From A Bird's Eye View

Make Room Mt. Rushmore?

November 7, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:6 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

“My lips are sealed”

This week we will, or already have, decided who will be our next president, or perhaps more accurately, decided who we want to keep from being our next president. In a desperate move to help us all to feel better about our new president-elect, I thought I would look at the ‘character’ of some of our past presidents, who had the huge advantage of not living in this era of ‘social media’ where everyone carries a camera and bad news travels at the warp speed of the Internet.

As it turns out our founding fathers weren’t without their flaws, both Washington and Jefferson owned slaves, in fact Jefferson was more than a groper, he fathered six children with slave, Sally Hemings – that would have been a little difficult to keep off the TMZ network today!
Lincoln, who is often revered as our best president, seemed to think of himself above the law as he single-handedly suspended habeas corpus (the principle that someone under arrest can’t be held for long without being brought before a judge), shut down opposition newspapers and jailed their editors, conspired to establish a
Teddy the Elephant Killer

military government in Washington DC and used military force to keep the Maryland legislature from meeting so that it couldn’t vote on secession. I suspect that WikiLeaks would have had a field day with old ‘Honest Abe’.
Teddy Roosevelt’s lust was of a different sort, he lusted for war. His imperialism and racism can be summed up with the following quote from him, “All the great masterful races have been fighting races,” he claimed. To fellow Anglo-Saxons, he said, “It is wholly impossible to avoid conflicts with the weaker races,” and added, “The most ultimately righteous of all wars is a war with savages.” I’m guessing that Hitler was a big fan of Teddy.

OK, that takes care of Mt. Rushmore, but there is plenty more . . .

Benjamin Franklin was careless with secretive documents that ended up in the hands of the enemy – a British
Lying Franklin

secret agent. But he swore that those documents only contained information about how he was going to fly a kite to invent electricity and Chelsea’s wedding.
Franklin D. Roosevelt was known to lie a lot (What? A politician lying!!!) He was in terrible health, which he kept from the public, he was said to have liked Stalin too much and he had Soviet spies in his cabinet and didn’t really care, family members enriched themselves by his being in office, the New Deal actually slowed the recovery from the Great Depression and, among other things, he was accused of trying to seize control of the Supreme Court. Gosh, he could easily get elected today!
The list of sleazy presidents is too long for this blog, but here’s a few of the all-stars:
- John Tyler – fathered 15 children with two different wives and had several more with his slaves; in November 1836 he became the Whig’s party president ‘erect’.
- Andrew Jackson invited prostitutes to the White House Christmas party – I’m sure he just wanted to make sure that there were plenty of Ho Ho Hos to go around!
- Bill & Monica
  
  While Jack Kennedy and Bill Clinton are considered modern history’s best-know presidential horn-dogs, Lyndon Johnson, who called his naughty bits ‘Jumbo’, was worse than either of them. Both Grover Cleveland and Warren Harding were also known to have a number of dalliances while in the ‘oval orifice’.
  
  Marilyn & Jack
- It is well known that FDR and Eisenhower (at least while a general in the army if not while president) had mistresses while serving in ‘pubic’ life.

There’s more, lots more, but I think you get the point. So while you may think that we’ve reached new lows with this year’s two candidates, it’s actually just politics as usual, so we’ll be just fine. There now, don’t you feel better? Yeah, me neither!

Even if this didn’t make you feel better, why not SHARE it, maybe it will help a friend with pre or post-election blues.

Posted in opinion

TRUMPKINS AND OTHER HALLOWEEN HISTORY

October 31, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:8 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

As if we don’t have enough to worry about right now, I’ve discovered whole websites devoted to “Trumpkins” – pumpkins carved out to look like Trump. There are also some of Hillary called “Clinkins” but that doesn’t seem to have the same ring. Frankly, I don’t really know how this whole pumpkin-carving thing started, or even that much about Halloween. My knowledge on the subject is limited to costumes and Snickers bars. Lots of Snickers bars. I’ve been giving Halloween some thought this year because I’ve seen more advertisements for adult costumes and celebrations than ever before. My assumption was that millennials have popularized the holiday by coming out of their parents’ basements to party with others of their generation. That young adults have discarded their pajama bottoms in favor of dressing up as Steve Jobs or a Game of Thrones character, and in the process, have stolen Halloween from the kids. As usual, my assumptions were all wrong. So I quit looking at all of the Trumpkins on the internet and did a little research. Turns out that Halloween started as an adult celebration and was then highjacked by kids. Specifically, the Baby Boomers. Yes, yet another thing we can chalk up to our overwhelming numbers and our parents desire to make us happy. But let me start at the beginning.

