An Oregon motorist driving on the wrong side of the freeway was killed after hitting a semi-truck head-on Monday night. The Idaho State Police responded to the report of the crash, which closed that portion of Interstate 90 near mile post 34 (Rose Lake & Highway 3 area). As of midnight the state patrol was diverting freeway traffic east and west via on and off ramps along the freeway to keep traffic moving. Authorities said the deceased motorist was driving a gray Toyota Scion west in an eastbound lane along the freeway/KREM2. More here.

ESPN story & boxscore

I'm blogging from home today, nursing the tail-end of a head cold that bedeviled me over the Thanksgiving holiday. It's more precautionary than anything else. I don't want to pass along any germs that may still be hanging around. So I won't be bringing you Scanner Traffic today b/c my scanner is at work. Also, I can't post a terrific photo or 2 sent me privately by local bloggers, including one that features the beautiful daughter of an HBO celeb at the CDA Christmas parade (but you can see her by clicking on the OnLocation North Idaho link). Otherwise, I'll post most of the usual stuff. And, of course, this Wild Card ...

Mark Baker/AP
Australia's Cameron Sinclair falls into the water after successfully completing a double backflip on his motorbike into Sydney Harbor Monday. The event was held to promote the "Crusty Demons" extreme sports show.

RE: Izzit it just me?

1. Zicam
2. Echinacea (or however you spell it)
3. Vitamin C
4. Chicken Soup
5. Tonic of Dr. Jack Daniels
6. Generic Nyquil at bedtime (be careful to not over do it w/ Dr. Jack)
7. You'll feel better in 7 days. If that doesn't work, you'll for sure feel better in one week/Howard Martinson

DFO: Several offered some sound advice re: how to get rid of a cold. Howard and Jantri were neck in neck at the end. I gave the nod to Howard b/c I got a chuckle out of No. 7. As a reward, I'm going to give Howard one of Doug Clark's CDs. Howard, come by the office and get it whenever you can.

I think we should all go and surprise visit Marmite! I can just a big group of huckleberrians walkin down some English country lane and DFO's like "Kage Mann, stop throwing rocks at the sheep and stay in line" and we'd be all like "hey DFO you are SO NOT the boss here even if it is your stupid blog" and we'd be kind of bickering only cuz we're all really drunk from some pub we visited and we're all nervous that Marmite's gonna be mad we up and surprised visited her and so we're all like kind of on edge when a local constable rides up on his bicycle and rings his little police bell on the handlebar and makes us all stop and he gets off his bike and puts his hands on his hips and says "What the bleekin' hell is this? Who shivvered yer moppuls, ya gollops?" and we're all like wanting to be respectful because he is an officer of the local law but we actually have no idea what he's asking and he starts turning red and gets kind of louder while grabbing his whistle "Oh, a bunch of malarkers are ye? I oughta rantler yer boopers ya maloneys, me whistle's about to snurgle!"/TUBOB. More here.

DFO: Ok, I've heard the pleas of my people re: a move to bring Marmitetoasty to Blogfest 2009 (although I haven't asked new Editor Gary Graham if the paper will pop for the pizza and pop again this year). First, I suppose, we have to decide if Marmie's interested in attending the blogfest, then we have to find a date that'll match her schedule (probably later than earlier), and finally we need to raise some shillings or quid or pounds or whatever else passes for currency across the pond. So I'm opening this thread for ideas and volunteers.

Christopher Anderson/SR
A flock of birds take cover in a bush as the first significant dusting of snow covers Spokane Friday.

*EWU hall of famer killed in morning crash/KXLY
*At least some Idaho state government layoffs likely/Eye On Boise
*Idaho D's disagree w/Otter re: budget cut need/Eye On Boise
*Otter still pushing transportation plan/Eye On Boise
*EWU president taking medical leave/SR
*Bad economy dooms popular Boise radio duo/Idaho Statesman
*Best Western books of 2008/New West
*Gonzaga jumps to No. 5 in AP poll/KREM2
*Washington Supreme Court refuses to lift stay of execution/AP

Police say an 87-year-old man in a wheelchair was attacked and robbed of his groceries Friday afternoon in Spokane. The disabled man, whom Spokane Police did not identify in a press release issued today, said his three assailants were armed with a hammer and a knife. The victim was cut on his face and neck, but apparently was not hospitalized. The man told police he was westbound on Mission Avenue near Hamilton Street when he was approached by the young men, whom he described as black with thin builds, wearing baggie pants with "greenish brown" hooded sweatshirts/SR. More here.

