HUGH SMITH IN DECLINING HEALTH, SON WARNS
Nolan,
It’s with a heavy heart that I write to inform you of my dad’s ill health.
He was diagnosed with stage four melanoma this past February and as undergone Chemo treatments at Moffitt ever since.
Although he did respond to the treatments, dementia has set in, so much that he barely knows that you’re in the room with him.
I took him for treatment last week, the doctor did not like his look; his feet were and still are swollen; he has great difficulty in walking and a deep cough that hurts to hear. His heart is not functioning properly which explains the poor circulation and has been in the Hospice unit at Palms of Pasadena since last Thursday.
All they can do is manage his pain while we wait.
Please include him in your prayers
Highest Regards,
Ward G. Smith
Senior Media Editor
USSOCOM/Joint Psychological Operation
Support Element PDB
Team Jacobs/Lockheed Martin
Ward, my deepest sympathies go out to your and your family over this unfortunate situation. Hugh Smith is a legendary newscaster, one of the greats, and a pioneer in local television. Of course we will be thinking of him in our private spiritual moments and in our prayers. Good luck. --- Nolan
READER ON MIKE SMITH'S "GOLDEN COMPASS" REVIEW
To Mike Smith,
I read your reviews every week and use that as part of the criteria whether or not I want to see a film. I enjoyed your review of The Golden Compass. I have been looking forward for months for this release, and lately I’ve heard all the hoopla over conservative Christian groups to boycott the film. Not being one who likes to do what she’s told, I decided to read the trilogy for myself to see if indeed Mr. Pullman is trying to indoctrinate our young people. I just finished the third book, and I have to admit that although the main story lines were wonderful, I did find some things out of place and quite offensive.
The premise of all 3 books is that the “Creator”, who once he found himself in existence, let everyone else believe He had created them, and put into motion this thing called sin/original sin to control people though guilt and punishment. Thus, the goal of the main character is to find the Creator and kill him so as to get rid of original sin so everyone can live in a Garden of Eden type world. The Creator (meaning God, he assures us) does indeed get killed in the third book. (I didn’t believe this until I had read it for myself.) When they found him, he was an old, decrepit, weak, weary man who had put control over everything in the hands of someone else (who also gets killed, geez, I hope I’m not ruining this for you!) The story goes on and on, but in the end we find sin is okay and desirable and remains intact. Very strange books. Good appears to be bad and bad good. The whole time I wasn’t quite sure who the good guy was and who was the bad guy. I’ve decided I’m not very fond of Phillip Pullman and for a man who claims to be an atheist, he sure is obsessed with the world of spirits and spiritual issues.
Anyway, after all is said and done, my personal opinion is that other than the other-worldly influence, it’s a really good story of the girl on a quest. I’m afraid The Golden Compass is going to end just like The Fellowship of the Ring, where they embark on another part of the journey, not having solved the problem in the first place, which opens it to a sequel. We’ll see how deep the story line goes in the next 1 or 2 movies to follow, if they do.
I’m looking forward to the movie and have no regrets reading the book. Would I allow my children to read it? If they were still teenagers I would, because they aren’t real impressionable (we’re pretty religious). If I had a 12 year old? No, I wouldn’t let him/her read it. It’s difficult reading for one thing, and the atheistic phrases which appear to jump out from the middle of nowhere are quite offensive. I’ve already returned the book to the library or I’d give you some examples. But it’s really weird.
Thanks for all your reviews. Keep it up! I’ll keep reading every week (The Leavenworth Times)
Angela Meadows
Angela, hello, and thanks so much for writing such a thoughtful letter. I have forwarded it to the review's author, Michael A. Smith, for comment. ---Nolan
READER INFORMS ON THE FATE OF THE KAPOK TREE INN
Nolan,
The following exchange is from the Lettercol to PCR #350 roughly a year ago:
Nolan,
I have read the response on your blog about the Kapok Tree Inn in Clearwater (Likely Letters to the Editor, PCR #266 from 2005. --Nolan), but our family remembers it in Fort Lauderdale around the same time period (1970's). Can you please tell me what happened to that establishment?
Thank you.
[Unsigned]
I'm afraid I cannot. I inquired around to the staff and came up blank. Readers? ---Nolan
This was torn down in the early Eighties and is now a beautiful 165-acre Nature Center run by Broward County Parks and Rec.
It’s actually just outside Ft. Lauderdale in Davie.
Jim Silvestri
Grounds Maintenance Supervisor
CB Smith Park
To send an email to Letters to the Editor write to: Crazedfanboy1@aol.com. Any emails sent to this address will be assumed intended for publication unless you specifically instruct me not to. I can and do respond privately, if that is your preference. Frequently, it's both ways.---Nolan
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