Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/544658
Quitepossiblyoneof my favorite aspects of writing this column is the moun- tain of reader feed- back it pro- duces. I have the best readers in the uni- verse, too. Nearly ev- ery letter turns into a love fest, which of course charges my batteries, making me love my read- ers all the more. Do you recall the let- ter from Pat, who com- plained of her lettuce turning rusty? I re- sponded that the rust- colored stains on lettuce are harmless evidence of the natural breakdown process and indicates that the produce is not exactly fresh. The parts that are turning brown can be cut away, while the rest of the lettuce re- mains perfectly edible. Well, that question to- gether with my response brought in a tsunami of input from readers in- sisting that Pat's prob- lem is that she is cutting her lettuce with a metal knife. Jenny wrote, "While working in a restaurant a decade ago, I learned to either cut the lettuce with a plastic knife or tear it. I do not know the science behind why metal causes the lettuce to brown but my let- tuce stays fresher look- ing days longer since I stopped using metal knives." While this might sound like a plausible ex- planation for why let- tuce turns brown, I'm sorry to tell Jenny and the dozens of others who wrote about using a plastic knife instead of metal to keep lettuce fresher longer — it's a myth. There is no truth to the rumor. If you believe your let- tuce stays fresh longer when you cut it with a plastic knife, the truth is that it would have the same outcome using a metal knife. The enemy of lettuce is time plus ox- ygen, not metal. Expos- ing the inside of a head of lettuce to oxygen is go- ing to hasten its break- down, whether you cut it with plastic, metal or a laser beam. It's going to turn brown. Personally, I blame Tupperware parties for founding this myth. Back in the 1970s the com- pany came out with a lit- tle plastic knife or "corer" that it included with its Lettuce Crisper. The in- structions were to cut out the heart of the head of lettuce first, insert a plas- tic pointy thing where the heart used to be and then store it in the crisper. Tupperware dealers were instructed to tell party attendees that cut- ting lettuce with metal would make it turn brown and to combat this horrible waste of money, they needed this plastic coring knife-like gizmo. I believed, I bought and so did millions of others. And here we are all these years later — many still believing this vintage piece of culinary lore. I'm convinced it was noth- ing more than a brilliant marketing ploy. There are lots of ways to retard the lettuce dy- ing process so that it stays fresher longer. Wait to wash it until you're ready to use it; store it in a sealed glass con- tainer; wrap it in a paper towel to wick away mois- ture; keep a Bluapple eth- ylene gas absorber in the produce bin of your re- frigerator — all excellent tips with provable re- sults. And the mother of all tactics that will keep produce fresh, at least long enough to use it, is to vacuum-seal it by re- moving all of the oxygen — the archenemy of fresh produce. Wouldyouliketosend a tip to Mary? You can email her at mary@ everydaycheapskate.com, or write to Everyday Cheapskate, 12340 Seal Beach Blvd., Ste. B-416, Seal Beach, CA 90740. EVERYDAYCHEAPSKATE Onculinaryloreand exceptional marketing Mary Hunt Better Business Bureau The ransomware scam is back and more vicious than ever, according to a new FBI report. Ransomware is a virus that freezes your computer, holding it ran- som until you pay to un- lock it. Victims are report- ing losing up to $10,000 in a new version of this scam that encrypts your files. Howthescamworks You click on an infected advertisement, link or email attachment. Sud- denly, a pop up appears. The screen tells you that all the files on your com- puter have been encrypted, making them useless un- less you have a key to de- code them. This new version of ransomware is appropri- ately named CryptoWall. Of course, decoding your files doesn't come free. Different versions charge anywhere from $200 to $10,000. Most versions of this scam demand payment in Bitcoin. The online cur- rency is decentralized and anonymous, making it a new favorite method of payment for scammers. Like pre-paid debit cards and wire transfers, if you pay with Bitcoin, it's like paying in cash. To remove the virus without paying the scam- mers, try running a scan on your computer to iden- tify and delete the mali- cious files. If you are unable to remove the malware, you may need to wipe your ma- chine's hard drive and rein- stall files and software. Protect yourself from a ransomware scam Avoid ransomware scams by not downloading one. Here are some sugges- tions. Always use antivirus software and a firewall. Protect your computer — and your cell phone — by using antivirus software and a firewall from a rep- utable company. Update your software regularly. The regular re- minders to update your browsers and other soft- ware are annoying, but they are there for a good reason. These updates pro- tect against the constantly evolving viruses and sys- tem vulnerabilities. Enable popup blockers. Popups are regularly used by scammers to spread malware. Prevent them from appearing in the first place by adjusting your browser settings. Be skeptical. Don't click on emails or attachments you don't recognize, and avoid suspicious websites. Always back up the con- tent on your computer. If you back up your files, ran- somware scams will have limited impact. If you are targeted, you can simply have your system wiped clean and reload your files. SCAM ALERT Payingtodecodeyourownfiles?It'sransomware The Antelope Berrendos Booster Club has awarded four scholarships to Red Bluff High School 2015 graduates. Each