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Wash
Over
To
the Editor:
It’ll
be a sad day in America when the water runs out. I wondered
when that would happen after reading Rick Marshall’s insightful
article on the subject [“To the Last Drop,” Dec. 2]. I imagined
myself walking three miles one way to obtain fresh water,
just to walk back carrying it in a water jug on my head. That
sure would make me later for work in the morning, not to mention
late for everything else in the day.
I sincerely appreciate being made aware of such findings as
I, just like any Northeastern American, have taken the daily
use of water for my shower, my coffee and many such like things
for granted, assuming there will always be enough. Never once
did I stop to think that one day when I turn on the faucet,
no water will make an appearance. This country has always
been able to supply its citizens with the basic necessities
such as water. It’s an amazing thing that something as natural
as water can become a political monster being debated from
one government official to another. I’m sure without the red
tape involved we would all just simply run out of water without
warning. At least the constant talking and planning by these
officials awaken those who do not pay attention to the ever
approaching threat of a water shortage so we’re not taken
by surprise.
For a certainty I am now going to join the thousands of conscientious
Americans who conserve water by taking shorter showers and
by turning the water off when I brush my teeth. I hope many
others will join me in this endeavor after being made aware
of the water shortage that may be coming.
Rhondine
Shine
Albany
You’re
No Fun
To
the Editor:
Somewhere
during the first act of Finding Neverland, Charles
Frohman (Dustin Hoffman) consoles J.M. Barrie (Johnny Depp)
by telling him that the critics have ruined everything. The
word “play” no longer stands for its original meaning; the
critics, you see, have taken the fun out of theater.
Congratulations to Laura Leon [“Who Killed Tinkerbell?” Cinema,
Dec. 2] for following in the footsteps of early 20th-century
critics by blasting a movie she clear missed the meaning of.
While Ms. Leon focuses on inane aspects of the movie such
as Sylvia Llewellyn Davies’ healthy appearance prior to her
death (because we all know people who look healthy
never die from undisclosed illnesses), to her history lesson
about the real-life death of Peter (this relates to the movie
how?), the beautiful aspects of the storytelling offered to
the audience fly over her head like Pan on a cloudy London
evening.
Certainly the energy and silliness Depp brought to Pirates
of the Caribbean is not prevalent in his performance as
Barrie. Of course he is no longer playing Captain Jack Sparrow,
Ms. Leon, but a conflicted playwright bemused with the notion
that the love of his life provides little inspiration compared
to a strange woman and four children he found wandering through
a park.
And what should we make of Ms. Leon’s disgust for the lack
of physicality between Barrie and Sylvia the widow? Certainly
no reasonable person would assume they had such an amazing
relationship without consummating it in a truly unPan-like
moment. However, we come back to the base of Finding Neverland,
which is, of course, the innocence of children. The untainted
happiness that sometimes clashes with moments of pain adults
cannot comprehend.
In the end, the movie may have been nothing more than a story
of staying young, and finding the stress-free bliss that accompanies
childhood. Or it may have been about the incessant anxiety
that brilliance often creates inside of those who carry its
heavy burden. Or it may have simply told the story of unquestioned
love—free of attraction, guilt, and conclusion. In reality
though, it was the story of all three.
Unfortunately, Ms. Leon portrays the old, stuffy elitists
that Barrie struggles to please in the premiere of his masterpiece.
Jay
Allen
Rensselaer
Correction
For
all those who were concerned when they read in “Conservatively
Optimistic” (Newsfront, Dec. 2), that Joe Sullivan was “pleased
that George W. Bush had carried the city’s southwestern zip
code 12208,” there’s good news: Though Sullivan believed so,
Bush did not carry 12208, nor in fact any ward or election
district in the city of Albany. We sheepishly apologize for
not catching the mistake. Sullivan also regrets the error,
which was due to a misunderstanding on his part of an election-results
Web site.
Also, we neglected to make clear that there is a dispute over
the city Republican leadership. Joe Sullivan is not considered
to be the chair by the Albany County Republicans, and he does
not represent their viewpoints or the viewpoints of city Republicans
who work with the county.
Metroland
welcomes typed, double-spaced letters (computer printouts
OK), addressed to the editor. Or you may e-mail them to: metroland@metroland.net.
Metroland reserves the right to edit letters for length; 300
words is the preferred maximum. You must include your name,
address and day and evening telephone numbers. We will not
publish letters that cannot be verified, nor those that are
illegible, irresponsible or factually inaccurate.
Send
to:
Letters, Metroland, 4 Central Ave.,
4th Floor, Albany, NY 12210
or e-mail us at metroland@metroland.net.
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