Huckleberries Online

Sarah Palin Wild Card

Posted by Cindy

Dec. 23, 2009 5:27 p.m. • 65 comments

So, I got the bulk of my Christmas shopping done early this year, and instead of sipping cocoa and smiling serenely, I’m super stressed.

Why?

Because when you live in a houseful of snoopy kids you have to get very creative about where to hide their gifts. This year I must have been inspired. I was so creative that I can’t remember where I stashed most of the loot. Seriously.

I tore my bedroom apart last night and came up empty handed (unless you count a box of candy canes I found under the bed that I’m pretty sure are from last year— or the year before). If you know where I hid my kid’s Christmas presents please let me know.

Use this Wild Card to speculate on likely hiding places or anything else that needs speculating.

PM: I’ve learned a couple useful things today: #1 Write down where you hid the Christmas presents. #2 Holding down the control button and scrolling back and forth is way more fun than it sounds. #3 Maybe eggnog for lunch wasn’t the best choice.

65 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Bree on December 23 at 8:47 a.m.
Dishwasher? cleaning closet? laundry room? You know, the typical places kids avoid like the plague.
Bent on December 23 at 9:01 a.m.
Sorry to bum out the thread, but i just have to rant…

What the heck is going on lately… violence seems to be increasing dramatically in the past couple of weeks. I came into work this morning to find out that a co-worker’s son was shot in the chest last night by some idiot with a gun.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/dec/22/police-investigate-west-central-shooting/

He’s in crictical condition at sacred heart and we are all trying desperately to come up with a way to comfort their family as the family prepares to spend Christmas in the hospital. The sad thing is we all know that nothing we do is going to help very much at all … but, of course, we have to do something.

On top of that I read that two car thieves opened fire on a couple of cops in Spokane this morning and as I write this sirens are blaring all over downtown…

Is it the holidays that have people so crazy???
Cindy_H on December 23 at 9:07 a.m.
((Bent)) How awful. My thoughts and prayers go out to this family. Kind of makes the petty bickering that occasionally takes place here seem even more petty.
wheels on December 23 at 9:10 a.m.
Spokane Valleys iconic Arbor Crest Winery bldg engulfed in flames early this am.Inside reported gutted but bldgs integrity remains intact due to some great response by firefighters.The flames were unbelievable.
ejs on December 23 at 9:22 a.m.
Sarah Palin Wildcard? why a Sarah Palin in the wildcard title, we’re not that desperate for hits are we Dave?
Lets guess what other people would bring hits.
Tiger Woods wild card
Alec Baldwin wild card
Sisyphus on December 23 at 9:24 a.m.
She taunts me.
Cindy_H on December 23 at 9:25 a.m.
@ejs: Dave’s not here. Guess I need to start waxing my upper lip!
But congratulations, you’re the first one to question the Wild Card title. Just doing my part to make sure HBO finishes the year strong.
nic on December 23 at 9:36 a.m.
“Sarah Palin Wildcard?”

She can see Russia from here.
nic on December 23 at 9:36 a.m.
@ Dave RE: missing (hiding) presents

Have you looked at the office?
nic on December 23 at 9:53 a.m.
Please ignore my previous comment. I forgot Cindy is in control today.
mike_s on December 23 at 9:58 a.m.
Cindy, interesting tidbit herei:

“Erma Bombeck wrote over 4,000 newspaper columns chronicling the ordinary life of a midwestern suburban housewife with broad, and sometimes eloquent, humor. By the 1970s, her witty columns were read, twice weekly, by thirty million readers of 900 newspapers of the U.S. and Canada.”
—Wikipedia
Cindy_H on December 23 at 9:58 a.m.
“Cindy is in control today.”
Well. That would be a first :-)
ejs on December 23 at 10:03 a.m.
Cindy ,<wink>
Cabbage Boy on December 23 at 10:09 a.m.
Cindy, did you look for the missing presents under the tree? Perhaps you got inspired and wrapped them already, but that being so out of character, you subconsciously are feeling the need to be stressed and are looking at the normal stressors of the season.

/shrugs.

Okay enough pop psych for today.

Ours are wrapped and under the tree. Except mine.
tarynahecker on December 23 at 10:14 a.m.
Did you look under their beds?
tarynahecker on December 23 at 10:16 a.m.
Bent - Prayers to your coworker and their family. What a horrible thing any time of the year.
Cindy_H on December 23 at 10:20 a.m.
Ha! Taryn, I’ve actually done that.
Just found some presents in my lingerie drawer! (No, they weren’t my husband’s).
I also found a couple gifts in my gift wrap bin. Probably was going to wrap them and got distracted.
Just a few more to find.
Soaf on December 23 at 10:21 a.m.
Maybe Santa double checked his list and found something he didn’t like?

