Yesterday I spoke with Jesse Rosten, the uber-talented Redding director and cinematographer, about a recent film project of his that's created quite a buzz, not just in the North State, but around the world.

I could describe it as a spoof on beauty advertisements, but I think our conversation will make more sense if you watch the video below first so you know what the heck we're talking about. It's called "Fotoshop by Adobé".

It's short. Go ahead and watch it. We'll wait.    Fotoshop by Adobé from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Q: Jesse, I'll bet I've seen that video half a dozen times now. It's just really smart, but with a great message. For what it's worth, my favorite line in the film is "fauxtanical hydro-jargon" - so clever. So, what was your inspiration for this video?

Don't think less of me if I tell you I was actually watching an informercial for some beauty product. I know, I know, but it was late at night and I was trying to fall back asleep so I picked the most boring thing I could find. The informercial showed a bunch of before and after photos of people that used the product. To me, the "after" photos looked exactly like the "before", but with generous amounts of Photoshop applied. That made me laugh. That's when this idea was born - in the middle of the night.

Q: When did the film become public, and as of Monday night, how many people have seen it?

I put the video online last Tuesday afternoon. As of tonight it has about 4 million views on YouTube and Vimeo combined.

Q: Oh my gosh! That's crazy amazing! Other than the fact that millions of people have watched the film in less than one week, what kinds of other feedback are you receiving?

I'm getting lots of feedback and it's been overwhelmingly positive. Some people love the humor, some people love the social commentary, one person was confused and wanted information on where to buy the product.

Q: Satire can be protected free speech, but even so, have you heard from Photoshop, perchance?

I did a fair bit of research on this before hand. Parody is protected, satire less-so. This project walks the line between both, so I was a little nervous about the possibility that Adobe or one of the magazines might see it.

I haven't heard directly from Adobe (makers of Photoshop) but a reporter in San Francisco was able to track down this official statement from Adobe: "Beauty standards are an issue for society as a whole and not something a software company can dictate. Adobe has always advocated responsible use of products like Photoshop, that fundamentally impact our visual culture. That said, we think filmmaker Jesse Rosten has done a very clever job of bringing this issue to the fore."

I also heard that the beauty editor for Vogue tweeted a link to the video. It's nice to see these big companies have a sense of humor.

Q: Well, not just that, but that you've gotten their attention. That's pretty impressive. Back to the video. What happens to it now?

Nothing really happens with the vid. It will just live online. It was a personal project, something I wanted to make just to see if I could pull it off (by the way, my number one goal was to make people laugh).

Because of its viral nature, the video has already driven a lot of new traffic to my website. Hopefully, I'll make some new connections that way.

I've also donated the video to different schools to use in media/culture classes and to various self-esteem programs. Feels great to feel like one is contributing to the betterment of society

Q: I'll say you have. You made this video about beauty, do you have other pet peeves that you'd like to depict via video?

Haha! I love it. I'm now the "pet peeve" director! Umm, nothing on the horizon. Though maybe I can use this opportunity to present my platform against guys wearing skinny jeans.

Q: Although most locals know you for your award-winning film about the shopping cart, what else are you up to these days? No time for modesty, feel free to brag.

I've been working a lot with bigger agencies out of the area. Lots of work thru LA, Portland and a little in NY. Most of my paying gigs come from commercial directing. Excited to work on more narrative and short film projects this year though.

Q: Any other cool projects you can share with us today?

This is one of my favorites:

Growing is Forever from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

And here's a spot that showcases some great Northern California locations:

Stella's Shasta Adventure from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Jesse, humor me. I have to share the The Cart:

Cart - The Film from Jesse Rosten on Vimeo.

Q: Anything else you want to share?

Keep on rocking, Redding.

You, too. Jesse. Thank you for talking with us. And by the way, I have this photo of me that makes me look fat. Do you think you could ....

Independent online journalist Doni Chamberlain founded what’s now known as anewscafe.com in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke of the Czech Republic. Prior to 2007 Chamberlain was an award-winning newspaper opinion columnist, feature and food writer recognized by the Associated Press, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and E.W. Scripps. She lives in Redding, CA.

Me: Yes. My purse.

Officer Kimpley: Your purse? (He looks up.) Where was it?

Me: Uh ... on the passenger seat. But the car was locked ... and it was dark ...

Officer: (Looks down and continues writing.) Uh huh.

The crime occurred while I was at the 5:45 a.m. Jazzercise class, which, as my neighbor joked, was part of the problem right there.

Behold, my first cautionary tale. I have a million of them, not so much because I've lived that long, but because I have experienced a lot. Many of my cautionary tales have a similar theme: Many of my troubles were preventable, or, at the very least, survivable, whether it's having my purse stolen from my locked car, or making poached eggs in the microwave, or being blindsided by an exploding marriage, or navigating the murky waters of online dating.

 

Today we're talking about my car break-in. Actually, it wasn't so much a car break-in as a car window break-in. Note the photo, above. See the bits of remaining glass that jut from the window frame like a tooth busted off at the gum line. See the dented dashboard. Feel my anguish.

I take responsibility for my seriously flawed thinking. For starters, I thought a locked car was a secure car. Also, I must be more sheltered than I'd thought, because I'd never known anyone whose car window had been smashed with a piece of cinder block or whatever the hell the rock substance was that was lying on my front seat after class. Well, I've now heard from dozens of people whose vehicle windows have been shattered outside movie theaters, parks, homes, hotels, colleges - lots of places - by criminals who've then rummaged around and stolen stereo systems, loose change in ash trays, wallets, packages, and yes, purses left in plain sight, which, to a thief, is as good as an engraved note that says you are cordially invited to come rip me off royal because I'm a total idiot.

