Many a time came up when I thought of a brilliant blog idea for you, yet I never acted on those sparks of brilliance. It has been an odd several months since we last talked to say the least. The economy is still down, and with it my hopes of quickly finding a real job. I have struggled through a love-hate relation with anything to do with journalism since leaving The Times.  I want to write, but what’s the use? I want to express, but who’s really listening, etc. But just like the sun is beginning to stick around for longer periods of time each day, so is my faith things will work it.

In the mean time, I still have you, blog. Only kidding.

I am sorry for the way I acted, but have no fear, for I am back into the blogosphere once more. I have updated you with my recent freelance articles published in City Arts Magazine, and will continue to do so as the assignments and small paychecks keep rolling in.

Perhaps I will even begin writing a book about my adventures in France on my Ris Is Traveling blog, like my grandmother suggested. Or start a weekly blog called “Retail Therapy” about working in the unforgiving world of retail, like my mother suggested–I’m assuming she just finished the memoir “Waiter Rant” but who knows.

Whatever the case, old friend, know that I am committed to being loyal, and will work hard to regain your trust. I also have a project on the horizon that just may authenticate the your name, “Sitting Pretty in the Emerald City.”

Stay tuned.

Sincerely,

See Ris Write

The pair was fresh off the plane from an impromptu comic convention in Arizona when they cleared their hilarious but busy schedules to discuss the comedies and tragedies of running a business meant to make people smile. More than one off-the-wall analogy and inappropriate joke about circumcision ensued.

Dennison explained how his and his wife’s background in hotel and restaurant management helps Laughs ward off any economic evils; Schroeder revealed her thirst for power the stand-up stage can provide. The three coveted elements of running a successful comedy club, according to the goofy duo: good food, good service and good jokes.

You’ve been doing comedy for more than 20 years, what drew you in initially? Dave: I was always kind of shy growing up. My dad was in the military and we moved around a lot. Humor was a defense mechanism for me. Instead of having my ass kicked, I made people laugh. A friend recommended I take a stand-up comedian class in 1990, and I was hooked ever since.

Why have you stayed in the comedy business for so long? Dave: I like comedy because it tells you what kind of person you are. Every time I had a date, I always went to a comedy club because I could always get a sense of my date’s sense of humor. What was taboo and what wasn’t. Angela: What keeps me interested is it’s not the same people over and over again. It’s something different every week.

Is it true you two met while touring? Angela: My sister—who is perpetually single, she’s always meeting somebody new—drug me to a comedy show at Pegasus Pizza and that’s where I saw Dave. He actually didn’t perform, he ran the show. I was just a patron. We later went out, and I guess the rest is just history [Laughs].

How did Laughs Comedy Spot come to be? Dave: I enjoy hosting parties. Being accommodating is in my nature, making sure people are comfortable and have plenty of food and plenty of beverage. That was one of the things Angela and I didn’t like about the Bellevue location, where I did comedy for 10 years, it was the worse service and the worse food. We wanted to be our own location, so that’s why we opened up Laughs and hired a staff we felt was competent, fun and engaging.

So as far as running and owning Laughs, what is your day-to-day life like? Angela: We’re on e-mail and YouTube a lot. That’s one thing that’s changed in the last 20 years is you don’t have to go see somebody. We can see it online and see the reaction.

How has the recession and economic blues impacted Laughs or other comedy clubs? Dave: There has been an impact. Definitely. People aren’t spending as much on their bills. It’s just really sad when I see a lot of other businesses fold and they have a ‘For Lease’ sign in their window. We’re doing everything we can to make sure that doesn’t happen to us.

So people are still paying for a laugh? Dave: Absolutely. The good thing about comedy in a recession/depression is people always seem to need to get out and forget their problems for a couple hours. We’re a great place for a first date.

Who is the most famous person to ever perform at your club? Dave: We’ve had Ben Bailey from Cash Cab, Greg Behrendt, Harland Williams. We have a lot of people who some won’t recognize the name, but once they see their face they say ‘Oh I know who that guy is!’ I’m working on getting some other big name acts but I can’t mention their names until the contract is signed.

