Water Is Not Water
One quote that really made me laugh in "Kick the Bottle" by Lee Klein (August 14) was: "Water is water." No, it isn't!
Have you ever wondered why so many of the imported beers taste better than our American-made brands? It's because the water is different abroad. No, water isn't water! In America, our water has fluoride added to it by government order, supposedly to help with growing strong bones and teeth.
My family owned the two best Italian restaurants in Miami Beach — the Red Devil and the Villa Nova. If a customer asked for Saratoga Vichy water (ever heard of it?), we didn't say, "Have some good old tap water."
Mayor Manny Diaz is quoted often in your article; I believe he's a partner in a restaurant. Why don't you ask him if his menu includes bottled water? Hypocritical, don't you think?
In a world of sensation, everything depends on experience. Rain is one thing to a man, still quite another to a tree, and still something else to a hill or mountain. There are different tastes no matter what, and I enjoy Pellegrino.
Ronald C. Rickey
Miami Beach
I'd like to make a suggestion regarding the story. I am a big water drinker and have found that the examples you listed often taste as if they came from a garden hose or from a public swimming pool. I now drink the water from the dispenser in my fridge or the water fountain at work, reusing the same bottle over and over. My suggestion is: Charge a deposit of 5 cents for a can and 10 cents for a bottle at the time of purchase. That money is refunded when the item is returned. This would encourage people to recycle or reuse bottles and make people think twice about throwing these items out their car windows, cutting down on roadside trash. For those who are a little down on their luck, there are items that have been disposed of out in the open. Cashing in the week's worth of cans and bottles feels like you're getting a couple of extra bucks for nothing.
Thanks for your paper. It seems to be the only one with actual information.
Carolyn King
Fort Lauderdale
Questionable Question
In response to Arielle Castillo's "Joyful Noise," published August 14: Here's another "philosophical" question for you: When a writer with supposed knowledge about Joy Division calls the band's final song ever written "Celebration" instead of the actual title, "Ceremony," is she:
a. with her head so far up her ass that she genuinely made a slipup because well, her head is way up there?
b. full of shit to begin with and should stick to writing pieces about teenaged mall metal bands such as Black Wave (or whatever their name is)?
c. just made an honest mistake, isn't full of shit, but still needs to shut up and stop being part of the No Fun Club?
d. all of the above?
Name withheld by request
Miami
Man Up, Guv
I just loved Tom Francis' paper doll makeover of Charlie Crist, "Man Up, Charlie!" (August 7). The only thing missing in the kit was a different facial expression. Wherever Charlie goes, he presents a smiley-trained face. The only photo op that has displayed his seriousness was the one where he was being informed about the state's rubber-stamp mortgage licenses for 10,000 felons.
Perhaps he was remembering Harry Truman's code of ethics: "The buck stops here." Then again, maybe he can hatchet his regulator, Don Saxon; clear his name; and put back on his smiles.
Robert Fourmier
Miami
Point in the Right Direction
Out of 35 kids I knew and grew up with in foster care, five of us are alive today. The rest died at the hands of foster care.
Adoption is disgusting, and foster care... I just lack the words needed to describe such a savage and barbaric practice. I can only hope we move past this savage, brainless solution to foster care. But from what I see from people, it will be us who were in the system and lucky enough to survive who will make that happen. By reading this story ("To Hug a Porcupine," Deirdra Funcheon, June 26), all I see is "me me me me" and pointing fingers everywhere but where they belong. Point them at the government and those who stand to profit from this disturbing thing people have come to call "in the best interests of the children."
If you support adoption and foster care, you need to get your head checked.
Jessie McVicar
Via the internet
Correction
In a feature about the Broward County Sheriff's race, "With a Bullet" (August 21) stated inaccurately that Sen. Steve Geller has represented Hollywood as a lobbyist. He has represented the city as a legislator. We regret the error.
