Huckleberries Online

The Who Rock Super Bowl Halftime

The Who, led by rock legends Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey, transformed the Bridgestone Super Bowl Halftime Show into the most exciting 12 minutes in rock and sport, Sunday evening on CBS, unleashing a riveting live halftime performance at Super Bowl XLIV. The band’s exhilarating set electrified Sun Life Stadium, and thrilled the millions of fans watching throughout the U.S. and around the globe, affirming that America’s most watched sporting event also delivers on its promise of presenting the world’s pinnacle musical spectacular. The awe-inspiring British band commanded a circular stage at luminous Sun Life Stadium in front of approximately 72,000 thousand fans, the iconic Who logo blazing below them as they led the charge into a pyro-powered, multi-platform tour de force/PR Newswire. More here. All halftime shows for Super Bowls from Wikipedia here.

Question: Do you agree with the glowing review above re: The Who’s halftime performance at the Super Bowl? Why do you suppose the Super Bowl offers old rockers for its halftime venue?

Parting Shot — 2.8.10

New Orleans Saints coach Sean Payton holds up the Vince Lombardi Trophy as he leaves the airport Monday in Kenner, La., after the Saints returned from the NFL football Super Bowl. The Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 31-17, attaining their first championship in franchise history. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Wild Card/Monday — 2.8.10

The entertaining Super Bowl is now in our rear-view mirrors to be replaced by the Winter Olympics this weekend — and Blogfest VI at the Fort Ground Grill a week from Saturday. Some of you, meanwhile, are waiting anxiously for spring training and/or March Madness in the next few weeks, too. In other words, there’s pretty of entertainment ahead as this Mother of All Mild Winters continues in the Inland Northwest. Now, for your Wild Card …

N&N: Cherishing ‘O Mom!’ Moments

That is said in a whiny, double syllable wail. O, Mo-om!!! After I have done something, anything to embarrass my poor sons. Now that they have become well into their 30s, I don’t hear it at all, but when they were teens and young adults, it seemed to be the only phrase they knew – because I seemed to do things that only embarrassed them. Like the time I wanted my 14-year-old to quit smoking! I was appalled that my little baby, pink-skinned and perfect, would take up something so disgusting (that, and tattoos!) Who ever thought their little bundle would some day sport dragons and swords on their arms, that you had personally made – perfect! So – I took copies of his 7th grade picture and posted it on every little Ma & Pa store in the neighborhood. Saying something like, “THIS child you are looking at is a MINOR and you will be arrested if you sell him cigarettes.” I didn’t think it worked until one day he came pounding through the house, whining “Oh, Mo-om!!! I can’t believe you did this!” I just smiled/JeanieS, Nuts & Nonsense. More here.

Question: Did you experience any “Oh Mom!” or “Oh Dad!” moments while your kids were growing up? Or, if you still have kids underfoot, do you experience them now?

PM Headlines — 2.8.10

Laura Silsby, 40, of Meridian, one of the 10 Americans who were arrested while trying to bus children out of Haiti without proper documents or government permission, is escorted by a Haitian police officer upon her arrival to the court building in Port-au-Prince on Monday. Five of the ten Americans were brought to court for a third time for questioning. See stories below. (AP Photo/Javier Galeano)

APhoto Of The Day — 2.8.10

Animal rights activists covered in fake blood and wearing banderillas, or barbed darts, protest bullfighting in Mexico City on Saturday. The sign reads in Spanish “No to bullfighting!” You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)

Top Cutlines:

  • 1. Tourist Minister Hernandez resigned shortly after his proposal to emulate Spain’s Running of the Bulls ended with less than desirable consequences — Sisyphus.
  • 2. The Boise State Men’s basketball team following Saturday night’s game against the UofI — Nick Adams.
  • 3. Former Idaho Lt. Governor Jack Riggs is angered when he hears from friends south of the border of an unauthorized PETA Pit — JohnA.
  • HM: KeithinCDA

