Still in Public Service

Undoubtedly one of the more colorful politicians in recent California history, former state Sen. John Vasconcellos of San Jose delivers again. Doonesbury lampooned Vasco for his self-esteem movement, but that hasn't stopped the Democratic lawmaker from letting it all hang out.

Vasco was a guest on a Mendocino County radio program this week called "Mind, Body, Health with Richard Louis Miller." Miller wrote his listeners beforehand to say that Vasco would be talking about "his own recent experience with shingles and bringing an important message about what can be done to prevent it. Shingles, a.k.a. herpes zoster, is an outbreak of rash or blisters on the skin that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox — the varicella-zoster virus."