Fish Pissed, but thankful

Re: Alastair Sutherland's column about Fish Piss magazine ["Shooting Fish Piss in a barrel," Media Circus, May 15]: When you mention that parts of Fish Piss are "ill-informed," I take it you're referring to my ranting about the continued blind devotion of our government to the "global economy," etc. Perhaps you should know that I work as an administrator for one of Quebec's largest multinational corporations. For years now, I've been carefully studying information which your journalists would simply drool over. I can't help but think about how this company endlessly raises its profits while completely ignoring the effects this has on the people and the environment surrounding our skyscrapers. When I think of the complete ignorance most activists (and journalists) demonstrate of the evil corporate power-mongers who are my bosses (they're more like neurotic old men), I'm doubly compelled to publish my writing about it. I know that my (or anyone else's) writing could stand to be more effective in changing these things, but I resent seeing it described as being "ill-informed."

As for being "self-indulgent," I know a lot of people either without jobs or stuck with a shitty one they don't like, and they also resent our government which, at its federal, provincial and municipal levels, serves business before it serves us, even though we pay their salary with every taxed nickel we spend.

I'll keep writing about this situation as long as we're still stuck in it. Even though "corporations ruling the world" sounds like a cliché by now, it's still true. If you don't care about it then you shouldn't write about it.

Nevertheless, I do appreciate that you passed on your enthusiasm for the rest of the stuff in Fish Piss. All our writers, comic artists and I thank you for it.

Louis - Fish Piss magazine

Fish meat is mother of all murders

Just finished reading your resto review of Les Remparts ["New in Old Montreal," May 22] and saw the new summary section at the end. To your critic, Paul Johnston, let it be known that "fish dishes" do not qualify as "vegetarian friendly." If it has a mom, vegetarians won't eat it. Otherwise, they are not vegetarians.

Karla Saltiel

Prosecute hate, not fetishism

Regarding your article on dominatrix Sylvia Wahl ["Fetishist flees," Dog bites, May 22], it's interesting to hear that Canada's Immigration Department considers a fetishist getting into the country a danger but Ernst Zundel, a purveyor of hate, is left unbothered for years and years. What kind of minds are running this country?

Bill Carlson

Look what you've done to my fries!

I was totally blown away to read in the Mirror's Best of Montreal issue [May 8] that McDonald's fries were voted number one. I couldn't believe that Montrealers, living in a city with some of the best fries around, would vote for an American fast-food chain serving cardboard copies.

What happened?! Has everybody gone fast-food brain dead, or did they put something in those fries?

Sarah Neaton

An uncured sickness?

Prevention is the best way to avoid disease; information is the key. Two anecdotes:

1. Two years ago, I requested that the Dorval library order the magazine L'Aut' Journal (there was even a way to receive it free of charge). I believed that this document would have given a different angle to reality in addition to the available literature. My request was refused on the basis that it was a separatist and left-wing publication. Being a few weeks away from the referendum didn't help.

2. Coincindentally, at the same library, a few weeks before the general election, citizens are being asked to sign a petition requesting partition in case of sovereignty.

Do people in the West Island still believe that AIDS can be caught from a doorknob?

J. F. Gagné

Corrections:

In last week's 3 a.m. Eternal, we wrongly assumed that rave promoters Shock and Fogel Sabourin are linked by contract. The two promotion companies are in fact not contractually connected.

In the May 15 issue, the cartoon that appeared in the Media Circus column about Fish Piss magazine was not credited to the artist, Rick Trembles.

The Mirror apologizes for the errors.