As an aside, suddenly, I notice many vehicles around the North State with cardboard or plastic taped over windowless openings. I know exactly what that's about: Jerks broke the windows, but the victims lacked the money to replace them. Car insurance? Very funny. I don't know about you, but my deductible is $500, which means that a $200 to $300 window won't be covered. In this economy, many people are one broken window away from financial disaster.

Back to my flawed thinking. I assumed that because it was dark outside, nobody would see the purse (in my locked car - and this is the last time I'll mention my car was locked). I now guess the thief probably had some expensive 2-jillion-candle-power flashlight that he ripped off from someone else.

The third flaw in my thinking was based upon a lifetime of a reckless habit of leaving my purse in my car when it was inconvenient to take it with me, whether to work out, or to walk the river trail. Sometimes, such as at the river trail, I'd actually get out of my car with my purse, then walk to the back of my car - doe-dee-doe - and lift the hatch to "hide" it in the back of the car (Priuses lack trunks).

According the RPD officer who wrote my report, some thieves actually lurk around places like parking lots where they can pay attention to whether women leave their cars with or without a purse.  Granted, it's a creepy feeling to consider someone's watching you for that reason, but it's even more creepy to be so oblivious that you return to your vehicle to find  your window shattered and glass everywhere, even in Austin's car seat, and in my yogurt cup with my spoon still in it and I do believe I will never get all those tiny bits of glass out of the car.

My main point is that, much like the lead-footed person who's routinely driven fast her whole life but never received a speeding ticket, at some point bad habits will catch up with you. Eventually, luck runs out. Always.

My luck sprinted out. Some cretin smashed my window, grabbed my purse and took off with it. The window cost $202 to replace, but the very worst part of all was losing my purse, which basically contained my whole world - dangling by a leather shoulder strap. Inside my purse were personal and business check books and business and personal credit cards and debit cards, my drivers license, library card, prescription computer glasses, my first-ever prescription sunglasses, reporter notebooks, make-up (including a lip color my sister gave me that I really loved that I will never find again), personal photos of my kids that I've carried around for decades, and all kinds of things I am still remembering. Oh, and I lost $60 cash, which was probably all that the thief was really after.

Of course, I looked in all the dumpsters around the Cypress Square Shopping Center (a location where many of those good businesses, because of their proximity to homeless encampments and shelters and parks, suffer many break-ins). I didn't find my purse.

Thank goodness that morning I was in such a rush that I forgot to grab my cell phone, or it would have been impossible for me to call banks and credit card companies to alert them of my disaster. By the way, the moment you make those calls, and your accounts are closed or frozen, suddenly, you have no access to your money. After that, you have no identification when you go to the bank to withdraw cash to pay for the window and other things, like Extra Strength Excedrin and red wine.

Times like these a passport comes in handy. (A husband would come in handy at these times, too. I held myself together pretty well that morning until one of my fellow Jazzercisers said, "Do you want to use my phone to call your husband?" When I said I didn't have a husband and started crying, one of women took pity on me and offered to give me her husband. I love my Jazzersisters.)

So, here's something else I learned. Take your wallet, empty it of all your credit cards, membership cards (Oh crap! My Costco card!), even your drivers license. Photocopy the fronts and backs and put those copies in a file. Why? Well, for one thing, once your credit card is stolen, you don't even know the numbers because account numbers and credit card numbers aren't necessarily the same, and most financial and credit institutions aren't keen about disclosing that information over the phone. Also, if your wallet is stolen, and you're struck with sudden-onset Alzeheimer's when the officer asks you to recite your wallet contents, you'll have access to that information. Don't just read this and nod. Go photocopy your wallet contents right now. I'll wait.

The final lesson I learned is pretty embarrassing: If your car has an alarm ... Arm It Every Time You Park. Let me pause here and admit that in the five years I've owned my car, I didn't know it had an alarm, until my son asked if my car alarm had sounded when the jerk broke my car window.

Cue crickets. Behold dazed expression.

This car alarm part is important. See, even the most stupid thief is smart enough not to victimize a vehicle that has a little red alarm light flashing on the dashboard.  I've learned that by pressing the button on my key fob three times, my car alarm is activated. All this time I've just pressed it once to lock the car.

I've learned so much from this experience, and now, I'm passing it onto you. You're welcome. Happy to help.

In return, I have a favor to ask of you: If you find a big tan purse with a long dark brown strap and a short handle strap, could you please get it to me? With any luck it will still have my glasses, photos and lipstick inside. And maybe a couple of Excedrin.

Independent online journalist Doni Chamberlain founded what’s now known as anewscafe.com in 2007 with her son, Joe Domke of the Czech Republic. Prior to 2007 Chamberlain was an award-winning newspaper opinion columnist, feature and food writer recognized by the Associated Press, the California Newspaper Publishers Association and E.W. Scripps. She lives in Redding, CA.

 

The sign at the entrance to the ornamental garden in Sacramento's William Land Park reads: WPA Rock Garden, Established 1940. The sign is not original to the garden's 1940s-era design and construction, it was erected less than 20 years ago by gardener Daisy Mah. In charge of this distinct one-acre garden since 1988, Daisy - a City of Sacramento Parks Department employee - wanted the garden on which she spends hours each day to have an entrance sign with its own name.

