Letters to the Editor
Re: An American Tragedy ... for the World
An interesting footnote about that terrible day in Dallas, Texas; on the CBS morning news at 6:30 AM �The Beatles� made their first American appearance. The world was about to change in more ways than one. Unlike a president, who has four or eight years to let his (or her) influences be felt, �The Beatles,� in one form or another, have been around and contributed to world culture for forty-five years. And most certainly their influences have been felt.
Like you and all the people who read The Southern Cross Review, who are old enough to remember, I also recall what I was doing when the tragic news was made public. I was in high school and we were marshaled into an assembly. Rumors had already been floating around the school that President Kennedy had been shot. At the assembly we were told that our president was dead and we were dismissed early.
I would like to tell you that I did something noble and inspiring after hearing the news, but the truth is I needed a new Holly carburetor for my 1957 Chevy and was supposed to have a date that night with Laura Richardson. It was said that Laura was �easy� if she liked your car. My thoughts were not on how and what would become of America, of the Kennedy family or civil rights or what policies Lynden Johnson would change and what he would keep, my thoughts were elsewhere. Important considerations about how long it would take me to put the carb on the car, where to take Laura to park, if I could steal some Aqua Velva from my old man and if my car antenna could pickup the Wolfman Jack Show after 9:00 PM. Important stuff.
But alas, Laura called and canceled our date. Her parents told her that America was in mourning and that she needed to stay home and be with her family. The carburetor cost me thirty-two bucks! I convinced her to sneak out; she met me in an ally about half a block from her house.
When I think of former presidents, usually I think of the one thing that they are noted for. With Ike, I think of golf. With Carter, I think of hostages. With Reagan, I think of Iran-Contra, Nixon, Watergate. Bush, dunce hat. With Kennedy, I think of Camelot, because it was a wonderful time in America and a wonderful time for me personally. I was young, had made the basketball team, had a great car and was about to make love for the first time in the back seat of a cherry 1957 Chevy. I out-screamed the Wolfman that night.
On the drive home Laura put her lovely arm around me and Wolfman Jack decided to spin a new record from our brethren across the pond. �Love Me Do� the record had made it to number 17 on the British charts.
The world was never going to be the same.�����
Mike Ingles
Columbus, Ohio
Re: Cover Girl
All this looks great, Frank, but why is the cover girl completely dressed this time? Well, except feet, of course -- very nice feet!
TarjeiOslo, Norway
Re: The escape Route
Frank,
I read your tales of the past in the last SCR, and it is a nice funny description. However, talking about it (U.S. intelligence, or lack thereof :-) to an acquaintance to whom I sent the link, I looked at it again and now realize that without some background knowledge, the period in not clear to anyone under the age of 40 or 50! I think there should some kind of clear time frame within the first few lines.
Ortlinde Wotansdottir
Buenos Aires
Thanks, Ortlinde. A parenthesis has been added to the first descriptive paragraph in the hope that someone under 40 or 50 reads SCR. [Ed.]
Re:� Passing Away in Boca
Dear Editors
I must once again protest the publication of these highly inflammable detective stories involving Roberto Fox. It would seem that beautiful women and hotel rooms are all this master agent can muster on his trips abroad. My husband of 33 years who suffers from an acute form of absolute truth has had to have his dosage of anti-depressants increased twice since your publication landed on our door step last Friday. He has also asked his pharmacist for samples of Viagra!
It is, I am sure, just a coincidence that like your fictitious expatriate, ex-FBI, ex-Brooklynite, x-rated womanizing detective, that my husband�s mother is also retired in Florida. She is a dodo-bird of a person who has had her dead poodle, Pierre, stuffed and last month changed her will to have all her assets left to the Sarasota chapter of the ASPCA.
With all these things going on in my life, I cannot afford the time to keep fighting off my husband�s sexual advances each time he reads one of these inflammatory tales and then runs to the nearest drug store!
Would you please just solve the crime or the mystery and leave out mentioning long legs and women being tossed on beds and kissing at the Holiday Inn. You should know that my husband has booked a room at our local Holiday Inn for three nights!
On the brighter side, my mother-in-law has left us the stuffed dog.
Insipidity,��������
Jackie Ingles, Mrs.
Ohio, USA
Re: E-book
Muchas gracias Frank!
Soy de Buenos Aires, mam� de dos ni�os en la Rudolf Steiner (prescolar y 4�) Tambien soy miembro activo de la S.Antropos�fica Argentina. Me encantar�a este verano ir a Traslasierra y conocer la escuela El Trigal. Espero que este a�o podamos ir. Saludos y mis felicitaciones por la p�gina web!! Excelente.
Ariadna Bran.
