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OPINIONOPINION

Mountain View News SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

PUT THE LIGHTS ON

STUART TOLCHIN

RICH JOHNSON 

MOUNTAIN 
VIEWS

NEWS

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson

PASADENA CITY 
EDITOR

Dean Lee 

SALES

Patricia Colonello

626-355-2737

626-818-2698

WEBMASTER

John Aveny 

DISTRIBUTION

Peter Lamendola

CONTRIBUTORS

Lori A. Harris

Michele Kidd

Stuart Tolchin 

Harvey Hyde

Audrey Swanson

Meghan Malooley

Mary Lou Caldwell

Kevin McGuire

Chris Leclerc

Dinah Chong Watkins

Howard Hays

Paul Carpenter

Kim Clymer-Kelley

Christopher Nyerges

Peter Dills 

Rich Johnson

Lori Ann Harris

Rev. James Snyder

Katie Hopkins

Deanne Davis

Despina Arouzman

Jeff Brown

Marc Garlett

Keely Toten

Dan Golden

Rebecca Wright

Hail Hamilton

Joan Schmidt

LaQuetta Shamblee


LIGHTEN UP AND SUCCEED

MONDAY'S QUESTION

Lighten Up and Be Resilient is the basic requirement for success. 
Of course, it takes more than that, but success is built on those 
fundamentals.

Want to be successful? Me too. Success comes through consistent 
action and a mindset that keeps you going no matter what setbacks you 
encounter or create. A guy named Dick Rowe rejected the Beatles in 
1962. He said guitar groups were on the way out…lol! 

What happened to Dick Rowe? When he saw the Beatles explode onto the scene, he 
readjusted, went out and found a couple guys with guitars. I think their names were 
Mick Jagger, Brian Jones and Keith Richards. Ring a bell? Pardon the pun but Dick 
found his “Satisfaction”.

Look at the inventor Thomas what’s his name? Oh yeah…Edison. He discovered dozens 
of ways the light bulb couldn't work.

Today 15 million people work for Southern California Edison. 100,000 people live in 
Edison, New Jersey. There are literally hundreds of schools named after Edison. And 
you will find “Edison Avenue” or “Edison Street” in nearly every major American city.

Focused effort and the resilience few people are born with are what will make you 
successful or not. To get you started on your road to mega super stardom, I will share 
with you some funny quotes. Like a comedian opening for the headliner. The comedian 
is designed to get the person in the mood. Well…start getting in the mood! Lighten up 
and…Here goes!

1. I’d agree with you, but then we’d both be wrong.

2. If you’re not supposed to eat at night, then why is there a light bulb in the fridge?

3. I don’t suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it.

4. I told my wife she was drawing her eyebrows too high. She looked surprised.

5. I threw a boomerang a few years ago. I now live in constant fear.

6. I childproofed my house, but somehow, they still get in.

7. I told my doctor I broke my arm in two places. He told me to stop going to

 those places.

8. I started a procrastinators’ support group…we haven’t met yet.

9. I asked my North Korean friend how it was there. He said he couldn’t complain.

10. I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes…so she hugged me

11. My dog used to chase people on a bike a lot. It got so bad, I had to take his bike

 away.

12. I’m not lazy, I’m on energy-saving mode.

13. My bed is a magical place where I suddenly remember everything I was

 supposed to do.

14. Common sense is like deodorant. The people who need it most never use it.

15. People say nothing is impossible. But I do nothing every day. Winnie the Pooh

16. My wallet is like an onion. Every time I open it, it makes me cry.

17. George Carlin pointed out one day: “Have you ever noticed that anybody

 driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a

 maniac?

18. I made a huge to-do list today. I just need to figure out who’s going to do it.

19. I never make the same mistake twice. I make it six or seven times, just to be

 sure.

20. An apple a day keeps the doctor away – if you throw it hard enough

21. Life is a bowl of soup, and I’m a fork

22. I finally found a machine at the gym that I like: the vending machine

23. I’m glad I don’t have to hunt for my own food. I have no idea where sandwiches

live

24. You are one of the few people I find tolerable

25. I do all my ironing in the dryer.

26. And if you are breaking up with someone, here is a very clever line:

27. “Cancel my subscription…I don’t need your issues.”

