Mountain Views News          Saturday, June 11, 2011

14

OPINION

 Mountain Views News Saturday, June 11, 2011

HAIL Hamilton My Turn

STUART Tolchin..........On LIFE

Mountain 
Views

News

Publisher/ Editor

Susan Henderson

City Editor

Dean Lee 

Sales

Patricia Colonello

626-355-2737 

626-818-2698

Production 

Richard Garcia

Photography

Lina Johnson

Chris Bertrand

Contributors

Teresa Baxter

Pat Birdsall

Bob Eklund

Howard Hays

Paul Carpenter

Stuart Tolchin

Kim Clymer-Kelley

Christopher Nyerges

Peter Dills 

Hail Hamilton 

Rich Johnson

Chris Bertrand

Mary Carney

La Quetta Shamblee

Glenn Lambdin

Greg Wellborn

Ralph McKnight

Trish Collins

Pat Ostrye

Dorothy White

Webmaster

John Aveny 

Flag Day and Displaying the Flag


TOO MUCH TIME 

ON OUR HANDS


The American flag is a 
welcome symbol of freedom 
and national pride. With 
Flag Day almost upon us and 
Independence Day a couple 
of weeks away I thought 
a brief review of how to 
display the flag might be 
appropriate. I know some of you may think a review 
of how to display the flag is unnecessary because the 
citizens of Sierra Madre are experts at it. I mean: 
Look at all the practice we get with the various 
pageants and events the city sponsors. 

Still, the proper display of the flag is important, 
if for no other reason than to show it the respect it 
deserves.

Manner of display:

• The flag should never touch anything beneath 
it, such as the ground.

• Do not fly the flag in bad weather, unless it is an 
all-weather flag.

• The flag should always be allowed to fall free.

• The flag should never have placed upon it, 
nor on any part of it, nor attached to it any mark, 
insignia, letter, word, figure, design, picture, or 
drawing of any nature.

• When the flag is displayed over the middle of 
the street, it should be suspended vertically with the 
union to the north in an east and west street or to the 
east in a north and south street.

• When flags of States, cities, or localities, or 
pennants of societies are flown on the same halyard 
with the flag of the United States, the latter should 
always be at the peak. When the flags are flown from 
adjacent staffs, the flag of the United States should 
be hoisted first and lowered last. No such flag or 
pennant may be placed above the flag of the United 
States or to the right of the flag of the United States 
(the viewer’s left). 

• When the flag is suspended over a sidewalk 
from a rope extending from a house to a pole at the 
edge of the sidewalk, the flag should be hoisted out, 
union first, from the building.

• When the flag of the United States is displayed 
from a staff projecting horizontally or at an angle 
from the window sill, balcony, or front of a building, 
the union of the flag should be placed at the peak of 
the staff unless the flag is at half-staff.

• When the flag is displayed in a manner 
other than by being flown from a staff, it should 
be displayed flat, whether indoors or out. When 
displayed either horizontally or vertically against 
a wall, the union should be uppermost and to the 
flag’s own right, that is, to the observer’s left. When 
displayed in a window it should be displayed in the 
same way, that is with the union or blue field to the 
left of the observer in the street.

• When hung in a window where it is viewed 
from the street, place the union at the head and over 
the left shoulder. 

• The flag should never be carried flat or 
horizontally, but always aloft and free.

• The flag should never be used for clothing, 
bedding, or drapery. 

• When festoons, rosettes or drapings are desired, 
bunting of red, white and blue bunting should be 
used, with the blue on top, the white in the middle, 
and red below; but never the flag.

• The flag should not appear on napkins, 
boxes, or other disposable items, nor should it be 
embroidered on cushions, handkerchiefs, or similar 
objects.

• The flag should never be used to cover a statue 
or monument.

• That the flag, when carried in a procession 
with another flag, or flags, should be either on the 
marching right; that is, the flag’s own right, or, if 
there is a line of other flags, in front of the center 
of that line.

• The flag of the United States of America should 
be at the center and at the highest point of the group 
when a number of flags of States or localities or 
pennants of societies are grouped and displayed 
from staffs.

• The flag should not be draped over a car, train, 
or boat, the staff shall be fixed firmly to the chassis 
or clamped to the right fender. 

• On floats the flag should be only displayed on 
a staff.

Time for display:

• It is the general custom to display the flag only 
from sunrise to sunset in the open. However, the 
flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if 
properly illuminated during the hours of darkness 
-- the principle being that light is always shining on 
our national symbol.

