If you read our online site, you know that SR editors split about covering PETA’s publicity stunt in downtown Spokane, including the appearance of a semi-nekkid femme pretending to be a caged animal. On his Video Journal blog, Colin Mulvaney explained: “Most editors in the morning meeting wanted to take a pass, or at best just write brief and stick it on page B-3 (with a boring ‘gawker’ photo).” Mulvaney, ultimately, decided to do a video (which is available online) exploring “the street pedestrian’s reaction to the nude woman, rather than give PETA’s controlled message much weight.” Meanwhile Huckleberries Online published both photos, including Brian Plonka’s back shot of the semi-nude PETAphile, and asked readers which they preferred. Respondents were split, like SR editors. But a HBO commenter CDADave summed up things best: “In my G-rated life, I hardly ever see female nudity. So while I may have run the more politically correct "gawker" picture, the alternative shot probably would’ve made it into my photo album.”

Bald – And Beautiful?
In arguing against Intelligent Design on HBO last week, Bob Salsbury/Unbearable Bobness of Being started banter by offering these “proofs”: 1. Platypus, 2. Pomeranians, 3. Guys who shave their heads, 4. Armadillos, and 5. Barry Manilow. That, of course, started an argument about shaved heads. Intoned Ryan Hill: “I’ve been shaving my head for about four years. When the top of the ol’ noggin started looking like a poorly maintained chia pet, I grabbed the trusty Schick post haste. (BTW, Chicks dig it.)” Another said he shaved his head two years ago to show solidarity to a cancer patient undergoing chemotherapy and never looked back. Quoth: “Easy to maintain and no hat hair.” A femme offered that shorn men are “sexy.” All of which caused Bob to respond, unfazed, that black men can pull off the shaved head look but white guys with the ubiquitous goatees resemble one of the following: 1. Late stage chemo patient, 2. Escaped mental patient, and 3. Delousing patient. Me? Approaching 56, I’m glad I still have a choice.

Huckleberries
Poet's Corner: “In Lou’siana one may see/a lesson on democracy/that you should quickly take to heart:/Elections don’t make people smart” – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Attention, Iraqis”) … In his Sports Illustrated column, Pete McEntegarte/The Ten Spot offers a reasonable explanation why 0-4 University of Idaho received five points in the new Harris Interactive Top 25 college football poll: "The voters said they panicked when they couldn’t find Ralph Nader on the ballot." That, or the votes came from Miami-Dade, Florida … Rich Gingrich sez he’s the one who pulled the plug on wife Laurie Roth’s syndicated talk show after her horrific motorcycle accident, not the local Clear Channel outlet. So, comments here that Clear Channel was hard-hearted might be exaggerated. Mea culpa … Update: “Mike is improving. He is gaining strength every day. He is able to now move his fingers on his right hand whereas a month ago he was unable to do this. With the therapy he receives he is now able to stand bearing his own weight, with minimal assistance” – Carrie Kralicek re: husband, Mike, the CPD Blue who was critically injured in a Hayden shootout last Dec. 28 … Undersheriff Gary Cuff explained to the HBO audience last week why felons don’t take good photos in those Kootenai County warrant roundup mug shots: “We use the same camera to take the drivers license photographs.” Enough said.

Parting Shot
There’s nothing wrong with Spokane, except for its people, according to Brandon Hanson, the EWU Easterner Editor-in-Chief. Quoth: “They rant and rave, yet when the cards are laid down and the questions ‘You want to go see a movie?’ ‘You want to go camping?’ ‘You want to go catch a baseball game?’ are laid down on the table, their responses are always ‘Naaah, I’m just going to hang around here and watch some TV.’” Ah, what time’s “Survivor” on?

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