I'd rather that the questions take up the bigger column on the left and the latest answers the smaller column on the right. I'm more interested in seeing the newer questions first and that latest answers second.

Otherwise, I think it looks good.

First, how old are you and your friend?

I saw your reply to Griffen so I'm responding to that comment as well. I would suggest that you try finding a home for him on Craigslist first. But failing that, if it were me, I'd keep him anyway. He's not destined to die of old age if you set him free.

In addition, there are probably laws saying you can't set your animals free, regardless of whether they're house cats, pet store rodents, Bengal tigers, or venomous snakes from Australia. Griffen may have been driving at that when he used the word "exotic." While not really exotic, the law probably describes them as such since pet store rats aren't exactly native fauna.

The economy.

These are a bit simplistic (which they have to be, given that I really don't know economics), but based on historical results, we can safely say that raising taxes on the wealthy and on corporations would have an enormously beneficial result on the deficit and national debt. And it's clear that the deficit and debt are having a negative impact on the economy, what with its impact on interest rates and investment. And although "prime the pump" programs are proven winners, I'm at a loss as to what kinds of programs the federal government should implement now. I trust some experts could better address that.

Besides that, maybe educate the population on the insanity of laissez-faire ideas (the idea that government has no place regulating the market), demonstrating how that has been the issue behind the decades-long widening gap between rich and everyone else, while government involvement had given us the greatest expansion of the middle class prior to the Reagan years. That's a big reason we're in this mess now, and for all the idea that big money interests pull the strings for Congress, they couldn't have gotten away with it if they hadn't made people at large believe that "government is the enemy" and that "taxes are too high." Education on these issues would have made people a lot less susceptible to that kind of BS.

Education is also in a major crisis in this country, as is medical care. Both are simply too expensive and the inflation rates for both are simply unrealistic. Something needs to be done about the inflation. I don't know why it's so crazy - maybe someone here has some insights. But those are the next most pressing issues that we face.

Carmelita, absolutely no doubt. Caveat - I haven't lived in Seattle for 4 years now, and my last visit was in early 2007, but Carmelita was always excellent and never let us down.

carmelita.net

If vegetarian isn't your thing, then Ivar's Salmon House. Best seafood in town.

I don't know who keeps giving your questions the thumbs-down - someone with an ax to grind? Hmmm.

I've only ever used charcoal grills, and my safety rules are as such:

* Keep everything on a concrete surface, if possible. I used to live in a place with a wood deck, so I had to keep the grill there, but I lit the charcoal chimney on the concrete walkway and made extra sure to put out any little bits of charcoal that fell out of the chimney when I was taking it to the grill. I may have been taking a foolish risk in doing this.

* Make sure nothing is close to the fire. Keep the grill out in the open, although I've never sensed any real danger from moving under the patio roof if it was raining or snowing. (I don't recognize the notion that grilling is just for summer.) The ceiling is high enough that the heat is really dissipated by the time it gets up there, plus there's almost always a gentle breeze to spread it out even further. But don't place the grill next to anything wooden, plastic, metal, or otherwise capable of either catching fire or becoming melted, damaged, or hot enough to pose a not-so-visible hazard.

* Keep a fire extinguisher handy just in case. Also a spray water bottle for flare-ups, which shouldn't be that much of a danger. But we are talking about open flames here.

* If you have small children, erect a barrier and make sure you know where they are at all times. Try not to leave the grill unattended. Grills are a good teaching tool for fire safety when the kids are big enough to learn about it.
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* If your grilling area is close to the yard, keep it watered during dry spells so you won't have any danger of a backyard brush fire.

That last bit is nearly impossible if you're doing some real slow cooking (barbecue, roasts, etc) because that can take an hour, or several hours. So having the grill in an out-of-the-way location is advisable if it's not impractical. But be sure to check on it frequently.

I don't know how much of this is a consideration for gas grills, but I do know that cheaper grills, even from name brands, seem prone to the lines breaking at the connections. I saw one once that was flaming up right at the control knobs, and have heard that this isn't uncommon. If I were to get a gas grill, I would try to research which models were well built and had a reputation for lasting, because that flame-up I saw was far and away the most hazardous thing I've ever seen at a cookout.

"Regular" meat isn't exactly cheap. Sure, you don't pay much for it at the grocery store or the McDonald's drive-through, but it's supported by your tax dollars. Modern meat production is absolutely dependent on corn, which is not naturally what cattle eat, and the reason for this is because the market is flooded with cheap corn. Why is corn cheap and plentiful? Because of subsidies. You're paying for that, one way or another.

Think also of the hormones and drugs injected into most feedlot-produced meat. I don't know if anyone has produced a study for the long term effects of human consumption of such meat; but if there are health effects, you'll be paying for those in the future.

Switching to organic now will mean more money out of your pocket - there's no denying that. But your question raises questions of my own. How often do you eat meat? If it's every day, you could even out the costs by eating less. Humans really do not need to eat meat every day, or even every other day. And perhaps we shouldn't.

Another question raised is, How else are you spending your money? Do you go out a lot? Do you have a smart phone with a data plan? Do you live in an expensive neighborhood? Do you drink lattes every day? None of these things are any of my business so I don't need an answer, but if you're planning a lifestyle change, it's generally a good idea to examine these things, and evaluate what they are truly worth.

Cafe Flora is close enough to Capitol Hill to count. But Fnarf is right - Carmelita is the most romantic restaurant I found in my eight years in Seattle, so it's well worth the trip, especially given the occasion. Happy Anniversary!

If there's a yard or nice play area where he lives, get him a stomp rocket. It's a little air pump that you stomp on, and four rockets made out some kind of styrofoam thing, and it shoots the rockets way up. My five year old daughter loves hers.

The other suggestions are great, too, but this is the kind of toy that will make your nephew think of you as the cool uncle.