Halloween is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, a celebration that took place on November 1, which was the Celtic new year. People would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts. And, knowing my Celtic ancestors, I’m guessing that quite a few of the celebrants were lit too. By 43 A. D. the Romans had conquered most of the Celtic territory and thus brought their own religious and cultural celebrations to the region, which resulted in a whole lot of observances – Feast Days, All Martyrs Days, All Saint’s Days, Days to Honor the Dead. You get the idea. In the eighth century Pope Gregory III, no doubt exhausted from having to oversee so many observances, consolidated the traditional Celtic and Roman holidays to one single day – November 1, known as All Saints Day. Pope Gregory III knew how to cut through bureaucracy – we could use him around today. In any event, the night before became All Hallows Eve, eventually shortened to Halloween.

Fast forward a few hundred years when Halloween came to America. It was not a holiday celebrated by the stuffy, dour New England Protestants (again, our ancestors so I can say that) but caught on with newer immigrants to the southern colonies. The first celebrations included “play parties,” public events held to celebrate the harvest, where neighbors would share stories of the dead, tell each other’s fortunes, dance and sing. Colonial Halloween festivities also featured the telling of ghost stories and mischief-making of all kinds. Sounds like they really knew how to par-tay. In the second half of the 19th century, with the huge influx of immigrants from Ireland, Halloween was introduced to virtually every region of the U.S. Americans began to dress up in costumes and go house to house asking for food or money, a practice that eventually became today’s “trick-or-treat” tradition. And thus the tradition continued as a community celebration, primarily for adults, until the latter part of the twentieth century. In the 1950’s, with so many adorable children bursting on the scene, Halloween was given over to children, with the focus on children’s events at school and calculated forays into neighborhoods where they gave out good (e.g. chocolate) vs. bad (suckers) candy.

So, why are we seeing such an uptick in adult Halloween celebrations? There are lots of theories and not a lot of definitive answers. I think it’s mostly because people like to have fun and dressing up on Halloween and partying with friends is a good way to forget that your boss is a jerk and your mother-in-law is coming for Thanksgiving. Whatever the reason, according to Forbes, Americans now spend $7 BILLION on decorations, costumes, cards, candy and pets. Yes, pets. We spend $1.22B on adult costumes, $1.04B on children’s costumes, and more than $370M on doodads for our dogs and cats. I found that hard to believe but then a quick Google search convinced me that this pet-dressing phenomenon is quite real. While many of the pictures made me smile (there are definitely pet owners who are spending too much time on Pinterest) I noticed that none of the pets looked too happy garbed up as a fairy princess or bumble bee. Offhand I’d say that we’d be much better off donating that $370M to animal shelters. But then again sometimes I’m just a buzzkill.

Speaking of which, my brother found an interesting article about the sale of Presidential candidate costumes in an election year. Turns out that dating back to Richard Nixon’s presidential run, the candidate’s whose Halloween mask sells the most is far more likely to win the election. This year, the Trump mask is outselling the Clinton mask by 7%. I’m not sure that’s really indicative of this year’s election. I suspect the sales numbers reflect the fact that it’s just more fun to wear a clump of orange hair than a boxy pantsuit.

Posted in opinion

THE PIMPING OF PINK

October 24, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:13 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

So…it’s October. The month of pumpkins, Halloween and the ever-present pink ribbon. Yes, in case you’ve been in a cave the past few weeks, it’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. It’s hard not to be aware since the pink ribbon is plastered on everything from lipstick to toilet paper. I can’t check out at the grocery store or purchase something online without being asked to donate to a breast cancer charity. I want to say at the outset that I am very much in support of breast cancer education and research. After all, one of my oldest and best friends has survived a particularly hellish form of the disease thanks to great doctors and innovations in drug therapy. And maybe that’s at the root of my problem with the “awareness” movement. Breast cancer now has a high survivability rate, even for cases that were once thought to be a death sentence. The American Cancer Society now estimates that the five-year survival rate for most breast cancer stages is close to 100%. That is tremendous progress and can certainly be attributed in part to the pink ribbon campaign of the past 25 years. But in my opinion, the pink ribbon has been pimped out.

