Can someone please explain the strange ads and new book cover showing a Chinese woman with startling bright blue eyes? Did it somehow escape my attention that eye color changing contact lenses were widely used in Pre-WWII Japan?

It's certainly an arresting image but I find it hugely off-putting about two seconds after it catches my attention.

I went through three, I think, copies of the book since I lent mine out out and they never came back so I can't skim through the book but I don't recall the lead character being referred to at any point as physically beautiful.

That was entirely beyond the point in the creation of a wholly artificial cultural symbol. The conventions of the makeup and elaborate hairstyles strip much of the individuality from a geisha's appearance and surely that's part of the tradition. So much more emphasis was placed on other skills and attributes, mastery of music, grace of movement and conversation. And of course, the fabulous, restrictive and astonishingly costly kimonos.

I can not presently muster much enthusiasm for seeing this adaptation, though I may end up doing so for the simple reason that virtually everything else in the theaters is purest and unalloyed tripe.

So, this isn't about the game per se. The fisrt half was a crashing bore. The second half was sloppy and so forth.

I want to talk about that pre-game thing where ABC claimed to recognize the MVPs from 'all' the previous games.

What exactly happened to Games XIII amd XIV?

In other words: where was Terry Bradshaw? He's got 4 rings. Passed for over 300 yards in both games. 4 TDs in XIV.

He isn't mentioned. He isn't shown except for a nanosecond in a movie trailer. It's like he's been written out of history?

What exactly hell is this about, huh?

Oh, that was just so classy, such a demonstration of 'sportmanship, the way the Steelers fans loudly booed every Dallas and 49ers MVP as they were presented - including all time greats like Roger Staubach and Joe Montana. As though any person on either team in XL had anyone of this caliber.

No, Wrybread, you're not the only one who deplores this increasingly stupid business.

Sucks.

And someone grabbing at the QB's jersey coupla seconds before he actually slides to the ground of his own accord counting as 'down by contact' either.

Geez.

Yes, sir, King. You're absolutely correct. It was Steve Young that I meant. I was too busy noticing that big gap. And the booing. I didn't think it was 'all in good fun'.

Went right up there with having attended a truly miserable LSU game season before last where the Bayou Bengals were beating the crap outta tiny poor little AR State and the fans in the stands were chanting 'hit him again - harder harder' when the Tigers were already up by 40 some points and the poor ARState QB was barely on his feet.

But really I read many commentators in the weeks leading up to this game and much ink was devoted to the four previous championships. Chuck Noll got play. Franco, too.

No mention of Terry. None.

Likewise the columnists and articles following the game. I looked. Lots of mention of the 4 rings. No mention of the guy with all four of them. None.

Do you think that maybe, just maybe, Terry got the idea that any comparison between the the current Steelers QB and his own record wouldn't be appreciated. Like maybe he didn't feel all that welcome.

Here in Lafayette city officials are reopening the shelters as around 2,200 persons are being asked, 5 months after the storms, to vacate. Rentals and home proces have doubled or tripled with the influx. So has unemployment. There are jobs, of course, at fast food places, but who can survive on $6 an hour McJobs?

Yes, a terrible thing has happened but can we really have tens of thousands of people become permanent 'wards of the state' looking to government for their housing, utilities, food, clothing?

Who's going to accept that and who wants to pay for it? This is a small, poor state which is already cutting millions from higher education and virtually every state and local program is strapped to the breaking point.

We lost, between Katrina and Rita, around a quarter of our economy.

Don't lose sight of the fact that we're only a couple of months out from the next hurricane season. What if this one takes out, say, Miami?

Excellent column. First rate.

This is why I read you in the first place even though I'm a college football fan and usually don't pay much attention to the pros.

How 'bout Tom Delay's nifty little consolation prize: a seat on the House Appropriations Committee? The better to 'crack down' on trading earmarks for votes, heh?

Indictments? No problem.

Yeah, these guys are so serious about reform.

Really.

I won't comment on the substance of this article because, frankly, I haven't read it.

You instantly lose credibility with this former NOLA resident with the caption of your photo.

That is most certainly *not* a 'shotgun' house.

If that represents the standard which prevails throughout this article, you can count on hearing from me a bit later.

New caption: A house in the formerly flooded Broadmoor neighborhood.

Is at least accurate.

>>Trout Fishing in America, not to mention the other solid musicians mentioned in the few previous letters. Either you just became a father and this is suddenly news to you or you were up against a deadline. "The rest of us" have been listening to wonderful music for children without wanting to die for decades.

-- get a clue<<

Absolutely. I've been a big fan of Keith and Ezra for years ever since my introduction to them in the mid 80's (shoutout to Doyle Jeeter - owner of that amazing live music venue of the times in Shreveport Enoch's). I've known several of the musicians (the incomparable David Egan for one) who have written songs for their children's records.

Intelligence and humor are the watchwords.

Don't neglect their adult level work either. Lots of fun even If you aren't in on some of the jokes about Murrel's Grill at 2 a.m.