So, not everyone was thrilled to read about the cooking being done in the United States Air Force. Not everyone got the point about them paying for their own meals and that the planes are used to fly commanders around the world to direct combat operations. Apparently some thought they were for flying to Club Med. My bad.

Here’s an example of one such missive from a reader:

From: GUSTAVE BARTELS
Subject: Lunch at 12 O’clock

Jeff Houck

How “SAD” and disturbing that you and the Tampa Tribune have nothing better to do but print and publish a storey on how “The BIG BRASS” at MacDill Air Force Bass” is living"High On the Hog” at Taxes payer expense! It is a sad state of affairs that Your paper is so insensitive to our nations plight- - -people out of work, food prices souring, gas going up every day. I guess it must be real comforting to “YOU ALL” to know our top brass is having “gourmet meals” at 51,000ft. I guess not every one is suffering during these very difficult times. You must know we are in a Recession, or what planet are you from.

I believe you and the TT could better utilize your time by printing some solutions for the helping the average “TAX PAYER” during the “G. Bush!” Recession!

Just a thought.

Gus Bartels

To which I replied:

Dear Gus,

Give yourself credit. That’s more than just a thought. In fact, it’s a whole bunch.

These food prices that are souring ... are they out of date?

Cheers,

Jeff

p.s. I’m from Earth. Thanks for asking.

p.s.s. Heh. You said “TT.”

For the record, I started my day by reading this tender piece of correspondence which was e-mailed from Plant City:

From: george l henson
Sent: Wednesday, May 07, 2008 6:21 AM
Subject: AMERICAN ELITE.

George (Ol Bear) Henson

Mr. Jeff Houck :

To start I want to let you know I am not bashing you for this story, “Lunch at 12:00 O’clock.” about certain elite that are treated as Kings and royalty by this government while us, the peons are paying for all this while trying to manage our lives with the higher costs for everything, being retired is especially hard, no am not poor mouthing, just aggravated to be having to pay with our dollars such extravagances as this, we have to take the bus or train, airlines out of the question these days if we could go off on vacation or travel as we had planned on retiring, cannot afford to now.

The Bush’s, oil folk cannot relate to the rest of us that worked, and helped to build this nation in our working years, then to see it torn down as has happened in the last 30 odd years, folks used to wonder how they were going to buy groceries or their meds, now put a few gallons of gas with this to go make these purchases, if Americans were not so sorry and complacent they would get up on their hind legs and do or demand something be done, but, it will never happen as it did in Cameroon, Africa and other nations where government treated folk as slaves, the Blacks hate the N word well what about us White Ns the government uses to support their meals in the air as this story relates to us or supporting their two homes and autos, plus gas, while the rest have to make do,
seriously we need a revolution in this nation, the Constitution makes notice of this when government gets to repressive as now, but, again complacency wins out, oh yes, Americans gripe, fuss, cuss, bellyache, complain and sit on their sorry backsides and do nothing.

Stories like this while interesting do nothing but rub our noses in media garbage (nice word) making us realize we live in a Socialist society whether we care, know or realize it.

At 72 years young I never realized we would live in a world as this, gourmet meals for the elite, what is wrong with feeding them beans and rice as many of us do, some have to, yes it could cause problems in their nice airplane.

ol bear

Hmmm. How best to handle...? Let’s try this:

Dear George (Mr. Bear),

You make several salient and well-considered points. But you have to understand, the food is really delicious.

Cheers,

Jeff

p.s. I did not personally see any “The Bush’s, oil folk” onboard the plane, but you might be right. They very well could have been onboard had they been very tiny. That plane was crazy with the hideaway compartments.