OPINIONOPINIONMountain View News Saturday, October 10, 2026 1010 OPINIONMountain View News Saturday, October 10, 2026 1010 
MOUNTAIN 

VIEWS 

NEWS 

PUBLISHER/ EDITOR

Susan Henderson 

PASADENA CITY 
EDITOR 

Dean Lee 

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Patricia Colonello 
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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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Integrity will be our guide. 

STUART TOLCHIN PUT THE LIGHTS ON 

ARE WE ON THE ROAD TO TOTAL 
SOCIAL SELF DESTRUCTION? 

Please don’t ask me to answer the question; I certainly

don’t know the answer. Let me first point out that on a 

typical Wednesday morning I am out on the golf-course

struggling along as I wander around looking for my

ball. This Wednesday, as you have already undoubtedly

noticed, it is extremely hot and golfing is not a good idea.
I am going to use this time to try and create an article that displays my ownconfusion and concern. I was so confused and desperate that on Sunday Ifollowed a suggestion that a reader forwarded to me suggesting that I attendchurch-services on Sunday. 

Saturday, spent at my son’s bedside at the hospital had been aparticularly difficult day as my wife and I watched my son obviouslysuffering in his silence. So, on Sunday I convinced my wife to drive me overto the church at 12:30. I entered, unsure of where I was going but took a seatin the almost empty room. For a while I attempted to attentively listen butfell asleep and wandered out of the room. It was incredibly hot outside, andI tried to call my wife to pick me up, but I could not get my phone to work.
I imagined trying to walk all the way home, up the hill and into the canyonbut realized I would never survive the walk. 

Thank goodness, or whomever, I was in friendly- civil Sierra Madreand I asked the first couple that passed by if they would call my wife on theirphone. They quickly agreed, called my wife who dutifully appeared in a fewminutes and took me out of the heat and back into the house. As you mayhave guessed my son surprisingly improved Monday and yesterday and mywife and I look forward to visiting him today in his Hospital Room wherewe will all watch TV together and root for the Dodgers. 

So much for what seems okay; it is everything else that has baffled 
me. I open my copy of the Pasadena Star News to read the day before-
yesterday news today and read the President’s, statement, “Let them take outLos Angeles, let them take out San Diego.” Unbelievable as that statement is 
it only reflects the confusion that seems everywhere around me. Gambling 
and drugs have interposed themselves everywhere. Athletes, performers,
and coaches are falling to the ground in mid-performance blamingdrug-overdoses 

Going to neighborhood restaurants, one of my favorite things,
has become problematic because the restaurants are now under-staffedand it takes forever to receive one’s order. Of course, I notice that manylocal retailers have gone out of business, perhaps resulting from the factthat people are just not going outside much anymore. Schools are closingbecause of declining student bodies as parents are hesitant to send theirchildren to School in the midst of ICE Raids or something. 

All sorts of domestic abuse are reported and the food being marketed isdescribed as unsafe. Meanwhile, amid all of these problems in Californiathe Democratic party faces no-challenges as things seem to be gettingworse and worse. Maybe the problem is just me as I am isolated, retired,
not allowed to drive and basically a prisoner at home whose only activityis going to the Hospital to sit at my son’s bedside and question medicalstaff. I am hoping for the best as I describe his condition in my weekly 
articles. Perhaps the people at Kaiser read my articles because my wife saysshe just received a call suggesting that I contact the psychiatry Departmentat Kaiser. Perhaps all 82 year olds who describe themselves as isolated anddepressed receive such a call. 

My point is that I believe that there is good reason for all of us to be fearfuland depressed as we read of continuing wars and conflicts and possibletake-overs by machines. So, how are you feeling?
A friend of mine’s daughter just got accepted at Cornell which can’t makethe family too happy. 


