The 54th annual appearance by Ray in Torrance was delightful. He gave us a rare glimpse into his palatial mind and during the levture imparted two more, "Rules of Hygiene." The first, "Don't listen to the naysayers," and the second, "Don't watch CNN or Fox News." kSo, it's true, "Ignorance is bliss!" The man is a prince among men and I am pleased to report that at the ripe old age of 80-something his brilliant mind is still stellar. If anyone out here attended, I would like to hear your impressions of the night. I mean, my god, he talked non-stop for nearly two whole hours and he never even lost the attention of the many yutes which were in attendance. For example, I never knew he used to ride the red car up to L.A. My father did as well at that time and says he still has splinters in his ass -hehehe. Or, that he remembers P.O.P. Pacific Ocean Park was my favorite place in the whole, wide world when I was yute. Can't wait to read, "Hail To The Chief." His latest about what happens when those idiot Senators lose the country to an Injun Chief, and Junior has to try and win it back in a game of Blackjack. It goes on but I'll save the rest for yuns. Anyway, youse 'oughta'd been there. It was, well, swell! The first book I ever read was, "Dandelion Wine." It was recquired reading in grammar school and I remember I sent away the grand sum of $0.75 for it. This, being when a buck was buck, back in '64, and I had to deliver one helluva lot of Times' to pay for it.

Torrance is maybe 20 minutes from his home, by the 405 freeway. I still don't think Ray goes too far from home nowadays.
Ray's speech is something you will always rememeber, eh Comiskey.

Gee, I did not know that Ray remembered P.O.P. I knew he remembered the previous and original Ocean Park Pier, as well as the Venice Pier and even the Santa Monica Pier. I worked at P.O.P. in the late fifties, (CBS tried to compete with Disneyland) I sold balloons, made hot-dogs-on-a-stick, and even had keys to the park gates at one time. I used to take girl friends in there late at night to see the place after dark.

My favorite memory of that place was the Laughing Lady who stood over the mirror maze across from the rollercoaster. She probably laughed as "The Dwarf" went in to see himself everyday. The very same Laughing Lady is now up in San Francisco in a museum of mechanical marvels and games, and she laughs at me still, for a quarter. What a time it was to be a kid. It was almost all gone by the time I got there, in the '50s. My parents met on the Venice Pier and told me many stories and had many pictures of the beach, the gas pawered trams that ran between the piers and street cars. They turned the old ballrooms into movie theatres and roller skating rinks by the time I got to see them. The Aragon Ballroom on the Ocean park Pier, was where Lawrence Welk got his start; there was a western band leader named Spade Cooley who operated out of the Santa Moinca ballroom; both had TV shows that were very popular. I get it all back when I read, again, the stories Ray wrote. (Death Is A Lonely Business and Let's All Kill Constance.)

Yeah, P.o.P just like another place that's now gone forever, Tomorrowland, for me, the happiest place on earth. Now, if we were on Mars ...

Cheviot Hills, I believe, someone had said he lived on the hill, but at the lecture the woman sitting next to me told me she works where he banks. p.s. Don't believe him when he says his books only sell 3k copies...

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Originally posted by Nard Kordell:
Torrance is maybe 20 minutes from his home, by the 405 freeway. I still don't think Ray goes too far from home nowadays.
Ray's speech is something you will always rememeber, eh Comiskey.