Fresh Express, Craftsman, Hoover and Burlington Coat Factory recalls.

Salmonella alert!
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Fresh Express is recalling Romaine-based ready-to-eat salads that expire May 13th through May 16th with an “S” in the product code. For more information, click here.


For those of you who love things that cut, check this out. Craftsman Radial Arm Saws have been recalled. There’s not a lot of information I can offer other than a link to the site where you can check your model and serial number.

Hoover has recalled their upright vacuum clears from the WindTunnel T-Series Bagless. They were sold between August 2009 and May 2010. The cord, where it plugs into the vacuum, isn’t attached properly for its automatic rewind function. For more information, click here.

According to recalls.org, a non-profit watchdog group, Rim Rocka Boys’ and Pelle Pelle Girls’ hooded jackets have been recalled by Lollytogs Ltd. Because the jackets hood and waist drawstrings pose a strangulation and entanglement threat to young children. These jackets were at Burlington Coat Factory and smaller retailers from February 2008 through September 2009. For more information, click here. Or call Lollytogs at (800) 6367-9035.

The Queen of Dystonia.

My sister, Sarah Peyron, is positively the most upbeat negative person I know.

Every time I see her, she greets me with a beautiful smile, accompanied by a very disapproving shake of her head.

Sarah was diagnosed with cervical dystonia in October 2008, which, according to We Move, is a neurological disorder with pronounced muscle contractions resulting in repetitive movement or a sustained twisting resulting in abnormal posture.

Sarah’s prominent symptoms include shaking her head no, constantly. She is also losing her ability to walk.

At first, one of the girls at the youth group where she volunteers didn’t understand. “Quit shaking your head,” the girl had laughed. “No, really,” she said seriously. “Stop it.”

Hearing this story, I tried shaking my head nonstop but could only keep it up for a minute before giving in to fatigue.

Sarah, a 32-year-old single mother, reminded me that my middle-schooler didn’t recognize anything was wrong until January, four months after her diagnosis. He visited and played games with his aunt during several holidays and birthday parties without noticing her obvious disability.

By the 2009 Junior Lilac Parade, Sarah’s symptoms expanded to a one-sided wink and Elvis sneer. My family, mature and sober, tried to imitate her, without success. Her neurologist treated her with Botox, paralyzing the offending muscle groups and when the puffiness wore off, the symptoms didn’t return.

No amount of teasing prepared Sarah for the surprise fire drill at the downtown YMCA last February. Sarah has therapy in their 94-degree pool every week, with other impaired movement patients. The alarm sounded, and the staff hurried them. “Just wrap up in a towel and get outside” was the overwhelming instruction. They probably didn’t understand that cold temperatures aggravate muscle spasms, worsening conditions.

The women dressed as quickly as they could and left the building.

Afterwards, my sister waited in the lobby for mom to pick her up and drive her home. The receptionist complained about the disabled women to every YMCA member who walked through the door. She recounted the event, mocking the women who had begged for showers so the morning’s pool therapy wouldn’t be undone. Around 20 people heard the story while Sarah sat silently. After my sister left, the story replayed, but very likely not only in Sarah’s mind. She understood they needed to evacuate, but the YMCA needed to understand something about respectfulness and disability, so Sarah called them. The receptionist has been a doll since.

People’s strange looks and lack of empathy don’t stop us from laughing with Sarah.
“What if you were pulled over?” I asked her once.
She chuckled, shaking her head.
My son chimed in, pretending to be an officer. “Do you know why I pulled you over?”
She laughed, shaking her head.
“Can I see your license and registration?” I asked.
Her laughter only eggs us on.
“Ma’am, are you prepared to cooperate with me?”
“Can I get you to step out of your vehicle, please?”
“Are you prepared to spend the night in jail, ma’am?”

She’s baffled me with her lack of support for the teachings in her own church when I’ve visited. I overcompensated with extreme head nodding to make up for her uncontrollable head waggle. When the morning was over, my neck was sore.

Sure, it’s easy to forget that Sarah is disabled. She commonly receives strange facial expressions from whoever is speaking at church. Sarah reports that they’ll hesitate for a moment until it dawns on them, “Oh, it’s just Sarah.”

