Dear David Bowie,

Happy Bastille Day!

I hope you are recovering from your recent surgery. I know that angioplasty is now a rather routine procedure; but, still it must have been scary. Was your family with you in Germany when you came out of surgery? I hope so.

Everyone says you are back in your New York home. I hope that was a comfortable journey. I thought you might rest and recuperate in London, since you were already in Europe and it is so much closer than New York. Wherever you are, I hope you rest well and get back on your feet.

I read a quote where you said you wouldn't be writing any songs about this experience. Even if you write no songs about it, I hope it brings a new edge to your sound. "Reality" didn't have an edge, it was really safe. It was well-produced and marketed; but the songs were missing that Bowie-ness I like. "Reality" was like "hours..." and "Tonight" not like "Scary Monsters" and "Heathen"!

Mediocrity is exhausting. Remember what happened in the 80s? You worked your ass off, and you were completely unfulfilled. You got rich, which is fantastic, and I thought it was the wealth that would allow you to spend the rest of your life being creative and not having to answer to bosses at record labels.

It seems, though, that you tried to move back into the mainstream with "Reality" and the tour and the Hilfiger and Audi endorsements. Are you moving back to the mainstream in an effort to become well-known by the masses? Are you doing these advertisements to get your image into the households of the dull? Or, are you just doing it for money?

You are one of the most famous men on the entire planet, so I don't understand why you would have to move into the middle-of-the-road. You are famous for NOT being in the middle-of-the-road, so why would you go there? I hope it's just for money and that you will go back to being a more creative artist when your bank account reaches a particular number.

I have a Daddy question for you: When your children were infants, did they ever refuse to go to sleep even though they were exhausted and unable to stay awake? I am baffled by this one. My daughter will force herself to stay awake when she is clearly exhausted!

So . . what can we next expect from the world's foremost rock god?

Peace,
Dick Mac

P.S.: Why did you sell your name to Nestle?