Going, going, green

As a former executive member of the Green Party of Quebec, I found that the Mirror's coverage of the party's death was welcome comic relief ["Election gaffe of the week," Nov. 19].

From what one zealous freelancer over at Hour wrote recently, you'd think we're a bunch of earnest circle-wankers (we are). I'm sure a few people are wondering what alternatives were considered before we snuffed it out.

One option was to have the Green Party become the Quebec NDP. This option was well received by those who wanted a federalist, social-democratic party on the ballot. In April 1997, Dimitri Roussopoulos, who is no stranger to Green (and other) political parties, was in favour of this option.

However, the Green party had its share of internal conflicts over these last years. Rather than simply hand the party over to folks for whom some of us cared not a fig--NDPers last year or election-time Greens now--we chose to thumb our nose at electoral politics. Another party may be started by Greens who believe voting can change the system and that democratic involvement is about electing "good" politicians. Meanwhile, the big PQ and Liberal party machines keep grinding on, and the politicians keep belting out more greenhouse gases.

--Bernard Cooper ex-Green Party junkie

Ads should be escorted out

I would just like to tell you guys that you are killing people by printing your stupid escort service advertisements. You have so many and it looks so inviting that people get sucked into it, especially for desperate students that need the cash. The cash is nice, but the consequences are rapes, killings and contracting diseases even when you use condoms.

Well, if you guys are money hungry you will probably ignore this letter. Perhaps you guys are strong corporate bastards who only care about the money you get from these ads.

Just think about it: you are encouraging prostitution, through which many will probably catch HIV because of these ads. If you ignore this plea, you will be killing more young men and women who are strapped for cash.

--"Lissa Here"

Orphan cause

In your article about a day spent with Mario Dumont ["Magical minivan tour," Nov.19], I noticed that you used the term "orphan clause." I study translation and happen to be doing a project on that term. There is currently a debate about whether or not its French equivalent, "clause orphelin," is unacceptable because it is borrowed from English.

The problem is, I've never seen this term in English except when translated from French. I've looked everywhere! Did you translate it yourself from French? Did Dumont use it in English? Or, and this is what I'm hoping, did you find it somewhere in print?

--Anne Chudobiak

[Ed's note: The Mirror is not aware of any alternative to the term "orphan clause"; we took the term directly from Mr. Dumont. Dumont likely uses the term because it characterizes younger employees hired under such agreements as "orphans."]

Sound check '98

Atomic Folk was incorrectly listed as Atomic Foik; Sofa has broken up; the correct phone number for the Cartel is 487-1809; Denise Rachel can be reached at Sonogram at (450) 446-7260. The contact person for the DelMarva Scheme is Paul Bracegirdle, who had this to say: "It is not unusual for my second name to be misspelled. Frequent permutations include Bracegridle, Bracebridge, Girdlebrace or even the Girdling Braces. This is, however, the first time I have had my precious moniker mutilated so badly that it resembled Cargnello."

Suzanne Nuttall wrote in from Toronto with this message: "I'm still happy to be thought of as an honourary Montrealer... The band was listed as a 'sixties group.' Good Gawd! Just for the record, Sue de Nym is actually a soulful, horny six-piece funk band." And from Jim Pfaus: "Thanks so much for publishing the band guide last week. What is the possibility that it could be put online, say, in a form that could continually be updated by bands themselves?"

[Ed's note: There are no plans to update the music directory on the Web site at this time.]

Correction

Last week's feature image-makeover of Quebec's three main political leaders ["The politicians we'd like to see," Nov. 26] incorrectly identified one of the Mirror's fashion panelists. In fact, the freelance fashion consultant who participated in our feature is named Nicole Bordeleau, not Nicole Bouchard. The Mirror regrets the error.