In spite of what she is incapable of, physically, Sarah’s wit and humor refuse to be disabled. If she can remain pleasant, funny and good humored while living through excruciating pain and dehabilitation, then I have no excuse not to follow her example, even on my worst day.

I asked her about a camping detail lately, “Well, what if we … no? Okay.”
“No!” She laughs. “I think it sounds like a great idea.”

Movie review: Iron Man 2

Iron Man is back and as action-packed as ever.

In an overcomplicated plot, Iron Man, as known as Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), must survive implant-induced blood poisoning, please girlfriend Pepper Potts (Gweneth Paltrow), block the United States government from seizing the Iron Man “weapon,” and battle against his arrogant, over-inflated ego while fighting off physicist Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), the angry son of a misguided, fired, and deported Stark Industries employee. Vanko, who Stark defeats early in the movie with help from comic relief chauffer Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau, movie director), returns with help from competing industry mogul Justin Hammer.

As Stark’s bloated ego saps the humor from some of his funniest lines, the character Happy Hogan, although very different from the comic icon, is a welcome return to the screen. Don Cheadle takes over the role of Lt. Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes with an effortlessness that marks an outstanding performance.

New characters include Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson,) legal aid for Stark Industries and Pepper Potts personal assissant, whose reciprocated attentions to Tony Stark teach women everywhere that it’s not enough to be as beautiful as Gweneth Paltrow. She’s also an encouragement to mothers everywhere that their little skinny girls, who won’t eat much, can also grow up and kick bad-guy butt without much muscle mass.

Despite my negativity, Iron Man 2 picks up the story successfully and packs in plenty of action and special affects with a couple of other plot suprises.
And don’t forget, if you love the Avengers and S.H.I.E.L.D., sit through the credits at the end of the film for a sneak peak at what’s to come next.

"Views of Spokane" Photojournalism final by Amy Meyer

Computer battery, car and car seat recalls for May 23, 2010.

If you bought a HP or Compaq notebook between August 2007 and July 2008, Sarah, you should check this link for the list of model numbers and batteries recalled in today’s expansion of their original recall. If your battery is affected, contact HP (information listed on page) and they’ll send you replacement battery.

I have a plethora of car recalls this morning, so we’ll start with my favorite: Toyota. Some 2009-2010 Lexus models are being recalled for their faulty electric power assist steering components. So if you own a Lexus and like driving in straight lines, check it out.

If Lexus is a bit cheap for you owners of older Lamborgini models, and by older, I mean 2007-2008, watch out for that wiggly fuel tank. It could fall off and cause a fiery explosion. With a bit of proper planning and cameras in multiple placements, this could be quite spectacular. For more information, click here.

Some front suspension control arm welds are faulty for the new Suzuki Equator. You could crash if they come undone.

Brand new Kenworth truck owners beware. If you don’t heed the warning, your air brakes could fail. “ALTHOUGH THE OPERATOR IS WARNED OF LOW AIR PRESSURE BY AUDIBLE AND VISUAL LOW AIR PRESSURE WARNING ALARMS, A VEHICLE CRASH OR FIRE IS POSSIBLE IF THESE WARNINGS ARE NOT HEEDED.” The exact problem with the part is listed here. Another brake problem is listed here.

The 2010 Nissan/Infiniti is alerting the public to a problem with the steering. Welding problems on the body of models manufactured between April 7 and April 13 of this year have required an addition recall, listed here.

Ford Ranger lovers, particularly the owners of the 2010, the manual transmission emergency brake needs repair. If you pull it when wet, and it freezes, it disconnects. Your truck will roll away. For more of the particulars, click here.

The Volvo XC70 seems to be in a spot of trouble. Models between 2006 and 2009 are being recalled because they’ve failed to meet governmental safety standards. Let’s see if we hear more about this recall in the future. If you’re interested in reading the basics, here’s the link.

Several series of car seats from different companies are being recalled for deteriorating webbing resulting in a fatality during a crash, handle detatchment causing a possible injury to child, and a problem between the shell and the base that could lead to a fatality in an accident.And if you’ve made it this far through the blog, I appreciate your support. It’s good reporting and writing practice. I mean, yawn!

Photojournalism at the Lilac Parade Part I

More misadventures with Subie!

