Toyota Recall Affects Millions

Toyota, one of the largest automobile manufacturers in the world, recently was embarrassed by a gross error on their part. A design error caused the gas pedal to stick to the floor mat causing permanent acceleration. This can be dangerous for those wishing to keep their lives, but those living by the motto “live fast, die young” are quite satisfied with the literal manifestation of their creed. This error affects up to 4.1 million cars all over the world. Fortunately it is an easily fixable error and the parts should be available for installation shortly.

Interestingly enough, the discovery of this error was not made in a Toyota but a Lexus (designed and produced by the same corporation) which killed four people last year in August. The design flaw was found to be more prevalent in Toyotas and an initial recall was made in November of last year. However, this workaround failed to fix the problem and more incidents have occurred. On January 27, the recall was continued and amended to fix the error for good. For those worried that their car may have the error, go to Toyota.com/recall for specific vehicle information.

Art discovered in Redding

Once again, Redding has surpassed its seemingly limited artistic reputation and produced a piece of art worth the price of admission. The Riverfront Playhouse is now offering a production of the play Murder Me, Murder Me Not. Though it is inherently obvious that this is a community theater, due to the small size of the theater and volunteer actors, the hour and a half spent at this production is not a regrettable decision. The play, being a comedy, offered a witty plot with scandal and deception at every turn, leaving the audience thoroughly amused with the comedic gem produced by Redding's largest theater group. Complete with faulty facial hair, incognito detectives, and passionate love affairs, Murder Me, Murder Me Not offers not only the intrigue of greed and deception, but also the chance to fill a Saturday night with something out of the ordinary (relative to that of a typical Simpson student). So come one, come all to a play that has the potential to bring Simpson students closer with the Redding community and its artistic endeavors.

Show times:

Friday – Saturday: 7:30 pm (doors open 6:45 pm)

Sunday Matinees: 2:00 pm (doors open 1:15 pm)

(Closing Night is February 20, 2010)

Ticket Prices:

Opening/Closing Night: $20

Evening/Matinee Performances: $15

Tickets available at the door (cash only) or in advance at:

Graphic Emporium

1525 Pine Street

Redding, CA 96001

Or by phone at: (530) 241-4278

"The Beadman: Psychedelic Necessities"

If you've been asking yourself, "How can I increase the amount of tie-dye in my wardrobe?" or, "Where can I find a Tibetan prayer flag to meet my Buddhist needs?" then hear you me, weary Redding dwellers, The Beadman is here to meet all of your [legal] psychedelic needs. Residing at 2619 Park Marina Drive, The Beadman remains at the heart of Redding's 1960's nostalgia. Their main purpose, as the name implies, is to supply resources to crafty individuals for any and all creative needs involving beads or other elements of jewelry-making. Their bead selection is far beyond anything this awe-inspired writer has ever seen. This quaint store also offers a hefty selection of hippie essentials, enough to bring out the flower child in any Simpson student. If you've been craving the presence of a wind chime the size of a small child in your place of residence, then look no further; The Beadman offers a wide variety of wind chimes and other accouterments of home décor, departing from the standard finds at Target or Pier 1. Their incense stock is admirable (this of course, does not apply to dorm residents in accordance with page 41 of the Simpson University Student Handbook), offering a wide variety of Nag Champa and other notable incense brands. Though their piercing station seems a bit unruly, (fitting, considering the theme of the establishment), they do offer a plethora of body jewelry for existing piercings. In any case, if you dream of dropping out of college to pursue a life of communes and dreadlocks, hold out for just a bit longer, and let The Beadman meet your cravings.

“Ashland: More Than an Extra Credit Assignment”

Ashland, Oregon, home of the famous Oregon Shakespeare Festival, deserves more than the obligatory visit for a required screening of a well-known play from you this season. Consider that a challenge. Having spent at least a weekend each season immersed in the theatrics, fine dining, and local color of the area for the last 6 years, I consider myself some sort of quasi-authority when it comes to this tiny hamlet just North of the California border. Autumnal visits to the city have become a tradition in their own way for me. I intend to mix it up a little this year though. Yes, I will visit in the Spring this time.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s 2010 playbill includes Hamlet, Pride and Prejudice, Cat in a Hot Tin Roof, She Loves Me, Throne of Blood, Well, Ruined, American Night, Twelfth Night, Henry IV (Part One), and The Merchant of Venice. While the theatre is Ashland’s largest claim to fame, the surrounding area also has much to offer. After catching a matinee production, consider visiting Lithia Park. A 93-acre green span including the Ashland Creek, multiple ponds, a Japanese garden, and large grassy lawns, beckons. It is located mere meters from the doors of the Angus Bowmer Theatre. If strolling along shady lanes and feeding ducks is not your idea of a good time, downtown Ashland (which coincidentally surrounds the theatres) offers all manner of boutiques, bistros, and book stores. A couple vintage shops dot the streets, as do jewelry stores, candy shops, and in true Ashland fashion, businesses catering to the greater “hippie” community.

