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Archive for August 2009
We’re in the second and final week of signups for local municipal races. The dance cards are filling up with incumbents who plan to seek another term and challengers (in Coeur d’Alene) who want to turn back the hands of progress. Post Falls hasn’t seen a lot of action, other than political unknowns who’d like to seat veteran Mayor Clay Larkin and Mary Ann Henderson’s announced race against incumbent Joe Bodman. I’ll keep an eye on the clerks’ offices and let you know who’s filing and when. Now, for your Wild Card …
A man gets a shower after he played soccer in the mud flats at Brunsbuettel near to the North Sea, northern Germany, during the annual mud flats festival on Sunday. (AP Photo/Heribert Proepper)
A young friend of mine recently received a $97 ticket (not in this state) for failing to flip on her blinkers for a turn. She received the ticket despite the fact that she was in a turn-only lane. Yeah, she committed a violation. And she figured that she had a ticket coming for all the times she has gone over the speed limit, failed to come to a complete stop, and parked too long in spots. But she still felt the traffic cop was a little anal retentive for nailing her with what amounts to a day’s pay for a relatively minor violation.
Question: Have you received a traffic citation of any kind that you were tempted to tell the officer: Don’t you have something better to do — like solving real crime?
Katie’s first ever dentist appointment was yesterday. (Yes, at 10, she’s a little old for a first 
dental visit, but anxiety issues related to AS kept us from taking her before.) I expected to have to hold her hand, but she surprised me. When the nurse called her name, she calmly told me she wanted to go in by herself. Twenty minutes later, she came out raving about how fun it was to have her mouth rinsed while “Mr. Thirsty”, the suction wand, sucked all the water out. Two things: 1) How grown up my girl is getting! I’m so proud of her. 2) Mr. Thirsty is what they called the sucker wand when I was a kid. I thought that guy would be retired by now. By the way, no cavities!/Katrina, Notes On A Napkin. More here.
Question: Did/do your kids handle trips to the dentist well? Do you?
Grand champion in the “So You Think You Can Text?” text messaging contest Hammond Bradford poses with Phones Plus President Chris Cheeley in front of the Phones Plus 2006 Ferrari F430 Spider F1 convertible. Hammond won a ride in the car as part of his grand prize. Story here.
Question: Are you good at texting?
A dance couple prepare to compete in the semi-finals at the 7th Tango Dance World Championship in Buenos Aires, Brazil, Friday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)
Top Cutlines:
KeithinCDA brought back some proof that fall’s on the way while hanging out in the Blue Mountains in southeast Washington over the weekend.
Betty Ann Henderson of Ponderosa Loop filed her candidacy petition with the Post Falls city clerk’s office this afternoon. She will seek council seat now held by Joe Bodman. Gary Mladjan will serve as her campaign treasurer. Four Ponderosa Loop neighbors signed her petition, along with Mladjan and former legislator Freeman Duncan.
Question: Can Betty Ann Henderson unseat Councilman Bodman?
A Coeur d’Alene teen was attacked by three men at Independence Point Sunday evening. 
Dimitrius Peterson, 18, told police that he was with friends on the waterfront when a short, stalky male with a goatee and tan complection asked him for a cigarette. Peterson said the man hit him in the face after he said he didn’t have a cigarette. Reportedly, the two fell to the ground fighting. Then, Peterson said, two friends of the assailant began hitting and kicking him. A taller white male kicked him in the side of the face. The three then drove off in a silver SUV. Peterson required treatment at Kootenai Medical Center afterward/Coeur d’Alene Police report.
A new book club – supported by a $3,000 grant from the Friends of the Coeur d’Alene Public Library – will meet for the first time at the library, 702 E. Front Ave, on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 10 a.m. The first book selected for the Public Library Pageturners to discuss is “Worst Hard Times,” by Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Tim Egan. Copies of the book can also be checked out by visiting the Research and Information Desk at the library, said Katie Sayler, current chair of the Library Board of Trustees and an organizer for the book club. Participants who want to make notes in their books or to pass copies on to friends or families can purchase their own copies from other sources/David Townsend, Coeur d’Alene Today. More here.
Question: Do you plan to join the new library book club?
A referendum that could overturn Washington state’s “everything but marriage” domestic partnership law has qualified for the November ballot. The secretary of state’s office said Monday that sponsors of Referendum 71 had 121,486 valid petition signatures - enough to put the newly expanded domestic partnership law to a public vote. A secondary check of rejected signatures was not complete, so the number could increase. The new law was supposed to take effect on July 26, but was delayed until the signature count was complete. Now, it won’t take effect unless it is approved in the Nov. 3 election/Seattle Times. More here.
Question: Will Washington voters uphold or overturn the decision by the Washington Legislature to give gay and lesbian couples all the state-provided benefits that married heterosexual couples have?
Who is going to follow Ted Kennedy? The bigger than life Senator? The likes of Tip O’Neil, Mike Mansfield. Sam Huston … whether you like them or not, they were bigger than life. People could name them and not name their own congressperson. It isn’t longevity, because Green, Byrd, Thurmond, Johnson, Pepper, Foley, Wilson and Hatch were/are forces to be reckon with, but not to the point of these men above/Simple Mind.
Question (from Simple Mind): Where will our next bigger than life congress person come from? (It could be a woman … but I kind of doubt it.)
Vehicles use the roundabout at Hamilton Mason, Liberty Fairfield, and Vinnedge Roads in Fairfield Twp., Butler County, Ohio. Federal transportation officials say roundabouts _ or traffic rotaries _ are catching on across the country as an accident-reducing and motorist-calming alternative to multiple stop signs. (AP Photo/The Enquirer, Amie Dworecki)
Question: I was a vocal opponent when the city of Coeur d’Alene installed that roundabout @ 4th & Kathleen, north of the Nazarene Church. I thought the city’d made a bad intersection worse. I was wrong. Traffic moves smoothly and safely through the intersection. What do you think of roundabouts?
The question, called in by Press subscriber George Schultz of Hayden, struck a delightful, 
derisive chord with the audience. Rep. Walt Minnick, who was hosting the forum on health care, said he understood the sentiment but suggested that the federal government actually does a few things well. Many in the crowd didn’t want to hear that. They booed. They booed again, loudly, when Rep. Minnick, whom The Washington Post recently deemed the most independent-thinking member of Congress, said he thought everybody in the auditorium should hope that our president is successful, for the good of the nation. At one point during Tuesday night’s forum, Minnick was responding to a question when, in mid-sentence, a woman in the front row shouted rudely, “Answer the question!” It’s the only time Rep. Minnick directly addressed a verbal assailant, saying that he was answering the question/Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: What do you expect to see from Walt Minnick, now that he’s held several townhall meetings around his district to discuss the federal health care proposal?
Taryn Hecker: I don’t agree with Spencer on much of anything. Including his interpretation that 
his mullet isn’t a mullet. But I do appreciate the Spencers in this community who speak their minds and are a perennial pain in the arse of our local bureaucrats if for no other reason than to keep them on their toes. With fewer, make that close to nil, investigative reporters left somebody needs to be serving as watchdogs over local government. Gotta give props to Spencer for watchdogging. Even if he’s only on the money some of the time.
Question: What do you think of Taryn’s contention that watchdogs like Spencer benefit their communities, even when they are off base some/much of the time?
Two young stallions play together at the Pryor Mountain Wild Horse Range south of Billings, Mont. This week, federal officials had planned to thin by more than a third a wild horse herd that roams a mountain range along the Montana-Wyoming border. But the roundup that was suppose to begin today has been delayed until Thursday. Story here. (AP Photo/Pryor Mountain Wild Mustang Center, Matt Dillon)
Sara E. Anderson/f-words: I truly think all the Obama-hate is creepy, but I am sick to DEATH of demanding apologies from people. It’s really just self-congratulation, “I’m sure glad I didn’t say something that horrible/stupid. Now admit how bad you are!!”
Question: Obviously, some individuals “hated” Clinton and others hated Bush, if that’s the right word to use. Now, some are turning their anger on Obama. Why do Americans love to hate their presidents?
Baptism candidates Camera Pigg, 10, left, and Amber VanHorn, 23, wade out into Two River Lake waiting their turn to be baptized at Corinthian Baptist Church’s old-fashioned outdoor baptism service Sunday in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/the tennessean, Shelley Mays)
Question: I have baptism covered. I was sprinkled as an infant and then dunked in a pond as an adult. Have you been baptized? Were you sprinkled or dunked? Were you baptized in a church baptistry or outdoors in a river, lake, or pond?
But Cash for Clunkers appears to be another one of those constitutionally dubious programs 
Congress passes and adds to the deficit. The U.S. Constitution talks about regulating interstate commerce. As others have pointed out, Cash for Clunkers made the U.S. government a participant in commerce. I asked Minnick’s spokesman, John Foster, to tell me the constitutional justification of Cash for Clunkers. “I didn’t ask Walt that, and I am not a constitutional lawyer, so I’m not qualified to answer,” Foster said. “But I think, personally, that the 316 votes in the House and 60 votes in the Senate for the program show that most members of Congress were comfortable with the constitutionality”/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.
Question: Do you think the Cash For Clunkers program was worth the money handed out?
“The Spirit Lake fireboat put on quite a show for those along the shore at Spirit Lake’s Silver Beach while performing an equipment check on what might very well have been the last summer day with temperatures in the ‘90s,” posts Councilwoman KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho.
Question: How would you rate the weather in North Idaho/Inland Northwest this summer (on scale of 1 to 10, with 1 being awful)?
In five days, Idaho football coach Robb Akey will unveil an on-the-field product
that figures to be the most polished since his arrival three years ago. The defense has never been so rangy and athletic. A stocked supply of skill
players is starting to come of age. The defensive line finally has more than a
smattering of able (and thick) bodies.Yes, everything points to a much healthier program than the one Akey
inherited after Dennis Erickson’s swift departure in 2006. Nevertheless, this
fact remains: All the anecdotal progress means nothing unless the Vandals start
churning out wins/Josh Wright, SR. More here.
Friends of mine - older than I - have assured me there are benefits to growing older. But I 
never experienced this myself until recently, when I went to a movie and realized I was eligible for the senior citizen discount. I was all set to pay the $8.50 regular charge when I looked at the price list and saw that, based on the fact that I am 55, I needed to pay only $6. How thrilling. I paid the ticket, bought a soda and strutted into the theater as if I’d just found money on the sidewalk. Then it hit me. When I told the ticket clerk I was eligible for the senior discount, she simply nodded and took my money. She did not even ask to see my identification. I don’t know quite how to take that. Instead of money on the sidewalk it turned out to be more like Monopoly money/Kathy Hedberg, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question (for Seasoned Citizens among us): Do you take senior citizen discounts?
The University of Idaho’s “Ground and roof snow loads for Idaho” study completed under the 
leadership of Dr. Ronald Sack is so scientifically flawed it should never have been published. As cities and counties adopt the resulting snow load roof standards, millions of dollars are wasted by overbuilding roof systems, in many cases, the cost of complying runs between $5,000 and $10,000 per home. The problem is the study extrapolated snow levels from the peaks of the tallest mountains and then made a direct correlation to the valleys, accounting only for lower precipitation as a result of the elevation difference/Larry Spencer, Hayden, Moscow-Pullman Daily News letter to editor. More here.
Question: Do you believe Spencer brings up good point?
The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department is investigating an attack on a jogger on the Prairie Trail, just east of Huetter Road early Sunday morning. Initial investigation indicates that Jonathan Taylor, 46 of Post Falls had just turned east bound on the Prairie Trail from Huetter Road and had stopped to take a drink from his carried container when he was struck on the head from behind with a piece of wood. Taylor was knocked to the ground and lost consciousness for a few moments. When he came to, he was able to use his cellular phone to call his wife, who came and found him and called 9-1-1. Taylor told investigators that he never saw the person who hit him. There is no known motive for the attack at this time. Mr. Taylor was treated and released at Kootenai Medical center/Capt. Ben Wolfinger, Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department.
Question: Do you feel safe while using the Centennial Trail?
Jim Hayden, Regional Wildlife Manager for Idaho Fish & Game at his office in Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday. Story here. (Kathy Plonka, SR)
Army Sgt. James E. Craig was born in Spokane, married in Spokane and after being killed during his third tour in Iraq, he was buried in Spokane. Although few would argue that he is not 
a son of Washington state, Craig’s widow has had to insist that it is so in order to continue receiving a state college tuition waiver intended for the families of dead or disabled veterans. “Where you choose to be buried is your home,” says Natalie Craig, who wonders whether other war widows have had trouble proving their husbands’ legal residency “and I’m just the only one who’s not going to roll over.” However, she is not the first to complain, according to state Sen. Mike Hewitt, author of the legislation that provides tuition waivers to eligible children and spouses of veterans or active duty personnel who are disabled, deceased, made prisoner of war or declared missing in action/Kevin Graman, SR. More here.
Question: What do you think of the “nitpicking” deputy attorneys general for colleges who would deny this right to the widow and families of dead war heroes?
A recession? You could have fooled those in downtown Sandpoint during this past month. With activities such as artist tours, an arts and crafts fair, a fun run and of course the Festival at 
Sandpoint, the streets were backed up, the parking lots were full and the majority of those driving through the downtown corridor had out-of-state license plates. It was a welcome sight for what many feared would be a slow tourist season in this resort community. Gloria Waterhouse, owner of the Inn at Sand Creek, said it’s been an exceptional year for her business. She credits that in part to the fact that couples, especially nonresidents, are choosing Sandpoint as a beautiful setting for their destination weddings/Patty Hutchens, SR Handle Extra. More here.
Question: How do you view tourists and other visitors to our North Idaho communities in the summer — necessary evil to bolster the economy? A nuisance? A welcome addition that underscores that we live in a beautiful area?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
We had quite an opening week to the municipal election process last week, as most of the individuals who’d made noises about running this fall in Coeur d’Alene filed their candidacy petitions. The lineup was predicted here three days before the filing deadline began. However, there’s still a week left to file. So there’s room for surprises. Huckleberries Online has provided a couple of exclusive posts re: the race between incumbent Mike Kennedy and challenger Jim Brannon. You didn’t see anywhere else that Brannon had missed his official announcement at McEuen Field and was seeking $49 donations (via Linda Cook) from individuals who might want to hide their support from financial disclosure statements. Or that high-rolling Dems in Boise had staged a fund-raiser for Councilman Mike Kennedy. We discussed those things thoroughly while the dead-tree media was content to simply tell you who had filed candidacy papers. Tell you friends that they need to check in here if they want the latest on the important council races. Now, for your Sunday Wild Card …
I didn’t realize how summer was gone until I tuned in the Mariners game last night while watering the garden — and heard the Coeur d’Alene High Viks playing Lakeland on KVNI. I wished someone would measure the length of days during the summer and see if they contain the same 24 hours as the ones in the dead of winter. Summer days, of course, have a whole lot of sunshine. But they seem to pass twice as fast as winter ones. On the other hand, fall is my favorite time of the year in the Inland Northwest. So I’ll continue to cut the lawn. And enjoy the forthcoming municipal elections. Which already are producing plenty of blog fodder. Now, for your Wild Card …
Item: Three lawsuits target CdA police: Wrongful arrest, assault among plaintiffs’ claims/Meghann M. Cuniff, SR
More Info: A man says he was wrongfully jailed for attempted rape for four months before the charge was dropped a day before trial because of lack of evidence. A woman claims police broke bones in her face when they forced her to the ground after mistaking her drunken stumbling for a threat. Officers had responded to her apartment on a report she’d been assaulted. Another woman says officers assaulted her at a hospital when she checked in after blacking out. Police suspected the man who drove her there was drunk. Those claims are detailed in three lawsuits filed against the Coeur d’Alene Police Department by a lawyer who said he sues law enforcement for a living
Question: Do these lawsuits shake your confidence in the Coeur d’Alene Police Department?
Redman: (Wolf Alliance protesters) are the same people who protest any and all timber sales in our
national forests, these are the same people who accuse us of murdering
Turkeys every thanksgiving, a cort of turkey holocost, these are the
same people who wish to impose their vegan values on the rest of us.
This is not about wolves, this is about the right to hunt and access to
the forests. These extremists use the wolf and the Grizzly and other
species to limit access to their terms only. What they forget is that
the national forests are for everyone to use and enjoy, not just their
select brand of granola.
Question: Will animal activists eventually succeed in shutting down hunting?
JBelle: I think somewhere along the way the Kootenai County GOP morphed and
turned into pure amateurish ugly. I think they’d do just about anything
to stop Mike Kennedy and don’t really care how they look and what
public perception of their efforts is. Where did it all go wrong with
them? This is not the party of Dr. Bill Wood, Louise Shadduck and
countless other heavy hitters who packed integrity in eights. What’s up anyway?
Question: Is JBelle analyzing the politics of the Kootenai County GOP correctly? Is it nastier today than it was 25 or 30 years ago when Bill Wood and Louise Shadduck were forces?
MarkR: Open Letter to All Candidates: Right now, I’m open-minded. I’ll
be watching and listening intently to what you (AND your supporters)
are saying, and to what they’re doing (as well as NOT doing). Here are the simple things I’d like to see from YOU, as candidates:
My vote is yours to lose. And once it’s lost, be sure that I’ll let others know why I’m not voting for you.
Question: Which of the four races for Coeur d’Alene mayor and council will be the cleanest? Which will be the dirtiest? Will anyone follow MarkR’s directions?
CindyH: But this brings to mind a distant memory
of potty-training number one son. By golly, the kid 
stayed dry from day
one, but going number two on the potty freaked him out. He’d hold it
for days— resulting in major constipation. The pediatrician advised
suppositories and something called Fletcher’s Cherry syrup. I took him
with to Rite Aid to purchase his meds. While waiting in line, he
turned to the lady behind him and announced, “We’re buying some
medicine to stick up my bottom to help me poop!” After that I’m pretty much immune from embarrassment.
Question: Describe the last time that you were embarrassed.
Coeur D’Alene running back #23 Zach Keiser leaps through the line as his teammate #72 Sean Duffy blocks for him early in the game at Lakeland Friday. The Vikings jumped out to an early 14-0 lead in the game. Coeur d’Alene won 57-7. Meanwhile, Sandpoint dumped Lake City 35-7. Greg Lee’s story here. (Christopher Anderson/SR)
Question: Do you follow a local high school team? Which one? When did you last see a high school football game?
Huckleberries hears that there might be a surprise or two next week when all the candidacy petitions are filed at Coeur d’Alene City Hall. You and I will have to stay tuned for that. Meanwhile, KTVB/KREM has written a story re: how Bubblehead’s son (The Stupid Shall Be Punished post here) got the shaft from Washington State University here. And former Denver QB John Elway plans to marry a former Raiderette cheerleader in Coeur d’Alene this weekend, according to the Denver Post here. (Now, admit it, does any other media outlet in the region bring you info like this?) And now I’m headed home and possibly to the fair again. I’ll leave this Wild Card behind …
This photo copy of a wolf tag belonging to Gary Drechsel of Worley photographed earlier today by Kathy Plonka/SR at Idaho Fish & Game in Coeur d’Alene. KHQ story here.
The cable television show known for a 360-degree mirror and two snarky stylists want an Idaho woman to make over. TLC’s “What Not To Wear” is looking for women of Idaho who could use a fashion makeover. If you know a someone who needs a drastic fashion intervention, TLC wants your nominations. “What Not to Wear” is fashion intervention for people nominated by well-meaning friends, family members or co-workers. Fashion experts, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly confront the person, reveal their plan, sort through the person’s current wardrobe and give them with rules for maximizing their best assets and personal style/Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Without naming names, do you know an Idahoan who could use a dress, hair, and make-up make over?
North Idaho College staff member Laura Humphreys posts fliers around the NIC campus encouraging students and employees to stay home if they are sick. The college is planning for the coming flu season and the possible reemergence of H1N1 Influenza. Story here. (NIC Photo).
Participants perform a patriotic song in Beijing, China. A large-scale vocal concert featuring patriotic songs was held on Wednesday with the attendance of representatives from all walks of life in Beijing, Xinhua reported. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Xinhua, Xie Huanchi) Top Cutlines:
In Coeur d’Alene, the conservative movement is well under way and going strong thanks to a group of people who do not blindly accept what their local government leaders are telling them. Mary Souza, Bill McCrory and Dan Gookin, who started this effort about two years ago, are especially offended by the notion of non-elected people – specifically the Lake City Development Corporation – making decisions that have an impact on property taxes/Chuck Malloy, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.
Question: Are you surprised that Wayne Hoffman’s Idaho Freedom Foundation would consider OpenCDA.com to be a shining beacon in the Coeur d’Alene blogosphere?
“Rex Rammell’s comments are in very poor taste and should not have been said. Remarks like these should not even be made jokingly. We are engaged in a critical national debate over many major issues facing our country today. Remarks like these are not only unhelpful in that debate, but they undermine it. He should apologize for those remarks and for the perception they may have created“/U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, as posted on Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Rammell, of course, doesn’t have a ghost of a chance of becoming Idaho’s next governor. In fact, this furor has won him more attention than the many times he appeared with Demo Larry LaRocco at debate forums that now U.S. Sen. Jim Risch avoided last year. Will there be any net affect from this flap in terms of votes won or lost by Rammell?
Don’t look now, but Bent cleaned up at the North Idaho Fair w/5 blue ribbons for produce and flowers, as well as some second- and third-place ribbons. You can check out his entries and haul of ribbons here.
HBO Numbers (for Thursday, Aug. 27): 8217/4931
Question: Do you enter anything in the fair? What? How did you do?
Wolf hunt protester, Patti Watts, right, of Cocolalla, Idaho displayed her signs just across the parking lot from pro-wolf hunt folks at Idaho Fish & Game in Coeur d’Alene on Friday. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
Members of the Sandpoint-based North Idaho Wolf Alliance turned out at the Coeur d’Alene Fish and Game office Friday morning to protest the state’s first regulated wolf hunt. Alongside the protesters was a smaller group who came out to show their support of the upcoming hunts. Approximately 40 protestors gathered at the scene, while 15 wolf hunt supporters gathered. The rally, which began at 11 a.m., consisted mainly of protestors and supporters carrying signs/KHQ. More here.
Question: Are those protesting the pending wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana naive or noble?
Convicted murderer Joseph Duncan is competent to stand trial in the killing of a 10-year-old Beaumont, Calif., boy, a jury has ruled. Exactly one year after he was sentenced to death for crimes in Idaho, an Indio jury decided after a four-week trial that Duncan is competent to understand and is aware of the criminal trial and can assist his attorneys/John Asbury, Riverside Press-Enterprise. More here.
Question: At Community Comment, JeanieS asks: I am curious how a totally wacked out nutso like this creep can be anywhere even close to “competent.”? Anyone?
There’s several things that are pretty embarrassing to be buying at the store, but for the most part you can just shove it in your cart and go through the self-checkout stands (which are quite possibly the greatest catalyst to the sudden increase in condom and ex-lax sales in America). One purchase that you can’t get away with is the toilet paper packs. I understand that people go through a lot of it, but is it really necessary to make me buy that 48 back that’s roughly the size of a Volkswagen/Just South of North. More here.
Question: Are you embarrassed to buy toilet paper at a store? Anything else?
Authorities investigate near the scene of a boat crash in Bigfork, Mont., Thursday. U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., and four other people were hospitalized in stable condition Friday after their 22-foot boat ran into rocks in the dark. Hospital President Velinda Stevens said she couldn’t say anything else about the incident and referred questions to Rehberg’s office, which said it was working on getting details before commenting. Story here. (AP Photo/Bigfork Eagle, Alex Strickland)
The blogger who anonymously tarred a fashion model as a “skank” before being outed by Google Inc. under court order generated considerable public outrage when she announced 
plans to sue the company for $15 million, but few lawyers other than her own believe she has a case. Rosemary Port (pictured), a 29-year-old Fashion Institute of Technology student, used a free Blogger account provided by the Mountain View, Calif., company to label Vogue cover model Liskula Cohen an “old hag,” “ho” and other less than flattering things. Cohen successfully sued to have the blogger’s identity revealed by Google, arguing the comments were defamatory. As Port’s name quickly spread throughout the tabloids, she decided to fire back. Her attorney, Salvatore Strazzullo, told the New York Daily News Port plans to charge that Google “breached its fiduciary duty to protect her expectation of anonymity”/John Temple, San Francisco Chronicle. More here.
Question: What expectation of privacy protection should a blogger/commenter expect from a host media, like Google or even The Spokesman-Review?
Post Falls police are looking for a teen runaway who left her father’s house without permiession between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday. Holly Ann Brown, who is described as being 5-foot-2, 120 pounds, with shoulder-length blond hair and hazel eyes, has been seen recently walking with friends in Coeur d’Alene. She has an active warrant for her apprehension and detention.
Councilman Mike Kennedy (re: Minnick, Bieter @ MikeK fund-raiser): Two years ago former Senator Kathy Sims broke the law (by her 
own later admission) in putting together a last minute direct mail hit piece to support her favored candidates, two of whom are running together again - Gookin and Brannon. The incumbents didn’t have the time or resources to respond as well as they could have in my opinion, though they did win. We learned yesterday that the same group of folks are now trying to make the campaign personal. Ok, it helps to know that. But I won’t make that same mistake of not responding to falsehoods - I’m prepared to respond swiftly and totally to any smear shots and I’ll make sure I have the resources to do it. Full post below.
Question: Do you expect a last-minute, direct-mail attack against Coeur d’Alene council incumbents, like the one that occurred over the final weekend of the 2007 campaign?
On Monday, freshmen began classes at the University of Idaho. If statistics are any predictor of 
the future, 79 percent of these freshmen will return for their sophomore year. But that means over one-fifth of these new students won’t be back. U of I officials are trying to do the right thing, by looking for ways to help new students adjust to college. But they’re going about it the wrong way, by requiring first-year students to live in dorms or Greek housing. … None of this is as controversial as the residential requirement, which goes into effect next fall. This is a pocketbook issue. It will force parents to shell out for campus room and board, which can cost more than off-campus housing/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Is the University of Idaho really trying to protect freshman by requiring them to live on campus? Or is it trying to collect the extra $700,000 in extra funding by forcing them to do so?
“As August comes to an end, near triple digit temperatures return making a swim in the lake the perfect way to spend the day,” posts Councilwoman KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho. “Pebbles, a long-haired Chihuahua, enjoys cooling off with a dog paddle in North Idaho’s Spirit Lake.”
Question: Can a summer in viewtiful North Idaho have dog days? Isn’t the term “dog days” suppose to mean the waning days of summer when the kids get under their parents’ skin, everyone is bored, and many can’t wait for school bells to ring? Don’t you wish the “dog days” would go on another month or two?
While the debate about how many wolves are enough to ensure a healthy population will again come to a head in a federal courtroom Monday, a Dillon-area ranch is picking up the pieces from the largest known wolf depredation in recent history. In a highly unusual move for wolves, they killed about 120 adult male sheep in one incident on the Rebish/Konen Livestock Ranch south of Dillon last week. That compares with a total of 111 sheep killed by wolves in Montana in 2008, according to Carolyn Sime, the statewide wolf coordinator for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. “This is one of the most significant losses that I’ve seen,” Sime said. “That situation is really unfortunate”/Helena Independent Record. More here.
Question: Do you think this wholesale slaughter of sheep by wolves in Montana will affect the judge’s decision Monday in the request by enviros to stop the wolf hunt?
CindyH: Omigosh! You mean that hysterical e-mail my mother-in-law received saying that Obama was going to take over the Internet and all our computers was true?? Holy crap! Maybe that e-mail she sent around about the Russians controlling our weather is true too!
Question: What was the nature of the last warning in a hysterical e-mail sent to you by a family member or friend?
As expected, anti-LCDC activist Dan Gookin has filed his candidacy petition to run for the Coeur d’Alene City Council seat now held by Deanna Goodlander. A copy of the petition obtained by Huckleberries Online via e-mail request shows that Gookin has loaned $1,300 to his campaign and that Susie Snedaker will be his campaign treasurer. Ron Nilson was one of the five people who signed his petition of candidacy. Gookin ran unsuccessfully against Councilman Ron Edinger two years ago.
