OPINIONOPINIONMountain View News Saturday, September 19, 2026 1010 OPINIONOPINIONMountain View News Saturday, September 19, 2026 1010 
MOUNTAIN 

VIEWS 

NEWS 

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson 

PASADENA CITY 
EDITOR 

Dean Lee 

SALES 

Patricia Colonello 
626-355-2737 
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WEBMASTER 

John Aveny 

DISTRIBUTION 

Peter Lamendola 

CONTRIBUTORS 

Lori A. Harris 
Michele Kidd 
Stuart Tolchin 
Harvey HydeAudrey SwansonMeghan MalooleyMary Lou CaldwellKevin McGuire 
Chris Leclerc 
Dinah Chong WatkinsHoward HaysPaul CarpenterKim Clymer-KelleyChristopher NyergesPeter Dills 
Rich Johnson 
Lori Ann Harris 
Rev. James SnyderKatie HopkinsDeanne Davis 
Despina ArouzmanJeff Brown 
Marc Garlett 
Keely TotenDan Golden 
Rebecca WrightHail Hamilton 
Joan Schmidt 
LaQuetta Shamblee 

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PUT THE LIGHTS ON

STUART TOLCHIN 


FEAR 

So, who or what am I afraid of or for. Well, there’s plenty to 
go round but let’s start with the personal stuff. I am initially 
afraid that I will not submit this attempt at an article in time 
to get it published. 

Normally, I reserve Wednesday evenings and Thursday 
mornings as the time to create the article and send it off to 

the editor by 11am Thursday morning. 

There have been some time problems this week as my wife and I have been 
visiting my son every day while he has been in the hospital; but more about that 
later. This Wednesday morning, I had reserved my regular golf time and there I 
was on the course this morning. It was already a troublesome day as I felt guilty 
about playing golf while my son was in the hospital; but my amazingly caring 
and dutiful daughter was taking time out from her Legal Practice to spend the 
morning with him. 

I should say at this time that playing this round of golf was particularlyimportant to me as I feared it might be my last round. I am 82 years of age and 
have just survived a bout with Covid and am frankly having trouble getting 
around the course. Although using the electric cart I was unsteady as I walked 
from the cart to wherever it was that my ball had last landed. My partner 
kidded me for playing “bargain “golf ” by which he meant that I was taking 11 
or 12 strokes on par 3 or 4 holes. My phone kept ringing as we played and I 
noted that the call was coming from Kaiser. 

That call seemed important, so I answered. Unfortunately, my hearing 
aids did not assist me in understanding what the call was about, and I asked 
the caller to either text or phone my wife and let her know what was going on. 
When I finally wobbled home, being driven by my golfing partner, I learned 
that the call was important. A consultant appointment relating to my liver was 
scheduled for Thursday morning at 10 AM and my wife let me know that the 
appointment was very important. She wouldn’t tell me much more, but I am 
frightened. 

Much like my son, I have been having all sorts of digestive 
problems, and I am worried that the consulting doctor is going to talk about 
the need for surgery. My wife reminds me that at my age liver surgery is a verybad and dangerous idea and she strongly recommends it. So, what else can 
be done? At this point I should talk about what my son is going through. He 
has previously had two surgeries and on Monday he was transferred from the 
Nursing Facility to the Kaiser Baldwin Park Hospital. 

At Baldwin Park a doctor informed us that “Aaron’s life was in 
danger” and “ life saving emergency surgery was required.” Do you note those 
extremely frightening words. After surgery Aaron was returned to the postoperative 
room and looked at me and said, “Hi Daddy”. Those two words were 
very reassuring. Aaron is being treated and seems much healthier than we ever 
expected. Life goes on but Aaron seems much more able to interact with us 
than he was prior to the last procedure. In fact, my wife noted Aaron reassuring 
a nurse by telling the nurse that Aaron knew the Nurse was trying to do a good 
job. 

I fear I have lost my point, not only am I worried about my 
son and my medical condition but in addition to everything else we have car 
problems. Let’s move on to what else seems more important. The News reports 
that all of humanity is being threatened by continuing rivalries within the world 
of Artificial Intelligence. As the billionaires compete, the rest of humanity is left 
increasingly vulnerable to the unrestricted power of technology. 

I don’t really pretend to understand the Science but I am veryfrightened. What will the future be like for our children and grandchildren. To 
me, playing golf and creating my weekly articles is part of a routine, almost a 
ritual that has kept me going since retirement. I fear I will be lost without this 
ritual and at the same time I am filled with fear for everyone else. I CARE about 
you and hope that we all CARE for each other. I do hope that I will be able to 
provide future articles containing hope and positive thoughts. I’ll try not to be 
too afraid. I will do my best. 

