Your account does not include highlighter on images.
Searches Highlighted on Image
National Sponsors
| September 21, 2011 Indian Valley Record |  |
|
©
Indian Valley Record. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 18 (18 of 30 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
September 21, 2011 |
|
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader 
|
• ~, | XllIJIHH II~itl [II Ill t| lille |llllPiflllltlltlDIE
lOB Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2011 Bulletin, Progressive, Record, Reporter
EDITORIAL
A. N D
OPINION
EDITORIAL
............................................................ 2 ....................................
Today is World Gratitude Day, a tradition start-
ed in 1977 by the United Nations Meditation
Group. Virtually all faith traditions and many
philosophers have long recognized encour-
aged thanksgiving. Now, modern science has
joined the conversation with insights of its own.
In one of the first gratitude studies, researchers
found that those who kept a gratitude journal en-
joyed better health and greater happiness than
those who compiled a list of complaints or who
recorded neutral life events.
They slept better, exercised more and had fewer
health complaints. They also tended to make bet-
ter progress toward personal goals.
In another study, those who took a vow to prac-
tice gratitude were more likely to reach their
goals.
Grateful people have the capacity to be empath-
ic and are more generous and helpful in their so-
cial networks, according to a 2002 study.
The same study found grateful people to be
more likely to acknowledge a belief in the inter-
connectedness of all life and a commitment and
responsibility to others. They tend to be less envi-
ous of others and more willing to share their pos-
sessions.
The word "practice" comes up a lot in the liter-
ature on gratitude. The benefits of thankfulness
do not accrue with the occasional thank-you.
They take effort -- regular and concerted effort.
Meditating on gratitude or keeping a gratitude
journal are two oft-recommended ways to culti-
vate a grateful way of life.
Perhaps the greatest challenge to practicing
gratitude as a way of life is life itself when it
seems to be dealing you a bad hand.
We are bombarded daffy with dire news about
the economy the Dow is down, unemployment
is up, folks are bracing for a glum holiday season.
But authentic thanksgiving does not turn its
head when bad things happen to good people. In-
stead, it embraces the negative.
Although it might seem counterintuitive, one
suggestion for cultivating gratitude is to remem-
ber the bad. By recollecting your sorrows, your
losses, your mistakes, you are reminded you sur-
vived them, you weathered them and here you
are.
By comparing then to now, we are reminded
that things could be worse.
Robert Emmons, often called the father of grati-
tude studies, offers several suggestions for mak-
ing gratitude a part of your dally life: Keep a daffy
journal in which you list three things you're
grateful for; learn prayers or passages of grati-
tude from spiritual or secular sources; use visual
clues nothing works like a well-placed sticky
note; pay attention to your senses -- cooking
mindfully is a good way to build gratitude; and if
you're having trouble feeling grateful, go through
the motions until you feel a genuine sense of
thankfulness.
Thank you for reading. We're grateful to live in
a community that values and supports an inde-
pendent news source.
A •
Feat ng
__/ rspaper
Breaking News ....
go to plumasnews.com
Michael C. Taborski .............. Publisher
Keri B. Taborski ...Legal Advertising Dept.
Delaine Fragnoli ........ Managing Editor
Alicia Knadler ........ Indian Valley Editor
M. Kate West ............. Chester Editor
Shannon Morrow .......... Sports Editor
Ingrid Burke ................ Copy Editor
Staff writers:
Michael Condon Dan McDonald
Ruth Ellis Pat Shillito
Will Farris Brian Taylor
Barbara France Kayleen Taylor
Mona Hill Trish Welsh Taylor
Susan Cort Johnson Sam Williams
Diana Jorgenson
Feather River Westwood
Bulletin PinePress
(530) 283-0800 (530) 256-2277
Lassen County Chester Progressive
Times (530) 258-3115
(530) 257-53211
Indian Valley
Portola Reporter Record
(530) 832-4646 (530) 284-7800
MY TURN particular subje&, for somewhere in the and survives into the future, then we need
middle of its recounting, it becomes very to clean up our legal act.
DIANA JORGENSON surreal. The floor starts undulating be- In addition to having too many laws, we
Staff Writer neath yourfeet, wristwatches melt like hot have stupid laws. Laws like the one that
djorgenson@plumasnews.com
wax, and a cow flies by in a bright blue sky. mandates that all new homes built in Call-
But in the disconcerting way that sun"e- fornia have sprinkler systems installed.
Last week, I read on Yahoo! News, the alism provokes, it lands me straight to the First of all, sprinkling systems are only one
porn film industry in southern California point of this article: We don't need any way of handling a problem and not even a
was brought to a complete halt when one of more laws. We have laws on top of laws; perfect solution at that, as water can dam-
its actors was diagnosed with AIDS. A sec- laws nobody knows about; laws that are age as thoroughly as fire. By mandating a
ond set of tests was being performed to con- outdated; laws that prevent us from invent- single solution, lawmakers no doubt made
firm the diagnosis, and then those who had ing a better future. In short, we have laws sprinkler manufacturers happy as larks,
had sex with this particular person as well enough already and there never could be but put a slew of obstacles in the way of
as those who had had sex with those who enough laws to protect us from our own other solutions, like fire-retardant gel ap-
had had sex with this person would be noti- stupidity, plications to the outside of the house, that
fied and tested. A couple of years ago, then-Gov, might in the long run be a better solution.