"When I first began work here more than 20 years ago, people called the garden 'The Jungle' or 'The Maze' or the 'Ivy Garden.'" Because many of the surrounding Land Park neighborhood residents regularly visit the garden's meandering paths and magical plantings, Daisy polled the neighborhood for what the official name of the garden should be. The majority of responses were that the garden should be called "Daisy's Garden" - but Daisy ultimately settled on the simply stated name and rustic metal and wood sign you see today.

Photo: The entrance sign for the WPA Rock Garden at William Land Park in Sacramento. The garden is on 15th Avenue across the street from Fairytale town and beside to the park's amphitheater.

The Works Progress Administration (WPA) was a Depression-Era work-relief program instituted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1935 as part of his New Deal. The WPA employed out-of-work professionals, artisans, craftspeople, fine artists, and writers to work on projects that to improve towns and cities all over the country. Sacramento's WPA Rock Garden, a one-acre naturalistic garden set on a sloping hillside between Fairytale Town and the Duck Pond in William Land Park was one such WPA project. Like many WPA projects after the New Deal funding ended, the WPA Rock Garden was left in large part untended for many years. When Daisy took on the job of the garden's restoration in 1988, the site was overgrown with invasive vinca and ivy. One mature, now-well-tended, tree-like specimen of the original ivy still grows in the garden.Photo: A sketched overview of the WPA Rock Garden's layout.

Having graduated with a degree in Art from San Jose, Daisy returned to the Sacramento area to be close to her parents - both of whom immigrated to the US from China, her father as a young boy. Daisy became really interested in gardening and horticulture when she and her husband bought their first house in the early 1980s. She subsequently studied Horticulture at the American River College and got her first job with Sacramento's Parks Department working in the Rose Garden in McKinley Park. When the then-Superintendent of Parks showed her the overgrown WPA Rock Garden, its intriguing space in which you could lose yourself and potentially find secret delights along each pathway and around each corner, was far more interesting to her than the monoculture of the Rose Garden. Photos: A curve in pathway of the WPA Rock Garden, with a close-up of Iochroma cyaneum violacea, attracting multiple pollinators, below.

 

When Daisy won a $400 scholarship for her horticultural work in 1988, she wanted to use some of the money to give back to the community. She took half of the money and placed an order for flowering perennials from local grower Cornflower Farms with which to begin replacing ivy and restoring the plantings of the WPA Rock Garden. Daisy has been at it ever since: researching plants, propagating those she wants, ordering others, receiving still others from plant people all over the world, and then planting, weeding, pruning, reworking plantings, dragging enormous hoses to water, and generally tending thoughtfully to this lively garden. The result of Daisy's labors is now a garden where the the public can lose themselves in the magic of a place where they can "satisfy that inner-need to connect with nature and beauty", even in the heart of the city, remarks Daisy. Photo: A view to a mature crepe myrtle seen through one of the openings in the stone and metal semi-circular seating area in the center of the WPA Rock Garden. This seating area is not original to the WPA-era garden, but was designed by Daisy based on a photo she saw of a Jens Jensen-designed circular seating area. Built by volunteer masons using discarded stone used as ballast on ships and left at the city dump, the seating area is dedicated to a long-time volunteer in the garden: Norma Clevenger. The dedication plaque describes her as "A gardener's gardener and a fierce liberal!"

Construction of William Land Park began in 1922, when noted Landscape Architect Frederick Noble Evans was Superintendent of Parks for Sacramento. An early graduate of the Landscape Architecture school at Harvard University in Boston, Evans served as Superintendent of the Parks Department for 26 years. It was under his design-eye and leadership that William Land Park was designed and built - including the many WPA- constructed wood and masonry elements, such as a rustic pergola with built-in benches, roadway curbing throughout the park, an amphitheater, the park's many ponds and lakes, and the WPA Rock Garden. Photo:Another turn in a pathway of the WPA Garden and a late-summer illuminated rose. Two pollinators examine the rose before exploring further.

The Rock Garden's wandering walkways were laid out by the WPA crew and flanked by local-granite masonry raised beds. The park as a whole was part of a nationwide movement known as the Reform Park Movement and is an example of Naturalistic Park Design. The call for such naturalistic green spaces to be incorporated into densely populated, unrelentingly-grid-patterned cities began in the late 1800s on the east coast in cities such as Washington DC, New York and Boston. These carefully-designed informal and naturalistic green spaces were intended to offer both physical and psychological respite as well as the health benefits of nature to urban dwellers, many of whom could not afford take time off from their industrial jobs, or to get out of the city if they could get time off. New York's Central Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, is perhaps the most famous example of the Naturalistic Park Design era.Photo: Along one of the central pathways in the WPA Garden, an industrial-sized hose hugs the side of a stone wall. Most of the plantings that Daisy has put into the garden are hand-watered by Daisy and her volunteers while they are getting established. An automated irrigation system was added to the garden only less than 10 years ago.

Walking through Sacramento's WPA Rock Garden with Daisy Mah in late October, the garden is full of life around each corner. Through many years of work on her part, and on the part of Conservation Corps workers, other park workers, and various local garden club members - the ivy, vinca and other weeds are long gone. They have been replaced over the years by a succession of plantings. Daisy first began restoring the garden with traditional rock garden and alpine plants, but these proved too fragile and tender for a public garden. "The pressure of the public can be pretty hard," admits Daisy - some plants - especially when they are little and getting established, get stepped on, trash gets left, I've even had large plant specimens dug up and carted off!" Photo: Deep blue salvia and bright orange-red California fuchsia contrast and play off one another in late October at the WPA Rock Garden.

