Family, Hold Back!: I do accounts work, so for me, everything has to balance, that's just how numbers work, plain and simple. As you say, a $400K house on a $30K salary is not simply not sustainable. And banks offering 110% on a mortgage! What planet are they on?!! The writing has been on the wall since day one. My grandparents were from the depression era, lower working class. One winter my grandmother had to use my uncle's wooden toychest as firewood. So frugality and thrift were well taught to my parents, who have passed that on to me. I think you'd be very wise to remember the lessons and pass them on to your kids, even if they don't have a need or want to use them, it's still better to know how to fish than need someone to catch them for you. - Submitted by Felyne

Anti-Obama Virus Hits Home: As some of us know, the From: address on any email can be forged with great ease. Someone simply needed to know your name, and his, to send out the spoof. In any case, there's MONEY behind this campaign. Few malware writers are malicious anymore... most have gone to work for Russian and Turkish criminal gangs. They'll sell their spambot services to shady outfits around the globe. - Submitted by AC

The War on the War on Drugs Hits Kirkland: The war on drugs has been unsuccessful in preventing drug addiction and crime, and has in many ways made things worse by driving drug users farther into the underground. It would be far better to decriminalize drug use and tax it, just like with alcohol and tobacco. - Submitted by Jennifer Redwine

Friends Without Benefits: Actually, I think there could be a lot of other factors at work here, ones that aren't exclusive to either sex. A subconscious desire not to have a real relationship and willingness to pretend this one is. That whole painful need to win an unwinnable situation and make this guy fall in love with you (the land war in Asia syndrome.) And our old buddy, poor self-image. Yeah, of course, it's time for the LW to GTFO but she also needs to look at the root causes here. This isn't blaming the victim. The guy's obviously a manipulative tool. On the other hand, a little self-reflection can't hurt. - Submitted by kevin_m

The Lost Cats of Poverty Gulch: I have also lost cats to coyotes, but I don't hate the coyotes for it. They have a right to eat. We don't ban cars, which also are responsible for pet deaths. Coyotes are becoming more noticeable because we take up more and more space and they have fewer places to go, just as with the bobcat and bear nuisances we hear about on the evening news. You can protect your animals and also allow them outdoors. - Submitted by Sally Neary

We Need Universal Voter Registration: Why not set up a voter registration system where people are fined for not registering, and then fined if they ARE registered but fail to vote on election day? Thats how we do it here in Australia, and only a small percentage of ballots come back with 'insert candidates name' is a dookie head written on them! - Submitted by Seymour

Eyman's Edicts: There is one more lame Eyman edict that is too good to pass up: He says he'll open carpool lanes to everyone except during the peak commute. He then he wrote the wrong peak times into I-985. (The congestion audit said many peaks times last all day and is against opening them up.) For example, Eyman put afternoon peak at 3-6 pm. What was he smoking? Does he ever drive around here? The state's engineers say the change proposed by Eyman could increase bus travel times by 1000%. Doh! - Submitted by Woody

Thyme Bandits: As long as these plants and trees are on public property OR hanging over public property, than these are free for the taking according to the law. Even if the tree is planted on private property, if the branches or fruit hang over the public right-of-way, they belong to whom ever. I should know, as I have also had my cherry trees stripped clean. It sucks, but thats life. - Submitted by Sguenther