PM Scanner Traffic — 2.8.10

  • 5:52 p.m. 2 small children are wandering by themselves on I-90 @ M/P 11 (west of Northwest Boulevard exit).
  • 5:40 p.m. Runaway alert given for 11YO girl named Samantha of Osburn who had a fight with her older sister and threatened to hitchhike away from home.
  • 5:26 p.m. W/b vehicle hit deer on H54 @ M/P 4 (near Clagstone/Athol).
  • 5:19 p.m. Someone may be breaking into a work van @ 14519 Wright/Rathdrum.
  • 4:19 p.m. Child Protective Services reports possible rape of Twin Lakes female.
  • 4:02 p.m. Shoplifter nabbed at Rathdrum business.
  • 3:29 p.m. Caller reports an ongoing problem w/a female parking her vehicle on Maple, hear Wyoming.
  • 3:28 p.m. Silent alarm has sounded at Potlatch Credit Union in WalMart. PFPD Blues later said everything was allright.
  • 3:05 p.m. Something is leaking from a train crossing Seltice Way en route to Idaho Veneer.
  • More below

Continue reading PM Scanner Traffic — 2.8.10 »

EOB: Bill Removes ‘Idiot’ Language

After Idaho hosted the Special Olympics World Winter Games last year, Sen. Les Bock (pictured), D-Boise, said he was startled when reading through an Idaho statute to see outmoded terminology like “mentally retarded,” “mentally deficient” and even “lunatic” and “idiot.” Bock said, “I think it made all of us a little more sensitive with respect to some of the language we use with regard to people with intellectual disabilities.” So he asked the Legislative Services Office to do a search of state law, and found lots of such wording/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here. And: Idaho Reporter version

Question: Can you think of any other such terms that should be eliminated from  Idaho statute (or every day language for that matter)?

Jim Brannon Fund-Raiser In 1 Hour

Anyone planning to attend the fund-raiser for losing candidate Jim Brannon at the Greenbriar Inn @ 5 o’clock? Seems Brannon guardian angel Mary Souza sent out a reminder to her circle of friends to be there. And I quote: ”All donations go for the legal fund to protect voters and candidates. Make checks payable to CHRG.” A Berry Picker who forwarded the pdf of the flyer to Huckleberries Online writes: “This small group of people are funding his legal challenge through the CHRG.  Isn’t that exactly what they accuse Mike of doing — a small group of stakeholders puppeteering elections, etc.?” See flyer here.

Question: Izzit just me, or do you see something very wrong with a newby group (Citizens for Honest & Responsible Government) anointing itself as a city watchdog and then immediately jumping aboard the Jim Brannon express?

HBO Blogosphere — 2.8.10

I love used books. I love to go to used book stores wherever I visit. I love St. Vinnies book section in CdA. I love to dig deep at the bottom of a shelf and find some title nobody else knew was there. I especially love used book sales at the library. Yesterday a used book sale was held at the public library in Colville. Now since this was my second visit I knew the routine a bit better. Get a coffee drink and get there early. I was about twenty minutes early and there was already a line winding down the sidewalk. The nice thing about this book sale is they only let so many people in at a time. No trampling for that gently used softback copy of “Twilight”/Gathering Around the Table. More here.

Question: Where do you look for used books? And/or: Am I the only male who’ll admit that he’s read all four books in the “Twilight” series?

Continue reading HBO Blogosphere — 2.8.10 »

Powerball: $141M Richer

Frank Griffin and his wife Loretta of Asheville, N.C., laugh during a news conference in Raleigh, N.C., Monday after claiming their Powerball jackpot winnings of $141 million. (AP Photo/Jim R. Bounds)

Question: Aren’t you happy for the lucky couple?

Dogwalk: Evolution Of Sarah Palin

I’m beginning to understand Palin’s immense popularity. I see a woman who is just enough politician to be canny. I see a woman who has taken her lumps and has come to realize she isn’t quite where she needs to be to have the credibility to run for the highest of offices. She certainly is smart enough to be in the House or Senate when compared to many already there. I see a woman enjoying her fame and new found stature. I see a woman still determining where she wants it to take her. Back to her popularity. She speaks in sharp, witty sound bites. She stumbles over her notes. She speaks the language, by golly, of everyman. I do believe that’s why the average man and woman on the street love her/Dogwalk Musings. More here.