HOWARD Hays As I See It 

“You need to be a balancing the budget, paying down the 
student at the top of debt, tariff rebate checks, ending the 
your class at MIT to Russia/Ukraine war (on “Day One”), no 
turn on a lawnmower new wars, a new healthcare plan (in two 
nowadays, you know? weeks), DOGE checks, Mexico paying for 
But I got rid of all that that wall, release of all Epstein files, etc. 
stuff. Now you can 

But the line from the Nebraska rally

have a lawnmower. Boom!” – President 

that overshadowed all others was about

Trump, addressing a campaign rally in 

our war with Iran. That’s the war where

Grand Island, Nebraska 

we’re trying to get Iran to agree to destroyDavid Corn of Mother Jones responded: whatever nuclear capabilities and accept 
“Our long national nightmare (of overly international monitors to make sure 
complicated lawnmowers) is over. they do – a situation that’s worsened 
Thank God.” Ron Filipkowski reminds since Trump, in his first term, tore up 
that starting a lawnmower has “Never the treaty where Iran agreed to destroybeen easier in the history of human whatever nuclear capabilities and accept 
civilization.” Gaypublicans posts: “says international monitors to make sure they 
the man who would need MIT to explain do. 
the pullcord”. Many wondered how long 

“It’s a small price to pay for keeping the

it’s been since Trump has been anywhere 

world safe, keeping our country safe.

near a lawnmower. The Nebraska 

They could take out a city. Let them take

audience responded with cheers and 

– let it – let them take out Los Angeles.
applause. 

Let them take out San Diego.” 
This recalled an earlier obsession with 

For L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, “The

toilets. “People are flushing toilets 10 

comments were completely irresponsible

times, 15 times, as opposed to once”, 

. . . You don’t say something like that in

Trump complained in December 2019 

jest.” From San Diego, where 115,000

– during impeachment inquiries. He 
active-duty servicemembers are

expressed concern over sinks and 

stationed, Mayor Todd Gloria posted:

showerheads, saying the “EPA is looking 

"San Diego is not collateral damage. We

at that very strongly at my suggestion” – 

are not expendable. And we are never a

while not explaining what he’d suggested. 

'small price to pay.' Keep our city out of

Whatever efficiency standards were in 

your reckless war talk." For the MAGAs,

place for toilets, sinks, appliances - Trump 

they claim it was a matter of context.

removed them. They were reimposed 

They recirculated the quote hoping to

under President Biden and then revoked 

prove their point – while for whatever

again soon into Trump’s second term. 

reason leaving out the words, “Let them”. 
As for lawnmowers, Trump had raised But for the MAGAs at the Nebraska rally, 
the issue before - at a White House it brought cheers and applause. 
“Agriculture Roundtable” last December. 

Last April, Trump demanded Iran open

“In many cases, you need about 185 IQ to 

the Strait of Hormuz, or “you’ll be living

turn on a lawn mower now.”, Trump told 

in Hell – JUST WATCH!” He warned, "A

farmers. This was when those farmers 

whole civilization will die tonight, never

were being jacked around by Trump’s 

to be brought back again.” He said, “We’re

on-again-off-again tariffs; trade deals 

going to bring them back to the stone ages

sunk - costs skyrocketing for fertilizer, 

where they belong.” Last month, Trump

building materials, farm equipment and 

told Fox News, “My question is, if and

fuel for those pesky lawnmowers. Trump 

when do I blow the entire nation up?” 

brought them to the Oval Office so theycould personally thank him for the Yes, context is important. The context

$12 billion bailout he’d offered. Those 

in which I see these statements, such as

farmers also knew of the $40 billion 

those above, was provided in a report

bailout Trump was sending Argentina 

from Ken Klippenstein in his Substack. 

– not so much to benefit Argentinians, Last month, Under Secretary of Defensebut as another opportunity for Treasury 
for policy Elbridge Colby told the Senate

Secretary Scott Bessent’s hedge fund pals 

Armed Services Committee they were 

to cash in off our generosity. 

undergoing a “classified review of U.S.
nuclear employment guidance, with the

Two days before the Nebraska rally, 

goal of increasing options available to the

Trump told MAGAs in Ohio, addressing 

president.” As Klippenstein put it in his

the $5,000 per-voter bribe promised if 

report, “In this environment, handing

elections go his way, that “I know more 

Trump more nuclear options isn’t some

about inflation, I know more about 

wonky policy tweak. It’s a matter of

everything than anybody in this room – 

national survival.” 

anybody anywhere in the world.” That 
line got some notice. Mehdi Hasan 

Back in 2019, during impeachment while 

responded, “25th Amendment”. 

obsessing over toilets, Trump complainedenergy-efficient lightbulbs don’t “make

He outdid himself, though, in Nebraska; 

you look as good. Being a vain person,

referring again to those $5,000 bribes, he 

that’s really important to me. It gives you

asserted “This is a big promise. But I’ve 

an orange look; I don’t want an orange

met so many, I’ve met all my promises -all 

look.” Maybe somebody should talk to

my promises.” This led to postings of lists 

the president about this. Natalie?

of promises; promises of lowering prices, 

RICH JOHNSON 
WHYS AND WHYS NOT?-

Whys and Whys Not? May be the key question I will have for God 

when I pass over from this existence to the next plane of existence 

is simply why? We are the only species on the planet that asks why. 

