Archive for November 2009
Update: You can read a copy of Brannon’s lawsuit here (sorry it’s upside-down)
The losing candidate in a Coeur d’Alene City Council
race on Monday filed a lawsuit challenging the race, naming all council
members as defendants, along with the mayor, the city clerk, and
Kootenai County’s clerk and elections manager. In the November general election, Jim Brannon lost to
incumbent City Councilman Mike Kennedy by five votes, according to
results tallied and published by the Kootenai County elections office. Brannon said in a news release that he didn’t intend
the lawsuit as an indictment, but said with a race that close, he owed
it to the voters to ensure the race was conducted correctly/Alison Boggs, SR. Complete story below.
At As The Lake Churns, Pecky Cox writes: “I can’t wait for more snow! In the meantime here is this (photo) taken at Hill’s Resort — Hills’ afternoon delight and Martini break”
Today’s the day that local political buffs have anticipated since it became apparent that challenger Jim Brannon wasn’t in a hurry to ask for a recount in his 5-vote loss to incumbent Mike Kennedy. Brannon has until closing time this afternoon to make a formal request for the recount. Then, there’s some thought that Brannon’s allies might begin action in a long-shot attempt to overturn the entire election, including the tight race won by 29 votes by incumbent Deanna Goodlander over challenger Dan Gookin. ‘Twill be an interesting day. So I’ll play the Wild Card now and watch for fireworks …
I have a police scanner on in the background when I’m working on the computer and around noon on Sunday heard a call that had me shaking my head. A woman calls 911 and tells them that she wants her mother-in-law removed from her home. The mother-in-law’s “crime” you ask? Well, according to her son, who was on a seperate call to 911 from a back bedroom where he was hiding, his wife had been out of town and he didn’t know she was returning today when he asked his mom to come over and cut his hair/KerriT, More Main Street. More here.
Question: Are you surprised by some of the calls made to the 911 dispatch center (that you read on Scanner Traffic)?
Posts KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho: “The 24-foot-wide pine wreath on the parking garage of the Coeur d’Alene Resort reminds us of the year about to come to an end. Weighing nearly 3 tons, the wreath is handcrafted each year by Post Falls florist, Connie O’Neil.”
A dog rests with his owner at the third annual “Dogathon,” in Mexico City Sunday. Thousands of dogs took part in the races, running either 1500 meters or 3000 meters with their owners in tow along a horsetrack in the city. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
Top Cutlines:
At his perch high above the downtown, Don Sausser offers this view of the Coeur d’Alene Resort lights.
Melissa had always been too big for this town, her father liked to say. She was editor of the school newspaper, intern in the United States Senate and the only student from Sentinel High School’s class of 2005 to attend college on the East Coast. On her rare visits home from George Washington University, old friends liked to tease her: “Hey Melissa, are you president yet?” So, how to explain this? Each morning, Melissa wakes up in her old bedroom, scans the foreign decor and thinks: This is the guest room now. I am the guest. I am not supposed to be here. She graduated magna cum laude from the GW business school in May, applied for 30 jobs at some of America’s best-known companies, and heard nothing/Eli Saslow, Washington Post. More here.
Question: Do you know of any bright college grads who are having a rough time getting a job?
Tiffiny Ryan, left, sister of slain Lakewood police officer Tina Griswold, speaks to the media in Spokane alongside Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick during a press conference this afternoon. (Jesse Tinsley/SR)
The sister of a police officer shot to death in a Lakewood coffee shop made a tearful plea today for the arrest of the suspect. “My worst nightmare has come true,” said Tiffiny Ryan, who works in the records department at the Spokane Police Department. Standing with her husband, Spokane County sheriff’s deputy Beau Vucinich, Ryan described her sister, Tina Griswold, as “the world to me” and said she wants the killer “to know what he took from us.” Griswold and three colleagues were gunned down Sunday morning as they sat with their computers preparing for the day. Since the shooting, Spokane police have been told not to do reports or other computer work in public places/Meghann M. Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
I have
a love-hate relationship with coffee. I married a beautiful, wonderful woman who LOVES coffee. My son and my daughter LOVE coffee. I LOVE reading my son’s Coffee Blog. And I hate the taste of coffee. … 4 sips in my soon-to-be-54-years…aghh…yuck. And yet I LOVE the social aspects of coffee shops (other than those in Amsterdam…hmmm). I LOVE the smell of coffee; the scents of so many different roasts that so my family and friends seem to love/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how much do you enjoy coffee?
Applebee’s will be donating 10% of its proceeds to buy a specially built tricycle for former Coeur d’Alene police officer Mike Kralicek from individuals who present the above coupon while buying a meal at the restaurant Tuesday. Officer Kralicek was wounded in the line of duty several years ago.
Before joining the Lakewood Police Department, Tina Griswold earned a reputation as a hard-
charging, well-liked officer in Lacey who never let things slide when it came to officer safety. When she would make stops, she would use her flashlight the right way and approach cars correctly. When she would go to a disturbance call, she would go by all the appropriate tactics taught at the academy,” said Lacey police Cmdr. John Suessman, who knew Griswold during her days on patrol in the city of 39,000 outside Olympia. “She was one of those officers you never had to remind. She had excellent survival skills and that’s why it is so hard for me to believe that someone could ambush her,” he said/Scott Gutierrez, Seattle P-I. More here.
It’s likely to the point of moral certainty that someone you know will try in the next few days to 
foist turkey tetrazzini upon your good self — made, of course, with the remnants of last week’s main course. Resist. Tetrazzini, you see, is American — not Italian — fare containing fowl or seafood in a white sauce served over spaghetti. Invented by Ernest Arbogast, chef at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, the dish is named after Italian opera star Luisa Tetrazzini. La Tetrazzini, a soprano who was as wide as she was tall, wouldn’t touch the stuff. She had, you see, standards. “I’m old, I’m fat, but I’m still Tetrazzini,” she would say. So this week, have a hot dog for lunch instead. And mind that it’s not a turkey frank/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: What is the most creative use of Thanksgiving leftovers that you’ve eaten?
Sarah Palin greets a crowd with her son Trig as she makes an appearance to sign copies of her book “Going Rogue” at Hasting book store in Richland, Wash. on Sunday. Thousands showed up for Palin’s book signing in the Tri-Cities. (AP Photo/Tri-City Herald, Paul T. Erickson)
CoeurGenX:
This is the reason the jail expansion needed to be done.. There are many people right now running around our town who should be incarcerated, but we don’t have the room for them.. Gosh I hate to say this, but I wish the vote was tomorrow after this happening.. My dad was a cop, and my brother is now. I cannot imagine what those families are going through.. Its aweful to comprehend!
Question: Are you related to a police officer?
Ramon Villalobos and his wife Raquel prepare poinsettias for shipment last week at SunWest Growers in Sunnyside, Wash. About 30,000 of the Christmas flowers are shipped not only to Tri-City nurseries and florist shops but from Ellensburg to Baker City, Ore., as well. (AP Photo/Richard Dickin, Tri-City Herald) Question: Do you usually buy poinsettias to brighten up your holidays?
Chief Wayne Longo informs Huckleberries Online that he will be sending an honor guard to 
participate in the funerals of the four Lakewood Police Department officers murdered Sunday morning. Noting that the parents of slain officer Tina Griswold (pictured) lives in Coeur d’Alene, Longo said the Coeur d’Alene Police Department will be accepting donations and/or cards of condolences for the Lakewood Police Department. Cards or donations dropped off at the Coeur d’Alene Police Department will be taken by the honor guard to Lakewood. Checks should be made to Lakewood Police Independent Guild or LPIG. (Or contributions can be sent to the Lakewood Police Independent Guild, Benevolence Fund, P.O. Box 99579, Lakewood, WA 98499) You can read the Lakewood Department’s response to Sunday’s senseless tragedy here.
On the Sunday thread, Lizard People took great exception to the use of the term “teabag” or “teabaggers” to refer to individuals that take part in the Tea Party movement. Unquestionably, 
the original intent of liberals and some media people in using the term was derogatory. The term refers to a sado-masochistic practice involving submission. However, some original Tea Party members referred to themselves as Tea Baggers and the term has become so widespread that it has taken on a new meaning, as a term that refers to the Tea Party movement. According to Wikipedia (link here, caution: slang use vulgar), “The term’s growth in the political arena earned attention by the Oxford American Dictionary, and it achieved finalist status for the OAD Word of the Year.” Gary Crooks, of the SR’s editorial page, tells Huckleberries that he originally killed posts to the blog, A Matter of Opinion, that originally used the term. But now he’s reconsidering because it usage has become widespread as a political designation. Larry Spencer called this morning to say that he rarely is offended by language. But he finds the term offensive. What do you think?
Question: Should posts that use the term “tea bag” or “tea baggers” to refer to the Tea Party movement or individuals within the movement be allowed at Huckleberries Online?
As you know, Jim Brannon has until 5 p.m. today to ask the state for an official recount of his 5-vote loss to incumbent Mike Kennedy in the Nov. 3 Coeur d’Alene municipal election. Also, those who may seek to challenge the election entirely have the same deadline for filing an action with the 1st District Court. It’s anyone’s guess what will happen — except those who have been dragging their heels and extending this matter out as long as possible.
This photo taken Friday and provided by the celebrity Web site TMZ.com shows a Cadillac Escalade that Tiger Woods crashed into a tree outside his home in Windermere, Fla. Woods has refused to grant an interview re: the crash to the Florida Highway Patrol, issuing a statement instead that the matter is private. More here. (AP Photo/TMZ) Question: What should Tiger do?
I watch store clerks working themselves to a frazzle during the Christmas season and I realize 
how easy their job is this time of year. I have worked in such jobs and I tell you the easiest work is the hardest work because it makes the day move so rapidly. If you want to see a hard job, go watch the store clerks on a weekday in July. There you will see them standing around, waiting for customers, folding and refolding the merchandise, repeatedly glancing at their watches and sighing a lot. Einstein understood store clerks during the dead days of summer because Einstein understood relativity. He knew that a busy day races by whereas a day without anything to do lasts almost forever. Everything is relative/Bill Hall, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Would you rather be slammed with work on the job — or be forced to look for things to do on a slow day?
The
mayor listed a half page full in last week’s edition of the Sandpoint Reader, Sandpoint’s alternative newsweekly. They had to do with who would own and maintain the depot in the future and whether and how to keep it even if the city loses its Amtrak stop. Money figured significantly as well—who would provide it, how much was needed, and whether any would be generated. Councilman John Reuter provided a definitive answer to many of them on the same page: “Instead of asking: ‘Should we save the Depot?’ We must ask: What will it take and what can we do to save the Depot?’”/Cate Huisman, New West. More here.
Question: Do you think the old depot in Sandpoint is worth saving?
This combination of photos provided by the City of Lakewood, Wash., shows, from left to right, Lakewood police officers Greg Richards, 42, Tina Griswold, 40, Ronald Owens, 37, and Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39. The four were killed when a gunman opened fire on them at a Parkland, Wash. coffee store on Sunday. Griwold’s parents live in Coeur d’Alene. KXLY story here. (AP Photos/City of Lakewood)
Question: Any thoughts re: the horrific murders of the four Lakewood officers Sunday?
OrangeTV: As a non-religious person who doesn’t give much though to Jesus’ various bodily fluids, I 
actually enjoy the shallow commercialization of the holidays and find it slightly un-American when people complain about it. I like mindless consumption. I like plastic crap. If the season were more religious, I wouldn’t feel compelled to celebrate it at all. As it is, the holidays have completely lost their meaning, and that suits me just fine. To me, it’s become just more of a time to make your house look festive and pretty, spend lots of time with friends and family, have fun shopping for interesting gifts, and making really good food one mostly only sees around this time of year.
Question: What’s the reason for season for you?
Coeur d’Alene will become the farthest Northwest home of the Texas Roadhouse restaurant 
chain when it occupies an existing building at 402 W. Neider Ave. in late March. The building originally was an auto parts store and most recently housed a log furniture business. Now with about 310 restaurants in 44 states, Texas Roadhouse specializes in barbecue items and features steaks, ribs, burgers, chicken and fish and has sides of salads, chili, bread and a kids’ menu. The places also have a section selling apparel and music items. With its headquarters in Louisville, Ky., the chain’s Web site indicates the company is looking for additional sites in the Northwest and California/Nils Rosdahl, Handle Extra. More here.
Question: Any Texas Roadhouse fans out there?
Owners Dino and Fotini Tsakarestos weren’t just whistling “Saranta Palikaria” when they chose 
the word “Authentic” to land before “Greek Food” in all their ads. They arrived from Crete in the ‘70s, and have 30 years behind them in the restaurant world. The reason for their good reputation is apparent right away, with instantly warm service and a menu bound to make any empty tummy roar. Appetizers consist of both old standbys and uncommon discoveries, including the beefy, lemony stuffed grape leaves known as Dolmades, Spanakopita (spinach and feta baked into layers of filo), and Saganaki (a plate of rich Kasseri Cheese sautéed and brandy and served with pita bread). I like the simplicity of kicking off with pita slices and a bowl of tangy roasted red pepper hummus/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: How often do you eat genuine Greek food?
Michael Ramirez/Investor’s Business Daily
I enjoyed sampling some nicely aged Bent beer at the Bentfest in Stickman’s driveway Saturday afternoon. Me sums up the Bentfest (photos here): “I just got back home from Bentfest and had a great time. I also now have a coveted stick made my Stickman. I didn’t tell Stickman tonight, but should have - I have been looking at walking sticks all over on our travels, almost purchasing one a few times - but I always stopped myself because I wanted one from Stickman - now I have one!!! Bent and his wife were there, Stickman, Cindy, Jeanie and Mechanic Man, Florine and DFO stopped by and brought his daughters boyfriend as well. The fire was warm and it was so nice to finally meet some of the Merry Hucksters!” Also, Florine is beginning to talk about Blogfest 2010, which happens in mid-February. All in good time. Before then, we need to put an end to the November Coeur d’Alene election without end amen. We’ll try to do that Monday. For today, I’ll play this Wild Card and get rested for another big week …
Utah State running back Derrvin Speight (21) breaks loose into the Idaho backfield during the second quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow. Utah State won 52-49. ESPN boxscore here. (AP Photo/Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Dean Hare)
They met a few feet outside the media room, the backup quarterback pressed into action and the coach who had just finished trying to express his jumbled emotions. When Robb Akey saw backup quarterback Brian Reader, all he could think to do was provide a bear hug and words of consolation. “I thought it would be a fantastic finish,” the Vandals coach said to Reader. “I thought you would be the hero of the day.” But no, the late-game thrills that had come to define Idaho’s season inside the Kibbie Dome didn’t materialize Saturday. The Vandals coughed up the ball twice in the fourth quarter and absorbed a 52-49 loss to Utah State in their regular-season finale/Josh Wright, SR. More here.
Question: Will you consider Idaho’s season successful, if it doesn’t get a bowl bid?
It is now time to consider once more, a realignment of schools and
conferences. For many years, 
Washington State has proven with only one
or two exceptions that they can’t compete regularly in the PAC-ten.
Then we have number 6 ranked Boise State, 12 and zip, once more.
clearly, they are overmatching the WAC conference and need to move to a
higher plain. I propose that WSU and Boise State switch conferences,
with WSU going to the WAC where they should be able to compete year
after year. Boise State, on the other hand, can’t get respect because
of the inferior competition they face. Simple solution? Have Boise
State join the PAC-ten where there would have every chance to excel, if
they can/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here.
Question: What do you think of Herb’s idea — for Boise State and Washington State to switch conferences?
We’ll have to wait until Monday to see if challenger Jim Brannon is going to file a request for a recount in his 5-vote loss to incumbent Mike Kennedy in their Coeur d’Alene City Council race. Or to see if there’s some kind of attempt to overthrow the election results entirely. Meanwhile, we have Idaho’s attempt to win an 8th game and a bowl big today, along with the annual Apple Cup. Also, the Bentfest will take place at Stickman’s at 3 o’clock. Finally, a personal observation. If you missed Friday’s winter parade and tree lighting ceremony on the waterfront, you missed the best one ever on both accounts. All involved should take a bow. And now for your Wild Card …
This photo released by the White House Friday shows President Barack Obama greeting Michaele and Tareq Salahi, right, at a State Dinner hosted by Obama for Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the White House in Washington Tuesday. The Secret Service is looking into its own security procedures after determining that the uninvited Virginia couple managed to slip into the dinner. Story here. (AP Photo/The White House, Samantha Appleton)
Question: Was this a crime, or just an embarrassment for the Secret Service? (BTW, have you ever crashed a party?)
Digger: Alot of the items we sell on Black Friday are tied to an “Dealer
Credit” with the vendor — if 
we sell the unit on Black Friday then we
get a certain $ amount back for all sales of the item that day. Example — Samsung Blu Ray player - I purchased at $172 each for
Black Friday, sale price of $149.99 — dealer credit of $25 for each
unit sold, leaving me a profit margin of $2.00 — So no sale on Black
Friday = having to try to get the higher retail of the item later. Even
at the same margin we’re still only at $174.99 = $25 off (which isn’t
a bad price for the unit in question.) Black Friday is a loss leader for retailers and I’ve never
understood the concept. But, its a necessary evil, especially when you
are a franchise of a national chain because they’re advertising for the
corporate stores. Oh well, it is what it is and we move on.
Question: Which item was your best buy on Black Friday?
When the Idaho Vandals try to win a Senior Day game for the first time since 2004, all eyes will be 
on the quarterback position. Nathan
Enderle is expected to play Saturday against Utah State after missing
the past two games with a shoulder injury, and the Vandals (7-4, 4-3
WAC) must contend with dual-threat QB Diondre Borel, who led the Aggies
(3-8, 2-5) to a blowout win over Idaho last year. “I was pretty embarrassed with the way we played in that ball game,” said Idaho coach Robb Akey of the 42-17 loss. Containing
Borel will be critical in reversing that outcome, which would give
Idaho its first win in November since a Senior Day win over Arkansas
State in Pullman, Wash., in 2004/Nick Jezierny, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Prediction?
Churches in Idaho, being assisted by businessmen and women, will be
using $10,000 to pay 
parking tickets for anyone and everyone…until
the money runs out. It’s called the Grace Gift Parable. The principle behind this parable is what? Paying the debts legitimately owed by people who have broken the law? Yep. And that really torques some people off … Some have questioned (during a previous event in 2004): Shouldn’t this money have been used for the poor - especially at this holiday time of the year? People don’t deserve this so-called grace, do they? Isn’t this a publicity stunt? Interesting questions, though I sort of sense that honest answers may help honest questions/Dennis Mansfield. More here.
Question: What do you think of Boise churches paying $10,000 worth of parking tickets for anyone and everyone?
Calling someone “quirky” isn’t always a compliment. If someone were
to say, for example, that a 
woman you liked had quirky talents as a
lover, you’d think twice about jumping into the sack with her. Not that
you wouldn’t, ultimately, but you’d likely hesitate. Putting it
in baseball terms, if as a manager someone recommended a DH or closer
to you by saying they had a quirky sense of the game, you’d hesitate
before going to them in a clutch situation. There’s just no predicting
the results of quirk, except that they’re likely to be interesting. When
it comes to filmmaking, quirky isn’t always a negative. Sometimes, in
fact, it’s a strength, which is especially true when the filmmaker in
question is Wes Anderson. In
trying to describe the work of Anderson, which ranges from “Rushmore”
to “The Royal Tenenbaums,” “Bottle Rocket” to “The Life Acquatic with
Steve Zissou,” the word quirky seems to fit just fine. And that’s exactly the word I would use to describe “Fantastic Mr. Fox,” Anderson’s latest, a charming little animated adaptation of the Roald Dahl children’s book/Dan Webster, Movies & More. More here
Question: When did you last use the word ‘quirky’ to describe someone or something?
Shoppers choose outfits after stripping down to their underwear at a store of the clothing retailer ‘Joy’ in central London Thursday. Shoppers queued up for the opening of the store as the retailer gave away free outfits to their first 25 customers who were dress in just their underwear on the launch day of the store. (AP Photo/Akira Suemori)
Question: Would you stand in line in your underwear to win a free outfit?
Mmm… Nothing better than my homemade apple pie and freshly brewed coffee for breakfast. As usual I had to hide a slice from the menfolk so I could enjoy my traditional day-after breakfast. Hope you all enjoyed the blessings of food and family yesterday. I know I sure did.
I have never shopped on Black Friday. Never. Not fond of morning, or crowds, or malls. So it’s really no sacrifice to hang out with you folks today. (But don’t tell Dave that.)
Do you have any day-after-Thanksgiving traditions? Feel free to talk about those or anything else on this Wild Card.
PM: Barry Manilow is crooning “Guess There Ain’t No Santa Clause,” the aroma of turkey noodle soup is filling the house, and I’ve got boxes of decorations on every available surface. I think I enjoy Black Friday even more than Thanksgiving :-)
Reminder: Tomorrow afternoon starting around 3 Hucksters will be gathering in Stickman’s driveway, just across from the back parking lot at Tubbs Hill. Bring your favorite beverage, and maybe a chair or two, dress warmly and join us around the woodstove. Hope to see you there.
President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrive for the state arrival ceremony in the East Room of the White House on Tuesday. Associated Press photos.
“President Obama is days away from announcing a new Afghan strategy, but his immediate battle could come from liberals within his own party who are vowing to “spank” the president for committing tens of thousands of more troops to the eight-year conflict.
In a prime-time speech Tuesday from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, Obama is expected to announce that he is sending up to 35,000 additional troops to Afghanistan beginning next year.
The figure is short of the 40,000 troops his top commander in Afghanistan, Gen. Stanley McChrystal, requested — but enough to anger many congressional Democrats who oppose any potential troop surge, arguing that the mission is too expensive and lacks a clear objective.
Nothing like ending the day with a story from Fox news. I do this as a favor to my left bank friends, who may be drowsy from too much turkey and trimmings.
Do you think Obama can craft an Afghan strategy that will garner wide support?
From left, Ella Bleu Travolta, John Travolta and Conner Rayburn in “Old Dogs,” a comedy also starring Robin Williams. Disney
If you’re looking to see a movie this weekend, here’s a roundup.
Reviewers aren’t kind to Travolta or Williams, but are giving good reviews to Viggo Mortensen even if “The Road, is a downer. Since, I’ve only read the first 12 pages of the book, I won’t be seeing the movie this weekend. “Ninja Assassins” might be fun.
However, none of these flicks are Christmasy enough for my clan. We’re going to see “A Christmas Carol” at the Imax.
Got any movie plans?
The folks at A.V. Club have compiled a list of the best books of the 00’s. No, “Going Rogue” didn’t make the cut.
Among their non-fiction picks: Devil in the White City, Freakonomics and Nixonland.
Ficton picks include: Atonement, Bel Canto and The Blind Assassin.
What books would you add to the list?
Cincinnati’s Steve Toyloy has his shot blocked by GU’s Will Foster in the first half of title game.
(Full-size photo) (All photos)
So much for stealth. So much for muted optimism and measured expectations, and a Gonzaga basketball season with an almost pre-1999 dynamic. The Zags blew their cover this week. Perhaps they weren’t informed of the plan to keep it down to a low hum. By Monday, they will find themselves back in the Top 25, as if they’d just gone away for a long weekend. Their most obsessive devotees will once again be torn between starting their day with a double grande mocha or a check of the RPI/John Blanchette, SR. More here.
Question: What ranking will the Zags have when the new polls come out?
It’s been nice having our oldest son at home for the holiday. He’s part of an urban ministry program at a local church and travels quite a bit.
For the past few years, he’s gotten up early on Black Friday to shop with his girlfriend (or friend depending on the status of their relationship.) They’ve known each other since birth and have dated off and on throughout high school.
Last night my son said, “I’m not going shopping with Caryssa, tomorrow.” They’d broken up over the summer and she has a new boyfriend. However, I was suprised because no matter the state of their romance they’ve always been friends and they have a lot of little traditions like this that they keep no matter what. But my son said, “It’s not good for me to be with her right now. I miss her too much and it just makes me sad, so when she called I said, ‘Not this year.’
I’m proud of him, But I wonder… Is it possible to be “just friends” with someone you’ve been in love with? I wonder….
ORLANDO, Fla. — Tiger Woods was seriously injured in a car accident early Friday when his car struck a tree near his mansion in a gated waterfront community, authorities said.
The Florida Highway Patrol said Woods, 33, hit the hydrant and a tree after pulling out of his driveway in his 2009 Cadillac sports utility vehicle.
Update: Treated and released in good condition.
Camels crowd a drinking trough, pushing horses out of the way in Northern Territory, Australia.
ALICE SPRINGS, Australia – Australian authorities plan to corral about 6,000 wild camels with helicopters and gun them down after they overran a small Outback town in search of water, trampling fences, smashing tanks and contaminating supplies.
Does PETA know about this?
A Mario Brothers video game is projected onto a large screen on stage, as the Los Angeles Philharmonic plays for the premiere of the debut performance of Video Games Live at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
“I now pronounce you husband and what?!
In another sign that the world is about to collapse, multiple blogs are reporting that a fan of the Nintendo DS dating sim Love Plus (you know, the really creepy one) liked his virtual lady so much that he decided to marry her. For real.
Apparently, a Japanese gamer known as ‘Sal9000’ was officially wed to Nene Anegasaki, one of the game’s three virtual girlfriends, in what must have been the weirdest ceremony in the history of ceremonies. We can only assume that Ms. Pac-Man was the maid of honor.”
Which naturally leads me to ask: “If you could marry a video game character or any other fictional character, who would you choose?”
WASHINGTON – Troubled by the rising jobless rate, President Barack Obama and the Democratic majority in Congress are assembling a new jobs package that would devote billions of dollars to projects meant to put people back on payrolls in 2010 and keep them working.
Discussions over the scale of the bill are fluid, but lawmakers said the intent was to move swiftly and get a jobs bill to Obama’s desk as early as January.
The renewed push to create jobs is driven by a recognition that the $787 billion stimulus program enacted in February is not a sufficient remedy for an unemployment rate that stands at 10.2 percent. Nearly 16 million people were unemployed as of October, and 3.49 million jobs have been lost since January – the first month of Obama’s presidency, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. More here.
Now. How do you suppose lawmakers will suggest paying for this package?
But according to Dealnews.com, the easiest way to save money on Black Friday is to stay home and shop online. PC magazine provides a list of the top 6 best Black Friday websites here.
Aside from my Amazon habit, I don’t do much online shopping. Do you have favorite online shopping sites?
A Skier on Mt Spokane
“Skiing ramps up Friday with the opening of the Mount Spokane, Schweitzer and Silver Mountain ski areas. The region’s other two ski resorts – 49 Degrees North and Lookout Pass – opened over the past two weekends.”
My menfolk are hitting the cross country trails tomorrow. I’m going to Stickmans. I think both are healthy choices :-)
Sendal Hudson and Colton Thiede model raccoon hats that were worn during colonial times in North America. Fifth-graders at Opportunity Elementary School hosted their annual Sail America Expo on Tuesday, where they acted as travel agents and tried to convince parents and visitors to settle in their colony.
You write the cutline.
By the time Friday rolls around, this turkey, dressing and cranberry sandwich can be yours with just a few Thanksgiving dinner leftovers.
So. If you’re fortunate enough to have any leftover turkey, stuffing, potatoes etc. how do you enjoy them? I’ve got a huge vat of turkey stock simmering on the stove in preparation for tonight’s turkey noodle soup. I also can’t resist a bite or two of cold dressing.
What are your leftover plans?
In this Nov. 28, 2008, file photo, Nassau County Police examine the front of the Wal-Mart in Valley Stream, N.Y., where a temporary Wal-Mart worker died after shoppers broke down the doors and trampled him.
Folks take their Black Friday shopping seriously, and there are some good deals to be found.
But stories like the one below give me pause.
VALLEY STREAM, N.Y. – Victoria Rogers had originally planned to make an early stop the day after Thanksgiving last year at the Wal-Mart store in Valley Stream on Long Island. Her last-minute decision against it might have saved her life.
“We saw the mob, and we said no,” she said. “Wal-Mart’s not the store.”
What she saw that day was no ordinary crowd of shoppers, but a throng police say jammed through the doors upon the store’s opening in a mad dash for holiday savings, trampling a guard to death. More here.
Can you think of any bargain worth waiting in line for hours, and risking life and limb to obtain?
“Michaele and Tareq Salahi like a good party, an attorney who knows them said Thursday, and maybe that’s why the couple from Virginia’s horse country didn’t look out of place at the White House state dinner for the Indian prime minister.
They were all smiles as they rubbed shoulders with Vice President Joe Biden, White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, Washington Mayor Adrian Fenty and CBS News anchor Katie Couric.
No one suspected the Salahis were a couple of brazen party crashers — and wannabe reality TV stars.”
Have you ever crashed a party? Ever wanted to?
Spokane Vocational Skills Center school student Brian Hartmeier, left, adds water while instructor Chuck Sauer, second from left, demonstrates how to mix cement for footings for the new deck for the house being refurbished by student labor on the 2000 block of East Decatur Street in northeast Spokane. The house is owned by the city of Spokane, and a group of high school students will spend one to two years rebuilding the run-down structure, learning construction skills.
In a small corner of northeast Spokane, a dilapidated house is slowly becoming a home. The house isn’t the product of an “Extreme Makeover” television program; it’s collaboration between the city of Spokane and the Spokane Vocational Skills Center construction class. More here.
How would you feel if your kid/s chose to go to trade school instead of college?
Michael Ramirez/Investor’s Business Daily
That study inspired me to keep my own thankfulness diary. I
discovered an amazing thing – 
counting my blessings, no matter how
small, shifted my perspective. While my difficulties didn’t disappear,
my attitude changed, and that made all the difference. I remembered that lesson as I nestled into my burgundy Egyptian
cotton sheets, covered by a quilt that had been lovingly stitched by
friends. The rich smell of coffee, thoughtfully brewed by my husband
before he left for work, enveloped the house. I heard one son turn the shower on and another foraging for
breakfast in the kitchen. And in the darkness of the autumn morning, a
gratitude list began to form in my head. Soft sheets, hot showers,
coffee. … The problems of the day didn’t evaporate. But their
importance shrank, and my funk faded in the brilliant light
of gratitude/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Question: What small blessings do you take for granted?
Happy Thanksgiving Day to all of you who are in the extended family of Huckleberries Online, from Idawa in Seattle on the West Coast to Marmitetoasty within spitting distance of the English Channel. I’m going to enjoy the day with family, eating turkey at my house and then driving two miles north to enjoy dessert at Frito Ray’s. I put together a coupla things below, if you have a little time between stuffing the bird and stuffing yourself to share some thoughts. As always, you can play this Wild Card to launch your own topics …
There’s at least one Post Falls
family who might have a difficult time celebrating Thanksgiving after 
a
thief was spotted stealing someone’s turkey early Thursday morning.Eyewitness
Eric Ator was coming out of Peak Fitness, located at 927 East Polston
Avenue in Post Falls, when he spotted the thief carrying what appears
to be an uncooked turkey still in its wrapping heading running down the
street. The thief ignored Ator and fled the scene.From photos
that Ator took of the individual as he fled down the street it appears
the bandit was a yellow Labrador Retriever with a dark brown collar.It’s not known who the Lab’s humans are or whether or not he is related to the family that is now out one Thanksgiving turkey/Rob Kauder, KXLY. More here.
Question: Has a dog ever stolen or damaged your property?
Cincinnati center Steve Toyloy (42) and Gonzaga center Robert Sacre (00) get into a shoving match early in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Wednesday at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. Gonzaga won the tournament by beating Cincinnati in overtime 61-59. You can read Jim Meehan’s Sportslink game story (plus photos) here and his color story here. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)
Bookended by 9/11 at the start and a financial wipeout at the end,
the first 10 years of this 
century will very likely go down as the most
dispiriting and disillusioning decade Americans have lived through in
the post–World War II era. We’re still weeks away from the end of ‘09,
but it’s not too early to pass judgment. Call it the Decade from Hell,
or the Reckoning, or the Decade of Broken Dreams, or the Lost Decade.
Call it whatever you want — just give thanks that it is nearly over. (See TIME’s photo-essay “The 10 Worst Things About the Worst Decade Ever.”) Calling the 2000s “the worst” may seem an overwrought label in a
decade in which we fought no major wars, in historical terms. It is a
sadly appropriate term for the families of the thousands of 9/11
victims and soldiers and others killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. But the
lack of a large-scale armed conflict makes these past 10 years stand
out that much more. This decade was as awful as any peacetime decade in
the nation’s entire history/Time. More here.
Question: Can you think of a decade in your lifetime that was as bad as the one that we’ve just been through?
JohnA: Doggone it, Bent. Always having a beerfest at Stickman’s when we’re out of town. Deena and I can’t imagine a better afternoon than sharing a beer
with you and the Stickman, under the ever-present beauty of Tubbs Hill.
One of these days, we’ll have to make the CDA River thing work out so
we can bring the HBO gang to God’s Country.Gosh, just thinking about north Idaho makes me wish we were home…
Question: Which Bent beer is your favorite?
Me:
What do you have for Thanksgiving
dinner - the must haves. My Sister spent some time in the South and was
so surprised by what they had for Thanksgiving compared to us: Roast turkey; Sage stuffing (celery, onion, sage, bread); Mashed potatoes; gravy; corn; cranberry (the canned jelled stuff); sweet potaoes (with brown sugar and butter); pull apart rolls; green bean casserole; maybe a fruit salad (can of fruit dumped in a container of cool whip); pumpkin pie. Then later a turkey sandwhich with ruffle potato chips.
Question: Will there be a “must have” food on your table today that’s unusual?
Idaho Dad: I just checked my records and saw that my first email to DFO about
his new blog was in 
March of 2004. He inspired me to then start my own
blog in May of 2004. It’s been a wild ride since then, and my life has
certainly changed in a hugely positive way through my blog. After nearly six years of reading, writing, and commenting, I still
enjoy it. I’ve watched other parenting blogs come and go, as moms and
dads look for the right mix of topics to discuss and personal
information to reveal. I think the main reason for my continued success is the tried and
true recipe that DFO has been serving up here for so long, and which
all of us local bloggers try to emulate.
Question: How long have you been hanging out at Huckleberries Online. Why did you first come here?
Escapee: One of the roughest jobs I had was as a Salvation Army Bell-ringer,
becoming so cold, 
that once I got back home, I had to sit in front of
my forced-air heater for an hour before I finally felt normal. One
winter I rang the bell in front of a supermarket located in the
northern part of town. The store wouldn’t let me come into the foyer
where the carts are kept, to ring the bell. I was forced to stand in
sub-zero temperatures with a chill factor that year, bell in hand. Half
a year later, I came in to buy some stuff there. Inside the door was a
bake sale by some civic group, and THEY were allowed inside the store.
I thought about delivering a six-month-late complaint to the store’s
manager but it would’ve just fallen on deaf ears, wouldn’t it? Full post below.
Question: How often do you donate to bell-ringers?
Gonzaga guard Steven Gray, left, and Cincinnati guard Larry Davis dive for a loose basketball in the first half of an NCAA college basketball game tonight at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. The Zags (5-1) won the championship game against the Bearcats (4-1) in overtime 61-59. Jim Meehan’s Sportslink story here. And: ESPN boxscore here. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)
Sounds like Bent is preparing an impromptu beerfest in Stickman’s breezeway Saturday afternoon, for Berry Pickers who are interested. Meanwhile, the Thanksgiving holiday is almost upon us. As always, I appreciate the bloggers, commenters, and blurkers who hang out here and have made Huckleberries Online the success it has become. Feel free to use this Wild Card to share your Thanksgiving thoughts and well wishes to other Berry Pickers. Or start your own threads …
Wearing a uniform and name tag, Cody, a chocolate Labradaor retriever, greets people who pull up to the drive-through window of the family-owned gas station-convenience store in Clearwater, Fla. on Tuesday. Store owner Karim Mansour said he started bringing Cody to work five months ago for company on the early morning shift. The dog quickly became a celebrity among store regulars. Mansour said Cody helps customers by calming those who come in sad or angry. (AP Photo/St. Petersburg Times, Jim Damaske) Question: What tricks can your dog do?
I did it! What did I do? Well in August I hiked to Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park - why is that a big deal? Well because it was over 7 miles, but it was a 1600’ elevation change in 3.5 miles!!!! UP UP UP! I can out walk many - on flat ground. Uphill? UGHHHH. First of all I smoked for many many years. It isn’t so much my legs that cause a problem it’s my breath — I can’t keep it/Me, It’s Just Me. More here.