;-)
Cabbage Boy on December 23 at 10:53 a.m.
Cindy, now that you found most of your presents, I’ll hijack the Palin Wildcard. If that is possible.

The Gospel reading for last Sunday was about the Visitation, were Mary goes to see her cousin Elizabeth. Mary is one month pregnant with Jesus and Elizabeth is 6 months I think. For Catholics or those that know their Bible, they will recognize that Elizabeth’s greeting is where we get part of our Hail Mary prayer.

But this passage amazes me. Or I guess befuddles me why any Christian can know this scripture and still condone taking the life of an unborn child. John the Baptist, yet unborn, recognizes his Lord and Savior who is only one month conceived.

Not looking to go down the endless debate trail, nor debate the Bible with non-believers. That is your perogative. Just asking something that strikes me when I hear this Gospel passage.
Arpie on December 23 at 11:08 a.m.
Cabbage-book and verse please?
danofthecommunity on December 23 at 11:09 a.m.
Hey, that was the same scripture reading last Sunday for Lutherans too.
Smacky on December 23 at 11:11 a.m.
Cabbage, as many see it, those who favor the right to choose whether or not to give birth to a child, are not “condoning” anything, but recognizing another person’s right to make decisions regarding their reproductive capabilities.

However, your “befuddlement” is not lost on those who cannot understand those who read the scripture of the capital punishment of Christ and yet continue to support capital punishment.

Choose your befuddlement.
Cabbage Boy on December 23 at 11:16 a.m.
Arpie,
Luke 1:39-56 (New International Version)

Mary Visits Elizabeth
39At that time Mary got ready and hurried to a town in the hill country of Judea, 40where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted Elizabeth. 41When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. 42In a loud voice she exclaimed: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the child you will bear! 43But why am I so favored, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? 44As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. 45Blessed is she who has believed that what the Lord has said to her will be accomplished!”
Cabbage Boy on December 23 at 11:17 a.m.
DOTC, I suspect the Lutheran Church uses similar reading cycles as the Catholic Church does.
idawa on December 23 at 11:52 a.m.
This is why humanity is awesome, in the same month that we learn that researchers from Harvard have managed to store a beam of light for nearly 2 seconds in cloud of super cold atoms, we have a question about why we don’t base public policy on a fictional account of what mystical babies could perceive in the womb. Fantastic.
Sisyphus on December 23 at 12:00 p.m.
LOL idawa. Comment of the day.
Megan_B on December 23 at 1:51 p.m.
The abortion debate is really about when life begins. Medically, a person is pronounced dead when his or her brain activity ceases. An unborn baby will begin brain activity at 20-22 weeks, and in most cases, it is illegal to have an abortion this late in the pregnancy. The BS about a heart rate after 18 days is exactly that, BS. I’ve seen a chicken with it’s head cut off running around, still with a heart beat.

Separation of church and state. PERIOD.

What if all of the resources utilized for the pro-life movement (the money, the volunteers, the propaganda) were used to improve our terrible foster care system? Why is it these pro-birthers want babies to be born, but then don’t want to clean up the mess afterward? More unwanted children = more poverty, more child abuse, and more crime. Let’s fix these problems first, and then we can talk about political agenda to take away women’s rights.
Sisyphus on December 23 at 1:54 p.m.
Most astute, Miss Megan, and well said.
spokelooneh on December 23 at 2:27 p.m.
I respected CB’s old position on abortion, which had nothing to do with the Bible.

I am against Capital Punishment for a variety of reasons, however I recognize those who believe in the right of the state taking the life of
convicted criminal is something COMPLETELY different than whether or not the state should allow abortion and the moral conviction of some that consider all abortions as the taking of innocent life.

BTW, if it ain’t King James Version, it ain’t the Bible!
Cabbage Boy on December 23 at 2:36 p.m.
All the “political agendas” aside,

“and in most cases, it is illegal to have an abortion this late in the pregnancy.”

Where is this? Abortions illegal? Better check your assumptions.
Cabbage Boy on December 23 at 2:38 p.m.
Spoke, well said on the capital punishment. Of which I am pretty solidly against as well, so I can ignore those red herrings real easy.

But what did you mean about my old positions? I have not changed, this was just reflection on my part.
Megan_B on December 23 at 2:51 p.m.
After 4 months it’s illegal except in cases of harm to the mother.
Sisyphus on December 23 at 2:56 p.m.
The current judicial interpretation of the U.S. Constitution regarding abortion in the United States, following the Supreme Court of the United State’s 1973 landmark decision in Roe v. Wade, and subsequent companion decisions, is that abortion is legal but may be restricted by the states to varying degrees. States have passed laws to restrict late term abortions, require parental notification for minors, and mandate the disclosure of abortion risk information to patients prior to the procedure.