Why? Wouldn’t we all be happier if we didn’t have the concept of 
asking why? As far as I know, giraffes never ask God why He made their necks so 
long. Or why you will never see a sleek hippo. If I was a hippo (watch it) I’d ask 
why. 

For example, why do wombats poop in perfect cubes? Wombats actually stack the 
poop cubes on rocks and logs marking their territory. (Me thinks often God has 
a sense of humor.) 

Why do flamingos stand on one leg? Well, flamingo experts tell me if they put 
both legs in the water they would freeze to death. Makes sense. 

Here’s a good one. Why are Major League Baseball Umpires required to wear 
black underwear? (Bet you didn’t even know that.) There is a perfectly good 
answer. Baseball professionals didn’t want white to be showing in case their pants 
split during a game. Duh! 

Why was ketchup sold in the 1830s? A doctor in Ohio claimed tomatoes could 
cure a number of ills and he marketed and sold ketchup in pill form. 

Reader’s Digest maybe the ultimate source of useful trivia. They have been around 
since 1922. And trivia is a big part of their magazine. And here are some of the 
claims of truth they have printed over the years. 

You are taller in the morning than the night. By about one centimeter. Why? 
Because at night you are lying down and your spine stretches out and even 
decompresses. At least that is what Reader’s Digest says. It must be true. 

If you think Caesar Salads were invented in Italy you are about 6,317 miles off. 
The salad was invented by Caesar Cardini, an Italian restauranteur and Italian 
immigrant living in Mexico. 

If you have a passion to have a pet that may outlive you, get a goldfish. The oldest 
goldfish on record was Tish, who lived to ripe old age of 43. 

Did you know there is an orchestra that plays concerts making music by using 
only typewriters. They are the Boston Typewriter Orchestra. Well, if you believe 
Ripley’s Believe It or Not, then you know its true. 

Here, this may be important. Pilot’s and co-pilots in flight eat different in flight 
meals. Why? In case one of the meal choices may have food poisoning. Makes 
sense right? Right? Right! 

Have any idea what the national animal is in Scotland? I’ll give you a hint. It 
doesn’t exist. It has been the national animal of Scotland since the 12th century. 
Here’s a hint: The animal is regarded as the natural enemy of the lion which was 
England’s symbol. So, in Scotland, every April 9th is National Unicorn’s Day. 

Little Dorothy, in the original Wizard of Oz, was a blonde, not a brunette. So, the 
director put a long blonde wig on Judy Garland and apparently it looked so bad, 
it was rejected. They would rather live with the aberrant hair color. 

The creation of the tea bag was an accident. In 1904 American tea trader shipped 
tea samples to Europe in little silk pouches so they would not get mixed up. Well, 
the recipients mistakenly dipped the bags into boiling water. And the tea bag was 
born. 

I’ll end with a shopping opportunity. There is a store in Scottsboro, Alabama 
called The Unclaimed Baggage Center. The only retailer of lost luggage. The store 
buys unclaimed bags and their contents after a 90-day intensive search for the 
owners. The 50,000 square feet store has more than one million visitors a year. 

Speaking of important information, my birthday is actually on Halloween. This 
year that falls on Saturday, October 31st. So, my rock and roll band, JJ Jukebox 
will be performing at Nano Café for a Halloween night concert. Great food, adult 
drinks, dancing, and great music if you like tight rock and roll (No 20 minute 
feedback laden lead guitar licks…we promise). Costumes optional. It just might 
sell out so make reservations by calling the restaurant Wednesday through 
Saturday after 4:00 pm. (626) 325-3334. The restaurant is in Sierra Madre at 322 

W. Sierra Madre Blvd. Hope to see you there. 
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