The other day, I thought Subie had gone to the big engine in the sky.

I pumped the gas once and turned it on. It staerted up, but coughed and gasped before finally dying.

I turned it over. Nothing.

I turnedi t over again. Still, nothing.

"Well, I guess that day is finally here," I thought. "Oh no, I'm going to have to rename my blog."

But as stubborn (or hopeful) as I am, I refused to give up. "I think I can. I think I can." While turning it over, I gave it some gas.

It coughed, it sputtered, and came to life at about 2300 RPMs.

When it got the >whatever< out of its system, I let off the gas.

It didn't die, it was just having a rough morning.

*******************

Last Friday, the night before the Junior Lilac Parade, Querida brought some lamps to Cheney High School for the fundraiser. Remember that the Subaru is grounded to Cheney due to its inability to do well at higher speeds.

Querida turned off the car and brought the lamps inside. Because she was stopped in a loading zone (the horseshoe, for those familiar with the high school,) she had turned on the four-way flashers.

When she returned to drive away, the car wouldn't go. It wouldn't start. Once again, it was the little sad engine that couldn't.

She couldn't find the jumper cables because we had tucked them away underneath the bed of the wagon (in a compartment there,) so I came out to help.

Instead of showing her where the cables were, I threw it in neutral, released the brake, and taught Querida how to jump start a car. I was immensely proud of myself. (Still am, can you tell?)

And who says a bucket of bolts is a bad thing? Don't we need to know these things, as drivers? ; )

"I just can't believe in a god that..."

Everyone has heard the guy on campus, griping about God, complaining about people who believe and whining about what he thinks God should be doing, if he truly exists.

It's true that the world is going to Hades in a handbasket, but I wonder: Why is it God's fault?

Yes, he's omnipotent and all, but when did it become God's job to save everybody and all the time?

Does being omnipotent come with a job description? "I'm sorry, God, but you're just not acting as was as we unwise people think you should act, therefore we won't acknowledge your existence or pray, let alone worship, you. Sorry."

What if our expectation of God translated to others in our lives.

Take mom, for example: just because your mommy can clean, sew, and is a fabulous cook, does that mean she should always do these things for everybody, all the time?

"Well Amy," you say, "that's different."

How? Just because God can be the hero, does it mean he always should?

Not following me? Let's try another angle. If God was always there hero, there would be no illness, poverty, war or death. What kind of world would that be?

Oh, uh-- heaven. Yeah. Didn't God say he was making a home for you there?

But if God solved problems on earth, all the time--feeding the hungry, healing the sick-- after a while, we would take our perfect little world for granted. We would have no consequences for our actions. ("I can kill someone, but it doesn't matter because God will just raise them up again.")

Don't believe me?

Every morning, my husband wakes to a tiny alarm on his watch, makes breakfast and coffee for me and wakes me and the kids to guarantee we all get to the places we need to be on time.

Do I thank him? Rarely.

But what do I think when he sleeps in on a Saturday, or lies around watching TV before church on a Sunday? I whine, inwardly.

And this is what we do to God everyday for the things he DOES do. Remember that close call? That promotion? That sunset?

Besides, if God was always saving the day, wouldn't we get tired of it? Wouldn't we say, "When is it my turn?" Isn't there something within most rational people that needs to do something good for humanity? Or the planet?

So quit griping, get off your butt and take your opportunity to save the day. God has the rest of eternity covered.

Tylenol family recalls.

McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the makers of Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec, Benadryl and probably a myriad of other products, announced a recall two weeks ago on children's and infant's liquid products manufactured in the United States earlier this year.
For a complete list of recalls, click here.

Thank you to Meghan Flowers for the tip!

City of Spokane announces 2011 budget cuts to make up for $10 million deficit.

Concerned about the economic downturn, the City of Spokane has brought the 2011 budget to the table six months ahead of government mandates to get ahead of what will be a $10 million deficit.

This initial plan will give the citizens of Spokane an opportunity to weigh in. According to Mayor Mary Verner, City Council has taken these cuts with a somber dismay.
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The city’s rainy day fund of $5 million was tapped into last year. With the economy as it now stands, the mayor says the city will be unable to rely on this fund long-term. The hiring freeze previously referred to as “soft” will now be “hard,” and senior leaders’ pay has been frozen, and the city is asking its employees to accept cuts to their healthcare to make up $1 million

City hall will change its hours of operations to four ten-hour days. The mayor said they anticipate $50,000 in energy savings alone.