Who will Butch appoint to fill that vacancy? Lots of names tend to pop up, at times like this: new faces, old ones, good friends of the current Governor and politically expedient people as well....especially for a Governor who will most assuredly seek re-election. What should Gov. Otter do? Here are some facts for his and our consideration: 1. Appointed Lt. Governors have a very short shelf-life and they should; 2. Former Governor Kempthorne appointed a sitting State Senator (and college friend) who ran in the next election and was trounced by Jim Risch and others, as voters had their say; 3. When Lt. Governor Risch assumed the Governorship, as Kempthorne was appointed Sec. of the Interior, the new Governor chose a tried and true leader - one who had no political aspirations; 4. As Risch left the Governorship and was re-elected as Lt. Governor, his previous appointee stepped out of the way, as was expected. 5. Now, Governor Otter must appoint someone, pending Risch's ascent to the US Senate. But who? My call? Former Governor Phill Batt. He would be the best thing for Idaho/Dennis Mansfield. More here.

*Still no booze by the glass/Unequivocal Notion
*Corner bait/F-Words
*Is Obama's election 'the will of God'?/IVA
*Another year gone by/MountainGoat Report
*Idaho Demo legislative caucus responds/Red State Rebels

Question: What do you think of Dennis Mansfield's idea that Gov. Otter should pick former governor Phil Batt to be his lieutenant governor to fill out the remainder of Jim Risch's term?

Ted S. Warren/AP
Top: Dan Barker, co-president of the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc., talks today about the sign his organization helped place at near a Christian nativity scene at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. The sign promotes the observance of the winter solstice and is critical of religious beliefs. Bottom: A permanent bust of George Washington, center, sits between a Christian nativity display, right, and the sign placed by Barker's organization. Previous post & discussion on this topic

AP Photo

Winter wet
froze hard upon the trees
a fairyland even Disney
could not replicate.
Cracking smashing limbs
glistened as they fell
reflections shot the dusk
before the day was done.
Colors of Joseph’s coat
on tails of wintry light
ricocheted thru town
to spread a magic mantle
upon the ice-clad ground.

Sue Turner/Tumblewords

... Or do brand name over-the-counter drugs, like DayQuil and NyQuil, perform a heckuva lot better than generic store brands?

Question: How do you fight a cold when you feel one coming on? Which over-the-counter medication do you take for one?

Shawn Gust/CDA Press
Keia Morgan, left, and Eliana Tefft, both 5, step out into the road Friday to see what's next in the parade on Sherman Avenue in Coeur d'Alene during the 22nd Annual Holiday Lights Show and Opening Ceremony in Coeur d'Alene. The event draws tens of thousands to downtown Coeur d'Alene, Idaho each year.

*Try the in-denial party/Arch Druid
*She's 111 years old today/Atmospheric Ruminations
*The Christmas messenger/Community Comment
*Team of rivals, or team without rival?/Dogwalk Musings
*100 years or corruption or more/Simple Mind
*County My Blessings: Mom/Gathering Around The Table
*Soap Falls/Hauser Thoughts
*Crash casts dark lining over silvery Thanksgiving/JeanC's Cat House
*How about a drive to Harrison?/Kootenai MPO
*Tree hunting/Live, Love, Laugh, Hope
*MamaJD's Cyber Monday tips/MamaJD
*My little miracle Marble/Marmitetoasty

HBO Numbers (for month of November): 251,753 page-views/139,433 unique views

Item: 'Living will' for pets enables caretakers to know options/Betsy Cohen, Missoulian

More Info: Recently, Pet Living Wills made it's debut at www.petlivingwills.com, offering “peace of mind for pet lovers.” The service is an online registry of a pet's key health-care information, which helps ensure a pet owner's wishes are followed should his or her animal companion fall ill or be injured when in the care of others, and the pet owner cannot be reached, Campbell said. The Pet Living Wills registry stores the owner's directives concerning their pet's medical care, and provides the pet's veterinarian and other pet care providers with timely information, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Question: Have you ever been in a situation where you wished you'd have a living will for one of your pets?