Dave mentioned something about overcoming a serious medical condition? Angela: Because Dave grew up in the military and lived in Japan for awhile, they think it’s an undiagnosed case of cerebral palsy. Dave’s is a slight case: facial drooping and slurred speech. People often commented, ‘Wow your boyfriend’s always intoxicated,’ and would say, ‘What are you talking about!?’ Dave never drinks. That’s when we started going to the doctor.

Has it affected Dave’s stand-up routine? Angela: When he’s nervous it really comes out, and he didn’t want people thinking he was drunk all the time. Now I’ll get up on stage and I’ll use Dave’s jokes [Laughs really hard]. I’m using his material, so his routine still lives on. It’s really addicting. It’s powerful to make a 200-person crowd laugh.

What’s the funniest act Laughs has ever seen? Dave: Some comics that bring tears to my eyes and make me laugh really hard are Harland Williams and Greg Hahn. They get everything right. It’s like golf, there’s all these different factors—wind, direction, terrain—just to make the shot…and I don’t golf, I don’t even know why I just used that reference.

What is the funniest joke you have ever heard? Dave: [Laughs.] Can we skip this question? No, I’m kidding. Comedy is like hot sauce. You have to start mild and work your way up. My flavor of hot sauce right now would be really, really, really spicy. What I think is really funny I think the average person would think is pretty dark, so I’d rather not say.

Kevin Nealon of Weeds performs at Laughs Comedy Spot March 12 and 13; Whitney Cummings of Comedy Central Roast of Joan Rivers March 4-6. For ticket information visit laughscomedy.com.

Buy a designer ring; help a woman in need. So is the unconventional concept of the jewelry exhibition INDULGE at Bellevue Arts Museum. Thirty American and Canadian jewelers will be selling avant-garde to down-right bizarre pieces at the artist invitational.

San Francisco jeweler Carolyn Tillie’s inspiration for her rings and necklaces? Sushi and delectable sweets that go for upward of $500 a pop, depending on if you prefer gold or silver. Thirteen Washington artists grace the marketplace, including Bellevue locals Iris Guy and Ronna Sarvas Weltman. Guy’s more classic silver designs are based on cool, lightweight organic shapes.

The weekend of events (including a Friday preview party and awards show, which costs $40 per person) came about when participating Capital Hill artist Micki Lippe approached INDULGE producer Meredith Langridge Anderson, and sought to unite affluent women with women who are homeless or victims of domestic violence.

INDULGE attendees are encouraged to bring unwanted rings, bracelets, necklaces, earrings and brooches to the show. The Women’s Shelter Jewelry Project, organized by Lippe and Seattle Metals Guild, will distribute the donations to area charities.

Husbands and male significant others are not to be forgotten. The show has been heavily promoted as a pre-Valentine’s Day must for self-indulgence and one-of-a-kind gifts to make any woman swoon.

Though some pieces strive too hard for the cutting edge and may be overlooked by potential buyers, enough simple, timeless earrings and necklaces like Seattleite Nicole Richardson’s will attract even the jewelry novice. One thing is certain: All INDULGE collections are sure to invoke smiles and inquisitions, at least for their rarity.

Bellevue Arts Museum

510 Bellevue Way NE

425.519.0742

Ever consider what Dasher, Dancer and Prancer do in the offseason?

Robyn Barfoot can tell you.

During the 11 months when they’re not parading in silver bells and red bows, which some actually do in December, and when they’re not serving as Santa’s chauffeurs, which they do in legend, reindeer — at least the nine living in Issaquah — spend their time at Cougar Mountain Zoo.

For more than 21 years, the zoo has been home to one of the largest public herds of Siberian reindeer in the nation. Barfoot oversees all training and caring for Santa’s reputed helpers — including one named Rudolf.

“Reindeer do exist,” Barfoot says. “Some people don’t realize they’re a real species, they think they’re just a story.”

