DEAR PEGGY: LETTERS TO THE EDITOR peggy-north@monthlyherald.com
THE AMERICAN EMBASSY IN SAUDI ARABIA IS A JOKE!
Dear Peggy: One on one, Saudis are good people, but put three or more of them together, and you are in trouble. Our Government are afraid of them. Get in trouble in Saudia, don't try to get help from the US Embassy, they will tell you that if they step in the Saudis will get upset with the US, Go to the Canadians, they will help you, even if you are an American. What is their ONLY economy. OIL, what do they depend on the outside world for everything else. In the 1980's when I lived there, every citizen received $18000US Royalty per year with Oil at $10 per barrel. The country oil industry is run by Houston ,Texas under the name Aramco. We use more mid-east oil than the rest of the world combined, so we should set the price, not them, say to all of the cartel countries, we will pay you $10 a bill., take or leave it, we will only be cut off for about a month, and they will cave or crash. I have heard the largest land owner in Texas is a Saudi Prince, and he is receiving land bank payments in the millions from our government. They even own their own city in Texas (plus a few more) Sugarland. They are the biggest hypocrites in the world. Let their women out of the country, the first thing they do is get into mini skirts, light a cigarette, order a drink, and then get in a car, and drive to the next bar. While I was living there, I could have all the booze I wanted, and they would sneak the Americans in the back door of their whore houses, but only those Americans that could make money for them. Lets look at their Oil Industry, Airports, Hospitals, Military, all built by ex-pats, mostly with US Money, that was never repaid, Almost all Construction Companies are American (but only the ones our Government put in there. If America had the guts to cut them off for awhile, they would come around to our terms, and they would give some respect, and we don't have that now, we in fact are subservient to a third world nation. Stand up America. Dan Horrowitz, New York, USA.
KAREN KOHLER
From
time to time I surf the bios and personal statements of cabaret performers.
Well, this time I fell on something unusual; an auto-portrait description of
an American singer. It caught my attention. I would like to share it with you,
and your readers, should you find it interesting The artist's name is Karen
Kohler. Here is what she wrote about herself: "I am a choreographer. I use
gestures to accentuate an idea, a line or a word. My sensuality is expressed
gutturally. I am a masquerader; I love to dress a part. I am an exhibitionist;
the most essential Karen Kohler exists before a receptive and open audience. I
am a thief. I don't borrow something; I steal it. Then I put my own stamp on
it, and offer it as a new idea, an enhanced version of the original. Imitation
may be the highest form of flattery, but flattery is the highest form of
pathos. And while copying others is futile, claims of originality are at least
disingenuous and at most plagiarism. There will only ever be one Marlene
Dietrich, only one Sarah Vaughan and Anita O'Day. Let us honor who and what
has come before by imparting ourselves fully to what we appropriate. This is
honest art-making. I have my own mentors and muses who have gone before, whom
I have heard and watched, from whom I've stolen and whose character and style
have influenced my own. Besides Dietrich, Vaughan and O'Day, there have been
for me most notably: Fred Astaire, Yvette Guilbert, Lotte Lenya, Julie
Andrews, Bing Crosby, Catherine Deneuve, Teresa Stratas, Frank Sinatra, Lena
Horne, Barbra Streisand, Edith Piaf, Connee Boswell and Mel Tormé."
Martin Positano, Brussels, Belgium.
SUE MATSUKI
Dearest Peggy: Here is an "unusual" auto-bio introduction
written by the artist herself. It is catchy and interesting. I am sending it
to you because I noticed you published the auto-biography of Karen Kohler.
Well, now you have a pair. See if you like it. I love to see it in print. "Hi,
I’m Sue Matsuki. No, I am not Japanese. I come to my name through my Japanese
husband. I took his name when we married because it was a "trade up" name. You
see, my maiden name was Trosell, which made me "Suetrosell" which, to me,
always sounded like an antacid. At least "Susiematsuki" makes me sound like an
Asian Porno Star. I am actually of Swedish and French descent which means
nothing really expect that I’m a big chested, great kisser!" written by Sue
Matsuki. Evangeline Lopez, Houston, Texas, USA.
Continues on the following pages.