This & That: On her Red State Rebel blog, Julie Fanselow tells of a close encounter with Gov. Butch Otter at Boise's Downtown Y. She was at the snack bar when Butch walked by. Julie thought it was "cool" that our libertarian governor works out at the Y, which has been dubbed by an Idaho Statesman writer as the "the most democratic – small d – unpretentious gym in town." Writes Julie: "I'm surprised the Idaho Capitol doesn't have a little executive gym tucked away somewhere, but, hey, Otter fancies himself a man of the people – and in this way, at least, he is" … Under "Classroom Enhancement Package" in Idaho Schools Super Tom Luna's budget presentation: "Remediation – $6 million (Seperate from Technology)." P'haps Luna should add spell-check to his technology package … Ex-Kootenai County Planning Director Rand Wichman, who left in June to start his own private planning consultant business, applied in November to be on the county's P&Z commission. But his former bosses, the county commissioners, said no way. Seems they thought it was too soon after his reign as planning director … A Bonner County resident fielded a call Thursday from a man "who sounded Asian or Middle Eastern" asking for his account numbers. For $1.99, the caller said, he would send him $1,000. No dummy he, the sheriff's log reported, the local told his caller in redneckese "to scram" … Poet's Corner: "As the mercury plunged/and the snow filled the air/I saw a brass monkey/put on long underwear" – The Bard of Sherman Avenue ("How Cold Was It?").

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