Michael Helwig

I admire Jim Matthews for hunting his own food ["The Big Bang Cuts Short a Dream Quail Hunt," Jan. 25]. That said, I find it ludicrous for him to write that snow somehow equalizes the situation and then write in the next paragraph about loading his shotgun. If he were interested in truly equalizing the hunt, he'd strip naked and chase the quail with his bare hands. Michael Helwig Canoga Park

I admire Jim Matthews for hunting his own food ["The Big Bang Cuts Short a Dream Quail Hunt," Jan. 25]. That said, I find it ludicrous for him to write that snow somehow equalizes the situation and then write in the next paragraph about loading his shotgun. If he were interested in truly equalizing the hunt, he'd strip naked and chase the quail with his bare hands. Michael Helwig Canoga Park

Instead of investigating the origins of Jeff Baxter's nickname "Skunk" ("Origin of Ex-Doobie's Nickname Revealed, Well Maybe" May 20, and "Doobie's Ex-Lead Guitarist Sounds Out Run at Sherman's House Seat," May 19), Brad Sherman should research why Baxter chose "Doobie" for the name of his band. Perhaps he can enlist the aid of all the Republicans who were so upset over the issue of Clinton's inhaling. MICHAEL HELWIG, Canoga Park

In his letter last week, Michael Helwig of Fantasy land, er Canoga Park, suggested that the NFL was "drooling" to put a team in Los Angeles. He also implied that because we don't need an NFL team, the NFL should make certain concessions for the privilege of doing business here. Mr. Helwig suggested the NFL buy unsold tickets, build schools, etc. I ask why stop there? Why not a pot of gold on every corner? Better yet, magic fairies to grant us all wishes? The truth is Los Angeles is unable to support an NFL franchise in part because of people like Mr. Helwig and because the Los Angeles Times has its own anti-NFL agenda.

Now that Robert Hilburn has made the airwaves safe for democracy, perhaps he would like to launch a campaign to get Brenda Lee inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lee has been unfairly dissed by the hall for its entire existence. Mediocre rock acts and acts that aren't even rock are routinely inducted every year. Yet Lee, a better singer than most people in the hall, a person who sang more rock than most people in the hall and a person with more hits than most people in the hall, is totally ignored.

I've always liked T.J. Simers. He's clever, witty, and much more insightful than his detractors give him credit for. But this time he has gone too far [Passing Judgment, Dec 21]. Bruce Springsteen couldn't roadie for Mick Jagger, let alone sing with him. Stick to football, T.J. MICHAEL HELWIG Canoga Park I think T.J. Simers owes Randy Moss and Minnesota Viking fans an apology for his remark that with Moss making the Pro Bowl all former criminals will want to play football.

In his letter last week, Michael Helwig of Fantasy land, er Canoga Park, suggested that the NFL was "drooling" to put a team in Los Angeles. He also implied that because we don't need an NFL team, the NFL should make certain concessions for the privilege of doing business here. Mr. Helwig suggested the NFL buy unsold tickets, build schools, etc. I ask why stop there? Why not a pot of gold on every corner? Better yet, magic fairies to grant us all wishes? The truth is Los Angeles is unable to support an NFL franchise in part because of people like Mr. Helwig and because the Los Angeles Times has its own anti-NFL agenda.

Two hours into the Hall of Fame ceremonies, while Peter Gammons and his partner blabbed on and on, drowned out in the background was the widow of inductee Turkey Stearnes. I'm sure I'm only one of millions of viewers who wanted to hear what she had to say. Ironically, the loquacious ESPN announcers were talking about how important it is to have the Negro Leagues' best represented in Cooperstown. Maybe next year they can talk over Joe Jackson's representative and tell us how important it is to have all of baseball's injustices righted.

Larry Gerston spends 12 inches complaining about Gov. Gray Davis' record on vetoes (Commentary, July 11), but all he does is quote numbers. Nowhere does Gerston have anything to say about the quality of the legislation that Davis vetoed. If these are bad bills, then don't we want Davis vetoing them? In an ideal government, bills would be so good that almost everyone was supporting them and overriding vetoes would be easy. I think it's very telling that, in nearly 25 years, not once could even two-thirds of the Legislature agree to override.