Police, fire and street grants are up, and as a result, positions created by those grants will not be continued. The police union has agreed to a zero percent raise in wages, and the department will lose 14 officers and switch six detectives to patrol. A K-9 unit will be down and neighborhood resource officers will be cut, including civilian positions.

The fire department will respond to calls, as usual, but if overtime money runs out, stations will suffer from rolling closures to make up the hole in the budget.

Mayor Verner referred to the West Plains annexation as a possible source for more income in the future and said she expects negotiations with the county to move quickly. This would bring in not only more residential taxes, but utility taxes as well as the Waste-to-Energy plant will be included in that merge. However, she didn’t know what the county would want in exchange for the annexation.

Stupid Pedestrians

Pedestrians have long had it coming. Long, long had it coming.

Constantly, these seemingly mild-mannered folk walk in school zones, park zones, hospital zones. They push strollers, walk dogs and ferry large groups of neighborhood children. They wait at bus stops, cross streets and encumber prestigious and important people on the one day they happen to be late for work, or a meeting or class.

If pedestrians were important, like future leaders of our town, state, or nation, perhaps they would be more deserving of our care and respect. As it is, their sole purpose in life is to slow down drivers. They are shepherded by crossing guards, those reflector-vested sentries with flashy flags. With a wave, a smile, and a stop sign in hand, they halt garbage trucks and school busses, but not city busses (because the Spokane Transit Authority calls elementry schools and forbids it.) The pedestrian-nazis stop long lines of drivers who were already stuck behind the one person in Spokane County who never sees the speed limit on the Michael P. Anderson Highway bump up to 55 miles per hour after Four Lakes and the Texas-sized Turnbull Wildlife Refuge sign.

How are drivers supposed to cope? These poor sojourners are yelled at for inching up on people in crosswalks or bumping the curb. (Who hasn’t accidentally dumped CDs on to the floor? Someone has to clean them up.)

And what’s wrong with driving around children in crosswalks? The Spokane Transit Authority does it, and they’re a city agency. Certainly, it’s nothing to get pedestrians’ bus passes in a bunch about.

Somehow it’s considered bad form. Hypersensitive, bunion-toed pedestrians record license plates. Sometimes, other traitorous drivers in the area track down “offenders” and turn their information into the police, who actually think that sharing a crosswalk with a pedestrian should be categorized as attempted vehicular assault.

Isn't sharing supposed to be good?

School resource officers confront students who accidentally drive on the sidewalk when rounding corners. This is funny; this is not a crime. Some parents, whose teens have been challenged by police for “endangering” a pedestrian with a tiny swerve, have actually confiscated keys and licenses. However, parents have a reputation for being humorless, so this drastic action is less of a surprise.

Children must learn to watch out for little, old ladies with over packed garages, backing up and nearly causing accidents on small arterials. Not everyone has neck mobility, but should that stop people from driving? Isn’t that discrimination against back-pain sufferers?

Enough. Pedestrians should be forced to wait, even if it takes ten minutes for traffic to part during busy school mornings. Maybe that will teach them to leave early to avoid impeding the flow of traffic. Foot traffic is slower, so pedestrians could afford to wait a moment for one or two or twenty cars to pass. Make crossing guards write excuses so no one is considered tardy, and serve the free/reduced breakfasts to the socio-economically challenged kids in class, recess or after school if they rely on the program so much.

The two parties could make nice, if school districts would haul their zones and buildings away from thoroughfares to institutes of higher learning. The past city of Cheney administrations should have always prioritized EWU’s campus over three Cheney schools, a major park and pool. What is one small neighborhood compared to thousands of drivers that need to find the last decent parking place on campus? Hasn’t the Easterner recently established that without EWU, there would be no Cheney? The town relies on this traffic; without it, all the businesses would pack up and move to Spokane, and all the residents would be forced to buy their corn flakes through amazon.com.