Local culture is also an exciting aspect of Ashland. Home to Southern Oregon University, a large number of locals fall into the 20-something age bracket, much like ourselves. However, formal education and youthfulness are about the only characteristics Simpson students have in common with these colorful individuals. It would appear, upon first glance, that shoes and showers are not major aspects of Ashland life. Tie-dye, hemp, strange exotic instruments, and small furry animals round out the appearance of the “typical” local seen around the greater downtown area. Do not be alarmed. Theatrics is really Ashland’s largest claim to fame, why should its residents not partake of their own act?

Eating in downtown Ashland can be pricey, as can shopping, but the area has so much to offer in a relatively small area (think walking distance) and so close to home for most of us (think Simpson’s dormitories) that it really can’t be ignored. For the most comprehensive summary of the festival itself as well as Ashland, check out www.OSFashland.org

“Sailing Boat: Chinese for ‘Cheap and Tasty’”

It’s feeding time again and as much as Stir-fry Wednesday excites me, nothing fulfills that aching desire for a perfect combination of fresh vegetables, salty sauces, and soft soothing nineties rock like an “authentic Chinese” restaurant. Where does one find this ideal blend of flavor and affordability? I pondered. My best friend, Google, really made the choice for me. I sat him down and said “Listen here. I want some ‘Good Chinese food in Redding CA’ ” and his first suggestion was Sailing Boat Restaurant. I’m a trusting individual so I called them up. Within minutes (okay, thirty of them) Hot and Sour soup with my name on it was waiting at the front counter.

If you are lucky enough to order during their lunch hours, you end up with a fantastic amount of food for an unbelievably small price (taking into account my previous ventures with Chinese food have been in metropolitan areas and thus priced accordingly). I got a cauldron of soup, a small child sized carryout container of rice and stir-fried snap peas with chicken, a surprise packet containing two egg rolls and some strange triangular pastry, and two fortune cookies. A feast, clearly. My total price? Just south of $13. The man at the counter seemed shocked when I kissed him but I felt he deserved something for obviously undercharging me. That was my bad, though. For $13, I got a meal and escorted off the premises, which I consider more than worthwhile considering the meal lasted me three days and the memories a lifetime.

On my second foray into the magical kingdom of low-priced, large-sized chow, I brought an accomplice and enjoyed my meal “in the house” as they call it in the biz. It was no longer lunch hours (even though you woke up 5 hours earlier does not make 5pm “lunch time,” mind you) but the prices remained relatively low and the meals still large enough to choke the figurative horse. I enjoyed a vegetable dish; she feasted upon Curry Chicken. Egg rolls, tea, rice, and hot soup also accessorized our table. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. An attentive waiter saw to all our needs, including “taking care of” the customers ruining the atmosphere of the place for us. The bill arrived and once divided, remained a manageable price.

Sailing Boat Chinese Restaurant has great food, affordable prices, and large quantities of food yours for the taking. Check them out at 2772 Churn Creek Road, Redding, CA 96002 or call (530) 222-6868 for take-out the next time you crave tasty, affordable Chinese.

“Squaw or Bust!”

As almost any observant individual could tell you, the storm systems that soaked us here in Redding in the last few weeks have been good for the mountains. Sure, sure, the weather was beneficial for California’s chronic drought and all, but our interest lies at a slightly higher elevation, yes?

Resorts all over the state are up and running after a lean December snowfall left many literally high and dry. Mt. Shasta Ski Park gets a lot of attention from Simpson’s finest, due mostly in part to its proximity to Redding followed closely by its affordability (it can’t be for its size or atmosphere). Another reason for Shasta’s popularity may lie in ignorance. You do realize there are other winter destinations out there, don’t you? Offering a couple more hours to the great American interstate system, and a few more dollars to the economy, can provide the avid winter sportsman (or woman) with a much more lively scene. Squaw Valley, just South of Truckee (the greater Tahoe area for those less geographically inclined), is a powder lover’s dream location.

