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4A Daily News – Friday, April 27, 2012 Opinion DAILYNEWS 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 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. Mission Statement We believe that a strong com- munity 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 vehi- cles. The Daily News will reflect and support the unique identities of Tehama County and its cities; record the history of its com- munities and their people and make a positive difference in the quality of life for the resi- dents 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 Editor: A few days ago, an important meeting of BRICS, a newly formed economic alliance repre- senting the countries of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, was held in India in an effort to create a unified basket of currencies and put an end to the ongoing U.S. domination of glob- al trade and commerce. BRICS These countries comprise approximately half of the world's population and decisions made at their summit are likely to have far reaching consequences relative to the continued superiority of the U.S. Dollar. Ever since the end of WWII, our Greenback world's reserve currency which exercised control over a large por- tion of international trade, most importantly OIl, a vital sub- servient money? you will be automatically excluded from the ability to pur- chase it! Unfortunately, our once formidable position as the world's commodity. For example, no largest creditor has over the last three decades deteriorated to the status of largest debtor, in arrears to itself and others, including communist China, at an unex- celled mind boggling $15+ tril- lion. immediate profit under the collec- tive banner of "Tomorrow never comes". Joe Bahlke, Red Bluff In the event such effort by BRICS gains traction and suc- ceeds in establishing an interna- tionally accepted rival currency, our first and most devastating casualty would has been recognized as the money out of thin air, a privilege unique to ownership of the world's reserve currency, which hitherto has allowed to support our way of life through unre- strained deficit spending. More- over, it would materially chal- lenge our dominant position on the chessboard of global com- merce, the effect of which would likely entail an enormous shift of influence and power. Such sce- nario sadly does not bode well for any and all of us, and should long ago have been addressed by the cabal which wields gavel and con- trol over us and our future, yet elected to turn a blind eye, lest it impede their insatiable quest for be the ability to print and create Editor: The Dr. K article of 3/30/12 states that Glaucoma caught Glaucoma Your Turn early stops damage. As a patient with advanced glaucoma since 1994, and a speaker for the National Glaucoma Foundation, it should be noted that the glaucoma damage is much delayed, but not stopped with the normal treatment of surgery and eyedrops. The article states that the only The glaucoma was not early detected because the pressure was quite normal. That normal pres- sure had already destroyed all but 20 degrees of my central field of vision by 1994. A simple eye pressure test needs to be accompa- nied by a dilation of the pupils to view the optic nerve at the rear of the eye for glaucoma retina damage. A Humphrey field of vision test will likely precede the pupil dila- tion for a definitive, and at least annual, analysis of glaucoma pro- gression. way to know that you have glau- coma is to have your eye pressure measured regularly. The fact is there are two types of open-angle glaucoma, low tension (low pres- sure) and high tension (high pres- sure). In 1994, when my advanced low tension glaucoma was first detected, with 80 percent loss of my field of vision, the pressure had been measured year- ly for decades by three different ophthalmologists in three cities. After 18 more years, following a half dozen surgeries during 1994, 1995, and 1996 thankfully 20/30 vision remains in the good eye not complicated by surgery damage, but there is continuously a very slight further decay in the field of vision even after about 60,000 combinations of three types of glaucoma eye drops since 1994. My low tension glaucoma is believed to be genetic. Early detection and treatment is essen- tial for lifelong management of glaucoma. 