28. I have neither the patience nor the coloring crayons to explain this to you

Enough lightening you up. Time to sit in front of the computer, and google, “What do I 
need to do to achieve success”. 

It can be done and I believe in you! Yes, even you in the third row.

I’m on your side!

 On Monday my son asked if he was going to be okay. 
I am writing on Wednesday morning, when I usually manage 
to get out and play golf. Today the weather is so hot and 
unpleasant that my wife has convinced me playing would be 
unhealthy and unwise. Still, the fact that I feel healthy enough 
to play is very positive. Yesterday I learned that my cousin 
Shirley passed away, but she was 88 and had lived a truly good 
life. Today I realize that, at 82, I am the last surviving member 
of my immediate family. Last year, Shirley’s son Michael, the doctor, died, but he 
kept tango dancing around the world almost until the end.

 When I think of Michael I remember visiting his family many years ago 
in North Carolina. I awoke early and was walking around the house and there 
was the three- or four-year-old daughter Xena. She decided to entertain me and 
pulled out a book which displayed her being covered and bloody. She explained 
this was a picture taken right after she was born. “Yuck”, “she said. Now, decades 
later, I look forward to seeing Xena and her brother Summit at the Memorial for 
Shirley on Friday. These kids were always among Shirley’s favorite people.

 Of course, yesterday was a difficult day for me. My wife first drove me to 
Duarte where the ambulance (medical transport vehicle is the proper term) was 
already in the parking lot ready to take my son to the Kaiser in Pasadena. My 
daughter had made an extraordinary effort to arrange a medical evaluation by a 
doctor who might be able to give us some insight into my son’s condition and his 
future. Off we went with me in the back next to my son just trying to be calm and 
reassuring. He seemed more aware than usual and asked where we were going.

 Once we arrived at Kaiser we waited for hours in the primary doctor’s 
waiting room. I was certain that no actual appointment would take place and 
kept pestering my wife and daughter to ask the person in charge when we would 
be seen. After waiting for more than an hour past the appointment time my 
son, still in bed on wheels, was taken in to see a nurse. The nurse asked some 
perfunctory questions about his birthday and allergies and history which seemed 
to lead nowhere. Amazingly, after a time my son was wheeled into a room where 
a very busy female doctor appeared who surprisingly, very carefully reviewed his 
condition with us. She adjusted his prescribed medication levels, administered a 
flu shot, and took some blood for testing.

 Later in the day, when we returned home, my wife received a text 
displaying the results of my son’s blood test earlier in the day. As far as I could 
understand some of the numbers were very positive. What also was very positive 
was the feeling that the extraordinary efforts by my wife and daughter had 
resulted in something possibly positive for my son. The future is still in question.

 You may wonder why I seem to be so out of the loop. After all I am the 
father to my son. The problem is that my age and hearing loss and memory 
difficulties have resulted in me being more of a problem than a help. Later, my 
wife and daughter will tell me what has transpired and, unhappily, this is what I 
need to accept.

 A final positive thing happened at the end of the day. For 2 days my wife 
had been searching for her second set of keys to open the house door and start 
the car. The keys could not be found, and we had driven to several places trying 
to get duplicates made. It should have been easy, but it wasn’t and my wife was 
very upset. At the very end of the day, as she replaced her umbrella in a special 
spot, the lost keys appeared.

 Now it is Wednesday morning, and we are off together, with keys found 
and a spare set safely stored away, to visit my son at the Medical Facility. How 
will he be today and the next days and weeks? At least, we survived yesterday 
and I am pleased to have created this article rather than play golf or be paralyzed 
by misery Misery is not required---that is something I must learn and accept. 
There is so much to learn in life.

 Perhaps Memorial Services are instructive and vital to help the ones 
living to remember and care and still go on. I wish I still didn’t feel like I owe it 
to myself and my son to just spend my time crying. Hooray for key finding and 
hooray for the sharing of feelings. Life goes on I guess even when it feels like it 
shouldn’t.

 My son’s Monday question remains. I wish I had an answer.