Question: When did last have an “I did it!” moment, like Me — when you accomplished something that you didn’t think you could? What was it?
At More Main Street, KerriT tells us about Elijah Dawson Ott, who came into the world six years ago on Thanksgiving day, born three months early, weighing just 1.7 pounds. More here.
A baboon seen as it climbs inside a car at Cape Point on the outskirts of Cape Town, South Africa, Tuesday. You write the cutline. (Photo/Schalk van Zuydam)
Top Cutlines:
You and I have been through a lot of adventures at Huckleberries Online since I launched this 
blog on Feb. 16, 2004. We’ve laughed together. We’ve shared tough times together. We’ve fought. Some have left. But most have stayed. I especially appreciate those who have been with me the longest — Cis, Herb, JohnA, and Digger. Cis, in particular, was there with words of encouragement that first year when I often thought of quitting. Many times, I thought the extra work added to my editorializing and commenting duties simply wasn’t worth it. But Cis persuaded me to wait until the blog’s first anniversary until I decided whether to quit or not. By then, Blogmeister Ryan had added comments to the offerings here — and Huckleberries was off and running. I appreciate those young and old who spend their time commenting and blurking here. I wanted to tell you that before we break for Thanksgiving/DFO.
Question: Which HBO regular do you appreciate most? Why?
The Idaho Supreme Court has upheld a Rexburg urban renewal project in a case that was being closely watched by urban renewal agencies around the state. In a unanimous ruling authored by Justice Joel Horton, the high court upheld a 7th District Court ruling rejecting a challenge to the project by Rexburg resident Kenneth Hart, who contended it was unconstitutional. Hart acted as his own attorney in the district court case, but was represented by attorney John Runft in the Supreme Court appeal/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Does this have any repercussions for the ongoing war waged by activists opposed to the Lake City Development Corp?
The blogmistress of Live, Love, Laugh, Hope saw this sight and many others while out for a peaceful drive with her dog earlier today. She posts: “I thought these turkeys were pretty brave to be running around in the open the day before Thanksgiving! There was a total of 16 in this bunch.” She has two posts this week that are appropriate for the season: Peaceful drive, and: Gratitude and thanks.
A fundraiser to raise money to purchase a Terra Trike Tandem tricycle for Mike Kralicek is scheduled at Applebee’s on Tuesday. The popular restaurant will donate 10 percent of all the profits that day — from people who present the flyer above (you can print out a Huckleberries Online copy to qualify) — will be contributed to the tricycle fund. Or you can contact 818-2150, beth@mswobbles.com, for a flyer.
JohnA: In Boise for the holidays, we were excited (even as Vandal fans) to see that 1500 tickets were being made available for the soldout BSU game here this weekend. It appears that 
a lot of students left for the holiday so the tickets are available. Our excitement turned to sickness when the price of the tickets became the new $64 question. Yes, indeed, sixty-four bucks to see the Broncos play. Now, I can understand they’ve got one of the few undefeated teams in the nation, so the demand for the tickets will likely exceed the supply. But, give us a break. This is college football, right, and the tickets have already been accounted for, basically, by including their value in students’ fees. So why treat BSU gridsters like rock stars by charging those kind of prices?
Question: How much would you be willing to pay to see undefeated Boise State host Nevada this week?
Aya Barazani, who suffers from anorexia, points at Israeli fashion models Noga Dekel, left, and Shira Amikam, as fashion photographer Adi Barkan looks on during a photo shoot for a campaign promoting anorexia awareness, in his studio in Ramat Hasharon, near Tel Aviv, Israel, Tuesday. Barkan is releasing a campaign featuring 3 women, one healthy model, another model who’s BMI value is beneath normal and an anorectic girl, to promote anorexia awareness, demanding model agencies not to hire models who are suffering from malnutrition. (AP Photo/Ariel Schalit) Question: Do you know anyone suffering from an eating disorder?
Mothers, lock up your Bludgers. Muggle Quidditch has hit as Parker Slater, wearing skintight 
gold pants and a cropped gold shirt, is running flat-out through Comstock Park. He’s moving fast through a mob of teenagers in robes and wigs and wild face paint. Blake Bekken and Annie Pokorny are on Parker’s heels, sprinting too, but a bit awkwardly – not because they aren’t good runners, but because they’re clutching broomsticks between their legs. Besides, there’s snow on the ground — a thin, slushy layer that makes traction unpredictable. Parker hops, veers right, then left, then veers onto the basketball court. This is a safe zone: Blake and Annie have to let him go, but they don’t take their eyes off him. Parker is the Golden Snitch. Blake and Annie are the Seekers whose job is to catch him/Sarah Hauge, Inlander. More here.
Question: Would you be interested in playing Muggle Quidditch?
I was raised by a single mother — a teacher. She didn’t earn much, and unexpected expenses 
were always full-blown crises. One autumn, her car broke down and the water heater in our mobile home died. One thing led to another, and Idaho Power shut off the electricity on the Friday before Thanksgiving. The turkey in our refrigerator spoiled by Tuesday. Mom and I were looking at a chilly, dark holiday, with bologna sandwiches for dinner. The old man next door, Mr. Saunders, rarely went outside except to berate kids whose baseballs bounced into his fenced yard. He had a scary, breathy voice, and whenever he shouted he began to cough. We barely knew him, but somehow Saunders got wind of our predicament. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, our power was inexplicably turned back on, and the next morning a Sears crew showed up to install a new water heater — refusing to say who’d paid for it/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Have you known hard times?
McDonald Elementary School students race in annual Turkey Trot in Moscow before break. (Moscow-Pullman Daily News photo)
Bing
Crosby didn’t have to dream of a white Christmas — he could bank on it. The crooner was from Spokane, a city that is among the most likely to have a white Christmas each year. According to weather experts, Spokane has a white Christmas about 70 percent of the time. In the United States, only a few high-latitude cities beat those odds: Duluth, Minn. (97 percent) Anchorage, Alaska, (90 percent), Marquette, Mich., (90 percent) and Concord, N.H. (87 percent). Crosby’s song tapped into a primal need for many living in the northern latitudes, where the notion of a white Christmas takes on mythic proportions/Associated Press. More here.
Question: Would you be disappointed if we didn’t have a white Christmas?
Item: Avista pushes climate bill: Business group lobbies for cap-and-trade/Becky Kramer, SR.
More Info: Avista Corp., which gets half its energy from hydropower dams, has joined other clean-energy providers, retailer Gap Inc. and Colorado resort operator Aspen Skiing Co. to form a new lobbying group for federal climate-change legislation. Avista is one of the 20 founding members of American Businesses for Clean Energy, which started up earlier this month. The group’s goal is to unite diverse business interests to support cap-and-trade legislation, which would limit carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases.
Question: What do you think of Avista’s decision to lobby for federal climate-change legislation?
Police perform a sobriety roadblock checkpoint on a Friday night in downtown Honolulu. Mug shots of drunken driving suspects are landing on the Honolulu Police Department Web site, creating a virtual wall of shame long before suspects get their day in court. Supporters say the experiment in public humiliation to be launched today should be used elsewhere in the nation if it reduces the number of drunks on the road. (AP Photo/The Honolulu Advertiser, Norman Shapiro) Question: Should local authorities develop a similar virtual wall of shame to humiliate drivers who get slapped with DUIs?
Izzit just me, or does that guy with a sign look a bit like Dan Gookin during his Libertarian days? (Disclaimer: Dan is looking dapper today by comparison) You can get a better look at the cartoon here.
Question: Would you pay someone in the greater North Idaho blogosphere not to post?
Item: Fired CdA officer files claim against city: Man says frivolous complaints led to termination/Alison Boggs, SR. Tort claim here.
More Info: A 17-year veteran of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department filed a $3 million tort claim against the city Tuesday, saying he was fired without cause following a string of frivolous complaints against him by a subordinate. Dan Dixon was fired in July, according to his attorney, Lawrence Beck, who said the case highlights the city’s lack of policies governing employee timekeeping.
Question: Do you think this claim has substance?
Washington and Washington State first squared off in 1917 in what was to be known as the Apple Cup. Washington State won the first game. The series did not stay close for long as Washington won four games in a row in the 1920’s and have not looked back, holding a 26 game advantage on the series. The last decade, however, has provided a closer head to head record for the schools, with Washington holding a six to four advantage over Washington State. If anything, this last 10 years has shown that the old adage is true, anything can happen in a rivalry game/Bleacher Report. More here.
President Obama, center, with daughters Malia, far right, Sasha, second from the right, pardoning the National Thanksgiving Turkey, Courage, in a ceremony in the North Portico of the White House, in Washington, Wednesday. With Obama is the Chairman of the National Turkey Federation, Walter Pelletier. Woman on left is unidentified. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Joker:
The National Thanksgiving Turkey, Courage, died shortly after being pardoned by President Obama. The president was so busy giving a stirring speech about the audacity of cranberry sauce that the turkey’s handlers failed to notice that Courage wandered away and was crushed by a service van delivering the actual dozen white house turkeys that will be served tomorrow.
In town to give a talk on civility, I was surrounded by women who wondered what I thought of 
Sarah Palin’s Newsweek cover. “Why aren’t women coming to her defense?” they asked. “Why are the media being so rough on Sarah?” Having been enjoying a self-imposed moratorium on all things Palin, declining numerous interviews to discuss her latest self-promotional tour, I was surprised by the questions. My thoughts lately have drifted toward the sense that, though Palin is very much a celebrity, she’s no longer running for public office, at least officially. Ergo, radar gets a rest. As for her book … right after I finish “Ulysses.” But the questions - and the passion with which they were proffered - intrigued me. Are the media treating her unfairly? Are they “bashing” Palin, as her supporters describe any criticism? Was the Newsweek cover sexist? Call me a guy, but give me a break. Sarah Palin is the luckiest woman on the planet/Kathleen Parker, Orlando Sentinel. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Kathleen Parker’s analysis — that Sarah Palin is the luckiest woman on the planet, critics or not.
It’s a book as big and grand as Lake Pend Oreille itself. The much-anticipated “Legendary Lake Pend Oreille: Idaho’s Wilderness of Water” is finally here and will be celebrated with a launch party open to the public, featuring a slide show, special presentations and refreshments on Saturday, Nov. 28, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Sandpoint Community Hall, 204 S. First Ave. The event is also a fund-raiser for several lake advocacy groups, which will receive 10 percent of proceeds from the book’s sales that day. The event opens with short presentations by author Jane Fritz and representatives of lake-affiliated organizations. Following that will be a book signing by Fritz and other contributors/Keokee Books. More here.
Question: Which North Idaho lake or waterway is your favorite?
Wisconsin guard Jordan Taylor (11) looks on as Gonzaga guard Demetri Goodson (3) drives to the basket and is fouled by Wisconsin forward Jon Leuer (30) in the second half of a NCAA college basketball game Tuesday at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. Gonzaga defeated Wisconsin 74-61 and will play Cincinnati in the finals. The Zags play Cincinnati tonight at 7 in the tournament championship game. Jim Meehan story here. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)
Apparently, some years ago, there was an episode of South Park where Cartman declares 
November 20 “Kick a Ginger Day.” Gingers are redheads with freckles. As a way of making fun of racism and other forms of prejudice, this sounds kind of funny. But apparently someone created a “Kick a Ginger Day” group on Facebook—and now there are multiple incidents of attacks on gingers. … Pretty clearly, what kids watch influences them in ways that are truly irrational. Hatred of “gingers” isn’t something that they learned from their parents. It isn’t something that the government has encouraged. This is something completely absurd, created as a joke — and yet it leads to violence/Clayton Cramer. More here.
Question: What do you make of “Kick A Ginger Day”?
Thanksgiving, though, is about positive things in our lives. The friend or relative that beat 
cancer. The new baby arriving. Our health still intact. (for the most part) The love we share with those very special people in our lives. Somewhere a person we know is dying, but babies are regularly born to take our places. For every person in personal distress, there is someone else that is extending a helping hand. Please remember, that though the Sun is not shining from the sky, it is still present from within. Whether a person is happy or sad, is from within. It is a slef induced condition. Have a truly happy Thanksgiving holiday/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here.
Question: What are you thankful for?
Some 30,000 people are expected to attend Friday when Coeur d’Alene launches the holiday season in style. The 18th Annual Lighting Ceremony Parade begins at 5 p.m., followed by caroling and the simultaneous lighting of candles held by thousands of people in the crowd. The evening will culminate in a fireworks display over Lake Coeur d’Alene. In 2007, the Christmas celebration was featured on Good Morning America, which picked Coeur d’Alene as one of 15 cities nationwide with the best holiday light displays/Alison Boggs, SR. More here.
Question: Has it become a tradition for you — as it has my family — to kick off the holiday season by attending the annual winter parade, Hagadone Hospitality lighting ceremony, and Festival of Trees? If not, how do you kick off your holiday season?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
Idaho guard Kyle Barone (left to right), Sacramento State forwards Duro Bjegovic and Michael Selling, and Idaho forward Luciano de Souza look for a rebound during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday Moscow. Idaho won 75-61. ESPN game story and boxscore here. (AP Photo/Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Dean Hare)
If you see Spencer, please tell him that he has won the first Huckleberries Online Thanksgiving Day pardon — and has been released from the cooler. In fact, he was released only hours after he was tossed into the HBO gulag for trying to out another commenter here. (In a way, you can’t blame Spencer for his bad manners on the comments thread. You can pick up bad habits by hanging out at the Coeur d’Alene Press and OpenCDA.com blogs.) Mebbe (sorry Idaho Dad) Spencer’s a bit sheepish after his little tantrum. But life goes on, with or without Spencer. So, I’ll post the Wild Card and search the Web for interesting fodder for the HBO maw …
Gonzaga forward Elias Harris (20) attempts to drive past Wisconsin forward Jon Leuer (30) in the second half of a NCAA college basketball game Tuesday at the Maui Invitational in Lahaina, Hawaii. Gonzaga defeats Wisconsin 74-61 and will play Cincinnati in the finals. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)
Gonzaga defeated Wisconsin 74-61 on Tuesday night to advance to the championship game of the Maui Invitational. Four Bulldogs scored in double figures, led by Matt Bouldin’s 18 points. Steven Gray added 15, Robert Sacre 13 and Elias Harris 12. Demetri Goodson just missed giving the Bulldogs a fifth double-figures scorer. He had nine points. The Bulldogs led by as many as 13 in the first half before taking a 43-33 lead into the break/Jim Meehan, Sportslink. More here. ESPN boxscore here.
Kyle Olivier, engineer for the Coeur d’Alene Resort worked on the holiday wreath earlier today in preparation for the downtown parade and fireworks show on Friday.The wreath, a tradition since the remodeled Resort opened in 1986, weighs almost a ton. Alison Boggs’ story here. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
The
vamps were vampier, the wolves were as big as horses, and Kristen Stewart delighted the world by revealing that laughing and smiling are a part of her acting repertoire after all. As the action swept through Forks and across the world to Volterra, Italy, the scope of the story widened, too; heartbreak, longing, jealousy, self-sacrifice, forgiveness: the full range of human emotion coming to bear on these not-exactly-human characters. In its own inartful way, the Twilight series touches chords that are common to each of us. Critics have gripes, lots of them, but the fans don’t seem to share them/Katrina, Notes On A Napkin. More here.
Question: Who do you pay more attention to when it comes to potential movies to see — critics? Or word of mouth from individuals like Notes On A Napkin’s Katrina?
KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho writes: Nothing says Christmas like … shotgun shell lights on the tree. These, and other outdoors-themed lights like Coleman lanterns, are displayed at Cabela’s in Post Falls.
Question: Will you have unusual lighting or ornaments on your tree this year?
Jennifer Lopez performs at the 37th Annual American Music Awards on Sunday in Los Angeles. Lopez ended on her back side when she didn’t stick her landing after jumping from the backs of the dancers. Story here. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
Top Cutlines:
Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin signs a copy her autobiography, “Going Rogue”, at the North Post Exchange at Fort Bragg, N.C., Monday. More than 700,000 copies of “Going Rogue” have been sold in its first week. Palin, who was born in Sandpoint and attend North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, is well on her way to become a million-selling author. She will visit the Lake City early next month. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds)
A man whose family has been fighting to get him out of prison for a Thanksgiving furlough will 
have some company at the jail over the holidays. Terry Kinard’s brother Steven was arrested for drug dealing Tuesday in East Central Spokane. Steven Kinard was arrested for delivery of a controlled substance Tuesday at 1:30 p.m. in East Central Spokane. His arrest comes less than a week after he made an impassioned plea for his brother Terry, also in jail on drug dealing charges, to be allowed a furlough to visit their elderly ailing mother for Thanksgiving. “All we’re trying to do is just get a little time for my brother to come home and see his mom ya know,” Steven said last Wednesday/Rob Kauder, KXLY. More here.
Question: Would you let either brother out of jail for Thanksgiving?
Crime in Spokane is keeping police busy. But it’s also got the Lilac City on the list of most dangerous locations in the United States. Spokane ranks 121st on the list which uses F.B.I. statistics on murder, rape, robbery, assault, and vehicle theft. Camden, New Jersey took the top spot. Tacoma came in 34th, Seattle ranked 183rd, and Spokane Valley took the 261st spot/KREM2.
Question: Are you surprised that the FBI considers Spokane considerably more dangerous than Seattle?
North Idaho College offers a special service to senior citizens that qualifies them for free 
admission to all NIC-sponsored events in which admission is charged. The NIC Gold Card program is free and open to all senior citizens 60 and older. … In addition, seniors with an NIC Gold Card also qualify for a $5 semester-long parking permit to park anywhere that student parking is permitted on campus. … In addition, NIC also offers a discounted rate to seniors who enroll in college credit courses. Those courses are offered for $25 each and then an additional $5 per credit. Therefore, a three-credit class that would normally cost $389 would be $40 with the senior discount/Stacy Hudson, Press Room. More here.
Question: If I’d had known that you could get free stuff and discounts like this by turning 60, I’d have been born earlier. What other neat stuff can you get for being old and feeble like me?
Colorado guard Cory Higgins (11) looks on as Gonzaga forward Elias Harris (20) grabs a rebound in the second half during their game in the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball tournament in Lahaina, Hawaii on Monday. Gonzaga defeated Colorado 76-72, and now will face Wisconsin in the semi-finals at 6:30 p.m. today, to be broadcast on ESPN. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)
Sing Hosanna
and lift up praise,
they even work
some Saturdays.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
Fewer Americans are carrying cash these days. So, the Salvation Army is upgrading some of their red kettles. Select bell ringers in the Northwest now take credit or debit cards. You just swipe your card and put the receipt in the kettle instead of your loose change. In the true spirit of giving, the Salvation Army says U.S. Bank is not charging card processing fees for these transactions/KREM2.
Question: Would you use plastic to make a donation to the Salvation Army via a red kettle?
I’m standing in a checkout line at a Post Falls supermarket, watching a nice lady ring up the 
glossy green boxes of Cascade dishwasher soap that I put in my cart. Ding. Ding. Ding … When she gets to about box five or six I begin feeling a bit self-conscious. So I decide to make a little small talk. “Er, so do a lot of Spokane people come over here to Idaho to buy soap like me?” The checker smiles thinly. Then she repeats the words “a lot” maybe five times. Suddenly, it dawns on me how environmentally irresponsible we soap bandits have been. We shouldn’t all be driving to Idaho to buy phosphate-laden dishwasher soap, which a bunch of eco-fascists have banned for sale in Spokane County. We should carpool. That would be the Al Gore thing to do/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: Can you blame Washington soap bandits for driving to Idaho to get better detergents for their clothes washing?
President Obama said on Tuesday that he will announce his decision on how many more 
troops to send to Afghanistan next week, and that it is his intention to “finish the job” that began with the overthrow of the Taliban government in the fall of 2001. Mr. Obama, offering a tantalizing preview of what looms as one of the momentous decisions of his presidency, said he would tell the American people about “a comprehensive strategy” embracing civilian and diplomatic efforts as well as the continuing military campaign. While he avoided any hints of the new troop levels he foresees in Afghanistan, the president signaled that he will not be talking about a short-term commitment but rather an effort muscular enough to “dismantle and degrade” the enemy and ensure that “Al Qaeda and its extremist allies cannot operate” in the region/New York Times. More here.
Question: How is President Obama handling things differently in Afghanistan than President Bush likely would have?
Duane Neuschwander foreman of the isolated Juniper Ranch on the boundary of Malheur and Harney counties in Oregon, talks to Malheur County Deputy Bob Wroten about the disappearance of 33 cattle. A rash of horseback rustling in the vast “ION country,” where Idaho, Oregon and Nevada come together, has prompted reward posters and patrols by sheriff’s deputies and ranchers. (AP Photo/Richard Cockle/The Oregonian)
At the Coeur d’Alene Press web site, Army Sgt. Major Gregory A. Proft responds from Iraq to 
Larry Spencer’s challenge to his right to cast a ballot in the Coeur d’Alene City Council elections. (You can read the entire response, at 10:50 a.m., under a recent letter that Spencer sent to the Coeur d’Alene Press here.) The key sentences are these: “It sounds like since Larry doesn’t like the results of the election, my right to cast a ballot should be cast aside, thrown out because I am not physically present in the state in which I vote. I bet Larry would not grant me a pass on the property taxes I paid on my house while I was fighting in Baquobah, Ramadi and Baghdad while he was doing whatever it is he does in Spirit Lake. Instead of challenging the legitimacy of my ballot, Larry ought to be offering to buy me a beer when I return for going out of my way to participate in the democratic process.”
Question: What do you make of this development?
I’ve written on the Kennedy family extensively this year, not only because the
passing of Ted Kennedy required it, but also because Ted Kennedy’s passing reminded me of why I believe the things I do about America, being an American, and who taught those principles to me. The passing of Eunice was as significant for me as Teddy’s death because of all of the Kennedys, it may have been Eunice that touched my life the most substantially—as a teenager and young adult I spent every summer serving in the capacity of coach or volunteer for the Special Olympics/Political Game. More here.
Question: Have you been inspired by JFK or a member of his extended family to do something for the good of humanity?
Idaho Dad: It’s not DFO’s use of it that bugs me, but “prolly” seems to be showing up 
everywhere. “Probably” is two letters longer. Is it going to kill people to type those two additional letters? Plus, it just sounds wrong. I’d make the same case for “mebbe,” as it contains the same amount of letters. I don’t get the slang use. Is it supposed to give a different tone to one’s comment to say “mebbe” like you’re hanging out down at the General Store around the pickle barrel with all the other farmers? I get that. I also don’t do much LOLing and such. If I’m going to say something, I’d rather just fully type it all out in proper English. Oh, and I’m also not clued in on this new @JoeSchmo, or @BillyBob thing when you’re replying to another commenter. When did we all join Twitter?
Question: Which slang or Twitter-type slang on this blog bugs you?
Belgium’s Rom Houben uses his touchscreen to communicate during an interview at the service center ‘t Weyerke in Zolder, Belgium, Tuesday. Houben was misdiagnosed for 23 years as being in a coma until a doctor at Liege University discovered three years ago that Houben’s brain was still functioning. Houben was diagnosed as being in a vegetative state following a car crash in 1983. The discovery took place three years ago but only recently came to light, after publication of a study on the misdiagnosis of people with consciousness disorders.(AP Photo/Yves Logghe) Question: Should this case change the way we view comatose patients?
Item: Spokane elementary schools switch to number grades/Jody Lawrence-Turner
More Info: Most elementary students in Spokane Public Schools are seeing their new report cards for the first time this week; instead of A, B, C, D or F, it’s 4, 3, 2 or 1. The new number system, called “standards-based grading and reporting,” is based on how well the students meet state and national standards in reading, writing, math, science and social studies. Instead of one letter grade for a whole topic, the numbers correlate to specific elements of learning within that topic.
Question: What do you think of the number grades?
My store is teetering on the edge of needing to hire one more person to help out with “back-
end” store operations during the hopefully busy holiday selling season. The tasks prescribed would include cleaning the store and stocking shelves while also learning about our business and hopefully becoming a part of our sales staff after the holiday season is over. My ideal candidate for this position would be a high school student looking for an after-school job. … I like to believe that I still embrace the old values of hard work and responsibility that my grandfather taught me and would love to teach those skills to younger workers and help them start their working lives with a solid employment reference. However, I find it hard to justify $8.55 an hour for someone on their first job, especially considering that I’m only able to pay my most senior sales associate just more than 50 cents per hour over minimum wage/Henry Johnston, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Washington’s minimum wage is higher than the national average. Does Henry Johnston make a good point that the Washington wage should be cut to help small business?
As long
as I’ve been watching movies, there still are things that I simply don’t understand. This is one. The fact that so many people would want to go see the sequel to a lame film such as “Twilight” is a mystery that even David Blaine couldn’t solve. What’s amazing, other than how well the Hollywood publicity machine has invented stories about the cast (Who’s Robert Pattinson dating this week? Who cares?), is that the New York Times in a story claimed that “Twilight” co-star Kristen Stewart “is considered one of the most promising actresses of her generation.” Really? Are we rating her on her abilities to pout? To sulk? To mumble? To mope? If so, then the Times just might be right/Dan Webster, Movies & More. More here.
Question: Do you think the ‘Twilight’ movies are lame? Ditto for co-star Kristen Stewart as an actress?
“In today’s very early hours, the Hagadone Corporation tested its annual Christmas decoration displays,” e-mails Don Sausser, HBO’s Eye On Sherman Avenue. “The 50-foot lighted tree topping the headquarters building required follow up to get everything properly lit.”
President Obama will next week announce a surge of at least 25,000 new US troops to Afghanistan in a speech to the nation, according to US officials today. Mr Obama will make the announcement in an address on Tuesday, December 1, after weeks of deliberations over his Afghan strategy and a tenth session with his war council in the White House on Monday night/London Times. More here.
A curfew for kids and keeping smoke away from public entrances are a pair of new codes that the city of Hayden will consider adopting. One is proposed as a means for better public safety — and a way to keep pace with neighboring community rules — while the other is for the benefit of public health, and a first in the area, city officials said. “It may be overdue,” said Stefan Chatwin, Hayden city administrator. “Right now we’re the lone city among its neighbors without a curfew for minors in place.” The time limit would be in effect seven days a week from midnight to 5 a.m. for all children under the age of 18/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: Did you pay attention to town curfews when you were a kid?
As experts debate the potential speed of the US recovery, one figure looms large but is often overlooked: nearly 1 in 5 Americans is either out of work or under-employed. According to the government’s broadest measure of unemployment, some 17.5 percent are either without a job entirely or underemployed. The so-called U-6 number is at the highest rate since becoming an official labor statistic in 1994. The number dwarfs the statistic most people pay attention to (the U-3 rate) which most recently showed unemployment at 10.2 percent for October, the highest it has been since June 1983/CNBC. More here. Question: Do you think the real jobless rate, including underemployed and jobless individuals who are no longer seeking work, is way higher than the national unemployment rate of 10.2%?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Nothing feels quite like walking through the door of the home you grew up in and being folded into the arms of your family, all hugging and laughing and talking at once. I like to think it’s a little tiny taste of what heaven will be like. Coming home/Katrina, Notes On A Napkin.
Question: Does the home in which you were raised still stand? Is it still owned by a family member? Have you experienced the warm homecoming that Katrina/Notes On A Napkin describes above?
Thousands of sandhill cranes, snow geese and other migratory birds gather at Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge south of Socorro, N.M., Monday. The refuge wrapped up its 22nd annual Festival of the Cranes on Sunday. (AP Photo/Susan Montoya Bryan)
We have Turkey Day dead ahead, as Huckleberries prepares to enjoy a short week with the rest of you Merry Hucksters. But that doesn’t mean that we’re in vacation mode yet. Time is ticking on challenger Jim Brannon’s decision to ask for a recount in his five-vote loss to incumbent Mike Kennedy. Next Monday (Nov. 30), I believe, is the deadline. Meanwhile, the anti-Bloem administration forces are busy with their attempts to possibly overturn the whole election. In other words, it’s just another average day in Paradise. Here’s your Wild Card …
What did not leave me feeling good were two ladies in their late 60’s who were just rude. One came into the row we were sitting in. The theater was packed at this showing. She wanted our seats, and was very loud about it. She says in a very loud voice, ‘if these people would just move down, we could all sit together. I don’t understand why you come in and take a seat in the middle of the aisle.” I wanted to say because it’s where we choose to sit, because we got here early enough to pick our seats, but I didn’t/Live, Love, Laugh, Hope. More here.
Question: LLLH goes on to tell of another encounter w/rudeness in a theater restroom. Have you have a close encounter with a rude person at the movies recently? Tell us about it?
Mike Cameron, an Idaho Transportation Department inspector, stands next to newly installed system to warn motorists when wildlife wander across U.S. Highway 95 at Moscow Mountain four miles north of Moscow. The solar-powered system sets off the flashing beacon when wildlife move through an infrared beam. (Photo by Joe Schacher/ITD)
Tito Ortiz, head-butts Forrest Griffin during their mixed martial arts light heavyweight bout, Saturday in Las Vegas. Griffin won by split decision. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Isaac Brekken)
Top Cutlines:
Colorado forward Marcus Relphorde (5) has his shot blocked by Gonzaga forward Elias Harris (20) in the second half in their game at the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball tournament on Monday. Gonzaga defeated Colorado 76-72. You can read Jim Meehan’s Sportslink game story here. And: ESPN game story here. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)
Also: Jim’s Notebook: Bouldin gets better of Colorado friends/Jim Meehan, SR
For goodness sake, Larry (Spencer) — Gary Ingram stated the Kralicek rumor to a third party in my presence at Costco. You should speak with Gary — MamaJD.
From KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho: On a sunny but cold North Idaho November day, hundreds of starlings surveyed the landscape from overhead wires. Every few minutes they’d swoop as a group to feed in the fields below.
Maybe I shouldn’t have loved that job, though. I was subordinate to two individuals, one of
whom was intimidating with that big booming voice of his, and the other was a young kid with obvious talent who always talked down to me. So, I was basically a part-timer, always trying to prove myself, to get more hours, doing a job I loved, although I also felt I was being used. On that job, I basically got the duties no one else wanted. This job was in the field of Radio Broadcasting. I loved it; I craved it, and I continued to be a part of it, in spite of the fact that I was used every single day Between September, 1996, and November 14th, 1999, my last radio shift. Ever/Atmospheric Ruminations. More here.
Question: Describe your favorite job ever?
Former governor of Alaska and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin arrives at the Asheville, N.C. airport on Sunday afternoon, for a visit with the Graham family. At left is Franklin Graham, who was there to meet her at the airport. (AP Photo/The Citizen-Times, Stephen Miller) Question: What do you make of this meeting between former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin and Billy Graham’s family?
A week off after 11 straight games seems to paying dividends for the Idaho football team. Starting quarterback Nathan Enderle (shoulder) is expected to play Saturday against Utah State, coach Robb Akey said this morning. The junior missed the last two games — both losses — before the bye week. Read on for more comments from Akey on Sportslink here.
Colorado guard Cory Higgins (11) leans back to avoid Gonzaga guard Steven Gray (32) in the first half during their game in the Maui Invitational NCAA college basketball tournament at the Lahaina Civic Center in Lahaina, Hawaii on Monday. Gonzaga recovered from a 15-point, first-half deficit to win 76-72 and advance in the tournament. ESPN boxscore here. And: Jim Meehan’s initial Sportslink report here. (AP Photo/Eugene Tanner)
Parents who thought their preschoolers were spending time in home-based day cares, taking naps, eating healthy snacks and learning to play nicely with others may be surprised to discover they are sitting as many as two hours a day in front of a TV, according to a study published Monday. When added to the two to three hours many parents already admit to allowing at home, preschoolers in child care may be spending more than a third of the about 12 hours they are awake each day in front of the electronic baby sitter/Washington Times. More here.
Question: Would you mind if your home day care allowed your young child to watch TV?
On Thursday, my college-student stepdaughter will gather with her friends for a full-course 
vegan Thanksgiving dinner. That would include tofurky (“turkey” made of tofu), potato gnocchi with broccoli rabe, sourdough bruscetta with olive oil dipping sauce, roasted wheatmeat with oyster mushroom stuffing (“oyster” in this case refers to a type of mushroom, not shellfish), garlic smashers (those are unpeeled mashed potatoes), maple-grilled tempeh, carmelized tofu and roasted pumpkin salad — all topped off by ginger-dusted pumpkin “cheezecake” (vegans don’t do dairy, so the “cheeze” comes from tofu cream cheese). I won’t be joining them, for I — like you — have been to “unconventional” Thanksgiving dinners before/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Would you accept an invitation to have a vegan Thanksgiving?
Concerning the Nov. 14 editorial titled, “Wage ‘hike’ is hurting teens,” I must object strongly to 
the use of the editorial section of The Coeur d’Alene Press to blatantly support the hotel, food and beverage industry at the expense of the working poor in our community. In the paper’s opposition to federally mandated minimum wage, the editorial cited a study by the nonprofit Employment Policies Institute (EPI) to demonstrate that an increase in the minimum wage would hurt the ability of young job seekers to find a temporary job over the holidays. The following quick fact check will demonstrate that in printing this editorial, the editors have both insulted the intelligence of the paper’s subscribers and damaged the credibility of the institution to add meaningful dialogue on the subjects of minimum wages specifically, and labor laws in general/John Hawkins, former Coeur d’Alene resident. More here.
Question: Did anyone in your family get a raise when the minimum wage went up?
Holiday lights are a beacon in the snow and fog as Jane Crane makes her way up Savannah Lane in southeast Spokane on her daily walk Sunday. Higher elevations saw the first significant snowfall of the elevation in the Spokane area Sunday. (Christopher Anderson/SR)
I want the days when a kid tries to kiss a girl in the 2nd grad, not be treated like a sex 
offender. A kid with camping utensil not be kicked out of school. Where kids don’t get arrested for having a food fight. where they got sent to the principal and they called your folks. No child was handcuffed and sent off to jail. Where kids can still send letters to Santa. … Where we raised the flag, wear the flag, put the flag on anything we own and not offend anyone, because we are all proud to be Americans. Where, when we do something stupid like spill coffee on ourselves, we don’t blame the coffee maker or maker and sue/Simple Mind. More here.
Question: What do you miss most about the “good old days”?
The Washington, D.C. newspaper The Hill is reporting that U.S. House GOP leaders are lining up behind Vaughn Ward in the Republican race for a chance to take on freshman Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick, though state Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, says he’ll also be jumping into the race and former GOP Congressman Bill Sali still hasn’t decided whether or not to try for a comeback. Minnick narrowly defeated Sali in 2008 to become the first Democrat to hold Idaho’s 1st District congressional seat since 1994/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. More here.
Question: Any early impressions of Vaughn Ward?
Cis, who sends this “Turkey Trivia Quiz” along, sez she scored 14 out of 20. Let us know how you did (no fudging results) here …
In a month-long investigation, NewsChannel 7 did our own measuring and found sex offenders living inside that boundary and law enforcement agencies unclear on who exactly is responsible. We started with a random list of 80 sex offenders in the Treasure Valley. We wanted to see if any of them were living too close to schools. We checked records, drove to each address and then measured the distance from the closest school’s property line to 30 homes where registered sex offenders resided. We found eight offenders breaking the law in Canyon, Elmore and Ada County/KTVB. More here.
Question: Who should be responsible to check to ensure that sex offenders don’t live within 500 feet of schools? Do you believe that someone checks such things in your community?
Just 38% of voters now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s the lowest level of support measured for the plan in nearly two dozen tracking polls conducted since June. The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 56% now oppose the plan. Half the survey was conducted before the Senate voted late Saturday to begin debate on its version of the legislation. Support for the plan was slightly lower in the half of the survey conducted after the Senate vote. Prior to this, support for the plan had never fallen below 41%/Rasmussen Reports. More here.
Question: Do you still have the same position today as you did at the beginning of the debate on the Democrats’ plans to reform health care?
We’ve had a tree go for over $10,000. Typically the auction trees run anywhere from $2,000 on up. This year, we have a tree worth over $20,000 that incorporates all the elements for a wedding. Another one this year, the Mountain West Tree, is going to feature an afternoon cruise on Duane Hagadone’s sailboat. That is with crew and dinner at The Beachhouse — Teri Farr, Kootenai Health Foundation re: Festival of the Trees. Alison Boggs’ Q&A here.