The same thing had happened last year. Schwarzenegger told the state legislators So, how does this happen that very silly
That "adult" film actor, whose name I have that he was not signing any more bills until laws get passed without anyone seeming to
already forgotten, spent the intervening they passed a budget. In a couple ofnotice how silly they are or that lawmakers
year lobbying legislators for increased reg- months' time, 800 bills piled up on his desk. can pass zillions of new laws in far less
ulation of pornographic filmmaking and I don't even want to know how many new time than they can pass one year's budget?
working for increased awareness of the laws are passed every year in this country. Here are a couple hints. I once asked an
dangers to actors in that field. The Occupa- I'd be too frightened to even get out of bed esteemed senator what was the reason for
tional Safety and Health Administration, in the morning, passing a particular bill. He said he didn't
for its part, claims it already has regula- The fact is you and I probably breakknow because it was a Senate bill and he
tions in place, the same as for medical per- some law every day, some without even had been a representative at the time. I was
sonnel or anyone else working with body knowing it or knowing even that such a completely silenced by my confusion:
fluids, law exists. This plethora of laws will, no Doesn't a bill have to pass both houses in
The article was very short, so I was left doubt, come in handy as increased taxation order to become law? I thought my under-
wondering exactly which word the "adult" wears thin and government looks to "fines" standing of the process was at fault, but
film actor had never heard: "AIDS" or as a new income source, but if we truly when I repeated the conversation to my
"condom"? want to devise a government that works for
And that is all I have to say on that the majority of the people, not just a few, See Surreal, page 12B
• 4" :i: ;ii( {~ :i._ ~/
...... '*,C2£7- apau,,
in the
World?
Sam and Rebecca Dewhirst from
Portola and (currently) Kailua
K~na, Hawaii, celebrate their
25th anniversary in Fiji on Drawaqa
Island. Next time you travel, share
where you went by taking your
local newspaper along and including
it in a photo. Then email the photo
to smo row@plumasnews.com.
Include your name, contact
information and brief details
about your photo. We may
publish it as space permits.
rides herd there daily, of Commerce struggled to reach a compro-
REMEMBER WHEN mise with the Plumas County Board of Su-
....................................................................................................................................................... 50 YEARS AGO ........ 1961 pervisors on a proposal that would com-
KERI TABORSKI Featured at the Town Hail Theater this pletely divorce the Chamber from Plumas
Historian week: Ben Hur, Adults $1.00, children 50 cents. County and $120,000 in yearly funding.
Plumas County elementary and high
schools opened this week with a total en- !
75 YEARS AGO ............ 1936 rollment of 2,954, an increase of 62 over last 10 YEARS AGO ......... 2001
Plumas County's oldest active cattleman years opening day figures. Enrollment fig-
Peter Carmichael of Portola was a specta- ures at the high schools are 507 at Quincy In the aftermath of the 911 terrorism
tragedy a paper American flag is inserted
tor at the Grange Fair in Taylorsville Sun- High School, 270 at Greenville High School,
day. He Was born near La Porte 81 years 263 at Portola High School and 241 at in this weeks publications of Feather Pub-
ago and ran a butcher shop at Howland chester High School. lishing newspapers and Feather Publish-
Flat for 33 years. Three years ago he and ing urges all homes and businesses to dis-
his sons Roy and Frank bought a ranch at 25 YEARS AGO ....... 1986 play them in their windows in support of
Willow Creek near Portola where he still Members of the Plumas County Chamber the United States.
New style magazine articles leave her cold
adopting the style of copy posted on the In- ing from state to state. It brought in the
ternet? I've heard that busy readers don't stories and personalities of two scientists
have time to sit down and read an in-depth investigating the spread of the disease and
piece, but articles are supposed to deliver trying to find a cure. One is "interested in
information and if well written the reader bats because they live in caves" and the
will finish. I have a subscription to the other is "interested in caves because
Smtthsonian Magazine-- I am not surethey're home to bats."
how I got it, maybe my father. It just ap- I hope the-magazines that have reduced
pears in my mailbox, but I do appreciate articles to short intro pieces ofa para-
MY TURN the content and am very thankful to who- graph or two followed by pages of snap-
SUSAN CORT JOHNSON ever provided the gift. shots and bullet points will decide to go
Staff Writer I think of this publication fondly because back to their old editorial formula for
wp@lassennews.com one afternoon I picked itup from a stack of copy. The lists and bullets are supposed
mail and began to read an article titled to support the main piece, they are not
Last night I spent an hour reading the "Crisis in the Caves." It was a fascinating the article.
September issues of magazines that have piece about a disease called "white-nose The new magazine style reminds me of
arrived in the mail. In some cases, I was ac- syndrome" that is devastating hibernating that summer in 1985 when the Coca-Cola
tually scanning the issue because there bats in the northeastern United States, Company decided to create new Coke,
were no articles to read. threatening some species with extinction, changing its formula. The company want-
One magazine listed two features, yet The author, Michelle Nijhuis, kept me ed to "re-energize" its brand, but got such
when I flipped to the page I found copy bro- reading with descriptive sentences, creat- an outcry from consumers who preferred
ken up into bits and pieces with bulleted ing a desire to know the fate of the bats. the old taste it brought back classic Coke.
information, photos and sketches. This For example, she wrote: "During the win- I have made a note to email the editor
magazine used to be a favorite of mine but ters that followed, dead bats piled up in of that magazine that was once a favorite.
it underwent a change about a year ago. At caves throughout the Northeast. The scien- Maybe other readers are disappointed
that time I dropped my subscription, but tists would emerge filthy and saddened, and will also give voice to their concerns,
when I got an ad in the mall giving me a with bat bones -- each as thin and flexible requesting articles with substance. Who
year's worth of magazines for $10, or some as a pine needle -- wedged into their boot knows, the trend for "quick reads" may
ridiculously low price, I signed up again, treads." go the way of new Coke and once again,
But my disappointment remains. Yet, the article was much more than in- we might be able to sit down and become
Why are more and more magazines formation about the disease that is spread- engrossed in a magazine article.