HOWARD Hays As I See It 

RICH JOHNSON 


QUOTES AND REALLY DUMB THINGS* 

Alright, truth be told, 
we have all done reallydumb “things” in our 
lives. 

Right now, me putting 

the word “things” into 
my column title is really dumb. The word 
should never, ever be written by a really 
good writer. Really good writers have told 
me that specifically. I responded promising 
some day when I’m a really good writer I 
will not use the word “things”. But for this 
moment in time and the foreseeable future,
“things” is or are in my vocabulary. 

The word “things” according to Merriam-
Webster is defined as: “a versatile noun 
used to describe physical objects, personal 
belongings, abstract ideas, or general 
situation…” 

A perfect lead up to my column on dumb 
choices, mistakes, actions, ideas, stuff…
you know really dumb things made byfamous people. 

When you or I make dumb choices we 
have a gift celebrities do not have… 
relative anonymity. Can you imagine for 
a minute being famous and having every 
public move you make scrutinized for 
newsworthy exploitation? 

Possibly the most famous dumb quote by 
a celebrity was committed in 1981. Brooke 
Shield, possibly said the dumbest thing 
ever uttered in public when she took part 
in an anti-smoking campaign. She said,
“Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you’ve lost 
a very important part of your life.” 

She didn’t say anything wrong. In her case 
she managed to survive. She actually is a 
very classy lady. 

In 2002 when boxer Mike Tyson was 
defeated by Lennox Lewis, he told a 
reporter who asked him what was next for 
him: “I don’t know. I guess I’m gonna fade 
into Bolivian”. Bolivian oblivion, what’s the 
difference?” 

By the way, don’t ever bring up Mike’s 
really dumb quote because he also said,
“Everyone has a plan until they get punched 
in the mouth.” Editor’s note: “Yikes!” 

Paris Hilton on her reality show “The 
Simple Life” once asked, “What’s Walmart? 
Do they sell, like wall stuff?” 

Mitt Romney, presidential candidate 
summed it all up: (read slowly): “I believe 
in an America where millions of Americans 
believe in an America that’s the America 
millions of Americans believe in.” (Got it?) 

When Shaquille O’Neal visited Greece he 
was asked if he visited the Parthenon duringhis trip.” Shaquille O’Neal responded: “I 
can’t really remember the names of the 
clubs we went to.” Nobody said a word. 

Madonna: “Listen, everyone is entitled to 
my opinion.” 

Jim Morrison: “I think the highest and 
lowest points are the important ones. 
Anything else is just…in between.” 
Profound! 

Albert Einstein: “Two things are infinite: 
the universe and human stupidity; and I’m 
not sure about the universe.” 

Dumb Inspirational Quotes 

“Every journey starts with a single step, but 
so does falling off a cliff.” 

“People say nothing is impossible, but I do 
nothing every day.” 

“Whatever you do, always give 100% -
unless you’re donating blood.” 

Winston Churchill gave a profound 
motivational quote: “If you are going 
through hell, keep going”. 

More quotes to remember: 

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, 
then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle 

“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” 
Muhammad Ali 

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 
ways that won’t work.” Thomas Edison on 
electricity 

I actually am credited with a clever quote 
first spoken at an outdoor BBQ. Someone 
handed me a ketchup bottle and asked 
me to unscrew the cap. Let’s just say that 
particular bottle of ketchup was not 
giving up its contents. Several of us tried 
unsuccessfully, to open the bottle. I then 
uttered the memorable line: 

“The bottle must be bullet proof ”. 

Not all that clever but memorable. No 
ketchup companies have offered to buy my 
quote and use it in their advertising,,,so far.
The most important quote regarding 
quotes comes from Mark Twain (I’ve never 
been able to live by this.) 

“It is better to keep your mouth closed and 
let people think you are a fool than to open 
it and remove all doubt.” 

In my case much too late. Ahhh, such is life. 

Wherever you live within the reach of the 
sterling publication, please do business 
with the paper’s advertisers (I can say that 
because I am an unpaid contributor to the 
paper). 

If it comes up, give the paper a plug to its 
advertisers. It couldn’t hoit…err hurt! 
Have a great week. 


“Thank you, President Trump!” – White House response to reporting of no 
Atlantic hurricanes this season 

We have a president found guilty on 34 felony counts (31 more than Al 
Capone) and liable for sexual assault. Those the administration chooses 
to do business with, or bring into the family circle, have some pretty 
troubling rap sheets of their own. 