The sometimes damaging effects of an admiring public does not seem to deter Daisy's enthusiasm for providing a space that welcomes the public. One anecdote she shared was that when she had the semicircular seating area in the center of the garden built a few years back to mimic the look and feel of the WPA stone and metal work, she considered having thin wire anchored up the stone pillars so that she could train some vines up the pillars; "But the first day one wire was up, a boy came by and yanked them down. That's clearly what he thought they were for," she explained understandingly, "So I rethought the idea of the vines!"Photos: The rustic stone and metal semi-circular seating area in the heart of the WPA Rock Garden. Designed by Daisy, the seating area frames views into other sections of the garden and a place for visitors to meet and gather.

Currently, Daisy focuses on California native plants - including re-seeding annuals and bulbs - as well as sweeping variety of non-native, drought tolerant, climate appropriate Mediterranean plants. Deep blue salvias and red California fuchsias are blooming brightly here, roses and society garlic are blooming there. Although nothing bears labels or tags, which might distract from the sheer experience and enjoyment of the space, the Parks Department does have a pamphlet noting much of the garden's plantings. Photo: A long view of the succulent bed which Daisy began to experiment with in 2001.

Daisy of course knows them all, and each plant or insect, even visitor holds a story for her. She points out a Gulf Fritillary (Agraulis vanillae), butterfly and notes that the host plant for its larva is the passion vine. She says hello to a man and his dog walking through and the man responds, "Hi, Daisy!" As we wander around corners, sunlight hits foliage and blooms up ahead, drawing you along. Specific plants unfold a variety of stories, and altogether these cumulatively tell not only the story of this garden and this gardener in the past quarter-century, but they likewise illuminate much of the story of horticulture in Northern California over the same time period: "I began gardening - like many new gardeners - with a feeling that I wanted it all right NOW!" remembers Daisy wryly, "But now each plant needs to tell some story or add to the story of the larger garden...This large-leaved Petasites came from Ed Carmen," she says off-hand, pointing to striking, generously rounded leaves and referring to a well-known Pacific Coast nurseryman and award-winning horticulturalist of the region. "This rose I am not sure of the name - but it's an old variety that I got from a garden in Oak Park - an older city neighborhood." Photo: A WPA Rock Garden view and a Gulf Fritillary butterfly on an agave.

 

 

In the garden blooms a red flowering maple(Abutilon) that Daisy calls A. 'Louise Blakey', but a horticultural friend calls the same plantA. 'Daisy's Red', because it grows in his garden since having received it from Daisy Mah. Photo: Abutilon 'Daisy's Red'

 

 

Tall trees - Cupressus cashmeriana, Magnolia'Vulcan' and 'Galaxy', redbuds, and Arbutus ' Marina', Gingko biloba, deodar cedar (Cedrus deodara)- provide shade and dimension to the space. Some are beginning to color-up with fall's cooling temperatures and waning daylight. Over such a span of time, Daisy has seen large trees come and go - some have fallen over with age, others she has grown from seed to near-maturity. Hundreds of perennials have been planted, seeded, reseeded, lost and re-found in the 34 individual raised planting areas. Daisy has experimented with an all white-blooming border, she has experimented with fragrance and tough, good-looking succulents. "It's not hard, it just takes time." Daisy Mah - 95-pounds of dedication - has given a lot of time and makes the hard-won results look easy. Her efforts are profoundly evident in thriving, interesting plant choices, striking plant combinations and visitors who are positively affected by the garden at all times of year. Photo: Daisy Mah beneath a bunya-bunya tree (Araucaria bidwillii) that she grew from seed in the WPA Rock Garden.

In early 2010 a Cultural Landscape Survey and Evaluation of William Land Park was conducted for the City of Sacramento - evaluation and inventorying the park in order to determine the park's eligibility for being nominated to be listed in the Sacramento Register of Historic and Cultural Resources, the California Register of Historical Resources, and the National Register of Historic Places. In October of 2011, the draft of the final report was published and the park - including its unique WPA Rock Garden easily meets criteria for listing i

n all three registers. According to the report, William Land Park, the largest park in the city of Sacramento, "meets evaluation criteria due to its association

with important local trends in the following areas of significance: Community Planning and Development, Government, Entertainment/Recreation, and Landscape Architecture." Included in these are its elements built from 1922-1969 embodying the Reform Park Movement, Naturalistic Park Design and WPA-construction features. Photo: Shining seed heads along a pathway leading into Daisy and her husband's home garden in Sacramento.

Walking through the historic ornamental WPA Rock Garden in Sacramento's William Land Park with the quiet- strength of gardener Daisy Mah leading the way, it is clear to me that the reasons for the garden's construction originally are just as true today as they were 80 years ago: everyone benefits physically and psychologically from fresh air, green plants, and even momentary transport and escape from the lock-step, grid-patterned-daily-life-tensions that many of us face. "I grew up as the youngest of six siblings," shares Daisy. "My father left China and its abject poverty for a better life in the US, and as a result, our garden growing up was an important resource for the edibles it could provide. Ornamental gardening was not seen as valuable. As an older man, my father visited my ornamental garden, exploring and enjoying the beauty and the life. He said to me after: 'Your garden makes me feel like a rich man.'" Photo: Daisy's light-hearted laughter filling a corner of the WPA Rock Garden, a garden she has grown and tended for more almost a quarter of a century.