Amber Pence hosted a fund-raiser for Coeur d’Alene Councilman Mike Kennedy Thursday evening, Aug. 20, at the Boise home of Dan Williams. The announcement for that fund-raiser 
follows: “Boise Mayor David H. Bieter and special guest, Congressman Walt Minnick cordially invite you to join them in support of Coeur D’ Alene City Councilman Mike Kennedy. Please join us in support of Councilman Mike Kennedy. Many know Mike as the moderator of numerous Democratic events he makes us all enjoy a bit more with his humor and wit. Others of us may know Mike from the campaigns he has worked on throughout Idaho. Or most recently — Mike’s entry into the political world as a first-term City Council member in Coeur d’Alene. Please join us for an informal, relaxed meet and greet to hear from Mike about his campaign and some brief thoughts about the importance of local governments working together for the betterment of all Idahoans. Contributions to Mike’s campaign can be given at the door, please make checks out to Kennedy for CDA. Or you can visit www.kennedyforcda.com to learn more about Mike’s campaign or make an online donation.”
Question: Do you see anything wrong with this fund-raiser?
Catlin Torlin of Coeur d’Alene worked on the arbor of the garden shed for Shared Harvest community garden in Coeur d’Alene on Wednesday. Their first ever fund raiser is on Saturday. More here. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
Question: Have you been involved in a community garden?
Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet. They’re not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency/CNET. More here.
Question: Would you want this president — or any president — having the ability to disconnect private-sector computers, even temporarily?
Political newcomer Vaughn Ward basked in some star power as former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s father and father-in-law began a three-day swing for his congressional campaign in Meridian on Thursday. Ward, 40, of Eagle, is an Iraq War veteran. Born in Twin Falls and a Boise State grad, he returned to Idaho in 2007. He was working on the 2008 McCain-Palin campaign in Nevada when he met Palin’s father, Chuck Heath, an Idaho native, and Todd Palin’s dad, Jim. They back Ward’s bid to be the GOP challenger to Democrat Walt Minnick in 2010/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Would you like to see Sarah Palin return to her native Idaho to stump for a candidate?
Item: NIC to raise tax levy rate: Higher enrollment numbers cited as reason for change/Maureen Dolan, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: North Idaho College trustees approved amending the school’s 2010 budget Wednesday to make way for collection of an additional $166,000 in property tax revenues. The move will raise the tax levy rate approved in May, when trustees approved the budget, by $1.10 per $100,000 of taxable assessed property value. The total increase will be from $72.75 per $100,000 taxable value in fiscal year 2009 to $82.80 per $100,000 of taxable value in 2010.
Question: Board Chairman Christie Wood said: “We were reluctant to take the full amount, but because of the increased enrollment and the services that demands we had no other option.” Do you think there was another option?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
“Moose,” the Seattle Mariners’ mascot, gets a shower from their bullpen while riding around the warning track on an all-terrain vehicle in between innings of an MLB baseball game against the Kansas City Royals on Friday at Safeco Field in Seattle. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Has it really been two years (from this very day) that then U.S. Sen. Larry Craig became a footnote that will live on in the “Today In History” compilations that appear on the Internet and in some media? Indeed. Quoth Today In History: “The arrest of Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, in June by a plainclothes officer investigating complaints of lewd conduct in a Minneapolis airport restroom, was revealed by the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call. Craig pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of disorderly conduct but insisted he had not been involved in any inappropriate conduct. Craig said he would resign from the Senate but changed his mind and served the remainder of his third term.” You can speculate how things mighta been different if Toe-Tapping Larry hadn’t been caught. Or use this Wild Card to start your own threads …
A man holds a sign which says “kisses $1” on a street in Sydney, Australia, earlier today. (AP Photo/Rob Griffith) Question: How much are your kisses worth?
“All my life I’ve done ballroom dancing,” she said. “My brother was a saxophonist in a band, and 
he taught me to dance.” In March 2004, she’d signed up for a senior dance tour to Las Vegas. Not a fan of bus travel, she chose to fly to Vegas from her home in Southern California to join the group. As she watched the dance tour, members emerge from the bus, she said, “I saw all these lovely girls. And then I saw this gorgeous hunk of man. I thought, ‘Oh, he’s married to one of these girls.’ ” But when the dancing started that hunk didn’t have a partner. With a smile Suzanne Bollman recalled, “I went up to him and said, ‘Aren’t you going to dance?’”/Cindy Hval, SR Voices. More here.
Question: Can you dance?
Sen. Edward Kennedy is shown in this 1965 photo at Gonzaga University. Kennedy was the keynote speaker at the dedication of Kennedy Pavilion on the Gonzaga campus. The pavilion was named in honor of John F. Kennedy. Sen. Kennedy was awarded an honorary degree prior to his introduction. (SR File Photo)
One of the emperor tamarin monkey twins at the Denver Zoo is groomed with a toothbrush by a handler. The tamarin twins named Lara and Lucy were orphaned on July 30 when their mother died of cancer, three weeks after giving birth. You write the cutline.
Top Cutlines:
Carl Probyn, 60, stepfather of Jaycee Lee Dugard who went missing in 1991, reacts while watching a televised news conference of his stepdaughter at his home in Orange, Calif., Thursday. Dugard, who was snatched from a bus stop as an 11-year-old child in 1991 turned up Thursday after being held for the past 18 years in isolation in a backyard compound by a convicted sex offender who fathered two children with her, police said. Dugard’s stepfather, the last person to see her in 1991 and a longtime suspect in the case, said he was overwhelmed after doing everything he could to help find her. Story here. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)
Huckleberries Online has learned that Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin has filed for re-election, along with incumbent council members Ron Jacobson (Seat No. 2), Joe Bodman (Seat No. 4), and Linda Wilhelm (Seat No. 6). The only non-incumbent to file is Steve DeGon of West Petal Court, who will be trying to unseat Larkin. Another candidate has announced unofficially against Larkin. Betty Ann Henderson plans to take on Bodman.
Huckleberries Online has learned that incumbent Woody McEvers filed his candidacy papers for re-election earlier today. In 2005, McEvers defeated Steven Fox for Council Seat No. 4, 3,211 to 1,926. Fox, I believe, then went on to almost unseat state Sen. John Goedde in a close Senate District 4 (Coeur d’Alene) race. Woody and his brother are the long-time owners of Rustler’s Roost/Hayden.
Another the title “Penny Wise and Pound Foolish,” Linda Cook circulated the following e-mail to presumably local Republican women (the names were deleted from the e-mail copy I received), calling on them to contribute money to City Council wannabe Jim Brannon and oust incumbent Mike Kennedy:
“Ladies, I am helping Jim Brannon in his quest to oust Mike Kennedy on the Cda city council. I know many of you do not live in Cda but I am still seeking your financial support to stop the ambitious Mr. Kennedy before his plans for higher office make him too expensive to stop. Jim Brannon is principled and feisty and we need him in Coeur d’Alene to bring accountability and transparency to city government. The deal gets sweeter if we can stop Mike Kennedy before he builds more personal power. Simply go to jimbrannon.com and donate. $49 will keep you from having to be named on the Sunshine Report (I know it’s a small town and sometimes discretions is best) but if you can give more it is truly going to make Cda a far better place. Thanks so much for considering this.”
Question: Izzit just me, or does that line re: contributing $49 somehow undercut the preaching re: “accountability and transparency”?
At Orangefrog76, Granati has posted this photo, labeled: “M is for praying mantis.”
Fired ITD Director Pam Lowe says in her wrongful-firing tort claim that she was ousted just as she prepared to cut back or eliminate a multimillion-dollar contract with a politically well-connected firm, after strong pressure from the governor’s office not to do it. But the Legislature actually directed her to do just that - she was following the law. Lawmakers wanted to save money. The directive was included in “legislative intent language,” a type of strings attached to the department’s budget that has the full force of law/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: What kind of political damage will Gov. Butch Otter suffer from this case?
A second alleged victim of assault on Washington State University’s Pullman campus has recanted her story. The incident, which allegedly had occurred Aug. 19 on Terrell Mall near Library Road, did not occur, WSU police said. On Tuesday, a WSU student recanted after telling police she had been sexually assaulted on campus the evening before. Police continue to investigate a third assault that reportedly occurred early Monday on Troy Lane on campus/Kevin Graman, SR. More here.
Question: What is the impact of false reports like this?
Antoine le Menestrel, of France, climbs a building as part of the events to celebrate the Year of France in Brazil, in Brasilia, Tuesday. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres) Question: Are you afraid of heights?
Cats will always eat you in the end. I dearly hope my Uncle Bob was dead before learning that 
lesson - before Clancy, his cat companion of many years, turned on him after he fell and cracked his head on the tub. Like a Mogul prince groomed and pampered on a daily basis, Clancy was apparently unprepared for the hunger pangs that followed the accident. When one missed meal turned into two, then three … well, one can only wonder how long the little beast waited before appetite trumped loyalty. I’ve shared this morbid tale with a number of my cat-lover friends and all stoutly maintain that they, too, would gladly sacrifice their bodies to spare poor Fluffy the slightest discomfort/William Spence, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Do you trust your cat?
I had the TV on the other night and decided I wanted to get a feel for how the great health care 
debate was moving along, so I did a little channel surfing. First I came across Keith Olbermann, who said that a poll conducted by a “conservative-leaning group” shows that 58 percent of Americans support universal health care. A little later, I flipped over to Sean Hannity, who said that a poll shows that just 34 percent of Americans support universal health care. Wow. Pretty big difference between 34 and 58 percent, huh? So who’s right? How do you listen to both of them and come away with any kind of accurate idea of where the nation truly stands on the subject?/Phil Bridges, 2C Etc. More here.
Question: Which polls do you trust?
A pink— or humpback— salmon caught by Vladimir Veliovski of Pacific flops on the beach before he can get his hands on it. About fifty fishermen were catching pink salmon from shore and pier at Dash Point Park, Federal Way, Wash. (Peter Haley/Tacoma News Tribune)
We just got home from trying to drop off our middle child at Washington State University to start 
college. Rob is a National Merit Scholarship finalist, and had been repeatedly told by people in the WSU Scholarship and Financial Aid Offices that the National Merit Scholarship at Washington State University, in conjunction with the Western Undergraduate Exchange, covers full out-of-state tuition. They lied through their teeth, repeatedly and systematically/Joel Kennedy, The Stupid Shall Be Punished. More here.
Question: Have you or your children ever been given a run-around by college officials?
Don Sausser, HBO’s Eye On Sherman Avenue, reports via camera that the flag at Independence Point has been lowered to half staff in memory of the late U.S. Sen. Teddy Kennedy.
OfCoffee: The POTUS has ordered flags at half mast across the country to honor Kennedy. 
Many on this blog agree with that. When Larry Craig passes away, I assume that they will agree that the POTUS should order flags at half mast for Larry? Kennedy’s faux paus was at the beginning of his career. Larry’s was at the end. But Kennedy’s was a far worse infraction. Is it all just a matter of timing? Is it best to die when the POTUS is in the same party as you? Should we just expect that liberal career politicians will get better posthumous treatment in the media than conservatives? (These are just rhetorical questions.) Full post below.
Question: Well?
Marianne Love e-mails news that Dean Miller, the former Idaho Falls Post Register editor and bureau chief of the now-defunct SR Sandpoint office, has taken a job in New York. Here’s Dean’s report from his Facebook page: “Now that they’ve given me a key to my office, I guess it’s official: I’m no longer unemployed. My new gig is Director of the Center for News Literacy at Stony Brook University, about an hour east of Manhattan on Long Island. I’ve posted a link about the Center’s recent conference. Racie and the kids arrive today. I begin teaching in 7 days. Move into a new house in about 8 days.”
Democrats are a strange bunch. … We’re not usually very effective in our political campaigns and we waste tremendous amounts of passion and energy chasing these side issues instead of going for the prize with a single minded focus. We call each other out, in public, and we gang up and run someone down if we feel they stepped over the line and are now undeserving of our support. We don’t privately chastise our neighbor for their bad behavior … no … we loudly give as good as we get, a massive public catfight that usually fractures our unity and amuses our opponents to no end/Nemesis, ”We Unabashedly eat our own.” And: 43rd State Blues comments thread that led to Binky Boy’s ouster. H/T: Treasured Valley
Question: Which major party does a better job at eating its own— Republican? Or Democratic?
President Barack Obama, second from left, pauses on his bike ride with his family and friends including Sasha Obama, 8, right, while on vacation on Martha’s Vineyard on Lobsterville Beach in Aquinnah, Mass., this morning.(AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Question: Can you have quality time with your children w/o having quantity time?
Seat No. 1:
Seat No. 2
Seat 5
DFO: These results should show you that the candidacies of Jim Brannon and Dan Gookin should be taken seriously. Brannon ran a tough race against former Mayor Al Hassell. Gookin was the toughest competitor that veteran Councilman Ron Edinger faced since he was defeated for re-election for mayor in the late 1970s.
Huckleberries has learned that Joe Kunka has filed his candidacy papers for Coeur d’Alene mayor this morning. Kunka, who ran an unsuccessful long-shot campaign against incumbent Mayor Sandi Bloem four years ago, is one of three individuals who have said they are going to run for the position. In 2007, Kunka ran for the seat currently held by Councilman John Bruning, finishing fifth in the five-way race with only 4.68% of the vote. Mayor Bloem has told Huckleberries Online that she is going to run for an unprecedented third term as the Lake City mayor. Josh Arnold, a 30YO planner for the Coeur d’Alene Indian Tribe, also has said he’ll seek the office.
After an audience member shouted a question about “Obama tags” during a discussion on 
wolves, Rammell responded, “The Obama tags? We’d buy some of those.” Rammell, a veterinarian and former elk rancher from Idaho Falls, said his comment was a joke and he would never seriously talk about President Obama that way, although he doesn’t support anything Obama’s done as president. “I was just being sarcastic. That was just a joke,” Rammell said. “I would never support him being assassinated. “She kind of caught me off guard, to be honest with you”/Jared S. Hopkins, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Are ‘Obama tags’ something that a gubernatorial candidate — albeit a long-shot one — should joke about at a public forum?
I don’t know if I ran into the water under my own power or if I was just carried along by the mass 
of bodies around me. I dove in when I could and started to swim. Well, I tried to swim. I’ve never been IN a washing machine but I imagine that this is what it might feel like. I couldn’t catch my breath and every time I opened my mouth water went in. Arms and legs and bodies were everywhere around me, behind me, on top of me and the waves created by the mass of swimming humanity and urged on by the strong winds facing us seemed insurmountable. I was flailing and gasping for air and everywhere I turned was only worse. I drank enough water to hydrate me for the whole day! I panicked. And stopped/Wendy P. Lloyd, xtri.com. More here.
Question: Have you ever had a scary experience swimming?
he Kootenai County commissioners unanimously approved the new fiscal year budget with a 3 percent tax hike Wednesday night, in spite of objections from members of the public. “We take this very seriously — we understand the situation people are in, we’re in the same situation ourselves,” said Commissioner Todd Tondee. The 2009-10 budget of $73,413,898 is roughly $3.5 million less than this past fiscal year, due to depleting state funds and a significant drop in building and planning-related revenue/Alecia Warren, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
“Some North Idaho Fair traditions go back for many years,” posts Councilwoman KerriT/Main Street. “In my youth I loved the Lions corn-on-the cob when attending the fair. Now for the past several years I’ve had the opportunity to work a few shifts in the Lions booth with my husband, Bert. Here we are last year in our crowd-pleasing corn shirts with our nephew, Derek Scharf. More here.
Question: Which day do you plan to attend the North Idaho Fair? Why?
A night of drinking and arguing at the Coeur d’Alene Resort culminated in a teary call to 911 
moments after a woman fell 12 stories to her death. The caller was the woman’s boyfriend, the only witness to an incident he said was a suicide but police are still investigating. “She got really mad at me because I wasn’t paying enough attention to her, she said,” Ian E. James, 38, told a police dispatcher. “I was not receptive to her advances….she was so mad, so mad.” James told the 911 dispatcher he didn’t see Lynea M. Sprung Hambrice, 36, fall but said she’d jumped off the balcony after saying she wanted to kill herself. The call was made at 12:34 a.m. on July 30. Three minutes earlier, James sent his brother a text message stating “he may need his help she got drunk and got crazy,” according to court documents/Meghann M. Cuniff, SR. More here.
Question: What do you make of this tragedy after listening to the tape?
Already, we’ve heard from some quarters regret that the old “horse race” format has been abandoned. Just five years ago or so, Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls both switched from the horse race selection method to the by-seat format. Rathdrum will also go by-seat this Nov. 3. What’s the difference? With the horse race method, no matter how many candidates are running for, say, three council seats, the top three vote-getters are elected. With the by-seat format, candidates declare for a specific position on the council, and only the top vote-getter for each position is elected. The concern we’ve heard expressed about the by-seat approach is that the races can get personal, and when races get personal, they often get ugly. If you have everybody competing for three open seats, some argue, more attention is focused on issues than on personalities/Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: Do you prefer the current method used by Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls to fill council seats, with candidates running against one another for a particular spot, or the old method in which the top two or three vote-getters win positions?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
I’m off to home and then the North Idaho Fair. I’ll make a pit stop to pick up my 84-year-old mother along the way. She’s still got spunk and a good sense of humor. Which she had to have to raise six strong-willed Portuguese children. I’m the type of fair goer who sticks to the north end of the grounds, sightseeing in the exhibit barns and at the animals (cows, chickens, rabbits, horses, etc.) that were part of my formative years, growing up on a 500-cow dairy. You won’t see me in the midway. I don’t like to be yelled at by carnies hawking kewpie dolls. Nor can I handle a ride wilder than a merry-go-round. I hope to see you there. Now, I’ll replay the Wild Card …
Boston Red Sox players watch the scoreboard screen as Sen. Edward Kennedy is honored prior to a baseball game between the Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park in Boston on Wednesday night. Kennedy, 77, died late Tuesday. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)
After about 20 minutes or so, I was on the road again. Thinking about where I would stop for 
the night was briefly mused over, then forgotten. I would stop when I got tired of driving. I pulled into a very quiet Bayview at 3:30 the next morning, having driven non-stop. You would think that at my age, I would have better sense. Obviously that isn’t the case. At any rate, I got back, my little girl will be alright and everything is OK with the world. I did have my tail light knocked out in a parking lot, but there to admit to it was a very embarrassed, but honest lady. She gave me her insurance information and I hopped back on the highway/Herb Huseland, Bay Views. More here.
Question: What kind of driver are you on long trips — one who wants to get to your destination as soon as possible? Of someone who likes to take your time and make side trips?
The North Idaho Fair kicks off today at the Kootenai County Fairgrounds and runs through Sunday. A favorite fair treat is found at the award-winning Ekness booth ~ North Idaho Beer Balls. Add a little kraut and some onions and they’re delish/Councilwoman KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho. More here.
Question: Which fair food or delicacy do you most enjoy eating (Moi? Huckleberry ice cream)?
Young women play in tomato pulp during the annual “tomatina” tomato fight fiesta in the village of Bunol, near Valencia, Spain, Wednesday. Bunol’s town hall estimated more than 40,000 people, some from as far away as Japan and Australia, took up arms Wednesday with 100 tons of tomatoes in the yearly food fight known as the ‘Tomatina’ now in its 64th year. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Alberto Saiz)
Top Cutlines:
This combination of four photos, provided by the Snowmass, Colo., Police Department on Tuesday, show a bear that was trapped in a skateboard park, because of its steep concrete sides, in the Colorado resort town of Snowmass making its way out on a ladder that was lowered into the park by officials. (AP Photos/Snowmass Police, Tina White)
For the past few months citizens have reported sightings of a cougar in Falls Park, which is right in the city center of Post Falls. For those who may have doubted themselves or were convinced it was maybe a large dog they’d seen, there is vindication. This full-grown cougar was struck and killed in the early hours of Sunday morning on I-90 near the Spokane Street exit, just a few blocks from the park/Councilwoman KerriT/Main Street. Rest of the story/graphic photo here.
Question: Do you still feel safe in your North Idaho hometown?
A large flag flies at half mast outside the house used by President John F. Kennedy as the “summer White House” near the Kennedy family compound in Hyannisport, Mass., today. President Kennedy’s youngest brother Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., died of brain cancer late Tuesday night. (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia) Question: North Idaho College lowered its flag to half staff today in respect for the passing of U.S. Sen. Teddy Kennedy. Do you support the decision to do so?
Here’s what Fourth of July Pass looked like on Highway 10 in the 1920s. OrangeTV provides this flashback in his Remember The Roxy blog.
I had high hopes that the articulate young man with a sales pitch of hope and change had a vision of improving the way the government does business, not changing the entire fabric of what has made us great. What have we, really? One who is not so articulate without benefit of prompters. One who came to the presidency on the power of his personality with negligible experience to back it up. I fell into the trap/Dogwalk Musings. More here.
The message writ
in slanting ray
says Old Jack Frost
is on his way.
Bard Of Sherman Avenue
Four reptiles, a ferret, a tarantula, and $168 in cash were stolen Sunday night or Monday 
morning from Duncan’s Pet Shop on Government Way, according to Coeur d’Alene police reports. Apparently, the thief or thieves entered the pet shop from an opening in the roof and then ransacked the inside of the business. A large, 48-gallon aquarium that had housed two bearded dragons, a tree dragon, and an iguana was in the middle of the floor near the cash register. The thief removed a padlock and a screen from the aquarium to steal the reptiles. He left behind fish in plastic bags on the counter and partly consumed sodas, a ginger ale and a diet Coke. The animals were valued at a combined $655. Manager Victoria Moody reported the robbery Monday morning.
A disabled 23YO man who works part-time for Goodwill Industries is without his candy-apple, motorized wheelchair after a thief stole it Tuesday, according to the Coeur d’Alene police department. Usually, Christopher Sollenberger takes the NICE bus to Goodwill Industries, where his mother has left his wheelchair, out of sight behind the building. He is able to walk enough to get to the wheelchair. At 6:30 p.m., his mother dropped off the wheelchair. But it was missing less than an hour later when he arrived for work. Christopher is dependent on the wheelchair for full mobility. It is valued at $5,000. There are no suspects.
In the comments section today, there has been some discussion whether Coeur d’Alene City Council wannabe Jim Brannon is aligned with OpenCDA.com’s Dan Gookin. I have dug through my photo archives and discovered/remembered that they shared a rolling billboard in the past. The 2007 photo above is of a campaign truck parked at Mary Souza’s business behind the charter school, taken during the last city elections. Of course, this doesn’t mean Brannon and Gookin are aligned now.
Question: Would documented association with anti-LCDC activist Dan Gookin help or hurt Jim Brannon?
Cabbage Boy: I will talk to Brannon about utilizing this mode of information distribution. I think lots of politicians are very wary of the semi-anonymous world of the blogs. You have spoken to that yourself. I give MikeK props for wading in and handling it. He knows when to turn it off also.
Question: Are elected officials and public servants safe to come onto Huckleberries Online and comment? What do you think of those who do?
Musical Chair: I actually enjoy the political banter on this site. I never used to be interested in 
politics since I’ve always felt like a little speck of nothing in Whoville with no voice, but now that I am much older, kids gone, no job and time on my hands, I like to hear what others have to say about the issues whether I agree or not. Some of you really make me think; others crack me up! About the only thing I’ve gotten out of my worthless college degree is learning to be open to other opinions and thoughts and to research the facts to determine who is making them and why.
Question: What value has your college degree been to you?
This statement may shock some of you, but cancer has actually been a blessing for me. With 
that I mean the little things that used to sit on my shoulder, I can now brush off. Life is too short to hold onto those grudges. And it sure put things into proper perspective. Cancer has opened my eyes to what’s really important and what is not. It feels great! My personal challenge is for you to look at your life and enjoy what is good and find good in what is not. The human spirit is so powerful. There is so much value in keeping a positive and hopeful attitude. It has been quite a fight with all of the radiation and especially the chemotherapy; but cancer will never ultimately win. I have an amazing group of people in my corner. Bring it on!/Jeff Green, St. Maries Gazette-Record. More here.
Question: What do you think of letter writer Jeff Green’s contention that his battle with cancer has been a blessing in disguise?
Wells Combined Schools administrators say an undisclosed number of students will face disciplinary action for a football camp hazing incident. Elko County (Nevada) School District official Jack French says the incident happened while Wells High football players attended a camp in mid-June at Idaho State University in Pocatello. French says the district learned about the incident on July 30. Wells Principal Leslie Lotspeich says she can’t disclose details about the disciplinary action because of privacy laws/AP. More here.
Question: Have you ever been hazed? Or hazed someone else?
Gwen Ingram-Jones models a pair of “winkers,” decorative pants that appear to “wink” from behind as the wearer walks, in Everett Wash. Story here. (AP Photo/The Herald, Mark Mulligan)
Question: Would you wear a pair of jeans that winked?
The picture of this sign is real. Although we still have a Christmas Tree slated for the Capital Building in Olympia, Washington, the Nativity Scene which had been there on display for years is now gone, verboten, forbidden. Instead we have a Christmas Tree and the sign in the picture, brought to you by the Atheists. I agree they have the right to have such a detestable sign present in our State Capital Building, but I have the same Constitutional Right to have a creche, a humble manger scene, as my personal celebration of Christmas present in the Capital Building. I have rights, too, dammit!/David Laird, Community Comment. More here.
Question: Do you sometimes think that atheists have more rights than Christians in this country?
When it comes to fast food joints per capita that is — in fact Boise was the 12th worst out of 
the 100 cities that Men’s Health reviewed for list on “Urban Waistlines”. Men’s Health reviewed the number of Burger King’s, McDonald’s, Taco Bell’s and Wendy’s per capita. They also used data on where people consume fast-food seven or more times a month and used data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention to form their list. Arlington, Texas came in at the bottom of the list and Buffalo, New York came out on top. Story here via KSDK out of St. Louis (the list isn’t available on the Men’s Health website) — check out how Men’s Health came to their conclustions here/Treasured Valley. Chris’ Wednesday Morning Coffee
Question (from Treasured Valley): How often to you eat fast food? What about chain fast food vs. the local fast food options?
Evidently, the must-have accessory this hunting season is an Idaho wolf tag. The tags went on sale Monday morning - and nearly 6,200 had been snapped up by mid-afternoon Tuesday. Ultimately, we hope the hunters get a chance to use these tags. The state has set a conservative limit on wolf hunting; it’s time to go ahead with it/Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Do you think conservationists will get an injunction to stop the wolf hunt, which is scheduled to begin next Tuesday?
Estella Lee hopes a reward being offered by Washington State University President Elson S. Floyd (pictured) will help capture whoever is responsible for the assaults that have reportedly taken place 
on campus during the past week. Floyd announced Tuesday that he will contribute $5,000 out of his pocket to establish a reward for anyone who provides information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of anyone responsible for the assaults. “I hope that’s going to help find the person who is doing this, because this is serious,” said Lee, a senior. “It can go bigger.” Two women have reported being assaulted on campus by a white male who stands about 5-foot-9 and has a stocky build. The incidents happened early Monday and last Wednesday evening. A third woman reported being assaulted Monday evening, but WSU Police officers determined Tuesday the freshman had made a false statement/Yesenia Amaro, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Are you confident that your child is safe on a college campus?
Jason Stevens, 10, of Eagle, battles with his senior Springer Heifer while showing in the quality judging in a livestock competition during the Western Idaho Fair in Boise, Idaho, Sunday. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield)
In this Aug. 15, 2000 picture, Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., speaks at the Democratic National Convention in the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has died after a yearlong battle with a brain tumor. Story here. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds, File)
Question: What is Ted Kennedy’s legacy?
… (spotted by Taryn on a brown pickup at the Athol Cafe moments ago) … a pack of wolves with cross-hairs over it … and the message: “Smoke a pack a day.”
But many booed at other comments, such as Minnick’s statement that the government-run 
programs, including Medicaid and Medicare, which cover about half of Americans, “do a pretty fair job.” Moderator Mike Patrick asked for respect and a man yelled, “That was respectful.” The crowd peppered Minnick with questions both specific and general. One health care worker asked how the government would prevent the abuse she sees of public health care programs. Jeff Ward, president of the Kootenai County Reagan Republicans, asked why Minnick wasn’t fighting harder against “socialized medicine.” Bob Mobarry, of Hayden, received a big round of applause when he asked why the government couldn’t hold off on health care reform until the deficit is under control/Alison Boggs, SR. More here.
Question: Is there anything Minnick can do to appease Kootenai County Republicans who don’t seem to care that he votes pretty much as they would want him to vote?
The Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office is considering charging a man with a hate crime in a confrontation with a Hispanic family outside their Coeur d’Alene home. Ira G. Tankovich has been in Kootenai County Jail since Aug. 16, charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and providing false information to police in the incident, which occurred in the 1900 block of East Pennsylvania Avenue. A Hispanic man told police Tankovich and three others were in a truck decorated with swastikas and the words “born to kill” when they stopped and approached him as he stood outside. The resident’s yard had been littered with Aryan Nations literature and he “felt these men were Aryans and were going to hurt him,” the police report said/Meghann M. Cuniff, SR. More here.
Question: Would you feel safe in the Coeur d’Alene area today, if you were the member of a minority group?
Scott Stantis/Birmingham News
HMOffsuite posted a reminder in the comments section that the Sherman Square Park free concert series ends tonight downtown with a tribute to The Beatles. Revolver, a Beatles tribute band, will be featured tonight, from 6 to approximately 8:30. If the music is comparable to past performances offered by Chris Guggemos/Handshake Productions, you’re in for a treat tonight. I’d recommend that you get there early. Last week, the Brian Larsen Band packed the small park for its country western music. I’ll be attending a 30th wedding anniversary celebration with some friends. But I’ll be there in spirit. Now, for your Wild Card …
Lyle Gaylord of Royal West Amusement prepared the carousel on Tuesday, August 25, 2009 for opening day of North Idaho Fair & Rodeo on Wednesday in Coeur d’Alene. The fair runs through Sunday. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
Question: Which day(s) do you plan to go to the fair? Which events do you plan to see?
But one woman in the audience wanted to know why the media wasn’t covering the Obama administration policies and holding the federal government accountable. She also went so far as to wonder aloud why no media had attended Saturday’s event. Apparently, she didn’t notice the Times-News photographer taking pictures, a television reporter with a video camera or a Times-News reporter writing in a notebook less than five feet from where she was standing/Jared S. Hopkins, Capitol Confidential, Twin Falls Times-News. More here. H/T: Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh News
Question: Do you believe local media outlets — Hagadone newspapers, Spokesman-Review, Spokane newscasts — are biased politically?
“Recognize these guys?” asks Kootenai MPO. “No, it’s not the members of a 1960’s-era folk singing group reunited for one last tour. This is the seven-member Idaho Transportation Board (which badly needs a female member, by the way).” More here.
Question: Can you justify why there isn’t a woman on the Idaho Transportation Department board?
Estonia’s Ksenija Balta competes in the final of the Women’s Long jump during the World Athletics Championships in Berlin on Sunday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
Top Cutlines:
Former officer Christopher Love is suing the Spirit Lake Police Department, claiming that he was unlawfully fired last year after he was diagnosed with active leukemia. Love, who joined the department in October 2006, had told Police Chief Wiley Ronnenberg later that year that he was in remission from cancer but needed periodic testing, according to the lawsuit filed in 1st District Court by attorney Jay Sturgell. In June 2008, Love told the chief that he had come out of remission because he would need extended time off from work, impacting the small police department. He was fired afterward, the suit said. Love is seeking reimbursement for actual damages, back pay, retirement benefits, reasonable attorney fees, in excess of $10,000, among other things.
Kevin Taylor: “BTW Cindy H, I think we all remember that picture of DFO and the goat. Just sayin’.” DFO: I don’t know anything about that.
Question: Which one is the old goat?
You’re looking at the new adviser to the Sandpoint High School Cedar Post newspaper. William Question: Is anyone of your kids following in your footsteps? Did you follow in the footsteps of one of your parents?
E. Love III has signed a contract. He’s been finger-printed, and he has his ID card for Lake Pend Oreille School District 84, where he’ll begin his teaching career Sept. 8 as a journalism instructor/newspaper adviser. He says it’s going to be difficult getting used to being called “Mr. Love.” Willie interviewed for the job in early July (I snapped the photo before he went off to the interview) and received word the next day that he had been selected. He’s been up to Sandpoint twice this summer and has met with his high school newspaper staff on each visit. As parents, we’re very proud and excited for our son. As a mom who held the same position at SHS for seven years, I’m still in disbelief with this ironic twist of events–but thrilled/Marianne Love, Slight Detour. More here.
One of HBO’s Merry Hucksters couldn’t help him/herself this afternoon, after City Council candidate Jim Brannon failed to show for a planned noon announcement of his candidacy on the American Legion pitcher’s mound at McEuen Field. Gary Ingram, I believe, is warming up in the bullpen, just beyond the edge of the photo frame.
Question: Feel free to try your hand at a cutline.
… that Coeur d’Alene police wrote Aryan Nations follower Paul Mullet of Athol 3 more tickets for littering this morning. In one of those incidences, Mullet was allegedly caught on surveillance camera, circulating racist literature on the North Idaho College campus. Mullet was among three men who were given misdemeanor citations for littering two weeks ago for throwing racists fliers in yards along Coeur d’Alene’s Mullan Street. Earlier story here.
Progressives are waiting for Barack Obama and his team to work the kind of political magic they seemed to work in 2008—except when they didn’t. Cutting through all the mythologizing of the Obama campaign, the real keys to his stretch-run success last year were his legendary calm (“No Drama Obama”); his confidence in his own long-range strategy; his ability to choose competent lieutenants and delegate to them abundantly; and his grasp of the fundamentals of public opinion and persuasion. There was zero sense of panic in the Obama campaign itself late last summer, because they stuck with their strategy and organization and didn’t let the polls or news cycles force them off the path they had chosen/Jason Zengerle, New Republic. More here.
Question: Do you think Obama’s presidency is in trouble?
Powerball winner Solomon Jackson Jr., center, of Columbia, S.C., receives a check from the South Carolina Education Lottery during a press conference after claiming his prize Tuesday. (AP Photo/Brett Flashnick)
The mystery of the road rage van continues. Spokane County Sheriff’s detectives have been 
trying to track down the driver of a van who faces a vehicular assault charge for allegedly dragging a motorcyclist during a fight on North Division Street on Aug. 14. Detectives found the van’s previous owner, a Spokane man, who said he sold the vehicle to a man he thought lived in Cheney, said Sgt. Dave Reagan. The van’s current license plate is Washington plate 102YVY, but it’s registered to a Post Falls church detectives don’t believe exists, Butch Stephen’s Organizational Church, Reagan said. Now Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that solves the crime/Meghann M. Cuniff, SR Sirens & Gavels. More here.
Question: Any of you heard of Butch Stephen’s Organizational Church in Post Falls?
For many years, the boys were the same size and it made it pretty easy to shop. I had 
convinced them by the time they were in 1st and 2nd grade that everyone, all siblings, all over the world, wore each other’s clothes. There were no personal, this-is-mine clothes, except for shoes. Everything got washed together. Everything got folded together. Everything got worn together. I suppose that is why, when one day we were frantically tearing their bedroom apart looking for matching socks, that they finally gave up and wore mismatching socks. Both boys were wearing one brown sock and one green sock/JeanieS, Nuts & Nonsense. More here.
Question: Did you wear hand-me-downs from older siblings?
Brent Andrews/Special for Huckleberries Online
Item: Pontiac, Mich., to play Spokane in film remake of ‘Red Dawn’/AM
More Info: A southeastern Michigan community will be doing its best Spokane, Wash., impression next month. That’s when crews will be in Pontiac to shoot scenes for the upcoming remake of the classic 1980s film “Red Dawn.” The city is about 20 miles north-northwest of Detroit. … The original “Red Dawn” portrayed a Soviet invasion of a small town in the U.S. In the remake the invasion will take place in Spokane.
Question: Can you think of a better town to use for a Spokane replica than Dearborn, Mich.?
Huckleberries hears that former HBOer Gary Ingram was ready at noon at the American Legion pitcher’s mound on McEuen Field, where Jim Brannon was to announce his candidacy for incumbent Mike Kennedy’s seat. But the Habitat for Humanity director wasn’t there. A woman was also on hand to tell curious onlookers that Brannon had a scheduling conflict. Brannon, meanwhile, filed his candidacy papers with the City Clerk’s office earlier today.
Rachel Mewes, 16, plays with her cockatoos at Bragfest 2009—an annual bird lover’s potluck held Saturday in Franklin Park. Pampered Parrots Avian Rescue sponsored the event. (Colin Mulvany/SR)
I’m in love with a big, red machine. My husband and I have started renting movies from Redbox, the machines that rent new releases for just $1 a day and are popping up in grocery stores and malls across America. We’re big movie watchers — we probably rent at least a movie a week. We often rent older, cheaper movies from local video stores, but usually wait on new films because the $3-$5 rental price adds up pretty quickly. We tried Netflix, but it just lacked the instant gratification of in-person rentals. A movie would sound great when we put it in our queue, but then would sit uselessly on top of the TV for a while until we felt like watching it/Tara Roberts, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: How often do you check out movies from the Redbox at your supermarket?
… that conservatives are planning a protest tonight before the health care forum featuring Walt Minnick at North Idaho College. Messages have been sent out to local Tea Party members, the tax protester group headed by Sharon Culbreath, Republican Women, North Idaho Pachyderms, and Reagan Republican groups. Huckleberries was told that conservatives are unhappy with Minnick because he wants to reform the current plan rather than throw it out altogether (as conservatives want). Local Republicans believe Minnick is voting conservative, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s blessing, in order to give him cover for an unexpected, tough political fight in the conservative 1st Congressional District next year. Stay tuned.
This Nov. 2006 photo provided by Sunda Croonquist shows Croonquist, left, and her mother-in-law, Ruth Zafrin at Croonquist’s daughter, Tovah Zafrin’s 4th birthday party in Los Angeles. Veteran comic Croonquist is being sued by her mother-in-law after making her the punchline of too many jokes. (AP Photo/Mark Zafrin)
Question: Do you have a good relationship with your mother-in-law?
I have no idea whether Pam Lowe is telling the truth. I don’t know if the ousted Idaho 
Transportation Department chief’s litany of good ol’ boy complaints will hold up in court. But her legal filing, reported by The Associated Press last week, is just the kind of a fiasco this agency doesn’t need. Fired last month, Lowe has fired back with several explosive allegations. Lowe paints Idaho Transportation Board member Gary Blick as sexist. After her hiring in 2006, Lowe attributes this response to the board rep from Castleford: “No little girl would be able to run this department. … What are we going to do when she decides to start a family?”/Kevin Richert, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: Is former ITD director Pam Lowe a whistleblower? Or an aggrieved bureaucrat who doesn’t know when to get offstate?
I wanted to thank Hucksters and blurkers for their support during my crisis, yesterday. Your 
kind e-mails and suggestions were much appreciated. Anabelle (my hard drive) is resting quietly. We’re still not sure kind of surgery she’ll need or what her prognosis will be. I’m hoping for a full recovery, but the specialists are tight-lipped and not promising anything. They just took her from my arms and said, “We’ll know in a day or two.” Your continued prayers and good wishes for a speedy recovery are much appreciated.
Question: Did you name your computer? Of do you simply cuss at it?
Muslim model Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, 32, left, who was to caned for drinking beer, is comforted by her sister Ratna as she talks to waiting media outside the Kuala Kangsar police station, Malaysia, Monday. Islamic officials Monday abruptly released the model scheduled to be caned this week for drinking beer after briefly detaining her, in an unexpected twist for Malaysia’s first woman to face the corporal punishment. (AP Photo/Mark Baker)
Question: I don’t think model Shukarno did anything wrong. Of course. However, in a struggle to come up for a question for this post, I settled on this: Should society impose corporal punishment for smaller crimes, like vandalism?
Here’s the 4:45 p.m. total of wolf hunting tags sold today in Idaho: 4,196, of which 61 were to 
non-residents. All the rest went to Idaho hunters. There’s no limit on the tags, and they continue to be sold both at vendors like sporting good stores and online. Fish & Game spokesman Ed Mitchell said it was busy, but “we’ve had crazier days.” He recalled years ago when Fish & Game had an emergency hunt for deer after a large swath of winter deer habitat burned, and the Boise headquarters had lines down the street for those tags, which enabled hunters to take a second deer the same season/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: Are you concerned that Gov. Butch Otter is a little too eager to kill a wolf?
You truly can’t go back. The classmates who stayed in Bismarck or North Dakota have continued in the same cliques, with the same jealousies. Now those of us from afar are not 
quite newcomers or strangers either. We don’t fit in any more into the old patterns that have remained. Only if we stayed could we slowly be reintegrated into the crowd - or not. We have new ideas, new talents or new values. We are different from what we were. Neither better nor worse, just different. But those who have remained behind expect us to behave in the old ways and we can’t. We’ve changed. They still expect the shy classmate who could barely talk to her peers, not the woman who went to the state Legislature to change Washington water law on withdrawal of ground waters for the first time in 58 years/Jean Wardwell, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Do you enjoy going to reunions? Or do they remind you that you no longer have much in common with those who remained in your home town?
Item: Tubbs Hill group pans curfew plan: City panel: 11 p.m. limit would reduce vandalism/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Moonlight treks across Tubbs Hill could become a thing of the past — or at least a ticketable offense — if the city of Coeur d’Alene decides to put a cap on park operating hours. However, the lakeside hill’s foundation doesn’t want the bad actions of a few late-night guests to impose a curfew on all Tubbs Hill visitors. Increased vandalism, fires, noise and otherwise bad behavior at night have steered the city’s Parks and Recreation Commission to suggest the City Council forbid people from hanging out at all city parks — not just Tubbs Hill — long after the sun goes down.
Question: Should the city of Coeur d’Alene impose an 11 p.m. curfew on Tubbs Hill, in an effort to reduce vandalism?
“As the dog days of summer begin to turn the corner into back to school, Monday afternoons are still time for play in North Idaho,” posts Councilwoman KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho. “On the Spokane River a boat pulled two tubes of thrill-seekers through the waves.”
Jim Brannon is hoping the third time is the charm. The Habitat for Humanity Executive Director is tossing his hat back in the political ring, officially announcing his candidacy to run for the Coeur d’Alene City Council. He will be running for seat 2, the four-year spot held by incumbent Mike Kennedy. “We have to find ways to reduce property taxes,” Brannon said Monday. “If you uncover additional sources of revenue and then you spend it, you haven’t done anything for the property owners. I’d like to change the culture from one of spending tax dollars, to one of saving taxpayer money”/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Musical Chair: I’m glad the (Cash-for-Clunkers) program is over. Nothing more than a dishonest deal or no deal 
marketing scheme to benefit dealerships. I always thought ‘clunker’ meant dilapidated—fallen into partial ruin or decay—like our smoke belching, rusted out bucket of bolts, sitting on it’s deathbed ‘89 Mazda pickup on the side of the garage that my husband keeps around for that once a year dump run as long as he can keep it started long enough to make the two mile trip. Found out the inefficient, but paid for, garbage hauler used to get 21 mph and that new Ford F150 on the wish list gets 14 mph! My clunk is junk. Well, we’ll just have to keep our polluter around a while longer until the automakers start making gas efficient cars again.
Question: Does your clunker get better gas mileage than the 14 mph of a new Ford F150?
MikeS: Dropping my daughter off at Sweyolakan a few weeks ago to start a counseling 
internship, the emotions hit strong and somewhat unexpectedly. Probably the little campers scurrying about and parents hugging with uncertainty pulled on my emotions with a powerful reminder that just yesterday that my kid was a little one while I was the uncertain parent. Still am. Picking her up at the landing wasn’t much easier as I loaded the truck, turned back to see her standing in a long tearful hug with one of her fellow counselors, time standing still.
Question: When did you last have a “time standing still” moment, involving your children?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Only Coeur d’Alene insurance man Steve Adams filed his papers for the City Council on the first day of candidacy filings today. Adams plans to take on incumbent Woody McEvers. Meanwhile, Huckleberries hears that Habitat for Humanity exec Jim Brannon will file his candidacy papers Tuesday. Dan Gookin, a third member of a possible conservative slate, announced Friday that he would run against incumbent Deanna Goodlander. The filing deadline is Friday, Sept. 4. Now, I’ll replay your Wild Card …
The largest private residence in Kootenai County has come on the market this month. Owned by Ron and Georgia Puryear, the 26,000 sq. ft. residence is on the north shore of the Spokane River in Post Falls. Listed by John Beutler of Century 21, the asking price is $19.995 million. Councilwoman KerriT posts more in her Main Street column here.
Question: Buddy, can you spare $19.995 million?
Item: Washington bans holiday Christmas displays, tree to stay/AP
More Info: The Christmas tree can stay — but no more Nativity scene. That’s the word from Washington’s Capitol, where protests erupted last winter over competing private holiday displays. The furor focused on an atheist placard, which said that religion was “myth and superstition.” It was stolen and recovered, and hundreds came to a protest rally. The atheists were responding to a private Nativity scene, which was set up next to a long-standing Christmas tree. But a new temporary rule announced Monday says private groups can’t leave behind any displays after they’re done with a demonstration.
Question: Do you agree with the ban against the Nativity scene in the Washington state capitol?
When Coeur d’Alene’s Salvation Army Kroc Corps Community Center opened three months ago, organizers projected that 1,500 people would join the first year, with about 670 of them using the center daily. They were wrong. Some 15,500 people have become members of the community center, with up to 2,000 people using its pools, child care, fitness machines and community rooms every day. Story by Alison Boggs/SR here.
Eduardo Menendez, left, and his teammate Francisco Menendez of the team “Hublot” celebrate after winning against the team “Star Design” at the Polo Gold Cup in Gstaad, Switzerland, Saturday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Keystone/Peter Klaunzer)
Top Cutlines:
One of the weirdest posts I’ve read at the Coeur d’Alene Press blog was brought to my attention over the weekend by newby Soaf. It’s the second part of an exchange between soon-to-be-announced candidate Dan Gookin and “Phaedrus,” a commenter who frequents local media blogs, including this one. Phaedrus made a comment under the online Press story re: Gookin’s plans to challenge incumbent Deanna Goodlander for her seat:
You continue the same type of behavior here, lying about me in cowardice behind your various pseudonyms. But I know who you are and you are elected to represent. I shall keep that in confidence as long as you like, as long as you don’t continue to press the issue. Therefore, I believe it’s most likely in your best interest not to continue exploiting an episode that would be potentially painful to you/Dan Gookin, 9:33 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 22. Full thread here.
Question: Thoughts?
The Los Angeles County coroner has ruled Michael Jackson’s death a homicide, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press, a finding that makes it more likely criminal charges will be filed against the doctor who was with the pop star when he died. The coroner determined a fatal combination of drugs was given to Jackson hours before he died June 25 in his rented Los Angeles mansion, according to the official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the findings have not been publicly released. Forensic tests found the powerful anesthetic propofol acted together with at least two sedatives to cause Jackson’s death, the official said/AP. More here. H/T: Shannon
Question: Surprised?
At As The Lake Churns, blogmistress Pecky Cox snapped this photo of a swimmer early Sunday morning in smokey Luba Bay on Priest Lake.
From everything I read in the news, there is an unemployment crisis. Well, can’t prove it by me!!! We have been looking to fill a spot here at the Ranch with an in-home personal care provider to help with the kids. We have a great staff and need to add one person. It’s a pretty good job, fairly decent pay, and flexibility to swap shifts to accommodate things like dentist appointments and camping trips/JanTri, Brand X Ranch. More here.
Narse Desautle of Lewiston gets the first Idaho wolf tag sold at the Idaho Department of Fish and Game Office in Lewiston today. The agency is expected to begin selling permits Monday morning to hunt wolves starting as early as Sept. 1 in some regions of the state. (AP Photo/Steve Hanks, Lewiston Tribune)
Wayne Hammon, Gov. Butch Otter’s budget director, reports that he bought a wolf tag during his lunch break and got tag No. 3,080. “That was at like 12, 12:30,” he said. “So I imagine they’ll sell five or six thousand by the end of the day”/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
“You did what?” my friend Virgil said, dumbfounded, when I told him I had just backpacked overnight in the backcountry by myself, as if he could not process such a notion. Other friends were equally baffled, and they all live in the Big Sky/Bozeman area of Montana, where civilized country as opposed to backcountry is represented by mere pinpricks on a map. Are we so gregarious as a species that the thought of one night of complete aloneness is foreign? Or can we only enjoy “the wilderness” in the company of other humans who will fill the silence and grandeur of mountain nights with familiar conversational reference points? Could the wilderness be too wild a thing to be in by ourselves?/Betsey Weltner, New West. More here.
Question: Should a woman ever hike by herself into the backcountry?
I was in college at the time, spending my summers working on Glacier’s trail crew. The park 
usually pulled us off the trails in August to fight forest fires. That’s what I was doing on that night, sitting in a fire camp on Apgar Mountain a few miles away from Trout Lake and Granite Park, the sites of the fatal maulings. All of us on the fire crew were huddled around a campfire listening to bits and pieces of broken transmissions coming over our fire radios, trying to figure out what was going on, but knowing it was bad. That is, in part, why I’m so interested in the yet-to-be-titled documentary coming soon from Montana PBS. In it, producers plan to revisit the darkest night ever in the first hundred years of Glacier Park, the bear management profession and friends and family of two young women who didn’t need to die/Bill Schneider, New West. More here.
Question: Do you feel comfortable hiking the trails in Glacier National Park?
Sales manager Mark Hranicky holds up a bunch of keys to some of the 90 cars that were traded in under the federal government’s Cash for Clunkers program, on a lot at Lee Toyota in Topsham, Maine, Monday. As the Cash for Clunkers program expires, the industry goes back to confronting the worst sales slump in 25 years. Story here. (AP Photo/Pat Wellenbach)
Question: The Cash for Clunkers program ends at 5 o’clock today. Do you know anyone who has taken advantage of the Cash for Clunker program?
The Idaho Innocence Project at Boise State University says it has unearthed evidence showing 
that Sarah Pearce, a woman who was convicted in 2003 for the savage beating of a Washington state motorist who was passing through the area on the freeway, may actually be innocent, in a case of mistaken identity. “There are now witnesses that have come forward with a different story … that clears Sarah and clearly implicates someone else,” said Greg Hampikian, a forensic scientist, biology and criminal justice professor and director of the Idaho Innocence Project. You can read Betsy Russell’s full Sunday column on the case here.
Question: How often do you think innocent people are convicted and sentenced to serve long terms in prison, as a result of mistaken identity or an overzealous prosecutor?
Item: 12:34 p.m. R/P wants to speak to an officer re: an individual’s “right-wing postings on the Coeur d’Alene Press Web site.”
DFO: Some of you Merry Hucksters bristle when I delete a comment of yours, claiming that your 1st Amendment rights are being violated. Or that I’m being heavy-handed. After 5 1/2 years, I know when a comment that looks innocuous on the surface will turn into a flame war b/c its directed at an individual who will react disproportionately. Also, I know when a comment could lead to legal trouble for the poster. At this point in American legal law, you posters are responsible for your comments. Not the SR. Or me. You should be glad that there’s a blogmeister protecting you from your baser instincts. Earlier this year, I decided that Huckleberries was going to become a kinder, gentler blog. Which differentiates it from the echo chambers and flame-throwing political blogs elsewhere. It has become that. Not everyone likes that fact. But I do. And I believe the majority here does. That’s all that matters.
Folks lined up to get their wolf tags at Idaho Fish & Game this morning. This is the first public wolf hunt in Idaho in decades. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
The first hunter to buy a wolf tag at Idaho’s Fish & Game headquarters in Boise this morning, J.D. Dennis of Kuna, arrived 55 minutes before the sale started. “Fortunately, I was in the neighborhood,” said Dennis, who stood at the head of a line of about two dozen hunters waiting for the state’s first-ever sale of wolf tags to begin. Tags also are being sold online and at Fish & Game offices and private vendors statewide, wherever Idaho big game tags are sold. By noon, the state had sold about 2,500 wolf tags, officials said/Betsy Russell, SR. More here.
Question: Hunters will be able to kill up to 220 wolves in Idaho during the first season. Do you think that many wolves will be killed?
Ian Lavin, 9, of Eagle, Idaho, throws a decoy into a pool out in front of Dekes, a 2-year-old Labrador Retriever, at the Splash Dogs dock at the Western Idaho Fair, Sunday in Boise, Idaho. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Charlie Litchfield)
A man who told police he was hunting Sasquatch is in the Benewah County Jail after a high speed chase that ended with his arrest Sunday in Worley. David Mack Albrethsen, 39, is charged with felony eluding after deputies and tribal police used a nail strip to stop his vehicle in Worley. He was arrested a few days earlier for eluding officers in Utah, police said. The Orem, Utah man was driving north on Highway 95 at 12:02 a.m. Sunday in a blue 1999 Toyota Corolla when a county deputy clocked his speed at 80 mph, according to a police report/Ralph Bartholdt, St. Maries Gazette-Record. More here.
Question (either/or): Do you believe Sasquatch exists? Or: What’s the best excuse you’ve given an officer who pulled you over for speeding?
As predicted here Friday, Coeur d’Alene insurance agent Steve Adams has decided to challenge incumbent Woody McEvers rather than incumbent Mike Kennedy for a City Council seat. Adams announced earlier this year that he would take on Kennedy. But he filed this morning for McEvers’ position. He’s the only one to file this morning, the first morning of the two-week period of municipal election filing. If things continue to play out according to HBO predictions, Jim Brannon will file for Kennedy’s seat. Meanwhile, Dan Gookin announced last week that he would challenge Deanna Goodlander.
With much fanfare, Boise State University last week implemented a campus-wide no-smoking policy. I’m not going to deny the ability of the government to regulate or even ban smoking on 
campus. The trouble is the policy extends beyond the campus and its buildings and straight into privately-owned automobiles. “Smoking on all Boise State property, including in cars parked on the property, is prohibited,” school officials explain in a frequently-asked-questions paper attached to the policy. And violators? “Boise State University reserves the right to initiate disciplinary procedures against any individual found to be in continuous violation of this policy,” students are warned. I’m not sure what that means, but it sounds like something you wouldn’t want your parents to know about. Boise State takes a huge leap, putting the government in control of the interior of private vehicles, all in the interest of promoting student health and academic performance/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.
Question: Do you agree w/Wayne Hoffman that Boise State went too far in its pursuit of wellness when it included the interior of students’ cars in their smoking ban?
Caroline Lixie, 5, holds on to her mom’s hand just before the first bell of the first day of school at Discovery Elementary School in Sunrise, Fla. this morning. (AP Photo/The Miami Herald, Lilly Echeverria) Question: Anyone facing the unenviable task of dropping off a little one for his/her first day of school? Or remember when you did? Or, for parents of young adults, are you facing the uneviable task of dropping off your child off at a college (when the emotional pang tends to hit parents hard?
JohnA: Yesterday, while driving down again to celebrate Miles’ first birthday, my mom fell and broke her hip following Mass at St. Pius. Two years in a row I’m eight hours away while my 
mom is hospitalized. She’s doing OK this morning according to my three sisters and a brother who have watched guard all night. It is days like these that I’m reminded how blessed I am to have such superior sibs in close residence to my folks. Meanwhile, we’re waiting to see if Mom wants us to come back today. We’re ready and packed if that’s her wish. We’re guessing she’ll pass it off as a ‘little tumble’ but for one who is one week shy of her 84th birthday, we would tend to believe a full hip replacement would be a big deal. Your thoughts and prayers for my Mom would be.
Question: JohnA’s comment on the Wild Card thread hits home. My mother turned 84 this summer. A year or so ago, she took a nasty tumble at my sister’s house. She continues to be independent and strong. But I know that can change with one misstep. How about you? Does your natural concern for your immediate and extended family include an aging parent?
Item: Legislator’s wife to run for Post Falls council: Henderson touts conservative values, wants tax change/Brian Walker, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Citing conservative values and a commitment to serve, Betty Ann Henderson said she’ll challenge for a Post Falls City Council seat on Nov. 3. Hender-son, wife of legislator Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, will seek seat No. 4 currently held by Joe Bodman. “I was pleased the council in its recent meeting reversed its previous approval and rejected a budget that would have raised property taxes,” Henderson said. “Fortunately, the public offered convincing objections to the proposed expenditures.
Question: Can Betty Ann Henderson unseat multi-term incumbent Joe Bodman in Post Falls?
On Friday, we were discussing gadfly Dan Gookin’s announcement that he planned to run for the Coeur d’Alene City Council seat now held by Deanna Goodlander. In the process, Nic/Rants, Raves & Random Thoughts, brought up the “Wild Goose Chase” that Gookin (shown with biologist Beth Reinhart above) led a coupla years back and provided an archival link to it. Which I’ve posted below. Kathy Plonka/SR snapped the 2007 photo. Enjoy.
