Bird’s Eye View (Feb 3, 2016)

Greetings one and all. Are you are sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin. What links these celebrities (pretty much a D-list at this point): Cher, Mike Tyson, Gary Busey, Charlie Sheen, Kenny Rogers, Hulk Hogan, Mark Cuban (outspoken owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA team), Terrell Owens, Ted Nugent, Dennis Rodman, Lou Ferrigno, Chuck Yeager, Mike Ditka, Tom Brady, Stephen Baldwin, Tila Tequila (reality tv “star’), Gene Simmons, Dan Blizerian (self-styled “King of Instagram’), Willie Robertson (Duck Dynasty), and Jessie Ventura (wrestler/‘politician’)? No. they are not the top 20 most embarrassing Americans (although many would make that list), or even personifications of the worst things about America. Test pilot Chuck Yeager and one or two others would not be among those. In fact they are 20 folks who have endorsed Donald Trump for President, virtually every one of them offering as a big reason for their support being their belief that Trump “speaks his mind and doesn’t care what people think.” Hmmm. Let’s all vote for him then. What could possibly go wrong?!

Onward. Public Service Announcements. #546. The Vets from the Mendocino Animal Hospital will be at the AV Farm Supply on Highway 128, north of Philo, on two Thursdays this month: tomorrow, February 4 and again on Feb 25, from 2-3.30pm. To avoid the rush I suggest you go later in that time period. If you get there before 3.30pm your pet will be seen. #547. The Mendocino Bookmobile returns to the Valley on Tuesday, February 9 (alternate Tuesdays for 45 minutes) at: Navarro Store 9am (for 30 minutes); the Floodgate 12.30pm; Philo 1.30pm; Boonville (Apple Hall) 2.30pm. Phone 463-4694 for further details. #548. The AV Museum. “The Best Little Museum in the West.” at The Little Red Schoolhouse next to the Elementary School on AV Way remains closed until March.

The menu for the Senior Center Community lunches and dinners at the Veterans Building in Boonville ($6 donation from seniors for both lunches and dinners and $7 for Non-seniors for lunches and $8 for the dinners): Tomorrow, Thursday, February 4, the lunch, served by Marti Titus and her crew at Noon, will be Beef and/or Chicken Tostadas and Mixed Berry Nachos with Birthday Cupcakes for dessert. Then, next Tuesday evening, February 9 at 6pm, the dinner will feature Rosemary Pork Roast and the perfectly named Elvis Presley Cake for dessert. This is the 2nd Tuesday so the dinner will be followed by Bingo at 7pm. All meals include vegetables, salad bar, and fruit, plus milk, coffee, tea, and lemonade. What a deal — the best $7 you’ll spend all week! Hopefully you will be able to attend, and remember. ALL ages are welcome! Hope to see you there. Topics and Valley events under discussion this week at The Three-Dot Lounge — “Moans, Groans, Good Thoughts, and Rampant (yet surprisingly reliable) Rumors” from my favorite gathering place in the Valley.

…The resignation of Erica Lemons has resulted in the School Board requiring a new member once again. November’s departure of three members meant that the Board was down on experience already, with long-time stalwart Dick Browning joined by the recent additions of three talented but “rookie” newcomers: Natalie Matson, Eric Arbanovella, and Wynne Crisman. A new member will be appointed by the current members, I assume, and the more experience this person has in Valley matters, and with the school itself, and perhaps most important of all, with life in general, the better for all.

…The re-re-arrest of cartel leader Juan “Shorty” Guzman, aka El Chapo, in the city of Los Mochis in Mexico’s Sinaloa state piqued my interest and, after brief research, I found that this is the sister city of northern California’s Santa Rosa. Hmm; just sayin’. I was in Sinaloa a few months ago (not with Sean Penn I hasten to add) and inquired about the feelings towards El Chapo among some of the local folks. They were almost entirely supportive, the most common remarks being that he gave the communities in his home state more than they received from the government in terms of money for the schools and sports programs. While they certainly did not agree with his methods, they claim that most of the deaths he was responsible for were those of people in other drug gangs, not innocent civilians. Obviously the effects of his drug-smuggling etc are far-ranging and do untold damage to many people’s lives but, to many folks there, he had become a sort of Robin Hood-like heroic figure, robbing the rich to give to the poor. It is a very unsatisfactory sign of the times.

…Update from Crab Feed Central. There were originally 325 tickets available for this wonderful annual event taking place this coming Saturday, February 6, when folks from all walks of life in the Valley community will sit down to eat together. Well, these have now all sold out, but by calling Gloria Ross at 895-3071 you may be able to get some as a result of any cancellations that inevitably occur.

…Libby’s Restaurant in Philo has re-opened! They did so last Friday. Unfortunately, I learned this the day after last week’s column went to print. The Bewildered Pig enjoyed a second busy weekend and they had made some minor adjustments following various customer suggestions after their inaugural opening the previous week. Well done. The “new” Aquarelle re-opens on February 12. The “new” Stone and Embers follows a week later. Good luck to all. Meanwhile, Lauren’s Restaurant has been open for 20 years and will celebrate that achievement at the end of the month with a special event. More details later.

…From our 3-Dot regular, The Old Buzzard, comes another in his insightful series. “Signs that the Apocalypse is Approaching.” Buzzard reports, “The film industry is continuing its rapid decline in terms of making movies that feature complex characters that require top quality acting skills along with stimulating plot lines that in turn demand a modicum of intelligence from the viewing audience. When actors of the quality of Angelina Jolie, Liam Neeson, Robert Downey Jr., Matt Damon, Christian Bale, etc, are involved in seen after scene of special effects, shootouts, and crashes, then you know there are fewer and fewer outlets for them to display their talents. However, over the last decade, as films demand less acting prowess of the stars and the attentions spans of the audience, the scriptwriters have found a home. So have a number of actors, in the form of HBO, Showtime, AMC, and PBS television channels, not to mention the quality programs that are being streamed on the web by the likes of Amazon and Netflix. Valley folks who rarely miss the opportunity to share the fact that they do not have a television are actually missing out on some splendid entertainment. Some of the best writing and acting can be seen on these channels. Carl Sagan, creator and presenter of the wonderful series “Cosmos,” commented “Used properly, television can educate and inspire awe as well as any book, painting, or film.” Meanwhile, the box office movie hits in the last year or two have been dominated by “action” and “adventure” categories that include Iron Man, The Hunger Games series, Despicable Me 2, Man of Steel, Frozen, Monsters University, Gravity, the Fast and Furious series, Marvel's The Avengers, The Dark Knight Rises, Bond movies, The Amazing Spider-Man, Jurassic World, and Star Wars. Many of these films are entertaining, and there are certainly still films that are not like this, but it is a worrying trend for the many film fans who prefer movies featuring edgy drama, developing interpersonal relationships, and intricate plot lines and is just another example that the Apocalypse is rapidly approaching.

PS. For entertainment purposes only, here is my Super Bowl pick. Take Carolina, giving up 5 points to the spread, to beat Denver by a final score of 27-17.

Time to take my leave; I’ve got see a man about a sheep. “Please take me drunk, I’m home.” Until we talk again, Keep the Faith; be careful out there; if you break a leg don’t come running to me; stay out of the ditches; think good thoughts; be wary of strangers with more dogs than teeth; be kind and show love to your pets; and may your god go with you. A final request, “Let us prey.” Sometimes poking, often stroking, but almost always humbly yours, Turkey Vulture. (Contact me through the Letters Page or at turkeyvulture9@gmail.com. PS. Keep on humming, Hummingbird. Missing the Venerable Pheasant everyday. On the sheep, Grace.)