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4A Daily News – Friday, May 13, 2011 Opinion 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 Questions Editor: Questions for our legisla- ture 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. 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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 1. Are you footing the bill for this new illegal aid you have proposed, out your indi- vidual pockets? I mean all pay and allowances? 2. Have you already forgot- ten the dire straits this state is overburdened with? 3. Did you consult the tax- payers, before you proposed this lamebrain idea? 4. Did you consider the mil- lions already given as free loaded benefits? For a bunch that can never set a budget on time you peo- ple take the cake. Maybe it's time we the people said, “To hell with you people.” Thad Blanchard, Sr., Gerber Oil Editor: It was in 1961 that Iraq start- ed the nationalization of its oil fields. The operation was com- pleted in 1972. As can be understood this did not thrill the Bush family,who are heavily invested in the oil industry including Haliburton, this went on virtually uninter- rupted, that is until Osama bin Laden declared war on the Unit- ed States and attacked the Twin Towers on 9-11. At this time the White House resident said "we are at war with terror." Then he ordered a no fly zone in America, but made an exception. The bin Laden fami- ly, who flew out on their private jet. Coincidence? Now that bin Laden, the one who declared war, is dead Mr. President, there is no excuse for continued occupation. Bring our troops home alive now. Bob Hogan, Red Bluff Pot distribution Editor: It is a waste of effort and health safety to create a new distribution system for so called medicinal pot. We already have a well perform- ing system of pharmacies and licensed and highly trained professionals to distribute medicinal drugs to end users with prescriptions. Limit dis- tribution of medicinal pot to pharmacies. Limit the issuance of medicinal prescriptions to licensed professional medical doctors. Your Turn This resolves the entire issue of medicinal pot distrib- ution without the risk of non- professional charla- tan pot shops distrib- uting Federally ille- gal recreational pot. Petition your federal and state legislators to allow 90-day quantity pharmacy sale of medical prescription pot to those with a physician issued prescription. Existing licensed drug man- ufacturers could distribute the medicinal pot instead of the current system of Mexican cartel distribution and home grown pot. There are sufficient state laws to arrest those who erratically drive under the influence of drugs of any form. Joseph Neff, Corning 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. As time goes by Commentary We are fascinated with the passing of time…and elderly people are obsessed with it. It isn’t only when you are having a good time that time flies…it is flying night and day, in sickness and in health. Have you ever noticed, when you have had surgery scheduled several weeks in advance, how suddenly the date arrives? And, the older one gets, the more it seems time is racing out of control like a Japanese reactor. However, an explanation is now at hand via a New Yorker article about David Eagleman, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Baylor College of Medicine. His specialty is investigating the brain’s biological clock. He says that the brain is a remarkable chronometer for most purposes and can track seconds, minutes, days and weeks, set off alarms in the morning, at bedtime and on birth- days…and that timing is so essential to our survival that it may be the finest tuned of our senses. So what? Well, during investigation of other workings of the brain, Eagleman discov- ered why time seems to proceed so slow- ly amongst the young…and yet so rapid- ly among the old. Space does not allow for how he arrived at the following, but it certainly makes sense to me. He explains, “One of the seats of emo- tion and memory in the brain is the amygdale. When something threatens your life, this area seems to kick into overdrive, recording every last detail of the experience. The more detailed the memory, the longer the moment seems to last. This explains why we think that time speeds up when we grow older. Child- hood summers seem to go on forever, while old age zips by while we are doz- ing. The more familiar the world becomes, the less information your brain writes down, and the more quickly time seems to pass.” Is that not profound? In the novel “Catch 22”, a pilot, between bombing runs, repeatedly dismantles a heating ele- ment in a stove and then re-assembles all the little pieces. In so doing, he believed he was slowing time down and thereby avoiding the next life- threatening mis- sion. I must think about this for awhile and urge readers to do likewise. Why, just carefully reading and digesting this col- umn might perceivably slow time to a more acceptable rate... or at least induce sleep. * * * L. Dillabo checks in with a remembrance of things past. One such was our old feedlot in Gerber. Her mother lived north of the lot, and on a day with a strong south wind, one’s olfactory sense went on high alert. Liz asked her mother what it smelled like, and she replied, “It smells like money!” She was right, of course. The most money we ever made at our old meat plant was when we had the most cattle on feed and a strong demand for beef. * * * Reading of human sacrifice by the Aztecs, I am thankful that we Americans do not participate in such practice….except for the offering up of our soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, of course. * * * Odd: A week or so ago the Obituary page listed the demise of three fellows, all named Fred. They were up there in age...76, 85 and 93, and one was born on my birthday. Now if I can just find one chap who died on my birthday, I will have completed my own personal double play. He departs and I arrive... and that will be that. * * * Last week’s quiz brought a series of responses, the first of which from N. Rick who reported a fly ball dropping down just behind the infield is known as a “Texas leaguer.” And although our favorite Giant commentators call it a “duck snort,” our editor agrees it is a “Texas leaguer,” so we will accept that. As to the “seventh inning stretch” the accepted wisdom has it that President William Howard Taft, in 1910, stood up to stretch his legs...and the crowd, in def- erence, also stood, thus establishing the precedence. However, a nitpicker and stickler for accuracy acquaintance of mine challenges the tale and states that one Harry Wright of the Cincinnati Red Stockings, in 1869, wrote “The spectators all arise between halves of the seventh inning, extend their legs and arms and sometimes walk about.” And another tale holds that the stretch was invented by a manag- er stalling for time to warm up a relief pitcher. Take your pick. Robert Minch I Say Oh...the question of what position did Howard Taft play was a ringer and referred to President Taft. As he threw out the first ball, he played the posi- tion of pitcher. I had it as his playing the part of President...but what do I know in the presence of such erudition. This week’s quiz: In the famous Battle of the Coral Sea, May 7-8 1942, what was unique about that naval engagement, what was “The beer that made Milwaukee famous”, and what airplane (officially) was the first to exceed the speed of sound in the year I graduated from high school? * * * Listening to the irritating voice of a woman reading the collected works of Dorothy Parker is not as rewarding as I had hoped. Perhaps reading the short stores would make them more relevant today. * * * A surgeon went to check on his blonde patient after an operation. She was awake, so he examined her. “You’ll be fine,” he assured her. “Well...” she asked, “how long will it be before I am able to have a normal sex life again?” The surgeon seemed to pause, which alarmed the girl. “What’s the mat- ter, Doctor? I will be all right, won’t I?” He replied, “Yes, you’ll be fine. It’s just that no one has ever asked me that after having their tonsils out.” 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.