Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/5964
6A – Daily News – Thursday, January 14, 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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Sure, this is my first winter here and I was warned all summer long by long-time residents who had looks of wonder as they described just how cold a Chica- go cold felt. Comments on the wind and appropriate footwear were the two big topics. However, even these sages are now muttering something about how this is unusually cold a little earlier, just like last win- ter. You see, last winter was apparently brutal but everyone thought it was an aberration and then this summer was unusually mild. I'd describe it as delightful but my sun worshipping card was permanently revoked after the melanoma and so not every- one agreed with me. Instead of a typical stretch of two months of ninety degree weather there were only two days somewhere in July. The rest of the time it was in the 70's or 80's, which is to my way of thinking, perfection. Now, we've had twice our usual amount of snow so far this winter and my iPhone said the temperature was zero last Sunday afternoon before the wind chill. This only feeds my theory that we are the new Alaska and Alaska is probably the new Min- nesota. It will still get cold in Anchorage but not as cold and not for as long of a stretch. Maybe New York City will turn out to be the new tropical rain forest and everyone will argue over messing with the terrain because of the indigenous flora and fauna that found their way to Central Park. A couple of generations down the line will recognize that these years were a turning point and will adjust their outerwear accordingly. Hopefully, some- one will remember this column and realize I was after all a visionary. In the meantime, I am already trying to come up with appropri- ate gear but with really mixed results. While walking down- town near Northwest- ern Hospital after another doctor's appointment I spotted a pair of fur-lined boots on sale in the 9 West window and quickly purchased them. It felt like a divine intervention until the first snow fall when I learned that just as much attention has to be given to the tread on the bottom of the boot. I was halfway between the El stop and my home when I started to fall flat, over and over again and without warning while walking across newly fallen snow. The good news is I'm still remark- ably flexible and have sturdy bones at the age of 50. The bad news is the boots have turned out to be giant slippers. I've gone back to my old rub- ber L.L. Bean shoes and have discovered that after about 15 minutes in zero weather it feels like my feet are in their own freezer sections. According to my friend, Cindy what's needed are wool socks. They're the key to feeling warm all over. Frankly, I haven't really felt warm, indoors or out for about six weeks now. I've felt varying degrees of cold and then enduring the cold and then painful freez- ing and I've been on a mission to find out who has the best hot chocolate in my neigh- borhood. You can only drink so much coffee or tea but chocolate in any form is always a different matter. So far, Julius Meinl tops the list. Apparently, I have about another six to eight weeks to go before things start to warm up and that's only if my theory is wrong. I'll keep tabs on the place for you and let you know. More adventures to follow. Martha's latest guide to embrace change, The 3 x 5 Game is now available at www.marthasbigadventure.com . Email Martha at: Martha@marthasbigadventure. com. Martha's Big Adventure – Global freezing 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 Tribute to child Editor: The passing of the 10-year- old boy has touched my heart because I have a 10-year-old son. This young child was a resi- dent of Red Bluff, a student, teammate, friend, nephew, grandson, brother and a beloved son. To honor this young child I am encouraging the members of the community to wear blue rib- bons — Bidwell's school color — or blue clothing on Friday, Jan. 15, in support to the family and school. My thoughts are with every- one who was touched by this young child. Rachelle Sousa, Red Bluff Where's media? Editor: Is the mainstream media so rapt and enthralled by Congress that anything and everything unless it's tawdry has no mean- ing? If half of what comes over the Internet is valid, where are the aspiring reporters? This health care proposal being foisted on us looks like an opportunity for some real inves- tigation. Every editor and reporter ought to be screaming loud and clear. I can remember when such an opportunity would be jumped on full force. Is the American public going to sit by and let this become law? I say not only no, but hell no. Pelosi and Reid, How dare you call yourselves servants of the people, or might we ask what people are you serving? Thad Blanchard, Sr. Gerber The end is nigh for America Editor: Who would have thought America's military would open up yet another war front in the Middle East? But, here we go again with our military all poised to invade the backward country of Yemen. Nope, they don't want us there either. Yemen sits on the front steps of Saudi Arabia, so how come Saudi Arabia isn't jump- ing in with both feet to help us out? After all, Saudi Arabia is lounging all comfy on the hun- dreds of billions of petro dol- lars we've been sending their way over the last 60 years. Also, we mustn't forget that 15 of the 19 hijackers on 9/11 came from Saudi Arabia. And of course Osama bin Laden was born and raised in Saudi Arabia. Not one of the hijack- ers was from either Iraq nor Afghanistan. Strange. So then, how come we immediately attacked Afghanistan and Iraq? But never a word in anger towards Saudi Arabia. Do you suppose our absolute dependency on that Arabian oil had anything to do with it? Naw, just because both Bush and Cheney are lifelong bosom buddies with the Saudi Royal Family couldn't have had any influ- ence whatever. None. From world-wide surveys, America is the most feared and the most hated nation on earth. We invade these foreign coun- tries, spit in their eye, kick dirt in their faces, ridicule their culture, disparage their reli- gions and then when they lash out at us — we jump back all surprised and yell, "What's wrong with these crazy for- eigners?" Right now, America has 700 military bases spread around the world in 130 countries. No other nation in the history of the world has ever had this type of world-wide military domination. Ameri- ca spends more on our military than the next eight largest countries combined. But, the sun is fast setting on Empire America. We've now become the largest debtor nation on earth. We've off- shored more than 43,000 of our industrial plants with 38,000 more hanging on by a thread. It took us 200 years to become a world industrial power, and it only took 40 years to run our country into the ditch. Meanwhile, China was an agrarian nation for 5,000 years and it has only taken them 30 years to become the new industrial power house of the world. The end is near for our once great America. It didn't have to end like this — but it will. Donald L. Ward, Corning Martha Randolph Carr STATE ASSEMBLY- MAN — 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, Sacramento, CA 95814. (916) 651-4004; Fax (916) 445-7750 GOVERNOR — Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), State Capitol Bldg., Sacra- mento, CA 95814; (916) 445-2841; Fax (916) 558- 3160; E-mail: governor@governor.ca.go v. U.S. REPRESENTA- TIVE — 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 Your Turn