Apparently, Dan Gookin got a tip from someone with concerns that Marshall Chesrown and Black Rock Development had illegally diverted the Spokane River in front of the Bellerive residential project on the shoreline next to Riverstone. He told reporters that before he spread any rumors he wanted to find out the true facts. Afterward, he apologized for leading everyone on a “wild goose chase”/DFO, Huckleberries Online, April 12, 2007. More here. Or below.
Question: The ‘Wild Goose Chase’, of course, has become HBO lore. It can be viewed two ways — as the attempt by misinformed community activists to catch someone violating the law. Or as another example of the same activists going off half-cocked as part of an agenda to undermine local civic and community leaders. How do you few the episode?
The resource team, brought in for around $15,000, chose Coeur d’Alene’s education corridor expansion project as one of four in America to which the world-recognized designers would lend their help. They selected Coeur d’Alene for its beauty and creative possibilities. At the end of their stay, they marveled at City Park. They loved Memorial Field, the North Idaho College campus and applauded the re- created downtown. But why, they wondered, are there cars at Independence Point?/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Smoak
looked overweight but according to the vet he wasn’t. It was all that chow-chow fur; he had the outside dimensions of an early-generation Boeing 737 but inside he was all power; he moved with a slow and regal ease that gave false premise to the concrete-busting qualities of a massive chest that over-shadowed his four-wheel-drive-and-studs forelegs. Smoak was descended from a race of dogs bred for their sled- and cart-pulling abilities on the Mongolian highlands. Indeed, Shauna would harness him to a sled in Wallace winters and they would walk the groceries home together/David Bond, Wallace Street Journal. More here.
DFO: My old SR buddy David Bond is one of the finest writers I know. If you love dogs and good writing, you simply must follow the link to his tribute about Smoak, the chow adopted by the town of Wallace who died recently. You can thank me later.
Actor Alec Baldwin, he of “30 Rock” fame, told Playboy Magazine recently that he was so fed up with Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman‘s moderate politics that he was thinking of moving to Connecticut to run against the senator. Though he plays a shamelessly greedy Republican corporate executive on the show, Baldwin is a passionate Democrat who once accused former Vice President Dick Cheney of being a terrorist. “I’d love to run against Joe Lieberman,” he told Playboy. “I have no use for him” /Los Angeles Times. More here.
Question: Would you like to see actor Alec Baldwin run against Independent Sen. Joe Lieberman?
Here, you see a photo by Jesse Tinsley/SR a late-season huckleberry sprouts from bushes on Schweitzer Mountain Sunday. For some reason, I really enjoy this photo.
“Anywhere you like, guys!” she hollered over the music and the outbursts of drunken laughter emanating from the just-off-work Friday bar crowd. We were cruising Kellogg looking for dinner 
and were drawn in by the gigantic, retro-tastic neon sign out front. Bill Woolum, whose dad poured drinks there in the 60’s, recounts his youthful memories of the place on his “Kellogg Bloggin’” website. He describes how then-owners Sig and Bunny Peterson lived in a small apartment behind the lounge and would “come right out of their residence onto the dance floor and circulate, saying hi, drinking right along with their customers, and adding a sense of cheer to the bar.” After years of increasingly seedy ownership and general neglect, the Sunshine and its attached motel sat looking sad and abandoned for a large part of this decade. Current owners Tim and Cheryl Moyer saw potential in the old beast, bringing it up to par and reopening in February 2008/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: Which Silver Valley eatery is your favorite?
Item: Park it or plant it? Another development team suggests getting rid of 90-space parking lot in midst of downtown green space and waterfront/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: On those rare occasions when the parking spaces at Independence Point are empty, the views are breathtaking. Pine trees fill the hills across the water; City Park and the historic Fort Grounds neighborhood beckon to the west; The Coeur d’Alene Resort and shop-filled Sherman Avenue entice to the east. They are, the Mayors’ Institute on City Design resource team told the city during its education corridor presentation, the “best views Coeur d’Alene has to offer.”
Question: Should the Independence Point parking lot be replaced with lawn and landscaping?
Michael Ramirez/Investor’s Business Daily
The weekend may be winding down, but events in Coeur d’Alene aren’t. From 1 to 4 p.m. today, Chris Guggemos/Handshake Productions will bring music featuring the “Rythym Dawgs.” Don Sausser reports in the comments section Saturday that these events are also on tap: 3 0n 3 baskeball at NIC, beginning at 9 p.m. The wooden boat show around the floating boardwalk. I’ll be on the Spokane River this afternoon, enjoying a barbecue with in-laws and the ushers that guided you to your seats during the 2009 Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre season that ended Saturday night, with the final production of “Miss Saigon.” Now, for your Sunday Wild Card …
Seattle Seahawks backup quarterback Mike Teel (14) throws in the fourth quarter as Seahawks’ Max Unger, right, blocks, and Seahawks’ Devin Moore, left, looks on, in a NFL preseason football game, Saturday, in Seattle. Seattle defeated Denver 27-13. ESPN story/boxscore here. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Question: Which NFL football team is your favorite?
They’re ArenaCup champions again. The Spokane Shock faced the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers in Las Vegas for the afl2’s championship game. By late in the third quarter, it was looking to be a blow out. By the fourth quarter, it was. The Shock kept scoring and scoring and scoring, finishing off the Pioneers 74-27. An interception of a Ryan Vena pass by Sergio Gilliam for a touchdown sealed it with 48 seconds left on the clock. The Shock won the ArenaCup in 2006, their first year in the league. Last year, they played the championship game at Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena and lost to the Tennessee Valley Vipers in overtime/SR.
One boater was killed and another boater is in jail charged with felony DUI after a crash on the Spokane River this afternoon, at the Mill River subdivision. According to a sheriff’s release, Daniel J. Zimmerman, 26, of Post Falls, and Jack A. Miller Jr., 30, of Stites, were fishing in a stationery boat on the south side of the river when they were struck by a motorboat, driven by John F. Klinefelter, 43 of Coeur d’Alene, who was with his friend, Jason C. Fisk, 39, of Post Falls. Reportedly, Klinefelter and Fisk were heading up the river toward Coeur d’Alene when their boat suddenly veered hard right into the fishing boat. Miller was thrown into the water. Later, he was pronounced dead at Kootenai Medical Center. None of the occupants from either boat was wearing a life jacket. Klinefelter submitted to a blood alcohol test and had a BAC of .12. The legal limit is .08 in Idaho. Both vessels were removed off the water and taken to the sheriff’s office for further inspection. The fatality was the boating fatality was the fourth in Kootenai County this summer. Full release here.
If you don’t have plans for the weekend, you might consider picking up a ticket tonight for the final showing of “Miss Saigon” by the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre. Or you might reserve 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday for the final free summer concert at City Park, offered by Chris Guggemos’ Handshake Productions. The “Rhythm Dawgs” will be performing to bring down the curtain on the Sunday fare at the Rotary Band Shell. “Taste of Jazz” will close down the concert series at Riverstone from 6:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday. You miss something by not attending folk singer Andy Day’s performance at Riverstone last Thursday, including hearing a song that could easily become Coeur d’Alene’s theme song, “Lake City.” I’ve asked Andy to provide a copy if he ever copyrights and YouTubes it. I’ll post it here. Until then, you can start your own threads with this Wild Card …
Item: Man could be charged with hate crime/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: A convicted felon sitting in the Kootenai County Jail could be charged for a hate crime stemming from a pair of altercations outside a Coeur d’Alene home earlier this week. Ira Tankovich was arrested Sunday evening and charged with unlawful possession of a firearm, a felony which carries up to five years in prison and $5,000 in fines. He could face an additional malicious harassment — or hate crime — charge pending further investigation, according to Kootenai County Prosecuting Attorney Barry McHugh.
Question: Some people are uncomfortable that we have a category of criminal activity that we designate “hate crimes,” claiming that many crimes are fueled by hate and that the regular penalty for those crimes is sufficient. What do you think?
Construction flagger Patty Nevers of Tacoma, Wash., sits next to a statue of Mark Twain as she waits for the start of a paving project along Capitol Boulevard in Tumwater, Wash., on Friday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Olympian, Tony Overman)
Question: Do you have a fun word that you like to say that isn’t on Katrina’s list?
Blog fans in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, saw PittGirl as their masked
superhero — a comedian and local commentator who jibed the mayor
without reserve and ranted freely about her hatred of pigeons. Virginia Montanez says she was fired because she revealed her identity as a local blogger. But despite her effort to keep her real name secret, people started to figure out who PittGirl was. Feeling pressure to take control of her identity before someone else
outed her, PittGirl on Wednesday posted pictures of herself on her blog
and introduced readers to her real-world self: Virginia Montanez, a
35-year-old married mother of two who worked in the nonprofit sector/CNN. More here.
Question (for commenters and bloggers): Do many people know who you are? Have you suffered repercussions at work or from peers who know what your online name is?
Shoshone Conservative: While I certainly agree that hate and racism should be condemned, I think the officials here are over-reacting a bit. I am sure in some trailer park somewhere there are 3 Richard Butler wannabes rolling on the floor laughing at how they got the who’s-who of Spokane and Kootenai Counties to hold a large press conference, simply by throwing their nonsense literature in a few yards. The wannabes wanted attention, and they got it.
Question: Do you agree with Shoshone Conservative that the 3 racists who prompted the conference of political and police officials at stateline by circulating hate literature are laughing their heads off?
Idaho Dad: I’m sure Dan Gookin’s a nice guy, but he forever lost me with his
strident opposition to 
the Kroc Center. Yes, he will always remind you,
“I support the Kroc Center.” But he never ever would’ve allowed it in
our community if he had been on the city council back when, gasp, tax
dollars had to be used to secure the building site. The Kroc Center
would not now be a reality, enjoyed by over 15,000 members, if left up
to Gookin and his gang, who not only questioned the financing, but
the need. “I feel it’s (the Kroc Center) too big in its present state for us to afford and maintain.” - Dan Gookin, July 18, 2007. Amazing how out of touch a person can be about the very town he lives in.
Question: Will the opposition to the Kroc Center by Gookin (although, I believe, he maintains that he didn’t oppose the popular complex, per se) haunt him in the fall campaign?
Sgt. Christie Wood: I have heard the argument of “do not give them any media attention
because it is what they want”. Folks, they have already had plenty of
media attention in the past 2 months 
including national attention in
the Washington Post. The only people not receiving media attention are
the good people in our communities who stand up against hate. It was
time for their voices to be heard. No one is suggesting supressing free
speech. I challenge DFO’s readers to educate themselves on the history
of the Task Force on Human Relations. Free speech was never the issue.
It was the violence that accompanied the speech including a series of
bombings that occurred in Cda in 1986. Please take the time to visit the “Peace Park” (former Aryan compound)
and reflect on how far we have come as a community by being strong
enough to speak out.
Question: Are you a member of the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations? Or have you ever participated in an event sponsored by the task force?
Nick Anderson/Houston Chronicle
I’m dragging. I thought TGIF’s were suppose to be easy days b/c the print column is in the rear-view mirror — and, ahem, ALL I have to do is blog. I was as busy as can be today. The front page of the 9-by-11 tablet that I use for “Scanner Traffic” is completely full — 4 columns of my chicken scratches, noting in the quickest possible way what was happening throughout Kootenai County that sent engines wailing in all direction. I can’t decide which is funnier, the 9-month-old who got his head stuck in a rocking chair or the future organ donor who was performing stunts on the back of his motorcycle while zipping down the interstate a few minutes ago. The scanner provided a coupla good chuckles today. Now, I’m going to post the Wild Card and head for the weekend …
Former Kootenai County legislator Bonnie Douglas (from left, with sign, “Idaho Too Great For Hate”), Ian Robertson (Spokane Valley City Council), Cathleen O’Connor and Vic Holmes (mayor of Rathdrum) listen at a press conference this morning, near the state line. A press conference was held by law enforcement and human rights organizers to combat the recent distribution of racist flyers. (Jesse Tinsley/SR)
Item: Battle of the Beach: Coeur d’Alene to host rap contest Saturday at City Park/Get Out! North Idaho.
OrangeTV: My experience rapping is 1) tried Missy Elliott’s “Work It” one time on karaoke night and failed miserably. 2) recorded a song called “Trim Your Bush” for the 2004 election which featured a short rap including the lines “It’s a hairy situation/to overthrow the administration/time for America to buy some razors/eliminate the haters.” This is why I will definitely NOT be participating. However, it might be fun to check out at least. I just don’t get enough opportunities to break out my oversized, diamond-encrusted “P” pendant. Bling bling!
Question: Have you ever tried to rap? Were you any good?
“Early in the week,” e-mails Don Sausser, ”a smoke-doused sky caused old sol to create a sunset where it otherwise couldn’t. Within only one more minute it’s 95 degree rays would be extinguished to provide Coeurd’aleniens a delightful amenity, cool summer nights for comfortable sleeping.”
A gull and a young brown bear eye each other on the bank of the Kenai River Saturday, near its confluence with the Russian River near Cooper Landing, Alaska. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Peninsula Clarion, M. Scott Moon)
“This weekend the little North Idaho mining town of Murray rolls out the welcome mat for their annual celebration,” writes Councilwoman KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho. “It’s everything Idaho used to be, and then some. In the 1800s there were more people living in Murray than Spokane.” More here.
The latest act in a nine-year battle between Tom Hanks, his wife Rita Wilson and the high-end 
contractor Storey Construction played out before the Idaho Supreme Court on Friday. The case revolves around the couple’s sprawling Sun Valley-area home, built by Storey Construction starting in 2000. Hanks and Wilson say the company did shoddy workmanship that wasn’t immediately discovered, leaving them out more than $2 million. The construction company, meanwhile, contends the couple is just out for revenge because they lost an earlier arbitration matter over the villa/AP. More here.
Question: Would you have pursued a suit like this for 9 years?
Tony Stewart, right, longtime human rights activist in Coeur d’Alene, speaks to the media alongside Sgt. Christie Wood of the Coeur d’Alene Police about racist literature and other activities at a press conference Friday, near the state line. A press conference was held by law enforcement and human rights organizers to combat the recent distribution of racist flyers. (Jesse Tinsley/SR)
Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick emphasizes her department’s commitment to protecting citizens from racist harrassment at a press conference Friday, near the state line. A press conference was held by law enforcement and human rights organizers to combat the recent distribution of racist flyers. (Jesse Tinsley/SR)
“We have been vested with the authority and the power to take action and I assure you I will use that power and authority to take a stronger stance of boldness,” said Spokane Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick. “People who are hateful are bold. But standby to standby, because we are more bold than they are.” Meghann M. Cuniff/SR story here.
Question: Are Inland Northwest officials reacting appropriately or over-reacting to the attempt by 3 outsiders to resurrect the Aryan Nations presence in North Idaho?
A red-tailed hawk sits on a round bail of hay located on the West Campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kan., Thursday. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)
Beez:
It’s right there in the U.S. Constitution, for crissakes. The 1st Amendment, Section 2, clearly states that “In order to facilitate the free flow of ideas, no matter how ill-informed or moronic they may seem to most reasonable citizens, that will someday be transmitted on a magic electronic information network which has yet to be invented, the right to private cyber journaling shall not be infringed.” Those founding father dudes were WAY ahead of their time.
DFO: Beez was just cutting his teeth in the journalism biz when I met him in the early 1980s in one of the many newsroom’s I inhabited before landing in Coeur d’Alene. Now, I suppose, he’s a grizzled veteran, as they like to call those of us who’ve been in the news biz a coupla decades or so. Beez’s tongue was firmly cheeked when he wrote the piece above.)
Idaho ranks near the bottom for the number of its high school graduates who attend college, 
yet the UI has an outstanding retention and career placement rate for students who enroll at our university. We need to lead our state’s efforts to actively prepare high school students for greater levels of success. Partnerships with community colleges provide a seamless transition for students to complete four-year degrees. We also complement undergraduate programs at other universities with top-quality graduate programs in our strength areas, such as nuclear energy. This, in turn, benefits industry by providing qualified employees/UI President Duane Nellis, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Why don’t you think more high school grads in Idaho attend — and finish — college?
William Calley,
the former Army lieutenant convicted on 22 counts of murder in the infamous My Lai Massacre in Vietnam, publicly apologized for the first time this week while speaking in Columbus. “There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel remorse for what happened that day in My Lai,” Calley told members of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus on Wednesday. His voice started to break when he added, “I feel remorse for the Vietnamese who were killed, for their families, for the American soldiers involved and their families. I am very sorry”/Dick McMichael, Special to Ledger-Inquirer. More here.
Question: Is there any value to an apology such as Calley’s so long after the fact?
Herb Huseland/Bay Views snapped this photo of a barge on the Columbia River at the John Day Dam viewpoint while traveling through the Columbia Gorge this week.
JeanieSpokane: omg, I just remembered something I did when I was a teen. Really bad - kind of like anonymously posting nasty comments about someone else. I was in a restroom at church camp (of all places) and I was gossiping about another girl, something derogatory. The toilet flushes and out she walks. I was so mortified - and to this day I strive to never say anything bad about anyone else, no matter what!
Question: Have you ever suffered an embarrassment similar to Jeanie’s in which you said something about someone, not realizing that s/he was in earshot?
Don Sausser: I’ll nominate Walkabout who, with four pawed Charlie, daily tramps Tubbs Hill’s trails to pick up dog poop left by inconsiderate pet owners. Not only pet turds but all other manner of trash we humans love to leave on the ground. Who else would perform this fragrant task? Unfortunately, she presently has a couple of bad wheels but hopes to return to her job soon.
DFO: Thanks for the terrific nomination, Don. Now, will you Merry Hucksters join me in giving Stickman’s beloved Walkabout the cheer she deserves: Saaalute!
Count me among those who believe that OpenCDAer Dan Gookin can defeat incumbent Councilwoman Deanna Goodlander in a municipal election this November. Unlike many 
challengers, Gookin has gained name recognition from his role as one of the main opponents to the Lake City Development Corp. and ongoing favorable treatment in the Coeur d’Alene Press. Gookin is organized and campaigns hard. He also has a group of Tea Bag conservatives in his corner who covet a seat on the council (as well as want to defeat Mike Kennedy). Gookin closed well in his 2007 campaign against popular Councilman Ron Edinger, losing by only 366 votes (2626 to 2260). He will appeal to those who are anti-incumbent, those who oppose urban renewal efforts, those who oppose the proposed 2% property tax hike when many city department heads are being paid handsomely, and those who simply would like to see an outsider on the council. On the other hand, Goodlander is considered the weakest link among the three council incumbents that are likely to win re-election. She’ll have to campaign hard to retain the seat/DFO.
The Idaho Democratic Party said today that former Idaho Transportation Department Director 
Pamela Lowe’s (pictured) dismissal and her subsequent legal action raise new concerns over ongoing mismanagement of the public’s trust by Gov. Butch Otter and other top Republicans. “This is just the latest example of rampant Republican cronyism, mismanagement and favoritism toward special interests,” said Jim Hansen, executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party. “From secret settlements arranged by the Idaho Tax Commission to corporate tax giveaways made at the expense of middle-class Idaho families, there’s a pattern here and Idahoans are growing tired of it”/Julie Fanselow, Idaho Democratic Party. More here.
Question: Do Idaho Democrats have a legitimate beef here?
CindyH hits the nail on the head in a comment inside re: the “Top 10 Reasons for Anonymous Blogging.” I’ll post three out front. Make sure you follow the link to No. 10. (Hint: It’s a coffee spitter.) Cindy’s reasons:
Question: Tongue firmly cheeked, can you add to Cindy’s list?
Item: Stephanopolous: Obama needs confidence boost/ABC News
More Info: The biggest problem for President Obama in today’s ABC News/Washington Post poll is this: only 49 percent of Americans are confident that he’ll “make the right decisions for the country’s future” — down from 60 percent in April. Voters still like Obama. His overall job approval is steady at 57 percent. But they’re screaming “listen to us” and “slow down.” And they’re worried he’s getting in over his head.
Question: Is President Obama in “over his head” in dealing with the national economy, health care, and international issues?
A vandalized sign outside the office of Rep. David Scott, D-Ga., is shown earlier this month in Smyrna, Ga. Scott had a contentious community meeting on health care last week. Scott, who is black, said the swastika is the latest example of what he believes is an increasingly hateful and racist debate over reforming health care. The Atlanta lawmaker said he also has received mail in recent days that used N-word references to him, and that characterized President Barack Obama as a Marxist. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Question: At this moment, council representatives, police chiefs, and the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations are meeting at the stateline to denounce recent distribution of Aryan Nations literature in area yards. Are you confident that the task force will be able to come up with a good approach to countering any renewal of a racist presence here?
Holly: I lived in PF for 20 years and visit at least once a month… Other than the parks, there’s nothing to do there except run errands. When I was in high school, my friends and I would walk around Walmart for fun because there wasn’t anything else to do in the evening for cheap.
Question: Is there much for teens and young adults to do in Post Falls?
The University of Idaho has adopted a policy requiring all freshmen students to live on campus, beginning in fall 2010. That means the first-year students currently moving their clothes and books into apartments and dorm rooms are the final crop of freshman with the option of living off campus. Dean of Students Bruce Pitman said the new policy is part of a yearlong effort to increase retention from students’ freshman to sophomore years. … The new policy is expected to generate nearly $700,000 annually in extra revenues for university housing and dining services. The policy has been approved by UI President Duane Nellis and was heard Thursday by the Idaho State Board of Education/Halley Griffin, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Did the University of Idaho make the right decision?
On KVNI this morning, Jeff Smith of Fins & Feathers Tackle Shop was giving Norm Mahoney a rundown re: what fish are biting where when he mentioned that Fernan Lake is producing some nice catfish. At that point, Norm asked Jeff if catfish are good to eat. Jeff responded that some people love catfish, others hate the bottom feeders. Then, Norm asked Jeff if he liked to eat catfish. “Yeah, I like to eat those things,” responded Jeff. “Then, I like to eat broccoli, of all things.”
Question: Which would you prefer to eat — catfish or broccoli?
Krista Woodruff, right, a retired nurse and wife of a doctor, debates the proposed federal health care plan with Amy Biviano, left, the chair of the Spokane County Democrats outside the Spokane Club, where Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., was speaking to a Rotary Club group about issues including health care, Thursday in Spokane. Story here. (AP Photo/The Spokesman-Review, Jesse Tinsley)
“I really think there needs to be somebody to stand up for the taxpayer and be a good steward of the people’s money,” (Dan) Gookin said. “Right now I don’t see anyone doing that.” Gookin declared his intention to run for Coeur d’Alene City Council on Thursday, bidding for the 4-year seat held by incumbent Deanna Goodlander/Tom Hasslinger, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
… on a white Explorer parked in front of dentist Brent Unruh’s office this morning: “If you think you’re perfect, try walking on water.”
Me: Many of you remember that my Mom passed away in October. We took her ashes to the 
Ocean in Oregon in May. I have her computer - she is the one that introduced me to computers and thus my profession … I needed her computer to get into her accounts and close them down etc. Over the years her computer wizardry had gone downhill and I had to help her more and more — with smaller and smaller things … I just happened to look at her favorites tonight and I see she had Huckleberries online linked - it was under media. That makes me happy. I am like her, she was like me.
Question: I appreciated Me’s comment from last night a lot. But I’m re-posting it here to remind you to share HBO with friends and family that don’t know about this site. HBO has grown quite a bit in the past 5 1/2 years. But there’s always room for more Merry Hucksters and blurkers. If you like what you see here, let others know. Now, back to your regular programming.
Pip:
I think Gookin will get the seat either way. His discussion of the budget last week was spot on. Requesting the government to take a closer look at the budget and be more fiscally responsible does not make him a dissenter. It makes him electable. Anybody who disregards what is best for the majority is not ‘safe.’ Not even MikeK or mayor Bloem. It will be interesting to see who else throws their hat in the ring.
Question: Can you envision the possibility of a uber-conservative ticket, featuring Dan Gookin, sweeping into power in the Coeur d’Alene city elections (as Jim Fromm and the Gang of Four did in the early 1980s)?
Nick Anderson/Houston Chronicle
Frum Helen Back reports via private e-mail that there may have been an interruption in SR/Huckleberries Online service around 9:30 this morning. Back things seem to be back to as normal as they can be around here (other than the fact that I forgot to post this Wild Card when I got to work, as promised recently. I’ll get it down yet.) For those lucky Merry Hucksters who can be outside today, enjoy the sunshine and remember those of us who are stuck indoors. Now, for your Wild Card …
Afghan women voters line up to cast their ballots at a polling station in Kabul Thursday. Afghans voted under the shadow of Taliban threats of violence Thursday to choose their next president for a nation plagued by armed insurgency, drugs, corruption and a feeble government nearly eight years after the U.S.-led invasion. (AP Photo/Rafiq Maqbool)
Question: Would you risk being the target of violence to vote?
… that this is the tentative lineup for the fall City Council elections:
Gookin announced his intentions to run against Goodlander at the Fortgrounds Tavern @ 3:30 p.m. today. He’d scheduled to make the announcement @ 3. But waited another half hour for the Coeur d’Alene Press to appear. The Press reporter never did. So he went ahead. He didn’t say much to the 25 individuals gathered, other than he gained experience from his unsuccessful 2007 run against Ron Edinger. And that Suzy Snedaker will be his campaign treasurer. The first day to file is Monday (thru Sept. 4).
Question: Can Gookin beat Goodlander for her council seat? And/or: Do you think Gookin, Brannon & Adams will run as a ticket?
Jerry Purkey with Tri-State Sign Company lifts a repaired fiberglass elephant back onto its perch atop the White Elephant store in Spokane Valley Wednesday. Suffering the effects of age, the elephant needed reinforcing, patching up and repainting. Improvements include mounting a ball on the end of the trunk and adding lighting behind the eyes. Store owner John Conley bought the display elephant in 1974 from the Armour Meat Packing plant after it closed. (Colin Mulvany/SR)
Singer Britney Spears presents the “Top Ten Ways the Country Would Be Different if Britney Spears Were President,” on the “Late Show with David Letterman,” Tuesday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/CBS)
Top Cutlines:
Item: Bozeman officer apologizes for saying on Facebook that “stupid” people should be jailed/Jodi Hausen, Bozeman Chronicle
More Info: Anderson’s Facebook postings about jailing “stupid” people and how he enjoys “messing” with the public are cited in a lawsuit filed against him and other officers last week. The suit accuses the officers of illegally entering a man’s home and unjustly arresting him in February. Although Anderson is being disciplined for his actions, he is not being fired.
There will not be another dog. I know many of you think we’ll change our mind. Bacchus was a 
wonderful and deeply loved member of the family and it will take some time for the heartache to heal. The emotional roller coaster has taken a toll on both of us. I know that grief is part of the price of having a pet that you will out live but at our age we’re not sure that would again be the case. Eight or ten years down the road we’re not at all sure we’d be able to handle the emotional stress nor do we want to go through it again. If we aren’t here we have no one to take care of one left behind. We’ve had six over our forty years together, and for us, that’s enough/Dogwalk Musings. More here.
Escapee/Atmospheric Ruminations offers this photoshop of a raccoon, nicknamed Houdini, who appeared on HBO Wednesday via the AP photo wire.
HBO Numbers (for Wednesday, Aug. 19): 8401/4914
Libyan Abdel Baset al-Megrahi, top, left, using stick, who was found guilty of the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, is accompanied by Seif al-Islam el- Gadhafi, son of Libyan leader Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi upon his arrival at an airport in Tripoli, Libya, Thursday. Scotland freed the terminally ill Lockerbie bomber on compassionate grounds Thursday, allowing him to die at home in Libya despite American protests that mercy should not be shown to the man responsible for the deaths of 270 people. Story here. (AP Photo/ Amr Nabil)
Question: Do you think the Lockerbie bomber should have been released from prison because of a terminal illness?
I am Matt Behringer. Some may have seen me post on here as mjbehri in the past but am normally is blurking around. I am the 23 year old that people in Post Falls and CdA saw yesterday morning in the Press running for mayor in Post Falls, I got some interesting to say the least comments on their website,I want to get some more from you guys on here what do you think of my Campaign for mayor and what would you like to have happen to Post Falls?
Question: So what do you think re: the attempt by 23YO HBO blurker Matt Behringer’s attempt to unseat veteran Mayor Clay Larkin?
