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4A Daily News – Friday, November 22, 2013 Opinion You may already be a winner 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. At least twice each week I receive a call from somebody in the community upset about some perceived injustice asking the newspaper to take up their fight. Much of the time these involve legal matters such as custody battles and there's not much we can do. We could simply report the version of events recounted by the caller, but that wouldn't be very fair to the other parties involved. That's why we have a legal system. Another common plea is for the newspaper to publicize a scam that's been perpetrated on the caller. There's no shortage of scams out there and the vast majority are not conducted by someone in Tehama County. We could fill pages each day detailing these seemingly constant grifts, but that wouldn't leave much room for anything else. Instead, we introduced a special section on redbluffdailynews.com devoted to reporting the latest scams. When I catch wind of the scam du jour, it goes up online. Thursday I took a call from a reader in Los Molinos who complained that he had received a postcard in the mail from a car dealer in Chico instructing him to scratch off a part of the card to see whether he had won an iPad. Sure enough, it appeared to say that he had won an iPad, so he hopped in his car and burned $10 or more in gas driving to Chico and back only to be told that he had, in fact, won a discount card at another business. I didn't see this particular advertisement, but I have seen enough like it to know there's probably enough fine print to blind the average reader. Somewhere in that fine print it likely explains that the winning card needed to be brought to the dealer to be compared against a list to determine what prize the holder young soldier from Red had won. Bluff who was hoping I know car dealers to attend law enforcework very hard to get ment training at Butte potential customers on College upon discharge their lots — after all, the in the coming months. allure of a new car is He failed to gain accephard to resist — but I'm tance into the program, still scratching my head which fills up quickly, wondering who decided and was frustrated that it's good business to his goal of becoming a start a relationship with Tehama County Shera client by handing iff's Deputy was them a giant disappointChip stymied. ment. I can think of at There was no bad least one person in Los Thompson guy in the story, but as a Molinos who's unlikely to do business with this 545 Diamond result of publishing it the soldier was made company. Ave. aware of a similar proWith the exception gram starting about a of The Vineyard here in Red Bluff — which serves meals month later that he did have a shot to the homeless each day — at getting into. I wish him the best. there's no such thing as a free Chip Thompson can be lunch. reached at 527-2151, Ext. 112 *** by email at On a more positive note, we or editor@redbluffdailynews.com. were able to offer some help to a 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 Your officials STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Dan Logue, 150 Amber Grove Drive, Ste. 154, 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 Thomas Jefferson, yes, State of, no This State of Jefferson thing just won't die. An article in the DN indicated the Board of Supervisors Chambers were "packed to the point of requiring an overflow into the adjacent Tuscan Room as nearly 200 people showed up for the special meeting." Attendees were treated to the wisdom of proponents of the radical idea of Tehama and other counties leaving California to form their own state. As tennis great John McEnroe often said to courtside umpires challenging their calls, "You cannot be serious!" Tom Knorr, spokesman for the Jefferson Declaration, said the group was "referring to its mission as a 'separation' from the state rather than succession or withdrawal, as the latter words scared off others." Well, I hope to kiss your Aunt Fanny they would. *** I have this on good authority. There is a time coming when self protection will not consist of a firearm, but a "Smoke Cloak." It is already available in Europe and now in the U.S. It is an installation for a business...a bank for example, in which, by activating a button, an armed perpetrator will be enveloped in a blinding fog. It is vegetable based, non toxic, but will contain a DNA derivative that will mark the intruder. It can be coupled with blinding strobe lights and sound loud enough to make even a seasoned thug run for cover. This would have been handy for a firm like Gary Ramsey Jewelers, which had no such recourse when it was robbed at gun point. *** Recent BBC programs have been using the word "secret" rather promiscuously on a variety of subjects such as "The Secrets of Highclere Castle,"...site of the series "Downton Abbey." And now they are showing "The Secrets of Scotland Yard." I think they mis-use the word "secrets" as a teaser to catch our attention to an otherwise boring documentary. Maybe the BBC thinks we are a bunch of rubes out here in the colonies, and will buy into anything with the word "secret" tagged on to it. Of course I view their shows with great interest...but that's beside the point. *** L. Walker noted the poetry I quoted awhile back, which is particularly appropriate for obituaries...and begins "Do not stand at my grave and weep. I am not there. I do not sleep." Linda says it is titled "A Hopi formed from the word "Star" that from "Rose" one can fashion roes, ores, Prayer" and was written by Mary eros and sore. And that all E. Frye. the words to follow are *** Palindromes. A contemporary This week's quiz: Let's thought: "Limit all polititry again to finish these cians to two terms. One in famous sayings correctly. office, one in prison. It They are usually used works: Detroit and Chicago incorrectly: Pride goeth already do this. before______, To ____the *** lily, A little ______is a A comic strip titled dangerous thing, A penny "Non Sequitur" is very hip. for your_____, and ImitaAmongst the cast of characRobert tion is the ters is an old codger who sincerest____flattery, Ask has boat troubles. He me no questions, I'll tell named his current one you no______. Bonus "ANOESIS" but without points for naming the explanation. However authors of the sayings Wiley, the author of the *** strip, supplies an asterisk suggesting readers An eight-year-old horse was entered into look up the word. As the word was new to me, I looked it up. It means "The reception a claiming race. He'd never raced before and of impressions or sensations (by the brain) went off at a hundred to one. He won by a without any intellectual understanding." dozen lengths. Wary, the track stewards This is a very profound word with many called in the owner and asked, "This horse is applications in current news. It might eight years old. Why haven't you raced him address the phenomenon of random shoot- before?" The owner replied, "We couldn't ings, one's decision to have a tattoo...or even catch him till last Monday." A country gentleman decided to buy a Obamacare. The key to all of the world's ills could be reduced to "reception without horse from a preacher. The preacher said, "This horse has spent his whole life among understanding." I also found that current inquiries to religious people. He won't respond to 'giddy Google about the word "Anoesis" were up.' You must say 'Praise the Lord' if you requested exclusively from those reading the want to make him go. To make him stop, just say 'Amen.'" comic strip....such is the power of comics. The deal was consummated and the new *** Tom Purcell had a commentary in the DN owner rode off on the horse. Later the horse Wednesday about the possibility of H. Clin- was startled by a loud noise and bolted ton becoming the First Lady in the next across a field headed straight toward the Presidential election...and of B. Clinton edge of a canyon. The new owner tried to becoming "First Guy." Tom's humorous take rein him in by yelling "Whoa! Whoa!" on the concept, in part: "I think it would be Then, remembering what the preacher has great if Bill became America's first 'First said, yelled "Amen!"...and the horse came to Guy.' He's clever and witty. I'd love to have a skidding halt just before the canyon edge. a beer with him. I'd love to hear about the The new owner wiped the sweat from his incredible experiences he has had in his brow, looked down at the gaping canyon, truly remarkable life...but only if I am looked to the heavens and shouted "Praise assured that my sisters are out of town." the Lord!" Boy, talk about damned by faint praise. I Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of guess his sobriquet "Randy Bill" will follow Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning him to his grave. Daily Observer and Meat Industry *** Last week's quiz was answered by N. magazine and author of the "The Knocking Rick and L. Brown, by correctly stating that Pen." He can be reached at the words arts, rats, tsar and tars can be rminchandmurray@hotmail.com. Minch I Say