Because of the split between federal and state law, legal access to abortion continues to vary somewhat by state. Geographic availability, however, varies dramatically, with 87 percent of U.S. counties having no abortion provider. Moreover, due to the Hyde Amendment, many state health programs which poor women rely on for their health care do not cover abortions; currently only 17 states (including California, Illinois and New York) offer or require such coverage.

As of April 2007, 36 states had bans on late-term abortions that were not facially unconstitutional (i.e. banning all abortions) or enjoined by court order. In addition, the Supreme Court in the case of Gonzales v. Carhart ruled that Congress may ban certain late-term abortion techniques, “both previability and postviability”.
Cabbage Boy on December 23 at 3:04 p.m.
harm? What about the vanilla “health of the mother” which can be construed to mean about any reason.

No, late term abortions are not illegal. Restricted in some states? Loosely perhaps, and without teeth.
spokelooneh on December 23 at 3:07 p.m.
CB, let me correct myself, yes, your position is unchanged on the matter, but, as I recall, you consistently argued from a non-dogmatic, non-Bible or religion based perspective, that, to you, it was simply a matter of protecting innocent life.
Shannon on December 23 at 3:07 p.m.
Cindy-do you have an attic or crawl space?
mike_s on December 23 at 3:08 p.m.
Speaking of shattering stereotypes, thanks to Spokaneloonah (a liberal commenter) and Larry Spencer (a conservative) for their contributions here in the past couple days.

Both were asked how they are part of the solution.

The conservative (Spencer) provides housing for homeless families. The liberal (Spoke) takes credit for the good works done by others.

“And so this is Christmas … ”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb2YSAVHmIE
Phaedrus on December 23 at 3:13 p.m.
The conservative (Spencer) provides housing for homeless families…

That is assuming you believe LarrySpencer.

An awfully big and dangerous assumption.

(What kind of journalist forms opinions based upon unsubstantiated and self serving comments?)
Cindy_H on December 23 at 3:22 p.m.
Nope,Shannon.
But thanks!
But I did find a couple more in the car.
I think I’m ready to wrap.
spokelooneh on December 23 at 3:24 p.m.
Mike_s, in the Second Harvest project I did, I put in over 130 hours unpaid, over several months with numerous unreimbursed expenses, convincing various managers, selling the plan, developing the logistics, training people, testing the plan, and rolling it out over multiple locations in two states. Due to previous failures in trying to do this, I had to overcome the objections of numerous people, all independent owner-managers.

And if it weren’t Christmas, I’d tell you what I really think about your obsession.

Cheer up, the days are getting longer.
Cindy_H on December 23 at 3:26 p.m.
((spoke)) Christmas cheer award for self-restraint.
Cabbage Boy on December 23 at 3:26 p.m.
Thanks for the clarifcation Spoke. Again, this was just an observation from last Sunday.

Ya’ll have a merry huckster-free Christmas!
mike_s on December 23 at 3:29 p.m.
Thanks Spoke, more people should be as dedicated as you are to helping others and doing good deeds.
Sisyphus on December 23 at 3:39 p.m.
“That is assuming you believe LarrySpencer.”—I believe Larry. I also suspect he does this to get rid of trailers he can’t sell and takes every bit of the tax deduction.

“What about the vanilla “health of the mother” which can be construed to mean about any reason.”—why do you hate mothers CB? So 36 states that have bans in their statutes on late term abortion is not “illegal” in your mind? Actually the stigma (like shooting them) the so called pro life movement puts on doctors providing abortions has done more to restrict availability than the laws passed in these states.
Cabbage Boy on December 23 at 3:40 p.m.
Whatever Sis. You really have turned into a partisan hack.
hmoffsuite on December 23 at 3:42 p.m.
This news item is like a movie. Man in wheelchair with gun and explosives taped to his chest takes hostages in a Post Office.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091223/ap_on_re_us/us_hostage_situation_post_office
hmoffsuite on December 23 at 3:46 p.m.
CB >> :Whatever Sis. You really have turned into a partisan hack.”

Actually, imo, Sis has been pretty consistent over the course of time that I have been around here. No changes that I have detected. :~)
empyrius on December 23 at 7:21 p.m.
I enjoyed reading this thread everybody.

Megan at 1:51 nailed it: good job!

pax vobiscum
richard on December 23 at 7:51 p.m.
I just love to read the abortionists rationalize their views … “It has nothing to do with destroying a fetus, it is about reproductive rights.”

Not only are those words predictable, they are mostly nonsensical. Just what are “reproductive rights?” The corollary of those words would be … having a baby somehow violates those rights. How illogical is that? Where did these rights come from? We are talking about destroying a developing fetus! Who has the right to destroy life? Who gives that kind of “right?” A liberal court is the only answer.

It is time for the spin and the rhetoric to end; except in those instances where there are medical issues or where the woman did not consent to the sex which produced the pregnancy; “reproductive rights” is a euphemism for “I don’t want to be responsible for my actions.”