Item: Top Superfund official hears waste concerns: Halting repository could cause cleanup delays/Becky Kramer, SR
More Info: A citizens group asked the nation’s top Superfund official to halt construction of a mine waste repository at East Mission Flats during a Wednesday meeting in Idaho’s Silver Valley. Storing 40,000 truckloads of waste in the Coeur d’Alene River’s floodplain is too risky, said members of the Silver Valley Community Resource Center. “It’s the worst place to build a repository,” said Barbara Miller, who heads the center. “The people have said no to it.” Mathy Stanislaus listened, but he made no promises.
Question: Does the citizens group have a legitimate complaint or is it being a NIMBY?
Item: Liquor chief’s idea for in-store ‘tasting’ rejected/Jared S. Hopkins, Twin Falls Times-News
More Info: A free sample in a supermarket aisle can prompt a shopper’s impulse buy of everything from pigs-in-a-blanket to mango flavored juice. Could a free shot of top-shelf booze also boost sales at state liquor stores? Idaho liquor czar Dyke Nally in July proposed free tastings at state-owned stores as a way to increase revenue, but officials in Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s Division of Financial Management balked at the idea. It was one of four ideas floated for vetting before formal presentation to the Legislature for approval.
Question: Do you see a problem with the state liquor stores offering free, in-store samples?
This May 24, 2007, photo made available by Mike Madel shows the pad of the second-largest grizzly bear ever recorded after it was captured in the 10,000-square-mile Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem measures 7 1/8 inches across. State wildlife officials are investigating the death of one of Montana’s biggest grizzly bears, a male that stood more than 7 1/2 feet tall. Story here. (AP Photo/Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Mike Madel)
There’s a butterfly in my freezer. And a moth, a stink bug, an ant, a fly and something green 
with wings. I tend to forget they’re there, but when I asked a guest to hand me the ice cream the other night, her shrill scream reminded me. She pointed to the plastic sandwich bags that had slid out of the freezer along with the Rocky Road. “Bugs!” she gasped. I also often forget that not everyone has small boys in their home. All of my sons went through a bug-collecting phase. They’d take plastic containers out to the backyard and dig up bugs and worms. They gave their creatures names (Gus Grasshopper, Cody Cricket and Slimy Stu – genus unknown) and fashioned elaborate homes for them/CindyH, SR Voices. More here.
Question: Do you know what’s in your freezer?
… that Linda Mullin Cook, the former Helen Chenoweth-Hage staffer who was involved in a North Idaho College flap two years ago, was sitting with Jim Brannon at the City Council minutes Tuesday, taking copious notes. Cook, as you may recall, was a student who demanded and received back her tuition money after she complained that part-time English instructor Jessica Bryan regularly bashed Republicans and the Bush administration during classroom discussions. According to sources, Cook hasn’t attended a council meeting in recent memory. Her appearance with Brannon fuels speculation that she’ll be involved in his council race. Meanwhile, the filing period for municipal elections begins Monday. Stay tuned.
It’s common for a political candidate to run on the idea that he or she was in business, and that 
experience will apply to government. The politician asserts that government ought to be run like a business. This is a load of hooey. Gov Otter has tried to use this approach, and actually seems to persist in the endeavor, despite its lack of success. His approach has been somewhat businesslike. He has acted like the boss/owner/manager in that he seems to think that he can just hand down an edict and it will be carried out. Think of last year when he demanded $240 mil (or whatever it was) for transportation. He correctly identified the need, but, he’s not the boss of the legislature and can’t just order it to cough up the dough, and it refused/IdaBlue. More here.
Question: Do you agree w/IdaBlue that government can’t be run like a business?
As a high school and college track star, Bruce Sweeney learned to rely on himself. “The reason 
I liked it is the only one you had to depend on is you. You’re either there or you’re not there,” he recently told the Tribune’s Kerri Sandaine. Of course, if a track star falters, so does his team’s overall performance. A former Air Force pilot, Sweeney was crazy about airplanes. It wasn’t unusual to hear him planning a contingency landing in a forested area if one were necessary. A pilot has as much invested in his success as his passengers, but he alone is responsible. At various times, Sweeney, who died Tuesday at 77 from bone cancer, was a businessman, school board member and volunteer track coach. But it was at the state level where you saw his attributes. Against a backdrop of regional and petty party politics, Sweeney was a big-picture public servant/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Sweeney was one of those rare politicians who could be considered a statesman. Which other Idaho legislator, past or present, would you assign that noble label to?
In this Jan. 17, 2004, file photo, against a backdrop of the famous “60 Minutes” stop watch, Don Hewitt, the program’s creator and executive producer, reads prepared remarks to reporters during a session on “60 Minutes” during CBS’ Winter Press Tour in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. Hewitt, 86, the newsman who invented “60 Minutes” and produced the popular newsmagazine for 36 years, died, according to CBS. Story here. (AP Photo/Rene Macura, file)
Question: Are you a “60 Minutes” watcher? Why?
Item: GED center provides plenty of room to learn: New school has up to three times more space than previous one/Cindy Hval, SR Voices
More Info: Several weeks ago, when the staff of the Spokane Valley GED Center learned they needed to vacate the University Center, it seemed like bad news. Summer quarter was in full swing with 58 students enrolled. However, according to instructor Bill Bussard, that unsettling news turned out to be an unexpected blessing.
Question (from CindyH): Do you think there’s a bias against folks who receive a GED certificate instead of a traditional high school diploma? A lot of the students I spoke with were concerned that employers might think a GED wasn’t as good as a diploma.
Bloggers beware… If you choose to trash-talk online and insult people, you may not be able to 
hide behind a web of anonymity. Canadian model Liskula Cohen says she was unfairly trashed by an anonymous blogger last year through Google’s Blogger.com service. The blogger’s page, called “Skanks in NYC,” was largely devoted to trashing Cohen. The former Vogue model took Google to court, demanding the blogger’s identity so she could sue for damages. A Manhattan Supreme Court judge ordered Google to release the blogger’s information. In the aftermath, Cohen has forgiven the blogger, who turned out to be an acquaintance. And Google has apologized/Andrew Cohen’s Corner, Crimesider. More here.
Question: And you wonder why I keep tight reins on the handful of elbow throwers here?
Amber Baldwin, right, assistant manager at the Murphy USA store in Columbia, S.C. sells a South Carolina Education Lottery ticket to Laura Myers, 60, of Columbia. This is the store that sold the winning $259.9 million Powerball ticket. (AP Photo/Mary Ann Chastain)
Question: Why do you play Powerball — given the extremely long odds?
As President Obama concludes weeks of intense — and increasingly desperate — 
salesmanship on his keystone and embattled healthcare reform plans, a discouraging alarm arrived today that he may soon have to devote his selling skills toward a less interesting but more dangerous area of concern for him: The war in Afghanistan. Secure parts of that country vote in a presidential election Thursday. And quietly coming through the bureaucratic defense pipeline is a request for even more U.S. troops, on top of the compromise 17,000 additional Obama approved last winter. Current U.S. troop strength there is 62,000, scheduled to jump to 68,000 in coming weeks. But today a new Washington Post/ABC News poll reveals that a majority of Americans now … believe that historically troubled land is not worth fighting for — and only 24% back a troop increase. While 45% say the American troop commitment there should actually be reduced/Los Angeles Times.
Question: Is Afghanistan worth continuing to fight for?
U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick has agreed to appear at a town hall meeting Saturday hosted by Tea 
Party Boise, which drew thousands to an April 15 rally to protest taxes and government spending. Minnick, a Democrat who has become a minor national figure for opposing the stimulus package and other government spending, will appear from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the ballroom at the Owyhee Plaza Hotel in Boise. … The event was announced by e-mail late Wednesday by the Tea Party group. Minnick spokesman John Foster confirmed that Minnick will attend. “They asked, we accepted,” Foster said/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman.
Question: Will Minnick’s appearance at the Boise Tea Party drive a major wedge between him and the national Demo party?
Melissa Scott Jenkins appears in an Ada County Courtroom in Boise, Idaho, Wednesday for an arraignment hearing. Jenkins and her boyfriend Daniel Ehrlick Jr. were arrested on Tuesday on first-degree murder charges in the death of her 8-year-old son Robert Manwill. Story here. (AP Photo/Shawn Raecke, Idaho Statesman)
Christie Wood: (Dogwalk Musings), I am very sorry about Bacchus. Dogs capture our hearts and it is painful when they leave us. Oscar moves a lot slower these days and is having trouble with is eyes. I dread the inevitable. He is sitting next to me snoring loudly as I type this. You and your sweet dog are in my thoughts.
Question: Do you have an older dog?
Kendramama:
My proudest achievements have been getting into counseling, realizing I need it, plus can’t just pizzle away my life (after all, I’m gonna be 33 on the 28th- yikes!) so … I also took the big step of enrolling in NIC late start this fall semester, 3/4 time. Full time come Spring. For now, lots of online courses, a few actual classroom classes, and mainly a bunch of pre-reqs to knock out of the way to pave the way to my double major in Education and Social Work.
Question: Did you return to school at some point in your adult life? Why?
It is said that Americans eat an average of 60 hot dogs a year per person. Wow! If that’s the case 
I am waaay under average. But I do know people who love their hot dogs & sausages. I was told by some friends of mine that one of the best places to get a “good” hot dog was from the lady on the side of the road on Government Way in Coeur d’alene. They knew of no name for the business except for “the lady in a little shack on the side of the road”. After doing a little investigative work (driving up & down the street) I discovered the Original Hot Dog & Gyros Hut located at 5955 N. Government Way/Dad’s Diner. More here.
Question: Do you ever stop at the food huts around town?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
After reading Dogwalk Musings today, I’m sad to report that DM’s beloved Saint Bernard, Bacchus, has died following a lengthy struggle with health issues. Bacchus, of course, inspired DM to launch her blog as a place to put down the thoughts she had during walks in her neighborhood with him. DM got Bacchus as a puppy during a tough patch in her life, I believe. Which makes the bond between them even stronger. Remember DM in your thoughts today. You can see her post about Bacchus here.
Earlier, I published one photo of Twin Lakes from talented HBO shooter MikeS, probably taken 3-4 years ago. Now, I’ll publish the other. Both are so good that I kept them when we switched over to the new blogware. Enjoy.
The only survivor of a crash on Lovell Valley Road near Plummer, Idaho has survived two other one-car crashes on that same road. Joseph M. Matt, 24, of Worley, was thrown from a 1997 Jeep Cherokee about 1:10 p.m. on Tuesday after the car left the road and vaulted nearly 250 feet, taking off the tops of two trees. William “Sonny” A. Davison, 22, of Desmet, was also ejected and died at the scene. Alcohol was a factor in the crash, according to Idaho State Police, and investigators haven’t determined who was driving. Matt’s sister, Veronica J. Matt, died in a crash on Lovell Valley Road March 26, along with her mother, Juanita A. Garcia, 42, who was driving. Veronica was driving a 2003 Chevy Blazer when it veered off the road/Meghann M. Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
Football season is just around the corner, but customers at one local sports bar will have to 
find new accommodations if they planned on watching any Philadelphia Eagles games or drinking any Coors Light. Steve Coffman, owner of Slates Prime Time Grill and Sports Bar, is boycotting the Eagles and its corporate sponsors — including the makers of both Coors and Miller beer — until the team releases Michael Vick, its newly acquired quarterback. Vick, who spent two years in prison for his role in a dog fighting ring, signed a two-year contract with the Eagles late last week. An animal lover with three dogs of his own, Coffman said he was disgusted by the Vick case and the NFL for allowing him back into the league. When he learned of a national boycott called “Sack Vick,” Coffman decided to join the cause/Conor Christofferson, Bonner County Bee. More here.
Question: What do you think of the action taken by Sandpoint sports bar owner Steve Coffman to protest the Eagles signing of QB Michael Vick?
The North Idaho College resident advisers participated in a volunteer project through Habitat for Humanity as part of their annual staff training project. The Habitat for Humanity house in Bonners Ferry was designed by a former NIC resident adviser Ray Sayers. Pictured are current NIC resident advisers (front) Frances Walker, Tiffany Mayne, Gavin Krieg, Jillian Anderson, Sabrena Cossairt, (back) Ann Truesdell, residence life alumni Sayers, Jeff Howard and NIC Residence Life Director Paula Czirr. (NIC Photo)
Bea, a three-year-old giraffe, and Wilma, an ostrich, share a moment recently at Busch Gardens in Tampa Bay, Florida’s 65-acre Serengeti Plain. Just as they do on Africa’s plains, the animals usually hang out with their own species. But recently, zoo keepers at Busch Gardens noticed the unlikely pair that just can’t seem to get enough of one another. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Busch Gardens, Matt Marriott)
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Her message back was appropriate and I even returned to the beach later in the evening and noticed that the nerdy kid whose family has a pretty nice boat had even found the groove of August. He’s cruising slowly around the lake with a girl, playing country music and the two of them are singing at the top of their lungs. No one is much on the water, maybe a canoe or two, and the exuberance can be heard as far as the opposite shore. When the boat putts past my place “Thank God I’m a Country Boy” is cranking from the boat speakers and they are two-stepping on deck. August is the month where summer fits like an old pair of hiking boots and the frenetic days of July are long past/Mike S (who also snapped the wonderful scenic above). Full post below.
Question: Where does August rank in your months of the year?
At A Family Runs Through It, Idaho Dad figured he’d have time to catch some Zzzz in a hammock when his son became old enough to mow the lawn. He figured wrong. More here.
Question: How old were your kids when you trusted them enough to handle the lawn mower?
“I have obtained an advanced copy of the proposal which is named … “CASH FOR CODGERS” and it works like this… Couples wishing to access health care funds in 
order to pay for the delivery of a child will be required to turn in one old person. The amount the government grants them will be fixed according to a sliding scale. Older and more prescription dependent codgers will garner the highest amounts. Special “Bonuses” will be paid for those submitting codgers in targeted groups, such as smokers, alcohol drinkers, persons 10 pounds over their government prescribed weight, and any member of the Republican Party”/The Spoof. More here.
Question: This, of course, is a spoof (that Cindy e-mailed to me). However, let’s say you could turn in a codger for health care services. Who would you turn in? Why?
A coupla days ago, I asked if you’d ever shaken hands with a president. Don Sausser, HBO’s Eye On Sherman Avenue, responded in a private e-mail that he hadn’t. But he got dang close. Take if away, Don: “I haven’t shaken any hands but here is a picture I took of President Truman at Fort Lewis while I was in the Army (1958). I managed my way out of the infantry and into a battle group photographer back in the days of 4x5” speed graphic view cameras.”
Question: Anyone else besides me appreciate “Give-‘Em-Hell” Harry S Truman?
The University of Idaho wants to make all first-year students live on campus — a move that officials say could boost university housing revenue by nearly $400,000 and campus dining services by $300,000. UI President Duane Nellis has approved the proposal, and the school will present it to the State Board of Education on Thursday. School leaders say the move would also boost residence hall occupancy by 100 students, and could raise the number of students who return from college after their first year from 79 percent to 85 percent/AP.
Question: Did you stay in a dorm while in college? Good experience? Bad experience?
A New Jersey blogger facing charges in two states for allegedly making threats against lawmakers and judges was trained by the FBI on how to be deliberately provocative, his attorney said Tuesday. Hal Turner worked for the FBI from 2002 to 2007 as an “agent provocateur” and was taught by the agency “what he could say that wouldn’t be crossing the line,” defense attorney Michael Orozco said. “His job was basically to publish information which would cause other parties to act in a manner which would lead to their arrest,” Orozco said/AP.
Question: Ah, any of you HBO commenters trained by the FBI?
Stacey Fog, background fourth from left, is reunited with his 1969 Mustang in Boise on Monday evening, after friends surprised him with the car restored with a unique shade of candy apple red and custom upholstery and more. Fog’s 1969 Mustang was painted, upholstered and restored in a community effort with donated and at-cost services by local painters and craftsmen. Fog’s brother Chris Fog and father, John Fog, decided to restore the car on their own while Stacey was undergoing treatment for cancer. As word got out about their plan, more and more people donated their time, services and materials to make it happen. (AP Photo/The Idaho Statesman, Darin Oswald)
A van involved in a road rage incident in north Spokane Friday has been connected to a man in the Cheney area, and the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office is asking for helping finding him. The van’s Washington license plate was traced to a church in Post Falls, but the owner has sold the van and doesn’t remember the buyer’s name, said Sgt. Dave Reagan. The incident began when the van cut off a motorcycle while southbound on Newport Highway, according to the Sheriff’s Office/Meghann M. Cuniff, SR. More here.
A 25-pound male raccoon is shown on the city hall roof Tuesday. Named “Houdini” by a city animal control officer who finally caught the resourceful mammal after a thirty minute chase. Authorities said it was not showing any sign of having rabies and was resting at an animal shelter while being evaluated for release. (AP Photo/New York City Hall)
Question: Have you ever had a close encounter with a raccoon?
A Huckleberries Online hat tip goes to Chris Guggemos of Handshake Productions who’s the shaker behind the free summer concerts that we enjoy locally in five locations, including City Park (1-4 p.m. Sundays), Sherman Square Park (6-8:30 p.m. Tuesdays), Hayden City Park (Wednesdays), Rathdrum City Park (Fridays), and Deer Park City Park (Saturdays) Since 1992, Chris has collected enough doughnations from local merchants and community to present the concerts, including HBO’s own HMOffsuite (who helped sponsor the Ryan Larson Band last night at Sherman Park Square). As a result of Chris’ tireless efforts to spotlight local bands, I’ve heard Big Red Barn (blues, acoustics) and Ryan Larson’s western band this week. The concerts at Hayden and Rathdrum are over for the year. The last concerts at CdA City Park and Sherman Square will feature the “Rhythm Dogs” and Beatles music, respectively. Chris’s efforts make living here in the summer that much better. Saaalute.
DFO: I’ve been considering a “Hat Tip” feature at HBO for some time. I’ll run them as they come up. If you want to give someone a hat tip, send your nomination to me, with an explanation for the hat tip.
News Release: As many of you may be aware,the Aryan Nation has once again been making 
headlines in our area by distributing their hateful message in neighborhoods throughout Coeur d’Alene and have now expanded to the Spokane Valley. The Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations will team with mayors and police chiefs of several Inland Northwest cities as well as the Spokane and Kootenai County sheriffs departments by holding a press conference at 10 a.m. Friday to condemn the hate message of this literature. The press conference will be at the old Interstate 90 bridge at the Washington-Idaho border on the north side of the freeway/Thom George, Kootenai County Democrats.
The Missoula City Council has enacted an “emergency” ban on “aggressive” panhandling, No more touching without asking, following someone around, or using violence. (I think there might have already been a law about that?) It bans soliciting near ATMs and within six feet of an entrance to a building. And it prohibits telling lies to get money which is going to put a serious kink in political campaigning over there in Montana/Tom Von Alten, Fort Boise. More here.
Question: Have you been accosted by an aggressive panhandler?
Again, the Bible doesn’t belong to one denomination. Your assumption that it should be banned from public schools isn’t based on the Idaho Constitution. It’s akin to book-burning. I wanted my kids to attend Nampa Classical Academy because I wanted them to receive a classical education, not a religious education. I’m not trying to use charter schools as a back door for religious education, and resent the Press-Tribune editorial board for assuming that’s what parents are trying to do/Marci Whitehead, Nampa (Idaho Press Tribune letter). More here. H/T: Treasured Valley
Question: Do you agree/disagree with letter writer Marci Whitehead’s point that banning the Bible as a literary resource in school is similar to book burning?
Kristen Dalton, Miss USA 2009, pre-tapes her opening number Tuesday for the Miss Universe 2009 competition in Nassau, Bahamas. (AP Photo/Miss Universe Organization, Richard D. Salyer) Question: Do you still watch beauty pageants? Which one(s)?
Break out the pink jumpsuits and the sandwich boards. They can wear the jumpsuits while they’re repairing the damage they caused. When they’ve completed their community service, let them march up and down Main Avenue with the sandwich boards that explain how they vandalized public property. For far too long we have tolerated scuzzbuckets who ruin things for the rest of us. A report in this newspaper last week detailed how the city had locked up new restrooms at Aqua Park because vandals continued to wreak havoc on the $75,000 taxpayer investment. Priscilla Derry, a former member of the city council, expressed her outrage in a letter-to-the-editor. She said the damage done by vandals disgusted her and that she was tired of seeing her tax money wasted. She asked that the courts do more to punish anyone caught in an act of vandalism. She’s right/Dan Hammes, St. Maries Gazette-Record. More here.
Question: How should we deal with vandals who are convicted of their crime?
The Aryan Nations is experiencing an unwanted resurgence in North Idaho. Richard Butler and the Aryan Nations placed a black eye on North Idaho for years with their message of hate, until a lawsuit and Butler’s death mostly wiped them out. However, a man named Paul Mullet claims he is going to bring the racist organization back. “I’m bringing the church back and it’s going to stay,” Mullet told KREM 2 News. “The Aryan Nations in North Idaho never left, it’s just been quiet.” Mullet says he moved here from Ohio five months ago because North Idaho is the “last stand” for the Aryan Nations movement. Mullet says he’s in the process of buying a large amount of land in the area/KREM. More here.
Question: Do you think Mullet’s attempt to resurrect the Aryan Nations in North Idaho is legitimate? Or simply a publicity stunt?
Seattle’s famously green voters have rejected a 20-cent charge on plastic and paper bags, instituted by their city officials. It was the first such tax in the nation. See story below.
Question: Why do you think that even environmentally sensitive residents of Seattle would oppose a 20-cent grocery bag tax?
Item: Post Falls abandons property tax hike: City Council hears citizens’ concerns; more budget cuts must be made/Brian Walker, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: Wipe out the proposed 1.68 percent property tax increase with more cuts. That’s what the Post Falls City Council unanimously directed city staff to do Tuesday night after hearing six residents oppose the city’s proposed fiscal 2010 budget, mostly the tax hike plan. The decision means department heads will have to find an additional $141,000 in cuts.
Question: The city of Coeur d’Alene is proposing a 2 percent property tax hike. Should the Coeur d’Alene council follow the lead of Post Falls and balance the budget by making more cuts?
The Louisiana couple involved in the fatal fall at the Coeur d’Alene Resort were arguing and drinking that night, court documents show. Witnesses heard Lynea M. Sprung Hambrice, 36, telling Ian E. James, 38, to stop hurting her about 12:15 a.m. on July 30 - 19 minutes before James called 911 and said his girlfriend wanted to kill herself and had jumped off the balcony, according to minutes from a search warrant hearing. Judge Scott Wayman authorized the search warrant that allowed detectives to scour room 1268 at the luxury lakeside resort. The couple had checked in that afternoon and planed to stay four nights. James’ 20th high school reunion was that weekend in Kellogg. Police seized a laptop, a ring, a watch, a purse, a cell phone and a prescription bottle made out to Hambrice/Meghann Cuniff, Sirens & Gavels. More here.
OrangeTV: I do the same thing, DFO. The political blah-blah-blah gets so boring that I find myself completely skipping posts and threads that involve the same recycled left/right arguments, accusations, insults and innuendos that constantly appear like tape loops that ever end, just keep looping and looping until eventually all you can hear is an indistinguishable fuzzy noise.
DFO: Political threads have value until they devolve into repetition and name calling. We have individuals here who argue the key points of national issues well. We also have an individual or two with chips on their shoulders who glom onto political threads to continue petty fights. That’s where the deletion key comes into play.
Larry Spencer: I do not have insurance by choice. I have not incurred more than an average 
of several hundred dollars in medical expenses per year for my entire life, and I would guess the number to be more like $8,000 total, including dental and eyesight (contact lenses). How do I do it? I take care of myself, I don’t run off to the doctor because I get the flu and demand he give me something for it, and my doctor visits only cost about $60, as I recall from the last time I went a couple years ago. Yes, a real doctor, in a real office, with a MD after his name, right here in Hayden. Full post below.
Question: Would you feel comfortable dropping your health insurance?
Nick Anderson/Houston Chronicle
William “Sonny” Davison, 22, of DeSmet was killed and Joseph Matt, 24, of Worley injured at 1:10 p.m. today as the result of a one-vehicle accident on Lovell Valley Road/Plummer. Davison and Matt were westbound in a 1997 Jeep Cherokee when they went off the north shoulder, over-corrected and crossed the centerline. Then, the vehicle crossed the eastbound lane, went off the south shoulder, and exited the roadway at a high rate of speed. The vehicle went into the ditch and vaulted forward 237 feet from the roadway, 9 feet in the air, taking off the tops of two trees. The vehicle then tumbled, ejecting both Matt and Davison. Reporting authorities haven’t decided who was driving the vehicle. Alcohol was a factor in the crash/ISP. Preliminary report below.
Chris @ Treasured Valley is looking for questions for a new blog feature in which he’ll ask 5 questions in 5 minutes to a newsmaker. On Friday, he’ll be sitting down with Congressman Walt Minnick. And he’s looking for your questions. You can submit them to Treasured Valley at this link here. Then, you’ll need to make remember to post a link to the answers Friday. Now, for your Wild Card …
Britain’s Phillips Idowu makes an attempt in the final of the Men’s Triple Jump during the World Athletics Championships in Berlin on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham)
A staple of summer could also be the most disgusting part of it. Chances are you’re carrying around a lot of germs and bacteria on your feet, depending on your choice of footwear. The New York Daily news recently tested pairs of flip-flop sandals that had been worn all over New York City. They and the feet wearing the sandals were crawling with bacteria, including staph, E. Coli and fecal matter/KREM. More here.
Question (from KREM.com): Are you worried about bacteria when wearing flip-flops in summer?
Want to know how much money your child’s teacher makes? How about the police officer who pulled you over last night? Now you can. A group that bills itself as a think tank dedicated to limited government has launched a salary database, that allows anyone to look up the names and pay rates for a range of government employees. The website, set to be formally announced during a Tuesday afternoon news conference, is already online at OurIdaho.com/KTVB. More here.
Question: Obviously, public salaries are public record. But would you want to have your salary published online for all to see?
In this May 2007 photo by Kerry Maloney/Idaho Statesman, murderer John Delling, left, talks with his attorney. Delling was sentenced today to two life terms without possibility of parole for killing two others. See story below.
Athletes compete during the Women’s 20k Race Walk during the World Athletics Championships in Berlin on Sunday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber)
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I started thinking about how many people within the sports community are enablers when it comes to boys behaving badly. Some are in the media. Others among the fan base. Owners. And yes, even coaches. However, I have to say when it’s at the college level and a school gives a coach a pass for egregious behavior, it becomes perfectly clear why many of these young men have little knowledge of socially acceptable behavior. Politicians, as sleazy as they can be at times, don’t get the pass that Rick Pitino is getting from the University of Louisville!/Dogwalk Musings. More here.
Question: Who gets a bigger pass when he misbehaves? A college athlete or coach? Or politician? Why?
In these undated photos provided by the NFL, Oakland Raiders coach Tom Cable, left, and defensive assistant Randy Hanson are shown. Cable, who formerly coached the University of Idaho Vandals, declined to comment Monday about reports he punched Hanson in the jaw and caused injuries that required treatment at a hospital earlier this month. According to AOL Fanhouse, Cable hit Hanson on Aug. 5 for unknown reasons. A report filed with the Napa Police Department describes an unnamed 41-year-old assistant coach being treated at the Queen of the Valley Hospital for a jaw injury. Story here. (AP Photos/NFL)
The last day this season that lifeguards will be on duty at Coeur d’Alene City Beach is Saturday. All our lifeguards are going to go to school. Staff will be pulling in the Buoy line that evening and post no lifeguard on duty signs. Here are a few Summer 2009 Beach statistics: 1. The new Day Care Policy was a huge success we had no major issues enforcing it and made the beach a lot safer. 2. Lifeguards were involved in 8 saves and 15 assists. 3. 45 Children took swim lessons at the beach this year/Coeur d’Alene Today.
Question: Izzit it just me — or is the city pulling the City Beach lifeguards at least 2 weeks too early?
Science fiction has always been a marginal genre. In terms of art, at least. For every “2001: A 
Space Odyssey” and “Blade Runner” there’s a “Robot Monster” or a “Beast of Yucca Flats.” Not that I’m quibbling. I’ve spent many an afternoon watching dreck that features gorilla-bodied monsters running around the back hills of L.A. (see “Robot Monster”). And I’ve enjoyed myself. The spirit of those afternoons played out last night as I sat through Neill Blomkamp’s scintillating sci-fi offering “District 9.” There was a difference, though. Set in Johannesburg, South Africa, “District 9” is a blend of sci-fi fantasy and political commentary – if not actual insight/Dan Webster, Movies & More. More here.