Question: What did you think of Palin’s address to the national Tea Party meeting late last week?

Tebow Super Bowl Ad Was Fake Draw

How great is this: Tim Tebow’s ad with his Mom was a fun, tender ad about the quality of life…and the hard early years…and it NEVER mentioned Abortion. NEVER! And all the pro-abortion people panicked this week and HAD TO show their hand, anticipating some type of culture war attack…which never came tonight. Instead throughout the week we had to watch a whole host of pro-abort people justifying the termination of life…and Americans probably scratched their heads, wondering what the HELL they were combating. … What a fake by Tebow and Focus on the Family!/Dennis Mansfield.

Question: What did you think of the ad featuring star college QB Tim Tebow and his mother, ad ad that received a lot of attention in the pro-life and pro-choice camps ahead of time?

Rep. John Murtha, 77, R.I.P.

In this March 24, 2008, file photo, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D- N.Y, left, addresses the crowd with Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., center, and Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell at the Fayette Campus of Penn State University in Uniontown, Pa. Murtha, an influential critic of the Iraq War whose congressional career was shadowed by questions about his ethics, died today. He was 77. AP story here. (AP Photo/Keith Srakocic, File)

HBO Grub Club Pick: Nosworthy

Nosworthy won out over Syringa this morning (in HBO poll, 24-17) to become the second restaurant designated for review by the new HBO Grub Club. Eagle Keeper suggested Nosworthy. I don’t think I’ve been in Nosworthy since it was called Ground Round way back when. Might be time for another visit. Nosworthy is located at 4045 Government Way (across from the fairgrounds, I believe). You have one week to dine at Nosworthy, looking for factors in which to judge it worthy of up to 5 Huckleberries (good food, bang for buck, atmosphere, service, & bathroom cleanliness). You can begin the discussion now, if you’ve been to Nosworthy recently. Let the games begin.

Hedberg: My Lizard Grandchild

In a mother’s eyes, every newborn is the most beautiful child ever born. But from the viewpoint of one generation removed, you might see some things you would rather not see. Such as: Yes, this new granddaughter is beautiful just because she’s a brand new human being, she’s healthy, she’s ours and we are so happy about it. But when I looked at Miss Erin Kathryn Oberholtzer at 2 days old, I saw through the lens of a woman who has seen plenty of newborns. And my honest reaction was, “Good God, she looks like a lizard.” Not that I voiced this concern to my daughter. It seemed obvious - those puffy eyes, that red, splotchy skin, even that little pink tongue that darted between her lips seeking either her mother’s milk, or perhaps bugs, gave Miss Erin an unmistakable resemblance to the scaly little beasts I’ve seen sunning themselves on rocks in the desert/Kathy Hedberg, Lewiston Tribune. More here.

Question: Be honest now — did any of your newborns look like lizards? Or some other awful animal?

Crump: Utah Drivers The Worst

There’s only one acceptable prejudice left to Idahoans, and that’s making fun of Utah drivers. They’re terrible, they think they own our roads and they’re pretty sure they own Idaho. So join me, please, in pointing and laughing. I encounter more than my fair share of Utah motorists — or Utah! as their license plates proclaim — because I drive Interstate 84 a lot. Ninety-eight percent of them are speeding. The other 2 percent are driving 15 mph under the speed limit and straddling the white line because they’re gabbing on cell phones. I have a friend — we grew up on the same street in Pocatello — who’s a Utah Highway Patrol officer. For 30 years, he’s worked the Interstate 15 corridor from Salt Lake City to the Idaho border, and I-84 from Tremonton to Snowville. His observation is that the closer they get to the Idaho state line, the worse Utahns drive/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.

Question: Is there an acceptable prejudice that you’ll admit having?