J.J. Cafaro is from a family of shopping mall developers. He pled guilty 
to federal conspiracy and bribery charges, also to making illegal campaign contributions 
– bringing thousands of dollars in fines and years on probation. After giving hundreds 
of thousands to Donald Trump and Trump PACs, a company owned by his investmentfirm got a $1.7 million no-bid contract on a system to clean up the Lincoln MemorialReflecting Pool. With millions more in no-bid contracts subsequently awarded to otherfirms, the pool is still a mess. 
Umar Kremlev was a teenage boxer in Russia, later convicted of extortion and battery. 
He was a member of the pro-Putin nationalist Night Wolves motorcycle gang, engaged 
in the Russian invasion of Crimea. Kremlev had connections with Healthy Fatherland, a 
group accused of stealing children from occupied Ukraine and shipping them to Russia 
for “rehabilitation”. He made it up the ranks of Putin’s oligarchy, becoming head of the 
International Boxing Federation. The International Olympic Committee revoked IBF’s 
authority over Olympic boxing – citing ongoing corruption and inability to explain where 
all their money came from. 

Donald Trump Jr.’s wedding last May was followed by a lavish party over two days, taking 
up two private islands in the Bahamas; islands renting for $100K a night. There were 
private jets, helicopters, DJs, banquets, a $70K fireworks display and guests wondering 
what was up with that small side-group of guys speaking mostly Russian. Turns out the 
whole thing was bankrolled by this Umar Kremlev, who supposedly became friends with 
Don Jr. a couple years earlier through shared interests in boxing and hunting. Brother 
Eric says he’d never heard of the guy. The President of the United States says he didn’t 
know anything about it (though some speculate it might be why didn’t attend his own 
son’s wedding). 

Don Jr.’s new bride Bettina Anderson assures, “Generosity doesn’t automatically come 
with an agenda”. But Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) notes, “I mean, as we see, 
these guys are in the pocket of everyone but the American people.” 

Now we learn about Alejandro Betancourt Lopez -a Venezuelan businessman involved in 
energy and investments. Through connections with a school buddy, his company scored 
no-bid contracts on a dozen projects totaling $5B to address Venezuela’s electricity crisis in 
2009 – despite his company having no experience in electricity. The group TransparencyVenezuela later found projects incomplete or otherwise botched, and that the $5B charged 
should have been more like $2.1B. 

Betancourt’s businesses expanded from oil in Venezuela to some 50 companies in 16 
countries. He’s also become an international target of corruption and money launderinginvestigations. In 2013, our US ambassador to Venezuela filed suit charging Betancourt 
with paying off Venezuelan officials for oil contracts. Money laundering charges have 
been led by Swiss prosecutors, with others brought by Spain, Andorra and the United 
States – with arrest warrants from both Spain and Switzerland. Betancourt now heads a 
company out of Barbados to exploit Venezuelan oil. 

Reports came earlier this month that Secretary of State Marco Rubio pressured those 
European prosecutors to ease up on Betancourt, and had then-Deputy Attorney General Tod Blanche order Miami prosecutors to drop their own investigation into his 
money laundering. It turns out this guy dodging years of international investigations - including by our own Justice Department - into bribery, money laundering and 
corruption, now has a new partner – the United States. 

Former National Security Advisor Elliott Abrams wrote, "Trump has allied the government with the most shadowy and repellent Venezuelan businessman he could find. 
We knew exactly what Betancourt stood for and kept him far away from the U.S. government. No longer." Economist Paul Krugman says it validates “everything the Latin 
American left has said about U.S. imperialism”. 

It’s hard for guys like this to operate in free and open democracies. So, when we ousted Venezuela’s dictator Nicolas Maduro last January, rather than bringing in opposition 
leaders to set the path towards democratic elections, we instead turned things over to Maduro’s number-two – leaving the corrupt dictatorship in place. And, not surprisingly, 
nobody - neither the Venezuelan people nor our own representatives in D.C. - has been able to find out what’s happened with the oil revenue, estimated at $13 billion through 
July, generated in the months since Maduro’s ouster. Last January, Trump talked about setting up an offshore account in Qatar (?!). 

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado makes clear, “The wealth of our land does not belong to an illegitimate regime, it belongs 
to the Venezuelan people.” Her sentiment echoes that heard seventy years ago in Iran, when we overthrew an elected leader to seize control of their oil resources – then for 
decades sustained a dictatorship to ensure we maintained that control. The legacy of those policies was the ongoing conflict and war we’re in now. With what’s happeningin Venezuela, Trump seems determined to leave a similar legacy for the next generation, as well. 

“Thank you, President Trump!” 


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