Numb's the word,” Caleb is telling the world about the winter of 2008-09. Weatherbee, a recluse with a pseudonym, has used a secret formula to predict long-range weather, two years in advance, for the Farmers' Almanac since 1818. By now, he must be getting it down to a science. Of our neck of the woods, Weatherbee says the winter will be marked by icy temperatures and decent snowfall over the next few months. Then there's the more staid and widely read Old Farmer's Almanac, which got a good quarter-century's head start on all the Caleb Weatherbees. The banner across the top of the 2009 edition of the traditional yellow paperback trumpets, “Cold, Snow, Hurricanes Blow - Global Cooling?” Now that'll catch your eye. Inside, on page 220 to be precise, the Old Farmer's Almanac forecasts the following for the intermountain region: “Winter will be much colder and drier than normal, on average, with snowfall above normal in the north and below normal in the south”/Kim Briggeman, Missoulian. More here.

Question: Now that we've entered December with little to no snow in the lower elevations, anyone willing to predict what this winter will be like?

Kerry Maloney/Idaho Statesman, AP
Gov. Butch Otter addresses the state budget during a news conference in Boise Monday Dec. 1, 2008. Otter on Monday ordered state agencies to cut another 3 percent from their budgets because of the sputtering economy that has reduced tax revenue. Story below.

David Horsey/Seattle PI 'toon

*Otter orders another 3% cut in state budget/SR
*Coroner: Archery death of middle schooler accidental/SR
*Edgy DUI ads hit Boise airwaves/Idaho Statesman
*Boise State Vs. Ball State in bowl game battle of unbeatens?/KTVB
*Living will for pets lets caretaker know options/Missoulian
*Montana felons can't possess bows & arrows either/Daily Inter Lake
*Arson not suspected in Moscow's Wingers bar fire/KXLY
*Idaho's 2nd largest county OKs Sunday booze sales/AP
*M's to offer Ibanez salary arbitration/Seattle PI

Orbusmax Special: Oregon State students back smoking ban here

As you know, I'm blogging from home today, nursing the remnant of a head cold that floored me for four days beginning Thanksgiving morning. I spent my vacation on the couch or watching videos or sports instead of spending quality time w/Amy Dearest and her mother. Today, I'm 85 percent of the way back. But I didn't want to take the chance of giving any bugs to co-workers. Besides, I want to be in the 95%-plus recovery mode before I return to work.

Question: How do you deal w/illness when you simply have to work?

Colin Mulvany/SR
Patrick F. McManus of Spokane, a former Eastern Washington Univeristy writing instructor, is ending a 40-year career of writing the book-ending humor columns for Field & Stream and Outdoor Life magazines. Rich Landers SR story here.

Question: Are you a fan of Patrick McManus' outdoor humor writing. If so, which McManus book is your favorite?

JPMorgan Chase is laying off 3,400 Washington Mutual employees in Seattle, according to spokesman Tom Kelly. That's more than 80 percent of the 4,300 people it employs in the city. Most branch workers will keep their jobs, however. WaMu's former headquarters city is taking the brunt of the 9,200 WaMu layoffs that JPMorgan is making nationwide. It employs about 43,200 people altogether/Seattle Times. More here.

Question: Do you know anyone who has been affected by layoffs in the current economic crisis? How is he or she or they doing?

I don't know if it is because the Holiday season makes me more aware - it shouldn't - or that my Seasonal Affective Disorder has me looking for indignities over which I can become depressed . ... but, it seems there is an explosion of the "I-me-my-mine" attitudes. I am watching behaviors become negatively modified with fast-everything, we are encouraged to not delay any gratification, buy, spend, charge it, no interest for 100 years, make it bigger, better, Super sized!! I don't want to be a part of this. ... I want simple. I want a nice pot of homemade soup, not takeout. I want a game of double 12 dominoes, or crib, not Nintendo. I want to read outloud to the family after dinner, not plug in a video/Jantri, Brand X Ranch. More here.