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HOWARD Hays As I See It

ALL THINGS by Jeff Brown


“You can never get enough books 
into the hands of enough children.” 
–Dolly Parton

Compiling favorite posts from 
August, so many were reactions 
to the passing of Dolly Parton. 
afrosinchick wonders: “how am 
i supposed to tumble out of bed 
and stumble to the kitchen LET ALONE pour 
myself a cup of ambition in a world without her?"

Many reacted to the AI-slop pic President Trump 
put out on Truth Social, depicting the two of them 
together at the White House.

From Zero Dark Twenty-Nine: “Dolly Parton just 
passed two days ago and Donald Trump is already 
sticking her into his insane narcissistic memes.” 
From PatriotTakes: “Trump felt Dolly Parton was 
getting too much attention.”

“It takes a special kind of (particular receptacle) 
to post fake pictures with an icon hoping some 
of the goodwill towards her might come his way.”

“That AI picture Trump posted of himself with 
Dolly Parton just proves that even in death, he 
forces himself on women who told him no.”

There was also the AI pic with Trump beside 
George Washington. vexan-s60 asks: “Can 
someone explain why President Trump compared 
himself with our founding father, George 
Washington?” victorblackburn responds, “I 
think it’s because of the wig.” rogerrhouse adds: 
“Nothing screams alpha male like a new wig and 
a ballroom.”

Still more AI-slop on Truth Social – this one 
showing Trump with our flag, an aircraft carrier, 
fighter jets, Iran’s late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 
and a sign, “MISSION ACCOMPLISHED 2026”. 
For their posted response, Republicans Against 
Trump simply quoted NBC NEWS: “Iranian 
missile and drone attacks caused ‘unprecedented 
damage’ to U.S. intelligence and surveillance sites 
across the Middle East, with repairs expected to 
cost billions.”

From pac2rat: “I honestly want to joke about 
Trump claiming he’s defeated Iran 16 times now, 
but (darn), I’m just exhausted. I’m physically sick 
of this idiot.” And WarMonitor: “We don't have 
the nuclear material, and the same regime is still 
in power. The only things we've accomplished are 
higher prices, American casualties, a world that 
hates us, exposed vulnerabilities, and a closed 
Strait that was open before the war.” – later adding, 
“At least Bush took down a dictator, Trump can’t 
even say that.”

Parapente John posts: “Trump was defeated by a 
regime with centuries of warfare and subterfuge 
experience. Senior military intelligence officials 
who strongly advised against engagement 
were fired. The Defense dept is still run by a 
doofus. Pure stupidity.” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) 
sees it as: “This is the white flag of surrender by 
trump. He’s not even trying anymore. He’s now 
simply declaring to his MAGA base ‘mission 
accomplished’ in Iran.” And then Covie: “Was 
the mission to give Iran control of the Strait of 
Hormuz and raise gas prices???” 

It wasn’t so much Trump’s re-launch of a stupid 
trade war with Canada, but his re-naming Lake 
Ontario as “Lake America” that really brought the 
postings. Jared Shult reacts: “Gas is $4 a gallon 
but he’s renaming lakes”. From David Axelrod: “A 
mature, reasoned gesture from the Leader of the 
Free World.” And Aaron Parnas: “I’m sure tens of 
people will now call it that!” 

erinpatricia78 posts: “In response Canada has 
announced that they are renaming Lake Huron 
to Lake Hu’reontheepsteinlist.” From stonekettle: 
“Guy who couldn’t even manage a reflecting 
pool, suddenly in charge of the Great Lakes.” 
And craigtthomas: “BREAKING: Trump Issues 
Executive Order to Rename Melania ‘Natalie’.”

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum responded to 
the renaming with enthusiasm: “We’re on it, Mr. 
President!”, while Artur Wilcynski points out: 
“There are ratified treaties that say this is illegal. 
That’s why nothing the US signs is worth the 
paper it’s on.” Renee DiResta asks the secretary: 
“How do you retain any personal sense of dignity 
after something like this.”