And I have to blush with embarrassment every time I hear a pro-choice feminist talk about how it is such a “difficult decision” for a woman to make (when the conditions above are not present). Well, if it is so difficult, why do they make it? No one can answer that question either.

There is only one honest answer … they do not want to take responsibility for their actions! And many times they view this decision as a way to overcome their resentment that men don’t get pregnant. They want to equalize the sexual freedom between men and women. Remember, the battle for Roe came right out of the sexual revolution of the 60’ and 70’s; the “free love” age.

So they reject the consequences of their own biology. They want to “rise above” being female and a counterpart to the male. They want to be “excused” from the function of reproduction when it is convenient. And the cynical element of this is that many younger women grow up with the strong influence of this mindset and they have no reference point to question it; they merely accept that those who went before them are “responsible” adults, therefore making it okay. What a legacy for our children.

“Reproductive rights;” is another one of those “liberal rights that are made out of “whole cloth” just like health care is a “right.” No it isn’t. That is illogical to every notion of what a “right” is. Just a liberal notion.
Phaedrus on December 23 at 7:57 p.m.
Where did these rights come from?

The Supreme Court.
richard on December 23 at 7:58 p.m.
Forgot another point to consider.

why don’t these women who want the freedom without the responsibility … why don’t they just have a historectomy? that way, if a “mistake” happens there are no consequences … especially to a fetus destined to be a living breathing human being like everyone of you.

think about it.

Especially you, Sis. and I triple the motion that you are but a hack!
LarrySpencer on December 23 at 8:14 p.m.
OK, I’m gonna hijack this thread now.

I’m baking a couple german chocolate cakes, does anybody know how to make the cakes bake without the center being twice as high as the edges?

Signed, NotLarrySpencer (‘cause he would never bake a cake!)
spokelooneh on December 23 at 8:45 p.m.
Why is the abortion rate so damned high in the red states?

Oh, that’s right, it’s the hypocrisy, stupid.
Bent on December 23 at 9:10 p.m.
Lol… This blog is cracking me up tonight…

Larry, are making double round cakes or a sheet cake?
eagleeye on December 23 at 9:12 p.m.
Ok Not Larry Spencer,

Take a dish towel and get it wet. Wring the water out of it and wrap the edge of the pan all around it with the damp dish towel.
May need two towels to go all the way around. Use pins to hold the towels together. Bake as normal.
spokelooneh on December 23 at 9:14 p.m.
No baking skills here, Larry, none, beyond “set the temp at and bake for…”

Good luck with that though. They’ll probably like it however it turns out. Use extra frosting.
Bent on December 23 at 9:15 p.m.
Wow, nice tip eagleeye! I was going to to talk through the salvage techniques…
lew2nl on December 24 at 12:37 a.m.
I cut strips of heavy toweling the height of the cake pans, secure wet toweling strips around perimeter of cake pans with pins, bake as usual. (Wash the strips and save them for another time.) OR buy air-bake cake pans and the product always comes out level on top.
Phaedrus on December 24 at 8:32 a.m.
How does the material not burn?
Sisyphus on December 24 at 9:02 a.m.
I’ll see your hack and raise you an arrogant prick. All those points you raise are certainly considerations a woman can make but you are so self-servingly patrimonious that you would use the power of government to enforce your views, and only your views, on all women when considering how to deal with a pregnancy. The whole point of Roe v. Wade isn’t to legitimize abortion, but to keep patronizing jackasses from using law to tell everyone they know best on how to deal with something as personal as their own body. And after your screed I’m certainly glad Roe is in place.

Good on you Larry. I hope your cakes didn’t fall.
hmoffsuite on December 24 at 9:17 a.m.
I rarely speak on the subject of abortion. I don’t condone it nor do I support it. However, I do think it is a decision that a woman should be able to make. And, a decision she has to live with, for the rest of her life. And, also, fwiw, I don’t happen to think it is something that should be handled at the Federal level. Particularily, I don’t think it should be federally funded. I think it should be something for the individual States to deal with.
Bent on December 24 at 9:31 a.m.
I knew a girl in high school who actually paid another girl (a bully) to punch her in the stomach repeatedly until she miscarried a baby… that disgusted me terribly when I found out. I asked her best friend how she could let her go through with that, she told me it beats using a coat hanger… sad, horribly sad… ban abortions and we’ll see a lot more of that behavior… I don’t condone it, but I think I hate the alternative a little more…
spokelooneh on December 24 at 2:29 p.m.
Man, that’s really messed up, Bent.

The nations with the least restrictive abortion laws have the lower rates of abortion than nations where it is heavily restricted.
Stickman on December 26 at 3:39 p.m.
For me it’s simple. It’s not a choice, it’s a baby.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.