Hallmark
from Hell
The
greeting card industry is a $7 billion monster that commodifies human emotions
into trite sentimentality. At least that’s how local entrepreneur and wise guy
Tom Rusling sees it. And unlike the legions of people who suck it up and buy a
$2.95 “You’re a SUPER grandniece” card just because it’s easy and expected,
Rusling’s fighting back.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The 28-year-old Pittsford native
founded DISScards in 2000 to give cynical people like himself an alternative to
Hallmark and American Greetings pabulum.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “In a way, the whole DISScards
concept is just a ‘Fuck you’ to the greeting card industry, a reaction to the
shit, schmaltz, and cheesy sentiments Americans have grown accustomed to,” says
Rusling. “In a culture where people are watching Jerry Springer and The
Weakest Link, that’s not the way people communicate.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย For those people, DISScards offers a
special birthday card. “Happy Birthday,” the card proclaims above a drawing of
an old man blowing out a candle. The unsuspecting birthday boy then opens it to
find the geezer prostrate on the floor: “…hopefully it’s your last one,” the
card reads. “DROP DEAD.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Rusling’s company also has cards to
send to people who are immature, liars, or just plain annoying. “There are no
stupid questions,” reads the front of one offering. Inside: “Just stupid people
who ask questions. Like you.” (Incidentally, DISScards will also send cards
anonymously.)
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย A student at the University of
Rochester’s Simon School of Business, Rusling says he’s sold about 2,000
DISScards so far. Locally, they’re available at Record Archive and Firehouse
15, and online at www.DISScards.net.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The reaction of local retailers
Rusling’s approached has been mixed. “Some people were offended,” he says. “But
then I had one guy say they aren’t offensive enough.”
—
Chris Busby
Jumping
the turnstiles?
In
early August, County Executive Jack Doyle told Gary Walker of WXXI’s “Need to
Know” program that home game attendance figures announced by the Rochester Rhinos are “a lot more than
are attending.” Attendance at the Rhinos’ Frontier Field games has been of
particular significance as team officials, Doyle, and other politicians wrangle
over the size and seating capacity of a soccer-specific stadium proposed for Brown’s
Square Park downtown.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The Rhinos had been pushing for a
20,000-seat venue and were reluctant to compromise on a smaller stadium, saying
a downsized facility would not be significantly cheaper to build and would hurt
the venue’s chances of attracting bigger events, like concerts. But following
an August 15 meeting between Doyle and Rhinos president Frank DuRoss, the
Rhinos honcho said the team would consider a 13,000-seat downtown stadium,
provided there was the potential to expanded it and add seats in the future.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But what about those attendance
figures? According to Rhinos spokesman Steve Rossi, the average attendance at
the team’s first 11 home games this season was 10,012. He says the attendance
the team announces comes from box office reports it receives from the stadium.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Rossi says Doyle is likely referring
to the “turnstile count,” a figure that doesn’t include fans who have season
tickets or complimentary tickets, and some attendees who watch the game from
luxury suites.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “A lot of people don’t go through
that turnstile,” Rossi says. As a result, the turnstile count the county uses
“is always going to be lower than the tickets we sell or distribute.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Rossi says he doesn’t know what the
typical discrepancy is between actual Rhinos attendance and the turnstile
count, and would not speculate.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย “There’s no discrepancy as far as
we’re concerned,” says Frontier stadium director Jim LeBeau. LeBeau says the
turnstile count does include fans with season or comp tickets and those who
watch from the suites, though he noted that it doesn’t include Rhinos and
Frontier staff or “any of the press guys.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย In any event, given the
mini-breakthrough between DuRoss and Doyle on the size issue, and all the
political machinations still to come before — and if — the proposed stadium
becomes a reality, the attendance dispute seems unlikely to become a major sticking
point. After all, concerned politicians are always welcome to attend a game and
conduct their own head count, starting with their own over-inflated noggins.
The
shows go on
Meatloaf
fans can heave a sigh of relief. Despite published reports that Saucke Bros.
Construction Co., which owns Auditorium
Center, has petitioned a court for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the Rochester Broadway Theatre League will
present its full schedule of concerts and shows at the center as planned. His
Meatness kicks off the new season September 4.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Nancy Calocerinos, RBTL’s vice
president for sales and marketing, says the League still has a one-year
agreement to manage the space. Although neither Saucke Bros. principals William
and Raymond Saucke, nor the lawyer handling their case, has contacted RBTL
regarding the company’s filing or plans for the center, Calocerinos says their
situation will not affect the League’s immediate future there.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย A spokesperson for Saucke Bros.