Question: Do you enjoy the sci-fi movie genre?
In this book cover image released by Gotham Books, “The Real Wizard of Oz, The Life and Times of L. Frank Baum,” by Rebecca Loncraine is shown. Review here. (AP Photo/Gotham Books) Question: Which Oz character is your favorite? Why?
Idaho Dad reports that Silverwood just posted this on its Facebook page: “Something spooky is coming to Silverwood this fall.” Anyone know what that means?
Don Sausser was selected as the recipient of the 2009 Honorary Alumnus of the Year Award 
for his years of service to NIC. Sausser has believed in the mission of a community college since his sons enrolled in the 1980s. “Having attended a community college and spending more than 35 years ‘hanging’ around NIC, I can’t say enough about the community college mission,” Sausser said. “I have seen the many successes from those who may have gone a different direction without the individual care received at NIC.” Sausser served a term in the mid-1980s on the NIC Board of Trustees during President Barry Schuler’s term, and Sausser and his wife Sue have supported the NIC Foundation over the years/Press Room. More here.
DFO: Saaaaalute!
Tom DeLay says he’s got dancing in his blood and “jumped at the chance” to join the cast of 
“Dancing with the Stars.” “I love dancing … you’ve got to love dancing if you’re from Texas,” DeLay told Chris Cuomo on “Good Morning America.” “Conservatives can have fun too. Conservatives can let their hair down… and put on some dancing shoes.” Fans of “Dancing With the Stars” were surprised to learn on Monday that the former House Majority Leader would join the season nine cast. “The Hammer,” a nickname given for his ability to hammer legislation through Congress, will join fellow cast members Donny Osmond , Kathy Ireland, Macy Gray and others on the “Dancing With the Stars” season premiere on September 21/ABC News. More here.
Question: Will you be more/less likely to watch “Dancing with the Stars” as a result of former House Majority Leader Tom Delay being included among the dancers?
Personal responsibility. I learned those two words as a child and continue to live by them on a 
daily basis. They are also two words that seem to be quickly escaping the vocabulary of most Americans. It’s not a hard concept to understand. If you do something wrong you fess up and admit it and then do everything in your power to make things right again. It’s the way I handle things in both life and work, and I really wish others in my generation felt the same way. But how can they? We are all products of the 1990s and the “self esteem” movement brought about by the leading child experts of the decade. To be quite frank, that mentality has come back to bite us in the ass/Henry Johnston, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Do people you know shirk personal responsiblity?
Stan (left) and Steve Courchaine milked their cows for the last time in the dairy parlor on their farm along north Harvard Road Friday. The facility was absent of production after they sent their dairy cows to slaughter as part of a national program to cut milk supplies and raise prices. Their parents started the farm in 1948. Says Stan “We are in a transition.” Story here. (Dan Pelle/SR)
Poolman: The other day I wanted to buy a paper from a coin operated machine. The one that 
you put your money in and the door latch opens. So anyway, I go to put my two quarters in when I suddenly realize the paper is $2.50. WHAT - I’m not irritated about the cost; I’m actually OK with that, but who walks around with $2.50 in quarters in their pocket? I was “coined” out of the market. Newspaper people – if you are going to charge more than $1.00 for a paper - you need to have a slot for a debit card or at least a machine that can take a dollar bill. This would go under the category of “Keeping up with the times”.
Question: Do you stockpile quarters for any reason, other than to plug paper machines or parking meters?
Jason Shopov, 8, rests Tuesday, while on top of a statue of the Ten Commandments at Sacred Heart Catholic School, in Ottawa Kan. (AP Photo/The Ottawa Herald, Elliot J. Sutherland)
CindyH: Omigosh! Guess what I just figured out? If you click on the latest comments tab you can read… all the latest comments. When DFO referred to the latest comments feature I thought he meant just the ones that were in the little box :-) Whew! Wonder what I’ll learn when I drink my third cup of coffee?
DFO: I using this post to see if there are still some of you who are unaware that you can follow ALL the comment posts, from latest to earliest, by clicking on the “latest comments” headline in the box near the top of the right rail.
Sue: I was on my way to the Festival, and walked past a car with a bumpersticker that read “former republican.” I laughed, and told the woman getting out of the car that I liked it. She said, she was a little nervous driving it to North Idaho, so was glad that someone liked it.
Question: Would you describe yourself as a “former” anything?
In this Feb. 12, 2007, file photo, syndicated columnist Robert Novak, left, and his attorney James Hamilton, leave federal court in Washington. Novak, who was a central figure in the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, has died. Story here. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
Sometimes, I wonder why motorists put certain messages on their cars, like the one I saw this morning while biking to work — on a gray Subaru, parked along 5th Street: “I love crack whores.”
I wish I knew more about nonprofit health insurance companies/co-ops, but as someone who’s 
paying a massive premium to stay on Group Health’s rolls, I know remarkably little. I will say this, though: the people praising Group Health are basically on the money. It doesn’t come cheap, but this is American medicine here. I’ve run into only a few people who complain about GH, but most docs I’ve been to have been delighted when they found out the entity with which I am insured. I have a lot of half-baked theories as to why I’ve had such a good experience with them, but it can’t hurt that they approve almost anything a doctor orders/Sara Anderson, F-Words. More here. H/T: Treasured Valley
Question: What has been your experience in getting reimbursed by your health insurance company?
No wonder my ears were burning Saturday. I was being roasted at a St. Pius X Catholic Church celebration of Father Andrew Schumacher’s 50 years as a priest – and I wasn’t even invited. Berry 
Picker Claudia, from
Taryn sent along this photo of her catch on Sprague Lake, with the note: “I cleaned them myself, too.”
Question: Have you ever cleaned a fish?
The Public Counsel Section of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office Monday challenged electric and gas rate increases proposed by Avista,
saying the Spokane-based utility’s request is not justified and that, in fact,
the company might be charging its customers too much for service. Avista’s request, filed with the Utilities and Transportation
Commission (UTC) in January 2009 would increase the electric rates of its
residential customers by 18.5 percent. Overall, the proposed request would
generate an additional $74.7 million in revenues - $69.8 million from electric
customers and $4.9 million from gas customers (a 2.4 percent overall
increase)/KHQ. More here.
Self-identified conservatives outnumber self-identified liberals in all 50 states of the union, according to the Gallup Poll. At the same time, more Americans nationwide are saying this year that they are conservative than have made that claim in any of the last four years. In 2009, 40% percent of respondents in Gallup surveys that have interviewed more than 160,000 Americans have said that they are either “conservative” (31%) or “very conservative” (9%). That is the highest percentage in any year since 2004. Only 21% have told Gallup they are liberal, including 16% who say they are “liberal” and 5% who say they are “very liberal”/CNSNews.com. More here.
Question: Does this poll have significance, considering that 63% of Americans don’t identify themselves as conservative or liberal?
Item: Obama still prefers public option, White House says/USA Today
More Info: Gibbs denounced reports that the administration may drop its support for a publicly funded insurance option because of intense opposition. He attributed the reports to a media “overreaction” after the comment by Health Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that a public option is not “essential” to a health care plan. Obama himself stoked commentary with his statement Saturday that “the public option, whether we have it or we don’t have it, is not the entirety of health care reform.”
Question: Is publicly funded insurance still a viable plan today?
Item: Lottery winner stayed mum about his millions/Yakima Herald-Republic
More Info: Got a secret? Feel free to share it with Curtis Eldred. He knows how to keep them. The 61-year-old Yakima resident told nobody but his mother he was a millionaire after winning the state lottery. “I wasn’t really in a hurry,” said Eldred on Monday, when he claimed his 3-month-old prize at the Washington State Lottery headquarters in Olympia. All those news reports about an unclaimed $3.4 million winning lottery ticket purchased May 11 at Cruisin’ Bill’s Convenience store on West Yakima Avenue? Eldred just clipped them and pasted them in a scrapbook, while keeping that coveted ticket hidden under a floor mat of his shed.
Question: Can you keep a secret?
Michael Ramirez/Investor’s Business Daily
I’ve already heard one colleague exclaim this morning: “I can’t believe it’s already Aug. 17.” Indeed, the summer is getting away from us. But it has been a terrific summer. I enjoyed another summer concert in City Park Sunday, listening this time to Big Red Barn (a blues acoustical quartet). Rhythm Dogs will provide the music next Sunday (1 to 4 p.m.) for the final free concert at City Park, put on by Chris Guggemos and Handshake Productions. If you can’t make that, you should try Andy Day’s music at Riverstone Park on Thursay, beginning around 6 p.m. Now, for your Monday Wild Card …
Fire trucks sit lined up at Cal Fire’s fire camp at the Santa Cruz County fairgrounds in Watsonville, Calif., today. The price tag for fighting California wildfires during just the past few weeks has climbed to more than $60 million, with the fire season’s peak months still looming ahead. The blaze in Yuba County, which was ignited by burning feathers from a red tailed hawk that flew into a power line, is at $3 million. (AP Photo/Santa Cruz Sentinel, Dan Coyro)
As expected, G.I. Joe won a weekend at the box office two weekends ago. Between that and 
the summer-long success of Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, people are talking about the power of toy company HASBRO at the box office. But just because the promise of childhood nostalgia has been enough to lure twenty-somethings into the theater, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’ve been leaving happy. Transformers 2 has a dismal 20% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. G.I. Joe is faring only slightly better. And these are just the latest creative disappointments in Hollywood’s never-ending quest to bring our most beloved childhood memories to life on the big screen/Erin Nolan, Film.com. More here.
Question: Which film that played on childhood nostalgia disappointed you most?
The Spokane International AIrport is displaying several new art pieces including this “Aer-O-Toaster” by Ken Yuhasz photographed hanging from the ceiling in Concourse C last week. (Christopher Anderson/SR)
Seventeen-year old Dakota Shepard, right, shares the seat on his 1952 McCormick Farmall with girlfriend Taylor Chitwood, 15, as the two Chillicothe, Ill., teenagers wait during the tractor pull competition of Saturday’s Farm Heritage Days at Three Sisters Park in Chillicothe, Saturday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Peoria Journal Star, Ron Johnson)
Top Cutlines:
As Americans tighten our belts in the current economic downturn, big ticket items like new 
furniture are often out of the question. It certainly was for 82-year-old Spokane resident Marge Holcomb, who lives on a fixed income. When her once-white sofa grew dingy and discolored, going out and buying a new one wasn’t an option. Neither was the $150 estimate she received for having it professionally cleaned. So Holcomb came up with an innovative solution of her own. For about $12 she transformed her “ugly white” sofa into a vibrant green couch. How? “Four cans of spray paint I bought at Wal-Mart,” she says. “I was excited that turned out so well”/Cindy Hval, SR Down To Earth. More here.
Question: Have you discover any interesting ways to tighten your belt?
Michael Irvin, 35, of Coeur d’Alene suffered a lacerated ear and cheek in the men’s urinal of 
the Torch Lounge, Lakeside Avenue, as a result of an unprovoked attack. Irvin told Coeur d’Alene police that he was talking about football (because he’s a Denver Bronco fan) with another man in the bathroom when a third man hit him on the side of the head with a bottle. Eugene Adkison witnessed the whole event and was able to identify a suspect. Adkison said he was talking football with Irvin while waiting to use the urinal when the third male “just went after Mike.” The Torch Lounge GM identified the suspect as a regular. Be careful out there.
Idaho will start selling tags next Monday for its first-ever public wolf hunt, to give hunters from both inside and outside the state a shot at up to 220 of Idaho’s wolves, or about 25 percent. Idaho’s Fish and Game Commission set the numbers for the wolf hunt this afternoon, a decision that was closely watched both by hunters who’ve been deluging Fish and Game with inquiries about the hunt, and by wolf advocates who maintain the state’s going too far to target a species that until May was considered endangered/Betsy Russell, SR. More here.
Question: Did Idaho set a bounty on too many wolves? Too few? Just right?
Toadman and one of his Tadpoles checked out Stickman’s footwear Saturday at an impromptu taste-testing event for Bent’s new What The Huck brew. Don Sausser was there with camera in hand to record the gathering of Merry Hucksters. What The Huck will make its debut at the fall blogfest that will be hosted by JohnA in the Harrison area Sept. 19. I believe it’s being called Riverfest.
Cris “Cyborg” Santos, of Brazil, top, punches Gina Carano in a Strikeforce mixed martial arts Female Middleweight Championship match on Saturday, Aug. in San Jose, Calif. Santos won by TKO in the first round to win the championship. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
Question: Izzit just me — or is there something unsettling re: women boxing or women beating one up in mixed martial arts fighting like that above? (BTW, I’m not crazy about males boxing and beating one another up in martial arts fighting either)?
A Friday night road rage incident between the driver of van and a couple on a motorcycle ended with the two motorcycle riders being treated for minor injuries. The fight began when the van moved into the motorcycle’s lane while southbound on Newport Highway, forcing the motorcyclist to swerve. The drivers argued and the van cut the motorcycle off again. The motorcyclist then parked when traffic was backed up in the 7900 block of North Division and he and his female passenger approached the van driver and yelled at him “for almost killing them,” according to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office. The motorcyclist smashed out a side window on the van with his helmet, and the van backed over the driver, dragging him about 20 feet on his motorcycle/Meghann M. Cuniff, SR. More here.
When John Kolbe decided to open a bicycle shop here nine years ago, most of the locals 
thought he was crazy. At the time, the town catered mostly to the boaters and cabin owners who came to enjoy Coeur d’Alene Lake. Biking wasn’t a notable part of the economy. His business, Pedal Pushers, seemed like a sure flop. But Kolbe, a former forester and trained airplane mechanic, heard there were plans to convert the old Union Pacific railroad lines in town into a bike trail. After doing a little research, he decided to take the plunge. “I did some research on rail-to-trail projects, and it read like a road map to success,” said Kolbe, while working on a customer’s bike in the back of his shop. “I opened the business two years before they paved the trail. It’s just now being discovered”/William L. Spence, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Can anyone give a first-person account re: riding the Trail of the Coeur d’Alenes?
For decades I’ve been hearing about the Dirty Shame Saloon in Yaak, Montana. Some of the stories I heard sent a shiver up my spine and made it sound like one of those rowdy roadhouses of the Deep South where hippies entered and never were heard from again. It is, so the stories go, the type of establishment non-locals might want to avoid, especially if you’re decked out in Lycra, and if you dare enter, don’t accidentally have eye contact with the wrong person or his girlfriend. Finally, at least two decades late, I had my chance to check it out, and it was almost a disappointment to learn that, nowadays, the most dangerous thing in the Dirty Shame Saloon is Double Haul IPA/Bill Schneider, New West. More here.
Question: Which Northwest saloon reminds you most of an Old West one?
Andrew Taylor, of the United States, takes some air during the Kokanee Crankworx Slopestyle mountain biking cycling competition in Whistler, British Columbia, Saturday. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press,Jonathan Hayward)
Hundreds of people drop their pants in a protest, dubbed “Moon the Balloon,” against a balloon with a surveillance camera that has been tested on the Canada-U.S. border in Sarnia, Ontario, Saturday. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Dave Chidley)
Question: Have you ever mooned someone or something? Who? Or what? And why?
If you ask 95% (my own numbers) of people around (Rockford Bay) - none of us “get it.” These guys come racing in and out of the bay without their mufflers on and leave behind the carnage. Yesterday one hit a grebe near our dock and the boat merrily sped along seemingly unaware of what it left behind. The grebe had its wing broken and a head injury, but was still alive. At the boat shop, my husband listened as one boat owner bragged at how he was going to take his boat up to 100 mph — on Coeur d’Alene Lake, mind you. What is wrong with these idiots? When they race their way into RF Bay their noise overwhelms conversations and our peace, and waterfowl have little opportunity to flee. I wish the Sheriff had more of a presence down here on the weekends because people don’t seem to care what the law is. It’s probably worse on the north end of the lake though/Carol Muzik, Rockford Bay.
Question: Carol goes on to ask: ‘Who are these dudes showing off for’? Have you had a close encounter with a big, speeding boat on Lake Coeur d’Alene?
President Barack Obama with daughter Malia Obama, 11, tour the Old Faithful geyser with Park Ranger Katy Duffy in Yellowstone National Park, Wy., Saturday. You can read Ray Ring’s insightful view of Barack Obama’s trip to Bozeman in his High Country News column here. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) Question: Which national park do you like best — Glacier or Yellowstone?
North Idaho College is in great demand. Because of the recession, student enrollment is up 
some 600 students. And because there are now far more students with vehicles than there are parking spaces, demand for those precious slices of asphalt and concrete is likely to skyrocket when the fall semester begins in eight days. Ask any student with a car what his or her toughest NIC assignment is, and chances are you’ll get this reply: Finding a parking space at 8:50 a.m. Trigonometry? By comparison, it’s a snap. A solution won’t be easy. When you exist on a virtually landlocked hunk of prime real estate and you’ve got hundreds of staff and faculty, more than 3,000 students and fewer than half that number of parking spaces, you’ve got trouble/Coeur d’Alene Press editorial. More here.
Question: How would you solve the ongoing parking problem at North Idaho College?
A group led by former Democratic congressional candidate Larry Grant will try to get 51,000 signatures to give voters a chance to allow Idahoans to vote by mail. The petition was cleared by state officials this week, Grant said. Proponents say it will boost participation in the electoral process because it makes voting easier. Opponents say it could make voting ripe for fraud and abuse/Idaho Statesman.
Question: Will you sign a petition to help get a Vote By Mail measure on the 2012 ballot?
A long, long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, dissent was exalted as the highest form of patriotism. In those days, dissenters hurled obscene epithets at the president with impunity and 
brandished protest signs comparing him to Adolf Hitler. They could throw brickbats at his motorcade and physically assault the president’s supporters without fear of reprisal or even criticism. They would smash windows unfortunate enough to be on the motorcade’s route and rough up passersby. This sort of behavior was so commonplace that it often did not merit mention by the news media. Prominent politicians of that era encouraged the protestors and defended them as patriots. That was then. This is now. In this time and in this place, dissent is un-American. The speaker of the House and the House majority leader said so in a USA Today editorial/Michael Costello, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Costello contends that protest in the Bush years was considered patriotic by some who want to limit protest today. Do you agree with his position?
When my beau asked me if I liked the taste of lobster, I thought he was gonna take me out for Question: Have you ever gone “Redneck Lobstering”? Or eaten crawdads?
some fine seafood. I didn’t realize I’d be spending the day foraging for my own dinner underneath slime-covered rocks in some river. I say some river because I’ve been sworn to secrecy. I can only say it’s somewhere in this state or the one next door. If I gave up my man’s top-secret Redneck Lobstering digs I think it could go on my permanent record. I’m not gonna push it. Especially since I’ve tasted these babies. Call them crayfish, crawdads, mudbugs or crawfish. I call them Redneck Lobsters/Taryn Hecker, Taryn A. Hecker Photography. More here.
“The new Post Falls Historical Society Museum opened with much fanfare on Saturday,” reports Councilwoman KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho. “Located in the restored former Chapin Drugs building on the corner of Spokane Street and 4th Avenue on the Post Falls City Hall campus, it’s filled with artifacts and mementos of this milltown on the Spokane River. For hours and information use this link.”
Recently, I had the honor of being one of the first guests aboard my mom and stepdad’s newly 
purchased speedboat. A cruise of the lake with my dear mother and stepfather is always nothing less than high adventure. I christened the craft “Mrs. Ro-boat-o”; she’s an 80’s model with retro-futuristic dashboard graphics straight out of the movie “Tron”. We decided to make Arrow Point our destination for the evening, specifically Eddie’s Bar and Grill. We were curious to see how it had changed since the Gozzer Ranch folks rolled in and took it over a few years ago, upsetting quite a few locals in the process by hogging city docks, lighting fireworks without permits and worst of all, they did away with the former Arrow Point Grill’s beloved Thursday night all-you-can-eat spaghetti feed/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: Have the Gozzer Ranch folks ruined Eddie’s?
I gathered from our story that Mullet, 36, is the up-and-coming troublemaker to watch. Not only 
does Mullet have the proper racial agitation background credentials, but he told our reporter that he has moved the Aryan Nations headquarters to Athol. Athol? Aw, say it ain’t so. The unfortunate name of this hamlet has made Athol the butt of every cruel sphincter joke imaginable. Even so, things have been looking up for the 684 Atholes who call the town home. Just days ago they celebrated Athol’s 100th anniversary with a parade, live music and a watermelon-eating contest. And now comes Mullet with his announcement. I’ll be honest. No matter how resilient, a small town is simply not going to draw many tourists with the words “neo-Nazi enclave”/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: Clark opines that the attempt by three men to resurrect the Aryan Nations in North Idaho via their leaflet campaign will be futile. What do you think?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
The Seattle Seahawks played there first exhibition game Saturday night. The Spokane Shock will be closing their 2009 season with a return to the ArenaCup next week. It has been raining for a coupla days. Summer is getting away from us. You can use this Wild Card to tell us about something you want to do before Labor Day — or, as always, to start your own thread …
How is it we’ve gone from healthy debate about health care reform to worrying about the safety of our President? Something
is happening to us that is unsettling to say the least. Everyone seems
to be mad at someone. It’s gone way beyond simple annoyance. What’s
causing it? Is it the instant communication we now have available to us
like Facebook and Twitter? Is it because there seems to be no such
thing as objective “news” anymore? The fact that everything we read,
hear or see is slanted toward the political stance of management? The
fact that there are so many people like me, bloggers, offering up our
daily opinions be they based of fact or not? Venting our frustrations
more than praising where praise is due?/Dogwalk Musings. More here.
Question: What do you think? Why are we so angry?
‘We are stardust, we are golden …” Today, on the 40th anniversary of Woodstock, I want to share 
my own magical memories of that world-changing event. Oh, come on. Who am I kidding? I didn’t attend Woodstock. Like the
vast majority of baby boomers, I would have been scared to death to
attend Woodstock. It always cracks me up when I see depictions of the 1960s in which
everyone under 30 is portrayed as a hippie, dancing in the mud at
Woodstock. My 16-year-old self would have been freaked out at the
thought of hanging out with 500,000 longhaired, mud-covered nude
people. I mean, my mother wouldn’t even allow us to leave the house barefoot/Jim Kershner, SR. More here.
Question: Would your 16YO self have attended Woodstock, if you were coming of age in mid-August 1969?
Spokane Shock #12 Virgil Gray lays a hit and knock the ball away from Tulsa’s #8 LaRico Stevenson during a Spokane on-sides kick int he first half in Spokane, Wa. The Shock recoved the ball. (Dan Pelle/SR)
They dug themselves a hole in the first quarter and made great progress climbing out of it in the second. In the third quarter, a key defensive stand turned the tide. In the fourth, the Spokane Shock finally tied the game, and eventually pulled ahead, guaranteeing a spot next weekend in the afl2 ArenaCup game in Las Vegas. With four minutes to go, the Shock scored to tie the Tulsa Talons at 44. Two minutes later, they pulled ahead for good, 51-44. Another strong defensive stand, forcing a Talons turnover on downs at the Shock 11-yard line, sealed the deal. The Shock will face the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Pioneers at the Orleans Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday.
Question: Have you ever seen a Shock game?
At 5 o’clock this afternoon (EDT), Country Joe McDonald, Tom Constanten, Big Brother and the Holding Company, Canned Heat and other bands of yesterday will present a “Heroes of Woodstock” concert to celebrate the 40th anniversary of that pivotal ‘60s event. Instead of a half million flower children celebrating in a driving rain, organizers expect 15,000 fans to sit in seat to observe the anniversary by listening to the concert of graybeards. We had quite a discussion re: the impact of the ‘60s on Friday. Some thought much harm came out of the ‘60s. Others disagreed. But most would concur the music was great. Today might be a good day to tune in a oldies station that featured music from the ‘60s (not KVNI, which for some reason disses ‘60s music for the doo-wop of the ‘50s). That, or you can start your own threads by playing the Wild Card …
At about 8 a.m. today, the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Department
recovered the body of Robert J. Meadows, 49 of Post Falls from Lake Coeur
d’Alene. Meadows was presumed drown after he disappeared into the lake July 6. Search efforts over the past
several weeks included the use of the Sheriff Department’s Side
Scan Sonar, a Side Scan Sonar from Gene & Sandy Ralston of Kuna, as
well as a cadaver dog provided by Deb Tirmenstein of Frenchtown, MT. The body was located a few hundred yards due west of
Arrow Point in about 137 feet of water. There were no outward
signs of foul play, and the body will be sent to Holy Family Hospital for a
forensic autopsy. The sheriff’s department
used a submersible Remote Operated Vehicle to bring the body closer to the surface for divers to recover. The investigation into this
incident is continuing/KCSD news release.
A cow wades in the water as an egret stands on the shore line of a pond near Paris, Ark. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Southwest Times Record, Kaia Larsen)
Item: Idahoans have sense of well-being, Gallup poll shows: Idaho ranks in top 10 nationally/Idaho Statesman
More Info: Hawaii was No. 1 overall, followed by Utah, Montana, Iowa, North Dakota, Vermont, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota. Idaho tied with Virginia for 10th place. At the bottom of the listings were West Virginia, Kentucky, Arkansas and Mississippi.
Question: Do you have a sense of well-being?
Got an inquiry from a friend (in the conventional sense) about
becoming a friend (in the specialized 
sense) with someone on Facebook.
He and the other person have had political differences, but he got the
invitation to be “friended.” What to do? Each to their own tastes. But - and yes, we here are on Facebook,
and Twitter too among other things - the basic take here is that being
someone’s “friend” on Facebook is a little different than the
traditional type. A friend on Facebook is someone you choose to keep in
touch with, and may or may not be more than that. The question: But
would I throttle back on my opinions if I know that so-and-so might see
them? Response: If they’re on line anywhere, they may be seen. A whole
generation of politicians, among others, is about to learn that the
hard way/Randy Stapilus, Ridenbaugh Press. More here.
Question: What rule of thumb do you use when deciding who should be your “friend” on Facebook and who shouldn’t?
When the Seattle City Council voted last summer to impose a 20-cent fee on paper and plastic bags, the Progressive Bag Affiliates (PBA) of the American Chemistry Council immediately sprang to action to block the move. The fee would have taken effect January 1, 2009, but the Coalition to Stop the Seattle Bag Tax (funded by PBA, the Washington Food Industry, and 7-Eleven) collected enough voter signatures to put the measure on the August primary ballot this Tuesday/Grist.Beta. More here.
Beth Bollinger/Accidental Rabbit Trails: A friend - who’s an active Republican - returned a phone 
call from me
last night just as I was in the middle of my upset over the Dems caving
to “death panel” lunacy. I tried not to bend his ear about it, but then
I did. He listened well, and sympathized (figuring, I’m sure, that this
was a time to be a good friend and not a political opponent). After
I was pretty much done, he made the observation that, since my time
isn’t taken up right now with a boyfriend, I’m using politics to fill
the time gap. I stopped. Oh, no. He was right. Partly right,
anyway. I got excited about politics last year for the first time
because of Obama. But I’ve stayed hooked.
Question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how hooked on politics are you?
Escapee: In all the years I lived in CDA, I went to Hudson’s maybe half-a-dozen
times. Sure, their 
burgers are good, but really, how can you mess up a
hamburger? I mean, even I can make a hamburger. I admire their sense of
tradition and all that, but I never felt compelled to go there out of
any sense of civic pride, dedication, or whatever. Although I did find
their display of Hydroplane memorabilia (is that display still up?) was
quite absorbing. I’m not dissing Hudson’s; they serve burgers, and
their burgers are good. But so are everyone else’s. I can’t recall ever
having a bad hamburger anywhere. I know I’ll catch flak for saying
this, but a burger is a burger is a burger.
Question: We’ve talked at length re: Hudson’s Hamburgers and other burger joints that make quality burgers. So let’s go in another direction. Which hamburger joint makes the worst burgers in the area?
