Monthly Archives: March 2025

Posted in opinion

HELP! AI STOLE MY JOB!

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By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

I heard an interesting panel discussion the other day about how AI will eventually take over many common jobs. Of course, that’s nothing new – we’ve been hearing about how AI will impact our world for the past few years. But the thrust of this discussion was: we don’t know what we don’t know. In other words, we can’t imagine how AI is going to change how we work, because we can’t imagine how AI will change how we work. I remember as a kid hearing people talk about obsolete trends, like cars putting handsome cabdrivers out of business, but that seemed like ancient history to me. But I realize that with the advent of computers in general, and AI specifically, many of the jobs I remember from my childhood seem like ancient history to today’s kids. Here’s just a sampling of jobs I remember that are unfathomable today:

  • Switchboard operators: Before direct-dial telephone systems took over, and certainly before the advent of smartphones, switchboard operators were the backbone of communication. In the 1950s, the United States had approximately 342,000 telephone switchboard operators employed by the Bell System, plus a million operators working in private industry. It was a demanding job that required quick reflexes and strong customer service skills as the operators manually connected calls by plugging and unplugging cords on massive switchboards. I remember one of the first offices I worked in had a switchboard and every morning I marveled at how quickly and efficiently the “board worker” handled those calls. Unbelievably, as recently as 2023 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported there were approximately 43,800 people working as “Switchboard Operators, Including Answering Services,” with most of those jobs being in the medical and travel industries. Where? In Outer Mongolia????
  • Milkmen: Long before Instacart and Amazon, having fresh milk delivered to your doorstep was once a common part of American life. Local milkmen made daily or weekly rounds, leaving glass bottles on doorsteps and retrieving empty ones. In the 1950s, more than half of consumer milk sales came from home delivery services. However, the rise of supermarkets and improved refrigeration technology made milk delivery nearly obsolete. By 1975, home-delivered milk accounted for only about 7% of total milk sales, and by 2005, it had dwindled to just 0.4%. That percentage has actually grown due to the aforementioned home delivery companies, but it’s not the same as the milkman who did our route every week, lugging his wire crate from house to house, who got to know everyone on his route.
  • Elevator Operators: In the mid-20th century, elevator operators were essential for manually controlling elevators in department stores, office buildings, and hotels. At its peak, the profession employed more than 90,000 workers in the U.S., responsible for operating controls, greeting passengers, and ensuring smooth rides. I remember going to I. Magnin in downtown San Francisco as a kid and marveling at the elevator operator – her snappy uniform and lilting voice was mesmerizing to me. I wanted to be her when I grew up. Obviously, I couldn’t see too far into the future, because by 1959 more than 90% of elevators were automated. Today, elevator operators are almost nonexistent. In fact, the labor department doesn’t even track them anymore. I read that a few historic buildings, particularly in New York City, still employ operators for nostalgia or specialized service. I’d love to know where they are because the next time I visit I’d like to once again experience having someone at the controls who dressed smartly and could possibly save me if the car plunged into the basement.
  • Motion Picture Projectionists: Today’s Netflix generation would probably find it hard to believe that in 1950 there were more than 26,000 people employed as motion picture projectionists. They played a vital role in the moviegoing experience, operating and maintaining film projectors in theaters, ensuring film changeovers, managing carbon arc lamps, and handling nitrate film. But the demand for traditional film projectionists dramatically declined with the rise of digital projection technology. By 2013, an estimated 92% of movie theaters in the United States had made the switch to digital projection. By 2023 only 2,610 people still held the job. That seems like a lot of people still doing a very old-fashioned job. Maybe they work in the same place as the switchboard operators.

I worry a bit about the future of work for the next generation, but I guess that has always been the case. Unless they are plumbers or electricians, I can’t imagine how much AI will impact their careers. I guess I just have to trust that each generation has always adapted and moved forward and that will continue to be the case. All I know is, I don’t care how smart an AI system is, it will never look as snappy as that elevator operator.

Posted in Blog Info / Up-dates

And Now . . . The Rest of the Story

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by Bob Sparrow

A nod to Paul Harvey for using this headline, which was the introduction to his most enjoyable radio broadcast for many years, as well as the title of the book about him written by his son, but that’s for another blog. This blog is abut follow-ups and corrections to previous blogs.     

Stuck in Space

Splash down off the coast of Florida

Stuck in Space was published last September, telling of the plight of two astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who had planned to spend eight days in space and instead spent nine months.  Just last week, on March 18 at about 6:00 pm EDT, the Starliner spacecraft carrying them and their last pair of underwear, home, splashed down off the coast of Florida. Being in space that long takes a toll on both the body and the mind, so they will be under close observation for some time. In the mean time, they’ll get caught up on the ‘love fest’ that’s been going on between political parties. They’ll be happy they kept their distance.