Construction Co. referred calls to Douglas Lustig, the lawyer handling the
company’s bankruptcy filings. Lustig could not be reached for comment.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย RBTL’s CEO Don Jeffries hopes the
situation will turn into an opportunity to renovate the 1930s-era building.
According to Calocerinos, should the building be bought by a non-profit
organization, or the RBTL be able to secure a long-term lease, the League would
be eligible for federal and state funds for renovation of the historically
significant property.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Renovations to the Green Room
undertaken to accommodate Meatloaf and his entourage — bat chamber, dashboard
lighting, massive make-up counter — are probably already underway.
Book
of the month
The
October 1 “Books Sandwiched-In” lunchtime literary discussion at the Bausch & Lomb Public Library building
features a novel library aficionados will find more than a little ironic:
Richard Russo’s Empire Falls. Russo’s
Pulitzer-winning work chronicles life in a decaying Northeast industrial town,
where the ill-conceived financial decisions of an unyielding county executive
and a complacent legislature have ruined the community.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย But that’s just our interpretation.
Those who’ve actually read Russo’s book know it’s about a fictional town in
Maine where the southern migration of textile jobs has left most of the
townspeople unemployed and scheming against one another. But given the
devastating effects Monroe County library officials say county funding cuts
will have on hours and services, participants can be excused if they chuckle in
bitterness as book reviewer Kenneth Goode, director of the Monroe County Office
of Government and Community Affairs, leads the discussion.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Coming up in November: Hubert Selby,
Jr.’s horrific novel of urban violence and desperation, Last Exit to Brooklyn. Just kidding — as far as we know.
Word
gets to Wegmans
The
Ralph Naderite Washington-based organization Public Citizen recently
jumpstarted a citizen response to Wegmans
Food Markets’ sales of irradiated ground beef. (For background, see City Newspaper, “Irradiation’s Food for
Thought,” July 24, via www.rochester-citynews.com.) The group sent out a sample
letter that charged “irradiated food has not been proven safe to eat.” The list
of deficiencies included bad effects on nutritional content, research findings
that irradiated food has caused health problems in animals, and concerns about
the FDA testing and approval process that brought irradiated meat to market in
the US.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Wegmans is having none of this.
Buffalo-based environmental activist Mike Schade, a staffer with the Citizens
Environmental Coalition, sent his own detailed letter echoing Public Citizen’s
concerns, and Wegmans issued a defense of the status quo. Said the letter: “We
relied on scientific, health, and nutritional experts about the process and
product [i.e. Wegmans Irradiated Fresh Ground Beef].” The letter went on cite
endorsements of food irradiation by the World Health Organization and American
Dietetics Association.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Wegmans spokesperson Jeanne
Colleluori says the irradiated ground beef “is continuing to sell very well in
our stores.” She says Wegmans is putting emphasis on education about the
product and the irradiation process.
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The irradiated beef has moved off
the front page on the Wegmans website; Colleluori says this is just a natural
change in features, not an indication that the company is backing away from the
product. But we note the website’s emphasis on another product line, Wegmans’
“Food You Feel Good About” beef, pork, and lamb. FYFGA products are produced
with “healthy animal practices,” says Wegmans — no hormones, no antibiotics,
plenty of natural grazing, and (though this is left unsaid) no irradiation.
Moving
the deck chairs
A
recent study by the State of Illinois shows a pattern familiar to Rochesterians
(and to anyone who studies public education anywhere in the nation):
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย The state’s poorest-performing schools, the Chicago Tribune reported last month, are “crowded together in
impoverished neighborhoods where the vast majority of students are African
Americans or Latinos.”
ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย Years of reform efforts have not
changed the situation, the Trib reports.
And neither has a major structural change sometimes recommended for Rochester:
giving the mayor control of the schools. Chicago Mayor Richard Daley has been
in charge of that city’s schools for the past seven years.
Correction
Our
Continuing Education entry on the Rocking Horse Equestrian Center (August
14-20, 2002) contained two errors. The rider pictured in the photo is not
disabled, but a regular riding student at the Center. And instructor Cathy
Hallett is a certified trainer who teaches hippotherapy. She is not a certified
hippotherapist.
This article appears in Aug 21-27, 2002.