First of all, pink ribbons on products signifies marketing at its best – or worst – luring customers into thinking that the company is donating proceeds to breast cancer research. In fact, according to the Breast Cancer Awareness organization and a report by the Huffington Post, some major products with pink ribbons on the packaging are there for marketing purposes only. In other words, they put the pink ribbon on their product to get the consumer to assume that some portion of the purchase goes toward breast cancer research. In reality it’s just there for marketing purposes. No additional funds go anywhere except the pocket of the corporation. In doing some research for this piece I was taken aback by some of the major product manufacturers that do this – everything from shoes to food. The height of irony to me is the sale of wine and liquor glasses with the pink ribbon when, in fact, alcohol consumption can contribute to getting breast cancer in the first place. Pink ribbon product placement where there is no actual financial contribution to the cause is not illegal as there is no trademark on the pink ribbon. Which means it can be used, and abused, at will. Certainly there are many companies that do donate their proceeds to breast cancer charities but my caution is that you research the donation details before you plunk down your hard-earned cash.

The other major irony that occurs this month is the NFL’s insistence on showing their “awareness” by players wearing pink shoes, wrist bands, socks and…wait for it…pink ribbons on their helmets. Hmmmmm….if I recall, October is also Domestic Violence awareness month. Seems to me that if the NFL wanted to do something favorable towards women this month they might have the players sport the purple Domestic Violence ribbons. Josh Brown has been the latest player to be charged with abuse but, regretfully, he is far from alone. Benjamin Morris of the FiveThirtyEight organization crunched federal data to measure the league’s domestic violence arrest rate against the general population of American men ages 25 to 29. He found that domestic violence accounted for a whopping 48 percent of arrests for violent crimes among the football players, compared to 21 percent among non-football players. Moreover, relative to the income level (top 1 percent) and poverty rate (0 percent) of NFL players, the domestic violence arrest rate is downright extraordinary. Roger Goodell’s commission, put together in 2014 after the Ray Rice incident, seems to have had little influence thus far – 2015 saw almost a doubling of the domestic violence arrests among NFL players. And if you think it’s because it’s being reported more, you need to read this Washington Post article from last week that describes the NFL’s “hush hush” policy regarding the abuse of women: https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/10/17/for-battered-nfl-wives-a-message-from-the-cops-and-the-league-keep-quiet/?tid=a_inl&utm_term=.5538aa51ef46.

But the greatest driver of my dislike of the pink ribbon is because it takes the air out of the room for other causes. After all, breast cancer is NOT the leading cause of death among women – that distinction goes to heart disease. There is minimal red ribbon activity in February but then it seems to fade into obscurity. Where is the awareness for lung and colorectal cancers, which both kill more women than breast cancer? And my personal complaint is the lack of funding for melanoma research. Five years ago I was diagnosed with melanoma. In my initial panic I searched the internet for local support and education. Surely a sunny state like Arizona with a high UV index should be replete with resources. Nope. Not a support group in sight. Not even a lousy walk. Five years later, I’m doing fine – I just look like a beekeeper every time I’m out in the sun. But a friend died of melanoma last year and another is fighting it. So I really hate “pink ribbon” month when I know so many more causes could use the research money. If nothing else the Melanoma Foundation needs the breast cancer marketing people – their ribbon color is black.

Posted in opinion

Tahoe Family Tribute

October 17, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:21 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Dad’s Martini and Mom’s Gin Ricky

Part of our annual ritual is to bring cocktails to Mom and Dad. The drinks sit on the rock that their ashes surround. The drink on the left is for Dad, a great Martini lover (processed olives compliments of Don Spradling), the drink on the right is for Mom, who loved a Gin Ricky.

Jack and Barbara Sparrow lived in interesting times. They were born at the start of and at the end of WWI respectively, lived through the Roaring 20’s, Prohibition, the Great Depression, World War II, the Korean War, the Psychedelic 60’s, the Viet Nam War, the Gulf War (Gosh we’ve been involved in a lot of wars!), the ‘dot.com’ boom, a new millennium and 17 presidents. They fortunately have not had to endure the election process of our next president! Throughout the majority of their married years, they were a harbinger of future married couples to come, as they both worked outside the home. When they bought the Novato Advance in 1940 they were the youngest (26 and 21) newspaper publishers in California. After they sold the paper Dad started his own commercial printing business and Mom became the executive secretary for the superintendent of school. They were alway very active in a variety of charities in Novato and throughout Marin County – AND they managed to raise three pretty good kids, even if I do say so myself. OK, two out of three!