Yes, pedestrians should learn a lesson, and many ambitious drivers are leading the way in their education. Careening up on sidewalks or swerving into bike lanes when no sidewalk is present, these brave souls are pioneering a better tomorrow for us all.

Jazz Night; Mother's Day Weekend, Part II

After a morning at the parade, we spent an evening at the Cheney High School Jazz auction. Mike McKinly auctioned off desserts and a couple quilts at the end of the evening. Students donated those desserts but brought their auction items to raise money for their individual band accounts.



High items included a quilt by Char Borchers; a signed, framed picture of Jazz 1; and arranged flower baskets.

Overall, the Band Parent Association made $2700 that night.

Thank you to Cheney Rental for donating use of the fountains, the topiaries and accessories.


And thank you to Cheney and Airway Heights businesses for your donations. Without money, there is no band program at Cheney High School.

Jr. Lilac Parade pictures. Mother's day weekend, Part I.

I knew it would be a rough weekend. I was stressed about it. My husband, when testing the water before asking me to take the truck to the muffler shop, got an earful about what a full weekend was coming up and how I knew I would be exhausted by the end.

But I'm in the running for "Bad Mother of the Year Award." I have a class that conflicts with Xavier's track meets. I haven't made any of the home meets, even though I've been within a stone's throw from his competitions.

Junior Lilac Parade was for him. It was his last year marching with the middle school. And he marched, big time, sousaphone over the shoulder the whole way.

Of course, next year, we could be back to watch my neice, Victoria.




This is a tradition that we've held for a number of years, dating back to the 80's. There have been a few years that we've skipped it, when no one has found a place in the parade, but all in all, it's something to look forward to. My family has pictures of my husband and I, both of us with smooth, teenage skin and strange hairdos sitting out front of Pioneer Pies, waiting for someone to come by that we recognized.

Pioneer Pies is now a sushi place, but we're back.

And it's still a place to watch people, really weird people, and visit with family. Afterward, we grab a bite to eat and enjoy each others' company.



This is a small sampling of the weird people at the parade.


Tim and Querida went for coffee. I fussed at them, but they thought they had enough time. I thought Xavier would be along at number 44 in the parade route. I texted them when we were about at 16, telling them that we were at 20 already.

Xavier was not number 44, he was much sooner than that. Tim and Querida made it back just in time.

Oh, I borrowed a nice camera from my photojournalism teacher, but the batteries died just as the parade almost began. I had to borrow Q's camera.

(End of Part I.)

Clash of the Titans (2010)

Clash of the Titans is an exciting, action-packed remake with a twist of the old ‘80s cult classic.

For those who love Greek mythology, Clash of the Titans will not disappoint you. This 2010 version gives a backdrop for the story, explaining the history of Zeus and Hades in a visually pleasing way.

For those who need a refresher: the human child of Zeus, Perseus—played by Avatar’s Sam Worthington, is bent on revenge against Hades, played by Ralph Fiennes who murders Perseus’ adoptive family. Hades campaign against the humans is nothing more than a clever power ploy against his brother Zeus, played by Liam Neeson. The plot twisted and turned with plenty of action and diversions from the original ‘80s storyline. The ending surprised me, but I won’t divulge it here! (If you see the movie and want to talk the ending over with me, feel free to discuss it in the comments.)

Star Sam Worthington is a new face, apparently; I didn’t recognize him without his Avatar make-up. He performed authentically as a character angry over his heritage, insisting on triumphing not as a god but as a man. The beautiful but doomed Andromeda is played by a familiar face, Alexa Davalos. Those who don’t recognize the name would spot her in an instant playing Kyra in “The Chronicles of Riddick.” Persus’ beautiful lifelong guardian comes back to us in “Prince of Persia:Sands of Time” also released this year.

If you decide to see the movie in 3-D as we did, be prepared. AMC theatres have upped the price to 13.75 per seat, with or without the glasses. This version of the movie was fun. I was concerned the folks in the front of the theatre needed umbrellas, but there was one scene where the action was jerky, and the angle was too close. I couldn’t tell what was happening, who was winning or how many monsters were fighting. But on the whole, this is my only criticism against the movie.

So grab your togas and your 3-D glasses and catch this movie while it’s still in theatres!

Learning about Typography.

