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4A – Daily News – Friday, April 1, 2011 Opinion Pollen ptarmic perchance? D NEWSAILY RED BLUFF TEHAMACOUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U N T Y S I N C E 1 8 8 5 There was a scene in an old Simpsons episode where the family was being shown slides of Australia. One showed a marquee on which was posted “Yahoo Serious Festival.” The older daughter on the Greg Stevens, Publisher gstevens@redbluffdailynews.com Chip Thompson, Editor editor@redbluffdailynews.com Editorial policy The Daily News opinion is expressed in the editorial. The opinions expressed in columns, letters and cartoons are those of the authors and artists. Letter policy The Daily News welcomes let- ters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All let- ters must be signed and pro- vide the writer’s home street address and home phone num- ber. Anonymous letters, open letters to others, pen names and petition-style letters will not be allowed. Letters should be typed and cannot exceed two double-spaced pages or 500 words. When several letters address the same issue, a cross section of those submit- ted will be considered for publi- cation. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity newspaper is essential to a strong community, creating citizens who are better informed and more involved. The Daily News will be the indispensible guide to life and living in Tehama County. We will be the premier provider of local news, information and advertising through our daily newspaper, online edition and other print and Internet vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents and businesses of Tehama County. How to reach us Main office: 527-2151 Classified: 527-2151 Circulation: 527-2151 News tips: 527-2153 Sports: 527-2153 Obituaries: 527-2151 Photo: 527-2153 On the Web www.redbluffdailynews.com Fax Newsroom: 527-9251 Classified: 527-5774 Retail Adv.: 527-5774 Legal Adv.: 527-5774 Business Office: 527-3719 Address 545 Diamond Ave. Red Bluff, CA 96080, or P.O. Box 220 Red Bluff, CA 96080 show said, “I know all those words, but that makes no sense.” Working in the newsroom we toss a lot of words around and every now and then I’ll stumble over one I’ve never seen before. In this case I came across ptarmic, which means “causing sneezing,” according to several on-line dictionaries. Not to be confused with ptarmica, a genus of plant that includes sneezewort, or the ptarmigan, a grouse-like bird prevalent in Scandinavia. Armed with this new word, I set about trying to use it in a sentence. A friend was telling me recently that her older son suffers from allergies, and that was the opening for which I was looking. “Pollen ptarmic perchance?,” I asked her. Good thing it wasn’t in person or she may have struck me. *** OMG OED, LOL Speaking of words, a hand- ful were recently granted such status by the Oxford English Dictionary in its new edition, published last week. Perhaps the most confusing to those older than 30 are OMG and LOL, which are used when texting or e-mailing to indicate “oh my God” and “laughing out loud.” I suppose if something in a text strikes you as amazing or funny enough, there should be a way to express it. Notable additions from the kitchen include taquito, dough- nut hole and California roll. If you’re a sloppy eater, take heart, the “five-second rule,” which allows you to pick up a dropped morsel and eat it as long as you do so within the allotted five seconds. In a shout out to newsrooms everywhere, OED added the expression tinfoil hat this year. This is a common way reporters and editors refer to conspiracy theorists who might wear the headgear to protect themselves from some form a mind control or invasion of privacy. A surprise addition is muffin top, which is used to describe the flesh that hangs over the top of jeans that are too tight, resem- bling the top of a muffin in relation to the bottom part. You know you’ve seen it, now you know what to call it. one who is content. As a bonus, without looking it up, can anyone guess to what new entry lumpenintelli- gentsia refers? *** Chip Other new entries of note: la-la land — Los Angeles, couch surfing — sleep on friends’ couches rather than having a home, suicide door — car doors that swing open front to back, wassup — made famous- ly annoying in Budweiser com- mercials, and happy camper — Thompson 545 Diamond Ave. Cryptic closure In a recent letter to the editor, a reader claimed he was denied the vanity license plate PR14ENG. More than a few of you got in touch to ask what that was supposed to mean, and why it would be viewed as offensive. Near as I can tell, it is short for “press 1 for English,” alluding to an instruction given by an automated phone system. Chip Thompson can be reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112, or by e-mail at editor@redbluffdailynews.com. Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 6031 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319-2102 STATE SENATOR — Doug LaMalfa (R) State Capitol Bldg., Room 3070 Sacramento, CA 95814 (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558-3160; E-mail: gover- nor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2635 Forest Ave. Ste. 100, Chico, CA 95928; 893-8363. U.S.SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 393-0710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (415) 403-0100. Fax (202) 224- 0454. City Hall, your new real estate broker Commentary In these difficult financial times, we, in the real estate trade, look for all the help we can get. Little did we suspect, however, that City Hall would come to our aide. In a front page article of the DN, a headline read, “City, broker join to fill dealership.” In fact, and I quote, “A full scale campaign is just on the horizon for the former Red Bluff Ford property after a local business man announced he was no longer buying the lot.” The article continued, “Since the announcement, real estate broker John Troughton has doubled his efforts to get the word out about the property. He has already been in contact with the city, etc.” And, not content to sit idly by, City Planning Director Scot Timboe has apparently created a marketing flyer for the property, which has been sent to several large retailers and developers. This is somewhat of a first in our fair city…and should open the door for additional help from the city in giving all brokers, saddled with unsold properties, a leg up, so to speak. It would be prudent, perhaps, for the city to con- centrate on promoting the sale or leasing of vacant commercial property for starters…and then move into the residential sector. If this proves successful, then look to the city to boost sagging retail sales of local merchandise. You’ve heard of “e bay.” Can “rb bay” be just around the corner? The mind boggles. * * * Speaking of this valued newspaper, I noted the recent results of “Munch Madness” referred to contender Carlito’s as being located in a “strip mall.” I beg to differ. This fine establish- ment is located in the Holiday Shopping Center. A strip mall, by definition, is a series of linked shops on prominent thoroughfares which offer only limited parking. The Holiday Center has ample parking and several stand- alone build- ings such as Dave’s Boots and Red Bluff Out- door Power. In the center there are 12 shops. A strip mall it is not. * * * Ryan Sale dropped by and we chatted about his family. When he asked if I had heard the story of his grandmother’s attempted abduction years ago, I replied I had written about it in 2008, but it was only published in my short lived website as my only venue at the time. Realizing the story may not have achieved mass circulation, I repeated it in The Passing Parade column Wednesday. If you missed it, you missed a good story about a courageous lady. During our chat, I reminded Ryan that he had once referred to me as a “curmudgeon,” a word not often seen in print these days. He said the refer- ence was one of affection, and I shall take his word on that. If one assumes the bear- er of the title is “full of malev- olence,” the description is undeserved. However “a crusty and ill-tempered old man” might justly describe a City Hall critic. A curmud- geon, in my book, does not hate mankind…but certainly is critical of mankind’s absur- dities. Ryan says he will con- sider amending his pro- nouncement. * * * received an e-mail emanating from that very church in L.A. As the article was incendiary in nature, their PR department is apparently quick to put out fires. More on this next week. * * * Pascal wrote, “Men never do evil so completely and cheerfully as when they do it for religious conviction.” Gadhafi please copy. Robert Minch I Say In The Passing Parade column two weeks ago, where we celebrated the life of Frankie Rodriques, his sister Dolores corrected me on a couple of items. The idea, in 1949, of acquiring the Neighbor Nook from Miss (I had her as Mrs.) Wright, was Dolores’s idea. She and Frankie were in business there for 10 years when they made a deal with Frank Machado who owned a vacant lot on the corner of Franklin and Walnut. They built a small grocery store on the Machado lot, and he in turn gave them 12 years of free rent. And then, when the rent was about to start, Frankie died. Their old grocery store is now home to Tehama Lock. * * * I noted a Change of Name petition in the DN in which one Dana A. Ferrill requested a name change to Morningstar Wolf. You know, that’s one name I would never have considered for myself. True, I am a morning person, and have had star aspirations…but a change from Minch to Wolf would never have pleased my parents. However, I have no objections to Dana’s name change. Go for it, girl. * * * I wrote last Friday of the New Yorker expose of the Church of Scientology, and by Monday I And speaking of religion, which I am of course reluc- tant to do, I received a strange letter addressed to “Resi- dent.” It contained a “prayer rug” on which I was instruct- ed to pray and then receive spiritual, physical and finan- cial improvement. However, as times are tough, the “rug” is made of paper…and not even woven paper. Just paper, about the same weight of paper going into the printing of the DN. Say, do you suppose one could get the same results from praying on a sheet from the Red Bluff Daily News? If so, the Friday edition would probably produce the best results. You scoff, but miracles do happen, don’t they? * * * Last week’s quiz was answered early by P. Bullock who knew the phonetic spelling of let- ters in the alphabet for general public use is alpha, bravo, charlie, delta, echo, foxtrot and golf, whereas the military uses able, baker, char- lie, dog, easy, fox, george. J Angelo even gave us a 1913 version which was able, boy, cast, dog, easy, fox, George. This week’s quiz: What do you know about Admirals Benbow, Nimitz and Peary? * * * A Jewish grandmother was in the park with her two small grandchildren. When an old friend asked about their ages, the grandmother replied, “The doctor is two and the lawyer is 4.” Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff and former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine.He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com.