HBO’s Inland Northwest — 2.8.10

Dan Nash and his cat Kali enjoy a Cultural Olympiad art exhibit downtown Vancouver, British Columbia on Saturday. The 2010 Vancouver Olympics begin Friday. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

High Noon: When In Coeur d’Alene …

In Portland, Ore., an acquaintance w/the Portland Homebuilders Association is “putting a golf weekend together for my “old” 40-year-old friends” in Coeur d’Alene at the end of September. And was “wondering if (Huckleberries Online readers) have any hints as to houses to rent near (The Coeur d’Alene resort golf course) or good places to stay. He continues: “There’ll be 8 of us so I’m thinking a house will be the best deal.”

Question: Anyone have a suggestion?

Drew Brees Shares Super Bowl w/Son

New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) kisses his son Baylen after winning the NFL Super Bowl XLIV football game against the Indianapolis Colts in Miami Sunday. The Saints won 31-17. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Question: Can you describe a particularly close or poignant moment you had with your father?

AM Scanner Traffic — 2.8.10

  • 11:56 a.m. Martha has a muskrat problem.
  • 11:43 a.m. CPR is under way for an unconscious female in 7400 block of Rude/Hayden.
  • 11:10 a.m. Elizabeth lost wallet at the Alpine Store/Garwood, and it wasn’t there when she returned for it.
  • 11:01 a.m. Julie allowed someone into residence that she now believes shouldn’t be there.
  • 10:57 a.m. Business @ 521 E. Best/CdA wants an unwanted man kicked off grounds.
  • 10:34 a.m. A poodle mix w/a collar is running loose on the Hayden Lake Golf Course.
  • 9:59 a.m. Responding officers have contacted a Blockbuster employee as he was opening the video store for the day re: the silent alarm.
  • 9:56 a.m. CPD Blues have surrounded Blockbuster in response to a silent alarm. No one is visible within.
  • 9:40 a.m. A silent holdup alarm has gone off at Blockbuster in the Fred Meyer mall area.
  • 8:52 a.m. A motorist reports that a white pickup going through the lights @ N/W & Ironwood has an axle that’s “coming apart.”
  • 8:39 a.m. PFPD Blues are looking for a Post Falls man in a Nissan pickup who hasn’t been seen since Sunday when he made comments re: suicide.

House Supports Office Pools 69-1

There was just one “no” vote - from Rep. JoAn Wood, R-Rigby - as the House voted just now to pass HB 422, the bill from Rep. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, to eliminate what he called an “archaic law” that now requires law enforcement officers and prosecutors who know about any type of gambling - including office pools and the like - to prosecute them or face misdemeanor charges themselves/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.

Marmie: Super Bore Not Worth Time

ok, dont hate me … but … I found it wellabit boring … all that stopping and starting and stopping and a couple of throws and tackles then stopping again … and, I couldnt make head nor tail of the rules or what was what LOL … on saying that, when I went to watch a Baseball game whilst in Maine a couple of years ago, I was totally lost watching that to LOL … just hit the dam ball and run like hell … the bloke sitting next to me did NOT appreciate me shouting that out LOL … anyways … maybe if ya actually go to a football match it might be different, but after 30 minutes I was ready for bed :)

Question: Would any of you Yanks out there rather watch a World Cup final over the Super Bowl?

NI’s Scourge Of Hatred Re-emerges

In this Oct. 28, 2000, file photo, white supremacist Richard Butler, speaks through a megaphone at an Aryan Nations rally in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. The Aryan Nations is long gone from northern Idaho, but its reputation lingers to the chagrin of locals. (AP Photo/Tom Davenport, File)

In a small house in Coeur d’Alene, 89-year-old Sid Rosen lives out his sunset years going through his life’s mementos. Tucked away in a box, the World War II veteran finds two small, dog-eared photographs of anti-Semitic graffiti sprayed on his Coeur d’Alene restaurant in 1980. The vandalism – which still angers Rosen, his son says – was one of the first in a series of incidents that led to creation of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations. Today, as the nationally recognized group prepares to celebrate its 30th anniversary, other racist, anti-Semitic graffiti and literature have been turning up not far from Rosen’s home/Bill Morlin, Spokesman-Review. More here. And: History of Hate section here.

Question: How well do you know the history of the Aryan Nations in North Idaho and the long fight waged by the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations against area racism?

