Exposed

Kathy Price-Robinson's article, "A Room With a View," Oct. 31, was wonderful to read. I am a trompe l'oeil artist and it's always great to see new ways to use this form of art. While remodeling is one aspect, we can camouflage electrical panels, bad paint jobs, exposed pipes or vents or any other eyesores inside or outside the home. Thanks for keeping us artists working. LINDA KLEIN Northridge

In "Booster Shots" ("Stats II, Feb. 9), you printed a brief description of our Rocketdyne cancer study. The article contains misleading information that was inappropriately interpreted, and it failed to report the major findings of our investigation. The goal of our study was to estimate the effects of occupational exposure to ionizing radiation on the risk of dying from cancers among nuclear workers at the Rocketdyne division of Boeing North America. The article points out that the proportion of all deaths due to cancer in our worker population was approximately the same as the proportion of deaths due to cancer in the general U.S. population.

Thank you for running the cover story on Octavia Butler ("Out of Sight," by Pamela Warrick, Oct. 18). When it comes to acknowledging writers who manage to avoid falling into predictable categories, there can never be enough in print. This one well-placed article will result in Butler's talent being exposed to millions of potential readers, something even a MacArthur grant could not accomplish. Barbara Yablon Maida Thousand Oaks

Decent parents should not allow minor sons to enter the military if homosexuals are admitted. And young men approaching the selective service age should consider whether they want to be exposed to being drafted into a homosexual military. Perhaps President Clinton, a '60s draft evader, will understand these words of civil disobedience: Hell, no, we won't go! RALPH W. BALLMER Escondido

At the risk of sounding immodest, I am a man of the theater. I have been exposed to theater in many great cities of the world, notably New York, London, Paris, Berlin, etc. I know great theater when I see it. I also know mediocre theater, as well as poor theater. Philip Brandes was charitable with his review of "The Cat's Meow" at the Coast Playhouse (Theater Beat, Oct. 31). For my money, it plays like something out of a community theater or college production. I know I'm in trouble when the highlight of a production is the changing of the sets.

The article was as far off base as some of the group's predictions--a typical example of what journalism and the media have become: opinionated poll- and percentage-driven monsters concerned with hyping the negative, not applauding or recognizing the positive. Who watches the show strictly for predictions? Rather, the viewer is exposed to a number of issues and viewpoints, within a 30-minute time frame, that may stimulate their interest in becoming more informed. Is that not what the media should be doing instead of trying to lead us as if we were sheep?

The fact is there are people who hate gays, blacks, Orientals, men, women, young, old, etc. This hatred usually comes from misunderstanding and from being raised in such a mind-set. Hopefully, greater knowledge through modern communications will allow the majority to be exposed to and to reject such views. But please don't pretend they don't exist and try to hide opinions, whether you believe them to be right or wrong. TULL HEATH Brawley

The Constitutional Court struck down a law that opened secret police archives, a blow to efforts to further expose the country's communist past. Many Romanians contend the law had been used for retribution and blackmail. In the eight years since it took effect, many public figures have been exposed as collaborators with the communist-era Securitate. The ruling forces the Council for the Study of the Securitate Archives to shut down, and nullifies its previous decisions. Parliament has 45 days to amend the law.

At last someone (Jerome Marmorstein, Dec. 4) raised all the questions and issues that have been bothering so very many people regarding malathion aerial spraying. How many times have we been exposed to "cures" that later are found to have been dangerous to our health? First medical societies, now county government "experts" exposing us to chemicals without our permission. Perhaps we should put the question of allowing this "gross violation of human rights" on our next ballot. I am totally against this method of spraying.