Bloglander

UPDATE: Last night, KHQ changed the title of their story to the more uncertain headline, "Has The 'Knockout Game' Made Its Way To Spokane County?

Media outlets have been having a field day with the notion of the "Knockout Game," a contest in which a young person attempts to knock out a random vulnerable victim with a single sucker punch. The sense of panic is understandable. Random crime is scary, precisely because it’s random.

So when three young adults randomly assaulted a stranger in Spokane Valley on a Saturday afternoon — with no apparent provocation or theft —  sheriff’s deputies and media outlets drew parallels to nationwide reports of the game.

KHQ doesn’t even leave room for a doubt in their headline: “Violent Trend Hits Spokane County: The Knockout Game.”

“The goal of the game is to knock out an unsuspecting person with just one punch,” KHQ reports. “It is a very a scary trend and one deputies hope to stop before more attacks happen here.”

In a short e-mail exchange with Spokane County Sheriff's Office Deputy Craig Chamberlin, I asked what evidence, if any, deputies had that this assault is part of the Knockout Game rather than it just being a random act of violence.

“None,” Chamberlin responded. “It just resembles it. … If you look at videos on YouTube, this is what these kids do. Can we say 100 percent? No. Does it match what is going on nationally? Yes.”

And where some previous incidents supposedly linked to the game have been videotaped, at this point Chamberlin couldn’t say whether this assault was videotaped. 

In fact, this assault, where deputies report the victim was punched and kicked repeatedly in the face by all three assailants and then, once the victim fell to the ground, was kicked some more, seems to directly contradict the Knockout Game’s rules. The objective, by some interpretations, is to see if one person can knock out the victim with one punch, not to see if a group of teens can beat a person down with a flurry of punches and then keep beating them.

And keep in mind, seemingly random assaults by young men against strangers have happened before in Spokane. The Delbert Belton case sparked national outrage months before the knockout game trend pieces, a seemingly random assault that resulted in waves of speculation before the facts were released. (In that case, Belton’s wallet was stolen.) A disabled homeless man was set on fire in downtown Spokane in 2006. Last year, KHQ reported on a teenager suspected of randomly murdering a woman with a sledgehammer. All brutal attacks, seemingly random.

It’s generally a good idea to take media reports about scary kids-these-days trends with a grain of salt, especially if they rely on anecdotes instead of cold, hard data. Remember rainbow parties? Remember vodka-soaked tampons? Remember the choking game? Gawker has a helpful timeline of factually-suspect moral panics from years past.

Just a few months ago, local media outlets were reporting about a “teenage crime wave” “spiraling out of control” downtown, despite the actual data showing that crime in the city core had decreased. Incidentally, that incident – a seemingly random attack that began with a sucker punch – could have very easily have been lumped in with the Knockout Game hysteria, if Knockout Game trend pieces were being widely written then.

Meanwhile, lots of national media outlets have been raising skepticism about the supposed trend.

The New York Times quotes a police spokesman in New Jersey as saying, “If there ever was an urban myth, this was it.” Buzzfeed analyzes social media search results and finds no evidence of a trend. Slate questions the notion that this game has become the epidemic that some conservative bloggers portray. Also at Slate, Matt Yglesias writes about his own random assault and cites facts and figures to debunk that it was part of some kind of game, instead of just an aggravated assault. Business Insider writes about “happy slapping” the Knockout Games’ tabloid-friendly forerunner. At the Daily Beast, Jamelle Bouie writes the game has “hallmarks of an overblown panic over a crime wave that doesn't exist.”

Lastly, at Patheos, Alan Noble asks whether many of the Knockout Game trend pieces are racially tinged. (In Spokane, the suspected assailants were white.)

Does all this mean it’s impossible this random assault was inspired by the Knockout Game (or media trend pieces over the Knockout Game)? Not at all.

But it doesn’t hurt to actually wait for the facts, instead of swan-diving headfirst into speculation.

HERE

City Council will consider a $472,000 contract to pave a new portion of Centennial Trail along Summit Boulevard between Bridge and Boone avenues. (S-R)

Police are searching for the man who robbed an arcade at Spokane Valley Mall at gunpoint Friday night. Hundreds of people at the movie theater next door were evacuated. (KREM)

More than two-thirds of calls to Washington Healthplanfinder's customer-support center in Spokane Valley went unanswered in October due to unexpectedly high call volume. (Seattle Times)

THERE

Winter is coming to the East Coast this week and its timing couldn't be worse for holiday travelers. (LA Times)

In a historic deal struck Sunday in Geneva between Iran and six world powers, Iran agreed to halt to its nuclear program in exchange for temporary relief on some trade sanctions. Secretary of State John Kerry was apparently the "closer." (WaPo)

President Obama kicked off this his West Coast fundraising tour in Seattle on Sunday. At his first stop, he was greeted by protesters demonstrating against the Keystone XL pipeline. (Seattle Times)

SANTA! OH MY GOD! 

