet
;;Peeing on our feet
;I had always thought the Weekly was missing some focus on the dance-music community, and your irresponsible scribbling has recently confirmed my discontent with this rag you call a publication. I usually look past the horrid writing and terrible choice of topics, as well as the utter disconcern with anything but the Social and the Back Booth, until today. After reading your article slamming Rabbit in the Moon ["The Rabbit done died," July 5], I found myself wanting to find you solely for the purpose of urinating on your foot and spitting in your face.
;;As a big part of the dance-music community myself, as well as a promoter for most dance events downtown and also one of the opening DJs for the show at House of Blues Saturday with RITM, I am appalled that you would release an article like this four days before a very big and very expensive show.
;;If you don't know what you are talking about (which you obviously don't, citing Rabbit in the Moon as "house" music), then stick to what you know, which I guess is slamming and talking shit about local bands at the Back Booth or the Social, and leave us out of it. Or at least maybe wait until after the show takes place.
;;Peoples, via the Internet
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