During December, zoo manager and curator Barfoot dons another hat — one with pointed ears and small bells — and becomes lead elf at the Issaquah Reindeer Festival, now in its 21st year and winding up today.

More than 10,000 visitors stop by each year to view the reindeer, which are native to Northern Europe, Greenland and other Arctic Circle regions.

The rest of the zoo attractions are not excluded from the holiday festival. Bengal tigers are touted as Santa’s candy-cane makers. Alpacas? They’re Santa’s South American reindeer.

To keep the magic of the Santa story alive, Barfoot says, she constantly assures children that the Cougar Mountain Rudolf, despite his black, fuzzy, not-red nose, is the real thing. He’s the ultimate energy-conservation zealot, she explains with a twinkle, so he makes his nose glow red only when guiding Santa’s sleigh.

Santa’s reindeer are definitely not all male, Barfoot says. In reindeer, both sexes have antlers that regrow every year. Bulls lose theirs in December or January, and cows usually in March.

Did you know reindeer are the fastest-swimming hoofed animals in the world? In the wild they swim through Arctic waters at speeds up to 6 mph.

Commonly mistaken for the larger, leggier North American caribou, reindeer have large snowshoelike hoofs that help them walk through snowy terrain and act as paddles in water. They also are the only species of deer to have fur-covered noses.

“Most people don’t realize all these unique characteristics of reindeer. But when you learn these fascinating things, you just fall in love with these little guys,” Barfoot said. Little? An adult reindeer stands only 3 ½ to 4 feet tall.

Though they may fade a bit from mind January through November, Issaquah’s reindeer are busy.

Two of the best-mannered reindeer — Dasher and Dancer — are taken on outreach programs to schools, events and parties year-round, where they help zoo trainers educate the public about the Rangifer tarandus sibericus, the scientific name of the species.

“It creates an interaction between the animals and the observer,” Barfoot said of the outings. “It encourages kids to learn more about the species and possibly become more conscious of wildlife.”

Because the Northwest typically has mild summers, this region provides a very comfortable retreat for reindeer.

It may not be natural reindeer weather, with their dense winter coats — 18,000 strands of light-brown fur per square inch — they can withstand temperatures up to 60 degrees below zero. Given the proper accommodations and precautions, the animals can thrive in the Northwest, said Peter Rittler, Zoological Society of Washington president.

The Cougar Mountain Zoo reindeer habitat was constructed on a North-facing slope, to shield the mammals from as much sun exposure as possible. Though most are fully acclimated to the warmer temperatures, compared with Siberia, reindeer need to stay cool and hydrated in the summer. The terrain is rocky so the reindeer can keep their hoofs clean, and the habitat is covered in moss and lichen, which are more nutritious for the animals than grass.

In summer, the reindeer’s coats are lighter, and their fur turns a deep chocolate brown with a bright white beard and chest.

The reindeer’s favorite season really is Christmastime, Rittler said. But it has nothing to do with the religious or secular celebrations of late December.

It’s all about apples, which are offered aplenty by holiday visitors to the zoo.

When “Ho, ho, ho” is yelled, the Cougar Mountain reindeer know what’s in store. They are trained to come trotting, tails and noses raised, expecting apple slices and other zoo-approved treats.

Marisa Willis: mwillis@seattletims.com or 206-464-2050

To view the original article on The Seattle Times Web site, including fantastic photos and a video by Ken Lambert, please visit: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010627782_reindeer30m.html

For more information on Issaquah’s Cougar Mountain Zoo, visit: http://www.cougarmountainzoo.org/

Wachtler fires up his laptop and re-connects to friends and family back home in the States via Skype. Outside his room is a small, impoverished village, its homes made of cardboard and plywood.

By paying 23 Zambians 15,000 kwacha a day — roughly $3 U.S. — Wachtler says he’s helping the Zambian economy, which suffers 50 percent unemployment.