The writers criticizing Robert Hilburn's stance on rap (Saturday Letters, June 24) are forgetting two things. First, most cutting-edge music of the rock era, be it Elvis, Dylan or the so-called Boss, challenges the establishment. Questioning authority is supposed to be an ongoing thing, not just something that's OK for you to do when you're young. And, second, if you don't like rap, and I certainly don't, then just don't listen to it. In America, we're not supposed to be telling other people what they can't hear.

Now that Robert Hilburn has made the airwaves safe for democracy, perhaps he would like to launch a campaign to get Brenda Lee inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Lee has been unfairly dissed by the hall for its entire existence. Mediocre rock acts and acts that aren't even rock are routinely inducted every year. Yet Lee, a better singer than most people in the hall, a person who sang more rock than most people in the hall and a person with more hits than most people in the hall, is totally ignored.

Larry Gerston spends 12 inches complaining about Gov. Gray Davis' record on vetoes (Commentary, July 11), but all he does is quote numbers. Nowhere does Gerston have anything to say about the quality of the legislation that Davis vetoed. If these are bad bills, then don't we want Davis vetoing them? In an ideal government, bills would be so good that almost everyone was supporting them and overriding vetoes would be easy. I think it's very telling that, in nearly 25 years, not once could even two-thirds of the Legislature agree to override.

Two hours into the Hall of Fame ceremonies, while Peter Gammons and his partner blabbed on and on, drowned out in the background was the widow of inductee Turkey Stearnes. I'm sure I'm only one of millions of viewers who wanted to hear what she had to say. Ironically, the loquacious ESPN announcers were talking about how important it is to have the Negro Leagues' best represented in Cooperstown. Maybe next year they can talk over Joe Jackson's representative and tell us how important it is to have all of baseball's injustices righted.

The writers criticizing Robert Hilburn's stance on rap (Saturday Letters, June 24) are forgetting two things. First, most cutting-edge music of the rock era, be it Elvis, Dylan or the so-called Boss, challenges the establishment. Questioning authority is supposed to be an ongoing thing, not just something that's OK for you to do when you're young. And, second, if you don't like rap, and I certainly don't, then just don't listen to it. In America, we're not supposed to be telling other people what they can't hear.

Instead of investigating the origins of Jeff Baxter's nickname "Skunk" ("Origin of Ex-Doobie's Nickname Revealed, Well Maybe" May 20, and "Doobie's Ex-Lead Guitarist Sounds Out Run at Sherman's House Seat," May 19), Brad Sherman should research why Baxter chose "Doobie" for the name of his band. Perhaps he can enlist the aid of all the Republicans who were so upset over the issue of Clinton's inhaling. MICHAEL HELWIG, Canoga Park

I've always liked T.J. Simers. He's clever, witty, and much more insightful than his detractors give him credit for. But this time he has gone too far [Passing Judgment, Dec 21]. Bruce Springsteen couldn't roadie for Mick Jagger, let alone sing with him. Stick to football, T.J. MICHAEL HELWIG Canoga Park I think T.J. Simers owes Randy Moss and Minnesota Viking fans an apology for his remark that with Moss making the Pro Bowl all former criminals will want to play football.

The last weekend in June, I found myself driving through Beverly Hills admiring the gorgeous estates. A week later, I was in Hawaii, also admiring gorgeous sights. Judging from the colors of the lawns, it must rain a whole lot more in Beverly Hills than it does on Oahu. What a surprise! MICHAEL HELWIG Canoga Park

In regards to Mike Downey's disgusting column of Sept. 16, 1987: Mr. Downey, you have a lot to learn about labor relations. A scab is a science teacher who teaches while his fellow underpaid teachers are out on the picket lines, losing a day's pay, striking for a decent salary hike. A scab is not a semipro halfback filing in for a several-hundred-thousand-dollars-a-year professional football player. MICHAEL HELWIG Canoga Park