Stickman: I went to the Wall one year and arrived very late and had no hotel room
till the following day, so I walked to the Wall about 11pm and stayed
for the entire evening on a bench close by. I 
actually walked through
Georgetown late that night to arrive when I did, though everyone I knew
said something about not walking through that neighborhood at night. As
I sat there till the early morning hours, I saw a large group of men
coming my way and I got up to say hi, as I was the only human there for
the entire late night. It was Goerge Bush, and he came over and said hi
and I told him why I was there. He didn’t like a lot of hoopla about
his visits there, as he would have been mobbed during the day. He paid
his respects by placing his hand on the Granite Marble and left. It’s
just something I will always remember.
Question: Stickman’s stories about his encounter with the Vietnam Wall are priceless. This one no less. Has anyone else out there ever met a president?
Nick Anderson/Houston Chronicle
In yesterday’s threads, a coupla Merry Hucksters mentioned that I’d been more engaged in comments than usual. A newby was surprised that I’d inject myself so much in the conversation. Cabbage Boy commented that my involvement may have been the cause of a particularly long thread. Usually, I don’t engage much inside. I don’t have time. However, I did have time to knock the ball back and forth with some of you Thursday. In the past, I’ve been criticized for commenting too much and for not commenting enough. It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t situation. What do you think? Should I be more engaged inside? You can answer that question — or use this Wild Card for your own threads …
Taryn has some swell North Idaho sunset photos on her Taryn A. Hecker Photography blog now. You can check them out here.
I admit it. I’d been coveting an iPhone for quite a while. However, we had been Verizon 
customers since time immemorial, locked into a succession of satisfying two year service plans, and since the iPhone is exclusive to AT&T, I had given it up as a lost dream. I spent a lot of time checking out the Verizon versions of touch phones, hoping to fall in love with one of them the way I already adored the iPod Touch I got for my last birthday. But to be honest, there just wasn’t any chemistry. Apple had ruined me for all other touch interfaces/Katrina, Notes On A Napkin. “10 Things My New iPhone Is Good For” here.
Question: What kind of cell phone/service do you have?
Seven-year-old Riley Ehret of Belgrade, Montana, wears her father’s Army Commendation Medal as his flag is unfolded during a morning ceremony in her honor last week on the steps of the capitol in Helena, Montana. Ehret’s father, Spc. Travis T. Ehret, a three-tour Iraq War veteran, was killed in a bar fight. Ehret was honored with both the flag and the medal during the service. Behind her, from left, stand Montana ARNG Honor Guard Coordinator Denny J. Lenoir, Montana Lieutenant Governor John Bohlinger, and her mother, Iselin Jensen. (AP Photo/The Independent Record, Claire Becker)
A fan reaches out to take a catch away from Seattle Mariners’ Ichiro Suzuki on home run hit by New York Yankees’ Hideki Matsui in the eighth inning of a baseball game on Thursday Seattle. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/The Seattle Times, Jim Bates)
President Barack Obama holds Matthew Ian Clark, seven months old, from Bozeman, Mont., at a town hall meeting on health care at a hanger at Gallatin Airfield in Belgrade, Mont., today. Story here. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Question: Wouldn’t you like to have a photo like this for your family album?
After viewing all the Coeur d’Alene Summer Playhouse shows for the season, I rank the plays as follows:
Question: Agree? Disagree?
Just don’t ask for fries:
Here’s a way cool mini-documentary produced by KSPS about the Hudson’s
Hamburgers legend, complete with fascinating photos of old Cd’A and a
chat with walking local history book Robert Singletary. Ouch. A hunger
pang — OrangeTV.
Why isn’t there a national park in Idaho? There’s not - if you don’t count the 35 square miles of 
Yellowstone National Park that laps over the Wyoming border - because the Forest Service won a bruising bureaucratic struggle with the National Park Service for control of what’s now the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. “Three times in the 20th century the Sawtooths (pictured) have been the focus of campaigns to bring Idaho its first national park,” said Douglas Dodd, an associate professor of history at Cal State-Bakersfield. “These proposals failed … due to the shrewd political strategy of the U.S. Forest Service. Time and again, the agency and its allies outmaneuvered park proponents in order to thwart park proposals and keep the Sawtooth country under Forest Service administration”/Steve Crump, Twin Falls Times-News. More here.
Question: Should there be a national park in Idaho?
Bent’s going to be giving out samples of his What The Huck brew at 6 p.m. Sunday at Stickman’s. What The Huck, of course, is the name selected at Huckleberries Online for Bent’s huckleberry-laced beer. If it’s as good as the other fruit-laced brewski conjured by HBO’s Brewmeister, you’re in for a treat — either at Stickman’s or at JohnA’s fall bash in Harrison next month. More here.
Question: Have you consumed a Bent brew? What do you think?
RE: Jerry Larson’s letter to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department that was printed in Coeur d’Alene Press.
Talk about profiling, lets see you arrest and ticket people from one group, but the LDS Mormons, and the Jehovah’s groups can do the same thing and show up at our doors, when they are not invited. I think this is going to be a good lawsuit against the city of Coeur d’Alene. I do not support the Aryan Nations, I’m just a single dad raising my kids trying to teach them what is fair and good for one group to another. Each should have their say as long as they stay within the law, so if you are going to let the LDS/Mormons do their literature, then you’re profiling. Sorry, I just had to speak up, it is not fair, to let one group get arrested and these annoying Mormons and Jehovah’s can still continue.
Question: Do you think Larson makes a good point re: profiling that allows religious groups to circulate unwanted literature but not the Aryans?
Because you (Sisyphus & CindyH) asked, here’s a shot of me during the early ‘70s, taken by my wife, who was then my fiancee. Occasionally, I’m tempted to pull the curtain back on my college days. But then I think better of that. What you don’t know won’t hurt me. Suffice it to say, that I helped overthrow a student newspaper. I used deodorant, unlike most of my colleagues. And I still enjoy the music.
A big black helicopter was spotted flying over Moscow on Thursday, but nobody seemed to know where it came from or exactly what it was doing in the area. The military-type helicopter left witnesses with more questions than answers. Reserve Officers’ Training Corps officials from both the University of Idaho and Washington State University said they don’t know who operated the helicopter. Neither did representatives from the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport, the Idaho and Washington National Guards, Fairchild Air Force Base, local law enforcement agencies or the Drug Enforcement Administration/Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here. Question: How would you react if an Idahoan told you that s/he had seen a black helicopter?
Item: Scientists find rare gene behind short sleepers/AP
More Info: Scientists have discovered a gene that helps a mother and daughter stay alert on about six hours sleep a night, two hours less than the rest of their family needs. It’s believed to be a very rare mutation, not an excuse for the rest of us who stay up too late. But the finding, published in Friday’s edition of the journal Science, offers a new lead to study how sleep affects health. The National Institutes of Health says adults need seven hours to nine hours of sleep for good health. Regularly getting too little increases the risk of health problems, including memory impairment and a weakened immune system.
Question: How much sleep do you average?
The last two, of three lead smelter stacks that for decades stood as silent watch over East Helena, Mont., were felled at 7:38 Friday on the grounds of the now closed century-old lead smelter. Click here. (AP Photo/The Independent Record, Eliza Wiley)
Janet Huey holds her original 1969 Woodstock Festival ticket during her visit to the Woodstock site today in Bethel New York. A concert at Bethel Woods on Saturday will commemorate the 40th anniversary. (AP Photo/Stephen Chernin) Question: What was the best thing that remains from the 1960s (the Age of Aquarius)? The worst?
Overall, the city of Coeur d’Alene wins the prize for biggest paychecks to public employees. 
Here we are, in the midst of the highest Cd’A jobless rate in 26 years, at 10.3 percent unemployment for July. Most private businesses have cut positions, scaled back hours and reduced benefits to survive during this economic downturn. Those who have lost their jobs are struggling on unemployment, if they can get it, cutting all extras and watching every dime. So what did our mayor and City Council negotiate with the well paid city employees? They excitedly announced the city employees agreed not to take a raise this year!/Mary Souza, Coeur d’Alene Press. More here.
Question: In Thursday’s poll, 69% of you said that the city should cut hours, salary, and even staff, rather than go ahead with plans to raise property taxes 2%. Which means this is one of those infrequent times when Merry Hucksters agree with Mary Quite Contrary. How big of an issue do you think city salaries will be in the fall election?
Item: Corridor dreams taking shape: Mayors’ Institute pros offer education corridor concepts/Tom Hasslinger, Press
More Info: Lasers shooting from logs, sewer plants with lighted tops, the effluent heating nearby neighborhoods, a green space with a movie screen, a river walk with retail stores and a full view of campus life. The resource team behind the Mayors’ Institute on City Design unveiled — not its plan or blueprint for developing the proposed education corridor expansion project near the North Idaho College campus on Thursday — but a framework around which future visionaries should continue to dream.
Question: Did any of you Merry Hucksters attend the Education Corridor design unveiling Thursday afternoon? What did you think? Were any of the loyal opposition suspects there to voice opposition?
Don McLarty of the organization called Montanans for Single Payer, carries a sign near Gallatin Field Airport in Belgrade, Mont., this morning, where a town hall meeting with President Barack Obama will be taking place. Perhaps no region of the country better illustrates Obama’s political vulnerabilities than the mountain West. He’s hoping to ease some of those concerns in a Western swing blending town hall appearances and visits to national parks beginning today. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
Marmitetoasty: Today I have decided to stop biting my nails, something I have done for 45 years or so … I have never had a nail grow past the end of my fingertips LOL … I dont have 
particularly soft hands they are work worn and Ive always bitten me nails, always … I’d like to have nails LOL and own some pretty nail varnishes and have little glitterly bits like I see others have … but to be honest a few of me nails, well, ya have to look pretty close to even see any nail LOL and when I went with me matie to the nail-bar in town when she was having hers done for a wedding, I plonked my hands on the table and said, can you do anything with them … the woman just burst out laffing and said, I think they are beyond economical repair LMFAO … bloody bitch :)
Question: Do you bite your nails? And/or: Have you ever had a manicure of pedicure?
Idaho coach Robb Akey isn’t a hard man to understand. That was evident at Thursday’s morning practice. Thursday was the first day of two-a-days, and after a decent start, during the latter part of practice many of the guys on both sides of the ball showed a lack of discipline - and were called out on it. On Thursday morning Akey didn’t wear the cheerleader hat, but the mean dad hat, and he wore it well. When practice came to an end Akey gathered his troops and told them things were OK but they could be better. That he needed them to play better and that he expected them to perform better/Sandra Kelly, DNews.com Blogs. More here.
Question: Is this the year that Coach Robb Akey finally turns UIdaho around and gets the team back to at least .500?
Robyn Crook takes her 18 chihuahua-cross dogs for a routine walk in a triplets baby buggy in downtown Tauranga, New Zealand Thursday. (AP Photo/New Zealand Herald/Bay Of Plenty Times, Mark McKeown)
More Info: Experts who track hate groups across the U.S. are growing increasingly concerned over violent rhetoric targeted at President Obama, especially as the debate over health care intensifies and a pattern of threats emerges.
Question: Are you concerned re: the president’s safety?
A fiscally conservative interest group that spent $1.1 million in 2006 to help elect former U.S. Rep. Bill Sali, R-Idaho, is now touting the man who unseated Sali in 2008, Democrat Walt Minnick. The Club for Growth gives Minnick a 100 percent score on its 2009 “RePORK Card,” for efforts to trim the federal budget deficit. Minnick is one of 22 members in the 435-member U.S. House and the only Democrat with a perfect score.The average Democrat scored 3 percent/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman. More here.
Question: What do you make of the Club for Growth switching to Minnick’s corner?
We have our share of racists here, to be sure. While racism is not a laughing matter, 
sometimes one can only laugh in the face of the idiocy racists tend to display. We think it helps to understand that at the root of racism is not just a lack of compassion, but a fundamentally fractured analytical ability. Volumes have been written on the subject, but an anonymous, four-paragraph letter we recently received pretty much says it all. Here’s the letter exactly as it was submitted: “Has anyone else noticed the alarming influx of Asians, Meskins and Blacks in Coeur D’Alene just in the past two months??? Especially Meskins! The question is, why are they suddenly moving here and who is hiring them when so many Natives of Idaho are out of work?????”/Coeur d’Alene Press editorial. More here.
Question: Should the Press have dignified an anonymous racist letter by making it the subject of an editorial? Should HBO have dignified it, too, by making it the subject of a post?
Stephanie Gornichec and her husband Shaun stands on the doorstep of their home in Caldwell, Idaho with a million dollar check from Publishers Clearinghouse Thursday afternoon. The Idaho Press-Tribune reports the couple plans to get their Caldwell home out of foreclosure and pay off debts. (AP Photo/Idaho Press-Tribune, Mike Vogt)
A religious advocacy group has written a 15-page memo defending Nampa Classical Academy’s plans to use the Bible as part of its curriculum. Academy officials have said they will use the text only as an historical document and not to teach religion. But the Idaho Public Charter School Commission is examining whether its use would be appropriate and legal. More here.
Beth Bollinger: But
SP’s use of the phrase “death panels” made the whole thing take off this week in viral ways. It’s when Sen. Grassley finally caved. It’s what caused Lisa Murkowski to say that we shouldn’t “gin up” fear with phrases like death panels. But it was too late. And now it’s gone from the Senate bill. Look - “death panels” - it’s a nice turn of the phrase. It catches a lot of attention. I was giving her credit where credit was due. Because it’s a LIE. And either she’s dumb (no) or she’s deliberate.
Question: A new poll shows Sarah Palin’s popularity — or lack thereof — among the American people continuing to slip. However, the whole flap re: the so-called “death panels” seems to underscore that she still has clout. I doubt that she will have a shot at the presidency. But will she become a GOP kingmaker?
MikeS:
Oh it was stormy out at Twin Lakes as well. I was out on the lake road past the end of the lake jogging during what I thought was a break in the storm when thunder started rolling in the distance. I kept going which was a big mistake since with that thunder was a major downpour that hit me on the third mile. I was soaked to the skin and thankful for my cap which kept the rain off my face. After the rain subsided later that afternoon, an amazing rainbow appeared to the east. Made the storm worth it and I don’t really mind running in the rain.
Question: Have you ever been caught outside in the middle of a big weather event?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
I’m posting a second Wild Card today, for those of you who are tired of scrolling to the bottom of the current one, which now has a thread of 128 comments and growing. Who woulda thunk the Wild Card would attract that much attention by being posted earlier in the morning? Then, we’ve had a lot of action here over the last coupla days. Good interaction. So, I’ll slap this Wild Card on you and head for the door — and an evening at the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre. Believe it or not, I don’t know much re: “Miss Saigon” — other than it’s sad at the end.
Lynnsey Bush, 4, pulls her goat along while keeping her eye on the judge during the Carter County Fair in Grayson, Ky., Wednesday. (AP Photo/The Independent, John Flavell)
Joker: I have no problem with the Republicans paying health care protesters and the 
Democrats shouldn’t either. They’re creating jobs, stimulating the economy. Obama and his followers should be pleased. Think about it, when Obama first started talking about health care in big ole press conference, some reporter asked one question about the professor who got arrested in his own house. Everybody in the media went nuts over it. Nobody talked about the health care issue. These protesters at town hall meetings got Obama back on track. If I didn’t know better, I’d think Obama paid the protesters to rabble rouse. He can’t be that smart, can he?
Question: Is it right for either major political party to pay individuals to protest at rallies on major national issues, like health care?
In an interview Thursday with The Associated Press in Boise, U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho, said he’s growing optimistic that key Democratic issues are all dead in the water, including expanding union clout, passing a pollution-trading scheme aimed at reducing global warming and mustering enough support for President Obama’s health care reforms. “My vision for America and Idaho do not include those three items,” he said. “I was very discouraged when I went back there earlier this year. Now, I’m very encouraged”/AP
Question: Do you agree with Risch’s analysis that the three Demo issues, involving unions, global warming, and health care reform, are ‘dead in the water’?
“Kelli Keough, Vice President Investor Services of The Charles Schwab Corporation, presided over yesterday’s NASDAQ Closing Bell,” posts Marianne Love/Slight Detour. “Kelli, directly behind the “W,” graduated from Sandpoint High School in 1987.I had the honor of helping her with college applications when she went off to Yale University. Kelli’s brother is Sandpint High golf coach, Mike Keough. Her sister-in-law is Mike’s wife and Idaho State Sen. Shawn Keough.”
The Joker is free and the Wild Card is in play. However, one of the Merry Hucksters will be spending the day in the cooler for calling another commenter a racist. (Sometimes I wonder what the going rate is for baby-sitting male keyboard commandos online?) I posted the Wild Card two hours earlier today, per your request Wednesday. BTW, Joker didn’t get out of jail free. He’ll be back in the cooler, if he doesn’t change his avatar. Speaking of the cooler, Spokelooneh will spend the day there for calling another person here a racist. Next time, it’ll be a week. Now, for your Wild Card …
I have to make an appointment with the surgeon for a consult and make plans for the 2nd 
mastectomy. I’m hoping that it will not be quite as tough of a recovery as the left side since there should not be any lymph node involvement on the right side. Of course, I am right handed, so it will be handicapping me to a certain extent. No movement or lifting. Just try eating with your left hand if you’re not used to it. I’ll be working on becoming ambidextrous. Once surgery is completed, it’s on to radiation. 5 days a week for 6 weeks. Another long journey, but I’ve been told not as bad as chemo. So I’m counting on that. I’m also counting on curly hair. After 51 years of stick straight hair, I’d like to give curls a whirl. (even if it does come back grey)/Chatterbox. Full post below.
DFO: I chatted with Chatterbox on the phone a few minutes ago. Indeed, she’s in good spirits, at the moment. I deeply appreciate that she’s sharing her story with us. Mebbe someone out there can take courage from it. It’s unfortunate that three quality women at HBO are nicked up at the moment — Chatterbox, Marmitetoasty & JeanieS. Chatterbox told me she appreciates your thoughts and prayers. I’m sure the other 2 Ladies of HBO do, too.
This undated handout photo provided by the journal Science shows Gibson, a Great Dane, right, and Zoie, a Chihuahua in Grass Valley, Calif. Gibson, the California dog dubbed the tallest in the world by the Guinness Book of World Records, died last Friday after a battle with bone cancer. The 7-year-old harlequin Great Dane from Grass Valley measured 7 feet, 1 inch when standing on its hinds legs. He was diagnosed with the disease in April 2009 and had his front right leg amputated to prevent its spread. He also underwent chemotherapy as a precaution. (AP Photo/Science, Deanne Fitzmaurice)
You ought to put Joker back in the cooler simply for making that ignorant comment re marching bands..which by the way are MAJOR league.If you’ve ever seen a great one you’d know from which I speak.
Question: If you baby-sat this blog, when would you throw a commenter in the cooler?
Unfounded though they may be, it’s been said by some who have deep-seated fears of a 
government takeover of health care, that if members of Congress had some “skin in the game,” they would write a better bill. Meaning, supposedly, that if Congress had to participate in whatever “plan” they legislate they would do it differently. What isn’t always apparent is that some members of Congress already have “skin in the game.” For Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick, part of the Blue Dog Coalition, that “skin” comes partially in the form of campaign contributions from the health sector, including $126,464 over his political career according to the Center for Responsive Politics/MountainGoat Report. More here.
Question: Has Minnick’s stand re: health care reform been compromised by campaign contributions from the health sector?
Dave Luebke, owner of Dave’s Comics holds a photo of the Number One Archie Comic Book that he is selling at his shop in Richmond, Va. When comic book store owner Dave Luebke heard that after 67 years, the carrot-topped everyman of the comic world, Archie, was proposing to va-va-voomy rich girl Veronica instead of girl-next-door Betty, he decided to protest by selling his copy of the series’ rare first issue. Story here. (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Question: Veronica or Betty?
Item: SpokAnimal offers training for young pet lovers: Program teaches lessons on animal care, nutrition/Cindy Hval, SR Washington Voices.
More Info: To say that 10-year-old Emily Najar likes animals might be an understatement. “I’ve got 16 pets,” the Stevens Elementary student said. “Eight kittens, two cats, a rat, two fish and three dogs.” Najar is one of a dozen children, ages 10 to 12, enrolled in the OUTT! – Outdoor Upstart Training Together! – project, sponsored by SpokAnimal. The four-week camp is designed to encourage kids to be responsible pet owners.
Question: Do you remember your first pet?
What Minnick didn’t say is how he’d bring the deficits under control. Doing so means 
abandoning the notion of cutting taxes without reducing spending and just hoping for the best. Almost half the current deficits trace back to Bush’s 2001 tax cuts, which lowered the top rate from 39.6 percent to 35 percent, repealed the estate tax and halved taxes on capital gains and dividends. More than a third stems from defense, including fighting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Entitlements - such as Medicaid - raised spending 10 percent and government programs cost 6 percent more in the last decade. Digging out means raising taxes, and not simply on the rich. You want these programs? You’ll have to start paying for them/Marty Trillhaase, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: To fix the huge deficit spending that started under Bush and is continuing under Obama, would you be willing to endure such sacrifices as tax increases, higher retirement age, etc.?
A family from North Dakota loads their belongings into their truck after their camper was sheared off by the railroad underpass on N. 21st Street between Montana Avenue and Minnesota Avenue in Billings, Mont., on Tuesday. No one was injured in the accident, and the driver, Leo Cummings of Newtown, N.D., was not issued any citations. (AP Photo/Billings Gazette, Casey Riffe)
Jay Baldwin/NICHE tells Huckleberries that Education Corridor fans will have their “socks blown off” this afternoon, if they attend a presentation by the Mayors’ Institute on City Design architects and planners. “This is the culmination of the 3-day event sponsored through a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts,” Baldwin said. “Come see the possibilities for creating a tremendous public space in which we can all be proud, but also a place that will drive economic development for future generations.” The event is planned from 4 to 6 p.m. in the library community room. The public is invited.
Question: When was the last time you were so impressed by presentation, concert, movie, etc., that you could say that you had your socks blow off?
Bayview resident Jessica Haddon took a video from inside a vehicle parked at the Bayview fire station during the height of the 2nd storm front tonight with dime size hail pounding the windshield. (Herb provides the video here and his account of the storm here.) Just before that, the Timberlake Fire Protection District responded to an oily sheen next to the public boat launch in Bayview at Boileous Dock. The sheen was about 150 feet long and 20 feet wide with a strong odor of gasoline. Timberlake personnel contained the spill with adsorbent pads and boom. The EPA and Idaho Department of Environmental Quality will be monitoring the spill and clean up. We believe the sheen was created by a combination of the first storm washing road and parking lot sediment into the lake and the winds out of the east creating a surface lake current that pushed the liquids against the dock.
Question: What do you make of this mid-August stormy weather?
Bozeman folks will camp out all night to get into a Harry Potter film, an Elton John concert, a 
‘Cat-Griz game, a popular kindergarten class or a restaurant offering free chicken wings. So it should come as no surprise that people would be willing to camp out all night Wednesday to get tickets to see President Barack Obama, who’s planning to hold a town hall meeting on health care reform Friday at Gallatin Field airport. By 5:20 p.m. Wednesday, there were 14 people in line outside Bozeman City Hall, where hundreds of tickets were to be given away, two to a customer, at 9 a.m. today. The other distribution point was Belgrade City Hall/Gail Schontzler, Bozeman Chronicle. More here.
Question: How long would you camp out to see President Obama in person?
I forgot to properly thank Cindy for the terrific job she did filling in for me while I was on vacation. I can think of no better ways of doing so than by providing a little eye candy. Here’s San Diego Chargers center Nick Hardwick leaves the field following practice at NFL training camp, Wednesday in San Diego. (AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi)
What in the sacred name of John Philip Sousa is going on inside the shallowed halls of my alma 
mater, Eastern Washington University? Bean counters have decided to save $30,000 by dropping the student marching band program. This is such a sour note. I know. Times are tough. Colleges are hurting, too. But $30k is spit-valve dribble to a university budget. Why, 30 grand probably won’t cover a month’s worth of administrative bar tabs. Yeah, I’ll admit it. I have a mutt in this fight. I logged time as a uniformed member of the Eastern marching band back when I was a trumpet-playing music major/Doug Clark, SR. More here.
Question: Do you pay attention to the marching band at college football games?
You can find almost anything you’re looking for at Wal-Mart and in Post Falls that apparently 
includes a wife after a Coeur d’Alene couple got engaged inside the Supercenter on Mullan Road. A marriage proposal doesn’t always have to be about finding the most romantic spot. Rick GreenSky proved it when he popped the question to Debby South in the jewelry section of this Wal-Mart. “At first I thought it was kind of funny and I didn’t really want to, not at Wal-Mart,” Rick said. Rick and Debby’s Sunday trip to Wal-Mart was about picking up a few things and looking at engagement rings. The couple were on their way to work at the Coeur d’Alene Casino when the saleswoman through out a crazy idea/KXLY. More here.
Question: On a scale of 1 to 10, how romantic is this proposal?
Washington State football coach Paul Wulff returned to Rogers Field for Cougar practice Wednesday after completing a NCAA mandated three-day suspension. Story here.
The “Dirty Dozen Puddle Jumpers” geese, which belong to Paul Messerschmidt from Modale, Iowa, waddle past spectators in the Iowa State Fair Parade in Des Moines, Iowa on Wednesday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Andrea Melendez/The Register)
Top Cutlines:
The city of Coeur d’Alene wants to increase its property tax revenue by 2 percent, even though this year’s budget will be lower than last year’s. Residents will have their say on the matter Sept. 1 during a public hearing. The requested jump is 1 percent under the 3 percent cap cities are allowed to ask for under state law. A 2 percent increase amounts to $309,235/Tom Hasslinger, Press. More here.
Overall, 47% of voters say they at least somewhat approve of the President’s performance. That’s the lowest level of total approval yet recorded. The President’s ratings first fell below 50% just a few weeks ago on July 25. Fifty-two percent (52%) now disapprove. Rasmussen Poll here.
Question: Is President Obama’s honeymoon officially over?
Item: Minnick tells liberal Idaho Demos why he’s moderate/Dan Popkey, Idaho Statesman
More Info: Minnick ventured to Boise’s North End and Blaine County to assuage Democrats who bitterly complain about his opposition to major parts of the Democratic agenda, including health care, climate change and the stimulus. “I try to represent my district,” Minnick told about 80 Democrats on Tuesday at Smoky Mountain Pizza on State Street. “A lot of things that would be viewed with disfavor in Blaine County or the North End or on a university campus are mainstream Democratic when you get into rural Idaho.”
Question: Can Minnick appease the small, but vocal Far Left among Idaho Demos?
Item: Marvel Comics marks 70th anniversary/Bill Buley, Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: First came the Human Torch, an android superhero melting his way through a wall on the cover of Marvel Comics in October 1939. Inside those pages, readers were introduced to Prince Namor the Sub-Mariner and Ka-Zar, guardian of the jungle. All for 10 cents, too. As the years rolled past, Marvel gave life to Ironman, the Hulk, Thor, Daredevil, X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man and the Avengers, too. For decades, they’ve entertained brothers, sisters, moms and dads and yes, grandpas, too. And Marvel is still creating new adventures with its colorful, paneled pages as it marked its 70th anniversary Tuesday.
Question: Which Marvel Comics book is/was your favorite?
Signe Wilkinson/Philadelphia Inquirer
Sometimes, I wonder if I should post the Wild Card sooner in the day, for busy people like Beth Bollinger, who have links to post but have to be somewhere else by the time 10:30 (usual Wild Card post time) rolls around. For Beth’s sake, I’ll post the two links she wants to bring to your attention: Stephen Hawking has weighed in on UK health care (after Investors Business Daily said he would have died under UK health care - not realizing he is a Brit) - Hawking says, “I wouldn’t be here today if it were not for the NHS. I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived.” Link here. And: the New York Times has a front page article on Mitchell and Jessen, our home-grown torture psychologists - it’s a great synopsis of what went on. Link here. Should I post the Wild Card earlier?
President Barack Obama presents the 2009 Presidential Medal of Freedom to Chita Rivera, who, as a Puerto Rican-American, broke barriers as an actress, singer and dancer to become a Broadway star in West Side Story and was the first Hispanic woman to receive a Kennedy Center Honors award, during ceremonies at the White House in Washington on Wednesday. Story here. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Fill in the blank … everything is my father’s fault … or my mother’s fault. Which is what you hear young adults and some times mid-life adults say. The truth of the matter is … everything that happens to you between the ages of 0 to 18 is yours and your parents fault. Everything that happens from 18 to now, is your fault. You are in the drivers seat and have been since you got out of high school. It is not your parents duty to make you happy after you turn 18. It is your duty. If they want to help you, that is ok, but it is NOT their duty/Cis, Simple Mind. More here.
