Politics-as-usual faded into "Black Friday" as we "flASHback" on the week’s news that amused and confused:

» Democratic legislators and the Abercrombie administration hope to agree on a common theme for the upcoming election-year legislative session. They can’t decide between "Gamble on Taxes" or "Taxes on Gambling."

» Councilman Tom Berg apologized for being so disruptive at a Waipahu Neighborhood Board meeting that police were called. He gets confused sometimes on the difference between making a point and just making A.

» Waipahu Neighborhood Board Chairman Rito Saniatan called Berg "unprofessional, undignified, immature" and refused to accept his apology. Can a councilman be charged as an illegal alienator?

» Gov. Neil Abercrombie announced an agreement between Hawaii and Japan to build an electrical "smart grid" on Maui. The Japanese will contribute the smarts, and Hawaii, the regulatory gridlock.

» With the Oahu rail debate in its seventh year and $342 million already spent, the Outdoor Circle came out against the project. How many times did they need to hug those 900 trees the train will displace before arriving at a position?

» All four members of Hawaii’s congressional delegation voted for a bill that allows pizza and french fries to count as vegetables in school lunches. Children are our future — if their arteries don’t clog before it gets here.

» Mired in politics, the Office of Hawaiian Affairs couldn’t agree on a successor for resigned Maui trustee Boyd Mossman and may have to kick the decision to Abercrombie. This is the bunch that’s supposed to lead the way to Hawaiian self-governance?

» State agencies spent less than half of the $7.5 million budgeted for safety during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit. Perhaps they should give the difference to the small businesses they kept safe from their customers.

» Top Hawaii business and community leaders are at risk of identity theft after their personal information submitted for APEC security clearance was stolen. Sounds like somebody in the 99 percent wants to join the 1 percent the easy way.

» Honolulu police say they aren’t investigating rumors of point-shaving by University of Hawaii football players, but UH could still face a probe by the NCAA. Coach Greg McMackin’s head is spinning with worries about the offensive line, the defensive line, the betting line and the unemployment line.

And the quote of the week … from San Diego visitor Peter Ataie, who spent two days of his Hawaii vacation waiting in a "Black Friday" line at Best Buy to get a new TV: "It is the most amazing thing when those doors open up and you’ve got your mind and goals set up and you’re rushing towards that TV."

Wouldn’t it be something if we had political candidates who made voters feel that way at the polls?

Reach David Shapiro at volcanicash@gmail.com or blog.volcanicash.net.