Daisy Mah's contributions to gardening in Northern California through her 23 plus years of work at the WPA Rock Garden adds richness to the lives of all of us who walk the garden's pathways - be it a quick morning walk or a leisurely afternoon wedding. Photo: A sweep of purple society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea )catch the mid-day sun at the WPA Rock Garden.

A fixture of Sacramento's plant community, Daisy is an active garden designer, horticultural speaker, and member of the Perennial Plant Club of Sacramento. She has designed a traditional Chinese Garden in Locke, California in the Delta region near where she grew up, as well as a Healing Garden at Sacramento's Sutter Hospital. Additionally, she has been instrumental in the implementation and design of round-a-bout gardens in several of Sacramento's urban neighborhoods. Besides the WPA Rock Garden, Daisy oversees long stretches of roadside gardens throughout William Land Park and several island gardens in the park's various ponds and lakes. Photo: A working pot standing guard at the entrance to Daisy's home garden. Known as Chinese egg pots, these ceramic vessels "were once used for shipping thousand-year old eggs, which my uncle in San Francisco incorporated in Chinese pastries. My uncle has died and eggs are now shipped in styrofoam," she related.

 

 

More of my environmental writing can be found in the Chico News & Review, andPacific Horticulture. Follow Jewellgarden.com/In a North State Garden on Facebook. Photo: One of the William Land Park's island gardens that Daisy tends in addition to the one-acre WPA Rock Garden. Lower picture shows the colorful, heat-loving bloom in one of Daisy's roadway plantings in the park: blue salvia, salvia clevelandii, yellow single-flowering marigold and red cosmos.

 

To submit plant/gardening related events/classes to the Jewellgarden.com on-line Calendar of Regional Gardening Events, send the pertinent information to me at: Jennifer@jewellgarden.com

Did you know I send out a weekly email with information about upcoming topics and gardening related events in the North State region? If you would like to be added to the mailing list, send an email to Jennifer@jewellgarden.com.

 

 

In a North State Garden is a weekly Northstate Public Radio and web-based program celebrating the art, craft and science of home gardening in Northern California. Made possible in part by the Gateway Science Museum - Exploring the Natural History of the North State and on the campus of CSU, Chico, In a North State Garden is conceived, written, photographed and hosted by Jennifer Jewell - all rights reserved jewellgarden.com. In a North State Garden airs on Northstate Public Radio Saturday mornings at 7:34 AM Pacific time and Sunday morning at 8:34 AM Pacific time. Podcasts of past shows are available here.

• The plumber came to unplug my drain…he said it was hair. He looked a little startled when I gave him a high five and a large tip. I was so proud I had enough hair left to clog a drain.

• I admire the man in the red plaid shirt and bent hat trying so hard to cross the street by ever so carefully putting one foot in front of the other… I’ve felt like that on occasion.

• I’m going to try a new shaving implement this morning … near as I can figure, the design is based loosely on Roto Rooter… the man in the mirror looks a little nervous.

•  I grew up in a household where my dad sat in his tee shirt at the kitchen table and drank bourbon out of a water glass while my mom worked a night shift at a local hospital…the Cleavers we weren’t but it seemed to work. The kids grew up ok.

• Great tee shirt logo…”The Cleavers We Weren’t”.

• A friend added a year or so to her age… everyone believed her. Now she wants the years back but no one believes her… age doesn’t appear to allow U-turns.

• With one minute of instruction (I actually listened for 30 seconds before my eyes glazed over), I took a Harley for a ride along Malibu… no helmet, just a bathing suit. It seemed like such a good idea. The bike and I wound up on a resident’s lawn. After a civil exchange of four letter words, I made it back to the starting point without further issue.

• The point to the last paragraph is that the world is a better place because I never had kids… I can’t even imagine lecturing them with a straight face about “making good decisions”, “hanging with right people”, ad nauseam…etc.

• A friend and I stood for hours outside a small corner market, chewing bubble gum and exchanging $2000 baseball cards…at the time they were a nickel.

• I once worked for a man charitably described as “driven”. I asked his formula for success… “Get a loan, buy stuff, live long enough for it to become valuable”.

• My mind has a wastebasket reserved for useless, out-dated information but I just can’t push the delete button… I never know when I might need a worn cliché or a discarded reason for revenge or even a…

• My heel hurts…the doc says quit drinking. I have a rash on my leg…the doc says quit drinking…my shoulder aches…same advice. This doc is my second (or third) opinion… can’t be good.

• I love airports…I always thank the security guard for the little extra during the pat-down; I shrug it off when my flight is delayed an hour or two and I laugh when the stranger sitting next to me in the restaurant asks for a “loan” with a loose repayment schedule…I love airports.

• A look I’m developing that isn’t good…that little triangle my shirt makes when it puckers open at the belly button. Triangles are bad.

Doug Mudford is a lawyer and partner at Barr & Mudford, with an emphasis on serious personal injury. He may be reached at Barr & Mudford, 1824 Court St., Redding, 530.243.8008. Send questions for “That Lawyer Guy” to doug@ca-lawyer.com.

Doug Mudford's photo illustration by Michael Burke of Redding. Click here to see more Michael Burke photos.

A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment.

Q. It’s summer time; so how can you tell if a woman has no friends?

A. She’s in the store buying zucchini.

Tee hee.

Really, though, it’s not a laughing matter if your neighbors and friends are gardeners and their zucchini seeds have properly propagated. You’ll notice. You’ll observe The Desperate Ones, lurking about, smiling and ready, like a quarterback, for the hand-off. But it’s not a football they want you to snag. They’ll be trying to hand you a bag … full of oblong green veggies ... those ever-loving, prolific little bombs known as zucchini.