Pecky Cox/As The Lake Churns provides another look at yesterday’s snowstorm, from a Priest Laker’s perspective.
Lacie Hedahl, the long-time teacher for music and special choruses teacher at Lake City High School, was found dead after passing away in her sleep from natural causes. Principal John Brumley told Huckleberries Online moments ago that he met with staff at 7:15 this morning after learning of Hedahl’s death at 10 o’clock last night. “Lacie was a deeply loved by the kids and other staff members,” Brumley said. “She ran an award-winning program. We are so saddened by her loss. We’ve been overwhelmed by the student reaction.” Staff members read a two-sentence statement to students as school began today. Grief counseling was made available to students and staff members. Also, the library was opened to allow students to remember the popular music teacher.
Obama-approved legitimate news organization host Chris Matthews, declared that “we may 
never know if religion was a factor at Fort Hood.” You mean, that part about Hasan chanting “Alahu Akbar” (Allah is great!) as he murdered soldiers wasn’t a clue? Or the story about Hasan celebrating when U.S. servicemen are killed by roadside bombs isn’t a tip-off? And when Hasan learned in 2003 that a Muslim soldier in Kuwait had gone on a rampage and killed several of his fellow servicemen, he cheered. Is that consistent with anything else we’ve learned? Now, let’s look at a brief history of “premature conclusions.” When late-term abortionist Dr. George Tiller was assassinated in Kansas six months ago, the New York Times jumped immediately to the conclusion that principled opposition to late-term abortions created a climate that contributed to the murder/Michael Costello, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Lewiston Trib columnist Michael Costello raises a touchy question. But it’s worth considering. Do you believe the media ignored the possible religious connection to Major Nidal Malik Hasan’s one-man terrorist attack at Fort Hood?
OK, most of us like lists. They’re easy to compile, easy to read, not particularly challenging to 
the imagination and fun to debate. Last week I was talked into thinking about movie psychopaths when my friend Dan Fratini brought up a couple of movie psychos, namely Michael Madsen’s Mr. Blonde in “Reservoir Dogs” and Javier Bardem’s Anton Chigurh in “No Country for Old Men.” I gave the subject some thought and rejected both as a little too obvious and mindless. I prefer some thoughtfulness to my psychos, which is how I came up with the following list of The 10 Smartest Psychopaths in Movie History/Dan Webster, Movies & More. Dan’s Top 10 list here.
Question: Which movie psychopaths would you list as the smartest ones?
Pecky Cox/As The Lake Churns spotted this owl while driving on Highway 57 at Priest Lake during snow storm Sunday. Writes Pecky: ”Glad to know someone is watching.”
Chris Majer has run the gamut, beginning with political radical and ending with innovative corporate trainer, with a stop along the way as adviser to the U.S. Army Special Forces. Indeed, the founder and CEO of The Human Potential Project has taken an unconventional path to success. The Spokane resident and Lewis and Clark High School graduate said the social revolution of the late 1960s and early ’70s inspired him. As a militant anti-war protester, he wanted to change the world/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Question: Do you agree with Majer: “As much as it’s screwed up right now, our corporate sector is the real engine of change on the planet.” If not, what do you think is the real engine of change?
Most major supermarkets have zeroed in on the trend, but for those hosts and hostesses who 
really want to get back to nature for their Thanksgiving spreads, the place to shop is Pilgrim’s Market on North Fourth St. in Coeur d’Alene. Owners Joe and Sarah Hamilton opened their doors for business in 1999, starting life as a mere sliver of its current incarnation, a hole-in-the-wall shop stocking a relatively small selection of vitamin supplements and all-natural snack foods. They were able to slowly take over the entire strip mall last year when Liquidation World closed, and while it isn’t quite as mondo as the Whole Foods chain or Spokane’s Huckleberries, it is the largest outlet for health-conscious products and foods in North Idaho. Food snobs relocating from places like Santa Cruz and Seattle should feel right at home in the well-stocked aisles of Pilgrim’s Market/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: How often do you shop at Pilgrim’s Market?
Michael Ramirez/Investor’s Business Daily
The Idaho State Police are currently investigating a
Semi Tractor Trailer Crash on I90 at Milepost 28 (4th of July Pass). The semi and crash
are blocking lanes East and Westbound. The road is still open, but
please expect delays. Due to the damage the road will be partially
blocked for a significant period of time/Full ISP report below.
We’re approaching what Garrison Keillor calls the second giant step toward winter this week: Thanksgiving. I’m sure there’ll be a thread or two re: things we are thankful for. Also, some resorts are open for skiers and snowboarders. Then, there’s Black Friday the day after Turkey Day, when many merchants and economists will have their fingers crossed hoping for a decent upswing in sales. Finally, we’ll gather on Sherman Avenue to watch the annual holiday parade, troop a few feet away to sing Christmas carols and ohh and ahh when Hagadone Hospitality lights its giant Christmas tree, and then crowd into the Coeur d’Alene Resort for the Festival of Trees. You can envision those sugar plums or start your own threads by playing this Wild Card today …
Idaho scored the first seven points of the second half and led by double digits most of the rest of the way to beat North Dakota State 81-69 Saturday.Steffan Johnson had 19 points, six assists and three steals for the Vandals (2-1). Luiz Toledo added 18 points and eight rebounds, and Mac Hopson had 16 points and eight assists/AP. ESPN boxscore here.
I want to thank all of you who extended well wishes through the blog, in phone calls, and e-mails Friday as I celebrated my 60th birthday. The good vibes from you and my colleagues at work, as well as the outpouring of love that I received from my extended family and personal friends made it easier to deal with this big milestone. We’ve come through a lot together here in the almost six years I’ve been running Huckleberries Online. And I’m not about to quit just yet. I’ll play the Wild Card and check in later Saturday …
Bruce Springsteen surfs the crowd while performing with the E Street Band Friday in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Rob Carr)
Question: Which live concert is the best you’ve seen?
JEERS … to Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho. Doesn’t he have anything
better to do than grandstand on the Fort Hood massacre? Last week, Risch tried to get his name in the newspapers by 
announcing
he will ask a U.S. Army prosecutor to add a 14th murder charge against
Major Nidal Malik Hasan. “Both federal law and the Uniform Code of Military Justice allow for a
murder charge when a person causes the death of an unborn child,” Risch
said in a press release. “One of the victims, Private Francheska Velez,
was pregnant when she was killed and as a result, her child died as
well.” Does that Army prosecutor have enough to do without fending off the
unsolicited advice of a U.S. senator? Do you think the prosecutor
already knows about the law and how it applies to the death of a
pregnant woman? Who has a better grasp of the evidence in the case, the
prosecutor at the scene or the senator in Washington/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here
Question: Was U.S. Sen. Jim Risch grandstanding on the number of dead in the Fort Hood massacre? Or should prosecutors file a 14th murder charge against Major Hasan?
A man crossing the busy intersection at Ceder and Fifth in downtown Sandpoint was killed late Thursday afternoon when a man driving a truck didn’t see him in the crosswalk.“The gentleman that hit him was stabilizing his head and kept telling him ‘You’re going to be okay, you’re going to be okay,’” witness Sherri Voight said. “There was a lady with 911 on the phone screaming, ‘You hit him, you hit him,’ and he said ‘I couldn’t see him, I couldn’t see him, it’s so black out here, I couldn’t see him.’” Idaho State Police say the driver of the Ford F-250 stopped at the intersection late Thursday afternoon, then turned south and hit 46 year-old Anthony Joerger. Witnesses say he was thrown at least 15 feet/Tania Dall, KXLY. More here including 1:54-minute video.
Question: A close friend of mine was hit by a car while crossing a crosswalk near the S-R building in downtown Spokane. Another friend suffered disabling injuries when she was hit on a sidewalk by a bicycle in downtown Spokane. Have you ever been involved or nearly involved in a pedestrian-vehicle accident?
In this film publicity image released by The Weinstein Company, Viggo Mortensen, right, and Kodi Smit-McPhee are shown in a scene from, “The Road.” Review here. (AP Photo/The Weinstein Company, Macall Polay)
Question: Did you read Cormac McCarthy’s book, “The Road”? What did you think? Do you plan to see the movie that debuts Wednesday?
HMOffsuite
(re: JeanieS’s layoff): Jeanie. When these types of events happen to us, one needs to figure out how to make lemonade out of lemons. Set up an office, of sorts, at home, and sell your skills on a part time basis or something like that. Work on a selective basis and as a contractor. If you are not a real ‘employee’, you might find you get more work, on your own terms, maybe even from the previous employer. Your net income would likely go up without the employee deductions. Or, start an internet business while you have the ‘downtime’. Good luck.
Question: Have you ever had to make lemonade out of lemons as a result of an ordeal that life tossed at you? Tell us about it.
MamaJD:
Because of politics and a family member, I discovered I could “see less of this person” on Facebook by changing a setting. I felt guilty about it at the time but his liberal status rants were creating that deep rift that could have led to total alienation. Now I wish we had the Facebook setting for real life too. During the holidays, should he rant his rant, I will be thinking about how I would like to change the setting and see less of him.
Question: Would you like to have a real life mute button, like the one on Facebook that MamaJD mentions, that would allow you to see less of a family member or friend that goes on and on about politics, religion, or some other sensitive subject?
Things are pretty quiet with Idaho football these days because of the bye week, but I wanted to pass along this note. I asked UI athletic director Rob Spear yesterday if any schools had called seeking permission to talk to coach Robb Akey (UNLV is rumored to be interested) and he said, “I have not been contacted.” He went on to say, “I think it isn’t something we should be caught off guard by”/Josh Wright, Sportslink. More here.
Question: Are you concerned that another college will woo away Robb Akey, now that he has transformed the UI Vandals into a winner?
Gonzaga’s Grant Gibbs, from left, Andy Poling and Chris Pontarolo-Maag battle for the ball against Indiana-Purdue Fort Wayne’s Antwone Sead in the first half of their NCAA college basketball game at McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane Friday. ESPN game story & boxscore here. (AP Photo/Rajah Bose)
The Sandpoint football team chose an inopportune time to misfire on both sides of the ball. Blackfoot built a 29-9 lead before the Broncos held off a late Sandpoint rally 29-23 in the State 4A championship game before an estimated crowd of 2,500 at the Kibbie Dome. Sandpoint (9-3) took over at its 16-yard line with 4:16 remaining after Blackfoot (11-1) botched a 21-yard field goal attempt that would have all but locked up the game. Blackfoot’s place holder couldn’t pull down a high snap, allowing Sandpoint to take over at the 16. Bulldogs quarterback Daniel Charvoz completed five passes on the drive as Sandpoint moved to the Blackfoot 32. But a sack for a 6-yard loss followed by three consecutive incomplete passes ended the Bulldogs’ final possession/Greg Lee, Sportslink. More here.
OK - went to my 30th class reunion in August in Hamilton Montana. I had the BEST possible 
High School experience that I think anyone could. It was a small school. Not too clique-ee. By the time we were Seniors everyone pretty much got along and could hang out together. I did not grow up in Hamilton. Still to this day, I don’t completely feel like I belonged there because many of my classmates went to school together for ALL 12 YEARS! Can you imagine? I think that is the coolest thing, and I have to say I was so excited when my son graduated from Post Falls High and he was a 12 year-er (he didn’t get why I thought that was so cool)/It’s Just Me. More here.
Question: Which high school clique did you belong to?
Wearing Pilgrim hats, Springmyer Elementary school Kindergarten students Cameron McWilliam, left, and Antonio Buccino sing a song as they and the rest of the Kindergarten class take part in the schools annual Thanksgiving program at the Green Township, Ohio School on Friday. (AP Photo/The Cincinnati Enquirer, Ernest Coleman) Question: Will any of your children/grandchildren involved in a school play during the holidays? Will you attend?
I hit the Big 6-0 at about 1:30 this morning — and the sky didn’t seem to fall. I’ve received a number of condolences from friends, family, and co-workers. Betsy Russell tells me that 60 is the new 40. But I can’t remember as many nicks in the chassis when I was 40. Overall, I consider life very good. I have a wife of 34 years who still loves me in spite of my warts. Two kids (and a wonderful dotter-in-law) who are doing well. I live in a great community, with dedicated leaders, like Mayor Sandi Bloem, who shares my birthday. I attend a great, little local church. And I’m loved by a magnificent God Who isn’t finished working on me. ‘Tis all good. Now, for your Wild Card …
have two people in my life that I have made them cynical, angry at times. Not at me…but at life. 
At the government. Both of these people could have cared less about politics 4 years ago. Both did not pay that much attention to the news. One of which had not voted for years if at all. Both of them voted last year. They voted on both sides. Meaning one went for McCain and the other went for Obama. The one who voted for McCain was almost disowned by the family. They came to visit saw the sign in the yard for McCain, and turn around and left without going to the door/Cis, From A Simple Mind. More here.
Question: Has your politics ever driven a wedge between yourself and a family member?
Mayor Sandi Bloem, City Council members, city staff, St. Vincent de Paul Board and staff, and officials from Contractors Northwest participated in a ribbon cutting ceremony for a 15-unit apartment house completed at the corner of Fruitland and Neider built with $2 million in grant funding from the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Section 811 program. More here.
A crane removing an oak tree from the yard of Michelle and Kevin McCarthy is seen after it toppled into the house Monday afternoon in Santa Rosa, Calif. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Mark Aronoff, The Press Democrat)
Top Cutlines:
Larry Spencer (Coeur d’Alene Press comments section): ” I went to talk to Dan English about 
the military voter I had questions about, and the election office seems to have followed the directions from the Secretary of State, and correctly registered the former Post Falls resident using Dan Englishs office address. The serviceman did own a home in Post Falls, and sold it in 2006, so he did reside in the area. My question is why the Secretary of State would direct that people who did not live in CdA in the past, but in Post Falls, vote in the CdA city elections. It seems to me that if a person moves away to go to school or serve in the armed forces, and in so doing they retain their right to vote here, they should still vote in the city they lived in rather than the city the clerks office is in.”
Dan English: “And thank you for acknowledging the correction Spencer. He is registered at this address per directions from the Secretary of State for these types of situations and has been an active voter since at least 2002.
Well, isn’t this just ducky. After 11 years, I got laid off yesterday. On a stress scale, I think I’m 
off the charts. First there was the thyroid biopsy (which turned out fine). Then there was the anemia problem. Then the failing kidneys. Then 3-days-a-week, 3.5 hour dialysis sessions. And now I have no job! I believe it is highly possible for an elephant to fall on my head. Actually - I think I’ll be ok. I’m eligible for SSI, which could take five months to resolve. In the meantime, I’ll do unemployment (think a 60-year-old dialysis patient is readily hireable?). Fortunately Medicare (for kidney dialysis) will kick in December 1. The good news … I do NOT have to drive in snow to work/JeanieS, Nuts & Nonsense. More here.
Question: Anyone have a message to encourage HBO favorite JeanieS?
With less than a week before Thanksgiving, a family of wild turkeys parades through a Fernan Lake neighborhood, posts KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho.
Santa Claus, also known as Patrick Farmer, at Santa Claus House in North Pole, Alaska, holds letters from children sent this year that the U.S. Postal Service says they will no longer deliver. Citing privacy concerns, postal officials say that generically addressed letters to “Santa Claus, North Pole” will no longer be forwarded to volunteers in the Alaska town as has been done for years. (AP Photo/Sam Harrel)
It can be easy for children to get their hands on cigarettes. Our cameras were rolling as 15-year-old volunteer girls try to buy cigarettes at a dozen different places in Spokane and Spokane Valley. The health district goes undercover more than 100 times a year to make sure stores are obeying the law and not selling cigarettes to minors. KREM 2 went along as four stores in our area were caught making the sale. The health district’s tobacco prevention team supervises the underage volunteers as they try to buy cigarettes in the store. Four out of 12 places sold to the girls/KREM2. More here.
Question: Should law enforcement spend much time cracking down on teen smokers?
When
the Statesman’s Erika Bolstad broke a rock-solid story about bonuses awarded by outgoing and embattled Sen. Larry Craig, the detractors were quick to chime in. Their message, loosely translated: “Hey Statesman, let the Craig story die already.” When Cynthia Sewell found some startling news about the city’s controversial streetcar public relations contract, and we followed up with an editorial criticizing the mishandled deal, we heard a similar refrain. “Enough about the streetcar contract; move on to real news.” So I’m left feeling a bit snarky. Readers say they want watchdog reporting. They want to know where their tax dollars are going. Do readers only really care when spending hits a certain undefined threshold? Is there some floor level we don’t know about, kind of like the unposted “real” speed limit on a remote stretch of I-84?/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question (from Kevin Richert): Do readers want watchdog reporting — or do they just say they want it?
So now we know who’s responsible for Lou Dobbs. It’s the American Legion. Before announcing 
his resignation from CNN last week, the Rupert-bred commentator told the Legion that his experience with itsnationwide oratorical contest at Minico High School shaped both his world view and choice of career. Dobbs, now 64, was 1961 Idaho state champion as a sophomore. “The discussion was ‘individual rights and responsibilities.’ That experience was fundamental to my ability to communicate in public. It gave me an opportunity to think more deeply and to express those rights and those responsibilities. It’s been an element of my life throughout my life. I never think about rights or privileges without thinking about responsibilities”/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Are you a Lou Dobbs’ fan?
The Milky Way spreads across the night sky over Mormon Row, an historic settlement, in Grand Teton National Park near Jackson, Wyo., Thursday night. The light in the distance is the city of Driggs, Idaho, on the west side of the Teton Mountain Range. (AP Photo/Jackson Hole News&Guide, Bradly J. Boner)
In this film publicity image released by Summit Entertainment, Robert Pattinson, background left, Kristen Stewart, and Taylor Lautner, right, are shown in a scene from “The Twilight Saga: New Moon.” Movie review here. (AP Photo/Summit Entertainment, Kimberley French)
Question: Should Bella have picked Jacob over Edward?
For those keeping score at home, Mike Kralicek, the former Coeur d’Alene police officer who 
was critically wounded in the line of duty a few years back, supports Councilman Mike Kennedy 100 percent. I just got off the phone with Kralicek. He told me that he called Mike Kennedy, offering his help in any way because he considered the councilman to be a strong supporter of public safety. Said MikeK: “The police and fire departments supported him. That’s why I knew he was OK.” Carrie told me that her husband made the decision on his own to join M-Kennedy in going through the Coeur d’Alene Place neighborhood. Her daughter pushed her husband in a wheelchair, Carrie said, because M-Kralicek can’t walk far on his own due to the horrific injuries he suffered in the shooting. She denounced anyone who would circulate the rumor that the police union forced her husband to support M-Kennedy against his will. Said Carrie: “Some people act as though Mike doesn’t have a brain in his head to make his own decisions.”
As you know, I’m deeply indebted for the terrific job that CindyH does filling in for me while I’m on vacation. But saying thanks doesn’t seem to be enough. So I figured I’d post this photo (monster hat tip to Sue) of a fundraiser planned by the Festival at Sandpoint. Apparently, firefighters (6 of the above firemen) at the Sandpoint Fire Department are offering 2 full days of labor — 96 hours total — to the home or business that turns in the highest bid. And this is just one of the 180 silent and live auction items that you can bid on at Holly Eve Saturday. (Call for tickets at 265-4554 and see below for more information)
Question: Now, what could you do with six firefighters for 96 total hours?
He’s still looking good,
he’s still looking fine,
but a little bit worse
than at age fifty-nine.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
You can read the official Coeur d’Alene police report re: the incident discovered Thursday morning involving a swastika pasted to the front door of the Human Rights Institute here.
Despite its rocky start, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe refueling depot in Huetter received a nod of approval from the Kootenai County commissioners on Thursday. Continuing the conditional five-year compliance hearing that was tabled last week, the commissioners voted unanimously that the massive depot is in compliance with the conditions the officials set when they passed a conditional use permit for the facility in 2004/Alecia Warren, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Thursday Poll:
A plurality of 40% (54 of 134 respondents) said they don’t like
President Obama or his policies. 48 of 134 (36%) said they like Obama
and his policies. 32 of 134 (24%) said they personally like Obama more
than his policies.
Being a Vandal, I like to reduce the difference between the University of Idaho and Boise State 
University to a glib one-liner: they win football games, and we won the National Medal of Arts. But again, that’s glib, and does a disservice — we win football games too, after all. I was born in St. Luke’s Hospital, and except for a few years in Jerome, I spent all my youth in Meridian, a mere ten miles out of Boise. My parents are both alums of what was once the Episcopalian Boise Junior College, my father with an associate degree in business and my mother with a bachelor’s in technical communications. There are many ways in which Boise State has us beat: enrollment, football, and number of bowling lanes on campus. Academics is not chiefly among them, and numbers can tell the story/Marcus Kellis, UI Argonaut. More here.
Question: Who do you think dominates the rivalry between UIdaho and Boise State?
Oprah
Winfrey knows how to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. In the last 10 minutes of her show, Winfrey confirmed that she will be ending her syndicated “Oprah Winfrey Show” in September 2011. “After much prayer and months of careful thought, I thought that next season, season 25, will be the last season of ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show,’ ” she told the audience. “You may hear a lot of speculation in the press about why I’m making this decision now, and I wanted you to hear it from me,” she said. “Twenty-four years ago on September 8, 1986, I went live from Chicago to launch the first show. I was beyond excited, and a little nervous”/CNN International. More here.
Question: Can you live without the ‘Oprah Winfrey Show’?
“It takes about a month to finish” said Coeur d’Alene Resort landscaper Chris Winter as he worked to string lights on a tree in front of the Coeur d’Alene Resort recently. The much anticipated Coeur d’Alene Holiday Light Show Opening Ceremony will be on Nov. 27, starting at 5:30 p.m., which includes a lighted parade, Christmas carols, candle lighting and fireworks show over Lake Coeur d’Alene. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
Item: Group recommends fewer Pap screenings: Report unconnected to recent mammogram advice/Shari Roan, L.A. Times
More Info: Only days after a federal panel scaled back on breast cancer screening recommendations for many women, another organization – the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – has done the same for a screening credited with drastically reducing the rates of cervical cancer in the U.S. Women of all ages should undergo Pap smears less frequently than they do now, those new guidelines say. And young women are advised not to bother until age 21. The pullback follows the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force’s dismissal of routine breast cancer screenings for women under 50.
Question: What’s going on here?
Item: BNSF depot in compliance: Commissioners agree to propose additional conditions for facility/Alecia Warren, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Despite its rocky start, the Burlington Northern Santa Fe refueling depot in Huetter received a nod of approval from the Kootenai County commissioners on Thursday. Continuing the conditional five-year compliance hearing that was tabled last week, the commissioners voted unanimously that the massive depot is in compliance with the conditions the officials set when they passed a conditional use permit for the facility in 2004.
Question: Are you still concerned that the BNSF depot near Hauser poses an environmental risk?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Have we really come to this? Both the President and the Attorney General have stated, Question: Do you have concerns re: the possible unfairness or location of this trial?
unequivocally, that Khalid Shaikh Mohammad and his co-defendants will be found guilty and executed. What an appalling statement. It’s not just the fear a lot of Americans have about these terrorists being brought to New York City to be tried in Federal Court. It’s what the rest of the world is seeing. The reason behind this faulty exercise is to showcase how wonderful our justice system is. How the United States is the shining beacon on the hill of fairness. Well, perhaps at one time. Whatever happened to “innocent until proven guilty”? Even the most heinous of criminals, those we know are guilty, are given that right/Dogwalk Musings. More here.
Soaf tells Huckleberries Online that “I was on my way down to La Barge WY yesterday. As I was headed through the Hoback River Canyon South of Jackson WY, I came around a corner on the highway and was greeted with the critters in the attached pics standing in the middle of the road. This pix of a ewe standing (only fee) from my vehicle.”
It’s rarely a dull day here at HBO Central — and today is no different. It appears the remnant of the neo-Nutsies were sneaking around in the darkness last night to try to intimidate Rachel Dolezal and other Human Rights Institute reps and fans. Here’s hoping those security cameras caught them. Then there’s last night’s attempted burglary of the Shopko Pharmacy, where my family gets its prescription medication. This little burg of ours doesn’t seem to be as safe as it once was. Mebbe dull days are nice. Here’s your Wild Card …
CindyH:
So. I got the dreaded “note from teacher.” Or in this case e-mail. It seems my 10-year-old was sent to the principal’s office for “blurting out,” and “talking out of turn several times despite repeated warnings.” He’s been sentenced to morning and lunch recess detention. (Keeping an active kid inside seems rather counterproductive, imo) My question is for parents: When/if your kids get in trouble at school, do you follow up with consequences at home? What kind? Right now, he’s confined to quarters while I go to the gym and mull this over during my workout. More below.
Question: Some Berry Pickers have already made suggestions on the “Wild Card” thread re: how Cindy should handle this situation. Do you have 2 cents to throw in, too?
Matt Phillips ( center) gets a skating tip from Disney On Ice professionals Mark Stanford (right ) and Allison Best during an open skating session today at the Riverfront Park Ice Palace. Local Special Olympic Skaters got the opportunity to meet and skate with professionals who are in town for the Disney On Ice “Worlds of Fantasy” show being held at the Spokane Arena through Sunday. (Christopher Anderson/SR)
Stacie Hunt poses for a portrait at Midwestern Meats in Mesa, Ariz.Hunt has the improbable title of fitness trainer for Midwestern Meats in Mesa. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/ The Arizona Republic, Michael McNamara)
Top Cutlines:
To keep living forever
is but a chimera,
nonetheless he’s quite close now:
D.F. Oliveria.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
A federal judge ruled Wednesday that the Army Corps of Engineers’ failure to properly maintain 
a navigation channel led to massive flooding in Hurricane Katrina, a decision that could make the federal government vulnerable to billions of dollars in claims. U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval sided with six residents and one business who argued the Army Corps’ shoddy oversight of the Mississippi River-Gulf Outlet led to the flooding of New Orleans’ Lower 9th Ward and neighboring St. Bernard Parish. He said, however, the corps couldn’t be held liable for the flooding of eastern New Orleans, where two of the plaintiffs lived/DiscoveryNews. More here.
H/T: Nic, Rants, Raves, & Random Thoughts
Question: Are you surprised by the verdict?
For those playgoers who have not yet experienced the slapstick charms of Tuna, the “third 
smallest town in Texas,” here’s a hint: Imagine “King of the Hill” meets “Benny Hill.” In other words, “A Tuna Christmas,” consists of redneck humor delivered by two male actors who each dress up as 12 different characters, including Bertha Bumiller, Petey Fisk, Sheriff Givens and Didi Snavely, the owner of Didi’s Used Weapons. It has the same low-rent appeal as its precursor “Greater Tuna,” written by the same team of Joe Sears, Jaston Williams and Ed Howard. Yet “A Tuna Christmas” is different, and not only because it takes place entirely on Christmas Eve/Jim Kershner, SR. More here.
Question: Do you enjoy redneck humor?
Undated 2009 photo from the Cleveland Metroparks Zoo shows an Aldabra tortoise that had been named “Mary,” in water at the zoo. The zoo recently discovered that the tortoise, thought to be female for more than 50 years, was in fact male. (AP Photo/Cleveland Metroparks Zoo)
OrangeTV: People come here for the mixture of local news and politics, blog roundups, two-headed cow photos, and yes, the juicy gossip about local folks. I’d never compare it to the National Enquirer or whatever tabloids …
Question: Does anyone not like my photos of strange animals?
A woman looks at a human body during the “Bodies” exhibition in Medellin, Colombia, Thursday. The exhibition shows the result of US physician Roy Glover’s investigations at the University of Michigan, where he and his team have developed a preservation technique called Plastination to provide polymer-preserved bodies for medical instruction. The exhibit opens Nov. 21 and goes on until Jan. 17. (AP Photo/Luis Benavides)
Question: Have you ever seen a ‘Bodies’ exhibition?
Fact: In the dozens of pharmacy robberies that have hit the region in the last 18 months or so, the only people injured have been the robbers — Meghann M. Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels.
… that the latest cuh-razy notion circulating through the troops suffering Mike Kennedy Derangement Syndrome goes like this: Mike Kralicek was forced to campaign for Kennedy against his will because the police union made him do it. I’m serious. Kralicek, the valiant CPD Blue who was critically wounded in the line of duty a few years ago, joined Mike in his door-knocking at Coeur d’Alene Place on the Sunday before Election Day. I encountered the two, and Mike Kralicek’s daughter, Alexis, when Mike Kennedy knocked on my door. It certainly didn’t appear to me that Kralicek was being forced to do anything against his will. What nonsense.
Here’s another interesting list, this one that claims to be “The 25 Best Movie Performances 
of the Decade.” And of course there are many worthy selections on it. But as the comments show, there are many others that, for one reason or another, got left off. In fact, the comments - which include the obligatory flamer or two - point out the list’s biggest flaw. Because the authors decided to limit each actor to one appearance, it automatically makes the list “The Best Movie Performances by Individual Actors of the Decade.” There’s no other way to explain why - as several comments pointed out - you would include Heath Ledger for “Brokeback Mountain” and then leave off his scintillating performance as The Joker in “The Dark Knight.” The fact is, some actors - by some blend of talent and opportunity - pull off more great performances than others. And that should be recognized/Dan Webster, Movies & More. More here.
Question: Which actor turned in the best movie performance of the past decade?
Employees
of the Human Rights Education Institute in Coeur d’Alene arrived at work Thursday morning to discover a swastika sticker on the front door. Director of Operations Donna Cork took a photo of the six-inch-square decal then called the Coeur d’Alene Police Department, which is investigating the matter under Idaho’s malicious harassment law. The 1983 law makes it a felony to intimidate another person based on race, color, religion, ancestry or national origin. The intimidation includes defacing property, which is defined in part as “the placing of any word or symbol commonly associated with racial, religious or ethnic terrorism on the property of another person without his or her permission”/Alison Boggs, SR. Full story here.
Question: Do you agree that this crime should be considered a felony?
Pfc. George Stratton, 18, is seen in a photograph with President Barack Obama after the shooting at Fort Hood on Nov. 5. The shootings killed 13 people and wounded 30, including Stratton, who was completing medical processing in preparation for a January deployment to Afghanistan. Meanwhile, Staff Sgt. Shawn Manning, another soldier with Idaho connections, continues to improve from the shootings in a Texas hospital here. (AP Photo/The Spokesman-Review, Kathy Plonka)
The tale of how a singer from Canada fell in love with a trombonist from Montana reads like a 
storyline from a movie musical. Treena Luety grew up in Toronto and has always loved to sing. “I sang into my hairbrush for my mom and dad,” she said, laughing. “I’d sing myself to sleep every night.” Ben Luety was raised in Missoula by a trombone-playing father. “I started playing in elementary school,” he recalled. The couple met in Austria in 2003, when both were performing at the World Choral Festival in Salzburg. Treena was singing with the Toronto Symphony Choir and Ben was playing with the Montana Trombone Chorale, a group formed by his dad/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Question: Have you ever had a long-distance romance?
Pumpkin farmer John Ackerman walks through a neighbor’s waterlogged pumpkin field Tuesday, while discussing the difficulties of this year’s harvest. Nestle _ which sells nearly all the canned pumpkin in the U.S. _ says poor weather hurt its harvest, creating a potential shortage of its Libby’s pumpkin pie products through the holidays.(AP Photo/The Journal Star, Leslie Renken)
Question: Can you survive Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie?
A Coeur d’Alene pharmacy employee tackled a masked armed robber and held him for police Wednesday night. Jason Anthony Wahl, 28, will appear in Kootenai County District Court this afternoon after police arrested him at the Shopko pharmacy, 217 W. Ironwood Drive. Wahl is accused of trying to rob the pharmacy of prescription medication just before 9 p.m. When police arrived, an employee was on top of the robber struggling to get control of the handgun, said Sgt. Christie Wood/Meghann M. Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
Hayden resident Rami Amaro was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a few years ago. She is one of only a few people in the country who will receive a stem cell transplant as treatment for the disease. She talked about the procedure at her home Monday while her son, Ethan Amaro, 4, played. SR-tory by John Stucke here. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
DFO: Rami Amaro, of course, is a former candidate for District Court judge. Her race against incumbent John Mitchell will go down in the annals of Huckleberries Online history as one of the great moments we’ve enjoyed here on the comments thread. Please join me in wishing Rami the very best as she fights this lousy disease.
I 
think I have emotional standing to assert that exceptions aren’t what we should base standard practices around, so I don’t want to hear about your grandmother who caught her breast cancer early with a mammogram before the age of 50. It is pretty nice when people luck out and get useful information from a mammogram in their 40s, but most of the time, all you get from a mammogram is a confirmation of what you knew to begin with. Plus, a patient undergoing mammography is exposed to radiation, and that’s best avoided/Sara Anderson, f-words. More here.
Question (for HBO women): Are you less likely or just as likely to get mammograms after the report from the federally funded study sez that women in their 40s don’t need them?
Newsweek chose the Runners World of Palin in running shorts for its cover, which is clearly a 
cheesecake type of photo. Oprah Winfrey asked Palin about the choice to use that picture, and Palin said she’s thinks it’s kind of cheesy. I was thinking about that. Using a cheesecake photo of a woman in politics for its cover does seem a bit cheesy, at first. But, upon further reflection, I think it is the exact right photo. Such a photo, of a powerful woman, highlights sexuality over any other trait, and probably tends to objectify the woman. But in Palin’s case, her attractiveness is her defining trait, and is the reason she’s where she’s at/IdaBlue. More here.
Question: Do you think Sarah Palin would be where she is today — a media superstar and popular with conservatives — if she wasn’t so attractive?
In response to Larry Spencer’s letter in Wednesday’s Coeur d’Alene Press (“Election: Right to question results”), former City Council candidate Dan Gookin said that the military ballots went out early. Quoth: ”I remember it because my campaign was informed that the ballots were ready about a week early.” There’s been some insinuation by the usual suspects — and their platoon of crazed keyboard commandos — that the county elections office didn’t send out the military ballots on time, prompting an angry response from mild-mannered Dan of the County.
Photog Kathy Plonka (who took the photo above) reports to Huckleberries Online that a small sticker with a swastika has been pasted on the Human Rights Institute front door, by the hours of operation information. The sticker is about 5 inches square. Human Rights officials are checking a security camera to see if the perpetrator(s) can be identified. The Human Rights Institute is located adjacent to the northeast corner of City Park. Stay tuned for further developments.
An overwhelming number of American voters say they like President Obama as a
person but disapprove of most of his policies, according to a Quinnipiac
University poll released Thursday. … “Most Americans like President Barack Obama and might like to have a beer
with him,” Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling
Institute, said in a press release Thursday. “But millions of voters who sided
with him last November because they thought he would bring change to Washington
aren’t crazy about the kind of change he is trying to bring”/Fox News. More here.
Wednesday Poll: 54 of 92 (59% of the respondents) saw nothing wrong with the photo from Runners World that Newsweek used on the cover of its current edition. 33 of 92 viewed it as “sexist, belittling, or otherwise offensive.
Oprah
Winfrey’s interview with former vp candidate Sarah Palin scored the talk show host her highest rating in two years. Monday’s episode of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” drew a 8.7 household rating and 13 share — the best since Winfrey had the entire Osmond family on the show in 2007. That means Palin also topped Winfrey’s heavily viewed interviews with Whitney Houston at the start of the season. Palin is making the rounds to promote her new book, “Going Rogue,” which came out Tuesday/James Hibberd’s The Live Feed. More here.
Question: Dennis Miller opined on the ‘Bill Reilly Show’ last night that Sarah Palin might be well-positioned to win the presidency as a third-party populist candidate in eight years. He suggested that she could claim 18% to 20% of the vote as a drafted third-party candidate in four years — and then jump to the top in the next election cycle. Do you think it’s possible?
Item: LCDC eyes affordable housing: Agency agrees to buy property beneath Paris Flea Market/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Conceptual plans detail 25-35 unit condo buildings atop a ground floor boasting retail stores and shops. Developers said they hope to offer various sizes of one, two and three-bedroom floor plans for qualifying people who earn between $30,000 to $60,000 a year, according to Douglas Peterson of The Housing Company (IHC), a nonprofit subsidiary of the Idaho Housing and Finance Association (IHFA).