Wachtler, who graduated last year from the University of Washington in construction management, is project manager of the Limulunga Community School, a pilot project for the nonprofit Construction for Change.

The Seattle-based organization’s goals are to provide construction managers for special projects around the world and to give financial support to help impoverished nations learn to help themselves.

Construction for Change strives to make a lasting impact, Wachtler said. He and co-project manager Kyle Parrish plan to stay in Zambia for five months to help with that goal.

The two 23-year-olds arrived in Limulunga on Oct. 20 after more than 20 hours of air travel and an eight-hour bus ride from Zambia’s capital, Lusaka. Stepping off the bus into 100-degree heat, they quickly discovered the differences between a world of comforts and one without them.

It is a land, Wachtler says, of infinite soccer fields, and mangos — lots and lots of mangos. Limulunga is a monsoon-prone village on the edge of the Zambezi River floodplain. Despite the hassles, Wachtler and Parrish say they are determined to use construction of the Limulunga Community School as a model to help the community improve the delivery of electricity and clean water and learn about building regulations.

“You can step outside and see an ox-driven cart, but the guy driving it probably has a cellphone,” Wachtler said. “I can be in Limulunga and the electricity suddenly goes out, and the water’s done for, but because I have a mobile Internet card, I can access my Facebook. “It’s a bizarre feeling.”

Construction for Change was created in 2007 by UW alumni and construction managers Nick Tosti, Elijah Grindstaff and Mike McEvoy. Their idea was to connect small international nonprofits and affluent people in the Northwest looking to donate.

The group already has completed more than $300,000 worth of construction, namely finishing the first Limulunga school building last March, Tosti said. It raised $115,000 in private donations in 2009.

“We felt like it was our duty to take the resources and blessings we have at home, and use them for good,” Tosti said.

The Limulunga Community School project, the second of two 3,500-square-foot buildings the group is constructing for 540 students in kindergarten through seventh grade, provides young Zambians a unique opportunity to attend school for free.

Noting the nearly 70 percent of the population under the age of 18, headmistress Mbuywana Mbukusita-Lewanika, whose sister Inonge Mbukusita-Lewanika is Zambian ambassador to the United States, told Wachtler how important the process is, he said.

“She told me, when you teach a child, you’re affecting their future children and grandchildren,” Wachtler said. “It’s not just 500 kids you’re teaching, it’s 10 times — 100 times — that.”

The past several weeks have been particularly difficult for Watcher and Parrish because they miss their family, friends and normal holiday festivities. Over Christmas, they had a small plastic Christmas tree in the corner of their shared room, and a care package from home arrived with plenty of beef jerky.

“The African way and the African culture is about taking care of the present moment,” Wachtler said. Parrish added, “It definitely rubs off on you.”

To view the original article, including photos by Dan Wachtler, please follow this Seattle Times link: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/education/2010688637_zambia04m.html

Marisa Willis, staff reporter

Trying to heal Greenwood in the aftermath of an arson spree was not on Scott Nolte’s to-do list. As producing artistic director of the Taproot Theatre Company, he had enough to worry about.

The theater was damaged in the Oct. 23 blaze that gutted four adjacent businesses on Northwest 85th Street.

But as the arson continued to plague his North Seattle neighborhood, it became Nolte’s No. 1 priority.

Through creation of an edgy, urban-meets-contemporary art mural, the Greenwood native wanted to put a little hope into those rattled by the fires. Friends, neighbors and nearby business owners should be made to feel safe once more, Nolte said.

And perhaps most important, he said, he wanted to see people on his street smile again.

Nolte and members of Seattle Mural Art and Bherd Studio set out to create a large street mural splashed with reds, oranges and blues. At its center? A phoenix.

On Friday, John Osgood, one of three artists leading the mural project, applied a few quick bursts of color from a green can of spray paint, as he touched up a section screaming the word “Greenwood.”

The gold and red phoenix in the center steals the show, as it rises from fierce orange and red flames. The symbolism is clear: Just as the bird refuses to succumb to the fire licking at its feathers, so do the people of Greenwood refuse to be torn down.

