Wednesday, February 15, 2012 @ 8:23am

They have fuel rods

Listen to Dave Ross Commentary: They have fuel rods

There he was on Iranian television -- Iran's President inserting the first Iranian-made fuel rod into a reactor near Tehran:

He was talking about clean energy -- but our side, of course, is convinced it's all about a bomb -- which is why the US and Europe have cut off trade, and frozen Iranian bank accounts: for fear Iran might someday attack Israel.

But today I saw this quote -- from an anonymous US intelligence official warning that the Iranian leadership "is becoming more isolated... and less risk-averse, partly in reaction to heightened Western economic pressure."

Let me read that again in Slow Motion:

"...becoming more isolated...and less risk-averse, partly in reaction to heightened Western economic pressure."

So -- our own intel people are warning that our efforts to stop an Iranian nuke may themselves provoke a war! And indeed we're now seeing Iran and Israel in this tit for tat assassination game.

Does this have to happen?

I looked it up. Iran is in one of the world's most dangerous earthquake zones.

Remember Japan? Whole cities abandoned, probably forever. And that's in a first-world country building first-world reactors.

If Iran is really intent on nuking Israel, of course it has to be stopped. However, in the meantime, if they want to bankrupt themselves, create piles of highly radioactive waste, and sweat every earth tremor -- well, a lot of folks would say it couldn't happen to a nicer government.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2012 @ 4:48pm

SPD calls officer's "make stuff up" comment inappropriate

The Office of Professional Accountability investigated the incident and assert that the officer did not "make stuff up," even though he told one of the arrestees he would.

Of the comment, Seattle Police Sergeant Sean Whitcomb says, "It was agreed it was not appropriate."

"Certainly we as police do use ruses from time to time to get people to talk to us but then you really have to make sure it doesn't border on the inappropriate," said Whitcomb, in an appearance on 97.3 KIRO FM's Ross and Burbank Show.

Listen to Sean Whitcomb on Ross and Burbank

According to KOMO 4, Josh Lawson and Christopher Franklin were arrested, but never charged, for an alley attack of a man on Nov. 16, 2010. Police say that while force was used, it was after Lawson and Franklin tried running away from police, and it was all documented, according to Seattle Police standards.

"We come into the area. These two young men, they see us, we see them, they take off at a dead run. It's not they're just walking or stopped at a bus stop or chatting in line at a restaurant. They saw our uniformed officers and ran. We contacted them, yes force was used, and they were arrested," says Whitcomb, adding that the victim identified the two men as the attackers but was not interested in pursuing the matter in court.

Lawson and Franklin have filed a claim against the city for excessive force and wrongful arrest. The two men claim they suffered facial bruising and swelling after being kicked and "man-handled" to the pavement by police.

Seattle Police say that the two were booked on probable cause of a misdemeanor. As for how the arrest was handled, Whitcomb says the whole incident was reviewed. He says the comment happened, and it was inappropriate. But he wants people to know that honesty is incredibly important in the Seattle Police Department.

"In our department," says Police spokesperson Sean Whitcomb, "you can lose your job for dishonesty and we actually have fired someone for lying."

"The officer's comment of 'I'm going to make stuff up,' not appropriate. I probably wouldn't have said it, but he did. It was reviewed," said Whitcomb. "We handle about 7,000 events a week. This is one event from 2010. We're not going to be perfect. Not every call is going to be handled perfectly. In some cases, they're going to be reviewed and investigated. In some cases, officers are going to be found to have done things wrong."

By MyNorthwest.com staff

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 @ 1:41pm

Dave Ross proves communication is not always important in a relationship

On this Valentine's Day, many experts are weighing in on the keys to long lasting love.

Cornell University's Legacy Project is collecting advice from 1,200 older Americans. Among the tips, marry someone a lot like you, friendship is as important as romantic love, don't keep score, and talk to each other.

After 38 years of marriage, Dave echoes all of that, except for the whole talking thing.

That could be a killer to many marriages, according to Cornell's Carl Pillmer.

"Marriage to the strong, silent type can be deadly to a relationship. Long term married partners are talkers at least to one another, and that is where, strangely enough, I have always had a problem. I do not talk unless prompted," Dave says.

Listen to Why Dave Ross is so silent

Dave says it makes for a lot of uncomfortable silence at home and in the studio.

"I notice when we have a guest, you are so comfortable just sitting there working on your next thing thinking about whatever you're thinking about and this other person is just sitting there and it makes me feel so awkward," says Luke.

"I still find myself, even at home before I say something, wondering 'does my wife really care about this.' It's almost like I bring talk show standards to our relationship," Dave says.

He says he was chatty as a child, but once he got into broadcasting he became much more restrained with his words, even when hosting a dinner party.

"I always had a sense every word was permanent and cannot be unsaid...I think it just developed this caution that has now become a permanent part of my personal life."

It's pretty strange, considering he's been a broadcaster and happily married for decades.

