Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/171147
6A Daily News – Friday, September 13, 2013 Opinion What our trucks say about us DAILY NEWS RED BLUFF 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 As somebody who spends a fair amount of time on the back roads in and around Red Bluff, I've come to make some conclusions about what our pickups say about their drivers. What follows is a partial list that is meant to amuse, rather than stereotype. The point A to point B — a bone stock, full sized, domestic pickup usually white and spotless. "Hey, I'm a guy. Guys drive pickups. What's the question here?" The hauler — same as the point A to point B but pretty banged up from heavy use. The tailgate is either badly dented or missing. May have a lumber rack. "I haul everything from firewood to hay to quads and am not afraid to get dirty." The great outdoorsman — a bone stock, full sized, domestic pickup often with four-wheeldrive, gold or other non-white color and always with a matching shell and immaculate. "I hunt, fish, paddle, ski, camp, dive and everything else in the outdoors. I don't always need a truck, but when I do I want it to be ready for my next adventure." The bro — a heavily powered, full sized, domestic pickup that has a few inches of lift, nerf bars and aggressive tires, usually black or red. "I'm fit, fearless, have a different Tap Out or UFC T-shirt for each day of the week and probably use my truck for work. At least once this summer I've grabbed a six pack with my buds and done donuts in Reeds Creek." The roller skate — a heavily powered, full sized, domestic pickup with more than a foot of lift and comically oversized tires that drown out a B-17 while rolling down the highway. "Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me. Look at me." The princess — same as the bro except with yellow or pink incorporated into the paint scheme. "I'm a girl. Look at me. foreign, pickup with Look at me. Look at limited seating and a me. Look at me. Look smaller cargo space. at me. Look at me. Haven't figured this Look at me. Look at one out quite yet. me." Among my friends and The workhorse — acquaintances who oversized double cab drive these are a retired with dualies, covered in doctor, contractor, dust or mud depending Realtor, business on the season and at owner and high school least one of the extendteacher. A diverse ed fiberglass rear fendgroup, to be sure. er wells must be shatChip The lost cause — A tered or missing.A bormid-'60s Ranchero der collie is perpetually bouncing from side to Thompson with great lines that side atop the tool box 545 Diamond barely runs and looks like it shouldn't. "I'm a or fuel tank. "My truck Ave. newspaper editor with is a tool I use to earn a more projects than living, that's all." time or money and The sophomore — Late '60s to early '80s domestic have trouble letting go of things." pickup that is held together with Chip Thompson can be bailing wire and elbow grease and may make it until the next reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 by email at smog check. "I just got my dri- or editor@redbluffdailynews.com. vers license or made some really Follow him on Twitter bad choices in life." The mini — A small, often @EditorChip Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 1550 Humboldt Road, Ste. 4, Chico, CA 95928, 530-895-4217 STATE SENATOR — Jim Nielsen, 2635 Forest Ave., Ste. 110, Chico, CA 95928, (530) 879-7424, senator.nielsen@senate.ca.gov GOVERNOR — Jerry Brown, State Capitol Bldg., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 5583160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.gov. U.S. REPRESENTATIVE — Doug LaMalfa 506 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-2253076. U.S. SENATORS — Dianne Feinstein (D), One Post Street, Suite 2450, San Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 393-0707. Fax (415) 3930710. Barbara Boxer (D), 1700 Montgomery St., Suite 240, San Francisco, CA 94111; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224-0454. Commentary Sorry about that I can't read Latin, but do know that Mea Culpa means "my blame" or "my fault". With that in mind, I apologize to columnist C. Barber and Letters to The Editor writer J. Martin for chiding them regarding typos appearing in the DN. Carolyn had written about the staff of The Bluffer, the RBUHS newspaper, and therein appeared to have misspelled the name of our classmate Delores Soares as "Scares". However, I have now learned that she submits her column as typewritten and the DN scans it. In the scanning, ye editor tells me that the scan picked up an "o" as a "c" and the typo was off and running. Carolyn was not the perp. And then letter writer J. Martin sent in a typo free Letter to The Editor. He then called the editor and asked to add a line or two. The lines were intended to read "Ask God for it. He'll