The jolliest elf of all has arrived at River Park Square. (Inlander)

On Friday night people crowded into River Park Square Mall to see Santa Claus for the first time this year. While waiting for Santa, David Wolfe sang some holiday classics, including "Jingle Bell Rock," and Tom McArthur, the announcer for the night, kept up-to-date with Santa's estimated arrival time via walkie talkie.

Then, Santa was spotted at the top of the escalator waving and shouting "Merry Christmas!" and was greeted with cheers. Once Santa reached the Christmas tree, he took a few moments to say hello to his elves, and then pointed up to the top of the tree and it instantly lit. David Wolfe then led everybody in one last song as Santa mingled with excited children, who were ready to tell him what they wanted.

The weekend has finally arrived. Get out there! 

FRIDAY

Local rock act Quarter Monkey, is releasing their new EP tonight at the Bing Crosby Theater. Making them especially cool, the band travels in a short bus. Painted white, slapped with the band’s logo, there’s no way people won’t notice when they come riding into town to play tonight. The most awesome thing? Proceeds will go to Women & Children’s Free Restaurant nonprofit in Spokane. The all-ages show is $10 and starts at 7 pm. Normal Babies will open.

SATURDAY

Today you’re going to have to make some tough decisions. Here’s who we suggest you should see (yes, all of them, at the same time).

The mighty Meat Puppets were scheduled earlier this year to play The Center this weekend, but when the place went belly up, The Hop! thankfully took on the alt rock threesome. It’s been years since the Meat Puppets have actually played in Spokane, so it’s time to get out and hear them. The show is only $10 and starts at 7 pm. Blackwater Prophet, Colourflies and the World Taken will open for the all-ages event.

Meanwhile Mootsy’s downtown is putting Josh Berwanger Band on its stage. Formed out of the ashes of The Anniversary, the rock band is starting fresh playing house shows and DIY clubs all over the country. The Mayfields and Scott Ryan will open for the show that starts at 9 pm. $5.

Fans of loud, aggressive, even a little but scary music should check out Odyssey at The Checkerboard. The metal three-piece will be accompanied by Czar, Isthmusia, Infrablaster and Honey Badger for the event. The (awesomely) free show will start at 8:30 pm.

Aaron Carter, yes THE Aaron Carter, the kid brother of Backstreet Boy’s Nick Carter, brings his own brand of so-bad-it’s-good white boy hip-hop to the Knitting Factory. If you’re into re-living your tween years, this show is the one for you as Carter is going to play all of the old hits for his adoring fans. The show starts at 8 pm with tickets starting at $15.

SUNDAY

The Zac Brown Band's opener is who you really should be flocking to see Sunday night. New Orleans prodigy Trombone Shorty (aka Troy Andrews) will entertain the Spokane Arena before the ZBB, and his crew will do it better. The 27-year-old trombone and trumpet player boasts a fusion of jazz, hip-hop and funk unlike anyone else, proving that young people can be amazing musicians, too. Don't miss this soon-to-be-legend in action. Tickets for the all-ages event start at $45. 

The Display House, an independent business since 1970, has been owned by John Jones since 1981. Selling everything from party decorations and crazy Halloween masks, to Christmas ornaments and fake trees, the store in Spokane Valley on East Sprague is now in the midst of a going-out-of-business sale. When asked why the business is closing, Nick Jones, its owner's son, explains: "Revenue. It was a gradual process. Once the economy turned we slowly began closing our five other stores, and now this one." 

Some of Nick's favorite memories of working at The Display House involved the people who work there and its customers. Jones say he enjoyed the strange requests customers would come in with, and recalls many moments of people awkwardly asking, "This is going to sound odd, but do you have a...(hatchet, single eyeball, severed hand)?"

Of course, the store usually did. Jones also will miss customers walking in and smiling, simply because The Display House offered a different kind of shopping experience. 

As of right now, there are no plans to re-open The Display House, but it's not completely out of the question. The business expects to close its doors for the last time on Dec. 31.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to state that The Display House has been an independent business since 1970, with John Jones owning it since 1981. A previous version stated that the business opened in 1981.

Skiers and snowboarders alike, rejoice! The season is upon us, and the powder is fresh. Here are the opening dates — most are this weekend, though many have already opened — for some of our favorite area ski resorts. 

MOUNT SPOKANE

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Mount Spokane opens for the season on Saturday.

