Hello, Dolly

I have to say that I was a little skeptical when I found out that Ask Isadora was leaving City Paper, but your new column is incredible [Paper Doll, Ashlea Halpern]. I like the fact that you dig into personal experience and aren't afraid to dig into anything too sexual.

Welcome to the sex column world. I know one person who will be reading every week.

Dallas Mease
Via e-mail

I've read Isadora, and you're no Isadora. Please stop. We likes [sic] our sex questions.

Jake Mayoffer
West Philadelphia

Ed: Jake, for the joke to work, shouldn't it be "Jack Mayhoffer"?

Dear "Irish" Jimmy Sullivan [Mailbag, "Onward Christian Soldier," Jan. 26, 2006],

Fuck you.

"Not All Irish People Are Assholes" Matthew Sullivan
North Philadelphia

Our thoughts and prayers are with the Penn family at this sad time [News, Underworld, "Losing a Friend," Brendan McGarvey, Feb. 2, 2006]. Chris was much more than an actor. He was a good friend to many.

George [Martorano] and Chris talked pretty regularly on the phone over the years, and he was always advocating for George to get a second chance—which he does deserve.

John Flahive
Via E-mail

Selected posts regarding a hot issue on City Paper's online forums (citypaper.net/forums):

I don't know what Meredith Lindemon expected [Naked City, "No Dianetics for You," Jan. 26, 2006]. She was obviously [at Philadelphia's Church of Scientology] to write a story, and not to seek any self-betterment. I think under the circumstances any religious organization or social club would have rejected her. You don't walk into any church with the intent to write an article about it and honestly seek to join that church.

There has been so much media coverage of Scientology as of late. Meredith was just jumping on the bandwagon hoping to get some readers. I wouldn't take too much offense at being referred to a merchant of chaos, either. One just has to watch the 10 o'clock news to get the idea. This person was murdered, a Washington scandal, bird flu takes another life, Homeland Security increases terrorist level alert, hurricane devastates coastline and the list goes on. The news mostly deals with bad events and controversy. Even an article about Brooke Shields having a second child has to be tainted with the controversy of Tom Cruise's statements about psychiatric drugs. Meredith's article is no different. It concentrates on controversy.

I don't know how large the Scientology church is in Philadelphia but chances are, several people took a course in Scientology that day and felt like they understood life a little better as a result. Obviously, there are good things people feel they receive by doing Scientology or it wouldn't be so big.

Mikie

Good article. A lady with guts.

Nexibello

When someone accuses us of things we aren't doing, you can guarantee that if you look into the accuser's background, you will find a snake pit. That's what happened when we took out the IRS, Eli Lilly and Time magazine, when they got too cocky. Most of the newspapers got wise around that time and stopped printing slander as it was becoming too expensive to print lies.

Kevin Owen

I applaud Meredith for this amusing and informative column. Kudos to this mighty fine Merchant of Chaos.

Mark Bunker

I used to be a [Scientology] staff member more than 20 years ago, and I can tell you no other group wants to bring some sanity to our exhausted planet more than the Scientologists. Simply put, they have the tools to do so.

The real reason psychiatry and all its connected shills, like Big Pharma, hem and haw is that Scientology is making inroads into this area. Thus, you have all these little people foaming at the mouth about this group. They have done nothing wrong except speak up and say we have some answers to a better world.

John Boyer

Correction

The photo accompanying [News, "Was It Worth It?" Feb. 2, 2006] was not of Spc. Adam D. Froehlich. It was of John Kulick, who is featured in this week's issue. City Paper regrets the error.