The mural not only tells the story of the arsons, which includes a firefighter rescuing cats from Cat City, an animal shelter, it also will remind the passer-by of neighborhood icons, such as the Greenwood Car Show and Greenwood-Phinney art walk. The swirls of scenery and narratives represent “everything uniquely Greenwood,” Osgood said.

The 89-foot-by-8-foot mural will soon be installed on a temporary wall near the intersection of Northwest 85th Street and Greenwood Avenue North, where the Eleanor Roosevelt Building stood until the Oct. 23 blaze. The building, which Taproot Theatre rented to four businesses, including Green Bean Coffee House, Szechuan Bistro, C.C. Teriyaki and Pho Tic Tac, was destroyed.

“You don’t really know loss until you’re standing in front of your building, watching it burn down,” Nolte said, remembering firefighters’ bravery and perseverance to save the theater.

Nolte said the gaping hole in the heart of Greenwood’s business district where the historic building had been since the 1910s was a grim reminder of the devastation — nearly $3 million in losses — and the sudden vulnerability inflicted on the neighborhood by arson suspect Kevin Swalwell.

Swalwell was charged with 11 counts of arson and one count of burglary after his arrest on Nov. 13 near a smoldering furniture store in Shoreline. The homeless man pleaded not guilty to all 12 counts on Dec. 1 in King County Superior Court.

“There’s so much that Greenwood has been through,” said Daytona Strong, Taproot communications manager. “This is our new phase we’re forced to embrace, but it’s empowering to move toward something good.”

Instead of getting angry their neighborhood was targeted by an arsonist, residents and business owners, want to be creative, said Osgood.

“It stinks that the arsons happened,” Osgood said matter-of-factly. “But this isn’t going to slow us down. We’re turning it into an opportunity to showcase the artistry of Greenwood.”

What could have been a temporary, graffiti-prone plywood wall covering a demolition site — another ugly eyesore — turned into an emotionally charged memorial, the brainstorm of Osgood and Nolte, and fellow artist Marty Gordon.

Once the plan took shape, Seattle Mural Arts members Zach Bohnenkamp and Kevin “Sensei23″ Sullivan grabbed their paint cans and brushes. Nolte said he gave the three men complete artistic freedom.

Osgood said the mural should be completed before Christmas and hopes to have it installed before New Year’s. It will remain at the site of the demolished building for as long as it takes Taproot to decide what to do with the empty lot they originally purchased for expansion.

The main goal of creating something of beauty for Greenwood, however, has already been accomplished.

“We had 10 Greenwood businesses attacked, but we’re not down for the count,” Nolte said. “We’re back. We’re stronger and we’re supporting one another.”

Marisa Willis: mwillis@seattletims.com; 206-464-2050.

To view original article on The Seattle Times Web site, along with photos and video by Ken Lambert, please visit: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010545306_greenwood19m.html

So if these common energy-savings tips were engraved into our malleable young minds, why is it still so difficult for most of us to grasp the urgency of a major climate consensus?

President Obama just returned from Copenhagen, Denmark from a 193-country climate summit. The main topic discussed? Innovative ways to combat climate change and prevent Earth’s temperature from rising more than 2 degrees (Celsius) by 2050.

In the end, Obama, along with leaders from China, India, Brazil and South Africa vowed to decrease CO2 emissions and greenhouse gases, and provide $30 billion of emergency aid over the next three years to help poorer nations do the same.

What these so-called progressive leaders signed (the accord was only three pages long with 12 paragraphs), however, was by no means a binding agreement. The “Copenhagen Accord” is a political contract, not a legal contract.

Essentially, it’s a hand shake. A cross-my-heart-hope-die promise that could be broken without too much repercussions.

Though Obama’s intentions seen honest and good, I understand why environmentalists — ahem, Al Gore — are taking the news as a slap in the face.

Obama called the deal “an unprecedented breakthrough.”