Our annual Tahoe tribute trip in October, which unfortunately Suzanne and Al were unable to make this year due to their travel schedule, is a time to visit North Lake Tahoe when most of the tourists have gone home; it’s a time to revel in the beautiful fall days and cool, crisp evenings and it’s a time to enjoy family in a place that has so much history for us. It is also a time to reflect on our Mom and Dad as we pay tribute to them at their final resting place with such a spectacular view of Lake Tahoe. Dad’s ashes have been there since 2001, Mom joined him in 2014.

The ‘Rat Pack’ at CalNeva

The connection to Lake Tahoe came from Dad’s best friend, Dick Schieck, a life-long bachelor, who adopted our family as his own and who was like a combination of another father and older brother to us. He bought a cabin at the north end of the lake in 1951 for $4,600 that became our primary summer and winter vacation destination for the next 20 years. In the early days the trip from Novato to Lake Tahoe on a two-lane road took about 6 hours, longer if you got behind a P.I.E. truck going over Donner Summit. It was when the gambling resort, CalNeva, where Frank Sinatra was once a part owner, drew the top entertainment in the land. But the classiest place at the north end of the lake was The North Shore Club where Dad and Dick would dress in coat and tie (minimum dress standard; tuxedos were not uncommon) and Mom in a formal cocktail dress on a Saturday night and go there for a night of gambling, dining and dancing to a live band.

Classic Chris Craft in front of Sunnyside

Our parents introduced us to what is now a trendy destination for haut cuisine and designer martinis, Sunnyside Resort & Restaurant, but was just a house with a liquor store and a bait shop attached to it when we first started going there as kids to fish off the pier with a drop line. We were also introduced to Squaw Valley, when it had only one chair lift, several years before it was the site of the 1960 Winter Olympic. Dad and Dick also introduced us to the best way to get rid of a hangover (a malady we were introduced to later in life) – go jump in that ice-cold lake!

To continue the legacy, over the years we have introduced ‘the Lake’ to our kids and grand kids and I’m sure have bored them with endless stories about ‘the good old days’. The Lake, while a lot more populated, is still beautiful and the memories we have of it going from a remote mountain get-away to the popular summer and winter destination are simply magical. Thank you Mom and Dad . . . and Dick.

Posted in opinion

ELECTION AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOR

October 10, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:7 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

As my brother so accurately rhymed last week, we are in a whole lotta trouble. And I’ve had to write this blog before the Presidential debate on Sunday night. God only knows what fresh hell that will bring. I’m not sure I can take any more “news”. Admittedly I watch too many of the cable shows, switching from one to the other in hopes that I will gain some perspective. But all I’ve gotten in return is carpel tunnel syndrome in my valiant, but fruitless, effort to find sanity. Over the weekend I decided I’d had enough and swore off following the election. The conundrum was, how do I find ways to occupy my time over the next four weeks? I think I’ve stumbled on some solutions and since we here at “A Bird’s Eye View” always aim to be of public service, today I’m going to share my election avoidance strategies. So, in no particular order, here they are:

Sports – I’ve always liked watching sports and rooting for my favorite athletes and home teams. This year I’ve especially appreciated the fact that within a few hours you know who the winner is and there’s no campaigning unless you count Colin Kaepernick. Which I don’t. Plus, let’s face it, it’s a great excuse to eat Doritos and guacamole. Luckily, we are in the sweet spot of the year for sports. A quick perusal of the TV listings this week offered a cornucopia of athletic events on TV – pro football, college football, hockey, golf, college volleyball, English “football”, pre-season basketball, the MLB playoffs, motorsports, soccer and tennis. There is something for everyone on that list – assuming you are a sports fan. If not, read on.

Organize – There have been many books out in the past year or so touting the soothing benefits of organizing your life, your home and your mind. Personally, I think it’s over-rated. But I decided to organize my closet in an attempt to avoid the news (and Facebook – don’t even get me started on that. Why do friends insist on re-posting political crap? Like we care. Or that it’s going to change our mind. I’d rather see the ubiquitous pictures of dinner plates/expensive wine bottles/Aunt Gertrude’s 80th birthday cake.) It seems like socks are always in need of organizing. I think elves mess up my sock drawer every summer. I spent more time than I care to admit deciding whether to organize by color or length and whether to bundle or roll. Finally I gave up and went back to my Doritos. But again, it was a more soothing activity than listening to popularity numbers or, God forbid, “analysis” done by surrogates.