of the recipients of the Antelope Community Scholarship received var- ious amounts to be used toward their college ex- penses. Jami Matheson was awarded $750 and plans to attend Santa Barbara City College to study Biology. She is the daughter of Hoyt and Lisa Matheson. Will Macdonald was awarded $1,000 and will attend Lassen College. He plans to major in Agricul- ture Business or Ag Sci- ence. He is the son of Rob and Shelley Macdonald. Haley Rosser was awarded $750 and plans to go to California State Uni- versity, Chico and major in Animal Science. She is the daughter of Kevin and Wendy Rosser. Jillian Strom was awarded $1,000 and will attend the University of California, Davis. Her ma- jor is undeclared but will focus on the Physical Sci- ences. She is the daughter of Chuck and Lynn Strom. Each of the recipients graduated from Berren- dos Middle School and was a student in the Antelope School District for at least 5 years. They were chosen amongst their peers due to their success and hard work throughout high school. The Antelope Berrendos Booster Club supports this scholarship with donations and funds raised within the community at its annual Basket Auction held each spring in conjunction with the district's open house. Call Heather Igarta at 529-6748 for information on contributing to the An- telope Community Schol- arship. EDUCATION Antelope Berrendos boosters award scholarship Macdonald Matheson Rosser Strom YREKA Permitted wood- cutters with a personal use firewood cutting permit now have access to additional areas for cutting live hard- woods in the Oak Knoll area of the Klamath National For- est. General firewood cutting areas have been expanded to include areas south of the Klamath River. Accord- ing to the permit within ar- eas designated for General Firewood Cutting, standing dead — hardwoods and co- nifers — and live hardwoods, less than 18 inches in diame- ter may be cut. Woodcutters with a valid permit can stop by a Forest Service office for a copy of the new map showing the change. All new permits will be issued with the updated map and instructions. Ad- ditional typographical and mapping errors that were present on the old maps have been revised and corrected on the new versions of the woodcutting maps. Permits and maps for per- sonal firewood cutting may be obtained from the Klam- ath National Forest Supervi- sor's Office, 1711 S. Main St., Yreka from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. Firewood cutting permits may be obtained from the followingRanger DistrictOf- fices from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays: Happy Camp/Oak Knoll Ranger District Office, 63822 Highway 96, Happy Camp; Goosenest Ranger District Office, 37805 High- way 97, Macdoel, Salmon/ Scott River Ranger District Office, 11263 N. Highway 3, Ft. Jones. KLAMATH FOREST Mo re a cce ss t o ha rd wo od s fo r wo od cu tt er s The 10th annual Sierra Oro Farm Trail passport weekend is going to be the biggest celebration yet on Oct. 10 and 11. Perfect for foodies, wine and beer enthusiasts and travelers looking for a week- end getaway or a chance to explore off-the-beaten trail, this agri-tourism adventure provides trail goers with the once-a-year chance to sa- vor the farm-fresh bounty of Butte County all week- end long. Passport holders can set their own pace, take self- guided tours of the scenic agricultural trails, meet lo- cal farmers and winemak- ers and sample the bounty of locally-owned wineries and specialty farms located throughout Butte County. One passport opens the doors to dozens of specialty farms and wineries where visitors will share samples of tasty artisan olive oils, spe- cialty nuts, award-winning wines and much more. There are four new farms to experience on the trail this year. Due to the popularity of the Passport Weekend each year, an early sell-out is ex- pected. Advance tickets will be available in early Septem- ber for $25 each. More information is avail- able by calling 533-1473 or visiting www.sierraoro.org. AGRI-TOURISM Sierra Oro Farm Trail Passport Weekend Find us online! BibleBooks,&More,Redding,CA;530.222.2944 FirstChurchofGod,RedBluff,CA;530.527.5717 Family Christian Stores, Chico, CA; 530.894.1650 This event is promoted and managed by Innovative Management, a division of IMC Concerts. FORTICKETINFORMATION CALL 800.965.9324 OR VISIT WWW.IMC CONCERTS.COM All ticket sales by phone or internet may be subject to additional service fees. There will be no refund or exchange of tickets given. TICKETS ON SALE NOW! Groups 20 or more - $10 (For group tickets, call 423.218.1926) Advance General Admission - $15 At the Door - $20 Artist Circle - $25 Children 12 & under - FREE LOCAL TICKET OUTLETS: BACK TO SCHOOL PROJECT PRESENTS Sunday, August 9, 2015 2:00-6:00 pm Red Bluff Community Center 1500 S. Jackson, Red Bluff •Freehaircutsfor school-age children providedbylicensedhairstylists • Free food donated by Cornerstone Community Bank • Free professional photographs by Studio 530 Photography • Live music • Children's games • Information booths P.O. Box 292 Red Bluff, CA 96080 530.529.4074 www.backtoschoolproject.com Kristaat602-702-9086orMarcyat1-800-888-9040(TollFree) or e-mail us at info@world-heritage.org www.tehamafamilyfitness.com Tehama Family Fitness Center 2498 South Main St. Red Bluff •528-8656 Yesterday You Said Tomorrow, Become A Better YOU Today! Finish 2015 feeling and looking amazing! Get the rest of theYEAR foronly: $159SingleMembership • Couples $239 Family of 3 $279 • Family of 4 $319 • Family of 5 $449 The sooner you enroll the better the savings! Children must be under 18 to be included in family specials. LIFESTYLES » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, July 22, 2015 MOREAT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS A5