It’s the Most Important Election of Our Lifetime . . . Again

In this blog, published a couple of months before last year’s presidential election, I sort of mocked the people who were saying that this was the most important election of our lifetime, citing that this phrase has been used throughout history for almost every election.  As it turns out, no matter what side of the aisle you are on, it may not be THE most important election of our lifetime, but it could be one of them . . . we shall see! 

The Incredible Life of Don the Beachcomber

Published in October of last year, this title apparently should have read The Incredible Life of Donn Beach, according to the following comments left by ‘Andy’.  I don’t know Andy or where he’s from, but he is clearly a Don the Beachcomber aficionado.

Donn Beach

A bunch of inaccuracies, I believe. You say “there really was a “Don the Beachcomber” as if that was his adopted name, but that was the name of the restaurant, not the man. He changed his name to “Donn Beach” with two n’s (misspelled throughout). His original first name was “Ernest”, not Earnest as you have written. Also, his first restaurant did not have a kitchen, that didn’t come until 1937 when he moved down and across the street to a bigger location. And I think it was called “Beachcomber Cafe” but I have seen other claims.

Admittedly, this is a difficult topic to research, as the internet is rife with contradictions. Your commenter from a few weeks ago, Cindi N, surely knows most of the facts, and her book on Sunny Sund was fabulous. I believe a definitive biography of Donn Beach is coming out later this year.

The biography Andy refers to above may be the preview I saw at the Newport Film Festival that inspired the blog

A Most Unusual and Brilliant Desert Denizen

On the outside looking in at the Willows

There was also a correction to this blog about Einstein and the two places he stayed while in Palm Springs, which was published just last month.  This correction came from long-time good friend and neighbor, Bob Baldwin.  He correctly pointed out that the original tower of the El Mirador still stands on the site of the original hotel, but that site is now part of the Desert Regional Medical Center.  I did visit both that El Mirador site and the Willows Hotel site. When outside the gated Willows, there is a phone to call the receptionist inside, which I did and told her that I wrote a blog about Einstein’s stay there and was hoping I could come in and take a look around, maybe see the Einstein room. Nope, apparently my IQ and my net worth were not high enough.

As Suzanne and I have often said, we do not let the truth stand in the way of a good story, but we always appreciate our reader’s comments and corrections. (OK, Suz, was that just another lie?)

Posted in Holiday observations • opinion

‘TIS A GOOD DAY TO BE IRISH

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By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

If you’re like millions of Americans, you will celebrate St. Patrick’s Day today by consuming some spirits in honor of the occasion.  Some of us are genuinely of Irish extraction but on St. Patrick’s Day everyone is Irish.  Simply donning a green hat or sporting shamrock underwear gives the wearer implicit permission to get toilet-hugging drunk.  There actually are a lot of Americans with Irish bloodlines – 37 million to be exact.  That’s 12% of the population, ranking just behind Germany in most frequently reported ancestry.  Heck, we have eight times the number of Irish than Ireland itself!   Which is probably as good an explanation as any as to why the holiday is so much more popular here than in Ireland.  Twenty-five years ago, my husband’s cousin from Scotland came to San Francisco on business and we met him for dinner near our workplaces.  Unfortunately, the only night he had available was St. Patrick’s Day and to further the problem, we worked right around the corner from Harrington’s Bar and Grill.   We met at a nearby restaurant that required our cousin to walk from his hotel right by Harrington’s front door.  Or as close to the front door as he could get.  There are a lot of Irish in San Francisco and they seemingly all gather at Harrington’s each year to celebrate the patron saint.  When he finally navigated his way to the restaurant he was wild-eyed and I think just the tiniest bit shell-shocked.  He stammered, “What is with you Americans and St. Patrick’s Day?”  Well, it turns out, we practically invented the holiday.

NYC St Patrick’s Day Parade

Since around the ninth or 10th century, people in Ireland have been observing the Roman Catholic feast of St. Patrick on March 17.  But the first parade held in honor of St. Patrick’s Day took place in the United States.  On March 17, 1762, Irish soldiers serving in the English military marched through New York City.  The parade, along with their native music, helped the soldiers reconnect with their Irish roots.  Over the next three decades numerous groups formed to celebrate Irish heritage, each sponsoring a parade on St. Patrick’s Day.  By the mid-1800s the groups combined forces into what is now known as the New York St. Patrick’s Day Parade, the largest in the country and the oldest civilian-sponsored parade in the world.