Question: Do you share Jantri's sense of being overwhelmed by man's inhumanity to man -- and desire to simplify life?

Stephen Morton/AP
Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, center, waves to a crowd during a campaign stop for U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga, Monday in Savannah, Ga. Chambliss and Democratic challenger Jim Martin are in a Tuesday runoff that will shape Democrats' hold on power in Washington.

Question: If Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin is, as toxic as some of you Hucksters think she is, why would a Georgia U.S. senator tap her to campaign for him?

Forty-one percent of Idahoans have never heard of the state Land Board, according to a new state-funded poll, and 92 percent don’t know who’s on it. The panel, formally known as the Idaho State Board of Land Commissioners, is chaired by the governor, and also includes the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, the state controller, and the state superintendent of schools. It’s responsible for managing the state’s endowment lands, whose earnings benefit public schools and other specific state institutions/Betsy Russell, SR Eye On Boise. More here.

Question: OK, go ahead and impress the rest of the Merry Hucksters by telling us what you know about the Land Board?

I have yet to understand why some of these books haven't had permanent approval but then I'm not up on scholastic politics. Here are a few that are up for review. For eleventh grade - Catcher in the Rye, Death of a Salesman, The Grapes of Wrath, The Great Gatsby and The Scarlett Letter. A few from the 12th grade list - 1984, Frankenstein, Anthem and Slaughterhouse Five. One parent complained her ninth grade daughter was uncomfortable reading two books because they contained profanity and sexually explicit situations. I've got a hot flash for that parent. You're ninth grade daughter is already familiar with both or she's not living in the real world. What's next? Banning Shakespeare? Look at the subject matter of Romeo and Juliet or Hamlet/Dogwalk Musings. More here.

Alison Boggs' SR story

DFO: I don't believe in banning books. Nor do I believe in forcing children of families with religious or traditional values to be required to read books that go against those values. I prefer a system that allows those families to opt out of reading those books, especially if young high schoolers are involved. What do you think?

Every month, I get a tally of how many letters we published in the Statesman. This morning, I got two numbers, reflecting the 325 letters in print, plus 207 election-related letters published online. This grew out of necessity: an 11th-hour influx of election-related letters. But it has me thinking about how we should handle letters in the future. If we made online-only letters a regular feature, this would allow us to give more readers their say. It might also allow us to publish letters in a timelier fashion, another plus. It also gives us a little bit more flexibility for publishing syndicated columns on national and international issues. On the downside, I'm sure many letter writers would much prefer their letter appear in print and online, as opposed to only running online. I know I would. This puts us in the position of having to pick some letters to put in print and some that won't make print/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: Would you object if a newspaper posted the letters it receives online only?

Phelan M. Ebenhack/AP Photo
Gonzaga guard Demetri Goodson, left, and Tennessee guard Bobby Maze race for a loose ball during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Old Spice Classic tournament in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Sunday. Gonzaga won 83-74. ESPN game & boxscore , and: Story here.

*Idaho Records/Sherry Adkins, SR
*Elderly Spokane man robbed of his groceries/SR
*21YO woman dies in Bonners Ferry fall/SR
*Man charged in Thanksgiving Day shooting/Bonner County Bee
*Boater helped rescue 2 fishermen from Lake Pend Oreille/KXLY; related: Man who drown in Lake Pend Oreille remembered/KREM
*Minnick learns the ropes on Capitol Hill/Idaho Statesman

John Maniaci/Wisconsin State Journal, AP
"Stuck in a Truck" contestants Tommy Kempfer and Lisa Thompson - shown Nov. 12 - agreed last week to end their endurance match after two months to win a Ford F-150 pickup. Instead, each will get $10,000 toward a new vehicle, a trip to Las Vegas and $1,000 toward a mattress. You write the cutline.

Top Cutlines:

1. The contest was like Thanksgiving with the family: Having to long hours sharing confined spaces with people you don't particularly like -- Whippersnapper.
2. Event coordinators stopped the competition after a DOE (Department of Ecology) inspection of the vehicle deemed it a potential Super Fund site -- Poolman.
3. Lisa grins as she thinks that forgetting her deodorant actually was in her favor, that and her head cold, that she got from DFO. No smell is a good smell -- JeanieSpokane.