Yes. They will come. Knocking at your door, toting a large brown bag overflowing with long green logs, begging you to take “just a few.”

You like your neighbor. You think, "Well, I could use a few."

But then your friend, who lovingly tilled a backyard patch of dirt and planted a small garden, greets you. A bulging recycled plastic grocery bag hangs over his arm - shades of green peeking out - he suggests your family has to try “just a few” of these healthy squashes he managed to produce.

And your cousin decides to bless you with “just a few” garden-fresh zucchini.

A little clarification here: The words “just a few” can’t be used in the same sentence with zucchini. That would be an oxymoron.

The first year we planted a garden at the ranch, I labeled myself an authority on the “how to” of successful small-crop management. After all, I pointed out to our family and visitors, look at those zucchini plants. There was not one, but four hills of maturing zucchini vines, weaving their way toward the garden gate, encroaching on the carrots, corn and tomatoes, heading south into the cattle pasture. I was thrilled.

Inflated with pride, I bragged about our good fortune and discussed the benefits of “hilling” versus “rows” in zucchini raising. They listened. They nodded. They smiled, indulgently. (That was not a smirk. There were no smug smiles, I’m positive).

No one shouted, “What the heck? Four hills of zucchini? Are you friggin’ nuts? Are you trying to feed the entire Chinese Army?” Oh no, that was me months later, screeching at the cows, grabbing zucchini from an overloaded wheelbarrow, tossing them over the garden fence, trying to entice those bovines into eating the big beautiful green zombies.

In our small rural town we leave our vehicles unlocked while grocery shopping, picking up mail at the post office or standing around gossiping. But, in the summer time, we watch for The Desperate. They are not difficult to identify. They’re the ones skulking in the shadows, dodging in and around parked cars, with their loaded brown bags, attempting to share their harvest when they locate an unlocked vehicle. If you are spotted casting about, like a zucchini Good Samaritan, friends and neighbors have been known to lock their car doors.

So, after you’ve given away all you can, taken boxes to the homeless shelter, and sold bags and bags at the local farmer’s market, what then? Well, you ask friends, rummage through cookbooks and surf the net for zillions of new recipes. And you make and bake and freeze anything and everything you can dream up that could possibly include zucchini: chili, soup, spaghetti sauce, quiche, marmalade, pizza sauce, bread, muffins and cakes.

One of my favorite recipes is Chocolate Oh Chocolate Zucchini Cake. It’s quick, easy and freezes beautifully. If you are one of the lucky ones, with an over-abundant zucchini plant, or you have a friend who gardens, or if you’ve purchased this incredible versatile vegetable, you’ll enjoy this delicious sweet zucchini treat.

Chocolate-Oh-Chocolate Zucchini Cake

• 2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup butter
• 3 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved in ...
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon each salt, baking powder, cinnamon
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate pieces (hold one cup in reserve)
• 1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Directions

• Cream sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla.
• Dissolve baking soda in buttermilk and add to the creamed mixture.
• Blend dry ingredients together and stir into creamed mix.
• Fold in the zucchini and chocolate pieces and nuts.
• Pour batter into a 9-by-13-inch greased and floured pan. Top with remaining chocolate pieces.
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.
• Cool.
• Dust with powdered sugar.
• Serve with ice cream if desired.

Happy Infusions!

Kathryn Barker has never met a child, a tea, or a baby animal she didn’t love. With her sweet husband of 43 years, she has raised three extraordinary children, doctored all manner of farm animal, driven a team of horses, made soap, spun wool and opened a tea room. An avid photographer, Kathryn has had tea in a ger in Mongolia, viewed the Three Gorges Dam in China and waved to the Queen of England. She maintains a tea booth at the Oregon St. Antique Mall. Visit her at tea4kate.com or on Facebook and Twitter at tea4kate.

A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment. Views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of anewscafe.com.

Monty, we have a question/concern: Occasionally we see a vehicle emitting huge amounts of black smoke from its exhaust, literally lowering visibility and stinking up the highway. Can and will an officer ticket such a vehicle? It looks like that one vehicle could offset hundreds of properly smogged ones.

There are a couple of vehicle code sections that deal with this issue. First, no motor vehicle shall be operated in a manner resulting in the escape of excessive smoke, flame, gas, oil, or fuel residue (CVC 27153).

This section is generally the one that an officer will cite should he/she encounter the type of violation that you are describing. The key word in that violation is excessive. What constitutes excessive? We have all seen some older model vehicle driving down the road with black smoke pouring from the exhaust pipe. Not too much debate on something like that, but what about those that only smoke when you start them up or accelerate and then they stop? This next portion of the vehicle code addresses that.

No motor vehicle first sold or registered as a new motor vehicleon or after January 1, 1971, shall discharge into the atmosphere at elevation of less than 4,000 feet any air contaminant for a period of more than 10 seconds which is:
(1) As dark or darker in shade than that designated as No. 2 on the Ringelmann Chart, as published by the United States Bureau of Mines. (CVC 27153.5)

So I can guess your next question. What the heck is a Ringelmann Chart? My best description is that it is a rectangular piece of paper with the end of the paper resembling a doughnut (they needed something to get the officer’s attention) with the doughnut end having several shades of gray to black on the outer ring of the doughnut and you look through the hole to compare the actual smoke to the shade on the chart. Every CHP officer is issued one of these (no, not donuts; charts), or they are available at all CHP offices.