Kage Mann (in Press online thread): “They are only going to build supposed
affordable housing units for: The city’s workforce. No affordable housing for anyone else? Yet, LCDC can help to finance many high-end condo developments for rich people and help to gentrify this CDA area. The average citizen is getting ripped by our Urban Renewal Agency.I don’t think any URA should be in the residential development business. ”
Question: And you thought that the anti-LCDC forces would back the urban renewal agency providing affordable housing? Pshaw.
“It’s definitely time,” said Jason Younker of Coeur d’Alene as he prepared to take his boat out of the water at the Boardwalk Marina at The Coeur d’Alene Resort recently. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
At 8:57 last night, Coeur d’Alene Police responded to the report of a robbery in progress at the 
Shopko Pharmacy located at 217 W. Ironwood Drive. The store was open for business with employees and customers inside. Officers were advised an armed male suspect was inside the front door of the business and was being physically restrained by a Shopko employee. Sgt. Walther and Sgt. McCormick were in the vicinity of the store and were able to respond immediately. They both observed the Shopko employee on the floor, on top of the suspect, and struggling to get physical control of the handgun. Both sergeants restrained the suspect while he was actively resisting and gained control of the weapon. The suspect, a 29-year-old male from Lewiston was taken into custody and placed into a patrol car/Coeur d’Alene Today. More here.
Question: What do you make of this recent spate of robberies and attempted robberies in the Coeur d’Alene area?
CdAMomof4: A new frustration with our school district. There are crowded classrooms and class sizes OVER the state recommended teacher to student ratio - but the district is spending money on yet another administrative position (see the special ed consultant position here). How crazy is this?
Question: Do you think CdAMomof4 has a right to be frustrated with this proposed hire in the Coeur d’Alene School District?
Illustrating the continuing political fallout from controversial new recommendations on breast 
cancer screening, GOP congresswomen condemned a government-funded study Wednesday and suggested it was a preview of what to expect from Democratic health care reform. Led by U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., six Republican congresswomen told reporters that the guidelines, published Monday by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, send the wrong message. The task force, an independent body of health professionals funded by the government, rocked the medical community this week by questioning the necessity of annual mammograms for women over 40 as well as self-exams to detect breast tumors/Jacob Barker, SR. More here.
Question: Are politics involved in the government-funded study that questions the necessity of annual mammograms for women over 40 as well as self-exams?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Sarah Palin signs her autograph at Barnes and Nobles during the first stop of her book tour in Grand Rapids, Mich. on Wednesday. Palin will appear at Fred Meyer in Coeur d’Alene during the tour here. (AP Photo/Adam Bird)
Another day … more paranoia from the local conspiracy theorists re: the results of the Coeur d’Alene City Council elections (see: Spencer letter to Coeur d’Alene Press below). I’ve heard that Spencer and his shock troops are only one of several layers of Repubs, local and regional, who’ve bombarded county elections chief Deedie Beard with the same-oh questions in their never-ending attempt to overturn at least one council election and possibly ease their Mike Kennedy Derangement Syndrome. In other words, we’re enjoying just another day in our increasingly agitated bit of paradise. Here’s your Wild Card …
Michael, a bearded panhandler beside a woman carrying cardboard “God Bless!!!” signs, pulls 
out a slip of paper stuffed inside his glove. It’s a citation — not having the proper business license — that he says carries $257 fine. “We ain’t been up here very long,” says Michael, declining to give his last name. “I ain’t know about the rules.” Unless Michael was panhandling in the middle of the street or on private property, he doesn’t need a permit. Panhandling is legal. But not everybody knows that, especially after the Spokane City Council last November passed ordinances that targeted panhandling activities. Within the downtown core, the city banned sitting on sidewalks and panhandling next to business entrances or within 15 feet of ATMs/Daniel Walters, Inlander. More here.
Question: Should city governments keep a tight rein on panhandlers in the Inland Northwest?
Eighth grader Darian McLevish waits for his turn to play during the Gathering of the Bands clinic at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday. He attends River City Middle School in Post Falls. About 300 eighth grade students from area schools participated in the clinics and performed in the concert at NIC’s Boswell Hall Schuler Performing Arts Center on Wednesday night. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
This bank surveillance video released by the FBI taken Monday shows an elderly man, nicknamed the “Geezer Bandit,” during his most recent bank robbery at a Bank of America branch in La Jolla,Calif. The FBI and local law enforcement agencies are seeking the public’s assistance to identify the unknown male bank robber who is responsible for holding up five San Diego-area banks since summer. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/FBI)
Top Cutlines:
A
drunken driver slammed into a school bus filled with children Wednesday, but no one was injured, according to the Idaho State Patrol. Julie Witlicki, 38, was arrested after her 1995 Volkswagen Jetta crossed the center line on Highway 95 near Worley and hit a school bus driven by Vernie Johnson, 65, of Tensed. No one was injured in the crashed, which occurred at mile post 403 at 7:33 a.m., the State Patrol said. Witlicki and her two passengers were searing seat belts/Meghann M. Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. ISP report here.
Ever since we bought our own house, the kids have been lobbying for us to get them a pet. 
Katie wants a talking bird. Caleb wants a dog. They’ve both used every tool in their arsenal of emotional blackmail to try to bend us to their will. I’m not against pets, by any means, but I know what a big commitment it is to add a small and furry–or feathery–new member to your household, and I’m not sure the kids are taking the whole thing seriously. Sure, they swear up and down now that, whatever wee beastie we bestow on them, they’ll bathe it and feed it and walk it and love it (and call it George)/Katrina, Notes on a Napkin. More here.
Question: Do your kids take care of their own pets?
Environmental activist Erin Brockovich mixes it up on a mat with toddlers during an appearance to promote a virtual Million Baby Crawl in New York, Wednesday. The Million Baby Crawl is a grassroots effort to raise awareness about the nation’s outdated chemical laws. Advocates hope to encourage Congress to pass stronger regulations against hazardous chemicals in household products. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens)
Question: Are you more environmentally conscious re: dangers from household chemicals today than you were 10 years ago?
While strolling across downtown Boise in the crisp fall sunshine a few minutes ago, I ran into none other than former Idaho Congressman Bill Sali. Of course, I had to ask him: Is he running again for his old seat in Idaho’s 1st District? “Stay tuned,” Sali responded. Asked how long I should stay tuned, Sali was non-committal, saying until he decides one way or another. As he tried to get in his car and drive away, I asked him why, if he’s still considering running, he raised no campaign funds in the last quarter. “If I don’t run, I don’t want to have to give it back to people and go through all that mess,” Sali responded/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Why do you think Sali’s being so coy?
I’m going on record. I am not going to buy nor read Sarah Palin’s book. She is coming to the Coeur d’Alene Fred Meyer store December 10th on her signing tour. I will be no where in sight. I must admit I considered going with my handy Flip video but have even decided against that. I just don’t like the woman and do not, for the life of me, understand why this vacant, ill spoken woman gets the press she does. She appeals to ordinary Americans? She’s one of us? I guess that makes me something other than ordinary/Dogwalk Musings. More here.
Stickman:
I never wanted my sons to play football just because of that issue. They played many other sports and excelled, and they have also not had any regrets about my one decision in their sports lives. They were and still are outstanding athletes, but as young boys I took them to many games and showed them all of the kids that were sitting on the sidelines with injuries, many to the head and the knees of course. They got it and still do.
Question: Were you ever suffer an incapacitating injury while playing sports?
Idaho Dad/A Family Runs Through It has published the quiz of 50 questions that he gave his second-grade daughter this spring to complete her year of home-schooling. The list includes these questions:
You can take the quiz for yourself here.
Also: You can help Idaho Dad when the Best Homeschool Blog Dad competition by voting for him here. Here’s currently running neck-and-neck for the title. BTW, A Family Runs Through It is now 8 votes ahead in the competition.
Eggo waffles are seen on display at Piazza’s grocery store in Palo Alto, Calif., Wednesday. Nationwide shortages of Kellogg’s popular brand of frozen waffles are expected through next summer because of a double whammy at waffle plants in the South _ flooding in Atlanta and mechanical problems in Tennessee. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma) Question: Which do you prefer for breakfast — waffles or hotcakes?
Killed on Nov. 23, 1951, Pfc. Wilbur John Robinson was one of just seven Yellowstone County residents to die in the Korean War. In 1997 the Veterans Memorial Wall was dedicated on the south lawn of the Yellowstone County Courthouse to honor local men and women who died in wars up through Vietnam, and Wilbur’s name was supposed to be one of them. Except when the memorial went up, his name wasn’t there. Instead, the name shown is of Willard Robinson/Billings Gazette. More here.
Question: Has your name ever been misspelled on a plaque, program, or media publication? What was your reaction to that?
I worked out this morning for the first time in a looooong time. It was only 10 minutes, but hey, that’s not bad. Baby Henry and I spent the summer burning calories with long walks all over town, but now the rain and snow are keeping us indoors more often (though we brave it sometimes!) I’m not interested in reversing all my post-baby weight loss progress, but I’m not interested in shelling out for a gym membership, either/Tara Roberts, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question (from Tara Roberts): So how to keep a good exercise regimen on the cheap (sans health club membership) during winter?
For those who have been skeptical of the Idaho charter school movement, the day of judgment is here. When they predicted years ago that charter schools would become a ploy to spend tax dollars on private, religious-based instruction, they were ignored if not ridiculed. Vindication has arrived. Just as soon as the Idaho Public Charter School Commission gave the Nampa Classical Academy its imprimatur, the academy announced it would use the Bible as a text. Don’t the U.S. Constitution, the U.S. Supreme Court and the Idaho Constitution all say that’s prohibited? Prove it! say the folks in Nampa. And if the charter school commission says no? The Nampa Classical Academy is demanding its day in court/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Do you support the charter school movement?
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter speaks at the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho conference on Wednesday, warning of a tough legislative session ahead in January with looming budget cuts Wednesday. (Betsy Russell/SR)
New Orleans Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey (88) after Shockey fumbles the ball after he was hit by St. Louis Rams linebacker David Vobora (58) during the first quarter of an NFL football game in St. Louis. “The only thing I remember is coming out of the tunnel at the beginning of the game. And then _ a big gap,” Vobora said about a concussion he got this season. “But I played the whole game, until the last series, when I started asking guys questions, and they looked at me like I was crazy.” (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson, File) Question: Have you ever had a concussion or serious head injury?
Kootenai Environmental Alliance has been tracking the Comp Plan’s public process for 
several years now. Our interests, of course, are in the protection of the public health, protection of the natural environment, and the promotion of sustainable development in Kootenai County. As of this week, the Comp Plan’s overarching goals — to direct development to areas of the county better able to sustain it, to provide greater protections to our rural areas, and to direct development away from open space and sensitive areas – are squarely before the Board of Commissioners for their decision. At their last meeting, the Commissioners decided to avoid a direct decision on the appropriate densities for rural land use. But the decision cannot be avoided forever/Terry Harris, KEA Blog. More here.
Question: How concerned are you about the possible changes in the county’s comprehensive plan?
Todd Shaffer, 38, of East Lansing, Mich., in foreground, waits in line with hundreds of people at a Barnes and Noble bookstore Wednesday morning for a wristband that would give them a chance to have Sarah Palin sign their copies of her new book, “Going Rogue,” at a book signing that evening in Grand Rapids, Mich. Shaffer described himself as a Palin supporter who wanted a chance to meet the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate, whom he says has been a pioneer for women in the party. (AP Photo/James Prichard)
Red Man: All my liberal friends are coming over tonight they are getting into line.
“Was this election stolen? I think it may have been. That is why I have encouraged Jim to pursue a challenge, rather than just a recount that others around him were pushing for”/Larry Spencer, in comments section of Coeur d’Alene Press, beneath his regular Press column, er, letter to editor. Spencer goes on to describe “How to steal an election. Or, how I would do it if I was an ACORN loving Democrat operative or candidate. (thank goodness Im not!).” More paranoia here.
DFO: Izzit it just me, or are we witnessing a local version of 1950s McCarthyism with the continuing attacks on local elected officials who refuse to kowtow to Spencer & Co.?
Minnick is getting the same bad advice on taking Democrats for granted. There are many Idaho 
Democrats who desperately seek our next Church or Andrus to lead the party from the wilderness to the wealth of great ideas that, not only solve problems, but are politically popular. Governor Schweitzer provided this leadership in Montana with a melding of fiscal conservatism, gun advocacy and demonstrating that green jobs and health care reform are good programs for Montanans. Now Montana is purple with a bright streak of blue. The disappointment with Minnick is so palpable among the faithful in Idaho because the state’s highest profile Democrat fails to fill the bill of what it is to be western Democrat. And it will be his undoing as I argued to Larry LaRocco over the weekend/Sisyphus, 43rd State Blues. More here.
Question (for HBO’s Left Bank): Are you so disappointed with Congressman Walt Minnick’s performance that you’d abandon him in the next election and help a conservative like Vaugh Ward, for example, reclaim the seat for Republicans?
Today, Newsweek’s Editor Jon Meacham has responded to critics. “We chose the most interesting image available to us to illustrate the theme of the cover, which is what we always try to do,” Meacham said. “We apply the same test to photographs of any public figure, male or female: does the image convey what we are saying? That is a gender-neutral standard”/Newsweek. More here.
The rise of Adderall-addled college students continues the trend of prescription drug abuse in this country. Sunday’s Spokesman- Review article by three Washington State University students took a detailed look at young people popping pills with disturbing nonchalance. Though Adderall is designed for people with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and narcolepsy, many students use them as “smart pills” to stay alert for all-night study sessions and exams. Others partake recreationally. National studies suggest that 25 percent of college students have popped cognitive stimulants. The pills are seductive, because they’re relatively cheap and easy to get. Their misuse begins as far back as middle school. Students’ casual attitude toward the potentially hazardous side effects has health officials concerned/Spokesman-Review Editorial Board. More here.
Question: Are you concerned that your college or high school student may be using ‘smart pills’ to stay alert for all-night study sessions and exams?
Many more ballots were cast that appear dubious at best, certainly more than enough to 
challenge two races, possibly enough to have changed the outcomes of all three council races. If you are concerned about the legitimacy of this election, now is the time to get involved. In order to challenge the election, a bond must be posted and an attorney hired. Mike Kennedy is hoping you won’t contribute to this effort; let’s show him the integrity of the election does matter and voters of Cd’A are willing to get involved/Larry Spencer, Coeur d’Alene Press letter to the editor. More here.
Question (to Larry Spencer): Are you serious?
Michigan State’s Korie Lucious, left, and Gonzaga’s G.J. Vilarino chase the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday in East Lansing, Mich. Michigan State won 75-71. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
The current edition of Newsweek has stirred controversy with its photo of former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Newsweek bought the photo on the cover from Runners World. In recent media interviews, Palin has criticized the cover as showing her in an unflattering light. Others contend that it is sexist. (PRNewsFoto/NEWSWEEK) Question: Do you think this cover is sexist or unflattering?
Gov. Butch Otter’s “efficiency” Web site, which asks Idahoans for their ideas on how the state can save money, has received 112 suggestions as of this morning, according to Otter’s press secretary, Jon Hanian. “We know people have a lot of ideas and opinions about what the state should or shouldn’t be doing, and so I think we certainly expected there was going to be a good deal of interest,” Hanian said. “So far, that’s been the case.” The site was just launched on Friday/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise.
Question: How do you think the state of Idaho could save money?
Item: AOL names Cd’A as one of best small towns: Get ready for a rebound … In awhile/Alecia Warren, Press.
More Info: Last week in an article posted on AOL.com, Coeur d’Alene was featured as one of the best small towns in the U.S. for people to relocate to, because of quality of life and a strong prospect of future job growth. It’s a solid prediction, said Kathryn Tacke, regional economist for the Department of Labor.
Question: Are you optimistic that this region will rebound quickly from the recession?
Scott Stantis/Birmingham News
Gonzaga’s Robert Sacre (00) dunks against Michigan State’s Delvon Roe, right, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2009, in East Lansing, Mich. ESPN game story and boxscore here. (AP Photo/Al Goldis)
On Friday, I turn 60 years old. Earlier this year, I was bugged by the pending milestone. I tend to ignore birthdays. Or to take them in stride. The Big 5-0 caught my attention. Mebbe 35 and 40, too. But I needed awhile to process 6-0. Now, there’s no clinging to the notion that I’m still young in any way. However, I’m also grateful for the many things I’ve experienced in life — and the ones I love and mean much to me. I’m also grateful at this point in my life for a job like being blogmeister of Huckleberries Online. Which still keeps life and work interesting. Thanks for being part of this interesting experiment. With that, I’ll play this Wild Card …
A Chinese staff looks back as he sweeps a red carpet laid out for U.S. President Barack Obama’s arrival at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)
I am buying my own underpants … Now that doesn’t seem like much, maybe even be more than 
the person wants to know. But you got to understand, I didn’t buy my own underpants for over 20 years. No, I don’t by in lots, nor were the ones I was wearing 20 years old. See, my aunt use to buy them for my birthday each year and also for Christmas. She sent white ones because, for work I had to wear white pants, so colors were out. Twice a year I got a years supply of white undies. Then she passed away in 2006. And then it dawn on me as I was opening the last batch, that I would have to buy my own. Which was quite a shocker as I didn’t know what size I wore. I never looked before, I just wore them/Cis, Simple Mind. More here.
Question: Do you buy your own clothes?
In this 2007 file photo, Portland State coach Jerry Glanville walks off field with his players after a 26-17 loss to UC Davis in an NCAA college football game in Portland, Ore. Glanville resigned today, after three years as head coach of the Portland State. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer, File)
People covered in fake blood protest bullfighting in Lima, Saturday. The sign reads in Spanish “No more cruelty.” You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Martin Mejia)
In a billboard campaign targeting the Los Angeles area, the AIDS Healthcare Foundation is promoting HIV testing with this life-sized bull, complete with tail and antlers, along with the slogan “No Judgemental Bullsh*t” and the website www.freeHIVtest.net. The campaign is aimed at taking the stigma out of AIDS testing — and fear that ” that someone is going to probe into their personal habits and judge them for it.” You can read all about it here.
Question: How do you think this campaign would go over in Spokane County and North Idaho?
Digger:
What do our fellow bloggers consider “on time” in a work enviroment? I mandate that all employees must report to work no more than 15 but no less than 10 minutes before the start of their shift and that they be clocked in no more than 10 but no less than 5 minutes before scheduled. I have two employees who get it - one that does not. I had a “Come to Jesus” with employee #3 yesterday but sometimes you can’t fix stupid.
Question: What do you consider to be on time for work?
Lately it seems many supposedly nonpartisan elections are becoming less and less so. The Idaho Republican Party in June called for the party to participate in nonpartisan local elections and to identify and support the election of Republican candidates to city councils, school boards and other local government posts. The Idaho Democratic Party does not officially endorse city council candidates, but does have prominent Democrats come out and endorse particular candidates. There are people who think voter turnout will increase in local elections if the city council, mayoral and school board races are party affiliated. We say do your homework instead/Sandra Kelly, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Would you like to see Idaho mayors, council members, school board, and other local elections require candidates to declare a party affiliation?
(Ex-Idaho Values Alliance leader Bryan) Fischer’s first post drew the predicted response. 
MSNBC talker Keith Olbermann — himself no paragon of objectivity — awarded Fischer a bronze medal in his “worst person in the world” feature. So, last Thursday, Fischer upped the ante with a followup post. Since the Pentagon’s own guidelines forbid soldiers from belonging to “supremacist” groups, Fischer reasons, that should apply to Muslims. Writes Fischer: “If we shouldn’t allow neo-Nazi skinheads who believe in Aryan supremacy to serve, neither should we allow Muslims who believe in Islamic supremacy to serve.” Comparing Muslims and neo-Nazis. Why must Fischer be so subtle?/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here. And: Good riddance, Bryan Fischer/Political Game.
Question: Did you miss Bryan Fischer?
Strong winds turn an umbrella inside-out as a man walks down the street in Seattle on Monday. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times) Question: How do you decide when winter begins and falls ends?
Into Huckleberries I am logging
And now I’m reading ‘bout snogging
It amazes me
The things that I see
After DFO’s Been blogging!
Escapee
Upending
one of the most widely followed medical directives for women, an influential panel of experts is recommending that women 50 and older get screened for breast cancer only once every two years and that most women in their 40s skip the test altogether. The panel also concludes that breast self-exams — a drill that women for decades have been told to perform each month — do not reduce mortality from breast cancer, but instead lead to more biopsies producing results that are benign/Seattle Times. More here.
Question: What do you make of this shift re: exams for breast cancer?
With the holiday season rapidly approaching, many teens are eager to land a part-time job to help pay for school, clothes, presents and, well, cool things for themselves. That’s what they’re looking for; but what’s looking back at them is the Ghost of Minimum Wage Increases Past. We have opposed across-the-board, federally mandated wage increases for a number of reasons, including their blatant disregard for free market solutions. Another is the impact of minimum wage hikes on younger workers. Especially in the downturn of our current economy, we were afraid many of the jobs generally taken by teens — that’s what minimum wage employment should be all about — would disappear. And we were right/Coeur d’Alene Press Editorial Board. More here.
Question: Do you think teens are having problems because the minimum wage was increased? Or because everyone’s having problems — and the teens are fighting more experienced adults to lower paying jobs?
Seattle police say a man who thought he was ninja was impaled on a metal fence when he tried to leap over it. An officer who was looking for an assault victim nearby Monday night heard the man screaming for help. Police supported him to prevent further injuries until medics arrived to take him to Harborview Medical Center. A hospital spokeswoman said Tuesday he was in serious condition in intensive care. Police spokeswoman Renee Witt wrote in a department Web site posting that officers thought he might have been involved in the reported assault, but the man insisted he was just a ninja trying to clear a 4- to 5-foot-tall fence. Witt says the man was “overconfident in his abilities,” and that alcohol likely played a role/AP.
Question: What’s the dumbest thing you’ve ever seen someone do drunk?
Spokane Police, Spokane Sheriff and firefighting personnel load up and clear the rea of Sherman and 7th on the south hill earlier today. A man who fled after a robbery entered a nearby house and refused to come out until tear gas was used. Story here. (Jesse Tinsley/SR)
I’ve
been troubled these last few weeks by my acquiescence to her request that I assist her with some of her schoolwork. Translation: write a paper for her. This was weeks ago- I mean, she’s now had her baby and is slowly but surely catching up at school- all on her own now, thank you-, plus I felt great at the time for saving her butt when she was already on academic probation, the assistance I rendered went over flawlessly with no one the wiser (according to her)… so why do I still feel so rotten?/Kendramama, Soul Doubt. More here.
Question: What would you have done had you been in K-Mama’s shoes?
Brazilian freshmen university student Geisy Arruda gestures during an interview with the Associated Press in her lawyer’s office in Sao Paulo Tuesday. Arruda, 20, who was expelled from Bandeirantes University for wearing a short dress, said Tuesday she’s enjoying her newfound fame, but wants go back to school. (AP Photo/Andre Penner) Question: Do you think most women who wear short dresses should reconsider?
Spencer:
I spoke with Susan W this morning, and the holdup was not with her, but with the county election department, as Susan had authorized then to release the poll book copy. As of 4pm yesterday the county was still claiming that Susan had not given them the OK, but she evidently gave the OK in the morning. PS. happy B-day Susan!
DFO: For those keeping score at home, Coeur d’Alene’s superb City Clerk Susan Weathers clocked the Big 6-0 today. Next up: Yours Truly & Mayor Sandi Bloem Friday.
Question (for Spencer) Are you saying you were wrong yesterday when you accused the City Clerk of dragging her feet on Gary Ingram’s polling books request? Also, I hear that you, Gary, and the rest of the gang are pestering Elections Chief Deedie Beard. Can you tell your, ahem, Huckleberries Online family what you guys are up to? Are you going to try to contest the election — and not simply just seek a recount? Why is Jim Brannon afraid to speak for himself? Inquiring minds want to know.
JeanieS:
I LOVED my 60th birthday - but I had geared myself up for it too. I won’t go into all the ^&*(*% that has happened since my 60th birthday but I am beginning to think that it’s a milestone of a different kind foretelling the demise of your body - piece by piece by piece. Kind of like an old beloved jalopy – first the hub cap falls off, then a bumper, then a tail pipe – and pretty soon, pieces and parts are falling off in rapid succession to the point that all you have is an axel and a seat, maybe the steering column.
Question: If you could go back in time to a favorite age, which year would it be? Why?
“Going Rogue,”
the title of Sarah Palin’s erratic new memoir, comes from a phrase used by a disgruntled McCain aide to describe her going off-message during the presidential campaign: among other things, for breaking with the campaign over its media strategy and its decision to pull out of Michigan, and for speaking out about reports that the Republican Party had spent more than $150,000 on fancy designer duds for her and her family/Michiko Kakutani, New York Times. More here.
Monday Poll: 74 of 97 — or 76% of the respondents — say they are not bothered that they live in an area described by an African-American scholar as “Whitopia.” 22 said they were.
Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, second from right, is seen with former Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin and her daughters, Willow, right, and Piper, left, during the taping of “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in Chicago. The show aired Monday. Story here. (AP Photo/Harpo Productions, Inc., George Burns)
Question (for those who watched the show): Did Sarah Palin help her political aspirations by appearing on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”?
I took a trip to Boise this weekend to see the best friend and watch a game. It took way too long to get there, and in the winter my gas doesn’t go as far as it usually does. After arriving in town, we decided we were hungry so we went to get Taco Bell. Moral of the story, check the gas light and don’t sit in the drive-thru long enough to run out of gas. Plus side, it’s the first time it has ever happened/Elizabeth Rudd, FrontRow editor, UI Argonaut. More Off The Cuff.
Question: When did you last run out of gas?
Item: Police: Men with guns assault woman, force her into closet: 18-year-old booked after home invasion robbery in Spokane Valley/Spokesman-Review
More Info: Two ski mask-wearing men with guns assaulted a 25-year-old woman Monday night and forced her into a closet at her Spokane Valley home. A Spokane Valley police officer responding to the call of a home invasion robbery stopped a vehicle leaving the area and arrested one of two occupants.
Question: With the recent spate of pharmacy, business, and even home-invasion robberies, are you more concerned with your safety from robbers in your residence?
PFC George Stratton, 18, showed the exit wound from the shot he took to the back of his left shoulder during the shooting at Fort Hood on Nov. 5. Stratton talked to reporters his home in Post Falls on Monday. Alison Boggs’ story here. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
In the “Gift That Keeps Giving” Department, Mary Souza @ OpenCDA.com now is insisting that she didn’t take a swipe at Dan of the County re: the issue of military ballots. Quoth Proud Mary: “So now, I’m told, the Spokane gossip blog is going on and on about our questions for Dan English! They are suggesting that we think Dan and his staff PURPOSEFULLY delayed sending the military absentee ballots. Of course, this is totally untrue. NO ONE has suggested any such intent.” The comment in question is No. 14 here. Never mind that Dan of the County thought she was insinuating something and called foul (Comment No. 5) on this comment by Mary: “Then there are the military Absentee ballots that weren’t sent out in enough time. They’re supposed to have 6 weeks but only had about 3. All kinds of issues…”
Sgt. Brad
“To the Bone” Thoma has dodged criminal prosecution for his boozed-up, off-duty hit-and-run. This the latest episode in Spokane’s ongoing law enforcement soap opera – “The Drunk and the Clueless.” Well, there are two sides to every story, as my sweet momma always taught me. So let’s all relax a moment while I take my usual fair-and-balanced look at both sides of this case. Then we can form into an angry mob and storm the Public Safety Building with corkscrews and flaming brandy snifters/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: Why does the Spokane Police Department have so many bad apples?
This brings us to recent politics. There has been an explosion of debate surrounding 
Congress’s attempt to reform health care. Despite what some would say, free health care is not a right. I’m sorry, but you do not have the right to have your neighbor buy health insurance for you. Depending on the bill that makes it to the president’s desk, you may soon be entitled to free health care, but that right does not exist. If that happens, then so be it. There is nothing inherently wrong with the government providing that service, but it is in no way required to do so. Not that access to health care should be limited. A case could be made that access to health care is a right, but free health care is another story/Jeffrey Reznicek, UI Argonaut. More here.
Question: Do you view health care in this country as a right or an entitlement?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
First, you should join me in applauding another terrific effort by CindyH in keeping this blog hopping while I was on vacation last week. (Point of order: I have only one more week of vacation left on my docket — to be taken around Christmas time.) I need to get caught up to speed re: where things stand with the municipal election recount involving incumbent Mike Kennedy and challenger Jim Brannon. And I need to shake off the election cobwebs. While I do, you can use this Wild Card to start your own threads …
Children eat a pomegranate at a slum in Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday. (AP Photo/Mustafa Quraishi)
On Scanner Traffic at noon, two teens were reported “making out” in a Jeep Cherokee, behind the sports complex at Canfield Middle School. That term for passionate kissing was popular back in my day, four decades ago.
Question: What did they call “making out” in your day?
Who ever thought that a ring back tone would be a good idea? It’s promoted as a way for music 
lovers to express their individuality, their personal tastes in music. In my mind, the only person who would be twisted enough to consider a ringback tone “music” has no business expressing his individuality in the first place. ringback tones aren’t music. Nor are they unique. Listening to low quality pop music, piped through low quality speakers doesn’t exactly remind me of an inspired counter-culture icon. Instead, it reminds me of a prepubescent teenybopper desperately grasping for some shard of individuality. Which doesn’t really bother me. Everyone wants to be unique. It’s human. But music shouldn’t be sacrificed on the alter of “unique conformity” that ringback tones have become/Eli Francovich, NIC Sentinel. More here.
Question: What music do you have for a ringtone?
Idaho’s first-ever female transportation director was fired, in part, simply for being a woman, a lawsuit filed today charges. Pam Lowe, who last week filed a “whistleblower” complaint against the state alleging that she was fired for resisting political pressure to favor a big campaign donor to Gov. Butch Otter, filed an amended complaint today bringing in six additional claims for violating her rights under both the U.S. and Idaho constitutions. Eye On Boise story.
Wrecker driver Gilbert Harrison attaches a towing cable to a Bugatti Veyron that was driven into the water near Omega Bay in La Marque, Texas. A man blamed a low-flying pelican and a dropped cell phone for his veering his million-dollar sports car off a road and into a salt marsh near Galveston. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Galveston County Daily News, Chris Paschenko)
Top Cutlines:
Here’s a look at the Casa Cox huckleberry patch after Saturday’s snow in Priest River, courtesy of Pecky Cox/As The Lake Churns.
The nights grow long,
and days turn gray;
the sun appears
again in May.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
Question: I wouldn’t be surprised if some of Joker’s predictions come true. Can you add to Joker’s list?
This photo provided by the New Castle City Police Department Saturday shows a deer that was struck by a motorist and ended up stuck in the front bumper and grille of the vehicle in New Castle, Del. Police, along with the Delaware SPCA, tranquilized the animal and safely released the deer unharmed. Police later arrested thirty-one-year-old Victor L. Bryson who police allege fired a shot near the freed deer and officers. (AP Photo/New Castle City Police Dept, Pfc. Thomas Fuller)
Clerk Of The City (Susan Weathers): Larry, in response to your comment (@ 12:45 p.m. on this thread), I received an email requesting the copies of the poll books from Mr. Ingram at 9:32 a.m. this morning. He also indicated that they would be having Mr. Brooke pick the copies of at 3:00 p.m. today. I immediately called Dan at the County to see how much the cost would be. Dan contacted his elections staff and then called me back and informed me of the cost. I then emailed Mr. Ingram with the cost of the copies at 10:57 a.m. and also advised him that the County would be able to provide copies no later than tomorrow. Then you appear on the blog at 12:45 p.m. and you state that I haven’t responded. Remainder of comment below.
CindyH:
I’ve got a monster deadline staring me in the face. It’s already been a a long day, and I’ve got hours/words to go before I’m done. But I find myself thinking about things I’d rather be doing if I didn’t have to work. I’d rather be taking a long walk in the slight drizzly rain. I’d rather be finishing the novel I started 2 weeks ago. I used to read 2 books a week! I’d rather be organizing my closet. There’s something so satisfying about a well-organized closet. Sigh.
Question: What would you rather be doing than what you’re doing now?
Earwitnesses in the City Hall hallway on the day of the canvassing for the Coeur d’Alene city elections last Monday tell Huckleberries of an interesting comment made by Gary Ingram. Seems Ingram, who was with Jim Doty at the time, spotted Kennedy entering the hallway and said: “There’s the most hated man in Coeur d’Alene.” Kennedy didn’t respond to Ingram’s attempt to engage him. So, my sources say, Ingram followed up by telling Kennedy that he was half joking — only half of the residents in town hate him.
“Sure, I liked the music. But I would also have liked a plot, something besides concept to tie the 
various characters together. I would also have liked some sort of explanation about why the U.K. stations at the time couldn’t, or wouldn’t, play rock music other than the simplistic portrayal that Kenneth Branagh offers of the stereotypical conservative government type. One thing in particular that threw me: the girl who (makes love to) the fat guy instead of our young protagonist. What was up with that? I’m more or less that young guy’s contemporary, and my life was never that free-spirited and forgiving. Still, loved the music. I’m definitely gonna score the soundtrack.” Then last night at a birthday party, somebody else recommended the film to me. Seems “Pirate Radio” is striking a chord, so to speak, with some viewers/Dan Webster, Movies & More. More here.
Question: Have you seen — or plan to see — “Pirate Radio”? If you have seen the movie, what did you think of it?
Booth’s only previous visit to jail was in 1999 on a domestic battery charge. Dotson has no 
adult bookings. News archives show he’s lived in Coeur d’Alene since he was 8 and was pictured with a Fernan Elementary School music class. In May, he was featured in Handle Extra as one of five people at Sanders Beach who were asked, “What is the most unusual purchase you have made online?” Dotson responded, “I bought one tire on Craigslist. It was the same as the others I have and it was cheap.” Dotson and Booth are due in Kootenai County District Court today on charges of robbery and grand theft/Meghann M. Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
Question: When and why did your name last appear in a local newspaper or magazine article?
This undated photo released by the Hells Canyon Bighorn Sheep Initiative shows a Bighorn ram and other sheep in Hells Canyon, Idaho. University of Idaho Professor Marie Bulgin who was suspended from sheep research duties since June 2009 has repeated claims that wild bighorns don’t catch fatal diseases from domestic sheep, despite pledging not to disseminate information on the issue until the school completes an inquiry into her work. Lewiston Tribune story here. (AP Photo/Hells Canyon Bighorn Sheep Initiative, Vic Coggins, File)
Space shuttle Atlantis lifts off from pad 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Monday. New York Times story here. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara) Question: How much attention do you pay to space flights such as today’s shuttle liftoff?
On an OpenCDA.com comments thread Nov. 13, Dan of the County took issue with this statement by Mary Souza: “Then there are the military Absentee ballots that weren’t sent out in enough time. They’re supposed to have 6 weeks but only had about 3. All kinds of issues…”
Our military ballots always go out at the first point our absentee ballots are ready. However
filing deadlines are different for city and other local elections vs. federal elections where they must be mailed out at least 45 days early. We go out of our way to do the very best job we can with our military voters. Two of my adult children are active duty military and have served three tours in Iraq between them. Our youngest son is there now. I take a high degree of personal offense at the implication that we would ever, ever short change our military voters for any reason or play games with their ballots. That’s just plain over the line and without a basis in fact whatsoever. There are a number of other inaccurate implications in your statement and others I have read but I’m too upset as a Army and Navy father to attempt to address all of them but I’ll mention a few/Dan Of The County on OpenCDA.com. Full comment here. Full OpenCDA.com post and comments thread here.
Question: Do you honestly think County Clerk Dan English would purposely delay sending out military ballots to troops who wanted to vote in the Nov. 3 municipal elections?
Coeur d’Alene City Clerk Susan Weathers tells Huckleberries Online that challenger Jim Brannon still hasn’t filed a request for a recount in his 5-vote loss to incumbent Councilman Mike Kennedy Nov. 3. Brannon has until Nov. 30 to file for a recount. Meanwhile, Gary Ingram submitted a request for a copy of all poll books for the city election about an hour ago, which gives some credence to the rumor that Brannon allies may be more interested in challenging the election altogether than asking for a recount. (Idaho Code provides 3 days for the city to respond to a request for records with an additional 7 days if needed to fulfill the request). Reportedly, Brannon has told the Coeur d’Alene Press that he didn’t want to rush into anything, stating: “Government seems to want to rush through everything these days, how about we slow down and get one thing right?”