HM: A Token D

Which side of the land-use fence are you on?/CDA Press

*I lean toward development
*I lean toward little or no growth
*I lean squarely in the middle

Item: Students lie, cheat, steal, but say they're good/AP

More Info: In the past year, 30 percent of U.S. high school students have stolen from a store and 64 percent have cheated on a test, according to a new, large-scale survey suggesting that Americans are too apathetic about ethical standards. Educators reacting to the findings questioned any suggestion that today's young people are less honest than previous generations, but several agreed that intensified pressures are prompting many students to cut corners.

Question: Are you concerned that today's youth seem prone to lie, cheat & steal?

Earlier this summer, my son, his family and I were picnicking in the Coeur d'Alene City Park. A woman was walking her little dog all the way through the park on the grass. At that point I went looking for the signs, knowing there had never been dogs allowed in our beautiful city park. There is a big sign at the entrance near where Playland Pier was located, there is a sign at the west entrance, and there are numerous signs on the lifeguard stands; they all say "no dogs." The only exception is that they're allowed on a leash on the sidewalks which show embedded paws, but they are not allowed on the park grass or city beach. I caught up with the woman and asked if she had read the posted notice; her response was, "I do it all the time." I asked if I could have her name and address so I could report her. She didn't respond/Elaine Hossom, Post Falls. More here.

Question: Is it time for an emphasis patrol at CDA city parks to crack down on dog owners who ignored clearly posted laws against running dog?

Item: Firefighters strip down to raise funds: Calendar sales help pay for safety training/Alecia Warren, CDA Press

More Info: They're husky. Chiseled. And those big brown eyes even smack of a little tenderness. You too can muse over the depths of swarthy firefighters at your office cubicle, with the new Professional Firefighters of Idaho 2009 Calendar on sale now. The 14-month calendar, the second the PFFI has published, sells for $15 and funds health and safety training for PFFI crews. But who cares? Those boys are smokin'. The black and white photos capture firefighters from across the state, all stripped to the waist, bulging with muscle and killing the lens with drowsy eyes. Four of these powerful pin-up boys are local, too.

Question: Ah, would any of you Hucksters by such a calendar?

Charles Dharapak/AP
President-elect Barack Obama stands with Secretary of State-designate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.; right, at a news conference in Chicago, Monday. Story here.

Question: Do you approve of President-elect Obama's choice for secretary of State?

We've made it through November with relatively good weather. So it's hard to continue to complain about the winter without end from 2007-08. I can't remember the last time that I experienced decent weather for my birthday. A decade or so ago, ice storm hit on the evening of my birthday. I opened presents by candlelight. It was sorta fun. But I'm glad I wasn't out in the hinterlands where some people experienced weeks without power. Anyway, I'll play this Wild Card now ...

Marco Garcia/AP
Washington St LB Kendrick Dunn (24) celebrates with teammate Andy Mattingly (45) after Mattingly intercepted a pass for a touchback during the fourth quarter at the NCAA college football game against Hawaii at Aloha Stadium, Saturday in Honolulu. Hawaii defeated Washington St 24-10 allowing Hawaii a berth in the 2008 Sheraton Hawaii Bowl Championship. WSU had few moments of celebration during the 2008 season in which the Cougars finished 2-11. ESPN game story and boxscore.

To me the reality of "Christmas" has been reduced to frenzied shopping, parades, lights, presents and more presents and the cheaper the better. No thanks. When December 25th actually rolls around store decorations will have been up for over three months, the music will have gotten tiresome and the "spirit", if it isn't hot buttered rum or spiced wine, will be cranky. Actually attending a church service may be more obligatory then heartfelt. No thanks. We'll have our tree. Yes. Tradition, memories of family and times long gone. Our peace and good will will be toward one another and those of our friends who make no demands on our views in the name of a book or a being that isn't being well served in the first place/Dogwalk Musings. More here.

Question: Is Christmas a special time of the year for you? A simply a time to endure?