Food/Home – If indoor sports are more to your liking, turn on the Food Channel or HGTV. It’s amazing how comforting it is to listen to someone stress over whether the sofa should be orange or blue compared to watching endless analysis of debate prep. I get so invested in “Househunters” that I end up shouting at the prospective buyers. Why can’t they see that the three flights of stairs in Home #2 is going to be a pain in the butt when they’re lugging groceries? It’s almost as good as watching sports. The Food Channel also offers endless entertainment but is decidedly more fattening. I’m not a great cook but I get so inspired when watching the Barefoot Contessa that I think I can actually turn out a successful meal. Many failed attempts have been dumped in the garbage but that’s still better than looking at poll numbers.

Find the Good News – Yes, this IS possible. While the media focuses on the negative, there are plenty of good things going on out there too. They’re just not as sensational so it’s harder to find them. One place I discovered dedicated solely to good news is http://abcnews.go.com/us/good_news. It’s full of stories about people doing all sorts of wonderful things to make our world a better place – helping the homeless, mentoring disadvantaged youth, rescuing animals or simply performing random acts of kindness. Reading the stories reminded me that we are not the politicians. Or, more accurately, they are not us. Especially in an election year the politicians try to put a wedge between us, but I think we all know that most people, regardless of political affiliation, are genuinely good, with honest intentions and a helping hand for someone in need. That’s who we are – our similarities far outweigh our differences.

So far those are the activities I’ve come up with to divert myself from the news. If you have developed other coping mechanisms please share. After all, there is only so much I can do with my sock drawer in the next four weeks.

Posted in politics

Post Debate Ditty

October 3, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:12 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

I regress to Morning News in Verse,

As it seems that things just can’t get worse;

After watching the debate

And becoming irate,

I wonder how it got so perverse.

–

I know I should just bite my tongue

Ignoring the mud that’s been slung,

But there’s just no good choice,

No reason to rejoice,

It’s akin to two piles of dung.

–

From the long list we had to choose from

You’d have thought we’d come up with a plum,

But there’s no understanding

Our choice for commanding,

It’s either ‘the bitch’ or ‘the scum’.

–

We can vote for the one who can’t email,

Who probably should now be in jail,

Who thanks the paparazzi

For going light on Benghazi,

And for hiding the things that might ail.

–

And Trump’s just a rambling buffoon;

A self-centered, babbling tycoon

Whose manner is crude

And often times rude

And promises the wall in by June.

–

So where are the Reagans or Trumans,

Or anyone else that’s half human?

Instead we are stuck

With a couple of shmucks;

Hell, I’d settle for Alfred E. Newman.

–

No one’s voting because they are proud.

No one’s saying their choices out loud.

“We can’t have her win!”

“We can’t let him in!”

Is the only thing voters avow.

–

I’m embarrassed that American voices

Have come up with these two dreadful choices.

When all the ballots are in

And the new term begins

There’ll be no one who really rejoices.

–

As a nation we’re on our last nerve,

Electing a new leader to serve.

It won’t matter who’s hired

Or who ends up fired,

We’re getting just what we deserve.

“Every nation gets the government it deserves”

Joseph de Maistre, French lawyer and philosopher (1753 – 1821)

Do we really deserve this?

Posted in opinion

PEACE IN THE MOUTAINS

September 26, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:14 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Turning leaves in Sun Valley

Fall is my favorite season. After all, it’s the time of year when you can get a Pumpkin Spiced Latte at Starbucks and Costco offers their manhole-sized pumpkin pies. This year Dairy Queen in entering the fray by offering a dessert consisting of vanilla ice cream, bits of pumpkin pie, topped with nutmeg and whipped cream. No wonder I gain weight every October. I come by my love of fall naturally – 20 years ago I had my colors analyzed and it was determined I’m a “Autumn”, meaning I look best in the colors found this season. But mostly I love this time of year because this is when we make our annual trek up to Sun Valley, Idaho where the air is fresh and the leaves are turning. And, not by coincidence, the kids are back in school so it is also quiet.

Redfish Lake

There is something very peaceful about being in the mountains. I’ve read some recent articles about how people who reside in the mountains live longer. The research indicates that it’s because of cleaner air, more outdoor activity, and increased aerobic function due to the altitude. I don’t know about all that – I suppose if the researchers say it then it must be true. But this week as we drove up to Redfish Lake, near Stanley, Idaho, I thought back to a study that I read years ago. I have searched the internet to find it again but it’s probably too old even for Google’s capabilities. The essence of the thesis was this: people who reside in the mountains live longer because they see themselves in perspective. It went on to theorize that it is hard to take our human problems and even our very existence too seriously when staring at the magnificence of high-peaked mountains. In other words, when we view ourselves in relation to nature we gain a greater realization that we are only a small cog in a much larger scheme.