The Trump administration negotiated a 
partnership with a private company to exploit 
Venezuelan oil. Scott Lincicome of the Cato 
Institute reacts: “So, after taking 31 US government 
equity stakes in private companies over the last 
year, Trump just announced a MAJORITY-
STATE-OWNED oil company? This isn't even 
‘creeping’ socialism anymore.” Steve Stephens 
asks: “MAGA are commies now?” For Sen. Chris 
Van Hollen (D-MD): “This is proof Trump put 
our service members at risk to get Venezuelan oil 
for his billionaire buddies.” 

pz_likesundaymorning asks: “Remember when 
misspelling Potato would end your presidential 
campaign? I miss those days.” (Show of hands – 
how many remember Dan Quayle?)

From anxious_opposition: “’Doctors’ I trust more 
than RFK Jr.: Dr. Pepper; Dr. Seuss, Dr. Scholl”

drjoelshukin observes: “So, currently Kentucky 
has a seated senator who is neither alive nor dead 
while South Carolina has a seated senator who is 
neither elected nor electable."

I’m with jmford666 on this one: “Do you ever 
wonder if any of your calls were actually ever used 
for training or quality assurance?”

A Texas judge ruled a 2023 state law banning 
drag shows is unconstitutional – violating First 
Amendment protections, with performances 
being “targeted for prohibition based on content 
and viewpoint.” The ruling concluded, “for those 
who find such activities as described in this case 
offensive, the solution is relatively simple . . . just 
don’t go.”

Ari Onna observed: “Almost every right-wing 
issue could be solved with ‘just mind your own 
business’ yet here we are”.

My favorite reaction to the ruling, though, came 
from Bratty_Behemoth: “Dolly Parton’s first act as 
an angel.”

SPITFIRES: THE 
AMERICAN WOMEN 
WHO FLEW IN THE 
FACE OF DANGER 
DURING WORLD 
WAR

"Lively and entertaining,Those 
fearlessly determined female 
pilots are the professional 
forebears of the women who 
would slowly break down 
barriers in the U.S. military in 
the decades that followed,And 
what forebears those women 
were." -The Washington Post

The heart-pounding true 
story of the daring American 
women who piloted the most 
dangerous aircraft of World War II through the treacherous 
skies of Britain.

They were crop dusters and debutantes, college girls and 
performers in flying circuses-all of them trained as pilots. 
Because they were women, they were denied the opportunity to 
fly for their country when the United States entered the Second 
World War. But Great Britain, desperately fighting for survival, 
would let anyone-even Americans, even women-transport 
warplanes. Thus, twenty-five daring young aviators bolted 
for England in 1942, becoming the first American women to 
command military aircraft.

In a faraway land, these “spitfires” lived like women decades 
ahead of their time. Risking their lives in one of the deadliest 
jobs of the war, they ferried new, barely tested fighters and 
bombers to air bases and returned shot-up wrecks for repair, 
never knowing what might go wrong until they were high in the 
sky. Many ferry pilots died in crashes or made spectacular saves. 
It was exciting, often terrifying work. The pilots broke new 
ground off duty as well, shocking their hosts with thoroughly 
modern behavior.

With cinematic sweep, Becky Aikman follows the stories of nine 
of the women who served, drawing on unpublished diaries, 
letters, and records, along with her own interviews, to bring 
these forgotten heroines fully to life. Spitfires is a vivid, richly 
detailed account of war, ambition, and a group of remarkable 
women whose lives were as unconventional as their dreams.

Read Spitfires for the forgotten history of the pilots who 
played a crucial role supporting the allies in World War II by 
ferrying new war planes from factories in England to airfields 
aimed at Europe—and then making the return trip in planes 
shot up by enemy fire. Stay for the riveting personal stories of 
brave American women who finagled their way into Britain’s 
Air Transport Auxiliary when their own country denied them 
similar roles (one female pilot sold her fiance’s car to pay her 
way to Montreal for a flight test). The work was grueling and 
dangerous, but it opened new vistas at a time when opportunities 
for women with brains and a taste for adventure were limited. 
It was also exhilarating, both in the air and on the ground, with 
war time romances, nights on the town in London, and weekend 
stays at sumptuous country houses. 

This engaging, thoroughly researched book sheds light on a 
long-overlooked effort. For anyone still uncertain about the 
ability of women to perform flawlessly under the pressures of 
war, this book should put all doubts to rest.


Mountain Views News

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Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com