Item: Sarah Palin Says She Isn’t Responsible for the GOP’s Loss: Palin Says She Was Told to Stay on Script During the Campaign/ABC News
More Info: “I think the reason we lost is that the economy tanked under a Republican and people were very seriously looking for a change,” Palin said today on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” “I don’t think I was to blame for losing the race more than I could have been credited for winning the race if I had done a better job.” Palin, whose book, “Going Rogue: An American Life,” hits bookstores Tuesday, spoke candidly with Winfrey about the way she says she was told to act and speak during the campaign and the effect it had on her family.
Question: Do you plan to see Sarah Palin when she visits Fred Meyer’s in Coeur d’Alene next month to promote her book?
Don Sausser, HBO’s Eye On Sherman Avenue, compares the bare spot on Tubbs Hill to “the back of my noggin.” Don reports that Tubbs Hill was sporting “it’s first sticky snow of the season” on Saturday.
Question: When did you last hike Tubbs Hill?
An alert Kootenai County sheriff’s deputy caught two men allegedly trying to rob the Dalton Market, 5632 
15th, Dalton Gardens, last night. While patrolling in the area of 15th and Dalton, the deputy when he saw what appeared to be a robbery in progress at the Dalton Market at 5632 N. 15th Street in Dalton Gardens. The robbers, who were wearing masks and displaying a handgun, ran from the store, got into a vehicle and fled from the Deputy. The Deputy pursued the suspects northbound on 15th street, around the Lookout Drive / Hayden View Loop, then back south on 15th street, until they turned east on Dalton Avenue. Just east of 17th street, where there is a sign that indicates that the road is a DEAD END, the alleged robbers tried to turn around, but the Deputy rammed the suspect vehicle, ending the pursuit. Justin R. Booth, 29, (pictured) and Bodi C. Dotson, 19, both of Coeur d’Alene were then taken into custody without further incident/Major Ben Wolfinger, KCSD. More here. More: Charges filed.
Question: What do you make of the recent rash of robberies of familiar local places — Piggies, Dutch Brothers, Dairy Queen, etc.?
Benjamin classifies a Whitopia as whiter than the nation, with at least 6 percent population growth since 2000, and at least 90 percent of that growth from white migrants. “And a Whitopia has a je ne sais quoi — an ineffable social charisma, a pleasant look and feel,” he writes. Benjamin spent four months in 2007 living in a rented split-level cabin on Hayden Lake. He hosted dinner parties, fished, bowled and played golf. In each of the Whitopias he visited, Benjamin took the pulse of the white dominant culture by immersing himself in it/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Stratton says he was finishing his medical processing in preparation of deploying to 
Afghanistan in January. Just six feet behind him, the gunman opened fire. Stratton jumped to the floor. He spotted his officer laying on the ground. “He was already shot in the stomach and I jumped down to help him, drag him to the door,” said Stratton. Stratton says the gunman started to reload. “He finished loading it, and as he looked at me, he aimed his weapon down at me, and I turned on him as fast as I could and tried to go low and get to the door. But he squeezed off one round and it came through my shoulder and it hit the bone,” said Stratton. He started to bleed profusely, but hurried to get outside and out of harms way. Several people came to his aid, trying to keep him conscious. Moments later, more gunshots/KREM (w/video). More here.
Question: Any further thoughts re: the senseless massacre at Fort Hood?
Boise State’s passing game appeared unstoppable for a large portion of the game as 
quarterback Kellen Moore threw for five touchdowns and wide receiver Austin Pettis had four touchdown grabs, tying a school record for receiving scores in a game. Moore leads the country with 32 touchdown passes and Pettis is tops with 14 touchdown catches. The potent combination overshadowed other solid performances, such as Titus Young’s six-catch, 101-yard performance and Jeremy Avery’s 110 yards rushing. Avery averaged 7.9 yards per attempt. Moore and the offensive line did a nice job of picking up Idaho’s blitzes. The Vandals brought more pressure than normal and it left plenty of room in the secondary for the Broncos wide receivers to run free/Brian Murphy, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: What grade would you give Idaho — in terms of offense, defense, and special teams — in its 63-25 loss to Boise State? What grade would you give the Vandals for the season?
Coeur d’Alene’s quarterback Ryan Dunton rushes the ball for a big gain early in the third quarter against Eagle High at Coeur d’Alene High Friday night. Eagle beat Coeur d’Alene 25-21. (Bruce Twitchell/Special to the Spokesman-Review)
It seems that rumored plans for construction of a downtown business and dining plaza fizzled 
out when the economic boom said bye-bye and stomped out of town and over the forested hilltops. Everyone is struggling to even put tequila on the dinner table, let alone part with enough dollars to go toward building a new Pottery Barn outlet. So how can Post Falls create a unique identity to generate some positive cash flow and help locals make their paychecks stretch at the same? Three words: Thrift store mecca. There are nearly a dozen charity and secondhand stores within a 2-mile stretch, and they ought to consider joining forces in a clever marketing campaign to promote the idea of Post Falls, Thrift City USA. You know, design an eye-catching logo, print up brochures and tank tops and arrange for a flashy TV news segment/Patrick Jacobs, SR Handle Extra. More here.
Question: How often — and for what — do you shop at a thrift store? And/or: How often do you contribute goods to a thrift store?
Seriously? I mean, apples are nice and all, but I’ve yet to meet one that was worth being kicked 
out of a dive bar much less the Garden of Eden. Now, if the story went something like: “When the woman saw that the juicy Granny Smith was coated in rich, buttery caramel then rolled in crushed Butterfinger candy bits, she took some and ate it” … I’d have a much easier time getting behind the story. (And, yes, I know this whole “apple as the forbidden fruit” deal is conjecture since nowhere in the tale is any particular fruit actually named, but why quibble?) Although the yummies at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory might not get you kicked out of Paradise, they may lead to a walk of shame at your next Weight Watchers meeting. Trust me – totally worth it/Tricia Jo Webster, Fabulocity. More here.
Question: Which treat do you find so irresistible that you’d risk the walk of shame at a Weight Watchers meeting to eat it?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Idaho may have lost big at Boise State Saturday. But there’s still hope for a bowl bid, particularly if the Vandals can win there last game. Importantly, it looks like the Idaho Vandals basketball team is better than ever, with its first win over Utah in seven decades. Also, Washington State basketballers should help us forget the school’s miserable football team. And there’s always Gonzaga. Then, of course, I’ll return to HBO Central to take over where capable CindyH left off. I’m looking forward to it. Now, for your Sunday Wild Card …
Gonzaga’s Demetri Goodson tries to call time out as Mississippi Valley’s #15 Shannon Behling ties up the ball in the 1st half at the McCarthey Athletic Center tonight. Zag’s Robert Sacre (rear) also hits the floor. (Dan Pelle/SR)
Matt Bouldin scored a game-high 22 points, including four 3-pointers, to lead the Bulldogs to a 92-74 victory over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday night. Four Gonzaga players scored in double-figures. Freshman Elias Harris scored 18, Steven Gray had 16 and Robert Sacre added 17. Gonzaga (1-0) showed no signs of looking past MVSU toward its next contest at No. 2 Michigan State on Tuesday. The Bulldogs led by as many as 26 points in the second half. Mississippi Valley State (0-2) was led by Jason Holmes with 12 points. Michael Mayo, D’Angelo Jackson and Shannon Behling added 10 points apiece for the Delta Devils/AP. Boxscore here.
Boise State’s Brandyn Thompson (13) causes Idaho’s Maurice Shaw (2) to fumble during the first half of an NCAA college football game this afternoon in Boise. Boise State recovered the ball. Boise State throttled its one-time rivals 63-25. ESPN game story and boxscore here. (AP Photo/Matt Cilley)
First, you should join me in putting your hands together re: the terrific job that CindyH did as the sub blogmeister of Huckleberries Online this week. She kept the blog beast fed — and supervised the comments playground like someone who’d performed the task for years. I don’t think anyone got tossed in the cooler while I was away. But I’ll wait until Monday to thoroughly check the padded cells in there. I posted a Boise State-Idaho entry below for you fans to chew over. The game’s on ESPNU. I’ll return to full blog mode on Monday. Enjoy the weekend. You can use this Wild Card to start your own threads …
First and foremost on the minds of the Idaho Vandals this week is starting Saturday’s football game as if it were a 100-meter dash instead of a marathon. “We need to improve the way we start the football game,” said Robb Akey (pictured), who takes the 7-3 (4-2 WAC) Vandals to Boise for a showdown with the sixth-ranked Broncos (9-0, 4-0). “We need to make plays we have the opportunity to make and find a way to make plays early in the ballgame - being where we belong and where we have an opportunity and seeing it through.” The Vandals were slow starting in their past two games against Louisiana Tech (a 35-34 victory) and Fresno State (a 31-21 loss). Changing that tendency ranked high in this week’s practices and meetings/GoVandals.com. More here.
Question: Predict a final score to the Boise State-Idaho football game in Boise?
Three
times Coeur d’Alene High took the lead in its State 5A semifinal
football game. Once in the second quarter, again in the third and once
more late in the fourth quarter. Each
time, the Eagle Mustangs responded with a touchdown drive. The last,
fueled by Dillon Lukehart’s 46-yard run on a broken play, helped the
Mustangs to a hard-fought 25-21 victory Friday night at snowy Viking
Field. “The
only disappointing thing is to lose it on a fumbled snap, but it was a
great battle,” said head coach Shawn Amos, whose Vikings finished 7-4. Eagle (10-1) will play Capital (11-0) for the state championship Friday at Bronco Stadium in
Idaho’s Jeff Ledbetter drives on Utah’s Luka Drca during an NCAA college basketball game on Friday in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Deseret News, Tom Smart)
Mac Hopson scored eight of his 16 points in the last six minutes as Idaho beat Utah 94-87 on Friday, bringing the team its first win against the school in 71 years.Plagued by foul trouble, Hopson re-entered the game with the score tied and engineered a 13-6 run to end the game.Steffan Johnson scored 19 points and Jeff Ledbetter added 16 as the Vandals (1-0) took its first game after losing 11-straight on the road.The teams have played 15 times over the years and last Idaho victory was in 1938/Associated Press. ESPN boxscore here.
That’s a fear of Friday the 13th. If so you’re not alone.
Are you superstitious?
If you don’t watch anything else today, watch this video from The Onion. It reveals the winning strategy of NASCAR drivers: “Go Fast!”
A former soldier pledged to never forget his comrades who sacrificed their lives in Afghanistan. So he’s had the name of every troop killed, tattooed on his back— 232 names, so far.
Rainn Wilson says a blog is the ideal way for his character from “The Office, Dwight, to reach fans. “Most people’s blogs are like boring, pontificating rants, and that is right up Dwight’s alley.”
Dwight Schrute is a character on the television program ”The Office.” This website has compiled his best lines.
Here’s a sampling: On Health Care: “In the wild, there is no health care. In the wild, health care is, ‘Ow, I hurt my leg. I can’t run. A lion eats me and I’m dead.’ Well, I’m not dead. I’m the lion. You’re dead.”
On Decision Making: Whenever I’m about to do something, I think, ‘Would an idiot do that?’ And if they would, I do not do that thing.”
On Technology: “It appears that the website has become alive. This happens to computers and robots sometimes. Am I scared of a stupid computer? Please. The computer should be scared of me. I have been salesman of the month for 13 out of the last 12 months. You heard me right. I did so well last February that corporate gave me 2 plaques in lieu of a pay raise.”
On Weapons in the Workplace:“I keep various weaponries strategically placed around the office. I saved Jim’s life with a can of pepper spray I had velcroed under my desk. People say, ‘Oh, it’s dangerous to keep weapons in the home or the work place.’ Well I say, ‘It’s better to be hurt by someone you know accidentally, than by a stranger on purpose.’”
Do you have an words of wisdom to share?
Expect light blogging here today. This morning, I’ll be attending a blog seminar of sorts led by S-R online guru Ryan Pitts. I promise to use any skills I may learn for good and not for evil.That is provided this old dog can be taught new tricks. I remain skeptical.
This afternoon, I’ll be traveling to scenic Richland, WA. to watch my boy play in the Mt. Spokane Wildcat’s opening playoff game. GO Cats!
I’ll check in when I can and you just never know who else may be watching, so be good to each other. And be safe. Snow and Friday the 13th could be an interesting mix.
Feel free to introduce topics of interest here.
PM: It’s snowing here in North Spokane. Fluffy, wet flakes. Going to take off in a bit. Think of me this evening when you’re nestled next to your fireplaces, sipping your cocoa. I’ll be in at Fran Rish Stadium trying to stay warm :-)
“Ten North Idaho high school students are scheduled to travel to Boston next month to participate in a robotics competition devised by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and NASA.” More here.
Have you ever built a robot? I always wanted one like Rosie on the Jetsons.
I sure hope Ryan doesn’t regret the mad blogging skills he taught me. I learned two new things today and it’s only 1:30.
When is the last time you learned something new? What did you learn?
The LA Weekly music blog reviews a new book “Crap Lyrics: A Celebration Of The Very Worst Pop Lyrics Of All Time…Ever!” by Johnny Sharp. Here they list the top 12 worst offenders (Warning a horrific picture of Rod Stewart and mature themes)
Here’s two I could print:
12. “Champagne Supernova,” Oasis: “Slowly walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball.” Well, which is it?
11. “Pink,”Aerosmith: “Pink—when I turn out the light. Pink—it’s like red but not quite.” Though it’s clear Steven Tyler can tell the difference between red and pink, we still think he’s colorblind.
Pretty bad. But what about Kelly Clarkson and “My Life Would Suck WIthout You?” That song inspired this column.
But surely there’s some great lyrics out there. Any come to mind?
Item: BNSF fuel depot faces review: Commissioners question facility’s reluctance to shut down for leaks/Alecia Warren, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: The track wasn’t totally clear for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Thursday night, when the company faced its 60-month compliance review for its refueling depot in Hauser. Although the Kootenai County commissioners lauded the railroad’s efforts to protect the Rathdrum-Prairie Aquifer underlying the facility, they still raised doubts of whether there could be more parameters to prevent problems down the road. “You’ve done an excellent job in maintaining processes at the facility. You stepped up during incidents and took care of it,” said Commissioner Rick Currie. “But citizens need to have every level of assurance that the facility is living up to the standards that were set.”
Question: Are you convinced that Burlington Northern Santa Fuel has all the safeguards in place at its refueling depot to protect the Rathdrum aquifer?
President George W. Bush smiles during his last formal news conference in the press room at the White House in Washington on Jan. 12, 2009.
“At a speech about his presidential center at Southern Methodist University in Dallas this afternoon, George W. Bush told a supportive crowd that he has had time to reflect in office over the past nine months. Mr. Bush said there were ups and downs, but through it all he “always did what I believed was in the best interests of our country.”
And, he told the crowd to raucous applause, “I came home to Texas with my values intact.”
Thoughts?
“Roland Emmerich has an ongoing project: destroying the world. In 1996’s “Independence Day,” the German director sent aliens to wipe out the White House. In 1998, he unleashed “Godzilla” to wreak havoc on the streets of New York. In 2004’s “The Day After Tomorrow,” he froze the planet in a new ice age.
But in his new film, “2012,” which reaches theaters today, things get really bad.”
Guess he didn’t read my reassuring post “Top Ten Reasons the World Won’t End in 2012.” What’s your favorite apocalyptical movie?
“Americans entering their 70s today are experiencing more disabilities in old age than did the previous generation, researchers announced Thursday. The shift in health fortunes comes as a surprise and predicts high future disability rates for baby boomers.”
The possible cause?
“The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging and published in the American Journal of Public Health, doesn’t explain why more people are becoming disabled as they enter their later years. But, Seeman said, rising levels of obesity appear to be a major factor; the greatest increases in disability were among nonwhites and people who were obese or overweight.”
Now, might be a good time to put the donut down. Still, it seems to be the older generation is a lot more active than in the past. Agree or disagree?
“The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington said Wednesday that it will be unable to continue the social service programs it runs for the District if the city doesn’t change a proposed same-sex marriage law, a threat that could affect tens of thousands of people the church helps with adoption, homelessness and health care.”
Thoughts?
“Few people have as much North Idaho-ness running through their bloodstream as Kerri Rankin Thoreson. Her father is the legendary Ron Rankin, one of the most controversial and well-respected politicians in Coeur d’Alene’s History. The apple didn’t fall far from the tree, as they say, and Kerri made a successful run in 2008 for Post Falls city council, a seat she will hold for at least four years. She writes the weekly Main Street column in the CDA Press (see her blog here), one of few reasons to get one’s fingers inky with a copy of that paper. She also works hard to actively promote North Idaho tourism and belongs to approximately 425 local clubs and organizations. She was kind enough recently to answer 9 easy questions about what puts the main in her street.”
Big game Saturday. Hucksters seem pretty evenly divided between Vandal fans and Bronco fans. Feel free to post your predictions here.
More about the Vandals: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/13/reader-puts-idaho-in-novel-position/
“A volunteer services group at Kootenai Medical Center in Coeur d’Alene has been awarded top honors in Idaho’s annual Brightest Stars awards, which honor volunteers across the state.
Kootenai Health’s Volunteer Services was lauded as “one of the strongest volunteer programs in the Northwest.” The organization includes teens, volunteer nurses, retirees, former patients, child safety experts and pet therapists.” More here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/12/in-brief-kmc-volunteers-are-brightest-stars/
Budget cuts mean fewer wall clocks.
“Fewer clocks on the walls of WSU offices, classrooms and laboratories are tangible signs of WSU budget reductions. As WSU-owned wall clocks become inoperable, WSU Facilities Operations will remove them and cover the resulting holes in walls.” http://www.wsutoday.wsu.edu/pages/publications.asp?Action=Detail&PublicationID=16559&TypeID=1
What’s the next thing to go?
In related news, U of I president, Duane Nellis also addresses budgets challenges. More here: http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2009/11/12/news/news05.txt
He might want to check out the clock situation.
Just saying.
President Barack Obama speaks in the Rose Garden of the White House about health care reform Sunday.
“U.S. President Barack Obama can add another accolade to his already long list of awards after being named the world’s most powerful person in an inaugural ranking by Forbes magazine.
Obama, whose popularity at home and abroad has boosted the image of the United States according to numerous surveys, topped the list that also features al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and TV talk show host Oprah Winfrey as people wielding some influence over the world.” Story here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20091112/india_nm/india438903
In case you just can’t wait another second, AP writer Richard T. Pienciak offers a sneak peek at Going Rogue here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091112/ap_on_en_ot/us_books_palin
You can thank me later :-)
Sarah Palin is like blog gold to me. Whenever I blogsit, she makes the news. Most recently, it’s her upcoming book-signing in CDA. But the last time I blogsat, she resigned as governor of Alaska.
It’s like she knows I’m out here. Alone. In the vast wasteland of blogdom, and she says,
“Cindy, have no fear. I shall provide fodder for you and drive your hits into the stratosphere.” I feel like, she gets me, you know?
Sigh. Feel free to blog about who “gets you,” or anything else that strikes your fancy on this thread.
Also, I noticed this morning’s cover of the North Side Voice featured a gal with her bra strap showing. Guess, Gary Crooks’ comment on the subject yesterday was spot on, “Hey, crazy trends have to start somewhere.”
PM: Hmm… forecasters say there’s a 100% chance of snowfall tomorrow morning. Be careful out there.
Los Angeles police officers arrest a man in a Spider-Man costume in Hollywood on Wednesday. Los Angeles Times
#1 Spider-can, Spider-can, going to the spider-can Taryn Hecker
#2 Spiderman discovered to be the hundredth story peeping Tom that all the ladies feared. Liz
#3 Animal control officers escort Spiderman to a different web site. Herb Huseland
As this Fox News reporter finds out: http://www.mediadump.com/videos/27/news-reporter-owned-by-angry-cat.html
10) The Odd Couple II
9) The Sting I2
8) The Rage: Carrie 2
7) Pyscho II
6) City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly’s Gold (what the heck?)
5) Caddyshack II
4) Basic Instinct I2
3) Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 (really?)
2) Beyond the Poseidon Adventure (didn’t the ship sink?)
1) Highlander II:The Quickening
Read more here: http://www.movieretriever.com/blog/495/they-made-a-part-two-to-what—the-ten-worst-unexpected-sequels-of-all-time
Got anything you’d like to see on the list?
During memorial services, former 49ers quarterback Joe Montana imitates coach Bill Walsh holding a cup “filled with margaritas” on the field. Associated Press
If you’re looking for a home, Joe Montana is selling his “simple” retreat.
“Standing in the upstairs living room on a brisk October morning Jennifer Montana described her husband, football great Joe Montana as a simple guy. “He needed a beer tap, a pretty good-sized television screen and a barbecue area,” she said.
Simple wouldn’t be the first word that comes to mind in describing the couple’s retreat, which extends into both Napa and Sonoma counties. Set on 500 acres on a hilly, forested expanse with year-round creeks and uninterrupted views, the couple’s 9,700-square-foot Tuscan villa-style house with a tower boasts the beer tap and many hidden flat-screen televisions, but what commands attention are the baronial flourishes and details, many of them imported from Europe.”
I guess simple is a relative term. If you could affored a 9,700-square-foot home, would you buy one?
Debbie and Barry Officer and their children, from left, Suzanna, 13, Peter, 12, Polly, 12, Gus (top right back) and Samantha, 12, gather for a photo at Franklin Park Nov. 3 in Spokane.
“Nine seconds.
In America, every nine seconds a child is reported beaten, raped, verbally assaulted or severely neglected, according to a local foster care placement agency, Olive Crest. Who knows how many such incidents go unreported? That four children also die each day due to abuse, according to Olive Crest, offers proof that society needs to work harder to protect the most vulnerable among us.” Story here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/12/private-foster-agency-plans-fundraiser/
Have you had any experience with the foster care system?
“Thanks, everyone. I’m starting day six at the hospital, and it’s been interesting… to say the least.”
Since he posted this at 2:40 a.m., I’m thinking sleep may be difficult :-( Here’s a link to the orginal report: http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/hbo/2009/nov/09/brent-andrews-otis-g-shreds-concrete-and-tibia/
Remember you can send Otis G your regards at misfit550@aol.com.
“New claims for unemployment insurance fell more than expected last week, evidence the job market is slowly healing as the economy recovers.
Still, many private economists and Federal Reserve officials worry the nation could be in for a “jobless recovery” as the unemployment rate rises despite some overall economic growth.
The Labor Department said Thursday that first-time claims for jobless benefits dropped to a seasonally adjusted 502,000 from an upwardly revised 514,000 the previous week. That’s the fewest claims since the week ending Jan. 3, and below economists’ estimates.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/12/jobless-claims-fall-more-expected-502k/
However:
“Zero growth may be the new boom for the national and regional economies, at least for 2010, economists John Mitchell and Grant Forsyth said today. Although the economy grew 3.5 percent in the third quarter, both said considerable headwinds remain, and real growth may be a year away.
Forsyth, an Eastern Washington University professor, said the recession exceeded his expectations, and his forecasting models do not show much, if any, turnaround in 2010.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/12/economists-see-little-if-any-turnaround-2010/
How worried are you about the state of the economy?
As the president and Congress face decisions regarding health care and troops for Afghanistan, NY Times columnist Nicholas Kristof poses this question: “These two choices have something in common — each has a bill of around $100 billion per year. So one question is whether we’re better off spending that money blowing up things in Helmand Province or building up things in America.”
What do you think?
You didn’t really think I wouldn’t write about this did you? Sometimes column fodder just falls in your lap— or something.
”All I know is one minute I was walking and talking and the next I was flying. Kind of. My takeoff was good, but my landing needs a bit of work.
When I described what happened, a young friend exclaimed, “Oh, not the run-fall!” Apparently, the run-fall, as opposed to the stumble-fall, slip-fall or windmill-arms-almost-fall, is the most embarrassing kind of public tumble. Who knew?
In the few seconds it took for me to launch myself from sidewalk to street I had time for one thought: I hope I don’t spill my coffee. It was good coffee.” More here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/12/winter-might-just-worsen-fall-season/
Have you ever had a black-eye? How did you get it?
World War II veteran Ray Daves recently went to Washington, D.C., thanks to Inland Northwest Honor Flight.
“Last week Deer Park resident Ray Daves stood in front of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. He closed his eyes as sobering memories filled his mind. Each gold star on the memorial’s Freedom Wall represents 100 American lives lost during World War II. There are 4,000 gold stars.
For Daves, an 89-year-old survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, those stars are personal. “I thought about men who were my age but didn’t get to enjoy life,” he said. Men like his friend, George Maybee, who was killed on the battleship USS Arizona, which sank during the Pearl Harbor attack.
Daves had wondered if he’d ever get a chance to see the memorial.”
Story here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/12/a-touching-tour-of-duty/
I’ve interviewed Ray several times for various stories. His humility and his abiding love for his country never fails to move me. Though he hates this label, to me he is the definition of a hero.
Trees near the top of the mountain are rimmed with snow Tuesday at Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park.
So, when my husband said he was going to a waxing clinic Tuesday night. I was so excited! Alas, it wasn’t a hair-removal, back-waxing clinic for men— it was a cross country ski waxing clinic. Apparently, winter sports season is upon us.
“Lookout Pass is opening Friday, one of the earlier opening days in recent years. Mt. Spokane has moved up an employee orientation day so the mountain can be ready to go as soon as early December. And other resorts are anticipating opening days that are earlier than normal. Resort managers say the snow that’s falling is a good high-density snow, perfect for building a solid foundation for the season.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/12/slopes-gain-some-new-angles/
“After undergoing a monthlong cleaning and refurbishing project, Paddy’s Pub and Grill, an Irish sports bar and pool hall, will reopen under new owners today.
Longtime residents of Coeur d’Alene, Pat and Chris Carper, father and son, purchased Paddy’s in early October and began the process of “making over” the bar that had been in operation nearly 35 years.” http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2009/11/11/business/bus01.txt
What’s your favorite watering hole?
A Boise State fan dons a pumpkin for a head during an NCAA college football game against San Jose State in Boise, Idaho, Saturday afternoon, Oct. 31, 2009. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune,Mike Vogt)
“The Boise State vs. Idaho rivalry has taken to some not-so-friendly skies. Idaho athletic director Rob Spear says he declined to board a Horizon Air flight after learning the airplane was painted in Boise State’s blue and orange colors.” Story here: http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/news?slug=ap-t25-idaho-boisest&prov=ap&type=lgns
Seems kinda silly to me. What do you think?
“Sometimes I think we should have a draft, we’d be less likely to engage in wars of choice, and you’d have fewer soldiers who have to go back again and again.”
I know several people who believe the U.S. should have mandantory military service. What do you think? Should we reinstate the draft?
In this image rendered from video and released by KMGH-TV in Denver, a hot-air balloon is seen over Colorado, near Fort Collins. A 6-year-old boy climbed into a hot-air balloon aircraft and floated away Thursday, forcing officials to scramble to figure out how to rescue the boy. Larimer County sheriff’s spokeswoman Eloise Campanella says the device, which is shaped like a flying saucer, has the potential to rise to 10,000 feet. (AP Photo/KMGH-TV )
“The Colorado parents who reported their 6-year-old son floated away aboard a helium balloon will plead guilty to some charges in an attempt to keep the family together, the attorney for the boy’s father said Thursday. Richard Heene will plead guilty to attempting to influence a public servant, a felony, his attorney David Lane said.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/12/lawyer-colo-balloon-boy-parents-plead-guilty/
What do you think would be the appropriate punishment in this case?
Michael Phelps reacts after winning gold in 200-meter butterfly.
“Superman had krptonite. Micahel Phelps apparently has non-polyurethane swimsuits. While wearing an old-style swimsuit, the 14-time gold medalist failed to qualify for two of three finals at a World Cup meet in Sweden today. Phelps finished 16th in the 100 freestyle, was disqualified in the 100 backstroke, but qualified seventh in the 100 medley. Most of his competitors wore the high-tech suits that dominated the swimming world this year.” http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/beijing/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/What-happened-Phelps-misses-finals-in-two-of-th?urn=oly,201464
Thoughts?
“CNN’s Lou Dobbs, a lightning rod for criticism following his transition from a business journalist to an opinionated anchor on such issues as illegal immigration, told viewers on Wednesday that he was quitting his nightly show to pursue new opportunities.
“This will be my last broadcast,” Dobbs said after giving the day’s headlines. ”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_en_ot/us_tv_lou_dobbs
Thoughts?
“Pardon me, but your fly is unzipped.” I wanted to say it. I tried to say it. But I just couldn’t. A guy I’ve written for extensively had dropped by my downtown office. His pants were totally unzipped. My officemate and I looked at each other, each silently begging the other to say something.
What can I say? We were both cowards and sent that poor fellow off to wander the halls of the building with a gaping fly. So, how well would you have to know someone before you’d share the ”zipper’s down,” “bra-strap’s showing,” “spinach in their teeth info?”
Does it make a difference if they’re your boss? Is it easier if it’s a stranger? Feel free to discuss this and other topics of interest here.
PM: Really. Cute kittens AND firefighters. Blogging doesn’t get much better— for me anyway :-)
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A slice of the wall…..the young man is 6 feet tall.
Cis provides this picture of a piece of the Berlin Wall.
Deanna Goodlander provides the scoop: “Did you know that there is a piece of the wall in Beyond Hope, Idaho. It is sobering to see it. When we first started camping up there and saw it, you could see the graffitti on one side and just plain concrete on the other. It is deteriorating now however. To get there go up past the Sam Owen campground and past the restuarant and RV park to the end of the road where it turns to go down to the lake. It is right there on the turn next to a road leading to an estate.”
Courtesy of SCRAPS
#1 When DFO’s away the cats come out to play. nic
#2 Three kittens are lining up for their new ACORN financed cathouse. RedMan
#3 So, is this adopt a human day? ArchDruid
Spokane Fire Department firefighters pull apart a back deck to put out a fire Tuesday at a home in the 400 block of East 28th Avenue. The fire was confined to the porch, and no one was injured.
You didn’t really think I’d go a week without posting fireman photos, did you?
Nothing like Buy Idaho day to generate crankiness.
“Capitol renovations aren’t yet complete, but a dustup has already erupted over a rule limiting public exhibitions to a single floor — and the spat boils down to who’s in charge. The nine-member Idaho Capitol Commission, which oversees the Capitol, voted in August to restrict events to the fourth floor once it reopens Jan. 9 after two years and $122 million in taxpayer-funded expense. The panel hopes to avoid the crowding of past shows in which exhibitors filled the rotunda with 100 or more booths, duct-taped cords to the marble floors and created a fire risk.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/11/idaho-capitol-sparks-public-space-dispute/
Betsy blogs about it here: http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2009/nov/11/buy-idaho-wants-exception-new-capitol-rules/
It seems Chicago Tribune sportswriter Rick Morrissey pledged to eat his column if his dire predections about Chicago Bulls player Joakim Noah proved wrong.
Well, Noah has proved to be “useful” to the Chicago team and this video shows Morrissey eating his column— slathered with salsa:
http://notqualifiedtocomment.com/2009/11/rick-morrissey-actually-eats-his-column-video.html
This columnist stuff is dangerous work. Would you like to see a journalist eat his/her words?
“I came on to HBO looking for a specific Vets Day thread to say thanks to folks like Stickman and other HBO’ers who have served our country. My great grandfather, Roy Hooper, fought in the U.S. Army during World War I in France (Fourth Engineering Battalion, the combat troops they were attached to were low and he would end up with rifle in hands fighting a German push for 23 days), my grandfather, Wallace Kenyon served in the U.S. Navy, my great uncle David Taylor just recently retired as a supply Sgt. for the U.S. Army, my recently-passed-away uncle Nick Laskey fought in Vietnam as a helicopter gunner (who would receive a purple heart) and I’ve got two cousins on both sides of my family who served in the Army and Navy.
A big thanks to my friends and family who have served!”
Please consider this thread a place to express your thanks to our veterans, including our own Stickman. I’m sure we’ve got many other Hucksters who have served their country.
Or at least call in sick for work.
“While the cold and flu season serves as a primary culprit in workplace absences, the economy may be a factor as well this year. CareerBuilder’s annual survey on absenteeism shows nearly one-third (32 percent) of workers have played hooky from the office this year, calling in sick when they were well at least once. Twenty-eight percent of employers think more employees are absent with fake excuses due to increased stress and burnout caused by the recession.”
Have you ever faked being sick to avoid going to work? When/Why did you do it last?
Blue Meanie: ” I don’t want a president or vice-president who is just like me. I want someone who is smarter than me, drinks less than I do, and has better impulse control.”
Nic: Speaking of Palin: ““She’s a lot like Custer, except that Custer was a womanizer, a racist, and a democrat. So other than those three things, Palin is a lot like Custer.”
You guys are on a roll today. It’s like mining blog gold :-)
Perhaps you could get a cool $3 million from the U.S. government. A former government worker did: “The U.S. has agreed to pay $3 million to a former government worker who accused officials with the CIA and State Department of spying on him with a bugged coffee table.
Rather than comply with a court order to provide lawyers in the case with what the U.S. government says is classified information, the government has agreed to settle to end the 15-year-old suit.” http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/11/coffee-table-suit/
Creepy stuff. I’d write more, but my desk is watching me.
GU basketball player Steven Gray, right, and Jacob Moore perform a scene from the play “Take Me Out.”
“It’s like a suit I get to put on for a few hours every day,” Gray said. For the next three nights, he puts it on under the unforgiving lights of Gonzaga University’s Magnuson Theatre, in a staged reading of “Take Me Out,” Richard Greenberg’s Tony Award-winning play about a baseball superstar whose public declaration of his homosexuality sets in motion events first predictable and then tragic.
By Saturday night, he’ll be back at the McCarthey Athletic Center in the other suit he puts on for a few hours every day, the one with “Gonzaga” stenciled across the front, for the Bulldogs’ basketball opener against Mississippi Valley State.”
Full story: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/11/out-of-his-comfort-zone/
Gavin Jones, left, head of the Australian company Equmen, stands next to models, all wearing underwear for men made with a special blend of Spandex, nylon and polyester materials, at a central London department store.
According to this story, men only buy their own underwear for a mere 17 years of their lives. “A survey of Debenham shoppers suggested that throughout their childhood and teenage years boys rely on their mothers to pick out their underwear.
“Some people could say I was “dumb” or underqualified to do my job as a reporter because I dropped out of college to take a job at The Coeur d’Alene Press. I ain’t got no fancy degree so maybe that makes me “dumb.” Others could say I got some on-the-job training and experience that made me smarter than J-school grads with no practical training.
I know men who don’t have an education beyond junior high who are far wiser than some of the college grads I know.
I know people who are terrible public speakers and socially awkward, yet extremely brilliant.
And I know people who are poor who are far, far richer than some of the people on this blog.”
What’s your definition of “dumb”? How/why do you decide if something or someone is dumb— or smart?
Ken Griffey Jr. and the Seattle Mariners have agreed to a one-year contract for 2010.
“Ken Griffey Jr. and the Mariners agreed Wednesday to another one-year contract that will keep the popular player in Seattle next year. Griffey, who turns 40 on Nov. 21, received a contract similar to the incentive-laden deal he signed to return to Seattle for the 2009 season.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/11/griffey-stays-mariners-2010/
H/T hmoffsuite
In this February photo, Monsignor Gianfranco Ravasi looks on near a portrait of Galileo Galilei. The Vatican wants to study possible alien life.
“Four hundred years after it locked up Galileo for challenging the view that the Earth was the center of the universe, the Vatican has called in experts to study the possibility of extraterrestrial alien life and its implication for the Catholic Church.
“The questions of life’s origins and of whether life exists elsewhere in the universe are very suitable and deserve serious consideration,” said the Rev. Jose Gabriel Funes, an astronomer and director of the Vatican Observatory.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/11/vatican-looks-to-heavens-for-any-signs-of-alien/
Do you believe in extraterrestrial alien life?
“Boxers and wrestlers are being recruited by an Indian train company to intimidate thousands of ticketless travellers into paying up or getting off.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/6538362/Indian-trains-recruit-boxers-and-wrestlers-in-fight-against-ticketless-passengers.html
I love this final paragraph: “A spokesman for the Northern Railways denied the boxers and wrestlers were being deployed to intimidate passengers. “The boxers and wrestlers are Railway employees and are expected to function like any other ticker-checkers. There is absolutely no intimidation involved,” he said.”
What’s the most miserable commute you’ve had to endure?