Snow in September

That feeling has certainly been forefront in our trip this year. We have marveled at the vibrant colors of leaves turning and the first dusting of snow on top of Mount Baldy. When we are outdoors experiencing this magical place, it seems as if all is right with the world. When we drove home from Redfish Lake the other day, with no satellite radio and no cell service, we had only the glorious scenery, the Salmon River and some antelope to occupy our thoughts. We were both filled with an overwhelming feeling of peace. But then, as we returned to “civilization” reality crashed down on us. A basket full of deplorable candidates for President, racial strife across the country and more terrorist attacks. I certainly don’t have the first clue as to what the cure is for our collective problems. All I do know is that John Denver had it right when he wrote the following lyrics:

“Now he walks in quiet solitude the forest and the streams
Seeking grace in every step he takes
His sight has turned inside himself to try and understand
The serenity of a clear blue mountain lake”

We’ll be leaving Sun Valley this week and I will miss this beautiful place more than ever. Am I escaping reality here? Probably. I am just sorry that the whole world cannot feel the peacefulness of the mountains. God knows we need it.

Posted in blog updates

The Rest of the Story

September 19, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:5 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

Dom crossing Khumbu Ice Fall on Mt. Everest

Charged with a most difficult task of following Suzanne’s eloquent reprise of her emotional account of Melissa Harrington Hughes’ 9/11 experience, and given that I have barely seen the outside of my home in the last six weeks, I submit a rather pedestrian look at updating some past blog stories.

Nepal Earthquake

Previous blog links:

Emails from Nepal https://fromabirdseyeview.com/?p=3943

Feeling the Nepal Earthquake Here at Home https://fromabirdseyeview.com/?p=3893

Kathmandu, Nepal earthquake

The rest of this story begins with an email from our trekking guide in the Himalayas, Dom, saying that he and his family (wife and two children) were still living in a tent due to their home being destroyed by the earthquake in April 2015 and asking for some help. Patrick and I and several friends sent money to him back in May 2015, but due to the earthquake, the trekking business was not doing so well in Nepal so Dom had limited income opportunities. I decided to ask our most-generous neighborhood if they wanted to help. They responded in spades and I was able to send Dom over $1,000, which in Kathmandu is like a year’s income. Contributors commented on how nice it was to donate knowing that all the money was going to where it’s suppose to and that it is someone with a personal connection. Dom was most grateful. I asked him if he could send some pictures of his family and the surrounding area so that I could share them with the neighbors who contributed. He did, including a picture of him on Mt. Everest, getting to Camp 4, which is over 26,000 feet in elevation. He was attempting to summit Everest without oxygen, something only a handful of people have done. He did not do it this time, but he said next time he will use oxygen and get to the top. Thankfully Dom is back in business.

L.A. and the NFL

Previous blog link: Why L.A. Will Never Get an NFL Team https://fromabirdseyeview.com/?p=3835

In April of last year I predicted that Los Angeles would never get an NFL team for a variety of reasons. Whether L.A. actually got an NFL team was still up for debate after the Rams lost their season opener to the 49ers 28-0, but after a win against a tough Seattle team last Sunday, my prediction is now officially wrong. It was worth it just to watch Pete Carroll go apoplectic on the sidelines.

Murder on the Road to Hana

Previous blog link: https://fromabirdseyeview.com/?p=2595

Capobianco – looks innocent to me!

I was driving by myself on the road to Hana, with no alibi, on the day Carly Scott was declared ‘missing’ in the area and subsequently found murdered. I did pick up a strange female hitchhiker that day, but I swear I am not a person of interest! Steven Capobianco, however is, in fact he has moved on from a ‘person of interest’ to being incarcerated and standing trial for the murder of his pregnant ex-girlfriend, Carly “Charli” Scott. He is also accused of setting her vehicle on fire. Scott was 27-years-old and five months pregnant at the time with an unborn child fathered by the defendant. Capobianco has pleaded not guilty to the charges. The Maui trial has been on-going since June 27, 2016; yes, two-and-a-half months! Evidence presented thus far implicates Capobianco as the murderer. Stay tuned for final verdict.