NIC Staffer Launches Beauty Blog

When she was in her 20s, North Idaho College Health Professions and Nursing Division Senior Administrative Assistant Cindy Ingalls modeled for Dredzen Modeling Agency, doing runway fashion shows for companies such as the Bon Marche and Nordstrom. It was during that time that her love and appreciation for the artistry of makeup began. But Ingalls isn’t 20 anymore. And the styles, colors, and techniques that worked for her in her youth, aren’t necessarily appropriate for older women. That is why Ingalls recently started Prime Beauty, a blog that acts as a beauty resource for women 40 and older. “There are lots of makeup and skincare blogs for the 20- to 30-year-old crowd, but very little for mature women,” Ingalls said. “Women over 40 have unique issues and Prime Beauty addresses those issues with information geared specifically for them”/Stacy Hudson, NIC Press Room. More here. And: Prime Beauty blog here.

Question: Any of you need of some TLC beauty tips?

HBO Poll: Raul Labrador Gets Nod

  • Weekend Poll: Raul Labrador easily bested Vaughn Ward in an HBO Poll matchup of frontrunners vying for the GOPrimary nod to take on Congressman Walt Minnick this fall. 131 of 240 (55%) respondents to the weekend poll preferred Labrador, while 70 of 240 (29%) favor Ward. 39 of 240 (16%) didn’t want either to win. Judging by the comments under the poll, however, it appears that a number of outsiders voted in the poll. See here.
  • Ice Arena: 70 of 107 (65%) of the respondents said that LCDC should grant a request to provide $200,000 to help build an ice arena in the Lake City area. 29 of 107 (27%) said the urban renewal district shouldn’t help fund the project.
  • Today’s Poll: The current poll on the Coeur d’Alene Press Web site asks what readers think of the new organization formed by Mary Souza, Bill McCrory, Dan Gookin, and other allies, Citizens for Honest and Responsible Government. CHRG is polling strong on the Press Web site. I’m curious what you Berry Pickers think about the group. So I’ll pose the same poll question the online Press did.

Super Bowl Ads Make Mark Again

This image provided by E-Trade shows part of a television ad that aired during the 2010 Super Bowl. (AP Photo/E-Trade)

Question: Which Super Bowl ad was your favorite?

KR: Luna Puts Land Board On Hot Seat

On Wednesday afternoon, Tom Luna’s $52.8 million gamble comes before the state Land Board. The state schools superintendent is betting the state can afford to use an endowment reserve to backfill Idaho’s K-12 budget. He is also wagering that he can sway a couple of Republican votes on the state’s Land Board. It’s up to the board - Luna, Gov. Butch Otter, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, Secretary of State Ben Ysursa and Controller Donna Jones - to decide whether to make a one-time withdrawal from the Public Schools Earnings Reserve Fund. The schools are due to receive their regular annual payment of $31.3 million for 2010-11. But Luna is eyeing a fund that could open the budget year with $90.4 million in reserves, and believes the state can give more money to public schools/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.

Question: Should the Land Board tap the state endowment reserve, as Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna suggests, to limit the impact of budget cuts on public schools?

Parkside Bistro Faces Final Months

Item: Parkside Bistro faces final months: Facility on railroad’s right of way set to close/Rick Thomas, Coeur d’Alene Press

More Info: Once consummated, however, none of the other commercial sites on the right of way will be allowed to continue, Gridley said. That includes the empty building along Northwest Boulevard that most recently was a chicken restaurant, and the adjacent Atlas Warehouse. The site is part of the Four Corners proposal that extends from Independence Point to Garden Avenue, which ends west of Northwest Boulevard and the skate park, behind the restaurant.

Question: In the long run, is the city’s plans to reconfigure the entrance to North Idaho College and add another exit from the Fortgrounds area more important than keeping a popular restaurant/watering hole?

AM Headlines — 2.8.10

At the Lilac City Regional Cheer and Dance Championships, Spotlight Cheer Studios from Coeur d’ alene perform their routine for the judges Saturday in the Spokane Convention Center. Sara Leaming’s SR story here. (Colin Mulvany/SR)

About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.

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