Of course, all that marching is exhausting so finding a good pub to quench one’s thirst became part of the day’s tradition.  Some people take pride in finding good Irish pubs wherever they go, regardless of the time of year.  In fact, although I won’t mention names, someone I’m related to that also writes for this blog fashions himself a connoisseur of Irish drinking establishments.  He is the only person I know who could trek all the way to Machu Picchu and find an authentic Irish pub in which to have a Guinness.  But he is far from alone.  What is this obsession so many have with the Irish?  I’ve read more than one article claiming the Irish are the most beloved ethnic group in the world.  Of course, part of that affection is tied to the “happy drunk” reputation, but in fact it goes further than that.  The Irish are deemed to be some of the most sentimental souls on Earth.  One need only read the famous Irish poets to understand the truth of that.  The Irish are also known worldwide for their sense of humor and dry wit.  Oscar Wilde, the noted Irish writer, filled our world with his bon mots.  One of my favorites is:  “It is absurd to divide people into good and bad.  People are either charming or tedious”. George Carlin was perhaps one of the funniest comedians ever with his wry observations of everyday life and Melissa McCarthy is a talented entertainer (come on, that bathroom scene in Bridesmaids is a classic!).  The Irish also have the ability to write lyrically and capture an audience, despite sometimes playing fast and loose with the facts.  One of my favorite sayings, told to me by an Irish friend who was wound-up in the middle of a fantastical yarn, is “never let the truth get in the way of a good story”.  My brother and I have at times adopted that as our motto.

There’s also the famous saying “Luck of the Irish”, although I have discovered that the phrase started as a derisive jab at the Irish immigrants who came to America in the late 1800’s.  It originated in the gold and silver mines to describe the Irish who found their “pot of gold” and became rich and successful.  The Irish were never given full credit for their accomplishments.  Instead, it was widely believed that the “Irish fools” had gained fortune only by sheer luck, as opposed to brains and hard work.  Our only full-blooded Irish ancestor, Julia Stack Billiou, came to America during this period. Her immigration gives our family claim to Irish heritage and provides cover for our love of good writing, a stout beer, and a strong Irish Coffee.  I call that lucky indeed!

Posted in Time Change

Are You Falling Forward, or Springing Back?

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by Bob Sparrow

Hawaii – No DST here!

Or am I confused? Probably! Most of us have arrived an hour late or an hour early during the switching of clocks between Standard Time and Daylight Savings Time or vise versa; I know I have. Yes, it’s that time again – change your clocks, change your life . . . for a while. There’s been a lot of talk about both staying on Standard Time all year or staying on Daylight Saving Time all year, but so far, it’s only talk. 

Yes, this whole blog is going to be about Daylight Savings Time, so if you’ve got something more important to do, like organizing your sock drawer, I’d go do that.  As there is just no following a ‘dog story’ like my sister’s acquisition of Dooley.  This blog clearly will not be heart-warming or for that matter that interesting, but hey, whad ya pay?      

The history of Daylight Savings Time (heretofore to be referred to as DST) is more time-consuming than anything, but since it is upon us, we’ll see if I can spice it up a bit, albeit with tidbits that may or may not have credibility – as creative writing was one of my favorite subjects in school (when I wasn’t taking up space).

How and why did we get to a place where we have to change our clocks twice a year, and are we ever going to adopt just one time standard anytime soon?  Well, let’s look at our attempts to try to outsmart time.  I’ll try to make this as painless as possible. Many believe that Ben Franklin ‘invented’ DST, good guess, but no, he was busy flying his kite in a thunderstorm.  Early on there was a guy in New Zealand and another guy in England, who played with the idea of being God and deciding what time the sun should rise and set, but nothing was really done on a grand scale, until Germany, in WWI changed their clocks in an effort to save energy.  The U.S., not to be out-smarted by the Germans, adopted it as well, but went off it as soon as the war ended.  We brought it back during WWII, (just as those pesky Germans did again!) but canceled it again at the end of that war.  In fact, the first name for DST was ‘War Time’, as apparently, it wasn’t that important to save energy during peacetime.  Although it went away on a national level, states were given the option of adopting it or not – which led to some states adopting it and some not, which in turn led to a good deal of confusion.  To wit: in the mid-1960s one bus route traveling the 35 miles between Steubenville, Ohio and Moundsville, West Virginia, went through seven different time zones!  In 1966, in an effort to solve this problem, President, Lyndon Johnson signed a bill that made DST national!  Well, almost national, Arizona and Hawaii decided they’d ignore the president, sort of like some are doing today, and did not adopt, and have never had, DST. 

Sunset on Mountain Lake – not sure what time it is

Today, 19 other states have petitioned to get off DST.  Why?  The main reason seems to be health, as our health is tied to our circadian rhythms – the cues our body takes from the time of day . . . or night.  This argument states that the human body is not designed to reset its internal clock, thus heart attacks rise by 25% when the clocks ‘spring forward’, (hope you’re still with us) also there are more car accidents (hope you’re not reading this while driving your car) and ER employees make more mistakes after the time change (stay out of ER this week!).  And for all of those who sleep, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine is lobbying to do away with DST as it causes poor sleep, and virtually all health issues are compounded by poor sleep.   