“Exposure to high levels of a controversial chemical found in thousands of everyday plastic products appears to cause erectile dysfunction and other sexual problems in men, according to a new study published Wednesday.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/11/study-links-plastics-chemical-to-male-sexual/
Might want to slowly back away from that water bottle. Just sayin’.
Remember those iconic stainless steel POW/MIA bracelets. Kerri does. So should we all.
“On a recent sunny October day I watched as the postman came up the walk, a shoe box-sized package in hand. I signed for the delivery, taking the box to my desk to open. I was overcome with emotion to see 60 stainless steel bracelets, each bearing the name, rank, home state and date an American service member became a prisoner of war or missing in action in Vietnam. It was a compelling visual reminder of the war that was the backdrop of so many of our coming of age years.” Read more: http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2009/11/10/news/bracelets-remind-and-honor-soldiers-families-who-wait.txt
Attorney Jon Sheldon on convicted killer John Allen Muhammad, above: “He’s guilty. But there are glimpses of him being thoughtful. People don’t want to see that. It’s much easier to wrap him up into the thing he did.”
“The mastermind of the 2002 sniper attacks that killed 10 in the Washington, D.C., region has been executed. A prison spokesman says John Allen Muhammad died by injection at 9:11 p.m. Tuesday at Greensville Correctional Center.”
Thoughts?
Sarah Palin’s book is scheduled for release on Nov. 17.
~You better watch out, You better not pout, Better not cry I’m telling you why, Sarah Palin is coming to town~ Kinda catchy that :-)
According to Jim Camden at Spin Control: “Former GOP vice presidential candidate and Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is expected to be autographing copies of her new book next month at the Coeur d’Alene Fred Meyer store.
Palin, who already has a best-seller before her book is even released next week, is tentatively scheduled for a Coeur d’Alene stop on Dec. 10.” http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2009/nov/10/palin-headed-cda-book-signing/
I’m so excited! I’ve been wondering what on earth to get ThomG and Sisyphus for Christmas!
So, who will you be buying your copies of “Going Rogue” for?
Dan Torpey chuckles with friends around a poker table at Northern Quest Casino in Airway Heights.
“Joe Cada is on top of the poker world. Tuesday morning, the 21-year-old from Chesterfield Township became the youngest player to win the World Series of
Do you play poker?
For the first time in many years, each of my kids has their own room. This weekend we finally finished remodeling the room of our oldest child who left the nest last summer.We’ve installed our next oldest child in the room. I anticipate the bliss of being able to yell, “Go to your room!” To everyone. No more complaints about a sibling being in their space.
However, as I sorted through dressers, closets and toy chests, I discovered my youngest child is a “keeper” not a “thrower.” He balked about donating even the most childish toy to charity. “I love that!” he said. No matter what “that” was.
I’m a thrower. I’m not enamored with the past. If I buy a new pair of shoes, a purse, a blouse— something else has to go. Something in, something out has long been my motto. I just don’t get the “keeping” mentality and my son doesn’t get the “throwing” mindset. It’s been a long couple of days.
Are you a keeper or thrower? Discuss that or anything else here.
PM: I’ll soon be headed out to a “Green Drinks” gathering at the Left Bank Wine Bar in downtown Spokane (corner of Riverside and Washington). http://groups.google.com/group/spokane-greendrinks
I’ve never attended one of these monthly events, but I’m told I won’t have to drink anything green. Whew! Joe Butler says there’s also a CDA Green Drinks. I don’t think I’ll know anyone there tonight, so if you’re in downtown Spokane, please stop in and not know anyone with me :-)
Giant dominos placed along the former border in front of the Brandenburg Gate fall Monday during commemorations of the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Associated Press photos.
#1 “Colorful visual aids demonstrate US foreign policy of the 1950’s” Steve Sibulsky
#2 Dominos symbolizing the former Berlin Wall fall like the locks of Spenser’s mullet. nic
#3 When the dominoes began to fall, one observer, identified only as Kage, was heard to exclaim, “Oops!” Phaedrus
“Tech company Google is providing free airport wireless connections at 47 U.S. airports for the holiday season. Spokane, Seattle, Portland and Bozeman are in that group. The promotion is being provided through a partnership with Boingo Wireless, a nationwide Wi-Fi provider. The service is set to start this week and continue until Jan. 15.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/10/google-offer-free-wi-fi-spokane-airport-during-hol/
Shouldn’t free Wi-Fi be offered year-round at the airport?
Just returned from a brisk 3 mile run/walk/jog/stumble. Had to step carefully on some streets due to pumpkin debris. Apparently, instead of disposing of jack-o-latterns in a humane fashion, some folks like to smash ‘em. Either that, or disappointed trick-or-treaters are enacting a delayed revenge.
I’ve never smashed a pumpkin. Or a watermelon. Or a television. But as I carefully avoided the slimy residue I found myself wondering about the satisfying splat a pumpkin might make.
I’m adding “smashing pumpkins,” to my list of things to do before I turn 45.
Have you ever intentionally smashed something? Was it satisfying?
New research says having a poor supervisor can lead to a higher risk for heart attacks.
“Still, the research does suggest that what happens at work doesn’t stay at work, said Anna Nyberg, a postgraduate student at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden and author of a thesis based on the results of the surveys. “Our findings provide clear support for an association between managers’ leadership and employee stress and health,” she said.”
http://oregonwomensreport.com/2009/11/can-a-bad-boss-make-you-sick/
So how would you rate your boss?
Unemployed auto and steel workers picket in front of the White House on Aug. 4, 1982.
“It hurts more to be unemployed now than the last time the jobless rate hit 10 percent. Americans have more than triple the debt they had in 1982, and less than half the savings. They spend 10 weeks longer off the job. And a bigger share of them have no health insurance, leaving them one medical emergency away from financial ruin.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/10/joblessness-hits-harder/
Triple the debt? Wow! Any thoughts as to why that is?
“Jody Matz was your typical, fun-loving 30-year-old young lady when she developed body aches and a bad headache on Saturday, October 17. She went to Bonner General Hospital Immediate Care and was put on intensive ibuprofen. On Tuesday, with fever, congestion and ear aches, she returned and was diagnosed as having contracted influenza A, the predominant strain of which is the H1N1 referred to as swine flu. ” http://riverjournal.com/vivvo/news/swineflunorthidaho_jodymatz_gannon_112009.html
I’ve had a lot of family members who say they’ve had the swine flu. Has it touched your family/friends/coworkers yet?
A Soldiers Cross, honoring those who lost their lives in last week’s shooting, is seen near the podium where President Barack Obama will speak at the memorial service Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009, at Fort Hood, Texas.
“Stepping for the first time into the role of national consoler, President Barack Obama is honoring the 13 people slain in a shooting rampage by remembering what they left behind, offering personal stories about the lives they touched and the service they provided to their country.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/10/obama-address-fort-hood-meet-families-fallen/
Boarders for Christ members, from left, Josh Monteith, Zach Black, Josh Tyvan at the Coeur d’Alene Skate Park on Monday.
“Thousands of Egyptians are expected to watch next week when a group of Coeur d’Alene skateboarders and bikers soar up and down ramps, jumping cars and rows of people. Then they’ll listen as the young men talk about their personal experiences with Christianity.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/10/boarding-for-egypt/
My attempts at skateboarding have not been successful. Or pretty. Have you ever tried it?
Former NIC president Michael Burke is in the running for a new job. You can read about it here: www.pressconnects.com, the story is on the bottom right: “Three presidential finalists to visit BCC this month.”
Yes. I know I need to learn how to hyperlink. Sigh.
Roeder
“Scott Roeder confessed Monday to killing Wichita, Kan., abortion doctor George Tiller, saying he had no regrets because “preborn children were in imminent danger. In a 20-minute phone call from the Sedgwick County Jail in Kansas, Roeder told McClatchy Newspapers that he believes shooting Tiller saved lives.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/10/suspect-admits-killing-abortion-doctor/
And abortion could sink the Health Care bill: “Furious liberals on Monday threatened to derail the massive health care overhaul bill to protest a last-minute deal over insurance coverage of abortions that had secured passage of the legislation in the House.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/10/abortion-deal-could-sink-bill/
Can you think of any more divisive issue in our nation?
“Idaho State Police today continued their investigation into a two-car head-on crash that killed a 43-year-old man on U.S. Highway 95 near Athol and blocked traffic for about 2½ hours Monday.”
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/10/us-95-fatal-accident-under-investigation/
Idaho state Rep. Ken Roberts announced this morning that he’s withdrawing from the 1st District congressional race, in which he was vying for the GOP nomination for a chance to challenge 1st District Democratic Rep. Walt Minnick. Roberts cited “an unexpected health issue,” and also hinted that another “conservative” candidate might be getting into the race to replace him, saying he’s heard from two who have a “strong interest.” “I now feel I can responsibly withdraw from the campaign, knowing that one of them will continue to defend our cherished principles,” Roberts said in a statement.
Already in the GOP race is Vaughn Ward, an Iraq war veteran who’s been campaigning hard and who had out-raised Roberts, as of the last campaign finance report, by more than four times. Ward noted that yesterday, he was endorsed by the American Conservative Union./Betsy Z. Russell, S-R, more here
Question: What do you think is at stake in the race for North Idaho’s congressional seat in 2010?
According to the World Health Organization, AIDS is the leading cause of death among women ages 15-44. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/10/aids-is-top-killer-of-women-who-says/
“Throughout the world, one in five deaths among women in this age group is linked to unsafe sex, according to the U.N. agency.”
“Rami Amaro can tell as soon as she wakes up if it’s one of the bad days.
Maybe she can’t move her right arm, or she can’t see out of one eye.
The worst days she’ll feel the banding — cruelly nicknamed the “MS hug” — where the muscles around her rib cage squeeze her like a python.” Story here: http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2009/11/10/news/news02.txt
Several of our Hucksters are battling chronic medical conditions. Words of encouragement are always weclome.
A tourist looks between concrete plates of the east side of the former Berlin Wall at the wall memorial at Bernauer Street in Berlin, Germany Thursday, Aug. 13, 2009.
Yesterday marked the 20th anniversary of the day the wall separating East and West Germany came down. It was an historic, emotion-filled moment for those of us who remember. http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/10/in-berlin-20-years-of-unity/
Where were you when the wall came down?
Marianne Love gives us a taste of snow here:
http://slightdetour.blogspot.com/2009/11/for-snow-lovers.html
And spokelooneh offered a link to her fascinating article about Farragut: http://www.mariannelove.com/Farragut….
Keithincda says on Saturday PBS aired a documentary about Farragut “Americas Landlocked Navy.” You can purchase the video online at the KSPS televesion website or at Amazon. Not too early to start thinking about Christmas presents.
Just saying.
Eagles QB Michael Vick’s comeback includes new deal from Nike.
I happen to be crazy about my own Mt. Spokane Wildcat, but apparently Michael Vick doesn’t aspire to Wildcat status. “I won’t be a Wildcat guy. I can’t,” Vick told NBC.”
Evidently, he’s not thrilled about being an Eagle, either: http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Michael-Vick-doesn-t-sound-so-thrilled-about-bei?urn=nfl,201166
Thoughts?
“There is a strong perception that Coeur d’Alene’s municipal leaders are intolerant of criticism. The perception is backed up by concrete examples of council members past and present speaking harshly to constituents, reacting angrily to written criticism through written criticism of their own, and by playing political games aimed at punishing those considered threatening to the leadership structure. On that last point we cite the very recent example of a letter to state Sen. Mike Jorgenson pointing out a possible campaign expenditure violation. The letter was leaked to a third party who unwaveringly supports the city’s leadership, and that person published the letter online before Sen. Jorgenson had even received it”/Coeur d’Alene Press editorial. More here.
DFO: I interrupt my vacation to respond to this Coeur d’Alene Press nonsense. The Press, of course, is complaining about the scoop here at Huckleberries Online re: the letter written to City Clerk Susan Weathers re: possible campaign finance violations on behalf of Sen. Mike Jorgenson — a story that, I believe, the Press never reported. Then, the Press accuses city leadership of leaking a letter that wouldn’t have seen the light of day until after the election had the last-minute violation (which Jorgenson admitted was a boo-boo) not been reported here. Which is simply guesswork. Basically, this is Press beating on the incumbents again for allegedly not treating the usual suspects with kid gloves when they appear before the council with their litany of gripes. Looks like the Press has revealed its hand that it is going to continue to target Mayor Bloem’s progressive administration on behalf of the community’s naysayers.
Michael Moore, editor of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, sits with the Doomsday Clock in Chicago in 1998.
In case you’ve been worried about the Mayan Long Count calendar, which will run out on Dec. 21, 2012, just in time to ruin Christmas, the folks at the Discovery Channel offer reassurance: http://news.discovery.com/space/ray-villard-doomsday-theories.html
So. When, if ever, do you think the world will end?
Homeless hubcaps. You see them on street corners, strewn along I-90, and loitering in parking lots. How do they get there? Do they just roll along until they can’t take it anymore and throw themselves from the wheels they’ve been attached to?
Last week I noticed my left front hubcap was missing. I can’t imagine anyone stealing a hubcap from an aging Ford Windstar (though my hubcaps are kinda sporty). I don’t remember hearing it fall off while I was driving. I haven’t hit anything, recently. The other three remain faithful. Was it something I said?
Share your own hubcap memories or theories here. Or perhaps you’ve got something more interesting to discuss.
PM:
Mmm…garlic chicken simmering in the crockpot, a bunch of Green Bluff Yukon Gold’s to saute`, and a glass of chilled pinot grigio awaits. Hope your evening will be as tasty as mine is promising to be :-)
For those who’d like to know just what’s in the Health Care Bill passed by the House, Bent offers a link and a few words of advice:
http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery…
@ME, just a friendly suggestion. That bill is huge… and the Senate has not passed its version yet, so this bill is likely to change significantly before it goes to the president for his signature.
The link I sent you is from the library of congress web site, and there some summary pieces that give you an idea of what is in the bill. I would use the search function to look up specifics like Health Savings Accounts.
(BTW, I have heard they capped pre-tax contributions at $2,000, and anything contributions above that will have to come from taxed income).
“To 12-year-old Suzannah Pabla, piercing her nose was a way to connect with her roots in India. To Suzannah’s school, it was a dress-code violation worthy of a suspension.
To other Indians, the incident was emblematic of how it can still be difficult for the American melting pot to absorb certain aspects of their cultural and religious traditions.”
Story here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,573069,00.html
In this case nose-piercing was a cultural choice, not a religious mandate. However, do you think schools should be more tolerant of body piercings in general?
A soldier reads a Bible during a church service Sunday at the 1st Cavalry Division Memorial Chapel at Fort Hood, Texas.
According to CNN: “Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the suspect in last week’s mass shooting at the Fort Hood Army Post, is conscious and talking, according to a spokesman for the Army hospital where he is being treated.
Authorities have not identified a motive in Thursday’s attack that left 13 dead and 42 others wounded.” http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/09/fort.hood.shootings/
There are Bridal Fairs, Baby Fairs and now from the City of Love: a Divorce Fair.
“The city of romance got a lesson in love’s hard knocks Sunday, as thousands flocked to the French capital’s first divorce fair.
In France, nearly one out of two marriages ends in divorce, according to the country’s National Institute of Demographic Studies. More than 130,000 divorces were registered in 2007, as compared to just 50,000 three decades ago.
The “New Start” trade fair aimed to tap into that booming market by bringing together 60 stands offering up both services obviously related to separation – law firms and counselors – and also more obscure disciplines aimed at helping people get back on their feet, like tarot card readers, makeover specialists and self-esteem coaches.” More here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/09/thousands-attend-paris-fair-for-divorced-to-be/
Do you think an event like this would catch on here?
You might want to use it for this: http://video.mpora.com/watch/JrCFkxtEh/
Snow kayaking looks kinda fun. Except for the rolling over and over downhill part. But, heck I do that on skis.
Got a favorite winter sport?
Cis: “I AM MAD AS HELL AND NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE… I got an ad in the mail today from Verizon with the usual stuff…
Why am I MAD!!
Because when I opened it, it was in SPANISH!!! except for my name. The English was on the other side…. and THEN.. it shows what they have available on their television channels… and BOTH SIDES ARE IN SPANISH!!! NO ENGLISH!!!” http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/hbo/2009/nov/09/monday-wildcard/
Does stuff like this bug you too?
In this CareerBuilder.com survey, managers listed the strangest complaints they received from employees about their coworkers: http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?id=pr516&sd=8%2f12%2f2009&ed=12%2f31%2f2009&siteid=cbpr&sc_cmp1=cb_pr516_
Complaints include
What does a road ramp smell like? Is working with Bambi a bad thing?
Any complaints you’d care to add?
“A contest that involves children seeing how far they can throw dead rabbits has been banned in New Zealand following outcry from animal welfare campaigners.” http://www.metro.co.uk/weird/article.html?Dead_rabbit__throwing_contest_banned&in_article_id=757008&in_page_id=2
“Organiser Jo Moriarty claims banning the bunny contest is “political correctness gone mad.”
Must be a New Zealand thing, but the idea of children throwing dead bunnies for sport makes me cringe.
Andre Agassi is shown after losing to Patrick Rafter at the U.S. Open in 1997, the year he failed a drug test.
In an interview on 60 Minutes, Agassi said, “…hating tennis was a deep part of my life for a long, long time.” http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/11/05/60minutes/main5537569.shtml
His story isn’t that different from many child prodigies. I wonder about parents who push their children so hard.
How long would you stay in a job you hated?
Stocks are jumping: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/09/stocks-jump-after-g-20-pledge-aid-economies/
And the Seahawks roared: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/09/hawks-roar-back/
Do you have any good news to share?
“After spending a cold, restless night huddled against a tree in a North Idaho forest, Alisa Franck walked out early Sunday, greeted by two members of a search-and-rescue team.
Throughout the night, she said, she knew enough to stay focused. “I was not going to let hypothermia get me,” said Franck, 27, a Central Valley High School graduate and Navy veteran.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/09/hiker-found-after-night-in-forest/
Have you ever been lost in the woods?
In this letter to the CDA Press the writer chides residents for their low-voter turnout. She concludes: “Someday, when your kids reminisce about how great it must have been to live under the Constitution of the United States of America, just explain to them that you were just so busy you didn’t have time to vote. They’ll understand.” http://www.cdapress.com/articles/2009/11/09/editorials/letters/letter02.txt
Thoughts?
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is joined by House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, left, and Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., on Saturday in Washington.
“The House of Representatives on Saturday passed, by a 220-215 vote, historic health care overhaul legislation that would require nearly all Americans to obtain health insurance and create a government-run health insurance plan to help them do so.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/08/house-oks-health-bill/
Looks like the bill will have a rougher time in the Senate: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/09/health-care-bill-faces-skepticism-senate/
The Joe Fan statue at Albi Stadium gets a kiss from two girls attending the Central Valley/Kamiakin 4A play-in football game on Saturday.
#1 Obviously confused when her cell phone rings, the liitle blonde girl ran over to Joe Fan and answered “Statue, Joe?” JohnA
#2 My tongue is stuck, stuck, stuuuck!!!! factchecker
#3 A seemingly disinterested fan is mobbed by cheerleaders that object to his lack of support. Herb Huseland
“On a recent visit to the Chicken Basket on Northwest Boulevard in Coeur d’Alene, I was immediately greeted by several large placards endorsing a particular mayoral hopeful. They were scattered around the property and several were taped at eye level to the front door. Inside, there were candidates’ flyers posted here and there and even an official election ballot hung on the wall with the owner’s selections penciled in. Certainly there was no ambiguity about where the Chicken Basket stood in the impending municipal election.
Oh, well. Such an intensely appetizing aroma hit the hunger center of my brain when I walked in, all other thoughts evaporated right away. Really, the only politically oriented thought I could muster was “Vote for tender, juicy broasted chicken!” Full story here: http://getoutnorthidaho.blogspot.com/2009/11/chicken-basket.html
Which local restaurant serves up the tastiest chicken?
Howard White stands in front of the former Saddle Up Grill in Athol on Oct. 30 and recalls the night his business burned in 2008.
“It was a crisp winter night in Athol. The Saddle Up Grill had closed for the night. Owner Howard White was in a hurry to get home to Post Falls.” Herb Huseland chronicles the woes of the Saddle Up Grill here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/08/rebuilding-a-dream/
Have you ever suffered a fire at your home or business?
Count me in with those don’t regularly read their horoscope. However, while browsing this week’s Inlander, I paused to read mine. Here it is: “I would love it if you could find a sword that could cut itself. Or a fire that could burn itself. Or some water you could wash. But even if you can conjure the magic to attract an experience that simply resembles one of those marvelous paradoxes, it would set in motion a series of epiphanies that would liberate you from an inferior paradox— a confusing absurdity that is not worthy of you and that has been draining your life force.”
What the heck??? I’ll tell you what’s draining my life force– trying to figure out what the heck that paragraph meant.
Any ideas? If not, I’m sure one of you Hucksters can come up with a much improved horoscope.
Brent informs us that Otis G got in touch with his inner child and the local emergency room in Nashville:
“Otis G Experience is recovering tonight at Summit Medical Center in Nashville after surgery to repair a badly fractured tibia. M’boy was shredding Concrete Wave Country at Two Rivers Park Saturday night when he went down. The tibia broke at the top and split down the middle about four or five inches. G was rushed to Summit where he spent Saturday night. He was doing well this afternoon. Send him your regards at misfit550@aol.com. See the x-ray here: http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m2…”
At what age does one give up, uh… “shredding concrete?”
Washington Mutual CEO Kerry Killinger shown here in 2007.
I’ve read with interest, David Heath’s stories about the demise of WaMu. In Sunday’s article he writes: “The new WaMu used huge sales commissions and misleading marketing to hawk risky and overpriced loans to borrowers.” Full story here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/nov/08/arm-twisting-helped-sink-wamu/
While such business practices are deplorable, the following statement got me wondering about consumer responsibility: “WaMu and its brokers promoted this feature as a benefit for borrowers. Pay less on your mortgage and take that vacation you’ve always dreamed of. WaMu lured borrowers with a very low interest rate of about 1 percent. But this “teaser” rate was good only for one month. After that, the option ARM could have far higher interest rates than conventional 30-year fixed-rate loans.”
No one can make you refinance your home and adjustable rate mortgages are notoriously risky. What part did greedy or gullible consumers play in this mess?
With the posting of this Wild Card, I’ll turn over controls of HBO Central to CindyH, unofficially. She’ll take over duties officially Monday morning. Also on Monday, elections officials will canvass the votes in the local elections. Which will start the clock running on challenger Jim Brannon’s request for a recount in his 5-vote loss to incumbent Mike Kennedy. That whole process could take up to a month. But it probably won’t. Dunno if there’ll be much to discuss on that front until the recount is officially done by reps from the AG and secretary of state’s office. However, I’m sure Cindy will make things interesting here. Now, for your Sunday Wild Card …
The Idaho Vandals running back De Maundray Woolridge has his helmet knocked off by Fresno’s Lorne Bell during the first half in the Kibbie Dome at Moscow on Saturday. (AP Photo/Idaho Statesman - Shawn Raecke)
The first ominous sign for fans inside the Kibbie Dome had to be the sight of quarterback Nathan Enderle warming up with his non-throwing hand. Enderle was a no-go Saturday night with a bruised rotator cuff, and it didn’t matter what sort of decoy Idaho coaches tried to throw at Fresno State. The way things spiraled out of control early, no gimmick was going to work. With their starting quarterback sidelined, the Vandals quickly came undone in a 31-21 loss to the Bulldogs. It was Idaho’s first home loss of the season, and it came in a much-anticipated Western Athletic Conference showdown. There would be no miracle comeback like last week against Louisiana Tech, though UI (7-3, 4-2) certainly made things interesting in the fourth quarter/Josh Wright, Sportslink. ESPN boxscore here.
I’m going to take a few days off to clear my head of the campaign and election fog and to enjoy my kids. I’ll officially turn the controls of HBO Central over to CindyH on Monday. I’ve warned her not to check out the cooler by herself (especially after Joker’s detailed description re: what’s in there). However, she has my go-ahead to toss anyone in there that gives her too much guff. Or if she simply wants to feel the adrenalin rush that comes with doing so. So be careful. I don’t think Cindy will go power mad. But you never know. Now, I’ll play the Wild Card and prepare to go into vacation mode …
Two bad trends have supplanted the good old days. The radical right, the tea baggers its new 
manifestation, is
purging the Republican Party of moderate officeholders and candidates,
and turning once-sensible office seekers into pander bears. Locally, an iron triangle of left interest groups (e.g. NARAL)
liberal media (The Stranger, PubliCola) and the labor left (SEIU) seek
to impose ideological requirements while slamming any Democrat who
hints at moderation. The local press hasn’t noticed, but Rep. Dave Reichert, R-Wash.,
endured sustained abuse from national conservative media and local
property rights wackos when he dared to vote for climate change
legislation. The national and state Republican Party were brushed aside by the
likes of Sarah Palin and Rush Limbaugh in New York’s 23rd District/Joel Connelly, Seattle P-I. More here.
Question: Will the Republican right save or destroy the party of Lincoln?
Tricia Jo Webster/Fabulocity writes: “I found this “Life is Crap” cup during my inaugural visit to Halpin’s, one of the Valley’s hidden treasures. OK, really – sitting prominently on the corner of Bowdish and Sprague with a sign that can be seen from space without a telescope – it’s not all that hidden … I’d simply never before taken the time to stop in. I’d heard the place mentioned in conversation. I’d driven past it at least 1,037 times. But last week I stopped a lady to ask her where she’d gotten her purse – a strappy black bag weaved from seat belts, very cool – and she said “Halpin’s.” That did it. It was time for a visit.” More here.
Question: What’s your favorite slogan on a coffee mug that you own?
While preparing for my conferences I started to think about what I would
like parents to know about teachers. Here are a few of them:
Question: Anyone have a good word for one of your kid’s teachers?
Idaho and Fresno State mirror each other in many ways. Fresno
State has the No. 3 offense 
in the WAC, averaging 36.5 points a game,
while Idaho is the No. 4 offense in the conference, averaging 33 points
a game. The Bulldogs have scored 23 touchdowns while the Vandals have
scored 22. The Vandals have the slight edge in total offense, putting up 445 yards a game, while Fresno State averages 444. Offensively,
the difference is on the ground. Idaho is sixth in the WAC on the
ground, putting up 172 yards a game, but between Princeton McCarty,
De’Maundray Woolridge and Deonte Jackson, the Vandals can rack up yards
on the ground in the blink of they eye. The Bulldogs have the best rusher in the nation in Mathews, who averages 191 yards a game. The
Bulldogs also can throw the rock. Fresno State quarterback Ryan Colburn
averages just over 160 yards a game, hitting Seyi Ajirotutu for nearly
100 yards a game. The game should come down to whose defense steps up/Sandra Kelly, Moscow Pullman Daily News. Full story below.
Question: OK, prognosticators, let’s try again. Who’s going to win and by what score?
What too many people fail to recall, and in many cases I consider
this willful amnesia, is that 
Obama’s sales pitch for the first
stimulus package included a promise that, if passed, unemployment would
rise no higher than 8 percent. Without the stimulus package, Obama’s
economic team (which includes Romer), predicted that unemployment might
rise as high as 9 percent. For reference, the official unemployment rate is now 10.2 percent.. And
that’s an underestimate. When one considers the underemployed and those
who have given up trying to find a job, the real unemployment rate is
actually about 16 percent or 17 percent. The “recovery act is working exactly as intended.”Obama promised that he would create or save 3.5 million jobs. But
recently the Obama administration boasted that it had “created or
saved” a somewhat more modest 650,000 jobs, a number repeated
uncritically over and over last weekend by the Obama-approved real news
organization, CNN/Michael Costello, Lewiston Tribune. Full column below.
Question: Should Obama try to boost the economy by trying to pass another massive stimulus package?
While I sit here watching “Law & Order,” I’m thinking about the
movie that we saw earlier 
this evening - the curiously named “The Men Who Stare at Goats.” Based on the trailer, i was expecting a comedy. And a comedy is what I got. What I needed, though, was an ending. The
conceit of the film, which is based on a nonfiction book by British
writer Jon Ronson, is that an American journalist named Bob Wilton
(Ewan McGregor) stumbles onto the story of his life. He meets Lyn
Cassidy (George Clooney), a retired “psychic spy” who prefers the title
of Jedi warrior. Seems Cassidy was once part of a U.S. Army team that
tried to harness powers of the human brain to create a new kind
of soldier/Dan Webster, Movies & More. More here.
Question: Which is the next movie you expect to see on the big screen?
Nick Anderson/Houston Chronicle
Sandpoint
advanced to the state semifinals for the first times since 2005 by shutting
down a potent Middleton ground attack. The Vikings, which utilize the
double-wing, entered Friday’s game with a six-game winning streak and averaging
nearly 270 yards per game rushing. Sandpoint
(8-2) held Middleton (7-3) to just one first down and 14 yards in the first
half. “They
are coming off a six-game winning streak, and I think our kids made them look
like they were not a team on a six-game winning streak,” said Sandpoint coach
Mike Mitchell, whose team allowed the Vikings a total of 32 yards on the
ground. “That’s what it looked like tonight”/William Love, Sportslink. More here.
The Vikings, losers of two straight to conclude the regular season, redeemed themselves with a 38-14 win over Lake City in a State 5A playoff opener Friday before an estimated crowd of 3,000 at LC. Coeur d’Alene (7-3) will play host to third-ranked Eagle (9-1) in a semifinal next Friday at 7 p.m. Eagle handled Rocky Mountain 35-17. In the other openers, No. 1-ranked Capital (10-0) downed Mountain View 38-13 and defending state champ Highland (8-2) stopped Idaho Falls 34-26. The Vikings, who had to survive a three-team Kansas Tiebreaker on Monday, quieted the naysayers with three second-half touchdowns from junior running back Zach Keiser and a 34-yard field goal from Connor Williams as CdA blew open what had been a tightly contested game in the first half/Greg Lee, Sportslink. More here.
Sometimes, when I hear other wives talking about their flaky pie crust or their super secret all-
day lasagna recipe, I feel a little bad for Paul. All across this great land, men are trudging home from work, tired and hungry, only to be revived at the door of their warm, well-lit homes by the savory aroma of a lovingly prepared meat-and-potatoes dinner with a buttery homemade roll on the side. Paul, on the other hand, often has to rustle up his own grub, as do I, in a process we jokingly call “grazing”, as in: “Do you want to go out for dinner tonight, or just graze?” Grazing can mean sandwiches, or chips and salsa, or even cold cereal. I imagine it’s how most bachelors eat before they find that loving woman who promises to put their days of Ramen noodles and peanut butter firmly behind them. And it must bother me, at least a little bit, because I keep bringing it up/Katrina, Notes On A Napkin. More here.
Question: Are you a good cook?
A tear runs down the face of Col. William Salter during a vigil at Fort Hood, Texas on Friday. Authorities said Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood, Texas on Thursday. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
CindyH will sub for me next week as I take some R-n-R to catch a breath after the elections and to enjoy Dr. Oliveria & my wonderful daughter-in-law, who will be visiting between interviews for medical residency at University of Washington and OHSU/Portland and sundry other places. I may give CindyH the keys to the cooler. No one else has ever thrown someone into the cooler since I launched Huckleberries Online almost 6 years ago. She had a devilish look in her eyes when she mentioned how cool it would be to throw someone in there. Just because it’s there. Be very careful next Monday through Friday. BTW, I’ve never been in the cooler myself. Can someone describe what it looks like in there? Now, for your Wild Card …
I saw the photo of the major smiling and holding a donut, just hours before he held out his gun and 
devastated the lives of thousands of soldiers and their families. In one instant, an entire community of soldiers and their families faced a new dynamic of total uncertainty in their lives: the place they considered the safest turned into a setting for a horrific nightmare. We never know what the next moment will bring on any given day or how those moments will evolve into whole new twists and turns of our existence or lack thereof. Life is definitely an ongoing crapshoot, and we’re reminded every day of how powerless we are in writing its script/Marianne Love, Slight Detour. More here.
Question: Do you view life as a crapshoot? Or do you think there’s a divine purpose to everything?
Volunteer Chantilly Burtis, left talks with Lookout Ski Patrol member Ron Lichti during set up of this years 11 annual Winter Swap at Kootenai County Fairgrounds in Coeur d’Alene on Friday. The sale opens Saturday , November 7 from 9:00-3:00 with thousands of new and used winter sports items available. The “Swap” is the primary source of funding for the Lookout Pass and Silver Mountain volunteer ski patrols. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
Gabriel Harpe ,8, of Port Orchard, Wash. plays peek-a-boo with a squirrel at Evergreen-Rotary Park in Bremerton, Wash on Tuesday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Kitsap Sun, Larry Steagall)
Top Cutlines:
The Eagles Lodge reports that $2400 in cash, equally divided among 4 Washington Trust bank bags, was stolen from the Sherman Avenue organization between 5 p.m. Monday and 5:57 p.m. Tuesday. Trustee Bill Barlow reported to Coeur d’Alene police that the money was in an office inside the lodge. The money was discovered missing during a daily audit. Barlow provided officers with a short list of suspects who were in the lodge’s office during the 24 hours in which the money disappeared.
Floats carrying the New York Yankees baseball team make their way along Broadway during a ticker-tape parade celebrating their 27th World Series championship on Friday in New York. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)
Question: Should New York have conducted the parade in light of the tragedy at Fort Hood, Texas?
The unemployment rate in October rose to 8.9 percent in Idaho and 11.1 percent in Kootenai County. In some rural corners of North Idaho, one in five working-age persons is jobless. Seasonally adjusted unemployment edged up a tenth of a point statewide last month. In Kootenai County, the rate increase half a percentage point from September. The number of Idaho workers without jobs rose 1,100, to a record 67,300, as employers held hiring to the lowest level since record-keeping began in 1998, the state Department of Labor said today/Spokesman-Review. More here.
Question: How much worse do you expect the local employment picture to get?
President Barack Obama said Friday the entire nation is grieving for those slain at Fort Hood, and he urged people not to jump to conclusions while law enforcement officers investigate the shootings. Obama met Friday morning with FBI Director Robert Mueller and other federal leaders to get an update on what they’ve learned. Thirteen people were killed and 30 others injured in the shooting rampage at the Texas Army post on Thursday. The suspected shooter is an Army psychiatrist; his motive remains unclear. “We don’t know all the answers yet. And I would caution against jumping to conclusions until we have all the facts,” Obama said in a Rose Garden statement otherwise devoted to the economy/Breitbart. More here.
Question: Some Muslims are afraid that there will be a backlash against them as a result of this mass shooting. Is that a legitimate worry? (BTW, I purposely haven’t loaded this blog with info and photos from the horrific Fort Hood slaughter. I figure that you can get that information from TV or the Internet. Did I make the right call? Or do you want posts about upon which to comment?)
Don Sausser, HBO’s Eye on Sherman Avenue, writes: “You know that the Christmas Holidays are approaching when Resort personnel are seen hanging lights on a blustery day.”
Four Coeur d’Alene High football players — three of them starters — suspended for an athletic code violation have been reinstated for tonight’s state 5A football playoff game at Lake City, Viking coach Shawn Amos announced Friday morning/Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Joker: The door to the cooler is weathered wood with an ironwork across the middle. While 
there is no door handle, there are claw marks on bottom of the door, as if something or someone couldn’t get out. The sounds of dripping water echo through the cooler. I don’t know how big the cooler is, but I tried to explore a little after I heard voices coming from the darkness. The further I went, the fainter the light blub got. As I was walking, I tripped on a what appeared to be a human tibia bone, but I am not sure. Then I heard a deep growling sound from the darkness, so I ran back toward the light.
Question: Anyone discover anything else in there?
While going through the “new” Midtown for the first time, I was aghast at how dangerous the experience was. Traffic roaring past cars trying to park and/or sight see. Harrowing might be a better word. The difference between downtown Sherman and Fourth Street is obvious to me — namely signals. Traffic on Sherman travels at 25 MPH posted, but with all the signals, it’s closer to 7 MPH. Meanwhile, traffic on Fourth is unabated from Lakeside to Harrison. It simply is the express route out of town for folks heading north on the east side. The obvious solution to make Midtown more like bustling Sherman is to put crosswalks and stop signs at every street in midtown. Slow the traffic down and prosperity and safety will come/Richard LeFrancis, Coeur d’Alene Press letter to the editor. More here.
