THE HERALD   EVERETT, WASHINGTON
HeraldNet on Facebook HeraldNet on Twitter HeraldNet RSS feeds HeraldNet Pinterest HeraldNet Google Plus HeraldNet Youtube
  Newsletters: Sign up | Manage subscriptions
Published: Monday, December 10, 2012, 12:01 a.m.
In Our View / The lighter side of the news


'Nightmares' at home, too

Sign up for HeraldNet Headlines
How about a "Kitchen Nightmares" spin-off targeted at people who don't own restaurants? Come save this family from their dinner-time fatigue, with their meatloaf-heavy menu; but do it with more laughing and less swearing via a friendly host; and hey, what the heck, it's TV, get those good-looking "Property Brothers" to remodel the kitchen while you are at it.

Think of "Kitchen Dreams" as "Hoarders Lite" meets a gentler "Wife (Husband) Swap," meets "What Not to Wear While Cooking." Or something.

Come up with your own reality show combo. But just know that "Honey Boo Boo" meets "Real Housewives" at your own risk.

Let's look at the headlines, nightmarish and otherwise:

•"Seattle's top dog names for 2012": Our vote would be "Fredy Montero," the Seattle Sounders pouty and unproductive designated player, with his $600,000 base salary and $756,000 in guaranteed money.

"Shoplifter uses ukulele in convenience-store attack": The thief did his Tiny Tim impersonation until the clerk threw money at him, begging him to leave.

"A $7 cup of Starbucks coffee": Some might elect to nominate CEO Howard Schultz to that Seattle's top dog name list, however one chooses to define it. (The $7 coffee comes from a varietal known as "Geisha." Starbucks has long insisted it sells an "experience" at its coffee shops; we'll let customers decide what to label this $7 "experience.")

"Amanda Knox book cover released": The book won't be out until April, but the HarperCollins cover, featuring a big photo of Miss Knox, and the title, "Amanda Knox: Waiting to be Heard" is all done. Pick your punchline:

1. Well, at least she finished the hard part first.

2. "Amanda Knox: Waiting to Write."

3. "Now. Who to play me in the movie? Hope Solo?"

•"Happy 20th birthday, text message, but you're past your prime": Ah. Yet another example of our 21st century inclination to declare things dead or passe, regardless of actual usage, and reality.

"Eighth-grader petitions Hasbro to market Easy-Bake Ovens to boys": As the admirable young activist points out to Hasbro, many of the top figures in the culinary industry are men -- behemoths such as Emeril Lagasse, Gordon Ramsay, Wolfgang Puck and many more.

And really, the joy of "baking" a little "chocolate batter" under a lightbulb isn't restricted to either sex. Especially if a complex Hot Wheels track is set up dangerously over the "oven."

•"Hostess CEO cuts everyone's pay but his": "Ho Ho," CEO Gregory Rayburn didn't say as it was announced he will still get his $125,000 a month, or $1.5 million a year, as 15,000 workers lose their jobs due to the company's bankruptcy.

Try to work the words "Ding Dongs," "Zingers" and "Sno Balls" into conversation during your reality show this week.

Comments

Herald Editorial Board

Peter Jackson, Opinion Editor: pjackson@heraldnet.com (@PeterJHerald)

Carol MacPherson, Editorial Writer: cmacpherson@heraldnet.com

Josh O'Connor, Publisher: joconnor@heraldnet.com

Have your say

Feel strongly about something? Share it with the community by writing a letter to the editor. Send letters by e-mail to letters@heraldnet.com, by fax to 425-339-3458 or mail to The Herald - Letters, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We'll only publish your name and hometown.) We reserve the right to edit letters, but if you keep yours to 250 words or less, we won’t ask you to shorten it. If your letter is published, please wait 30 days before submitting another. Have a question about letters? Contact Carol MacPherson at cmacpherson@heraldnet.com or 425-339-3472.

ERROR: Macro OPINION01 is missing!

HeraldNet highlights

Paris Air Show
Paris Air Show: More scenes from the world's biggest aviation expo (gallery)
Little speedsters
Little speedsters: Racers compete in Soap Box Derby in Stanwood (gallery)
Short stay planned
Short stay planned: M's draft pick Peterson planning on quick trip to bigs
Garner highlights EvCC class
Garner highlights EvCC class: Group of five players, two coaches, team to be inducted Wed.