Nothing to do with DST, just a pretty waterfall

Since the change in time is to merely have more sunlight during the working or playing day, the solution being offered seems to be fairly simple, have businesses, schools, etc. have ‘seasonal hours’, which actually was Ben Franklin’s idea – in winter months, business opens from 9-6, in summer 8-5, or maybe it’s the other way around – see, this clock changing thing has already got me confused and we’ve just started it!  I do know that for those of you who are retired, you can wake up whenever you want and probably won’t have to worry about being an hour early or late to Starbucks.

Yes, the accompanying photos have nothing to do with DST, I had the choice of putting up photos of clocks and people being an hour early or an hour late and I decided to just have a nice sunrise, sunset, and waterfalls. So, yes this time change has got me a little confused, but I believe these photos are calming and that’s what we need in this critical health time.

Posted in opinion

FALLING IN LOVE AGAIN

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By Suzanne Sparrow Watson

“When you lose a dog, where does all that love go? The routine, the way they filled the quiet spaces in your day—what happens to all of it? They may be gone, but those feelings remain, lingering like a shadow searching for a place to settle.” Robert Drake, Dog People

Dash the Wonder Dog

There is nothing like the love of a dog. Who else loves so unconditionally, without expectation for anything in return except a warm lap, a long walk and meals (served on time)? When I sent Dash the Wonder Dog to Rainbow Bridge on December 5th, I knew it was the right thing to do for him, but it created a hole in my life that was almost unimaginable. Just 16 months after losing Alan, the loss of Dash rocked my world. For the first time in 50 years, I had no one to care for – no one who counted on me for anything. Dash died on a Thursday, and by Saturday night I realized that I didn’t want to live the rest of my life without a dog. And specifically, I wanted another Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. And, just to put a fine point on it, I wanted a puppy. I realized that getting a puppy at my age was a triumph of hope over practicality, so I researched articles about getting a dog later in life. Almost all recommended getting a senior dog – one who was housetrained and had grown out of the puppy stage. And let’s face it, one that won’t outlive you. But then I ran across an article from the WSJ: “It Was Crazy to Buy My Aging Mother a Puppy. It Was Also Brilliant.“, by Kathie Roiphe. In it, she recounts how the puppy energized her mom, lifted her spirits every day, and brought purpose to her life.

Bolstered by that piece, the following Monday I contacted Dash’s breeder, Kelly Collins of Spice Rack Cavaliers. She normally has a long waiting list of people who want her well-bred dogs, so I expected I would have to wait months, as we had for Dash. But such was not the case. Kelly told me that she had a litter due in two weeks and that I could have one of them. It felt like a gift from Heaven. Kelly said Alan and Dash would be happy I was opening my heart to a new dog, and I believe that. The puppies were born on December 19th, two boys and a girl. As luck would have it, I only live two miles from Kelly, and she asked me to watch them the following day for a couple of hours so she could fulfil a commitment. Holy smokes! How lucky could I get???

Those puppy dog eyes!

Over the next six weeks two more litters were born, and I got to watch over all of them several times. It was both fun and a blessing, as I got the know the personalities of the dogs in “my” litter. Late in January one of the boys came over to where I was standing and curled up on my shoe. I knew instantly that I’d found my guy. I had already picked out a name – Dashing Doolin, call name “Dooley”. The name is partly in tribute to Dash, and partly in memory of a fun town I visited in Ireland. Dooley has developed into a beautiful puppy, and I can tell he has already outstripped my IQ level. He was the first to learn how to get out of the pen and the first to navigate the dog door so that he could come and go as he pleased. But he is also wonderfully affectionate. One day as I was babysitting, I put all three of the puppies in their pen, with the door open. I sat on the couch around the corner and the next thing I knew, he was waddling over and asking to be lifted up onto the couch. Who could resist? He immediately cuddled up on my lap and then looked at me with quintessential “puppy dog eyes” (picture, left). I can assure you; no one has ever looked at me like that!

Last week I took all three of the puppies to Starbucks in a stroller. If you ever want to meet people, take three puppies to Starbucks. They were good as gold, and since then I have brought them home a couple of times for an afternoon of play. But today…today is THE day that I get to pick Dooley up and bring him home forever. He is already mostly housebroken and sleeps through the night. That said, he’s a puppy and will no doubt put me through my paces over the next several months. But in just the short time I’ve been with him he has already brought me joy and my heart is once again full of love. I couldn’t be happier. Welcome home, my sweet boy, Dooley!

My sweet boy

Dogs provide the kind of love that finds you when you need it most, and somehow, without words, makes you whole again. Dog People