Hip, Hip Away

Thanks again to all you well-wishers – the hip is great; played golf last week (score not important and it’s really none of your business); and walked 5 miles on Thursday. In no time I’ll be smelling those pine trees in the local mountains.

Posted in opinion • Tributes

SMALL MOMENTS – A 9/11 TRIBUTE (2016)

September 11, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:22 Comments

By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

Today, on the 15th anniversary of 9/11, I am posting the memorial I wrote on the 10 year anniversary with updates on a surreal encounter and a promise kept.

Her message was my wake-up call. She inspired me and changed my life forever. Yet I never met her.

Melissa Harrington Hughes died at the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. She didn’t work there; she was on a business trip for her San Francisco-based technology firm. She was an extremely accomplished 31-year-old, who had traveled the world and had been married her sweetheart, Sean Hughes, for the past year.

On that fateful morning she was attending a meeting on the 101st floor of the North Tower when the first plane struck just 6 floors below her. Many people remember her for the harrowing voicemail that she left Sean minutes after the building was struck. In that voicemail she said, “Sean, it’s me. I just wanted to let you know I love you and I am stuck in this building in New York. A plane hit or a bomb went off – we don’t know, but there’s a lot of smoke and I just wanted you to know I love you always.”

The first time I heard Melissa’s voicemail, Sean was speaking to Chris Jansing on MSNBC and played the recording on air. Ms. Jansing completely broke down upon hearing it. Clearly, Melissa’s final words resonated with a lot of people. The internet site dedicated to Melissa filled with posts from people who were touched by her story. I was among them. When the buildings collapsed I thought about all of the people that worked for my company in those towers. Three of our employees died that day but Melissa was the one that stood out. Somehow, amongst the overwhelming tales of tragedy, her story elicited the strongest emotions from me. But why?

I suppose that, in part, I could relate to her on some level. I was also employed by a large Bay Area-based firm and had spent most of my adult life working in San Francisco. At one point I made several business trips to NYC to meet with staff housed in the North tower at the World Trade Center. I remember navigating the unusual elevator and escalator systems in that building as I rushed to early morning meetings, just as she must have done. I was also struck by Melissa’s beautiful wedding picture taken up in Napa, California, close to where I grew up. I knew that she had appreciated what a special part of the country that is. But it was more than the similar business trips and her picture that stayed with me; it was her voicemail to Sean that was seared into my brain.

In her voice I could sense so many of her emotions: fear, panic, bewilderment. But mostly, in her final minutes on earth, she wanted Sean to know that she loved him. I thought about her, and all of the people that died that day, who went off to work as they normally did. Kissing a spouse or child good-bye, grabbing a cup of coffee, making plans for the weekend ahead. And none of them came home. Plans and hopes and dreams were gone in an instant. Sean Hughes said that he and Melissa were excited about their future and talked about all the things that newlyweds do: moving to a new home, getting a dog, having children.

Her final words to Sean started me thinking about my own life. My husband had taken early retirement in 1996. He wanted to travel, spend time with our new grandson, and enjoy time with friends. I had wanted to continue working. But I kept thinking about Melissa’s message. What if that had been me? Is that how I would want my life to end, without ever having enjoyed what my husband and I had worked so hard to build?

The weeks following September 11 were frightening and incredibly busy for me. My division of the company had locations throughout the United States and for weeks after the twin towers fell we received bomb threats in our major office buildings. Of course, all of them were false but that didn’t lessen the hysteria of my employees who were in those buildings. I understood – my office was on the top floor of our Los Angeles headquarters and I jumped every time I heard a plane or helicopter go by. After a month or so, I began to hope that the turmoil would pass and that my life would get back to “normal”. But then I thought about Melissa. Life doesn’t get scripted. I knew that the odds of being killed in a terrorist attack might be low, but there were no guarantees that I could escape a car accident or a terminal illness.

So the first week of November, after the initial frenzy had died down, I told my boss that I wanted to resign. We negotiated that I would stay until March 1, which I did. I have never regretted that decision and would not trade all of the memories and experiences I’ve had since then for any amount of compensation I gave up.

The author Judith Viorst once wrote that it is the small moments in life that make it rich. Melissa made me realize that I needed to grab the small moments while I could; that sitting with my husband every morning, sipping coffee and watching the news, is a gift not to be squandered or go unappreciated.

So to Melissa Harrington Hughes: thank you. Someday I hope to get back to the new September 11 Memorial where I will touch the steel engraving of your name. And in the hollows of those letters, we will finally be connected.