Of course I am biased in a sense because it was about me, but the way it was done and not something cut and dry about what some guy does for a hobby was very refreshing. Someone told staff writer Tom Hasslinger, "The Stickman doesn't do interviews, but try." I'm glad he did. I never want recognition for what I do and he promised not to reveal my last name and my address and such, so I let him. He is very talented and I am glad you allowed him to write an article such as this in this day and age of mostly bad stories. I received many calls about this feel-good story and I think it gives people hope for a better future and that something good can be out there. There is so much for all of us to worry about in today's climate, but for once something like this makes people smile/Stickman.

Question: So how was Stickman's mini-blogfest Saturday?

Item: Atheists will post own display: Sign joins Nativity scene as Capitol fray goes on/

More Info: On Monday in the Washington state Capitol, Christians on one side of the rotunda will erect a Nativity scene, with a 3 1/2-foot-tall Joseph and Mary and a baby Jesus in a manger. On the other side of the echoing dome, members of an atheist group will post their own display: a 4 1/2-foot-tall sign declaring that there is no God and that "religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds." Welcome to the latest chapter in the annual tussle to stake out a piece of holiday real estate in what lawmakers like to call "the people's house."

Question: What do you think of the move by atheists to protest religion and Christmas?

It was cold in our public safety building but our spirits were up! It was cold every where. THANK YOU to our patrol officers that stood in the rain/snow for several hours directing traffic before and after the parade and after the fireworks. I did bring a space heater that several of us in the public safety building gathered around. We had Christams music playing on a boombox and Starbucks from Riverstone provided 4 employees that served free coffee to the community. They are a very generous and thoughtful community contributor. Several COPS volunteers were there to provide the Police Department extra help. The Fire Department was also there and they treated a few people for minor injuries. We had lots of people checking out the new building and appreciating Starbucks. We only had one lost child last night who was found approx. 5 minutes after his frantic mother reported it/Christie Wood, CPD Blue spokeswoman. More here.

In the news this morning as I hit the sack, the Indian government claims the Mumbai siege is over, with all terrorists captured or killed here. President-elect Barack Obama plans to name his Defense secretary Monday here. Research shows that women who smoke lose 14.5 years off their lives here. And now for your Wild Card ...

Jesse Tinsley/SR
Members of the Coeur d'Alene High School band march through a stead drizzle during the Coeur d'Alene Christmas Parade Friday in downtown Coeur d'Alene. The parade, Coeur d'Alene Resort lighting ceremony and fireworks have become a Christmas tradition in the lake city. Meghann Cuniff SR story here.

Question: Any analysis re: the parade, tree lighting ceremony, fireworks, or Festival of the Trees?

Did you change your holiday shopping on the Friday after Thanksgiving?/Idaho Statesman.

*No. I never shop on that day and never will.
*Yes. I was more choosy about what I bought.
*No. I bought all the bargains I could find.

RE: 3 die in snowy Spokane area crashes/SR
Spencer:I was nearly hit by a pickup that was trying to pass going up a hill on highway 2 near Deer Park. There was nothing I could do other than hope he was out of my lane by the time our paths crossed. He slid to the left, then to the right, then in my rear-view mirror I saw him leave the road and roll onto his roof. The news said he died. Life can be short, live each day as if it might be your last.

Question: What was the last near miss that you had?

Item: Surging shoppers kill New York Wal-Mart worker/Comcast.net

More Info: A man working for discount retailer Wal-Mart was killed on Friday in a stampede by frenzied shoppers who broke down doors and surged into a Long Island, New York store, a police spokesman said. The 34-year-old man was at the entrance of the Valley Stream Wal-Mart store just after it opened at 5 a.m. and was knocked to the ground, the police report said. The exact cause of death was still to be determined by a medical examiner. Four shoppers, including a 28-year-old pregnant woman, were also taken to local hospitals for injuries sustained in the incident, police said.

Question (asked by Vox Box): Is this further proof that people are losing their minds when money is involved?

