Letters to the Editor
CourtWhit
Published Letters: 30 Editor's Choice: 5
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Turbulence & the 777
[Read the article: Ask the pilot]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Patrick, what a timely mention! A few weeks ago on a flight from LHR to SFO, we were in turbulence over Northern Canada, Hudson Bay, Manitoba, and into Idaho. It was so bad I went to sleep that night feeling like I was still gliding alone while simultaneously being violently batted from side to side. Anyway, I had the pleasure of looking right over the wing and over and over again I marveled at the sheer flexibility of it as it flexed and bounced.
The person that says you should be unable to recline your seat in economy is right on. It seems to me that only inconsiderate people actually recline their seats. My motto is, if you want to get comfortable, pay the mint for a first class seat. This isn't the Hilton!
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A Lesson
[Read the article: At her majesty's pleasure]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Don't ever act like a belligerent asshole on a flight. EVER.
I'm not going to say he deserved it because I don't really think he did. But really. In this day and age do you think acting like that is going to trigger anything but the worst-case scenario of overreactions?
I thought it was common knowledge that you should NEVER travel overseas with less than six months remaining on your passport. For someone that claims to have traveled extensively, Kurth is oddly naive.
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Silly or sad?
[Read the article: Are rock reunions silly and sad?]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]To answer the question, it depends on the band. When it is decrepit musicians who can't rock anymore, it is absolutely both. When there is no heart or fire involved, it is offensive.
I'm 27 and my favorite bands are mostly all old-timers, many with members who have long since passed on. Last year, I witnessed two different reunion events that were equally as enchanting but for two entirely different reasons.
My first foray into the reunions of 2006 was the Queen + Paul Rodgers tour. Queen has represented all that is magical, emotional, and intelligent in music to me for 15 years. Freddie Mercury will always be a man of mythic proportions to me; sometime I find it hard to fathom that he even existed. I always had a fondness for both Brian May and Roger Taylor, as well as Mercury, so they are the reasons I went. Paul Rodgers did an admirable job on the Queen catalog, but I did not go to see him. He was merely an accessory to the men I had listened to and seen performing on DVD for all of those years. I cried when they came out on stage,when they paid tribute to Freddie individually and then when we all did together. Being a Queen fanatic in The U.S. is like being a Republican in Berkeley, so to stand with my fellow Queenies was somthing I never thought would be possible.. Of course it was about nostalgia, but it was about connecting with those you never thought you would be able to connect with, showing your face in support to your band, and singing along with thousands of other crazy fans to the songs that essentially formed the soundtrack to your life. Did I mention that the show itself was spectacular and that these men cared about putting on a good show?
My second reunion experience was Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young. I was admittedly a casual fan of CSNY, knowing all the popular songs but yet not owning a single album by any of them. They toured behind Young's "Living with War" album and the overt political tones of the "Freedom of Speech" tour was the major attraction. I attended alone, as I almost always do, and sat next to the usual array of boomers from the 60s, decked out in tie-dye, many leaning on canes or on crutches. I admit that I went mainly as a curious music fan and an avid historian. CSNY played for three and a half hours and despite not knowing many of the songs, I was never bored and enjoyed every moment of it. I heard great songs and saw some fantastic musicians jam out and have a great time while doing so. I left satisfied and completely enlightened to the magic of CSNY.
Rock reunions can be pathetic, silly, offensive, or just downright ridiculous. However, when they are done right or at the right time, they can be more than just a nostalgia trip.
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Not Surprised
[Read the article: The water wasn't all that was dirty]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Duke was a dirty congressman from the beginning. He had no substance and was only elected because the people in his district are avowed conservatives and religious fanatics so they would vote for anyone who was not a Democrat. I grew up in a town in his district, which is known as one of the most conservative in the country, and everyone always espoused the virtues of this war hero. I am beyond pleased everytime he is exposed for what he really is- a selfish, disgusting man.
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Rufus is Overrated
[Read the article: "I'm so tired of America"]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Wow, salon is so trendy. It's yet another article about Rufus Wainwright. I'm curious, as I am whenever there is a famous last name involved, how and when Rufus got a record deal. When he opened for Tori Amos in 2001 (more on her in a moment), I purposely missed his performance every single night I went so I would not have to listen to him sing Poses through his nostrils.
Speaking of Ms. Amos, her new album, "American Doll Posse," has received no mention from salon. This is again another album about the world going to pot (with the usual emphasis on the U.S.) but it's actually worth listening to. As you may recall, no one captured post-9/11, pre war fatigue America quite like her in 2002's Scarlett's Walk.