I have a weird sense of humor. Think Far Side. But North Idaho College types took weirdest to a new level in their weekly newsletter last Monday when they printed “Fun facts about this year’s college freshmen.” The first fun fact? “They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up.” I learned about the Challenger explosion while leaving the Third Street parking lot in Coeur d’Alene after a chamber of commerce Upbeat Breakfast meeting on Jan. 28, 1986. It wasn’t that much fun. In fact, I was stunned when I heard all seven astronauts had been killed, including Christa McAuliffe, who was to have been the first school teacher in space. Second fun fact? “Their lifetime has always included AIDS.” ‘Nuff said. But this isn’t the worst of it. After I printed these “fun facts” on my online version of Huckleberries (www.spokesmanreview.com/blogs/nhb), youngish blogger Kristin Hoppe/Not So Fast stirred us oldsters further, with devilish delight, by asking: “Has anyone alive seen a live Walter Cronkite broadcast? Wasn’t he from World War II or something?” And that’s the way it is.

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