Question: Do you share the same concern as letter writer Richard LeFrancis re: the speed the vehicles travel through the reconstructed Midtown street area?
A graduate of Rogers High School and Eastern Washington University working as a physician assistant at Fort Hood, Texas, was among 13 people killed in a rampage Thursday, according to a family member. Michael Grant Cahill was 62. Meanwhile, a Post Falls soldier wounded in the shooting spree is recovering in a hospital, his father said Friday morning at his North Idaho home. More here.
In his attempt to connect the dots, Bill McCrory/OpenCDA.com may be hinting that irregularities may have occurred during the City Council elections. It’s hard to say exactly what she means by posting the Idaho codes for contesting elections for reasons other than the tightness of the vote. Bill ends by saying: “While some people may argue it is unnecessarily expensive and time-consuming to contest an election, it seems obvious that Idaho’s legislators recognized the possibility of election tampering. More importantly, they recognized that the importance of honestly administered elections cannot be overstated.” More here.
Question: How do you read that post?
Lynne Stratton, talked about her step son George Stratton III at their home in Post Falls on Friday, November 6, 2009. Stratton was injured during the shooting at Fort Hood in Texas on Thursday. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
A Post Falls soldier wounded in Thursday’s shooting spree at Fort Hood in Texas in recovering
in a hospital, his father said Friday morning at his Post Falls home. George Stratton III, 18, called his family shortly after a gunman shot dozens of people on the large military base. Thirteen people were killed and 30 wounded in the attack. In an interview this morning, George Stratton Jr. of Post Falls said his son called around lunchtime Thursday and left him a message. His son said, “Dad, I’m in the back of an ambulance. I’ve been shot, but I’m OK.” “We were panicked, but we knew people were dying from it,” his father said. “We were relieved (that he was OK).” The soldier was working at the Fort Hood medical readiness center. He was shot in the shoulder; the bullet went through without damaging bone or nerves, his father said/Alison Boggs, SR. More here.
Question: Any message you’d like to send to this brave local soldier and his family?
DFO: What’s your reaction to the outcome of the Coeur d’Alene & Post Falls races?
Jeff Ward/Reagan Republicans: In Post Falls, we’re happy that Betty Henderson got elected. 
Our endorsement didn’t have much influence because she was such a good candidate. We had a lot of effect in the Coeur d’Alene races. We came in late. We endorsed Jim Brannon and Betty Henderson. We were a month out. Brannon had not really had the apparatus in place to run a strong race. In terms of money, he was way behind. In terms of volunteers, it was slow. We felt we could have an impact in the race. Jim Brannon got more votes than any other challenger in Coeur d’Alene city history. The strategy of partisanizing race was effective in dramatically increasing turnout. Jim’s much further along than he would be if we hadn’t gotten involved.
Question: How much impact did the Reagan Republicans have in the Coeur d’Alene City Council races?
A perfect stocking stuffer for active women, GoGirl allows the simple convenience of taking bathroom breaks standing up in situations where restrooms are unfit or nonexistent. (AP/GoGirl photo).
Question: Do you think this product will catch on?
… Jeffrey Ward, of the Reagan Republicans, will be featured at 10:45-50 in a quick 5-Q interview at Huckleberries Online today. Stay tuned …
Dean Chamberlain, who recently relocated back from Seattle, knew he was back home in North Idaho when he overheard this conversation:
Welcome back, Dean.
When Dolores Gonzales moved to Spokane from Los Angeles, she didn’t miss the traffic or the 
hectic lifestyle of Southern California, but she did miss the music. “In bigger cities, smooth jazz is the music of choice for mature adults,” she says. So five years ago, she and a co-worker launched the Smooth Jazz Society of the Inland Northwest. Smooth or contemporary jazz emerged in the ’70s, pioneered by musicians like Kenny G, Michael Bolton and George Benson. “It’s a younger jazz with more of an R&B beat,” says Gonzales. “The reason it’s been so slow to catch on here is because there’s no radio station that plays it”/Cindy Hval, SR. More here.
Question: Do you like Jazz?
Lake City’s win over the Vikings two weeks ago had to be classified an upset. It would be less so if it 
happened a second time. LC comes into the game playing the best between the teams. But the Vikings will be inspired mightily. They will be playing without three starters, and the most glaring hole could be at free safety. CdA will have to plug some holes up front as well and play some linemen both ways. I wonder if LC will be just satisfied in qualifying for the state playoffs after the difficult non-league stretch the T-Wolves survived. But that would run counter to a Van Troxel team. CdA has a big chip on its shoulder and the Vikings hope to get as much motivational energy out of it as possible. After all the emotions settle, I just have a suspicion that LC will find a way to win. LC 27, CdA 21/Greg Lee, Sportslink. Full Panhandle Picks here.
Question: Do you agree with Greg Lee’s prognostication?
Eagle Eye:
The last that I heard two of the Riverstone condo buildings were in foreclosure. Unless something is restructured, it will be the bank that is selling them. I wouldnt call Riverstone a bust right now but it is teetering on the fence. I still think it was a good plan. But like many projects, it was counting on the continuation of a robust economy and now it has been brought to its knees.
Wheels:
Overall I think Riverstone is adjusting its mix and is doing above average.At current prices the condos will be absorbed and I think a good investment long term.We shop at Buckles(good clothing store, go to the cinema, and eat at Azteca(great taco Tues by the way)Riverstone employees are very friendly,knowledgable and make you want to come back.Hey CDA is good.
Question: What do you think? Is Riverstone a bust? Or will it recover from this deep recession and prosper again like most of us?
Col. Kimberly Kesling, of Boise, talks about working with Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan at Fort Hood, Texas, Friday. Hasan, an Army psychiatrist set to be shipped overseas opened fire at the Fort Hood Army post Thursday, authorities said, on a rampage that killed at least 13 people in the worst mass shooting ever at a military base in the United States. Kesling was one of Hasan’s supervisors. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
An Idaho soldier is recovering at a Texas hospital after he was shot in the left shoulder at Fort Hood. George Stratton III,18, called his father a short time after the shooting. George Stratton Jr., from his Post Falls home tells us, his son called him from an ambulance on the way to the hospital. He says his son is okay. Stratton says his son was a few feet away when the shooting started. He was in the Uniform Readiness Center at Fort Hood working when he saw a man dressed in a uniform walk in/Edgar Linares, KTVB. More here.
Question: Do you know anyone stationed at Fort Hood, Texas?
Item: Sali: GOP needs unity/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Former U.S. Congressman Bill Sali had a message for his fellow conservatives: Unite. But before Sali spoke to the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans during their meeting at the Lake City Senior Center on Thursday evening, he addressed rumors about him throwing his hat back in Idaho’s political ring. “I know there are rumors out there,” he said leading up to his speech. “But I didn’t start any of them. That’s just a product of the rumor mill.” “I’m not here to make any kind of announcement tonight,” he said, kicking off his address.
Question: Would you like to see Bill Sali run for Congress again?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
CDAMom:
Today is my daughters 21st birthday. She is all excited about this being her first day to legally drink. I on the other hand am thinking how quick it all goes by and wondering if I taught her enough, showed her enough examples of the right way to live her life, and let go of her enough for her to survive on her own. I just hope I did enough and not too much for her so she has all the skills she needs to suceed in life.
Question: My daughter’s almost 24, and I sometimes ask myself that question, although she seems to be turning out well. Have you ever asked yourself that question?
Nordic skiers strut their stuff in “Ultimate Skiing Showdown,” one of the films featured at the 2009 Banff Mountain Film Festival. (Photo from Ultimate Skiing Showdown)
At OpenCDA.com, Kage Mann tries to encourage kindred spirits who didn’t get the change for which they voted. And he predicts offers 5 reasons why change will take place on the City Council in another 2 years:
Question: Do you agree/disagree w/Kage Mann’s analysis?
First, I should apologize to the many bloggers in the HBO Blogosphere for not highlighting them as I usually do in my daily roundups. I’ve been so slammed by the election, election results, and election follow-up that I didn’t have time to do adequate roundups. I’ll make up for that today. Secondly, I appreciate the many new commenters and many new blurkers attracted here by the local elections. Stick around. We have fun year round. Finally, you might be interested to know that HBO numbers have been over 10,000 page-views per work day since Tuesday, Oct. 27, and over 9,400 since Wednesday, Oct. 21, topping off 14,147 (w/6777 unique views) on election night. That means (brace yourself for blatant advertisement) that the 4 candidates who bought those tile ads on HBO got quite a bang for their bucks ($100 for 10 days or $10 per day). The numbers will come down somewhat. But it appears that this blog is on course to hit 2M page-views for the year. Now, for your daily Wild Card …
Olympic gold medalist Kristin Armstrong is followed by Horseshoe Bend students while leaving after a school assembly in Horsheshoe Bend last week. Armstrong is ending her pro cycling career after a second world championship in September and 2008 Olympic time-trial triumph in Beijing. (AP Photo/Jessie L. Bonner)
Participants compete in the 27th Annual Great American Bug Race Wednesday at Palm Beach Atlantic University. The event is part of PBAU’s Homecoming Week festivities and raises money for the University’s Science Club. Roaches were sold for 50 cents each, or entrants could bring their own. There was a $1 fee to register. Prizes of $10, $25 and $50 were awarded as well as a grand prize of $100 for the fastest bug. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Palm Beach Post, Bruce Bennett)
Top Cutlines:
Actually,
I’m hearing all kinds of misinformation about the recount and related issues. We’ve had different people who wanted us to check to make sure everyone had been required to show their ID before voting. I know that is the law in some state, but not in Idaho (so far). That’s an issue for the legislature not the elections office. … We’ve also heard that people are wondering how many ballots that we’ll be counting that came in after election day. The number is zero. Again, some states allow ballots to be counted up to 10 days after election day if they were postmarked by election day. Not in Idaho though/Dan of the County. Full post below.
Question: Do you have any questions for Dan of the County re: the Tuesday elections?
This year, my baby… my 39 year old baby, tells me she has bought a motorcycle.(Deep 
breath) … hoping she takes her classes she talks about, after her son graduation. Yes, it is … (ok … another deep breath). I saw the bike, seems small and innocent enough. She does well with her classes, and seems to have deep respect for the bike. Then another call. She sees a bike on Criagslist. A Harley Davidson. Pink with flames. (I know in my heart she is getting it) And yes, she does. And she brings it by a week later. It is a beautiful bike and her smile is from ear to ear. And as she leaves my driveway each time, so happy with her Harley, I am happy for her but I pray her deceased father will watch over her/Simple Mind. More here.
Question: Do you have a loved one who makes you nervous by riding a motorcycle?
Army Lt. Gen. Robert Cone gives a news conference after a shooting in Fort Hood, Texas today. The U.S. Army says 12 people have been killed and 31 wounded in a shooting rampage on the Fort Hood Army base in Texas today. Breaking story here. (AP Photo/Austin American-Statesman, Rodolfo Gonzalez)
We
get into arguments about Pixar all the time around the office. Why? When your average film garners approval from 95 percent of the critics there’s plenty of room for disagreement. It becomes a bit like choosing your favorite spice. Can you really find the exact difference between red and white pepper? So we decided to strip out all the emotion and focus on four crucial categories we could measure objectively. They are, in no particular order: 1. Fan reaction, 2. Critical reaction, 3. Box office results, and 4. Academy Award nominations/Film.com. See rankings here.
Question: Which Pixar film is your favorite?
“What has become of my generation? Guys treating ladies like trash, girls showing themselves off like trophies to be won. It makes me sick to my stomach. I take one class at a public high school. 
Walking down the halls on any given day, I’m astounded at what I see. Gentleman! What kind of monsters have we become? Ladies! Where did the innocence go? The insecurity flows like an ocean tide, filling up the entire building until all that is left and felt is a current of emotions, chief of which is lust. Oh man! My heart just weeps! So many girls without fathers, without someone who has actually loved them in their life. Looking for a guy to fill them up and make them feel wanted. A guy to just hold them and accept them for who they are. A guy to hold their hand, loan them their sweatshirt, kiss them on the nose. These girls, looking for a love to just BE with them instead (of) getting. … Colin Mansfield on Dennis Mansfield’s blog. More here.
Question: Are you worried about the behavior of the current generation?
Chocolate flies as Kelcy Mastrup dives onto a slip-n-slide covered with chocolate pudding, ice cream, noodles and water during Warner Alliance Church’s junior high kids outreach event Wednesday in Lewiston. (AP Photo/Lewiston Tribune, Kyle Mills)
Question: Would you like to take a run at that chocolate slip-and-slide, if you could?
Twelve
years ago, Kari Kelli lay curled up on the floor of a room at Anna Ogden Hall. She hadn’t eaten solid food in months and weighed 100 pounds. She’d lost her children, her car and her job. She’d walked away from it all for what she called the love of her life – methamphetamine. “I gave up everything for that drug,” Kelli said. “It chewed me up, spit me out and left me for dead.” As she lay on the floor, sick and broken, “I remember daring God to do something with my life,” she said/Cindy Hval, Washington Voices. More here.
Have you or anyone close to you, ever beaten an addiction? How did you do it?
In yet another newsletter, Mary Souza attacks the successful incumbents — again — including 
top vote-getter Woody McEvers, whom she hints doesn’t have a spine. Noting that Woody won by an “incredibly close margin of 361 votes, she applauds challenger Steve Adams for doing an admirable job on a shoestring budget. Then, “Woody got it all backwards, in my opinion, when he told the Press that he was concerned because ‘so many voted against me.’ How ego-centric, Woody! They voted FOR Steve Adams! Almost half the voters wanted the focus, hard work, backbone Steve represents.” Then, she introduced another conspiracy theory at the end: ”It seems quite odd that 126 more people voted in the Kennedy-Brannon race than voted in the Woody McEvers-Steve Adams race.” Newsletter here.
Question: Anyone have a theory re: the under-votes in the McEvers-Adams race?
… whether Dan Gookin and Jim Brannon would have won there races if they’d weighed in on the Huckleberries Online comments threads to defend their stands and cause? Or would it have provided more fodder for opponents to beat them up with? Would it have switched 3 votes in Brannon’s case or 15 votes in Gookin’s?
Question: What do you think?
To the voters who voted for my opponent, thank you, too for participating in the process. I 
have been and will continue to be, a representative of every citizen of Coeur d’Alene regardless of how they voted. It was a close election, which means there is a lot to learn from the voters about where we want to proceed as a community and how, and I’m committed to listening and learning from every one who wants to weigh in. Elections can be contentious but governing is about building consensus and that is where I will spend my time. My opponent is requesting a recount which is his right and I support that. I’m confident the outcome won’t change, but I welcome the second review of the ballots – it’s part of the Democratic process that we all cherish/Councilman Mike Kennedy. More here.
Question: Any advice you want to give Councilman Mike Kennedy re: how to pass the time, as he waits on pins and needles for the final outcome of the recount?
People attending the dedication applaud the unveiling of the statue of the late Fred Rogers of the PBS television program “Mr. Rogers Neighborhood” in Pittsburgh, Thursday. The statue by renowned sculptor Robert Berks depicts the children’s television pioneer changing his shoes as he had done in the beginning of his show. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic) Question: What important things did you learn at ”Mr. Rogers Neighorbood”?
I remember feeling as though I was in a powder keg, just waiting for the right spark to set it off… the women’s side was SO overcrowded (so, exponentially, the men’s had to be twice as 
bad) that every bunk was full, none of the “enemies” or known lesbians could be segregated due to the lack of space- nor the more dangerous offenders- so fights broke out constantly… because of the lack of bunks, there were what we called “boats” lined up in rows under the stairs (portable bed frames with the rubberized mats we slept on crammed inside them) and since this was out of view of the cameras and viewing glass of the central “pod gods”, all sorts of hijinks went on under there… Most vividly, I recall a girl, couldn’t have been more than 19 or 20, who was hemorrhaging from a miscarriage in progress. When several of us frantically tried to summon help, the guards were so overwhelmed with crises elsewhere it was a full 20 minutes before a harried male deputy arrived, totally clueless of the situation/Kendramama. More here.
Question: Rather than trying to explain the need for a new jail in terms of generic need and property tax relief, shouldn’t county officials ask people like Kendramama, who have experienced the need from the inside, to help them sell the expansion idea?
Victoria Velyk of Henrietta, looks at media as the Big Wheel was announced as one of the toys inducted in the National Toy Hall of Fame at Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, N.Y., today. (AP Photo/Democrat & Chronicle,Tina Yee ) Question: Which other toys should be in the Toy Hall of Fame?
I’m going to hate myself in the morning for saying this. But Dan Gookin should continue to be 
involved in local activism and politics. Sure, it’ll take awhile to recover from the bruising campaign that ended Tuesday night with a 29-vote loss to Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander. Gookin should take comfort in the fact that, in football terms, he and his players have moved the ball to their own 49 yard line. Mayor Sandi Bloem and the City Council are on full alert re: all things Lake City Development Corp — and plan to extend an olive branch. The late Ron Rankin fought for more than three decades to rein in Idaho property taxes and ultimately remove school maintenance & operations from the property taxes. His goal was realized in incremental steps and ultimately fully when then Gov. Jim Risch lobbied successfully during a special section to switch the school M&O from the property tax to the sales tax — after Rankin’s death. Gookin & Co. have accomplished much in 30 months. Rankin told me many times that it wasn’t important whether her won or lost his many races for various positions, from highway commissioner to governor. It was more important that he advanced his cause. Gookin can advance his cause and help bring this divided city back together, if he changes his approach, from one of antagonism to one of principled compromise. If not, we’re in for another municipal donnybrook in two year — DFO.
Item: Detractors line up against state’s Spokane River plan: Draft seeks to reduce phosphorus levels by 90 percent in the next decade/Shawn Vestal, SR
More Info: The latest plan to limit algae-producing phosphorus in the Spokane River is drawing critics from all directions as Washington officials consider whether to move ahead with it. One company that discharges phosphorus in its wastewater, Inland Empire Paper Co., says new pollution limits might put it out of business. Avista Utilities says it would be on the hook for pollution it doesn’t cause. City officials in Idaho say Washington regulators are overstepping their authority by setting limits for wastewater plants across the border.
Question: Should Washington regulators be able to set limits for wastewater plants in Idaho?
On his campaign blog, Dan Gookin, who gave Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander a run for her 
money Tuesday, thanked his supporters for their work on his behalf and asked them to return his signs. Then, he left the possibility of a third bid for council open a bit wider than he did the night of the election: “It would be cool to get the signs back, though you are free to keep them should I change my mind or succumb to tremendous pressure and try to run for City Council again. Right now, after this contentious campaign, I’d just as soon cut off my own head.” Gookin concluded by saying that he has 20 days to write a 380-page book.
Question: Would you like to see Dan Gookin run for the City Council in two years?
There is a man passing through the Inland Northwest right now who can tell you for a fact you are moving too fast. He’s traveled 7,000 miles in a covered wagon with a team of horses during the past three years, relying on the kindnesses of strangers and a few friends to keep him going. His speed: 3 mph. Mike Prager story here.
The losing candidate in a tight Coeur d’Alene City Council race formally
asked the city clerk for a recount Wednesday.Jim Brannon lost to incumbent councilman Mike Kennedy by five votes. Because
that is less than one-tenth of 1 percent of all votes cast (6,325), Brannon had
the right to make the request and to have the city pay for the recount, City
Clerk Susan Weathers said.“In my mind we know nothing more than we knew at 8 o’clock when the polls
closed last night, and that is that it is going to be a very close race,”
Brannon said Wednesday afternoon. “There is a 50-50 chance we could switch. I
fully expect to win”/Alison Boggs, SR. More here.
Item: As jail plan dies at polls, leaders mull next steps: Kootenai County pays to outsource inmates/Alison Boggs, SR
More Info: Kootenai County will continue to ship inmates to other jails – to the tune of about $52 million over the next decade – following the failure Tuesday of two ballot measures that would have expanded the county jail. … County commissioners also will lobby state legislators to renew the local-option sales tax that expires at the end of the year, he said. That legislation allowed the county to place two measures on Tuesday’s ballot, but both failed to garner the two-thirds support needed for passage.
Question: Does you believe elected officials that Kootenai County really needs a new jail? Or do you believe they can get by with what they have for the foreseeable future?
“I think they’re all doing the best they know how, but sometimes they need to be talked to,” reasoned Coeur d’Alene resident and former mayor Ray Stone, out for a walk on Wednesday afternoon. “There are other things that can be done that they should be doing.” … The council is catering too much to businesses, Stone worried, both because of Goodlander’s connections with the Chamber of Commerce and the council’s work with Lake City Development Corp. … “I think it (LCDC) is a little dangerous, I worry about that.” Stone said. “The people who are with LCDC, they’re also heads of businesses and would benefit from their decisions”/Alecia Warren, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: How would you rate the current Coeur d’Alene City Council and mayor with those of the past? Which mayor and council ran things the best?
Scott Stantis/Birmingham News
No more elections talk. No more election TV ads.
No more phone calls for different candidates.
Did the many items pass in Spokane?
Did the jail pass in Cda?
Did the water dept. in Sandpoint pass?
Which was an unfair ballot, as Sandpoint water
is in Ponderay as well as Kootenai, and neither
town got to vote on that. A good question is why?
After all we are stuck with the higher bill with out
choices, where Sandpoint decides our fate.
Ah peace and quiet… I hope
Cis/From A Simple Mind
Update: Maybe not so quiet in Coeur d’Alene.
Question: Are you looking forward to political “silence” for awhile? Or can a person ever get away from the noise of politicking?
New York Yankees’ Hideki Matsui is congratulated by his teammates after hitting a two run home run against Philadelphia Phillies’ Pedro Martinez during the first inning of Game 6 of the Major League Baseball World Series tonight. New York leads the series 3-2 and Game 6 4-1 (in the 3rd inning). (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
Hilde Kellogg, who turned 91 a few weeks ago, is receiving a very special belated birthday gift 
this afternoon when a park is named in her honor. Hilde Kellogg Park is on the corner of Idaho Street and 21st Avenue and just a few blocks from where Hilde’s made her home for about a half century. Ms. Kellogg has made an impact in Post Falls and the Idaho Legislature through the years, blazing trails in this community that have made the journey possible for those of us who’ve come after. The quality of life we all enjoy is due in no small part to those citizens who served in the 1970s and 1980s and had the vision of what Post Falls could and would become/Kerri Thoreson, Main Street, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: Is there someone in your community that deserves to be honored by having a park or building named after them: Who? Why?
Whew! In my 25 years in Coeur d’Alene, I haven’t seen an election as close as the one last night. Now, I’ll make a confession. I almost voted for LCDC antagonist Dan Gookin. Mebbe I was tired. Who knows? But I noticed when I double checked my ballot that I had filled in the oval alongside Gookin’s name rather than Deanna Goodlander’s. Immediately, I looked for an eraser. Then, I realized that you don’t erase election ballots. So, sheepishly, I took the original ballot to the head of the Assembly of God polling place and asked for another. She folded the ballot in half, tucked it in an envelope for spoiled ballots, and handed me another, without smiling. I slunk back to the voting booth and voted as I intended. Meanwhile, my wife announced to the four poll workers and two other voters: “I can’t take him anywhere.” Now for your Wild Card …
Susie Pouliot, CEO of the Idaho Medical Association, tells an Idaho legislative committee on Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2009 that if everyone in Idaho had health insurance tomorrow, there wouldn’t be enough doctors in the state to treat everyone. Story here. (Betsy Russell/SR)
Two male fiddler crabs fight on a beach on Inhaca Island, Mozambique. Researchers from The Australian National University in Canberra found that male fiddler crabs will happily defend a female neighbor against intruders, partly because the females will dole out sex in return, according to the Australian study published today. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Australian National University, Tanya Detto)
Top Cutlines:
Deanna:
I appreciate those who voted for me. and I want to thank them. This was a difficult election for all of us, both incumbents and challengers. I believe that we need to carefully look at the issues in this race and see what we can do better. When almost half the voters support the challengers and their message, its a message to me that we need to respect their views and listen to what they are saying. I plan to do exactly that.
Question: Will the Bloem administration and the City Council make more changes re: the marching orders that Lake City Development Corp. have?
County voters approved construction of a new hospital and clinic in St. Maries. The request by the hospital board for authority to borrow up to $28.5 million for the new facilities passed with 67.9% approved. A 66% YES vote was required. DFO: You can catch the headlines for other Benewah County elections at the St. Maries Gazette-Record here. You need a online subscription to read the entire stories.
Aliasjax: I’ll defend the right to not vote as a matter of free speech. Not voting, as a means of 
protest over the failures or moral shortcomings of democracy, or how the system is “gamed” is a matter of free speech against the system. Principled non voting is as virtuous, maybe moreso, than voting. I also make no value judgment of the apathetic. It’s their right to not care, not believe they make a difference, and be content or discontent with the results of any election. The idea that one can only complaign about the results of any election if they voted is flat out wrong. We have an inalienable right to redress our government, it is not predicated on whether one voted or not.
Question: Are you bothered by the low voter turnout in Coeur d’Alene (est. 29.7%) and Kootenai County in yesterday’s local elections? Or do you prefer to have your vote carry more weight — and the apathetic and unknowledgeable stay home?
It filled his house, then
spread next door;
it’s now the size of
Baltimore.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., left, holds a copy of the health care bill during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, to announce an amendment to the health care bill. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Question: How many congressmen do you think have read the health care proposal?
Dan of the County: I just did a quick calculation of turnout in the city of Coeur d’Alene based on how many voted in the “high water” race for mayor. It came out at 29.7% which rounds up to the 30% projected number.
City Clerk Susan Weathers reports that the turnout within Kootenai County for the jail measure and the various city elections was 22.76% for all 78 precincts. She said she wouldn’t know what the turnout for the city of Coeur d’Alene until Monday when the votes are canvassed.
Thanks to whoever egged our home Friday night, Oct. 30. My husband and I returned Saturday 
from Seattle where I am in the beginning stages of a stem cell transplant — only to find that our home and car had been hit with an entire crate of eggs (60)! The stench was horrific and the eggs were extremely hard to clean off. My husband is disabled from a fall from our roof last October and thus he could not climb a ladder to clean it. My back was so sore from bone marrow aspirations, lumbar punctures and a blood patch that I could do very little either. My children ended up cleaning what they could reach and the rest still sits on our siding/Rami Amaro, letter to the editor, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: Rami Amaro, of course, was the attorney who challenged Judge John Mitchell in one of the zaniest races ever to hit the HBO Blogosphere. However, there’s nothing funny about the egging that vandals did to her house. Has your house or vehicle ever been egged or T-P’d?
At about 5 a.m. today, the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office was contacted by Burlington Northern Railroad personnel reporting the possible sighting of a body along their railroad tracks south of Bonners Ferry. Sheriff’s deputies located the body and investigators decided that two men, Dustin Dodge, 25, and Jebediah Burney, 19, both of Naples, had illegally boarded a BNSF train in Naples with the intent of “catching a ride” to the Deep Creek area. As the train passed their destination without slowing or stopping, the two decided to jump from the train as it was traveling between 40-45 miles per hour. Dodge died at the scene of injuries sustained when he struck the ground/Boundary County Sheriff’s Department. More below.
For some reason, I’m fond of this photo w/Spencer, taken at the 2008 Blogfest @ Capone’s/CdA — and it has nothing to do with that gaudy, plaid shirt that I’m wearing. (BTW, my brother, Frito Ray, is in the background at the right side of the photo. Frito Ray & his wife, the DFOs, and our mother, Grandma Mo voted straight-ticket for the incumbents. In other words, that’s 5 votes. Are you listening Councilman Mike Kennedy? You swept the Oliveria precincts. Ah, how many votes did you win by now?)
DFO: BTW, there was no special levy election for the Timberlake Fire District. It’s something that’s being proposed. Some of us got mixed up by the lead to Spencer’s recent mass mailing. You can read it here.
Voters in three Idaho counties slammed the door on measures that would have paid for proposed jails or jail expansions. In Kootenai County in northern Idaho, a $57 million bond and half-cent sales tax to expand the county’s jail fell short of the two-thirds supermajority needed to pass. In Jerome County in south-central Idaho, a plan for a 30-year, $13.5 million lease-to-purchase agreement for a 165-bed jail fell 1.16 percent short of the supermajority. In Canyon County in southwestern Idaho, a $46 million bond failed after getting 57 percent approval, about 10 percent short of the supermajority of voters it needed to pass/KHQ. Kootenai County jail vote total in dropdown box.
Question: Is there a reason, beyond the economy, that explains three why three measures to build or expand jails in Idaho?
They’re
never going to leave, you know. Those adult sons and daughters of yours who live in the basement. The food is too good, the accommodations too agreeable, and the alternatives too stark. Forty-five percent of parents over 45 now provide some financial support to their grown kids. And fully one-third either help pay their adult children’s rent or let the kids live at home. Those are not just trends; they’re facts of life. The unemployment rate in September among workers aged 29 and younger was 13 percent. You do the math/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Is your basement haunted by an adult kid? Can anyone provide practical advice re: how to get ride of a ‘Basement Kid’?
Boise City Council candidate Dave Litster sounded professional and analytical. He pointed out, 
accurately, that his opponent TJ Thomson had gotten into the race months earlier. No whining, in my book. Just a factual observation. Litster’s de facto running mates, Lucas Baumbach and Dan Dunham, couldn’t resist succumbing to some boilerplate griping about the Statesman’s election coverage. I’m sorry, but when candidates start grousing about media treatment after 11 o’clock on election night, I get a little bit skeptical. I’m not calling this sour grapes. Shelman did, though, on air, and he has no dog in the fight/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Did those who lost local elections last night handle their defeats with or without grace?
Charlene Strong, right, plants a kiss on the cheek of Pete-e Petersen after the two were introducted at an Election Night party for supporters of Referendum 71, Tuesday in Seattle. Washington state voters on Tuesday were narrowly approving the state’s new “everything but marriage” law that marks a significant expansion of rights for gay couples. With about 50 percent of the expected vote counted, Referendum 71 was leading 51 percent to 49 percent. The measure was winning by a 2-to-1 margin in King County, which has 30 percent of the state’s population. Click here. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)
Update: City Clerk Susan Weathers tells Huckleberries Online that Brannon said he doesn’t mind that the city do its regular canvassing on next Monday rather than tomorrow. That will begin a 20-day clock for the Attorney General’s office to respond to his request.
Jim Brannon just told SReporter Alison Boggs: “I have verbally requested a recount with City Clerk Susan Weathers. I haven’t done the official formal paperwork, which has to go to the attorney general, but I will meet with the clerk later today. In my mind, we know nothing more than we knew at 8 o’clock when the polls closed last night and that is that it is going to be a very close race. There is a 50-50 chance we could switch. I fully expect to win.”
City Clerk Susan Weathers discusses w/Huckleberries Online the possibility of a recount in the Mike Kennedy/Jim Brannon race:
A recount is not mandatory for a city election. Jim Brannon hasn’t asked for a recount yet. I’ve been trying to get ahold of him. He’s not calling me back. I wanted to give him his options. Since it is within 1/10th of 1 percent, the defeated candidate can request a recount at no cost to him. It will cost the city — Susan Weathers. Full discussion here.
Bob Hedges, right, sits with his dog Chester, during Sunday services at at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Los Angeles. The 30-minute worship, complete with individual doggie beds, canine prayers and a tray of dog treats for the offering, is intended to reinvigorate the church’s community outreach while attracting new members who are as crazy about God as they are about their four-legged friends. (AP Photo/Richard Vogel) Question: Would you go to a church that allowed dogs inside?
Question: What do you make of the election results?
Mike Kennedy: When your electoral vote count is less than the number of children you have, it’s a close race. It’s too early to unwrap the message. I’ll benefit by decompressing. I genuinely believe this economy had a lot to do with it. People are hurting. Even people with jobs are nervous. There’s an absolute level of discontent and concern. Other issue-related matters for the city … we need to go back to the first principles and find out what people want with economic development and urban renewal. We’ve done some good things but we need to look at scope. Whether it’s matters of communication or matters of substance, people have real concerns and we need to hear them. It’s simply too early to make sweeping declarations about the results. I’m happy about the results. We need to do everything we did. Ultimately, a win’s a win. I guess my new nickname “Landslide” will stick with me awhile.
Mayor Sandi Bloem, who won re-election to a historic third, four-year term last night, discussed the 2009 election’s close results w/Huckleberrie Online, beginning with the question: “How do you interpret the results of the election?”)
Sandi Bloem: A lot more people voted this year. For that I’m pleased everyone should take the right to vote. We thought it could be a very close race. There were 10 debates out there, where there are usually 3. There was a lot of action on all candidates’ part as far as campaigning. It’s too early for us to analyze everything. The thing that would be most important to me out of this whole process. We need to see if there isn’t a way or model we can have in this community for respectful and civil conversation. We are always going to have differences of opinion. That is always healthy. We need to ask how can we communicate those differences differently than what happened in this election.
Question: What advice would you give Mayor Bloem as she prepares to begin her third term?
Joker:
Mary Souza was a huge loser last night. For all of her breathless rantings about conspiracies and corruption, she failed — again — to get one of her candidates elected. On top of that her archnemesis, Mike Kennedy, won by five votes. It has to kill her that she came so close to knocking off the guy she hates with all her soul. Five votes. I believe this one will hurt her for a long time.
DFO: I don’t agree, Joker. Mary & OpenCDA.com broke even, at worst. Indeed, Mary had to swallow the bitter pill of Mike’s re-election and the clean sweep by the incumbents. But she and her gang came so close to pulling off two stunning upsets. That means her/their voices are resonating. Of course, their negativity resonated in this unsettling time. I rarely agree w/Mary’s message. But I do grudgingly admire her willingness to be out front (when so many others hide behind her skirts). However, she remains on the outside. Who knows if this was her last best chance to gain revenge for that 2005 election loss.
Question: Would you list Mary and OpenCDA.com among the winners or losers Tuesday?
Each election has its “winners” and “losers” — people who may have won or lost — or weren’t even on the ballot — but emerge stronger as a result of the election. Who were the winners and losers in the local municipal races that were held Tuesday?
I think folks are satisfied with some of the accomplishments of the incumbents, but I think there has been a growing feeling that the city is going to the public trough for “projects” a bit too 
quickly. In other words, the public isn’t against new libraries, etc, and they are completely against LCDC, but they want more tough questions asked, and maybe someone who can play devil’s advocate on the council. I am not a CAVEr, and I am not anti-LCDC. And I have admittedly not dug deep into the city issues. But as a bystander, it seems that the process for using urban renewal money is too easy (I’m not sure how to word this right.) Today’s uses for the agency seemed to have grown beyond the original purpose. Complete post below
Question: How do you interpret the meaning of the election results for the future of Lake City Development Corp.?
(Challenger Dan) Gookin said he doesn’t plan to run again, but promised to keep a close eye on meetings and city dealings, as usual. “I definitely don’t believe this is a mandate for the status quo in Coeur d’Alene, I think there are a lot of dissatisfied people in Coeur d’Alene,” he said. “I am proud of the campaign I ran. You can always say there’s more doors that could’ve been knocked on, we could’ve made more phone calls or got out more mailers, but honestly, incumbency has so much power”/Alecia Warren & Bill Buley, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: Do you think Gookin will run again?
At OpenCDA.com, Mary Souza correctly points out the power of one vote after a municipal election that saw incumbents Mike Kennedy and Deanna Goodlander win by 5 and 29 votes. Then, she goes on to point out that Kennedy spent three times as much money as his challenger — $22,000 to $7,000 (according to the 7-day, pre-election report). Finally, she poses “two important questions”:
Question: Feel free to answer Mary’s questions here?
Frank Schubert, campaign director for Stand for Marriage Maine, claims victory for Yes on 1, Tuesday evening in Portland, Maine. Question 1 was the proposal to rescind the Legislature’s approval of same-sex marriage. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) Question: How do you interpret last night’s mixed results on the issue of gay marriage. Maine overturned its legislature’s approval of same-sex marriage. Yet, Washington upheld its legislature’s new gay-rights law?
Anastasia Schofield, 11, of Coeur d’Alene zips the coat that she chose at Harding Family Center in Coeur d’Alene recently. She and her grandmother Mary Tappen, right, took advantage of the Coats4kids program available at the center, that will run from 9am to 4p.m. until Friday.