Great. Excellent. But I think the world population expects and deserves more. Do you remembering hearing about the lengths Gov. Chris Gregoire and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton went to attend the summit? What do our local leaders think of the outcome?

Globally, even in greeny Northwest, we could have really used an environmental kick in the pants. World leaders had the opportunity to transform into real role models worth writing home about, but I think their resolutions came up short.

We don’t even honor basic energy-saving tips from our childhood — many don’t even turn off the lights when leaving our Seattle offices at night. I recently drove through downtown Seattle at 10 p.m. one night, and was astounded at the overbearing, yellow glow of overhead florescent lights, not being used.

Don’t get me wrong, hybrid cars and solar-paneled roofs are great for those who can afford them, but maybe we should go back to our elementary basics and reduce, reuse and recycle. The climate summit’s outcome has made me wonder: Did we bite off more than we can chew?

I feel as if Obama went to Copenhagen, and all we got was this lousy peace sign T-shirt, that’s not even manufactured environmentally friendly.

To view original article on The Seattle Times Web site, please visit this link to the Ed Cetera blog: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/edcetera/2010581945_thecopenhagenclimatehandshake.html

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So Sarah Palin’s pretty. She’s attractive. Let’s be honest, she’s a babe (even my boyfriend thinks she’s hot). Let’s give out another meaningless Nobel Peace Prize and get over it.

Though I acknowledge Palin is a sight for sore eyes that does not mean I think she should, or can, run the country. She does not grasp the inner workings of big government or D.C. – just like me – and I do not think she is politically seasoned enough to tackle the major issues Barack Obama is currently facing. Just because you have a son in the Military, does not mean your ideas on troop deployment in Afghanistan are relevant.

Regardless of that, I don’t believe Palin deserves all the scorn critics and the media have thrown her way. At least not where they’re directing their jabs.

Palin is the quintessential brunt of all jokes. Political analysts and journalists (including myself) have poked fun at everything from her uber traditional family values to her lack of vice presidential knowledge. Is it because she looks good an in updo and Jimmy Choos? Are people jealous of her age-defying looks? Maybe. Palin’s nay-sayers criticized the former Alaska governor for her chic, expensive campaign wardrobe. Interestingly enough, John McCain’s critics never had a thing to say about his cost-equivalent clothing. Was he wearing Calvin Klein? Armani? Dolce and Gabbana? Who knows and who cares. Men in the public eye rarely receive flack for their boring slacks (Except of course for Obama’s infamous “dad jeans” episode…). But Palin was another story. She didn’t even pick out her own clothes, people! McCain’s advisors had people to do that for her! I think the public zeroed in on Palin’s matching skirts and blouses because her looks didn’t match her smarts. She may have looked smart in her haute couture outfits, but she opened her mouth and showed us otherwise. Personally I’m disappointed that a pretty woman finally made it on a major political ballot (sorry Hillary), but didn’t have the intellect to hold up her heavily sprayed hair.

Palin may have made it this far because of her pretty face, and good for her. But I thought she would help to squash the myth that women cannot be both beauty and brains. Not so much. She did some pretty cool things during her time in Anchorage (i.e. shake up the GOP’s good ol’ boys network) but it didn’t transfer well to her run for VP. She failed brainy, good-looking girls every where – and that’s reason to be upset. Not because she didn’t deserve to be hand selected by the Republican Party, not because you can’t get her Miss Wasilla accent out of your head, not even because she has a ghost-written memoir on the best-sellers list. No, any anger directed toward Palin should be based on the utter disappointment her candidacy aroused.

We thought she might be the next Jackie Kennedy, but instead, she was just another Miss Teen South Carolina Caitlin Upton. Common stereotypes: one point; strong women: zero.

Countless sources have shown us what to do when you find yourself in the public eye for no good reason; write a book.

Monica Lewinsky, Paris Hilton and “Jon and Kate Plus 8” star Kate Gosselin went before her. Now, former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has joined the ranks of distinguished, American authors — well, sort of.

