All the negative economic “news,” (not to be confused with the actual economic situation) and all the talk about high gas prices and Big Oil and its outrageous profits got me thinking about some of the other “Bigs” that are out there selling stuff we have to have and making way too much money. I don’t know if you’ve ever thought much about it, but there’s one of those that is an order of magnitude worse than Big Oil. I’m talking about Big Software.

The cold weather may have an effect on this year’s Yakima Valley apple crop for some varieties, coming and going.

Pictured: Despite rain and chilly temperatures, visitors continued to arrive throughout the day at the Zillah Lakes grand opening event on Saturday in Zillah. Here a family is seen entering one of the many model homes available. Staff photo

Every time I read about the housing “crisis” there is always the use of the word “greed” worked into the story, often times more than once. It’s a word with a lot of emotional appeal. That’s why certain politicians and media like to use it so much. What “greed” means, according to the Webster’s Deluxe Unabridged Dictionary, is a “desire for more than one needs or deserves.” The dictionary doesn’t specify who gets to determine need or deserts. So, what “greed” seems to mean as a practical matter is “anyone who already has more than I do (or when politicians use it, more than you do), and wants more. The upshot is, “greed” means a lot of different things, depending on who’s talking.

You’d have to say that Jim and Kristine Russi have a knack for making the best of things.

Pictured: Kristine Russi shows off a bottle of Junkyard Red, the latest release from Piety Flats Winery, which she and her husband, Jim, own. Staff photo

Picture: Wapato Mayor Jesse Farias makes a point about the preliminary 2009 budget to City Council members at the Sept. 15 budget study session. Staff photo

The Yakama Nation cigarette tax stamp is valid again, at least until the end of January next year, despite the termination of the tribe’s tax compact agreement with the state, after a ruling by a federal judge Sept. 12.

Remember a couple of months ago when I was talking about the incomprehensibility of a trillion dollars? Well I just got a press release from a guy named Don Brunell, who is the president of the Association of Washington Businesses. The headline read, “America’s Federal Debt is Beyond Comprehension.” You’ll never guess how much that debt is, and even if you did guess right, it wouldn’t mean much. Try $53 trillion. That’s how much the Government Accountability Office claims it will take to make good on the promise made to all the folks who will be retiring over the next decade and a half, for their retirement and health care costs, plus a few other incidental debts the government has racked up.

Pictured: The newly selected Miss Wapato and court wave to the crowd during the Harvest Festival parade this past Labor Day in Wapato. Staff photo

Pastor Gary Conner of Zillah is a man who believes that actions speak louder that words.

Pictured: Chuck Kelly touches up a window frame.