Opening Day: Sat, Nov. 23 at 9 am
Cost: Adult: $24-$52, Youth: $24-$42. Opening Day: Adult: $30, Youth: $20
Snow: Lodge, 24 inches; Summit, 31 inches
What’s New: New restrooms, more seating in the main lodge, a new outdoor deck and a new chairlift servicing seven new runs.

49º NORTH
Opening Day: Opened on Sun, Nov. 17
Cost: Adult: $45-$57, Youth: $39-$48.
Snow: Lodge, 19 inches; Summit, 39 inches 
What’s New: New lighting, doors and wiring in lodge.

LOOKOUT PASS
Opening Day: Opened Thurs, Nov. 21
Cost: Adult: $31-$36, Youth: $22-$28.
Snow: Base, 10 inches; Summit, 26 inches
What’s New: A new terrain park, new beginners programs including cross-country skiing, new ski instructions, a downloadable trail map for smart phones and upgrades to ski shop and rental shop for smoother service.

SCHWEITZER MOUNTAIN
Opening Day: Sat, Nov. 23
Cost: Adult: $61-$71, Youth: $40-$50. Opening Day: $45; Musical Chairs: $25
Snow: Base, 20 inches; Total snowfall, 40 inches
What’s New: Bringing back the sun deck outside the Lakeview Lodge, new progressive terrain park and a new FIS downhill course.

SILVER MOUNTAIN
Opening Day: Fri, Nov. 29, conditions permitting
Cost: Adult: $43-$56, Youth: $32-$41. 
Snow: At Kellogg Peak, 23 inches; Mid-mountain, 12 inches
What’s New: A whole new run, and the Bootlegger run has been vastly improved, taking out obstacles like shrubs/bushes.

Check out the Inlander's latest edition of Snowlander for more updates about area resorts and more. 

Just 12 hours to deadline. The Inlander's 2013 Short Fiction Contest closes at midnight tonight. Stories have really started rolling in the past couple of days, but there's still a little time left to get your masterpiece to us in time.

Send your submissions to [email protected]. Please put "Fiction Contest Entry" in the subject line.

See our contest rules for details.

Thank you to everyone who has submitted their entries this year. We look forward to reading your stories and sharing the winners with you in our Fiction issue on Dec. 26. 

HERE

Spokane developer Greg Jeffreys has plead guilty to four criminal counts of fraud for duping investors out of millions of dollars going back to 2006. Jeffreys was formerly involved in development plans for the Ridpath Hotel. (S-R)

Today we remember how the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, 50 years ago today, rocked the nation and the Inland Northwest. (S-R)

At least one person was killed in a crash this morning involving two semi trucks on a rural highway north of Cusick, Wash. (KHQ)

THERE

More memories (CNN) of Nov. 22, 1963 from national news outlets (NBC). See the NBC television special tonight at 9 pm, hosted by Tom Brokaw.

More on what the Democrat-controlled Senate's vote yesterday to block filibusters against Presidential nominees could mean. Basically, things in Congress could get even crazier. (NYT) 

It's here: Microsoft's new Xbox One hit store shelves today. The console — the company's first update since the Xbox 360 in 2005 — is obviously in high demand, and you won't find it online at Amazon, Best Buy, or Target. (USA Today)

CATS

The next Hunger Games film installment Catching Fire opens today, and cat lovers should be on the lookout for the film's sole feline star, an orange tabby cast as Primrose Everdeen's grumpy puss Buttercup. (Catsparella)

More on the exciting announcement that the famous feline LIL BUB is coming to Spokane to make an appearance and the January screening of the Internet Cat Video Film Festival, at the Knitting Factory. (Inlander)

This is pretty much going to be one of the most exciting nights of my cat lady life.

The Internet Cat Video Film Festival is coming to Spokane. Not only that, a very special feline guest is planning to make an appearance...

LIL BUB.

When this news hit the Interwebs last night, I just about lost my mind. Those who know me — even readers who haven't met me but follow my cat-crazy ramblings here — know why: LIL BUB is my number one, all-time favorite Internet cat in the world. She’s also my second favorite actual cat in the world. Second only to my own darling Alice, of course. On the very rare chance I ever met BUB and her Dude face-to-face, I don’t know if I’d freeze up and become speechless, cry like a hysterical teenager during Beatlemania, or just be super awkward. Probably the latter.

The eeriest part of it all? It’s happening on my birthday. I’m guessing not many of you care about this detail, but it’s going to make it one of the best birthdays I might ever have: BUB and cat videos. An entire gathering of fellow Inland Northwest cat people on one night, in one place. I'm not sure that can be topped. GOOD JOB, BUB, for making my birthday awesome!