With fewer than a third of the city’s registered voters casting ballots, the challengers upended the incumbents in the Sandpoint City Council elections Tuesday. Marsha Ogilvie, Jamie Davis and Justin Schuck all chalked up wins at the expense of John O’Hara, Michael Boge and Helen Newton. … In the contested four-year council positions, residents voted for three of the six candidates. Ogilvie led all candidates with 641 votes, followed by Davis with 564 and Schuck with 536. Among the incumbents, O’Hara tallied 532, Boge 596 and Newton 451. Another incumbent, John Reuter, was unopposed for a two-year seat. He received 737 votes/Sandpoint Online.
Question: How much of a role did an anti-incumbent mood play in local elections?
Item: Larkin cruises, Henderson prevails: Incumbents win 3 of 4/Brian Walker, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Post Falls city incumbents almost made it a sweep during Tuesday’s election, taking three of the four positions. Mayor Clay Larkin and City Council members Ron Jacobson (seat No. 2) and Linda Wilhelm (No. 6) retained their seats. In the race for council seat No. 4, Betty Ann Henderson, wife of legislator Frank Henderson and CEO of Home Security Caretakers, knocked off incumbent Joe Bodman, a Spokane County Sheriff’s field training officer, 1,200-956. As expected by many, the tightest race was between Jacobson, Inland Northwest Bank senior vice president, and challenger Keith Hutcheson, the Coeur d’Alene Tribe’s police chief, with Jacobson winning 1,048-1,004.
Question: Were you surprised that Betty Ann Henderson unseated incumbent Joe Bodman and that incumbent Ron Jacobson barely held his seat?
Item: Incumbents rule: But challengers take races to the wire/Alecia Warren & Bill Buley, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: After a slew of neck and neck races, voters chose to keep all incumbents on the Coeur d’Alene City Council, with Mayor Sandi Bloem defeating challenger Joseph Kunka, council member Woody McEvers trumping Steve Adams, council member Mike Kennedy defeating Jim Brannon and council member Deanna Goodlander beating Dan Gookin. Mike Kennedy had the tightest win of the day, keeping council seat 2 by a wisp of five votes. Kennedy finished with 3,165 votes (50.04 percent of the votes) to Brannon’s 3,160.
Question: Why were these races so tight?
Michael Ramirez/Investor’s Business Daily
I’m back. I voted. I’m refreshed. Now, let’s get this show on the road. You can use this HBO Election Central Wild Card to post news tips, observations, etc., that don’t fit under other posts. Now, I need to check the comments threads to see how well you behaved while I was gone …
COEUR D’ALENE CITY COUNCIL SEAT #2
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 28 OF 28 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Jim Brannon. . . . . . . . . . 3,160 49.96
Mike Kennedy . . . . . . . . . 3,165 50.04
Total . . . . . . . . . 6,325
COEUR D’ALENE CITY COUNCIL #4
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 28 OF 28 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Steve Adams. . . . . . . . . . 2,919 47.09
Woody McEvers . . . . . . . . . 3,280 52.91
Total . . . . . . . . . 6,199
COEUR D’ALENE CITY COUNCIL SEAT #6
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 28 OF 28 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Deanna Goodlander. . . . . . . . 3,146 50.23
Dan Gookin . . . . . . . . . . 3,117 49.77
Total . . . . . . . . . 6,263
Question: What do you make of the early numbers that show challengers Dan Gookin and Jim Brannon leading after the absentee balloting?
COEUR D’ALENE MAYOR
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 28 OF 28 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Sandi Bloem. . . . . . . . . . 3,955 62.09
Joseph B. Kunka . . . . . . . . 2,388 37.49
WRITE-IN. . . . . . . . . . . 27 .42
Total . . . . . . . . . 6,370
POST FALLS MAYOR
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 13 OF 16 PRECINCTS COUNTED 81.25%)
Matthew J. Behringer. . . . . . . 211 11.52
Steven A. Degon . . . . . . . . 236 12.88
Clay Larkin. . . . . . . . . . 1,385 75.60
Total . . . . . . . . . 1,832
POST FALLS CITY COUNCIL SEAT #2
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 16 OF 16 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Keith Hutcheson . . . . . . . . 1,004 48.93
Ronald G. Jacobson . . . . . . . 1,048 51.07
Total . . . . . . . . . 2,052
POST FALLS CITY COUNCIL SEAT #4
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 16 OF 16 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Joe Bodman . . . . . . . . . . 956 44.34
Betty Ann Henderson . . . . . . . 1,200 55.66
Total . . . . . . . . . 2,156
POST FALLS CITY COUNCIL SEAT #6
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 16 OF 16 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Linda Wilhelm . . . . . . . . . 1,291 61.24
Bob E. Flowers. . . . . . . . . 817 38.76
Total . . . . . . . . . 2,108
LIBRARY DISTRICT POST FALLS CITY
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 16 OF 16 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,655 73.43
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 599 26.57
Total . . . . . . . . . 2,254
HAYDEN CITY COUNCIL SEAT #2
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 6 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED 75%)
Richard C. Panabaker. . . . . . . 547 66.55
George Schultze . . . . . . . . 275 33.45
Total . . . . . . . . . 822
HAYDEN CITY COUNCIL SEAT #4
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 6 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED 75%)
Jeri J. DeLange . . . . . . . . 469 59.90
Jana Regnere . . . . . . . . . 314 40.10
Total . . . . . . . . . 783 HAYDEN CITY COUNCIL SEAT #2
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 8 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Richard C. Panabaker. . . . . . . 677 65.54
George Schultze . . . . . . . . 356 34.46
Total . . . . . . . . . 1,033
HAYDEN CITY COUNCIL SEAT #4
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 8 OF 8 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Jeri J. DeLange . . . . . . . . 585 59.33
Jana Regnere . . . . . . . . . 401 40.67
Total . . . . . . . . . 986
RATHDRUM CITY COUNCIL SEAT #1
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 4 OF 4 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Richard Moser . . . . . . . . . 159 33.62
Mark Worthen . . . . . . . . . 314 66.38
Total . . . . . . . . . 473
RATHDRUM CITY COUNCIL SEAT #3
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 4 OF 4 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
Bert Haight. . . . . . . . . . 76 15.87
Ken Hayes . . . . . . . . . . 160 33.40
Paula Laws . . . . . . . . . . 243 50.73
Total . . . . . . . . . 479
OBLIGATION BOND
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 78 OF 78 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,767 49.98
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,772 50.02
Total . . . . . . . . . 15,539
SALES TAX
(Vote for ) 1
(WITH 78 OF 78 PRECINCTS COUNTED)
YES . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,483 54.35
NO. . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,126 45.65
Total . . . . . . . . . 15,609
City Council Person TWO Year Term
City Council Person FOUR Year Term (two positions open)
… the HBO Poll today shows that you Merry Hucksters believe the incumbents will sweep to re-election. You were asked which 3 candidates did you think will win tonight. Final results:
Fire District Commissioner Sub-District 2
Fire District Commissioner Sub-District 4
As I mentioned to you on the phone, we were pleasantly surprised to see that Mike Jorgenson and his wife were endorsing Jim’s candidacy. We had heard rumors that some people were wanting to do something to support Jim, but we did not know who it might be,or what they wanted to do. As near as I know, nobody involved in Jim’s campaign had ever talked to Mike or his wife, certainly I have never talked to him, so it came as a complete surprise to us. As to how they may have found Jim’s picture and contact information, I can only surmise they got it from Jim’s web site or one of his flyers/Randy Bates, treasurer for Jim Brannon’s campaign in response to City Clerk Susan Weathers letter re: possible campaign finance violations. Full letter and Weathers’ accompanying letter here.
On Monday, Morgan Cash of Albuquerque swings at Tiguex Park in Albuquerque, N.M. (AP Photo/The Albuquerque Journal, Pat Vasquez-Cunningham)
… the Wine Cellar is planning to reopen Dec. 2. Click here.
Someone wondered yesterday what I’ll do on Huckleberries Online, once the election is over. No question, the election campaign has been a blast here, per usual. I’ll spend tonight tracking results and Wednesday tying up loose ends and reports that don’t make it onto the front page today. On Thursday and Friday, I’ll throttle down before turning HBO Central over to Cindy for a week while I vacation. Then, I’ll go back to looking for news and fun things that makes this place hop year round. I suspect that the election interest has brought this site dozens and mebbe hundreds of new blurkers and a coupla no commenters. In other words, Huckleberries will be fine. With that happy thought, I’ll post today’s Wild Card …
“Don’t take it personal.” I recall more than one well-meaning person saying those words to me 
in 2001 after I was roundly trounced in my bid to become mayor of Post Falls. I had to laugh. Nothing is more personal than putting your name on a ballot, walking through the neighborhoods knocking on doors and asking complete strangers to vote for you. The candidate forums bring on nerves and insecurities that haven’t surfaced since junior high school. And then there’s asking friends and supporters to write a check to finance the campaign. Running for elected office on the local level is not for the faint of heart. Six years later I had dusted myself off and ran successfully for an open city council seat. Now ending my second year of a four-year term, I’m older, wiser and far more empathetic to those who toss their hat and their heart in the public ring/KerriT, More Main Street. More here.
Question: Have you ever run for a local office? Do you agree with Kerri’s description of what it’s like?
Sacajawea Jr. High teacher Kelli Smith of Lewiston is named the Idaho Teacher of the Year Tuesday, selected from more than 15,000 teachers in the state. Smith is a graduate of Lapwai High School and Lewis-Clark State College. Story here. (AP Photo/Barry Kough, Lewison Tribune)
Evelyn Border is seen holding a sign in front of the Bedford County courthouse in Bedford, Pa., earlier today. Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins says in exchange for Border and her daughter, Tina Griekspoor, both of Bedford, agreeing to hold the signs, he’ll ask for probation instead of jail when they plead guilty. The mother and daughter will be outside the court for forty-one-and-a-half hours, until 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Higgins says they swiped a gift card which a girl set on a shelf. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Bedford County District Attorney’s Office)
Top Cutlines:
Coeur d’Alene city attorney Mike Gridley says the campaign finance law that Sen. Mike 
Jorgenson may have violated when he ran a $1,090 ad for Coeur d’Alene city council challenger Jim Brannon is a state law, not a city ordinance. Idaho Code 67-6610A limits contributions by an individual, corporation or political committee to $1,000 each for the primary and general elections; that limit applies to legislative, city, county or district judge races. A violation can bring a civil fine of up to $250, and potentially criminal penalties if it was a knowing violation. “It sounds like he is claiming that he didn’t know,” Gridley said. “All we’re doing is enforcing Idaho Code that our fine Legislature has passed, and that’s applicable to all elections”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
I just had a brainstorm. Let’s create a game where everyone uses paintball guns and the person who tags the most political activists wins. Here is my scoring system:
Special bonuses: an extra 200 points if you get Kennedy coming out of a donut shop.
an extra 1,000 points if you tag all seven Kennedy kids.
An extra 500 points if you get Vinny Zito or tag one of Brannon’s supporters (there are so few).
An extra an extra 1,000 points if you get Larry Spencer’s car in the impound yard.
An extra 1,000 points if you tag a Habitat for Humanity board member, err conspirator.
If you can hit DFO at his desk blogging 5,000 points.
Question: Did Joker get the scoring system down right?
Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, says he didn’t mean to violate campaign finance laws 
when he placed an ad for Coeur d’Alene City Council challenger Jim Brannon, and he’s working with Coeur d’Alene City Clerk Susan Weathers to clear the matter up. “I was just on the phone with Susan,” Jorgenson told Eye on Boise in a conversation at a Boise coffee shop. The North Idaho senator is in town working on business related to the Idaho Indian Affairs Council, which he chairs. Jorgenson spent $1,090.80 to run a flier in the Coeur d’Alene Press touting Brannon and including a list of Brannon’s supporters. But the limit for campaign contributions is $1,000, and he filed no independent expenditure report and no 48-hour report of a last-minute campaign expenditure over $1,000, as required/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Can Kathy Sims and Tom Macy learn a lesson from the way the state Sen. Mike Jorgenson handled his campaign finance snafu?
In the Election Watch today, there are two entries re: candidates and their supporters hanging out on street corners with signs, soliciting the votes of passing motorists. Councilwoman Linda Wilhelm heads an incumbent group, that has included Mayor Clay Larkin and Councilman Ron Jacobson at Spokane & Seltice Way/Post Falls. Mary Souza and 2 other supporters of the challenger ticket are hanging out @ 4th & Best/CdA, near Davis Donuts.
Question: What impact does these election day demonstrations of support on street corners have?
Tina Griekspoor is seen holding a sign in front of the Bedford County courthouse in Bedford, Pa. Tuesday. Bedford County District Attorney Bill Higgins says in exchange for Griekspoor and her mother Evelyn Border, both of Bedford, agreeing to hold the signs, he’ll ask for probation instead of jail when they plead guilty. (Photo of mother is serving as APhoto of the Day today.)The mother and daughter will be outside the court for forty-one-and-a-half hours, until 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. Higgins says they swiped a gift card which a girl set on a shelf while a WalMart employee helped her. (AP Photo/Bedford County District Attorney’s Office)
Question: Would you like to see scofflaws involved in petty crimes, including vandalism, be put on public display as part of their punishment?
It was a little surprising to get a media advisory today that Idaho GOP Chairman Norm Semanko will hold a press conference call tomorrow morning “to discuss the 2009 elections and what they mean for Idaho in 2010,” because Idaho’s 2009 elections - today is Election Day - are all non-partisan, municipal races. Jonathan Parker, state GOP executive director, said the idea is “to discuss national elections as well, like the Virginia governor’s race, the New Jersey governor’s race, and how those trends we see will be affecting races in Idaho such as our statewide races, as well as the 1st Congressional District”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Will the involvement of local Republicans in the nonpartisan city races in Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls make a difference in the end?
A reader places an Election Day bet that rock-ribbed Republican Idaho doesn’t have a single 
county named after a Democrat. Hate to take his 50 cents, but Dems nearly outnumber Republicans among Idaho’s 44 county namesakes: Jefferson, the eastern Idaho county named after the third president of the United States. Madison, a neighboring county named for the fourth president. Lewis, named after Voyage of Discovery leader Meriwether Lewis, appointed by Jefferson as governor of Louisiana Territory and served from 1807-09. Custer, named for George Armstrong You-Know-Who. The Ohio-born Custer was the 19th century version of a yellow-dog Democrat/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Anyone guess which party Sitting Bull belonged to?
Barb Moore, who recently earned a graduate degree in wildlife biology from the University of Montana, is seen in Coeur d’Alene. Moore did her thesis on how black bear populations move around looking for food during years of poor huckleberry production. (AP Photo/The Spokesman-Review, Kathy Plonka)
In a 9:55 a.m. entry on Scanner Traffic Monday, a Post Falls mother reported to police that her 
19YO son had drug paraphernalia in his vehicle. In The Know applauded the woman for having the courage to report her son: Good for this mom!!! There are very few parents that would have the guts to turn in their own child, no matter the age.” But Blue Meanie thought otherwise: “Yes, it’s always important to narc on your kids and make sure their lives are destroyed for a victimless crime. He should have just left the vehicle with empty Busch Light cans, that way his mother would know he was a respectable Kootenai County resident.”
Question: Which side to you think is right — In The Know’s? Or Blue Meanie?
In this file photo, a motorized chair driven by Dennis Anderson of Proctor was operating when he hit a parked vehicle in August of 2008. The police department recently confiscated the customized lounge chair. Police auctioned the chair under the La-Z-Boy brand and received eBay bids topping $43,000 after news of the drunken driving arrest circulated. Story here. (AP Photo/Proctor Police Department via Duluth News Trubune, File) Question: Would you want to own this device?
You can report what’s going on at your precinct, candidate sightings or anything else about the local elections today under this thread:
Pecky Cox/As The Lake Churns e-mails that this scenic was taken Monday night of the “Moon over Sundance” at Priest Lake. Then, Pecky writes: ”Leaves will fall soon … I can”t wait for snow.”
Caroline Francis was driving home from the gym last week when three young men pulled up next to her acting like they needed directions. When she tried to help them, they threw urine in her face. Last Tuesday night around 7:30 Caroline was headed home after working out at the YMCA . She pulled to a stop at the light at Lincoln and Boone when a large white van pulled up next to her. “There was a guy sitting there doing this, roll down your window, he was asking me for directions where some road was,” Caroline said. From what Caroline thought was the safety of her own car, she gave the three guys in the van directions, but they kept asking questions. “I should have known something was up because he was inquiring a lot,” she said. As soon as the light turned green they drenched Caroline with a 20-ounce water bottle filled with urine/Tori Brunetti, KXLY. More here.
Question: Does a story like this make you less likely to stop for someone who appears stranded or in need of help?
Re: Did Sen. Jorgenson violate campaign law: Brannon supporter exceeded spending limit, failed to file papework for insert/Huckleberries Online
I wonder why Editor Mike Patrick and the Coeur d’Alene Press didn’t think that possible campaign finance violation by state Sen. Mike Jorgenson was important enough to mention in today’s edition. It certainly is as important — or more so — than two of the four stories on Page 1 today, including a soft news on National Runaway Prevention Month (sorry, Christie). Or it surely could have bumped that national story at the top of Page 3 on GOP chances in New Jersey and Virginia. Usually, you wouldn’t want to report a hard news election story on Election Day. But the Press has done so in the past, when Ron Rankin was the target.
Question: So why do you think the Press passed on the story re: City Clerk Susan Weathers letter to state Sen. Mike Jorgenson alleging a possible campaign finance violation for a insert he circulated in the Press on behalf of challenger Jim Brannon?
Mary Souza has sent out an emergency newsletter this morning, decrying the tactics of the opposition and urging her readers to sweep out the incumbents. She launches the alert by 
saying that the campaign has been “incredibly dirty!” And then she calls incumbent Mike Kennedy a liar. Quoth: ”First Jim Brannon loses his job, then all kinds of attack ads are produced and circulated by the incumbents, and now, with all his extra campaign money, Councilman Mike Kennedy puts out a mailing that is packed with outright LIES.” She claims the information in Kennedy’s ”slick ads” are ”not just twists of truth” — but 100% baldface lies. “Yet,” says Mary, “Kennedy put them in a “fancy advertisement and mailed them out all over town … the day before the election. Leaving not time for challengers to answer back.” She didn’t mention whether Kennedy violated any campaign finance laws like a follower of Mike’s opponent may have. I doubt he did. See full newsletter here.
Question: Did Mary Souza’s support help or hurt the challengers in the 2009 Coeur d’Alene City Council election?
John Charuba, of Grand Junction Colorado jugged along Lake Coeur d’Alene near Independence Point on Monday. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
Two minutes ago, a patrol officer told a 911 dispatcher that he was going to leave his car for a few minutes on Presley Road/Coeur d’Alene. The dispatcher responded: Can you confirm that address. Patrol Officer: “Presley, like the king.”
Question: Is Presley still the king to you?
Item: Time to get out and vote: Time to get out and exercise your rights/Alecia Warren & Brian Walker, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Election day is here, and polls are open around Kootenai County for several elections, including cities, fire districts and the county jail expansion proposal. Voter turnout is expected to be higher than usual, predicted Elections Supervisor Deedie Beard, who hopes to see between 30 and 35 percent of registered voters fill out a ballot.
Question: Any prediction re: voter turnout and outcome in the municipal elections?
After watching the announcement of the homecoming king and queen during halftime of Idaho’s 
victory over Louisiana Tech, I could not help but think how absolutely pointless this was. Given the complete non-response of the crowd, who elected to remain in their seats during halftime, I was not alone. Homecoming court is fine for high school or college fifty years ago, but in a modern university setting it is utterly ridiculous. I understand there is tradition behind the college homecoming king and queen yet some traditions should be stopped. The idea of electing a homecoming royalty is played out, and it is not surprising ASUI president Kelby Wilson won. On second thought, it was rather surprising, considering neither the quarterback of the football team nor a dumb, loose blonde won the titles of king and queen/Cheyenne Hollis, UI Argonaut. More here.
Question: Should the crowning of the king and queen be part of college homecomings?
Michael Ramirez/Investor’s Business Daily
City Clerk Susan Weathers has written a letter to state Sen. Mike Jorgenson today, warning him 
of possible campaign finance violations in funding a flier for challenger Jim Brannon. The flier was placed in the Coeur d’Alene Press over the weekend at a cost of $1,091. As Clerk Weathers explains in her letter that was written today, the flier exceeds the campaign limit of $1000. If Jorgenson was supporting Brannon, without the candidate’s knowledge, he was responsible for filing campaign financial paperwork for a political action committee. Apparently, Brannon’s treasurer Randy Bates told Weathers that Brannon’s campaign had no knowledge of the planned expenditure. Candidates are required to announce contributions of $1000 within 48 hours. That time period would for this contribution would end today. You can read Clerk Weathers’ letter here.
Question: What do you make of yet another last-minute campaign finance snafu by a prominent Republican, from Hayden Lake, on behalf of a Coeur d’Alene City Council challenger?
We’re now down to one shopping day left until Election Day. Now, I know some of you have already voted absentee in the various municipal elections and the jail expansion bond election. But most of us haven’t. So it’ll be interesting to see what the turnout will be. I was hand delivered a copy of Dan Gookin’s flier that went out over the weekend. Multi-colored and slick. But I wonder if it’s too wordy. So far, the flier I like best is Woody McEvers’ mailer that looked like a “wanted” poster. Methinks Woody and Mayor Sandi Bloem will have the easiest way back to re-election. MikeK should win, too. Deanna Goodlander and Gookin are a toss-up. I’m surprised that she seems to have closed stronger than him. Two years ago, Gookin closed extremely strongly. I’ll post this Wild Card and start the AM Headlines roundup …
The football team some thought was the best in the 5A Inland
Empire League going into conference play will get a chance at redemption.
New York Yankees’ Johnny Damon slides safely past Philadelphia Phillies catcher Carlos Ruiz during the first inning of Game 5 of the Major League Baseball World Series tonight in Philadelphia. Damon scored on a hit by Alex Rodriguez. The Phillies beat the Yanks 8-6. Game recap here. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Item: Hunting widows unite! 2 buddies turn turn the trials of being abandoned into triumph/Gail Schontzler, Bozeman Chronicle
More Info: They’ve started huntingwidow.com, a Web site to offer fellow isolated sufferers the chance to create an online community and share feelings, venison recipes and jokes at hunters’ expense. The merry widows have started selling kitchen magnets, ball caps, hoodies and shirts decorated with their Hunting Widow logo — a cute daisy — in feminine colors like lime green and periwinkle. “Hunting Widow” as one of their magnets defines it, is, “A woman who has lost her husband to hunting and has not remarried.”
Question: Are you a hunting widow?
Glenn Cragun, age 16, who works at Yokes in Deer Park, is the state bagger of the year in the Washington Grocery’s state bagging contest. Glenn won the $500 state prize, and moves on to the February 11 national competition in Las Vegas where she will compete for the $10,000 grand prize. (Colin Mulvany/SR)
Question: Paper or plastic?
Team members of Spin Cycle Racing out of Salt Lake City enjoy a ride on their 4th annual Halloween “Sumo Ride” Saturday in Salt Lake City. The annual event organized by Ken Webster, amused motorists with a group of 13 riders, up from 3 in it’s inaugural year. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Steve C. Wilson)
Top Cutlines:
Weird Post of the Day: (2:33 p.m.) 4 drunk men are peeing in the parking lot of the Women’s Center on 4th. Update: Women’s Center officials were asked if they want to press charges.
JohnA: There is one other ‘candidate’ tomorrow: Bond, Jail Bond. He’s a mysterious little fella. 
He’s shaken, if not stirred, the emotions of the public, taxing us in the process. He’s probably knocking around some neighborhood as we speak, wondering why he’s neither understood nor wanted. He’s like the worker who cleans public toilets, a job nobody wants but everyone, at least those who ponder such things reasonably, knows we need. Here’s hoping my vote for him tomorrow will raise his spirits.
Question: Are there other elections out there that people should pay attention to?
“November arrived in North Idaho without a roar,” posts KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho. “Beautiful blue skies and mild temperatures made for some great late season golf at the Highlands Country Club in Post Falls. Dozens of golfers were out on the links and the driving range on a sunny Sunday … which just happened to be Nov. 1.”
First, let me say that my neighbor is one of those salt-of-the-earth types who is always willing to lend a hand when you need something — tools, quick repair of a lawnmower, gardening advice, etc. In the almost 24 years I’ve lived alongside of him, I can’t recall that he has ever mentioned anything re: politics. I’d always supposed that he was conservative. My suspicions were confirmed when he emerged from his garage Sunday afternoon to announce that he’d attended that Tea Party Express meeting in Spokane and he was “fired up.” Said he: “We have to take this country back.”
Question: Are you surprised that the Tea Party movement still has steam after all these months?
Mary Tafuri shot this photo of a pumpkin (with hay “confetti”) as it was shot out of the cannon at Knapps Farm in Greenbluff this past Saturday. Nine years in a row the folks at Knapps have been “Chunkin Pumpkins” and nine years in a row, they have failed to hit the target.
Question: Did you visit Greenbluff this year to pick apples or buy anything else?
It’s Election Day Minus One, and do you know where your municipal candidate is. I’m publishing this post to get some idea what the local candidates are doing on this day before the municipal election. I know that Steve Adams was waving signs @ Ironwood & H95 Sunday. Also, I know that Mike Kennedy and Mike Kralicek where hand delivering fliers to Coeur d’Alene Place residents Sunday. But what are they doing today. Anyone know?
On Saturday, I caught a break in the weather to do some chimney work. I hadn’t planned to climb up on the root above the living room, which has a steep pitch. But the rain seemed to be holding off. So I rented a 40-foot extension ladder from U-Rent on 3rd, grabbed the primer, and headed for the chimney. I only looked down two or three times. Scary for a guy who’ll be 60 on Nov. 20. Every time I go up on the roof to sweep the chimney or do some other kind of repair, I ask myself whether I’m getting too old to be doing this kind of stuff. Sorta like Danny Glover in “Lethal Weapon.” I don’t mind doing the work. And I’m in decent enough shape to handle it. But more than one person has told me that I’m nuts to do so.
Question: When are you too old to handle your own roof repairs and chimney sweeps?
Phaedrus: Larry Spencer sounds like the guy who advised Dan Gookin that the laws of civility only applied to elected officials. This is just one of the many reasons that reasonable people 
turn a deaf ear and blind eye to the antics of Gookin, Spencer, Souza and their associates; they want to hold others to standards of behavior that they themselves are not willing to adhere to. Council members should play nice with everyone that appears before council, but Gookin is permitted to call Sgt Christie Wood a snake; Spencer can make residency an issue but he intentionally deceives people by switching his mailing address to for his purposes; Mary Souza demands “openness & transparency”, yet she secretly tape records Sgt Christie Wood and adamantly refuses to admit the truth. AnyMouse/pariah/xmedia, demands his privacy be kept when he posts his hate-filled rants online, but continually makes outing attempts against those with whom he disagrees.
Question: What will become of gookinspencersouzamccroryanymouse should they fail in a 3rd straight attempt to win a municipal seat?
A Boise State fan dons a pumpkin for a head during an NCAA college football game against San Jose State in Boise Saturday afternoon. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Mike Vogt)
Question: Have you ever used face paint or some other over-the-top disguise, like a pumpkin head, to show your support for an athletic team?
At the Coeur d’Alene Press online site at the moment, you encounter a pop-down ad from Steve Adams seeking your vote in Tuesday’s municipal election. On Sunday, Mike Kennedy had purchased the space for his pop-down ad. The ads appear as soon as you open the site. You have to click on them to close them. Which guarantees that you notice them. However, they’re very annoying because, in the Press’s case, they pop down every time you click on a story.
Question: What do you think of popdown ads? Are they effective?
Chef Matthew Mitnitsky cheers after breaking the world record for the largest meatball in Concord, N.H., Sunday, Nov. 1,2009. Mitnitsky, owner of Nonni’s Italian Eatery in Concord, said Sunday that a 222.5-pound (100.9 kg) meatball was authenticated as the world’s largest after being weighed by state weights and measures officials. (AP Photo/Jim Cole)
Question: I don’t want to get on vegetarian Stickman’s bad side, but for some reason this photo makes me want to ask: How often do you eat meat in a given week?
Thinking one year out to the 2010 elections, Idaho Rep. Walt Minnick has made an unenviable 
Top 10 list. The first-term lawmaker has made the list of the 10 most vulnerable House incumbents, as compiled by Beltway reading staple Roll Call. Ranking aside, how much is Minnick at risk? Minnick certainly fits the vulnerability profile explored by Roll Call’s Bob Benenson. Minnick is a Democrat who rode his party’s gains to win in a conservative congressional district. Nine lawmakers on Benenson’s top 10 list are Democrats. Six of them represent districts that supported Republican John McCain in the 2008 presidential election — in Minnick’s district, McCain won by 26 percentage points/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question (for those who didn’t vote for Minnick in 2008): Have you changed your mind about Minnick. If the election were held today between Minnick and (Repub Vaughn Ward or Ken Roberts), who would you vote for?
In re-reading the post by Mary Souza at the top of OpenCDA.com today, I was struck by something that was missing. Here’s the repeat: “This morning’s Press has big ads for the Mayor and one City Councilwoman. Their ads are huge, taking about a half page each, and are basically a big list of names. No plan for the city. Nothing to give hope to the 10.4% of Coeur d’Alene’s population who can’t find jobs.” Do you know what’s missing? There’s no mention of any plans from the challengers that Mary so passionately supports. In fact, I can’t think of any vision for the city proposed by the challengers, other than mebbe a passing reference that the education corridor would be better used as a passive park.
Question: Does anyone know of any plan proposed by any challenger that includes a vision (other than reining in Lake City Development Corp.)?
… (spotted by Kevin Taylor on a giant Yukon SUV parked outside the Catholic Diocese offices in Spokane Monday): “What Would Scooby Do?”
Question: Any of you know where this original expression came from: “What Would Jesus Do”?
Many of you that live in the Timberlake Fire district recently received a letter from Larry Spencer deriding the fire district, the fire chief and the need for more equipment. Spencer is a gadfly that hates all government and slams all projects that are proposed. He is currently suing the city of Coeur d’Alene over the education corridor, has opposed the Kroc center and just about every city and county official. I posted a more balanced look at the fire district requests and status on this blog Oct. 14/Herb Huseland, Bayviews.
Question: What do you think of Larry Spencer’s latest election mailer?
At As The Lake Churns, Pecky Cox/Priest Lake offers this photo of that terrific full moon that greeted us last night. E-mails Pecky: “Cold night, not a sound and a full moon.”
Item: Sandpoint moves closer to first roundabout?/Keith Kinnaird, Bonner County Bee
More Info: The city moved closer Friday to getting its first roundabout intersection. The City Council voted during a special meeting to acquire 11,000 square feet of property at the northeast corner of Boyer Avenue and Larch Street, according to Mayor Gretchen Hellar. The $152,117 acquisition from developer Renova Partners is the last acquisition of land necessary for the roundabout, which is meant to grease the flow of traffic at the heavily used intersection.
Question: Dalton Gardens just installed a roundabout on 4th by its City Hall. Coeur d’Alene also has a coupla more around town. I wasn’t impressed by the roundabout at 4th & Kathleen when it first went in. But I like it now. What do you think of roundabouts?
On Saturday, the Vandals seemed determined to play themselves deeper into this limbo 
against Louisiana Tech. Almost 54 minutes of this homecoming dragged on with the Vandals behind and with no indication that was going to change. Of course it did. Should we have expected anything else on the year’s most otherworldly day from the fall’s most otherworldly team? The 35-34 victory – DeMaundray Woolridge wedging into the end zone with 52 seconds left and Trey Farquhar booting the PAT that Tech’s Matt Nelson missed on the other end of the fourth quarter – set off another Kibbie Dome dither, with Larry Bird and Edward Scissorhands and many uncostumed pals spilling out of the stands when Nelson was wide left on a 56-yard field goal. The Vandals’ resiliency once again rated four stars even while the rest of their game was more straight-to-video/John Blanchette, SR. More here.
Question: What do you think of the Vandals now? Are they Boise State ready?
Apparently, Dan Gookin, Jim Brannon, and Steve Adams are officially running as a ticket. At OpenCDA.com, the three have an advertisement (which also runs today in the Coeur d’Alene Press) that calls on residents to “Take Back Your City.” The verbiage accompanying the ad states: “This morning’s Press has big ads for the Mayor and one City Councilwoman. “Their ads are huge, taking about a half page each, and are basically a big list of names. No plan for the city. Nothing to give hope to the 10.4% of Coeur d’Alene’s population who can’t find jobs.” I’m told a Brannon supporter was handing out literature for all three candidates in the area behind the old Showboat movie theater Sunday.
Question: Do Gookin, Brannon, and Adams have a better chance winning election by running as a team or singly?
Deedie Beard talked about her upcoming retirement from the Kootenai County elections office in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday. She has worked there for 33 years. Alison Boggs provides the SR story here.
Question: Did you vote absentee this year?
… on the Kickers coffee stand in the Skate Plaza parking lot, this message: “Don’t be a McJerk, buy your coffee from a local business.”
Question: How often do you buy coffee from a coffee hut, like Kickers?
I was visiting my mother-in-law for dinner in Coeur d’Alene Place Sunday when the door bell 
rang. I heard a familiary voice when my mother-in-law answered the door, saying: “I’m Mike Kennedy, and I’m running for City Council.” Not only was Mike at the door, but Mike Kralicek (pictured) and his daughter were accompanied him. I’d never met Kralicek, the former Coeur d’Alene police officer who was critically wounded in the line of duty several years ago, so I introduced myself while MikeK worked my mother-in-law for her vote. Kralicek, who was in a wheelchair, told me how insurance companies refuse to insure him for anything not directly related to his disabling injuries. Councilman Mike said he has contacted Congressman Walt Minnick’s office re: the situation. We’ll probably have more on this situation later. Meanwhile, I didn’t have the heart to tell Councilman Mike that my mother-in-law no longer bothers to vote.
Question: Did any of you have a close encounter w/a candidate or his supporters over the weekend?
Spending freely was the plan when I called a friend and offered to get us lunch at North Idaho’s newest entry into the Chinese restaurant scene, Wah Hing in Rathdrum. I’ve said it many times; the original Wah Hing over in Kellogg serves the best Chinese cuisine in the Panhandle. My tummy was all aflutter with excitement earlier this month when I ventured through town to run an errand and spotted their sign, along with an overflowing parking lot and dozens of hungry Rathdrumites lined up to check out the latest town hot spot. I was hungry as an ox (who, by the way, is bright, patient and inspiring to others) but I wasn’t in the mood to mix it up with such a large crowd. For my return attempt, my strategy was to go early, before the lunch rush. It worked. There were only three other tables occupied when we slid into one of the spacious booths, 10 minutes after the 11 a.m. opening time/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: Which Chinese place in the Coeur d’Alene area would you recommend for a party of 15 or so. My extended family is getting together for Chinese in two weeks — and we wanted to go some place nearby. But I don’t know if any of the local places can handle that many people.
We acknowledge weaknesses in the two-pronged proposal county voters will decide on 
Tuesday. Passage would create an additional half-cent sales tax to pay off a $57 million bond, although its impact will be greatly mitigated by having visitors pay a significant chunk of it, and half of the total will be leveraged to offset property taxes. We further expect additional costs in the future, some of them ongoing. The $57 million does not include all the necessary furnishings for the jail expansion, nor does it satisfactorily address additional personnel and ongoing overhead costs. Yet as imperfect as the proposal is and as difficult as the timing looks for many taxpayers whose income and assets already have been reduced through the recession, we believe the effects of doing nothing now will be heavily outweighed by what will have to be done in the future/Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: I reluctantly have decided to vote for the jail bond for several reasons, including property tax relief and the fact that it’s cheaper to do the expansion now than later. Have you changed your mind about the jail.
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Hmm. I was surprised by what I didn’t find in the mailbox Saturday. No literature from any candidate. In fact, I’ve only received campaign literature from Woody McEvers in the last two days. I was looking forward to see what the candidates had up their sleeves going into the final weekend of the campaign. By the way, I’ve been told that the Coeur d’Alene Press won’t run campaign letters today. Which is unusual. Usually, newspapers close endorsement editorials and political letters after the pre-election Sunday paper is printed. Not before. It’ll be interesting to see if that rumor is true. We have a day of rest before we push ahead to the final two insane days of election season. I’ll see you back here Monday for the final two days of local political shenanigans. Here’s your Wild Card …
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.
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