Well, I just finished watching my tape of the Professional 
Basketball game, after which I skimmed the 
tapes of the Dodger game and the Angel game. I do 
something like this on most nights. Over the last couple 
of weeks I watched hours and hours of the French 
Open Tennis Championships and, of course this 
weekend I will undoubtedly watch hours and hours of 
the U.S’ Open Golf Championships - always one of my favorite events. The 
strange thing about it is that even though I spend all this time watching 
sports I am less interested in the games than at any time in my adult or 
quasi-adult life.

The reason for my disinterest, I guess, is that most of my favorite players 
and teams have disappeared. You know without me telling you that the 
Lakers have long been eliminated from the playoffs, that in tennis the only 
American players worth watching, Venus and Serena Williams, are injured 
and absent. In golf, all of my interest was drawn to Tiger Woods, who is 
now injured and additionally is only another guy on the tour now rather 
than a Superman. Baseball, though, is the worst. The Dodgers have only 
one or two good players and the team is kind of dull. Worse than that, 
the ownership of the team is so screwed up that any day now the League 
may take over ownership of the whole team. I register my disgust with the 
situation by wearing a replica of an old Brooklyn Dodger hat as I wander 
around town. All kinds of folk react to the hat and support my feelings 
of disgust with the state of the present team. Even though I am always in 
need of validation I do not find much joy in rooting for the annihilation 
of the Home Team.

I guess what I am saying is that although modern electronics have made 
it possible for me to view more sports, I am enjoying it less. I used to enjoy 
searching out arcane sports information and read statistics books and 
memorized daily box scores. Okay, I admit I still read the box scores and 
check on my favorite players but I think this is mostly out of habit rather 
than resulting from any real connection. I used to devour information 
about Stan Musial, Ted Williams and other immortals. Now I don’t think 
of the star players as immortals but rather as illegal drug users who have 
managed to escape detection for awhile. Watching sports has become sort 
of like rooting for the Mafia. Go John Gotti go!

Probably I am not the only ex-sports addict (okay I have not yet kicked 
the habit) who is suffering. Later generations have long ago ceased watching 
these old-time sports and, I guess, have acquired new addictions. I 
don’t understand much about video games or simulated electronic competitions. 
I did go through a period of Sudoku madness, but this too passed. 
I think the problem there was that the improvement in puzzle solving 
was not automatic. It required focus and effort to remain enjoyable and I 
was unable - or unwilling- to put that much effort into solving some silly 
puzzle.

You know the willingness to put a lot of effort into something is probably 
a prerequisite to finding much satisfaction in any activity. I know 
that, at least for me, part-time legal work is not very satisfying. It is only 
when the requirements of a particular case require prolonged effort and 
focus that I manage to acquire much satisfaction. Of course there are other 
rewards, like money, but at this time in my life I do not want to undertake 
the responsibilities of handling a big involved case. I told my daughter I 
would help out in her office free of charge, but she refused my offer saying 
that she couldn’t afford it. I think I understand her reasoning, in that the 
potential downside to our personal relationship, should I make some sort 
of unforgiveable error, like losing a file, outweighs any potential financial 
benefit to her. 

So, who needs her? Yes, I have reached retirement age with absolutely 
no idea of what I’m going to do, plus this unfortunate fact that I am losing 
interest in what it is that I am doing. Which way is the Senior Center and 
Ballroom Dancing and the tomato patch? I have this terrible fear that I 
am going to start doing all the things that I have avoided all of my life, like 
washing and ironing and cooking and maintaining myself. Really, I know 
it won’t come to that. There are always books to read and articles to write 
and I can always hope that Tiger will get better and start winning again. I 
figured it out. I do not want to do anything hard; I just want the satisfaction 
that comes from doing hard things without expending the effort. Is 
that so wrong and what does it mean about our Country? 


Curbing Bad Behavior:

 by Ron Carter

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The Cover Up

As I watched another public figure admits to lying 
to the public, family, friends and supporters, 
I wonder when will these misguided individuals 
– mostly men – realized that you cannot cover 
up bad behavior forever. The cover-up is “always” 
worse than the bad behavior. New York Congressman 
Anthony Weiner over the last 10 days conducted 
several interviews where he denied an accusation 
that was levied at him. Finally, after being 
forced by his consciousness and his accuser’s threat 
to bring forth more evidence of the accusation, 
Congressman Weiner relented and told the truth. 
He admitted to posting and sending through his 
twitter account a lewd photo of his genital area to 
a young woman in Seattle, Washington. And, he 
also admitted to conducting the same acts with six 
(6) other women.

