From our Mailbag 04/20/03 - 05/10/03




by YOU

THE WORLD - From David H., Kailua, HI, USA:

SUBJECT: Response from Bob Powers

Rod & Bob,

Between you two fine gentleman, I have received the messages you sent in answer to my much belated note about the great story titled "Rosemary's Tribute". It was a wonderful tribute. I spent most of Easter Sunday on the internet, as my wife is recuperating from a rather major surgery of a week ago. We did celebrate Easter on Saturday in a grand way, the first outing she has had since the surgery.

On the internet, besides finding your tribute, Bob, I found, saved and printed out 15 other articles about Rosemary. Two or three of them were articles about her marriage to Dante DiPaolo, including your great article, Bob, "Rosemary's Wedding". I found the articles so easily that I haven't even had time to read them all as yet.

Yes, the experience my wife and I had on the evenings of November 16 and 17, 2001 were most memorable. I was reading a short clipping by our entertainment writer of our local paper, and although he was out of town and didn't get to see Rosemary, he wrote that all of his friends said he missed a great performance. He did say this:

"Rosemary Clooney's two-nighter with the Honolulu Symphony Orchestra last week-end at Blaisdell Concert Hall was quite a hoot, with Matt Catingub and the Copa Cat Pack keeping the momentum going. Don Ho showed up on Friday night to "lei" Clooney. Winners of the swing dance concert danced both nights".

Of course, my wife and I were part of the swing dancers that performed. The other three couples were all young swinger dancers from the University of Hawaii, all at least 55 years younger than June and I. Just 10 minutes before the Friday night show started, Matt Catigub told June and I that we were do a solo dance before the young ones did their thing. Surprised, I asked Matt what song he was going to play and he said, "Waikiki". I told him that was too slow for us, but said not to worry, he would speed it up. And he did. We had a ball. Of course we had a great time talking to Rosemary and her interesting husband.

Rosemary and Matt became very good friends over the last years of her life. He is a tremendous talent. Don Ho got to give Rosemary the traditional lei on Friday night, but Matt gave me the honor of presenting it to her on the final night. As I said before, my right cheek is still blushing from the kiss I received from Rosemary. Those two evenings rank among the two or three most thrilling events of my life (including being in party of five Cheyenne, WY men to take Deke Slayton, Pete Conrad and Gordon Cooper elk hunting before the three of them made their trips to the moon).

I would like to finish by telling you that, only five months after my wife and I danced on stage those two nights, my wife was hit by a car while crossing a street in a crosswalk. It happened just three blocks from our home here in Kailua, Hawaii. The girl that hit her never saw her as she was waving at a friend driving a car in the opposite direction. By the time this girl heard a huge thump, my wife was on top of her car. So she hit her brakes and threw June back onto the pavement, a hundred feet from the impact. Both legs were broken, her right one in two places. Her upper left arm was broken, her pelvic bone cracked and she received a bad concussion on the back of her head. Three different surgeries were required. This happened April 22, 2002.

On June's 79 th birthday, June 13, we went to the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, and she got on her feet (one in a cast) and danced a few steps. This was less than two months after the accident. After another two or three weeks, she could dance quite well. However, even today, she has never regained her full ability to walk as before, but she dances better and better. She is a 4 foot 11 inch bundle of energy.

Well, that is enough. By the way, Bob, my grandfather was born and raised on a farm not far from Marietta. I sure want to get there some day. Best wishes to you both and thanks for lending me your ear.

David (Dave) D. H.
Kailua, HI

an oasis
for dreamers

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ROD RESPONDS: Dave,

I can't speak for Bob (and have never tried to) but must tell you that communicating with you has been one of the highpoints of this 50-something young-uns publishing career! Your love of life comes through in every sentence. I pray you keep dancing, my new friend!

On a personal level, thanks for sharing June's story with us. I was very touched and pleased to hear that she continues to dance, as well. Both your own story and Bob's of meeting Rosemary make me envious. I have nothing that even comes close, having been born in the "Baby Boom". I hope you'll keep coming back to "Powerssound", a column that as been consistently excellent lo these many years, and continue to stay in touch with Bob, if not also me.

Cheers,
Rod


From Richard M., maxjazz.com, USA:

SUBJECT: René Marie's New Album Reviewed

Dear Bob: You write as well as Rene sings. I'm glad you find Rene irresistable...her fan base is growing, and she has a lot of music to give. All the best.

Richard M.


From Carla D., Alexandria, VA, USA:

SUBJECT: Thank You

I see the problem of our educational skills sliding attributed to the following: Our social structure and the regulations that have been executed are just as much the problem of our poor education as other factors to follow. We are society of "special interests", diversity, and dumming down of our mental capabilities and America.

Educators, parents, State and Local Governments are taking it upon themselves to re-write history to avoid the truth. "If you don't see it, it did not happen", If you donšt talk about it, it never happened". I am beginning to think parents and teachers are a child's worst enemies.

Are these people  lazy and fearful themselves? They are so inhibited, they have no idea how give children opportunities to grow and become up-standing, responsible individuals.

Parents and educators today should look at themselves before forcing their ideas on our young people. Perhaps most of our STUPID regulations stem from the narrow-minded individuals who are spouting the idea of "New Schoolbooks" Vocabulary Changes and other ridiculous issues.

Wake up, bad things to happen in life, people do have to make decisions regarding right and wrong, good and evil, yes and no, taking responsibility or being dependent on others.

Time is wasted on corrupting our history, ideals, and young people. We need to round up all of those who feel changes should be made, and send these people to attitude adjustment class, as well as, a good ole reality check.

I am so happy I did not have children, or grandchildren. I would be home teaching and pushing as much ethics of responsibility and our history on my family as possible.

Yes, I am too aware of today's lacking in education. My friends and I discuss the horrors they are facing with the teachers in today's school systems.

I was born in 1947, how did I spend my childhood? Reading, asking questions, developing my skills in research, by "thinking", forming situations and coming up with a choice of endings.

Today, kids do not think, they know just enough to turn on the T.V., DVD or mouth words such as give me, get me, I want, I need, I demandŠ.

I shudder to think about our society in twenty-five years, when the young people (under the age of 18) are "in charge" and begin having kids of their own. Heaven help us, we have to depend on these individuals who are mentally sheltered and have no idea about the real world and how it works.

The United States will not be fighting foreign invaders, it will be defending the country against itself !!

Carla D.
Alexandria VA


From Sam H., (No City Provided), USA:

SUBJECT: Trying to draw a picture...

Dear Rod,

I have been following the oratorical ramblings in Your Glass House for some time now and trying very hard to conjure up a mental picture of who you are now and what you look like. It is so hard for me to equate some of the things you write with the same person I knew as the President of the SGA (is that what it was called?).

I am so amazed by how some of us turned out....you are a blithe spirit haunting the alleys of New Orleans and I am the queen of kink on the other side of the continent....

I wonder what was really in the cafeteria food at KHS?

Sam

"In order to derive pleasure from the humiliation of and exaltation of the flesh one must ascribe value to the flesh." -- Simone de Beauvoir


ROD RESPONDS:

Sam,

There's a photo on the staff page. And it was called "SCA" (Student Council Association). Judging by the number of dates I got in high school, I'd have to surmise it was saltpeter in the cafeteria food.

Egads! You've outed me to the world as one of those people who was an over-achiever in high school. My image as a world-weary rake has been ruined for all time. Thanks a lot. (Heh!)

Cheers,
Rod


From Charles C., Tel Aviv, ISRAEL:

SUBJECT: Very Good

Dear Raheem,

I'm glad you wrote this article.

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