Public Pulse

August 9th, 2007

Reader Doesn’t Like the PETA Story

Here's an idea -- why doesn't Peta just drop all those animals off at your home?

They are a great organization doing the work no one else tackles. They should be praised, not castigated. You blew it on this story, Lyle. When I saw the title Terrorism in America I thought you were finally doing an analysis of the Bush administration.

/s/Dawna Kaufman
Los Angeles, Ca.

Editor’s Note: We documented their affiliation with terrorism cells. We documented the high kill rate and the low adoption rate. We also, in fairness, pointed out the good things they have done.

I stand by the story.

Another Reader Agrees With the PETA Story

Yep, they are brutes with misguided ethics. Also, in general, most of them don't really know much about specific animals, their needs, health care and so forth.

Among the animal welfare (as opposed to rights) people, PETA is a sad comment on human nature as well as being a problem, as people often donate to PETA while the rescues are desperate for money to save the animals that PETA would just kill.

The only time PETA is of any use at all is when things get totally out of hand, as in cases where someone has 40 cats, dead and dying, in the house and the local authorities will not cooperate in getting them out of there and into a rescue. Then someone surreptitiously sends a note or phone call to PETA and they come out and raise holy hell, have a march, and in general cause so much attention to the situation that something is done ... and often the local rescues are allowed to handle it, since at least they are known.

Useful fools.

/s/Diana Linkous
Southern Maryland

Editor’s Note: Ms. Linkous is a professional horsewoman from Southern Maryland with years of experience in owning, training and showing horses.

Rebuttal To Today’s Review of Diamond Is Forever

Hi, Lyle,

I am Ce Ce Taylor, leader of the Violettes. Thank you for attending the concert on Saturday night and thank you for your comments. Critique is always appreciated as is a review.

David Sherry was kind enough to forward your email to me for review as well. I see that you are inviting comment. One factual inaccuracy I see is that you have confused the Diamond Girls with The Violettes. Two of the Diamond Girls are also members of the 3-girl group, The Violettes, a separate and independent entertainment group.

With respect to The Violette's repertoire, the 1st song is by The Beatles and is currently being used as the opening song to the Beatles "Love" show by Cirque du Soleil in Vegas. The second, Come See About Me, 130 beats per minute (bpm), was a #1 hit by the Supremes and, according to Oprah Winfrey, the song that changed her life. The 3rd song, Will You Still Love Me (140 bpm), was a #1 hit by the Shirelles, the first black girl group that rose to the top of the charts in 1961and continued to chart throughout the 60's. I won't comment on the remainder (because you seem to remember those) except to say that the 4th song (It's In His Kiss) is 120 bpm, the 5th was a lament (and according to the video well received by the audience), the 6th (Dancing Queen) is 110 bpm, the 7th (Heard It Through The Grapevine) is 120 bpm and the final song, Raining Men, is 137 bpm. Therefore, except for the opening "funeral dirge" as you described it, the program was upbeat beginning with the 2nd song. That leaves me scratching my head in confusion.

Finally, I have viewed the video taken of the event. The dialog was minimal---15 to 30 seconds and judging from the audience's response to the dialog also present on the video, it seemed well received. Still, what we are talking about here is opinion which is subjective and I respect that everyone is entitled.

Hope this is helpful.

Ce Ce Taylor
Escondido

Editor’s Note: We appreciate Ms. Taylor’s comments but stand by our review. The opening act was not tightly choreographed, the songs were not tightly segued, and the patter between songs was needless. We still don’t understand why the opening number was both acappella and so downtempo rather than bright and upbeat. We do agree the bulk of the songs were classics and uptempo. The talent is there . . . the act just needs to be tightened up . . . in our not so humble opinion.

And From The Master Shoman Himself, David J. Sherry . . .

Hi Lyle!

I thank you for attending my Diamond is Forever concert this past Saturday; also for the review and critique in THE PAPER. It is the many people over the years, ranging from the press, to the average concert/theater goer, to the diehard fan that owns every album--knows every song that have helped shape my performance with their critique and opinions. On the whole, it all has been very helpful. So thanks and it's great to hear that I am getting it right and truly paying "tribute" to an entertainer that I have long respected and enjoyed.

I have to admit I am a bit disappointed that you stayed for only the first act of a two act show-- the savvy entertainers I know do not open with their best or their biggest hits. They "save the best for last" and having left early you missed the classics like the opening song of the second act, America with a stage size flag unfurling to great effect, Love on the Rocks, Hello Again, Forever In Blue Jeans, Beautiful Noise, and the show stopper finale Brother Loves Travellin' Salvation Show to name a few.

To put it in culinary terms, I feel like a chef that prepared a 5 course meal only to have the diner eat the soup, salad and a bite or two of the first entree and leave without ever sampling the main course, much less savoring the desert and some coffee or an aperitif. I am glad you enjoyed what you did enjoy but can't help but wonder what you would have experienced if you had taken the time to enjoy the whole "meal".