Does the Congressman’s bad behavior connotes 
someone who is morally flawed, had a lapse 
in judgment, is fearful of real emotional intimacy 
or had forgotten that anything posted on the internet 
can be traced back to where it originated? 
Beware, if you accuse any of the highly secured 
social networking web 
sites of being powerless 
to hacking then be prepare 
to prove your case, 
because these web sites 
survival depend upon security and confidentiality. 
It’s obvious that Congressman Weiner did not 
consult with his lawyer or publicist, because they 
would, moreover should, have advised him to tell 
the truth from the outset. As another disgraced 
public figure attempt to put his life back in order, 
I’ll watch in astonishment as the next individual 
is “waiting on deck” for his/her time at bat – putting 
it in baseball parlance - in other words their 
close up.

Gentlemen, since we seemed to be the gender 
most affected by this bad behavior, stop “sexting.” 
If you MUST “sext” then refrain from attempting 
to cover-up your questionable action, because it 
will be worse than your bad behavior. And, while 
you’re contemplating the consequences of your 
bad behavior get yourself a lawyer or publicist or 
both.


RICH Johnson

Scandalous 

College Sports

 

Scandals in sports have been with us, well, 
since scandals in sports first scandalously appeared. 
The word, scandal, comes from both 
Latin and Greek. The Latin word, scandalum, 
means stumbling block. And the Greek word, 
skandalon, means a trap.

 One of my many covert operatives charged with the task of turning 
over every rock in the seedy side of society managed to secure a copy 
of a college exam specifically for athletes. I won’t mention the name 
of the institution responsible. See how you do in this test: (as in the 
original test, you have three weeks to complete the exam.)

 

1. What language is spoken in France? 

 

2. Give a dissertation on the ancient Babylonian Empire with reference 
to architecture, literature, law and social conditions – OR – give the first 
name of Donald Trump.

 

3. Would you ask William Shakespeare to:

a. Build a bridge

b. Sail the ocean

c. Lead an army, or

d. WRITE A PLAY

 

4. What religion is the Pope? (check one)

a. Jewish

b. CATHOLIC

c. Hindu

d. Polish

e. Agnostic

 

5. Metric conversion. How many feet is 0.0 meters? ______

 

6. What time is it when the big hand is on the 12 and the little hand is 
on the 5? 

 

7. What are people in America’s far north called?

a. Westerners

b. Southerners

c. Northerners

 

8. Spell the following names: Bush, Clinton, and Obama

 

9. Six kings of England have been called George, the last one being 
George the Sixth. Name the previous five.

 

10. Where does rain come from?

a. Macy’s

b. Kmart

c. Canada

d. The Sky

11. Can you explain Einstein’s Theory of Relativity?

a. Yes

b. No

12. What are coat hangers used for? 

13. Explain La Chateliers Principle of Dynamic Equilibrium – OR – spell 
your name in BLOCK LETTERS.

14. Where is the basement in a three story building located?

15. Advanced math. If you have three apples, how many apples do you 
have?

16. The Cornell University tradition for efficiency began when 
(approximately)?

a. B. C.

b. A. D.

 

I’m thrilled to report that the fairy tale theater production of “Cinderella” 
is returning to the Sierra Madre Playhouse on Saturdays, 
beginning June 25. I saw this play 3 times. It is a joy to see the cast 
interact throughout the play with the small children in the audience. 
Prince Charming comes out into the audience and dances with every 
young girl who says yes. The kids are invited to help Cinderella get 
ready for the Ball. And they come forward and comfort her when she’s 
feeling down.

Come build lasting memories with your children as they share in 
the magical gift of Fairy Tale Theatre! 

Tickets are $18 for adults, and $12 for children 12 and under. Online 
ticketing at HYPERLINK “http://www.sierramadreplayhouse.
org/” \o “http://www.sierramadreplayhouse.org/” www.sierramadreplayhouse.
org. Reservations call (626) 355-4318. The Sierra Madre 
Playhouse is located at 87 West Sierra Madre Blvd. Sierra Madre, CA, 
91024. There is ample free parking behind the theatre.

REV James L. Snyder 

The Great Yard Sale Conspiracy


Most things in life are not 
always as they seem. For 
some reason one person 
will say one thing and the 
person hearing will hear 
something altogether diff-
erent. This appears to be the 
case between the Gracious 
Mistress of the Parsonage 
and Yours Truly.

