When a wing falls off the plane...: Great article ("Death Is My Co-pilot," Tamara Lush, March 22). It does omit one major fact. When the families filed lawsuits, I remember newspapers reporting that the new engines weighed hundreds of pounds less than the old ones. Common sense would dictate that greater horsepower is countered by the decrease in weight. Additional vibrating stress would be very minimal.
Marc Smilen
Dania Beach
Chalk one up for Tamara: Please let Tamara Lush know that this was one of the best pieces of journalism your newspaper has ever done. She is expressive, informative, and precise — besides having an enormously humanistic touch.
Tyrone Lewis
Via the Internet
Family Tradition?
Mara's fair-haired boy: When I first read the headline above the recent story by Bob Norman about Mayor Mara's son, Michael Giulianti, I thought Norman was just picking at another scab on the mayor ("Mayor's Boy," March 22). "How needless," I thought. However, after reading what a nervy meddler Hollywood's mayor was, even with regard to an obviously egotistical bully like her youngest son, I realized Norman was just letting us know that, even in her family life, Mayor Mara is a pushy, nasty liar.
It's too bad various police departments around town and the state didn't tell her to shut up and get lost — and put her son where he belonged: in a cell with "Bubba"!
Harvey Slavin
Hollywood
I Remember Spring
Everybody was kung-fu fightin', I think: Dude, spring break ("Spring Forward," Marya Summers, March 22)! I remember the days. Actually, I don't... but if I could remember, they'd be the best memories ever. I bet. At least, I'm pretty sure.
Name withheld by request
Via the Internet
Night Rider knows her spring break lore: Hey, nice story for a change! More stories like this. Thank God it wasn't another one where you're putting down the locals or boring us with your own endless problems.
Name withheld by request
Via the Internet
Manly Men
And the boys who love them: I loved Nathan Lee's witty, clear-eyed review of 300, "Man-on-Man Action" (March 8), and its paradoxical homophobic-homoerotic violence. I read elsewhere that 300 is by far the most successful movie of spring break's top ten, outselling the next nine movies combined.
I wonder what this says about the current psychology of young American males.
Alexander Sharkey
Miami Beach
Save it for the little screen: Just dropping you a note to tell you I thoroughly enjoyed your review of 300. I cut my teeth on The Iliad, The Odyssey, and Greek mythology when other kids were reading Highlights magazine. I was looking forward to this unusual retelling of the battle of Thermopylae, but now I'm a bit more reluctant to shell out this not-so-trivial amount of cash to see it.
Good writing. I look forward to more.
Charles Long
Via the Internet
More Tanker Fumes
It was all about safety: Speaking as someone who was on that paddle trip, this article was completely inaccurate ("Ten Seconds to Eternity," Tailpipe, March 8). Who were the newbie paddlers? Everyone I met there was very experienced. We had safety talks to assess boat traffic (overall water conditions) before launching and throughout the paddle trip. We did stay close to the seawall through the inlet, no place near any boat traffic. Your quotes from the paddlers are completely taken out of context too.
You have also reported a wrong impression of Kai Story. He should be praised as a hero for his efforts, not beaten up, as you're trying to do. My guess is that you've never met him. He is a beloved group organizer, always eager to help people build their paddling skills and sometimes annoyingly strict with safety on the water. He responded with great skill to a fellow paddler flipping over, and when a "normal rescue" wasn't possible and things got worse, he didn't leave that paddler alone to fend for himself. I think you owe him a retraction and huge apology.
Name withheld by request
Via the Internet
He was there too: If it weren't for the published comments of the heroic Sea Tow captain who rescued the capsize victim, it might have been a case of "he said, she said." Capt. John Estey — who had no horse in this race — stated unequivocally that (a) the capsized kayaker was directly in the path of an armada consisting of a tanker, two large tugboats, and a pilot boat; (b) that the tugboats were desperately trying to slow the tanker, to no avail; (c) that the armada was within 75 feet of his tow and closing; (d) that the capsized kayaker did not have his life vest on and was paddling an open-cockpit kayak unsuited for the inlet; (e) that the kayaker was exhausted and hanging on to another kayak; (f) that Channel 16 was lit up with the Coast Guard, the tanker, the tugs, and the pilot boat — who were screaming at him to get out of the way; (g) that he managed at the last moment to pluck the capsized kayaker from the water, told him to "hold on," and accelerated at full speed to avoid the oncoming tanker.
Isn't that enough? For any to claim otherwise is tantamount to calling this man a liar and shows no respect for his timely and heroic act performed under great duress.
Name withheld by request
Via the Internet