Palin’s memoir “Going Rogue: An American Life” hit stands Nov. 17, and it is already a best seller. Even better, if one book does not quench your Palin thirst, the 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate’s novel has triggered everything from unauthorized biographies to coloring books slated for release in the upcoming weeks.

People cannot get enough of this woman — the first printing of “Going Rogue” was 1.5 million copies. To her credit, the Palin frenzy began long before HarperCollins announced her 400-page book deal. She sparked the public’s — and media’s — attention the moment Sen. John McCain revealed her as his running mate.

So, why all this fascination with Palin, a caribou-hunting, Carhartt-wearing, homegrown Alaskan renegade?

She was an outsider, a small-government politician no one had ever heard of, but McCain and the Republican Party saw her as their best chance to take over the White House. It was an intriguing turn of events, so the public assumed she must possess something extraordinary. There has to be more to Palin than her you-betcha attitude and any other Tina Fey-inspired parodies that never leave her side.

Right? Maybe not.

The day before her 13-city book tour commenced, Palin appeared on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” for a world exclusive interview. It also dispelled rumors Winfrey snubbed the conservative candidate during last year’s campaign.

The talk show host provided Palin a platform to redeem herself for past bloopers, but the new author did not make amends. Referencing the infamous Katie Couric interview, Winfrey again asked her guest the newspapers, magazines or books she read to help prepare for her candidacy.

This was Palin’s opportunity to gush about all the foreign policy articles she poured over prior to McCain’s announcement, but she had nothing to say. She beat around the bush, and her nonanswers were reminiscent of early Mike McGinn-Joe Mallahan debates.

Whether we care to admit it or not, I think many cannot stop watching because Palin is one of us. She is eager to state her political opinion, but is neither certain of the vice president’s duties nor clear on how the Legislature actually works.

As mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, Palin changed the course of future mayoral races by debating hot topics such as abortion and gun control. In 2006 she ran for governor on an ethics-reform platform, petitioned for the taxpayers of Alaska and challenged the status quo once in Juneau. She also chaired the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission, and worked hard to preserve natural resources detrimental to the state’s economy.

These are credible accomplishments, but I think most would agree Palin’s political and academic credentials are not her claim to fame. She is a hockey mom of five, and her traditional family values appeal to the average American. She rose in popularity by being herself. People can relate to her struggles with everything from child rearing to grasping the intricate health-care debate.

And in any case, she’s a maverick.

With her toothy grin and glossed lips, Palin looked good in her emerald green suit sitting beside Oprah. She graciously dodged questions of a 2012 presidential bid, and whether her book tour is actually the beginning of another campaign — after all, it does makes stops at 11 key battleground states.

She also compared herself to the likes of Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, and extended playgirl Levi Johnston, the father ofher grandson, an open invitation to the Palin Thanksgiving dinner, so who knows what to believe?

Whether you are a Palin fan or not, her antics are certainly entertaining, and I think that is why her spotlight has stayed lit for so long. As critics have often said, she is predictably unpredictable, and that is why we keep watching.

Palin did reveal one exceptionally thoughtful observation about her political experiences thus far, possibly the most eloquent thing she has ever said. Referring to her governor resignation, she told Oprah, “You don’t need a title to do great things.”

Unfortunately for Seattleites, Palin’s book tour will be skipping the Emerald City and several other major U.S. cities deemed too Democratic for the politician including San Francisco, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

For more on the Oprah-Palin interview, or to read about Palin’s thoughts on President Obama, visit: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/entertainment/

To see this online column in its full, original form at Seattletimes.com, visit: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/edcetera/2010301780_whysarahpalincontinuestomakeheadlines.html

With polls long closed, and ballots still rolling in, another election has come and gone. The result?

Nationally, Republicans took over six of the seven major offices in normally blue Pennsylvania, Maine opted to reject a same-sex marriage law, and the Rocky Mountain town of Breckenridge approved a measure allowing citizens to smoke and sell up to one ounce of marijuana; toke on Breckenridge.