2016 Update: This past March I went to New York with my niece and her two daughters. Visiting the National September 11 Memorial and Museum was one of our highlights (I wrote about it in The Museum of Sadness and Strength post). I read that buying tickets in advance was key so on February 24 I went on to their website to order ours. On that same day I received an email that someone had commented on my original post about Melissa. I thought that was a coincidence – that maybe something that I had typed in the computer had caused an old comment to be recirculated. But it wasn’t an old comment – it was this: “I came across your blog after my son and I just prepared an required oral presentation for his English class about a life event of mine that had great impact. I think of Melissa almost every day – I was her best friend since childhood. She was a shining light and people were drawn to her. I miss her and the memories are still clear with detail. Thank you for seeing how her passion, love for life, and love for her husband and family was that shining light, even if it was her last words. She called her Dad and Mom and Sean from that burning building because she loved them deeply. She is well remembered and will never be forgotten.” I still get chills when I read this note and think about the timing of it. There are no coincidences in life, of that I am sure.

On March 30 I was finally able to fulfill the promise to myself that I would visit Melissa’s engraving at the Memorial. Her name is carved into Panel N-22 on the large reflecting pool that stands in the footprint of the former North Tower. I put my hand on her name and thanked her once again for all that she has meant in my life. May she rest in peace.

Posted in opinion

Home Alone!

September 5, 2016By Sparrow/WatsonComments:17 Comments

by Bob Sparrow

My companion, Al Walker

First I’d like to thank all of those who have wished me well and a speedy recovery; I am truly blessed to have so many great and caring friends!

No ifs, ands or even butts about it . . . rehab sucks! I know many of you readers have gone through what I’m going through now, but no one told me how frustrating, boring and mind-numbing this was going to be.

I was homebound for two weeks after surgery with just me and my aluminum walker, which in my desperate search for company, I named Al Walker. I actually named it Allie Walker, but Linda didn’t like the fact that I was spending so much time alone with this strange woman. She did admit that the walker had ‘nice wheels’, but she also pointed out that it had two balls. My argument that in today’s world that didn’t necessarily define the gender, didn’t get much traction.

I have over 125 TV channels, not counting subscription or pay-per-view options and still find that there is NOTHING on TV! I did find out that a few shows that were on when I was growing up ARE STILL ON!!! Days of Our Lives, General Hospital and The Bold and the Beautiful are still making housewives sit down for an hour and listen to organ music and detergent ads while hoping that their favorite character doesn’t get mysteriously killed in the next episode. Not to worry, they will just as mysteriously reappear when their contract gets renegotiated, if they didn’t actually die.

Going into my post-surgery rehab, I thought I was fortunate to have the Olympics as well as the always-entertaining election year battles to fill my long sedentary days.

Are we just ‘wasting away again’?

As far as politics go, it is clear that the agenda of each candidate, rather than telling us what their plans are for a better America, is to be totally focused on degrading their opponent. I’m calling this one the ‘Pinocchio Election’ – the one with the longest nose wins! A sad state of affairs. Recent statistics show that a large percentage of voters are not voting for a candidate, but rather they’re voting to try to keep the other candidate out. I even tuned into several interviews with Libertarian candidate, Gary Johnson, who doesn’t appear to even be the smartest person in the room when his running mate, William Weld is present, which is most of the time. I’m leaning towards writing in Jimmy Buffett, whose campaign slogan is, “Keep a song in your heart and a margarita in your hand.” That’s more positive than anything else I’ve heard from a candidate!

As for the Olympics, I love the athlete’s stories about their dedication and their overcoming adversity to become the ‘best in the world’. I enjoyed most of the telecasts, but how much volleyball and water polo can one watch? The answer is not as much as they televised. Additionally, by mid-Olympics I was a little embarrassed by the medal count that was constantly put in front of us; I was OK until we just got so far ahead that it was a little embarrassing and perhaps a bit jingoistic. If I’m the other countries, I’m calling us the ‘dumb jocks’ and pointing out that the U.S. is ranked 14^th in the world in education, 17^th in happiness, 23^rd in gender equality, 24^th in literacy and 115^th in linguistic diversity. But we are still #1 in number of prisoners, wine consumption and breast augmentations.

OK, I just re-read this and it’s clear I need to find a mountain to climb and get some fresh air, but in the mean time if anyone needs any medical or mental help, I’m all caught up on Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil, and I may also be able to help with your legal problems with the knowledge I’ve garnered from Judge Judy.

Get me outta here!