answer. And pray for me." However, the insert read "prey" instead of "pray" which changed the tone of the letter considerably. Mr. Martin therefore also comes up clean in the typo department. *** But speaking of columns, no apology is needed when I wrote that fellow columnist D. Polson, an avowed opponent to same- sex marriage, might consider a hypothetical situation in which, if he had a child who later in life demonstrated a same -sex proclivity, would it influence his stance on the matter. He fired back "To whom it may concern, I'll not be answering loaded, hypothetical 'gotcha' questions on 'same sex whatever' until said questioner stakes a position on the real violations of conscience in commerce I pointed out...people being forced to 'celebrate' that to which they morally object. Are you for or against?" I am bewildered by his response. If he asks if I am for or against same sex marriage, I am 100% in favor of it. If he is asking if I am for or against his being forced to 'celebrate' something to which he morally objects, I don't understand the word 'celebrate'. I don't see him being forced to don a paper hat and blow a whistle a la a New Year's Eve bash. In fact, as I see it, the latest judicial rulings of support for same sex marriage don't require him to do anything except acknowledge there is now case law that allows legally this form of companion- spit, a common expression of her displeaship. If that puts the ball back in his court, sure. When she began to bark like a small then I respectfully again ask him to respond dog, and I had not heard her do that before, to my previous question, but a bit more to I crept through the living room to peer out the widow, and was the point: If you have a shocked to see a scruffy child who voluntarily looking dude crouched "comes out of the closet" down and trying to pick the are you going to embrace or lock on my front door! I ignore their decision? Not dialed 911 and reported the too loaded is it? However, I intruder on my porch. The would accept a "none of cops soon arrived and your business" response cuffed the perp and discovand abide by same. No ered in his truck parked sense flogging this horse nearby a great amount of further. stolen items. " *** Robert She concluded her letter I am in receipt of an e by saying that she misses mail from a website identiher cat Crissy who has subfied as "Jewish Dating". sequently demised. I would They ask if I would like to think so. Watch cats are meet someone of that perhard to come by. suasion. To hasten my *** response they offer to send photos of potenSpeaking of felines, the pun is the lowest tial dates. I don't know how I got on their list. They form of humor so I will not report that a cat obviously are not aware that I am spoken for that has swallowed a duck is called a duckand have not come out of that ethnic closet filled fatty pus. We have standards. *** as of this date. Cousin David John has Last week's quiz was first answered by researched the subject of our family tree and thinks there might be some Jewish heritage. perennial early bird reader N. Rick who However, when I asked the missus for com- named the three Presidents who died on the ment regarding this "Jewish Dating" propos- 4th of July as Adams, Jefferson and Monroe, al, she just laughed. Snorted might be a bet- and that Calvin Coolidge was born on that ter word. I asked for a more supportive date. This week's quiz: Transform these words response, but again she laughed and suggested it was time to clean the horse stalls. I by switching adjacent letters: Trail, diary, silver, closets, infraction, guess I should not respond to the e mail...but gird, and lions. seeing some photos might be interesting. *** *** A doctor, a dentist and an attorney were E. Kelley writes, "Watch cats may not be in a boat that capsized. Unable to get back everywhere, but they do exist!" She was writing in response to the police into the boat, two decided to hang on while report in which a woman claimed an intrud- the attorney swam to shore through a swarm er was scared off by her cat. Murray Clyde of sharks which parted for him. "That's a had scoffed at the idea of a "watch cat," but miracle!," cried the doctor. The dentist Ms. Kelley verifies their existence. She con- replied, "No, just professional courtesy." tinues, in part, "The Saturday after ThanksRobert Minch is a lifelong resident of giving last year I stayed up late watching the T.V. then turned the set off planning to Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning retire. I was brushing my teeth when I heard Daily Observer and Meat Industry my cat growl. Usually this meant that a rac- magazine and author of the "The Knocking coon or an opossum was too close to her Pen." He can be reached at driveway. But then she began to hiss and rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Minch I Say