Perhaps he's just living proof actions really do speak louder than words.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 @ 11:43am

Ross and Burbank share first kiss stories

Dave Ross and Luke Burbank shared their first kiss stories on Valentin'es Day. (AP Photo/file)

The Ross and Burbank Show is getting a little romantic this Valentine's Day as hosts Dave Ross and Luke Burbank share the stories of their first kisses.

Luke Burbank tells story of his first kiss:

I was at Sno-King ice arena. It was Christian ice skating night. I was sitting there. I was in eighth grade and on one side of me was my girlfriend at the time, and on the other side of me, we're sitting on this bench, were my two lame brain friends who were going, 'Kiss her. Kiss her.' And it must have been the Amy Grant music that got to me, because I finally got up the nerve and I leaned over and I kissed this girl.

I thought that my head was going to detach from my body and just float off. I was so overwhelmed by the experience.

We're talking about the quickest of pecks here.

And I looked at her and I said, 'That was my first kiss.' And she basically started laughing. She couldn't believe how quaint that was, because she had apparently kissed a lot of people, including it would turn out my lame brain friend who was sitting next to me.

Dave Ross tells story of his first kiss:

It happened in the back of my parent's car, with them driving.

She had recently, during a school assembly, reached over and touched my hand in the next seat, so I knew we were an item.

I noticed her nose was brushing against my cheek, and it doesn't seem that we're in a tight turn or anything. So I'm thinking, 'is there any reason I could explain this by the motion of the car.' And as soon as I was certain it was intentional, I turned to meet her and the lips were right there, and it just happened.

I don't know to this day whether my parents had any idea what was going on in the back seat.

Listen to Ross and Burbank share first kiss stories

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 @ 10:58am

Love it or hate it: Where do you stand on Valentine's Day?

When you see pink and red candy displays appearing in the stores does your heart fill with love or dread? (AP)

When you see pink and red candy displays appearing in the stores does your heart fill with love or dread?

"People come down really on one of two sides on Valentine's Day," said 97.3 KIRO FM Ross and Burbank Show host Luke Burbank in a discussion of the February holiday. "It's either their reason for living, they start planning it months and months in advance, or they hate Valentine's Day."

The all-male Ross and Burbank Show staff acknowledge it seems to be a holiday mainly for the ladies.

"I think one of the reasons why Valentine's Day tends to be a big deal to women is not the specifics of what they might get from their fellow, but the fact that their fellow actually remembered, took active steps to make sure a fancy dinner was had or that roses were purchased."

Listen to Love it or hate it: Where do you stand on Valentine's Day?

Producer Andrew Walsh said he learned the hard way that even though women might say they're not that into the holiday, they just might be more invested than they think.

"I used to be one of those guys who hated Valentine's Day to my very core. It just offended me, and I made it very clear to my girlfriend, that's what I feel about Valentine's Day. She's like, 'Me too. Me too,'" said Walsh. "This was 11 years ago. This was our first Valentine's Day. She came home crying that night because everyone in the office got flowers except for her. From that moment on, I realized Genevieve does not see Valentine's Day the same way I do."

Walsh said he adjusted his behavior and came to a helpful realization. "I like my girlfriend more than I hate Valentine's Day."

"I think when we add up all the pros and cons of Valentine's Day. The cons being that it is sort of forced on us. The pros being it does cause a lot of us to take a moment out of our year to say to the special person in our life, I love you," said Burbank, "I think we net out at an actual slight benefit for our society."

When put to a vote, the Ross and Burbank staff approved the continued observance of Valentine's Day, but by a slim margin.

"I just think it's amazing that this is the state that just legalized gay marriage, and on Ross and Burbank, we just barely approved Valentine's Day," said Ross.

Where do you stand?

By JAMIE GRISWOLD, MyNorthwest.com Editor

Tuesday, February 14, 2012 @ 8:59am

Is marriage the antidote to poverty?

Listen to Dave Ross Commentary: Is marriage the antidote to poverty?

Marriage is on the skids, and Rick Santorum has been sounding the alarm:

"We've seen the percentage of people married in this country over the last 30 years has dropped from 71 percent of people over the age of 18 being married 30 years ago, now down to 51 percent," said Santorum.

And it's not just a moral issue:

"It's also important for our economy. Two parent families in America are much less likely to be in poverty," said Santorum.

You've heard this many times: two-parent families are much less likely to be in poverty, therefore, by encouraging marriage, we can bring the economy back. And yet, a Valentine's Day report, just issued by Brookings, tracks marriage rates and incomes over the last forty years...and it finds that for men earning in the top 10 percent, there is no marriage crisis. More than 80 percent are married.

It's for men earning at the bottom that the marriage rate has dropped down to 50 percent.

This was happening before gay marriage. Instead, it seems to track with the disappearance of well-paid working-class jobs.

You see, women still want to get married but with one caveat: "If you like it then you should have put a ring on it," sings Beyonce.

Social scientists call this the Beyonce Ultimatum. They want a ring on it, a picket fence around it, and a roof over it. And a man can't do that unless he has a job.

It's not the two-parent household that will bring the economy back, it's the economy that will bring two-parent household back. What she really wants for Valentine's Day is to see your pay stub.

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