Located 96 miles from Sacramento, or around 250 miles from Simpson’s doorstep depending on your route, Squaw deserves some consideration. Sure, it’d require a little more premeditation than a Facebook update 30 minutes before your intended departure time from “The Y” and slightly more fuel (for both vehicle and passengers), but the payoff far outweighs the hassle a little distance imposes.

Squaw Valley boasts 33 lifts traversing one of the largest ski areas in the country. It hosted the 1960 Winter Olympics and is still guarded by the fabled flames of Olympus at the resort’s entrance on Highway 89. For the skilled boarder, multiple terrain parks dot the slopes, such as the Ford Belmont Park and Riviera Superpipe. Besides the obvious pastimes of skiing and snowboarding (as if you’d need any other reason to venture forth), Squaw boasts many other recreational opportunities. For the less daring: cable car rides, ice skating, a heated swimming lagoon and spa, tubing, rock climbing, snowshoeing, and night riding possibilities abound. Looking for a spiritual experience whilst partaking in creation? Mountaintop church services are given on Sunday afternoons.

The runs are groomed, the lodge fire is crackling invitingly, and Squaw Valley is begging for your attention. Restaurants and lodging abound both in the Olympic Valley and in nearby destinations. Next time you feel that call of the mountains, give Shasta a break and experience all that Squaw Valley has to offer.

Local stabbings disturbing

If you are an avid reader of Redding’s Record Searchlight, Tuesday’s murky headlines probably caught your eye: “Man stabs himself, surrenders to police” and “Manton woman accused of killing boyfriend with a butcher knife.” The Redding Police arrested a suicidal man on Tuesday afternoon after he attempted to drive a knife into his chest with a hammer. Only a few hours later, Susan Childs (aka the “Manton woman”) was arrested by the Tehama County Sherriff’s Department. Childs allegedly stabbed her boyfriend in the abdomen with a foot-long butcher knife during a heated argument and then fled the scene of the crime. Moments later, the Tehama deputies found Larry Lee Arnel, the 39 year-old victim lying unconscious on the floor of his mobile home. Despite several attempts to revive Arnel, he was pronounced dead approximately thirty minutes after medical personnel arrived at the scene.

On a lighter note, recent headlines include: “Another glitch hits the Turtle Bay eagle cam” and “Doughnut spinners wreck Sevillano Links golf cart.” Curious? Check out these “breaking news” articles on the Record Searchlight’s website: http://www.redding.com. 

Leipzig Strings: Aural Bliss

When the high point of your week is going to a concert whose group name doesn’t involve a formula like “The Verbing Nouns” and whose music is only heard on one local radio station (NPR), you’re either having a pretty bad week or they’re really good. I had a great week. The Leipzig String Quartet recently came to Simpson University and performed three pieces. They’re a world-renowned group which makes me wonder why they’re here, but never mind that. They were founded twenty years ago in Leipzig and have been performing all over Europe and North America since then. They’ve released dozens of recordings over a wide variety of styles. Most of that doesn’t mean a whole lot to the average college student so I’ll sum it up here. They were here, they were good. That’s all I can say. Actually I can say a lot more so I will.

I’m no music major – my appreciation of music is restricted to sitting in my room with headphones on flailing my arms around pretending to drum along – but even I could enjoy the subtleties of this group’s performance. Out of the three pieces they performed, my personal favorite was “Eight Colors for String Quartet” by Tan Dun. The emotion expressed in this piece was phenomenal and the prevalent use of atonality was powerful and performed excellently. Even if you don’t consider yourself a fan of “old person music,” I would heartily recommend you come to this concert; it’s well worth the time to hear musicians who are truly skilled at their art. Unfortunately, it’s in the past and since we can’t just nuke the island and start over (LOST reference), I can only advise you to come to concerts here in the future if they are anything like this fantastic night of music. Future events are listed below.

Ash Wednesday Sacred Song Concert

February 17 at 7:00pm

Free

Jazz Combo, Chamber Winds and Handbell Concert

April 14 at 7:00pm

Free

Simpson Chorale/Trinity Repertory Singers Spring Concert

April 16 at 7:30pm

Free