 One of the most frequent comments around our 
residence is, “Did you hear what I just said?”

 Of course, that does not really bother me. What 
does bother me is when I answer in the affirmative, 
she will reply by saying, “What did I just say?”

 It is not that I do not hear what she says; I’m 
just not listening to what she says. There is a big 
difference between hearing and listening. I hear 
many things but I certainly do not pay attention to 
most of it. If you would listen to most of the stuff 
said these days, not much of it is worth listening to, 
at least for long.

 This illustrates the basic difference between a 
husband and wife. A husband always says what he 
means; but the wife always means what she says. 
Complication comes when the husband does not 
understand what she says and it is almost as if they 
are using a different language or at least a code most 
husbands are not privy to.

 The problem is the most people do not say what 
they mean.

 When someone says they are having a Garage 
Sale they do not mean they are going to sell their 
garage. In fact, they do not even mean that they are 
going to sell things from their garage. What they do 
mean is they plan to jam their garage full of junk to 
sell to unsuspecting customers. Most of what sells 
at a garage sale has nothing whatsoever to do with 
the garage. In fact, only half of what they are selling 
can fit into the garage while the rest spills out into 
the driveway.

 The same thing goes with a Yard Sale. When 
somebody advertises they are going to have a Yard 
Sale they have no intention whatsoever of selling 
their yard. What they are going to do is pile their 
yard full of junk they do not want and sell to 
customers who will in turn put it in their yard sale 
next week.

 When it comes to Yard Sales, I think there is 
only a certain amount of items that keep circulating 
throughout the community.

 I once had an easy chair that I did not want 
anymore and set it out by the street. It was badly 
broken and I did not have the time to run it over 
to the dump. By next morning, my chair was gone. 
Two nights later, it appeared out in front of the 
house five doors down. The next morning it was 
gone only to reappear five more doors down two 
days later. I believe that chair is still circulating 
through the community.

 If people were honest in what they were doing, 
they would put up a sign that says, “Junk for Sale.” I 
did see a sign on the thrift store once that said, “We 
buy junk and sell treasures.”

 For some reason people think that, if they buy 
something at a yard sale it must be a treasure. But 
the way I think is this, if somebody has something 
in his or her yard sale to sell at a greatly discounted 
price how good could it be?

 This brings me back to the hearing and listening 
dilemma. I got up last Friday morning, as usual, 
and discovered that the other resident of our house 
was missing. I went to the kitchen and found a little 
note that said, “Make your own breakfast I’m at our 
daughter’s yard sale.”

 At first, I did not quite get it. Then I remembered 
sometime during the week there was some mention 
about a yard sale on Friday. But I was not listening. 
After all, what in the world do I have to do with a 
yard sale?

 I had a cup of coffee and then went back to the 
bedroom to get dressed for the day. I went to the 
closet looking for one of my favorite shirts to wear 
for the day. I could not find it.

 I then tried to find my favorite sneakers I have 
had for 29 years. It is taken that long just to break 
them into where they are comfortable to wear. As 
with my favorite shirt, my shoes were nowhere to 
be found.

 Some books I have had for years were missing 
along with some other personal items. I was 
beginning to think we had been robbed. What 
robber would steal such things? It would have to be 
a rather desperate person to do that kind of cherry 
picking during a robbery.

 Then a thought grabbed hold of my mind 
with the ferocity of a mama grizzly. If I recollect 
correctly, she was talking about these things in the 
same context as the yard sale at our daughter’s place. 
She wouldn’t!

 Later that afternoon she came home, handed me 
$3.78, and said, “Here’s your share of the yard sale.”

 Not listening to what you are hearing carries an 
awful price.

 The Bible is faithful in warning us, “He that hath 
an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the 
churches” (Revelation 3:6 KJV).

 God always says what He means and means what 
He says.

 

The Rev. James L. Snyder is pastor of the Family of 
God Fellowship, 1471 Pine Road, Ocala, FL 34472. He 
lives with his wife, Martha, in Silver Springs Shores. 
Call him at 352-687-4240 or e-mail jamessnyder2@
att.net. The church web site is www.whatafellowship.
com.

Mountain Views 
News

Mission Statement

The traditions of 
the community 
newspaper and 
the concerns of 
our readers are 
this newspaper’s 
top priorities. We 
support a prosperous 
community of well-
informed citizens. 
We hold in high 
regard the values 
of the exceptional 
quality of life in our 
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the magnificence 
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