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), 2595 Cean- othus Ave., Ste. 182, Chico, CA 95973; 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; (510) 286-8537. Fax (202) 224- 0454. Men at work Commentary On the door of our office we posted a sign that indicated we would be closed the week preceding the Roundup. It read "CLOSED FOR 'REPAIRS.'" This was a rare event for us because we don't travel. We like it right here in river city. This where we were born…and expect to die, although not in the immediate future. And yet the occasion for the closure was an appointment with Dr. Keohane of the Mt. Tam Orthopedic group in Marin. He had agreed to reconstruct my left knee which had received prosthesis back in 2007. Something to do with alignment. My right knee, replaced in 2005, was hold- ing up well and pointing straight ahead as some design, intelligent or otherwise, had ordained, but the left one was at "left oblique"…a term used in my military marching days during the Korean Conflict. Anyhow, my entourage entered Marin Gen- eral Hospital on the 17th and was motoring home on the 20th, much the better for the experience. Hence the word "repairs" in the notice on the door. Not to put too fine a point on it, the out- come of surgery of this nature, at an advanced age, is not a given, and there is nothing wrong with hobbling about to the end of one's days. But if one has been active…and wants to remain so, joint repair might be just the thing for you. Fortunately it is somewhat akin to child birth in that the stress and discomfort of the moment is usu- ally quickly forgotten in the joyous birth or rebirth of the event. And although I can sense your attention span about to waiver, I want to point out a matter of sedation that is truly marvelous. In previous replacements, I was either completely unconscious or administered a spinal followed by light anesthesia. Nowa- days, a nerve block is applied to the groin which cleverly leaves the front of the knee and thigh without sensation, while the back of the leg is not affected…and apparently the less numbed, the better. This is followed by a light anesthesia which primarily averts stress and cries of help as one enters the recovery portion of the program. But one final observation: while emerging from unconsciousness, I saw my life, in a sense, laid out like a giant Word document familiar to computer literate. Rather than an 8.5 by 11 format, the document was about the size of a football field and instead of green artifi- cial turf, it was white enmeshed in a cloud- like setting. determine my position on the field…but I felt I was headed for a touchdown. *** I couldn't Speaking of hospitals, I witnessed an alarming inci- dent while in Marin Gener- al. A fellow was admitted late one night and com- menced to moan and groan. This in itself was not unusual for hospitals are designed for the relief of pain. Anyhow, after an hour or so, I noticed, through the curtain separat- ing our suites that he had emerged from bed, totally naked and was dancing about like a character from the TV series "Justified." A nurse arrived and, with the help of several orderlies, managed to get the patient back in bed. The odd thing was that he said he needed to urinate and yet was hooked up to a sizeable catheter designed to eliminate such need. Later he was described as "hallucinating" but from what source they did not speculate. *** Clever bumper sticker to be attached to a U.S. auto for export: "BE NICE TO AMER- ICA, OR WE WILL BRING DEMOCRA- CY TO YOUR COUNTRY" *** away for divorce, for good food, good entertainment and the prospect of losing money slowly by pulling the handles of slot machines. Today casinos can be found in small towns in many states, and often to the benefit of the first Native Americans. *** Robert Minch I Say rhyme was altered to avoid the use of what letter? "Mary had a little lamb, with fleece a pale white hue, and everywhere that Mary went, the lamb kept her in view; To acad- eme he went with her, illegal, and quite rare; it made the children laugh and play to view a lamb in there." *** buildings on the very north end of the block. This week's quiz: This familiar nursery This Saturday night's show at the State Theatre for the Arts features Buck Brannan, the famous "Horse Whisperer." If you have never seen him work with nervous and skit- tish horses, you have missed something. Film starts at 7 p.m., and discussion with Buck to follow. *** A truck driver stopped at a roadside din- ner and ordered a hamburger, a cup of cof- fee and a piece of pie. While he was eating, 3 rough bikers came into the dinner. One took the fellow's hamburger from him, another took his coffee and the third ate his pie. about two story buildings on the 600 block of Main plus the name of the garage behind Trede Bros saloon in the old days. That would have been Paul's Garage of Paul Morse fame, and there are only3 two story build- ings on the east side. On the west side, all are two stories except the two Last week's quiz asked The Rolling Hills Casino in Corning is hosting sponsored balloon rides. For a fee, your company can have a sign on a gondo- la, have free rides and wear T shirts herald- ing the event. I do not know what to make of such sponsorship. At one time, casinos were found only in Nevada with not a bal- loon ride in sight. People came from far The cowed truck driver left the diner without a word. One biker said to the waitress, "He's not much of a man is he?" The waitress replied, "Yeah, well, he's not much of a truck driver either. He just ran over 3 motorcycles in the parking lot." Robert Minch is a lifelong resident of Red Bluff, former columnist for the Corning Daily Observer and Meat Industry magazine and author of the "The Knocking Pen." He can be reached at rminchandmurray@hotmail.com.