Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/5902
6A – Daily News – Tuesday, January 12, 2010 A MediaNews Group newspaper 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. Letters are published at the discretion of the editor. 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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 Opinion All right, it was a hecka-long holiday season. I'm tired and you're tired. And neither of us has the energy to go through the whole post-modern deconstruc- tionist explanation as to why you're reading a predictions column here. Yes, I'm doing a predictions column. What's the matter with you people? It's the beginning of a new year. Hell, it's the beginning of a new decade. That's what journalists do: prediction columns. It's a fes- tive tradition. Like mistletoe or Hopping John or calling hospi- tal emergency rooms when Uncle Bud goes missing in the wee hours of Boxing Day. And no, I don't care that we're already deep enough into January that most of our reso- lutions lie broken on the calen- dar floor like branches of a dis- carded Noble fir on the shoul- der of a logging-camp approach road. C'mon people, what am I, flying solo here? Deal with it. Or don't. Because here they are: a list of predictions of what we can or should expect from various people during the first year of the second decade of the 21st century. I PREDICT THAT IN THE YEAR 2010: The Airline Industry will make every effort to rid the skies of the most dangerous security threat known to man: panties. Charlie Sheen will attempt to hire whoever is responsible for Tiger Woods' damage control. Steve Jobs will evacuate a series of smooth, light and aerodynamically curvaceous clumps of waste, which will be reported upon at great length. Barack Obama will finally purge himself of that overabun- dance of expectations for a bit of Congressional assistance. Tiger Woods will win the Masters, evidencing such a tri- umphant links return that other PGA wives will be encouraged to take 9 irons to their hus- bands' Escalades. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi will direct his secu- rity detail to check out the firm responsible for Charlie Sheen's damage control. Termed-out California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will band together with Jean-Claude Van Damme and Steven Seagal to form The Seniors Action- Star Film Series. The U.S. Congress will out- line a plan to fix the Social Security problem once and for all that may or may not involve raising the retirement age to 83. In order to thwart further underwear bombing plots, the TSA will perfect the speedy implementation of the two- handed wedgie. The Teabaggers will actively set out to find some- one in their movement involved in popular culture sufficiently to help them vet a new name. Law & Order Pro- ducer Dick Wolf will create his own net- work and fill each and every prime time slot with Law & Order and Law & Order spin- offs, including a posthumous CGI- enhanced Law & Order featuring fan favorite Jerry Orbach. Joe Biden will undergo intense per- sonal training to learn how to shut the hell up during moments of silence at Arlington National Cemetery. Hillary Clinton will finally get rid of that piece of meat stuck in her craw. Jerry Brown will receive a clean bill of health from his paleontologist and go on to win the California gubernatorial election after being recognized as the biggest goober in the race. George Steinbrenner will convince the Commissioner to award the 2010 World Series championship to the Yankees before the season starts to save wear and tear on his expensive- ly fragile lineup. CEO of the CIA Leon Panetta will get a piece of meat stuck in his craw. Former Vice Presi- dent Al Gore will con- tinue to cultivate a high profile in order to finally realize his dream of becoming a permanent cast mem- ber on Saturday Night Live. Sarah Palin will actually finish, nah, never mind. Will Durst is a political comedian who has performed around the world. He is a familiar pundit on television and radio. E-mail Will at d u r s t @ c a g l e c a r t o o n s. c o m . Check out willandwillie.com for the latest podcast. Will Durst's book, "The All American Sport of Bipartisan Bashing," is available from Amazon and better bookstores all over this great land of ours. Don't forget to check out his rooftop comedy minutes at: http://www.rooftopcomedy.com /shows/BurstOfDurst. 