In most instances, an officer can pretty well judge by just looking at the smoke from the exhaust and seeing that it continues to emit for more than 10 seconds and take the appropriate enforcement action.

Do you know the answer to this: Is a helmet required when riding a trike, 3-wheeled motorcycle? We would never ride without a helmet, but have always wondered if it is a requirement. And how about insurance on a trike? Is it the same as insurance on a motorcycle?

By definition, your trike is considered a motorcycle as far as registration and equipment purposes. This means that the driver and any passenger shall wear a safety helmet meeting requirements established pursuant to Section27802 when riding on a motorcycle, motor-driven cycle, or motorized bicycle.

The biggest difference between riding a three-wheeled motor vehicle and a motorcycle is that you are not required to have a motorcycle endorsement on your driver’s license. As far as insurance is concerned, you need to check with your individual insurance companies. I spoke with my insurance carrier and found that there would be no change in the actual amount I paid, for the same coverage.

After reviewing that last paragraph, I realized that I am completely incorrect in saying that the biggest different between riding the two types of vehicles is licensing. As anyone who has ridden both vehicles will tell you, they are two completely different animals. The dynamics of a motorcycle are far different than a trike, but my point simply is that because of these differences, a motorcycle endorsement is not required for a trike or a motorcycle with a sidecar.

So, thank you for your questions. Thank you for always wearing a helmet, and with that, please go out and enjoy the ride.

Monty Hight is a retired California Highway Patrol officer and Public Information Officer. He is the North State AVOID Campaign's Public Information Officer. He lives in Redding. More information on AVOID can be found here.

A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment. Views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of anewscafe.com.

In this case, it's the latter, if you happen to enjoy Olive Garden’s Fettuccine Alfredo (1,220 calories), Red Robin’s Towering Onion Rings (1,770), or a Classic Bear Claw from Black Bear Diner (2,430), those restaurants' websites show.

A recent California law transitions calories from the abstract to the menu and provides chain-restaurant patrons the mixed blessing of knowing exactly how many calories each menu item contains. This regulation, put into effect in January, made it mandatory for restaurants with at least 20 similar locations in the state to display the calorie content of all menu items, either directly on the menu or on the menu board.

The law intends to provide customers the opportunity to make a well-informed ordering decision and caters to an expanding health-conscious population. However, this increase in knowledge has not seemed to drastically change ordering habits of consumers in the North State, local restaurant owners say. Individuals primarily order what they like, even if it is a zucchini walnut muffin (490 calories) and grande White Chocolate Mocha with whipped cream (470 calories) from Starbucks, all before 10 a.m., totaling almost 1,000 calories. That's  half the recommended calories an average-sized person needs daily.

That said, a glance at Starbucks' menu board alerts customers to lower calorie alternatives, such as the Strawberry Vivanno Smoothie (280 calories) and Starbucks Perfect Oatmeal (140 calories). Some customers, such as Starbucks patron Sue Kilmer, may be more concerned with content than calories. While Kilmer notes that a startlingly high calorie content may cause her to think twice about a menu item, she said she is not going to make her purchasing decisions based on calories alone.

“Posted calories haven't really changed people's ordering habits,” said Rick Wigodsky, manager at Jamba Juice on Dana Drive. “The people that benefit from the calories posted are the ones that watch their calories.”

Patty Landaker, owner of the Redding sandwich shop Togo’s, agreed.

“Since we have implemented the calorie counts displayed on menu boards we have not experienced any direct sales correspondence or changes of any one item or group of like items," she said. "We have not experienced the decline of any high-calorie-count menu items that would indicate a correspondence with the new law.”

This appears to ring true for other chain establishments, fast-food and sit-down restaurants alike. Food costs are another factor when it comes to ordering, particularly at fast food restaurants that tout tantalizing deals on dollar menus.

“Price is often the customer’s highest consideration,” said Ryan Blackstone, manager of McDonald's in Shasta Lake.

Nevertheless, a McDonald’s Premium Caesar Salad with Newman’s Own Low Fat Balsamic Vinaigrette costs about $5 and contains about 130 calories, proving that food can be both nutritious and affordable.

Katie Bramblett, manager at Chevy’s restaurant in Redding, said she does think people are more conscious now that the calorie content is directly in front of them on the menu. Furthermore, several chain restaurants, including Chevy’s, Red Lobster, and Olive Garden, have published alternative menus on HealthyDiningFinder.com that highlight dishes with lower calorie and sodium counts. Bramblett said that she's noticed some customers asking specifically about these items.

At Togo's, Landaker has also experienced inquiries from customers regarding the calorie count, but added, “These customers are few and do not appear to have impacted our overall sales trends.”

The law has encouraged restaurants such as Chevy’s to modify recipes to include reduced-fat cheese or less sodium in order to produce food with a calorie content that may be more appealing to customers, manager Bramblett said. McDonald's has also responding to growing interest in healthier selections by increasing the number of salads and snack size selections on the menu and eliminating the option to "supersize."

Trudi Pratt, a Redding chiropractor and clinical nutritionist, wonders if most people understand how many calories they should be eating each day.

"There's no class in school that teaches the value of calories," she said. "It's not obvious on the Internet. It's basically hard info to find.”

Smaller, non-chain restaurants aren't required by the law to disclose calorie counts. In addition, the cost and time involved in determining the caloric makeup of every menu item may be daunting. But Senor Rosas is one example of a local, non-corporate restaurant that is making an exception. Owner Andy Freeman is working with a nutritionist with plans to post nutritional information on the restaurant’s Facebook page, he said.