My consolation is that you will be attending and will have the opportunity to see the whole 2 1/2 hour concert at the Moonlight Amphitheater on September 22nd. The intermission was suggested by the sponsors. Unlike the Hot August Night performance, the Love At The Greek event scheduled for 9/22/07 at the Moonlight will most probably have no 10-minute intermission and no opening act. That appears to be more in keeping with your idea of the perfect concert.

Like most of the "rock concerts" that I've attended in the last few decades (the last being Jimmy Buffett at Coors in San Diego 2006) Neil Diamond on his last 2005 world tour did a total of 32 songs---a 2 hour and 45 minute to 3 hour concert show. I have eliminated 4 songs to allow for my Neil-Diamond-telling-his-own-story dialog. Thus. timewise, my concert reproduces as closely as possible a real ND concert.

My opening songs, the dramatic orchestrated "Prologue" that segues into “Crunchy Granola Suite” is EXACTLY the way Neil opened these shows on the famous recording. Opening with Sweet Caroline or Cracklin' Rosie or one of "his big hits" would have had the serious Neil fans throwing tomatoes at me!

Here is a note from a local Escondido dentist, Larry Michel, one of those real deep ND fans and someone who actually attended the 1972 Hot August Night concert at the Greek Theater in LA: "It was great to see you again. The show was fantastic! The band was great and CeCe and the group were fun as usual. I just loved the start of the show and Prologue. Took me a little while to realize it was your band playing live, and not the album playing as it was so right on. Wow! My friends had a fun time. I really enjoyed the history lessons in between songs. Hope to be able to catch your show in September in Vista. Maybe I can bring a few more friends."

You wrote that "the delays between song are too long" and they were. Yeah, defiantly a good point Lyle, I intend to add a little dialog to fill in those spaces to give the band members the time they need to give me ALL the sounds I want.

As you know, we are bringing our Diamond Is Forever! show to the Moonlight on Sept. 22nd! We hope to see you and Ms. Madison there!

Sincerely,
David Sherry
Escondido

More on the PETA Issue

Thank You to Lyle Davis, and to The Paper, for explaining to John Q Public just what PETA is all about. One wonders just how much of its largesse was in Lloyd Levine's direction in promotion of the radical AB 1634. Real Animal Lovers everywhere thank you as well.

Carol
West Virginia
(Complete name and address withheld by request).

Disagrees With Court Martial Sentence

Lyle, the following is written by my first cousin who flew bombers at the tail end of WW2, Saber jets in Korea and helicopters in Vietnam.

/s/Dennis Galt
Escondido

22 year-old Marine Sergeant Lawrence Hutchins, an otherwise decent young man and the wearer of the Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal for honorable service, has been convicted of the unpremeditated murder of an innocent Iraqi man, killed in the heat of combat by Hutchins and his men. ("Marine gets 15 years for murder of Iraqi Civilian," OCR, Saturday, August 4, 2007) Hutchins will now spend the most productive years of his life behind bars, leaving behind to shift for themselves a young wife and infant son.

Hutchins is as much a casualty of the Iraq war as the thousands of other fine young Americans killed, wounded or suffering from stress-induced mental disorders. Hutchins didn't kill this innocent man for personal gain, he murdered him because he had been placed in a combat situation he couldn't emotionally handle. Fear, anger and frustration took over and this poor Iraqi suffered the consequences.
Hutchins sentence "reflects the military attitude that the person in charge is responsible for his action and those in his command." True; whether the "person in charge" be a 22-year old Sergeant; a 42-year old Colonel; a 62-year old General, or the Commander-in-Chief himself. What troubles me most about this whole unfortunate episode is the fact that those at the very top of the military chain of command, people who haven't the faintest idea of what combat is really like, and who place the young Sergeant Hutchins' of this war in situations they can't handle, are going scot free.

/s/Col. Norman Ewers
Irvine, CA 92612

From a Chaplain in Iraq

I recently attended a showing of "Superman 3," here at LSA Anaconda. We have a large auditorium we use for movies, as well as memorial services and other large gatherings.. As is the custom back in the States, we stood and snapped to attention when the National Anthem began before the main feature. All was going as planned until about three-quarters of the way through the National Anthem the music stopped.

Now, what would happen if this occurred with 1,000 18-22 year-olds back in the States? I imagine there would be hoots, catcalls, laughter, a few rude comments; and everyone would sit down and call for a movie. Of course, that is, if they had stood for the National Anthem in the first place. Here, the 1,000 Soldiers continued to stand at attention, eyes fixed forward. The music started again. The Soldiers continued to quietly stand at attention. And again, at the same point, the music stopped. What would you expect to happen? Even here I would imagine laughter, as everyone finally sat down and expected the movie to start.

But here, you could have heard a pin drop. Every Soldier continued to stand at attention. Suddenly there was a lone voice, then a dozen, and quickly the room was filled with the voices of a thousand Soldiers, finishing where the recording left off:

"And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air, Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave, O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?"

It was the most inspiring moment I have had here in Iraq. I wanted you to know what kind of Soldiers are serving you here.

Written by Chaplain Jim Higgins on 5/14/07 .

LSA Anaconda is at the Balad Airport in Iraq, north of Bagdad.

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