2010 predictions Commentary N EWS D AILY RED BLUFF TEHAMA COUNTY 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 Will Durst Raging Moderate STATE ASSEMBLYMAN — Jim Nielsen (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 4164 P.O. Box 942849, Sacramento 94249; (916) 319-2002; Fax (916) 319- 2102 STATE SENATOR — Sam Aanestad (R), State Capitol Bldg., Room 2054, Sacramen- to, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), 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. Your officials Apology needed for Palin slams Editor: Sara Palin really gets under the skin of the progressive liber- als. They just can't stand the success she is enjoying. On the other hand, they have absolutely no problem with the shenanigans going on in the Democratic Party. After promis- ing transparency, time and time again, business is being done behind closed doors. If Larry Gray was to do a comparison between Nancy Pelosi and Sarah Palin's politics and fiscal responsibility, I'm sure an apology would be in order to both Ken Say and Sara Palin. Apology accepted. Les Wolfe, Red Bluff Rodney was a victim of DFG Editor: I would like to respond to the letter to the editor about Rodney the deer written by the DFG. Rodney was not the bad guy. Rodney was my baby and he was passed on to me from a neighbor that found him in dis- tress and sick. I bottle fed Rodney by milk- ing my goats every day, he was about seven days old so he had to be fed by the bottle for a few months. Rodney would at first sleep with me in a single bed. I kept him with me wherever I was on the property, keeping his bottle close at hand. In the early weeks Rodney had to have warm cloths rubbed on him to get him to go to the bathroom. After he was able to go on his own, I put newspapers by the door that I would sit him on. After a short time, he would go on his own on the papers. How incredible is that? I took Rodney on nature walks on the property, always offering him leaves and grasses from trees and bushes and trees, as time went on he started tak- ing the offerings. I would sit out at different times of the day, as he ate, played and explored our area running over on occasions giv- ing mommy kisses. He was such a joy to watch, to be with. God, how I miss him. Yes, I fed Rodney from the fruit trees and other plants on the property, I even bought pel- lets, grains and other foods that he liked. I rented a book from the library to learn what he would eat in the wild. Those are the foods, the things, that I taught him. The bond between he and I was extraordinary. He was my friend, he was my baby. I turned my garden into a play pen. I put a 10-foot fence around it. Every morning I would lead Rodney to his play pen by his bandanna. If I went to town or left the property for any reason I would always, always lead him back to the house, unwilling to take the chance that he would get hurt or come to harm, he was very com- fortable in the house. After he became too big to sleep on the bed, he moved to the couch and then I made a heavy blanket pallet for him on the floor. He was loving, funny, happy. I told DFG all this, I told them his story. I asked how it makes sense that I can get a hunting tag to kill him, to cut him up and eat him, to cut his head off and put it on the wall, but I can't take care of him? On the morning they came and got him a reporter from the Daily News was here. I wanted them to wait so she could run a story, so someone might help him. What would a couple more weeks matter? Their minds were made up. Rodney had never been in a trailer, he had never been around so many strangers, he was making a noise that I never heard before that I told them I'd never heard before. Now I know it was a sound of distress. He was so scared. Two hours after they left I called Jeremy Bonesio from DFG. He said they euthanized him. On Christmas eve morning, I received a call from a man that said he was going to take Rod- ney to protect him. When I told him that he was already dead, he cried. I can't understand, Rodney was safe, he was happy and healthy, he was loved. When they came to get him I remem- ber one of them say- ing how healthy and big he was for his age. Each situation in this life is different. Two criminals per- forming the same bad deed get judged differently. Rodney was executed for something they thought he might turn out to be, not for something he had done. I know these people are paid to do a job, a job that protects wildlife. In this circumstance I feel that their decision was the wrong one. Rodney was betrayed by me, I didn't fight hard enough to protect him. He was betrayed by the people that should of had his best interest, which would have been to let him stay where he was safe. Home. I want to take this opportuni- ty to thank all of you that are supporters of Rodney. There was nothing humane in taking his life. He deserved so much more, he had a right to live. My heart will never be the same. For what he gave to me and for what they took away. I love him very much. I will miss him so very much. Thora Adcock, Los Molinos Your Turn