Follow this link to Section 114094 of the California Health and Safety code to read about the menu labeling law in detail.

Alisha Gorder, born and raised in Redding, is attending Lewis and Clark College in Portland, Oregon, where she is studying English. She enjoys yoga, hiking, and watching reruns of "Friends," and is excited to try her hand at journalism as an intern with A News Cafe this summer.

A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment. Views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those ofanewscafe.com.

 

As the officer walks towards your vehicle, your mind is going a million miles an hour. “What the heck did I do wrong? I wasn’t speeding. I’m wearing my seatbelt.”

“Good morning. The reason I stopped you is that the registration on your vehicle has expired.” You breathe a sigh of relief and then, confusion. You don’t recall getting the notice from DMV that the registration was due. The officer then asks for your driver’s license, registration and proof of insurance. Once you have handed him/her this information, you are presented with your next surprise. “Are you aware that your driver’s license expired last month?” Strike two.

The California Vehicle Code states; Whenever any person moves or acquires a new address different from the address shown in the application or upon the certificate of ownership or registration card, such person shall, within 10 days thereafter, notify the department of his old and new address.

Whenever any person after applying for or receiving a driver's license moves to a new residence, or acquires a new mailing address different from the address shown in the application or in the license as issued, he or she shall within 10 days thereafter notify the department of both the old and new address.

This changing of address may not seem like a big deal, but it is. In most cases the post office will not forward DMV mail, due to its confidential nature. If any of you have ever been late with your registration, you know that there is a late penalty assessed and it’s not cheap.

Once your license is expired, you are considered unlicensed. The difference between not having your driver’s license in possession when you are stopped and being an unlicensed driver is very big. Infraction versus misdemeanor.

Let's get back to our original traffic stop and say you left your wallet with your driver’s license on the kitchen counter. You did notify DMV regarding your address change and properly renewed it two months ago. The officer verifies your driver’s license status as valid and issues you a citation to show proof that you have a driver’s license and proof of correction on the expired registration.

In contrast, consider this scenario: The officer learns that your driver’s license is expired. At this point you are issued a citation for being an unlicensed driver (a misdemeanor) and are advised that you can no longer operate this vehicle. Thankfully your gracious wife is traveling with you and has a valid driver’s license and will now be operating the vehicle. Oh, and in addition to the citation you received, your wife will be doing the “I told you so” routine all the way home.

Keeping DMV informed on your address changes is very important for many more reasons. Should you or a family member have a need to be notified by law enforcement regarding a serious injury crash or death notification, that information is where everything starts.

If you have just moved here from another state, like everything else, we have a law regarding that; California registration is required of a vehicle last registered in a foreign jurisdiction, an application for registration shall be made to the department within 20 days following the date registration became due.

This simply means that once you establish residence here in California, you have 20 days to register your vehicle here. Not 20 days after your current out-of-state registration expires.

I know that many of you are thinking, "Have you been down to DMV lately? The line is out the door!" Well, I recently met with one of the DMV managers and was assured that you can go online to dmv.ca.gov and take care of these required address changes. You can also make an appointment online with the local DMV and they will be happy to assist you with these changes at no charge.

One final little bit of information. Your vehicle may be currently registered in just one person’s name. But another person would likely have an interest in the vehicle if something were to happen. You might consider having both persons listed on the registration. This could assist you greatly in case of an unplanned family emergency/death and transfer of the vehicle is necessary.

Let’s hope that none of those last discussed issues ever develop and that you make the appropriate DMV notifications so you can just go out and enjoy the ride.

Monty Hight is a retired California Highway Patrol officer and Public Information Officer. He is the North State AVOID Campaign's Public Information Officer. He lives in Redding. More information on AVOID can be found here.

A News Cafe, founded in Shasta County by Redding, CA journalist Doni Greenberg, is the place for people craving local Northern California news, commentary, food, arts and entertainment. Views and opinions expressed here are not necessarily those of anewscafe.com.

Monty,
I am an EMT with a local ambulance service. About once or twice a month I am approached by people when out in uniform and I am amazed by how many questions they have about what to do when a Code 3 (emergency response) vehicle is near. Here are some of the questions I have been asked:

1. What do I do when I am stopped at a red light and a Code 3 vehicle comes up behind me? (Many people think they are supposed to run the red light to get out of our way.)

2. Do I need to pull over when I am going North on Court Street and the Code 3 vehicle is going South on Court Street? (People don't realize we have to take on opposing traffic at times to get through congested areas or intersections.)

3. If I'm in the left lane and the right lane(s) are occupied by other motorists, can't I just pull left and stop? (I have almost hit so many people that do this because we are trained to go left and when someone suddenly pulls left in front of you and slams on the brakes it's very hard to get that heavy ambulance to stop.)

4. Why do I see some ambulances stopping at intersections even when they have their lights and sirens on? (Although the State law states we must slow to 15 mph, our company requires its ambulances to come to a complete stop before proceeding Code 3 through an intersection, against a light. This is just an added step our company uses to ensure safety for both crews and citizens.)

5. How come I see an ambulance going Code 3, then all of the sudden turn off its lights and sirens and pull into the Taco Bell a mile down the road? Was the crew just in a hurry to get lunch? ( I guess people don't realize that oftentimes we are cancelled en route to a call and that we also just happen to be in need of lunch, too.)

These are just a few of the questions I've been asked; I'm sure you have dealt with the same situations while driving Code 3.