Locally, a referendum was passed to ensure the rights of same-sex partners, public opinion of Tim Eyman was made clear, a grass-roots neophyte will soon be leading the city of Seattle, and a former county councilman trounced the new pol on the block for King County executive; a victory for nerds everywhere.

But hardly any of these races were won by the youth vote.

In fact, young voters barely made a dent on this year’s election results. Important political positions were filled, and initiatives and bills were approved or rejected as voters age 18 to 29 sat on their haunches.

Take Virginia for example, where the GOP swept races across the state, the very same state that confidently swept President Obama into the White House only a year ago. Clearly, the Obama phenomenon was short-lived.

Only 17 percent of Virginia voters under 30 participated in the state election, a startling figure compared to the 59-percent turnout in 2008. Republican Bob McDonnell was one of the only candidates who actively sought — and won — the Virginian youth vote. His strategy helped secure his win as governor, and was a nod to analysts that not all young people lean left.

“We knew all along that there wasn’t enough being done to reach out and engage young voters,” said Chrissy Faessen of Rock the Vote, an organization empowering youth voters. “I don’t know if we could have anticipated how low the numbers would be though.”

History has shown petitioning for the youth vote is an incredibly effect method in winning votes, Faessen said, though it seems few politicians strive do so.

Because Washington participated in its first mail-in only election, exit polls were nonexistent, and it will take several more weeks to determine precisely how many voted. Secretary of State Sam Reed predicted 51-percent voter turnout, but we will have to wait and see how Washington’s youth acted.

“It’s sad to think of nearly half the electorate sitting this one out, particularly when so much is at stake,” Reed said in a recent press release. “Your voice is needed.”

Perhaps our elders believed in us too much, put too much trust in our young voting hands. But I think we can handle the pressure. We just chose not to.

To be fair, gubernatorial and midterm election years always produce lower turnouts than presidential elections across age brackets. There is obviously something special about helping choose the man or woman at the helm of the U.S. political hierarchy. But after the large turnout seen during Obama’s campaign (53 percent of eligible youth voted in 2008), the numbers are simply pathetic, and killed the notion that “hope” had awakened a sleeping generation of voters.

Obama’s election was certainly thrilling, and I felt honored to witness the major milestone in American history. But when was the last time Obama’s decisions or policies directly — and I mean truly — changed your life? Have any of the president’s actions over the last year impacted your daily routine?

Probably not.

Local elections can determine how much it costs to ride the bus everyday, the accessibility to family-planning programs, and whether the government recognizes your committed relationship.

The Rock the Vote campaign sent out e-mail and text-message reminders before the August primary and registers new voters on their Web site every day. They also sent out more than 15,000 nonpartisan e-mails ensuring as many young voters as possible were informed on the issues.

But the result was lackluster. Young voters missed the boat, with no one to blame but themselves. Right now there are an estimated 44 million eligible young voters, but typically only a little more than half are registered for every election.

To me the biggest disappointment from our recent election was the young-voter demographic — my generation. We didn’t step up, and just reinforced the assumption that we can easily be overlooked.

The only way we can enact change is by becoming knowledgeable on the issues that affect us most. Don’t think health care affects you? Just wait until you’re unemployed or underemployed and have to pay your medical bills out of pocket.

Ever heard of the suffrage movement where woman like Susan B. Anthony put their lives at risk to earn the right to vote? Voting is serious, and it seriously affects you.

John Mayer’s popular “Waiting on the World to Change” Top-40 hit says it best, “One day our generation is gonna rule the population, and we keep on waiting, waiting on the world to change.”

So what are we waiting for? The world is changing right now.

For more information on Rock the Vote, or to register today, visit: http://www.rockthevote.com/

To see the blog in its original form on The Seattle Times editorial board’s blog, Ed Cetera, visit: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/edcetera/2010244660_youthapathyupvotingdown.html

Also, here is a link to this week’s Northwest Voices, Letters to the Editor, which I create every day: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/northwestvoices/index.html