I just got off the phone with the Knitting Factory’s marketing director in Boise, Jeni Williams, who confirmed that these dream-like events really ARE real, and BUB is coming to Spokane. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 22, at 10 am. It’s an all-ages event and general admission is $20, with a limited number of reserved seats available for $35.

So, other than the obvious indication in the event name, what exactly is an “Internet Cat Video Film Festival?”

The first ICVFF happened in August 2012, at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, and was part of the huge Minnesota State Fair. The first and second annual festival both featured screenings of curated cat videos, nominated by the public and selected by a team of judges. Videos like “Cats Playing Patty-cake, what they were saying…” and “Kittens Inspired by Kittens,” and “Cat licking vacuum cleaner.”

This year, the event — referred to as the “cat Woodstock” — was so much bigger it was held at the Minnesota State Fair Grandstands, attracting thousands of cat lovers from near and far to watch 65 of their favorite viral cat vids on the big screen. The fest also included talks and meet-and-greets with several special guest celebricats and cat people, including Seattle’s Will Braden, the creator of the Henri Le Chat Noir series, as well as Spokane’s own Charlie Schmidt, the guy behind the infamous Keyboard Cat video, which some argue helped launch this entire phenomenon. 

This year’s ICVFF also featured the official first meeting of famous felines LIL BUB and Grumpy Cat, and we were all truly captivated to see two of the most beloved kitties of all time in the same city, let alone the same room. (Grumpy Cat hails from Arizona, and BUB is from Bloomington, Indiana, in case you didn’t know.)

Also, a helpful side note: Both of these famous kitties are female. I only stress this because if you get their genders wrong in the presence of cat freaks (like me), you might feel kind of silly. So just don't do it. I get mistaken for a guy all the time, too, and I know how these girls feel.

The same collection of videos shown at this year’s ICVFF has been touring the U.S. and the world since its debut in August. Previous stops included San Francisco, Ireland, Montreal, Chicago and New York City. In 2014, after its stop in Spokane, the event will head to Austin’s SxSW arts festival, and later, Portland. More tour stops are being added, too.

My last piece of advice: start looking for the perfect cat attire to wear to this event right meow. I know I’m already thinking about which of my own cat tees to wear…

Keep checking back with Cat Friday HQ for more updates on this super awesome event. 

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Young Kwak Photo

TONIGHT

In what has become Gonzaga's fiercest regional rivalry (ever since Lorenzo Romar decided his Huskies couldn't be bothered to take on the Zags) Washington State is coming into the Kennel tonight.

The Zags and Cougars tip off at 6 pm tonight. And unless you're a season ticket holder or have been freezing your ass off for the last 36 hours, you're probably going to be watching it locally on KHQ or on Root Sports outside of the greater-Spokane area.

Gonzaga comes into the game ranked 13 in the nation with three well-handled games under their belt. The Cougs have two wins in the young season, but those were against lowly Cal State Bakersfield and Lamar. They'll be looking to DaVonte Lacy for points tonight. The junior guard is averaging 24.5 points between those first two contests. You can expect the Zag's bevy of talented guards to stay busy tonight.

They might need it. The Zags needed a last second drive from Kevin Pangos to squeak by the Cougs last year in Pullman.

WHO IS AGENT ZERO?
Casual fans who tuned in to the opening contests of the season were probably wondering who in the hell was wearing number zero on the court for the Zags. They aren't wondering anymore. His name is Gerard Coleman and he's from Boston. But he's not a freshman — rather, the 6-4 junior played two solid seasons at Providence before transferring across the country. He made a hell of an entrance against Bryant, scoring 15 points and racking up 5 steals.

READY FOR MAUI
It's really cold here in Spokane. Like, crap-I-forgot-how-miserable-the-winters-are-here sorta cold. But the Zags are going to be in flip flops and tank tops in just a few days. Tonight is their last game before the Maui Classic, where they start off against Dayton on Monday night and could face ranked teams like Syracuse or Baylor if they keep winning. The last time the Zags headed into the Pacific Ocean, they won the tournament. The time before that, this happened.

WHERE'S THE HAIR?
Maybe it's just me, or is this the first Gonzaga basketball team in the last decade without at least one player with excellent hair? Last season, there was, of course, the sexy locks of current Boston Celtic Kelly Olynyk. Before that, you could rely on Elias Harris for a solid 'fro. Stephen Gray had some killer dreads and Matt Bouldin's curls were the envy of the WCC. Going back even farther, you have Adam Morrison's mop-top, Ronny Turiaf's massive 'fro/cornrows. This was all preceded by Dan Dickau's shaggy do. Perhaps not surprisingly, one of Dickau's business ventures these days is a barber shop in North Spokane.