Happy Valentines Day!

Here's our valentine for this year:

Please Don't Eat The Piroshkis

There's a new piroshki restaurant in downtown Seattle that I highly recommend you avoid. It's called Piroshki on 3rd and is apparently the second restaurant in a now growing enterprise. I haven't figured out if the owners and bakers are evil or truly evil, but I think it's clear that they're bent on world domination. For once you've had one of their piroshkis, you'll have no choice but to return again and again. One person I know has already been there three times in the first four days since he learned about it and he has other trips planned already. I fear he may be a lost cause.

But you don't have to fall into this trap. Avoid the delicious, perfect, just-a-little-bit-sweet dough. Don't even think about the corned beef, mushrooms, and cheese piroshki. Don't be tempted by the smoked salmon and cream cheese. Don't stop to admire the fact that each flavor of piroshki is cleverly shaped differently to reflect its contents. And, if you're forced to go, make sure it's not around noon when everything is fresh out of the oven. Fortunately, if you get there too late, there may be a long line of people in front of you.

In fact, stay as far away from the whole area as you can. If you get too close, the smells may draw you in. Piroshki on 3rd is at 710 3rd Avenue, between Columbia and Cherry, in Seattle.

We've Waited Eight Years For This

It took eight years, but the President finally admitted a mistake. "I’ve got to own up to my mistake... I think I messed up. I screwed up," he said. Only this wasn't President Bush admitting a big mistake, like starting an illegal war -- it was President Obama admitting that he messed up in nominating Tom Daschle to head up HHS, despite his problems with taxes.

In television interviews, Obama was candid. "The most important thing, from my perspective, is making sure that the American people understand we don't have two sets of rules here, that everybody has responsibilities. In this situation, I take responsibility for it ...I'm here on television saying I screwed up and that's part of the era of responsibility, is not never making mistakes; it's owning up to them and trying to make sure you never repeat them and that's what we intend to do."

So, less than two weeks into his term and Obama has already been able to do something Bush couldn't do in eight years.

Yes, I know the snarks will come out of the woodwork and say Bush apologized for this or that, but there's a whole difference in attitude and I like it. This President knows he works for us.