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4A Daily News – Saturday, January 5, 2013 Opinion DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF Rutsamotta U TEHAMA COUNTY T H E V O I C E O F T E H A M A C O U NTY S I N C E 1 8 8 5 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 letters from its readers on timely topics of public interest. All letters must be signed and provide the writer's home street address and home phone number. 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 submitted will be considered for publication. Letters will be edited. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. Mission Statement We believe that a strong community 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 vehicles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its communities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the residents 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 Excusing the loose reference to Bullwinkle's alma mater, this sums up my first thought when I read the story this week about the yahoos who decided to tear up the baseball diamond at Jackson Heights School over the weekend. Vandalism never makes sense to those of us with IQs higher than recent nighttime lows, but this appears to have been more than a group of bored slackers wandering aimlessly, looking for a way to impress each other by destroying something that doesn't belong to them. No, these mouth-breathers fired up their ATVs, rode to the school and did their best to do their worst — two nights in a row. Wouldn't their mothers be proud? The rest of the story is that Red Bluff Little League tryouts are coming up in February and the field is unplayable thanks to these tooligans. I don't worry too much about the tryouts, though, because of where we live. Parents and businesses from the area will come together and donate time and materials to make the field right over the next month. It's what we do. But what if these nocturnal nincompoops had managed to confine their desire to prove themselves to something less destructive? All those man hours and donations could be put toward making Red Bluff a better place to live. Attention nitwits: If you need to destroy something because you believe there is nothing better to do in your community, you may want to avoid those things that are available to do in your community. Then again, I don't expect this to make much more sense to the dolts in question than does applying themselves toward improving their town. Should these muttonheads be caught — and they're likely the types who have already bragged to their acquaintances about what they did — we can only hope our local justice system will require the ATVs be sold to help offset monetary damages. Two birds with one stone right there. *** I was excited to learn last week that TIME stands for The International Magazine of retronym and it turns out its Events. Or I was, until I definition is that much more interesting. learned that explanaRetronyms are tion was complete terms that are created fiction, despite the to differentiate existfact I read it on the ing items from newer Internet. versions of those The good news is items. For example, that in the process of before the advent of discovering my new the electric guitar, useless fact was both they were just called useless and not a fact, guitars. Afterwards, I learned two new we needed the term terms — Backronym acoustic guitar. and Retronym. Ditto for manual The former refers Chip typewriters, desktop to a phrase created to turn an existing word Thompson computers, regular coffee and manual into an acronym. Popular examples are 545 Diamond transmissions. It's fun to see First On Race Day for Ave. which retronyms you Ford and Sobriety can come up with. Losing Its Priority for Considering our resident lawn an alcoholic's slip. Other backronyms include jockeys who tore up the Little Port Out Starboard Home, League field, I'm compelled suggest upstanding which is not the origin of the to word posh, and America's citizens. Missing: Broadcast Emergency Chip Thompson can be Response, not the origin of reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 AMBER alerts, which are by email at named for Amber Hagerman, or who was abducted and mur- editor@redbluffdailynews.com. Follow him on Twitter dered in Texas in 1996. I prefer the sound of @EditorChip. 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: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Wally Herger (R), 2595 Ceanothus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 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; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 2240454. Commentary Show and tell in 2013 Those of us who were teenagers in the late 1950s and early 1960s remember the great success of the musical, My Fair Lady. There is one song in it that echoes in my hollow head from time to time, especially during times of political tension. The lyrics are: Words! Words! Words! I'm so sick of words! I get words all day through; First from him, now from you! Is that all you blighters can do? Don't talk of stars burning above; If you're in love, Show me! Tell me no dreams filled with desire. If you're on fire, Show me! Here we are together in the middle of the night! Don't talk of spring! Just hold me tight! Anyone who's ever been in love'll tell you that This is no time for a chat! Haven't your lips longed for my touch? Don't say how much, Show me! Show me! Don't talk of love lasting through time. Make me no undying vow. Show me now! These days we are sent a lot of words, through cyberspace, print media, and the airwaves. We are given promises, warnings, and even threats. We listen, laugh, and wonder if there is anything behind the words, or if they are just another example of the empty gestures being made to attract our interest and support. It was very refreshing, therefore to visit my four grandsons during the holidays and enjoy their words. On the evening before the 49ers beat the Arizona Cardinals to preserve their week off before the playoffs, two of my grandsons performed a concert for our benefit. They were singing the songs of the Okee Dokee Brothers, a Grammy nominated Bluegrass group which also sings children's songs, based in Minnesota, where these two grandsons live. My older grandson was four in September, and his brother is two and a half. They are the children of two musicians, and seem to have inherited musical genes. The song I enjoyed the most was "Antidisestablishmentarianism". Part of the lyrics includes "Twenty-eight little letters in one little word; twenty–eight little letters isn't that absurd." The next part of the lyrics requires the spelling out of those letters; I am proud to say both boys accomplished that feat while keeping perfect rhythm. Even my Word2007 spell checker agrees with their spelling! Unlike "supercalifragilisticexpialidocious", a made up word that pops up in Mary Poppins, antidisestablishmentarianism is a real word, the longest in the English language, or it at least it was until the advent of the medical term Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanokoniosis came along; my medical knowledge is somewhat limited, but I think it refers to the short- rant and rage are like the proverness of breath that accompanies bial sticks and stones; they cause injury and inhibit trying to pronounce interchange, stimulatlong words. Allegedly ing the fight or flight there is also an English response in us. word that has over one Just like we tell our hundred thousand letgrandchildren to use ters and takes over words, not their hands three hours to proor their loud cries, we nounce, but the Daily need to tell our leaders News was concerned and those who choose about saving ink and to participate in the trees and would not to public forum to allow me to use it in remember the admothis column. Joe nitions they hopefully My grandsons do received from their not know what antidisown parents. establishmentarianism In high school I means, of course, but took an aptitude test; they enjoy the sound and feel of the word. They can the results were that I was suitbe excused for using words they ed to be an etymologist, somedo not understand. Adults have one who studies the origins and to be more careful about words. meaning of words. My first While this may be the time of paying job, however, was shovthe year we begin to get lists of eling steer manure into sacks the most popular words from for a local nursery. Some might 2012, every day is the time to think that I have combined make sure our grandchildren to those two occupations in creatmake that "please" and "thank ing these pro bono weekly you" are popular with them, columns, with an emphasis on encouraging them by example, the shoveling; maybe they are and praising the polite usage of correct. We will have serious matters our common language. We hope they will grow up to be a good to discuss in the public forum example for their own children this year; it would be wise if we picked our words carefully and and grandchildren. Words can be a common set a good example by our bond, if we speak them wisely actions. "Show and tell" is not and if we listen. Words can bind just for elementary school. us together, making relationJoe Harrop is a retired ships work and promoting civileducator with more than 30 ity. Choosing words carefully makes communication work years of service to the North more smoothly than using rant State. He can be reached at and rage to make one's point; DrJoeHarrop@sbcglobal.net. Harrop