I ran into this awesome movie in class. Check it out!

Typography from Ronnie Bruce on Vimeo.

A great light fell from the sky!

My headline tonight is about a $1.50 to $3 chain that suspends commercial lighting fixtures by Cooper Lighting. The "S" on either end of the chain can straighten, allowing the fixture to fall.

Yes, Chicken Little, the sky really is falling.

Nike has a chin strap that's been recalled, as of November, 2007. The chin strap breaks on contact, exposing the player to further injury.
I'd like to say something funny here, but nothing is coming to me. I'll let you come up with the punchline for that one.

If you bought a swimsuit for your baby from the Gap between February and April this year, take a second look. If it has a noose-like strap, like the one depicted here, it's been recalled. I suppose the fuller the diaper, the more the danger!

Hatin' on the president?

Our president’s name elicits an emotional response on both ends of the political spectrum to the point of painful stagnation in the debate process. Sadly, this provokes further argument, and, as a result, we tie up brain cells fighting rather than solutions and compromise.

A Facebook group, as someone’s idea of a joke, “prays” to God about the deaths of beloved favorites. The prayer lists the individual’s favorite president as Barack Obama, inferring that God should take him away, too.
In response, another Facebook page petitions Facebook to remove this “prayer” group, calling them hateful, which is an accurate description of the spitefulness behind the “humor.”

The wall of this booming group has overflowed with comments from people showing their support, whether conservative or progressive. Some say they didn’t vote for him, but they would never wish anyone dead. Others say they did vote for him and tell off Tea-Baggers.

Some see through the stupidity of the “prayer group.” Jason K. posts, “It’s just a facebook group … not a movement.” Tyler Y. posts, “Of course it is a stupid thing to post … most of you are overreacting.”

It’s not a stupid joke to others; it is a personal attack. Elizabeth R., whose profile depicted an African-American woman, posted, “Racists are very evil and sick people.” She may not have read the details of the other group, which lists Michael Jackson as one of the favorites that God took last year. The “prayer” group doesn’t express hate at an ethnicity, just one person, albeit one person too many.

Race monopolizes much of the conversation on the petition board. Schemika C. posts, “They hatin on the black man,” which elicited, “How do you know they…ain’t ‘hatin’ on his white half?” Hunter S. summed it up: “People can’t even criticize him without being a racist.”

And racism is one of the most blatant, stupid forms of hate.

Democracy is about dissent and resolving as a people to do one thing or another. Robert L. Ivie, professor of communications and culture at Indiana University in Bloomington says in “Rhetoric and Public Affairs” that when politics is reduced to hostility and dehumanization of others and ourselves, democracy is lost. He puts the burden of resisting this style of dissent on people rather than political elites. While his article, “Toward a Humanizing Style of Democratic Dissent” takes a jab at the war in Iraq, the truth in his statements translates to the heart of every American—not only about others outside our borders, but those within as well.

When we listen to our fellow nationals believing that they want what is best for us, even though their ideas may not line up with ours, we open a conduit for communication. This requires tolerance and forgiveness of some extremely stupid people, even if they don’t ask for it.

This is why the group shouldn’t be deleted. Their existence provokes a conversation, an opportunity to share what many of us have in common, a respect for our president, despite how we voted in the last election.

Many will take the First Amendment as an excuse to disengage the filter between the brain and the mouth. If more of us can take the high road and listen with tolerance and patience, we would set an example of how to listen, and when it’s our turn to speak, we must stick to that high road and pick words that convey ideas without insulting others’ attitudes because it’s impossible to have civilization without civility.

Petition privacy case

I promised you something a bit more political this time? Maybe I didn’t.

Currently in front of the supreme court is a case about withholding the names of some 138,500 names of people who signed a petition to overturn the same-sex marriage law in the state of Washington.

Under the state’s Public Record’s act, this information is public record, but it seems journalism ethics are more discerning. Those ethics state that someone already in the public eye can’t expect the same amount of privacy as a private individual. Government officals shouldn’t be allowed to rule in secret.

On the other hand, I understand the need to validate names on a petition. We don’t want scammers ruling the populace.

But I don’t think a blanket ruling is good in every case. If I were signing a petition to secede against the British government, I wouldn’t want to be known.