A block south of the Hospice Store is the newly-relocated Thriftique, another contender for coolest thrift store in the region, from which all proceeds go to fund Lake City Community Church‘s global aid missions. Manager Scott Gittel and his crew seem a touch more selective in what they sell than some of the others. The front area of the store resembles a plush living room, with smoke-free household items and décor that actually conjures a sense of modernity and not painful memories of forgotten design eras. In other words, if you’re searching for macramé owls, floral naugahyde pillows or rust-shag mushroom stools, you might be out of luck. The floor here is made of a very bumpy stone tile which causes my shopping cart to loudly rattle my teeth and bones as I push it around the room, an effect I oddly enjoy. It’s organized but random at the same time, the way all good thrift shops should be, and it makes a perfect addition to the north end of Midtown/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.

Question: Which INorthwest thrift store is your favorite?

As I drove cross the state yesterday listening to my coolest travel tunes, I play the cool jazzy snaking and honking sax infused and piano banging 70s classic by Traffic “The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys” and reminisce of my first rock concert in 1974 at the Spokane Coliseum (Aerosmith and Styx) and standing on the floor with friends near the stage and the blue marijuanic haze was rising and on the PA system I hear The Low Spark and think what a cool song, man, and think who is that fox with the long hair standing over there? I digress. But here’s the thing, I’ve come to realize that that song may have the dumbest question ever posed in a rock song (feel free to one up or one down me on this): "If you had just a minute to breathe/And they granted you one final wish/Would you ask for something like another chance/Or something similar as this"/TUBOB. More here.

Question: What's the dumbest question you've ever heard posed in a song?

Romeo Guzman/AP
Maryland forward Landon Milbourne (1) drives to the basket as Maryland forward Josh Heytvelt (42) tries to stop him during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Old Spice Classic tournament in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Friday. Gonzaga won 81-59. ESPN game & boxscore.

Also:
*WSU 63, Mississippi State 52
*Idaho 101, UC Irvine 47

I'm taking Black Friday off to enjoy a visit from Amy Dearest -- and to prepare for tonight's parade on Sherman Avenue, Hagadone Corp's tree-lighting ceremony, the fireworks, and the Festival of the Trees. Mebbe I'll see you there. I have a coupla things for you below. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy tonight's festivities -- and mebbe the basketball game between Gonzaga and Maryland this afternoon -- as the four-day weekend continues ...

For the first time in three years we attempted to deal with shopping in CDA AND deal with the CDA shoppers.
We made it through two stops and could no longer deal with it. Off the the Valley we went to spend our money outside of North Idaho for the third straight year. Not the merchant's fault and their staff are very nice and courteous, it is the fault of the lousy traffic management and the unruly, belligerent hordes of jerks that pack the streets and the stores. It is amazing how in the span of about five years we went from viewing Spokanites as the rude, agressive neandrathals and now I view Spokane as the more laid back, easy to get around in, and all in all, a more pleasant place to spend money. Too many people packed too tightly together anymore in North Idaho/The Oracle. More here.

Question: Do you agree w/Oracle -- that CDA shoppers are now worse than those in Spokane?

So much for the wisdom of The People. A new report from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute on the nation's civic literacy finds that most Americans are too ignorant to vote. Out of 2,500 American quiz-takers, including college students, elected officials and other randomly selected citizens, nearly 1,800 flunked a 33-question test on basic civics. In fact, elected officials scored slightly lower than the general public with an average score of 44 percent compared to 49 percent. Only 0.8 percent of all test-takers scored an "A"/Kathleen Parker, Orlando Sentinel. More here.

Question: Are most Americans too dumb to vote?

Reinhold Matay/AP
Gonzaga guard Jeremy Pargo (2) drives to the basket as Oklahoma State guard Keiton Paige (12) tries to stop him during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game at the Old Spice Classic tournament in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Thursday. ESPN game story & boxscore here.

Item: Early bird gets the deal: Stores opening earlier in effort to woo holiday shoppers/Rick Thomas, CDA Press

More Info: Bleary-eyed shoppers will need to get up even earlier than in years past to get a head start on holiday shopping Friday. In its second Black Friday since opening in North Idaho, Kohl's department store will once again open its doors at 4 a.m. to welcome shoppers eager for bargains, and getting a jump on other large retailers by at least an hour. "It's a clever little marketing ploy," said Hal Hunter, operations manager for the store. "Hopefully people will come here first."

Question: If you shopped this morning, what was your best bargain purchase?