Question: Who do you blame/credit for turning out the way you did?
Left to right: Itsy Johnson, Tillie Torpey, and Destiny Allen load school supplies into backpacks Wednesday morning at the Rosecreek Longhouse in Worley. Story here.
Corridor Design Meeting Thursday: The Mayors’ Institute on City Design (MICD) architects and planners will present to the public their recommendations and design ideas for the Education Corridor project in Coeur d’Alene from 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday in the Community Room at the CdA Library. This is the culmination of the 3-day event sponsored through a grant by the National Endowment for the Arts.
From left, models Alessandra Ambrosio, Lindsay Ellingson, Marisa Miller and Emanuela de Paula help Victoria’s Secret celebrate the 10-year anniversary of ‘The Body By Victoria Collection’ on Tuesday in New York. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Evan Agostini)
Top Cutlines:
Beau Henneman, 5, chews on a piece of banana bread while attending a gathering at Colville City Park with his mother, Jamie, today. Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers addressed a crowd on health care reform. (Dan Pelle/SR) Question: Which would you rather do — chew banana bread or listen to a politician discuss his/her spin on health care reform?
“I am launching a second blog!” posts Wayward Episcopalian. ”Wayward will remain my personal and religious blog, but Blue Moose Democrat is now my political depot. For the next week or two, I will probably make political posts on both, but after that don’t expect much in the way of politics here at Wayward. I will certainly blog about the theology I learn in Nebraska and my experiences at my various ESC internships there, so hopefully this will remain an active and relevant Episcopal blog and blog for friends of Nathan! But, for politics, Blue Moose Democrat is the new way to go.”
Item: Audit: Planned Parenthood overbilled Medicaid: Review also faults clinic’s drug distribution practices/John Stucke, SR
More Info: Planned Parenthood of the Inland Northwest required unnecessary office visits by its poorest patients, a practice that led to excessive payments from the taxpayer-financed Medicaid program, according to a recent audit. The audit also uncovered troubling billing procedures and problems with unauthorized staff prescribing and dispensing birth control pills, said Doug Porter, Washington’s Medicaid director. Medicaid covers the medical bills of poor people throughout Eastern Washington and North Idaho. The issues amounted to excess Medicaid payments to the clinic totaling $629,143. Interest of 1 percent per month will begin accruing Aug. 20 if the clinic fails to repay the state.
Question: What do you make of this audit?
At Remember The Roxy, OrangeTV provides a photo of the Great American Restaurant that later became — if my memory is correct — Woody McEvers’ former Ruster’s Roost building @ H95 and Hayden. You can see other vintage photos of the area here.
Moscow Minidoka: How about “As soon as DFO is online in the morning,” be that 9 am, 8:35 am, or 7 am. Many of us are mostly morning-birds for HBO, and it’d probably see action no matter HOW early it was up. But I agree - 10:30 is too late. Many of us (and myself, most days) are already off of HBO by then.
DFO: I begin blogging around 8 o’clock. I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll post the Wild Card immediately after I publish the day’s cartoon. Please remind me, if I forget. Old habits are hard to break, especially before the caffeine has kicked in.
Item: AAA says summer is the deadliest time for teen drivers/KHQ
More Info: More than 5000 teenagers are killed in car crashes every year, and AAA says this time of year is especially deadly. Monday, four Washington teenagers died and a fifth was critically injured in a crash on State Highway 30 just west of Clatskanie, Oregon. Oregon State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings says the teenagers were in a westbound sport utility vehicle that collided with an eastbound van on Monday. The female SUV driver and three passengers died at the scene.
Question: Were any of your friends or classmates cause a fatal accident during your high school days?
Item: Butte considers curfew changes to keep young teens off the streets/Missoulian
More Info: Efforts are afoot in Butte-Silver Bow to simplify the curfew laws here to combat vandalism, keep young teens off the streets - and make it easier for law enforcement to bust violators. Right now, there’s an ordinance with varying age ranges, times of the week and year in which youngsters may not be roaming the streets. Deputy County Attorney Samm Cox says the structure makes it difficult to enforce. As a result, the consolidated city and county government is considering a law with year-round curfews of 10 p.m. for kids up to 14. The curfew for those age 14 to 18 would be midnight.
Question: What are legitimate curfew times for kis up to 14 and those 14-18?
Nick Arthun of North Wind Construction makes his way up a hill during construction at East Mission Flats in Cataldo on Tuesday. The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality purchased land in East Mission Flats over the past three years for a repository that will hold truckloads of dirt polluted with heavy metals. The waste will come from Superfund cleanup in Idaho’s Silver Valley. Story here. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
An afternoon of hanging out on Tubbs Hill in Coeur d’Alene turned into a nightmare for one Spokane Valley teen when he was attacked a man wielding a hatchet. Keelan Babinski, 17, of 
Spokane Valley headed out to Tubbs Hill to go cliff diving and swimming with his friends last Friday. Around 10 PM Keelan and his friends decided to head home and were walking toward the parking lot when an agitated man approached them. “As we were heading back to the car there was a kid who walked in between us, he was by himself, he immediately thought we were laughing at him because we were laughing ‘cause we had a good time,” Keelan said. Keelan says he tried to calm him down instead the man claimed to be carrying a gun, grabbed a hatchet the group had just found at a camp ground and started swinging and connected with Keelan’s head. “I felt it, it went into my head and you could feel him tug to pull it out,” Keelan said/KXLY. More here.
Question: (This one’s late because I was on vacation.) Do you consider this ax attack as another example re: the sketchiness of downtown Coeur d’Alene after dark? Or simply a random thing?
Glenn Donnellan, of the National Symphony Orchestra, performs The Star Spangled Banner on a violin made from a Louisville Slugger baseball bat before a baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Washington Nationals Saturday in Washington. (AP Photo/Luis M. Alvarez)
Question: Do you prefer violin or fiddle music?
Guys who are so successful at comedy typically have a hard time transitioning to anything even 
slightly more serious. Which is why I was hesitant about seeing “Funny People.” First of all, “Funny People” stars Adam Sandler, who is always a questionable asset to a project. Second, it involves Sandler – portraying a character somewhat similar to himself – dealing with cancer. Adam Sandler and cancer. Uh-oh. I needn’t have worried. The Sandler who shows up here is the same one who was so good in P.T. Anderson’s “Punch-Drunk Love.” And Sandler’s costar just happens to be Rogen. Oh, and Hill and Jason Schwartzman show up just for fun/Dan Webster, SR. More here.
Question: Are you an Adam Sandler fan?
Imagine three vacant lots languishing untended for many years. Picture 100-year-old oak trees 
towering forlornly among the weeds. Some might see these overgrown lots in Coeur d’Alene and envision homes or maybe an apartment building. Not Kim Normand. Her vision was rows of carrots, tomatoes and herbs, and food for the hungry. Normand contacted Realtor Marshall Mend, who owned the property at 10th and Foster, and asked if he’d be willing to let her use the lots as a community garden. He was delighted with the idea/CindyH, SR Down To Earth. More here.
Question: Do you — or would you like to — participate in a community garden project?
In this June 2002 SR file photo by Dan Pelle, Glenn Frey and Don Henley of the Eagles belt out “New Kid in Town” for the crowd at the Spokane Arena Sunday evening. A new poll by the Pew Research Center examining the generation gap four decades after Woodstock and the rebel yell of 1960s youth finds that rock and roll rules across generations and the Beatles are high on the list of every age group’s favorite bands. The Eagles topped out in the 30-49 age group, Michael Jackson was the No. 1 pick in the under 30 group, and the Beatles won out in 50-64 age group. For those 65 and older, Frank Sinatra can’t be beat. Question: Which one of the age-group winners above is your favorite: Michael Jackson, Eagles, Beatles, or Frank Sinatra?
Now it is always fashionable to jump and shout and gripe about ignorant politicians, but this 
time some of them have really earned the label. And continue to do so every day. We’ve all seen them yammering on and on. Recounting, like so many trained parrots, the statistics time and again. And, since we’re in the middle of this health care debate, it is happening with more frequency. We’ve all heard it before, several times, and it goes something like this: “Our health care system is just awful. Why, the United States ranks 16th in the world in infant mortality. Yet we spend way, way, way more on health care than the 15 countries that rank above us. That just proves that the current system is rotten and we have to change it. The only way to fix it is to have the government run things blah, blah, blah, etc. etc. etc.” It’s the old canard — say something often enough and it becomes true. No matter how ridiculous it is/Dan Hammes, St. Maries Gazette-Record. More here.
President Barack Obama embraces new Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor in the East Room of the White House in Washington Wednesday, during a reception in her honor. (AP Photo/Ron Edmonds)
The men about town in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho want to be fabulous. You can tell from their bare chests, draped in button-downs unbuttoned past their pecs. You can tell from the wingspans of their long-sleeved crew-necks, illustrated with flowers and encrusted with rhinestones. You can tell by their goatees—finely tuned, from mustache to soul patch. These men want to be fabulous, but what they really, really don’t want to be is gay—you can tell by their incessant dropping of homophobic epithets/Amanda Hess, The Sexist blog, Washington City Paper. More here.
DFO: I don’t know anything about the Sexist column in the Washington (D.C.) City Paper. But I thought this article about an easterner’s view of the men in Coeur d’Alene was interesting.
Item: Cd’A seeks 2 percent property tax hike: City hopes to raise $300K as part of lower budget/Tom Hasslinger, Press
More Info: The city of Coeur d’Alene wants to increase its property tax revenue by 2 percent, even though this year’s budget will be lower than last year’s. Residents will have their say on the matter Sept. 1 during a public hearing. The requested jump is 1 percent under the 3 percent cap cities are allowed to ask for under state law. A 2 percent increase amounts to $309,235. “All the revenues are down,” said Troy Tymesen, finance director. “I would be hard-pressed to find that amount in this year’s plan if we didn’t ask for that increase.”
Question: Many companies, such as the Spokesman-Review, have cut staff and ordered unpaid furloughs to balance budgets. Do you think the city has done all it can do to avoid raising taxes in a bad economy?
Tuesday, the Timberlake Fire Protection District was dispatched to a grass fire at 1724 E Shoshone Avenue in Athol. The property owners were burning household trash in a burn barrel, an ember escaped and ignited the field on fire. Story here.
When a psychiatrist visited Joseph Edward Duncan III at the jail in Indio, Calif., on Sunday, he asked if Duncan thought he was mentally competent to stand trial. Duncan paused, smiled and answered, “According to your definition, I’m probably incompetent,” Dr. James Merikangas testified during a competency trial in an Indio courtroom Tuesday. Merikangas concluded in his testimony that Duncan is psychotic, wants to plead guilty for his crimes and doesn’t care about dying/John Asbury, Riverside Press-Enterprise. More here.
HappyXDopey: These are some indications to me that the Dems aren’t open to a dialogue any more than the Reps are …Calling the various protests “astroturf”, calling the protesters “un-american”, the SEIU sending out emails encourging members to show up and “drown out” the protesters, the presidents comments that the opposition should just shut up and let him have his way, and their own fair share of misinformation and “spin”. Full post below.
Question: Have the Obama administration and the current Demo Congress introduced more bipartisanship to the political process than the Bush administration and congresses of the last 8 years?
Escapee: I loved all of that Woodstock-era music and still do. I never needed drugs to enhance my listening experience. I don’t think I would’ve ever have been a true hippie (I’ve got too many hangups, man), but the music and the message is still there for anyone who desires to partake of it. Maybe I’m just “stuck in my era”, but the Music Industry was never freer and more creative than during the Woodstock age and in the years leading up to it …
Question: Were you a hippy? Would you have been, if you were of the right age back in the ‘60s?
Scott Stantis/Birmingham News
We’ve reached the dog days of summer in pretty good shape. Huckleberries Online attracted almost 200,000 page-views in July — thanks to CindyH doing such a fine job filling in for me during the last week of the month. That would play out to almost 2.4 million page-views for the year, if the blog hadn’t gotten off to such a slow start in the first three months, as a result of the switch over to the new admin system. As is, the blog will probably finish with a little over 1.9 million page-views for the year. Also, plans are still under way to break Huckleberries out into its own Web site sometime this year. Now, for your daily Wild Card …
A newly born male Masai Girraffe, right, is tended to by his brother Jack, left, and father Kiva Monday at the Houston City Zoo in Houston. (AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Nick de la Torre)
Brandon: So you’d rather cut back classes in the music department? Cut the pay of professors? The 
marching band did a pretty good job the years I was there, and no knock against them, but I can tell you that the students really didn’t go to the games to watch them. We went and watched the football and then left at halftime because it was too cold. Our generation isn’t as tied to this traditions as much the other generations. It sucks that some music students won’t get the opportunity but after listening to a lot of them complain about having to do marching band… they won’t be up in arms either.
Question: Which former high school tradition do you miss most?
Item: ‘Police Chief: I support the actions of my officers’/KHQ
More Info: Both lawsuits occurred in the summer of 2008. The first involves a traffic stop in which now 20-year-old Natalie Reighard claims she was sexually and physically assaulted during a weapons search, performed by Officer Jared Reneau. The second lawsuit also stems from a traffic stop, when DeLoyd Scott was riding by on his bicycle. Officers asked him for ID, which he refused, a scuffle broke out, and Scott was tased seven times. Internal investigations found no illegal activity by officers in either case, and Chief Longo says no officers were disciplined.
Question: When should police officers use their Tasers?
In this July 29 photo released by the Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife shows Michelle V. Larsen-Williams, of Pingree, Idaho holding the record rainbow trout she caught on the Snake River upstream of the American Falls Reservoir, in eastern Idaho. The fish was 34 1/4-inches long, weighed slightly more than 20 pounds and had a girth of 22 1/4 inches. (AP Photo/Idaho Department of Fish and Wildlife)
Question: Which kind of fish do you prefer to eat? How do you like it prepared?
This undated photo released by the National Park Service shows a tour helicopter damaged after striking a bird while returning from the Grand Canyon and making an emergency landing in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, in Arizona. The pilot, 25-year-old David Supe, of Henderson, was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor cuts. Six passengers on the helicopter weren’t injured. (AP Photo/National Park Service)
Question: Describe a rough air flight that you’ve been on.
Col. Jerry Russell, chief of the Idaho State Police, just presented stats to lawmakers in 
response to questions last month about the ISP’s staffing. When compared to the six surrounding states - Wyoming, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Washington, and Oregon - Idaho ranks dead last for its number of troopers per citizen, with 11,288 citizens for every state trooper. Washington’s at 8,874. When compared to states of similar size - New Mexico, West Virginia, New Hampshire, Nebraska and Maine - Idaho again ranks dead last, by a huge margin/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise. More here.
Question: How concerned are you that Idaho State Police is underfunded and understaffed?
The other day, I tagged along with a friend to the Grand Opening of the new CAT (with tractors) dealership in Hayden … The best thing about it - everything was free. Well, not everything. The tractors cost money. But there were free CAT caps, free pens, free key rings, free hamburgers and hotdogs. We’d just had brunch but still - I wanted a free hamburger. It was a hot, hot day, but cool in the two-story warehouse-type building that was more of a walk-through than anything else. What I loved was all the people in there - mostly men, but some women - who wanted to see the new CAT building and get the brochures on the newest style of tractor/Beth Bollinger, Accidental Rabbit Trails. More here.
Question: Do you where a baseball cap with an advertisement on it? What does it say?
Item: ‘Bro’ sign angers Obama supporters in Bitterroot Valley town/Ravalli Republic
More Info: Parading with Bitterroot Valley Republican groups in her Hummer, Cathy Kulonis said she was exercising her First Amendment rights Saturday when she hoisted a sign reading “No Mo Bro” during Creamery Picnic festivities here. In response to angry requests to remove the sign, and contentions that it carried unsavory racial overtones regarding President Barack Obama, Kulonis held her ground, referring to those who complained as “red-faced maniacs” and “liberal extremists.” When the parade committee chairman requested that she remove her sign, she once again stood fast and refused to put it away.
Question: Do you agree that the ‘No Mo Bro’ sign had racial undertones?
“There are no shortage of beautiful boats on North Idaho waters and this classic wooden beauty was a vision at sunset,” posts Councilwoman KerriT/OnLocation North Idaho. “Coming into the dock at the Cedars Floating Restaurant at the convergence of Lake Coeur d’Alene and the Spokane River, it glowed golden brown.”
Question: How often do you get out onto a waterway in a boat?
I am just not a bug person. I know, I know – every living creature has their place and purpose. 
And spiders should be placed outside where they came from. But there are a couple bugs that defy all logic. What are they good for, anyway? Tell me what good a mosquito is. Give me ten good reasons why I shouldn’t try to wipe them off the face of the earth. And earwigs. Earwigs are the scourge of the earth. Did you know that they lay 100 eggs at a time? They take only two weeks to incubate and about a week to mature. I’m surprised they don’t cover the earth from end to end. Who named them earwigs? It’s a horrible name. I spent many years as a child, terrified that they would find my ears and crawl inside and hibernate and lay eggs (100) and then frolic and cavort inside my brain until I was totally insane. The bug version of mad cow/JeanieS, Nuts & Nonsense. More here.
Question: What kind of bug bugs you most?
These two are enough to give women in politics a bad name! I had hoped for better when 
Pelosi became Speaker of the House and had no hope what-so-ever when Palin became the Republican Vice Presidential nominee. It seems not thinking before speaking knows no bounds when it comes to gender. Frankly, I’m tired of all the name calling and inflammatory language that has been coming from both sides of the political spectrum. It is not helping the dialog. These political heavy weights are the ones who should be calming people down, not rousing their ire!/Dogwalk Musings. More here.
Question: Has Nancy Pelosi performed her task as House Speaker well?
An ambulance carrying the victim of a shooting waits outside the Walmart on the West End of Billings, Mont. after a man shot a co-worker inside the store on Monday. The suspect was arrested nearby and the victim was taken to a local hospital. Story here. (AP/Billings Gazette, Paul Ruhter)
Joan Clay, left and Lori Newswanger, right, hold up signs as they wait in line for the start of U.S. Sen. Arlen Specter’s Town Hall meeting at the Lebanon branch of the Harrisburg Area Community College Tuesday in Lebanon, Pa. (AP Photo/Bradley C Bower)
Question: Which sign reflects your views?
A favorite philosophical question often asked is, “Why does your average teacher earn a little 
more than one percent of what Alex Rodriguez does in a year?” There’s a simple market-based explanation for this. Alex Rodriguez can play the game of baseball like few other people and his services come at a premium in a free market. However, Alex Rodriguez would earn far less if only the Major League Players were represented by the National Education Association and they applied the same principles of labor to the Major Leagues that they do to education/Adam’s Blog. More here.
Question: Would you prefer that a union like the NEA represented sports stars like Alex Rodriquez, to keep their pay in check, or that the free market system continued to hold sway?
Actors, Goldie Hawn, Kate Hudson and Kurt Russel attend a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the New York Yankees Saturday in New York. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Top Cutlines:
On Sunday morning before church, I decided to take care of a hornet’s nest in our plastic dog house (with a removal top). I figured the hornets would be docile that early in the morning. I figured wrong. As soon as I pulled the top off the house, hornets shot up in hot pursuit. I ran across the yard to the house as fast as my 59YO legs and my Keens would carry me — and made it safely inside. Only to discover that I’d stepped in dog poop en route to safety. And tracked it across our carpet.
Finish this statement: You know it’s going to be one of those days when …
Rural residents of the Palouse probably breathed a collective sigh of relief recently when they 
found out their local post offices would remain open. That’s a good thing for those who still relish the visit to the smaller post offices, which serve as social focal points in many communities. But, keeping those offices open doesn’t do much to reduce the billions of dollars of debt the U.S. Postal Service projects for this year alone. Post offices will be closed or consolidated in metropolitan areas, but that hardly solves the problem. Rural post offices are safe for now. It won’t be long before the question of closures comes up again if something isn’t done soon. Postal officials need to revisit the five-day service option. This time, the plan should not be dismissed as easily as it was earlier this year/Murf Raquet, Moscow-Pullman Daily News. More here.
Question: Would you be OK with 5-day postal service?
Bee researcher Beth Kahkonen holds a queen bee taken from one of the research hives at Washington State University in Pullman, Wash. The bee is marked with a number to identify it and it’s genetic origin. The program tries to continually improve the quality of the queen bees in hives around the state in the hope that it will help them resist colony collapse, a problem in bee hives around the nation. (AP Photo/The Spokesman Review, Jesse Tinsley)
In this Nov. 7, 2006, file photo, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dances with his mother-in-law Eunice Kennedy Shriver after giving his acceptance speech, Tuesday, in Beverly Hills, Calif. Shriver, JFK’s sister and Special Olympics founder, has died at age 88. Story here. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
Question: Which of the Kennedy women, besides Jackie, is your favorite?
Three men were cited for misdemeanors over the weekend after Coeur d’Alene residents found racists fliers in their yards. Paul R. Mullet, 36, and Kevin B. McGurre, 27, were ticketed for littering Saturday after police say they admitted to distributing fliers advertising the Aryan Nations along Mullan Street in Coeur d’Alene. Their driver, Todd N. Weston, 32, was ticketed for aiding a misdemeanor.Coeur d’Alene has seen a resurgence in Aryan Nations literature appearing in yards since about April. Meghann M. Cuniff’s SR story here.
Since commercial truck drivers and Asotin County Family Aquatic Center employees submit to random drug testing, county commissioners say some of Asotin County Sheriff Ken Bancroft’s employees should as well. “I will continue in my opposition to any random urinalysis of any member of the Asotin County Sheriff’s Office,” Bancroft has written. “The fact is, random urinalysis is an illegal search.” The sheriff’s wrong about that. Where it involves safeguarding the public, the courts have permitted random drug testing. An officer with a drinking problem isn’t all that unusual. Neither is the one who gets hurt badly on the job and develops a dependence on prescription pain-killers/Randy Stapilus, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Would you submit to random drug testing to keep your job?
Item: Eastern silences Eagles marching band/Jody Lawrence-Turner, SR
More Info: When the Eagles fight song rings out at EWU football games this fall, it’ll come from loudspeakers or maybe hired musicians – not the student marching band. The Eastern Washington University band, made up of 100-plus students, is a casualty of the poor economy. “This was an agonizing decision on our part,” said Patrick Winters, music department chairman. “A school like ours, in Division 1 sports, should have a marching band. It’s part of the atmosphere.” The university will save about $30,000, officials said.
Question: Did EWU make the right decision to save $30K by axing the marching band? (BTW, did you ever play in the school band? Which instrument?
Joe Heller/Hellertoons
Commenter Howard Martinson mentioned over the weekend that he’d like to have a job like mine with beaucoup weeks of vacation. Actually, I get 5 weeks of vacation per year b/c I’ve worked at the SR for more than 20 years (25 as of Sept. 9, to be exact). I’ve taken three so far. But I still have three to burn b/c I’m facing at least one unpaid furlough week. Which I’ll probably take at the end of the month to enjoy one more week of good weather before we turn to fall. Cindy deserves monster kudos for the terrific job she did filling in here the last two weeks. I missed you guys. Now, we need to get things rolling again with the daily Wild Card …
A baby Japanese monkey is nursed by its mother at the Yokohama zoological gardens Zoorasia, south of Tokyo, Japan, Sunday. (AP Photo/Itsuo Inouye)
Transplanted Texan (aka Wayward Episcopalian): I’m about to launch a second blog, this one for politics, keeping Wayward more personal with some religion. Any suggestions about names? “Green Dog Democrat” is taken; I’m leaning towards “Blue Moose Democrat” unless something else blows me away.
Question: Anyone have a suggestion for Transplanted Texan?
Item: Study: Women underrate bosses’ opinion of them/Heather Clark, AP
Firefighters kick up dust as they build a fire line around a brush and timber fire west of Spokane, Wash. at Garden Springs and Geiger earlier today. Story here. (Christopher Anderson/SR)
Nicole Reider 19, of Greenville, tries to slow down the hog for her team, during the 39th annual round-up and hog rassle at St. Patrick’s Church in Stephensville, Wis., on Sunday. You write the cutline. (AP Photo/Post-Crescent, Patrick Ferron)
Top Cutlines:
Months went by, holidays went by, a couple boy friends went by, and then one day an ex-
boyfriend called, knowing how I felt about my piano, and said he had a friend (the girlfriend before me) who needed to store her piano for a couple years until she got settled. If I could get another set of muscles and a truck, he would help me get the piano. And it just happened that my boys’ Dad was in town and he offered to help. So, I’m driving my car behind the truck being driven by my ex-boyfriend, carrying his ex-girlfriend’s piano in the back, with my ex-husband bracing it along the way. There’s a moral here, I just can’t quite peg it/JeanieS, Nuts & Nonsense. More here.
Question: How many exes are there in your life? Are you still on speaking terms with any of them?
Have no worries
and just relax,
you’re in good hands
with Goldman Sachs.
The Bard of Sherman Avenue
Athol has always had a bit of an identity crisis, at least name-wise. The town started as 
Colton, which was changed to Athol after a settler from the Massachusetts town with the same name decided it was somehow better. In 1966, after the Girl and Boy scouts both held events nearby at the old Naval base, the name Roundup City was suggested and rejected. Later that year, when Farragut State Park opened its gates a few miles away, a town debate arose among its 300 residents whether they should change the town’s name to Farragut to sort of “cash in” on all the tourists that would be blazing through. Some residents thought it would be a good way to avoid confusion, others were vehemently opposed/OrangeTV, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: Would you want to live in a town named Athol?
At A Family Runs Through It, Idaho Dad provides a link to his Uptake travel lost post that lists “10 Cool Things for Kids to Do in North Idaho.” Click here.
Question: Do you know something cool that kids can do in North Idaho — that isn’t on Idaho Dad’s list?
Nic: As a former Wedding DJ, I can not even begin to count how many grooms, best men, fathers of the bride/groom, and various other members of the wedding party get into fights at the wedding reception. (and one bride)
Question: I’ve never seen a groom, best man, father of the bride/groom, or any other members of a wedding party get in a fight. Have you?
When I moved to Montana in my 50s I began to revisit those days. After all, I live in Big Sky, Montana, an outdoorsman’s paradise. The joy and freedom of setting off from a trailhead with all you need in the world on your back began to beckon to me. But the last time I had backpacked I had a few less miles on my body and a willing boyfriend to carry the heavy stuff. Could a 57-year-old woman who really doesn’t like to get dirty and who is not as fit as she should be, once again hit the trails? In order to find out, I signed up for one of the Institute’s most difficult hikes, with “strenuous hiking over 13 miles per day and altitude gains of 2,000 feet per day,” as the course description notes/Betsey Weltner, New West. More here.
Question: Do you enjoy backpacking?
Rep. Minnick is one of Mrs. Pelosi’s “majority makers,” and a bit of a miracle at that. This is a 
guy who last year ousted an Idaho GOP incumbent by 4,000 votes. His district—rural, with a pinch of Boise—went 67% for George W. Bush in 2004, and 61% for John McCain. The last time Idaho sent a Democrat to Washington was the early 1990s. The time before that preceded color TV. Political wonder though he may be, Mr. Minnick is these days being taken for granted. He’s a supercharged example of the mess Mrs. Pelosi has created for dozens of conservative and freshman Democrats with her liberal health-care legislation/Kim Strassel, Potomac Watch, Wall Street Journal. More here.
Question: Will Pelosi/Demo attempt at health care overall hurt Walt Minnick’s re-election chances?
Jeannine Mazel, 12, of the Laurel Roadrunners 4-H club takes a quick nap with her chicken, “Cleopatra,” at the Montana Fair at MetraPark in Billings, Mont. Saturday. (AP Photo/Billings Gazette, Casey Riffe)
Coe did figure something out, and his 14-year tenure with the Sandpoint chamber and 
subsequent 10-year stint as president of the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce marked a time when both cities emerged as tourist destinations that have attracted national attention from Time and Sunset magazines, as well as the New York Times, Los Angeles Times and “Good Morning America.” Now, on the eve of Coe’s 25th anniversary in the chamber business, he and Pat are bidding farewell to North Idaho and moving to Santa Rosa, Calif., where he will become CEO of the chamber in the Sonoma County seat, heart of the wine country. He starts Sept. 14/Alison Boggs, SR. More here.
Question: Do you belong to a chamber of commerce? Why? (And/or: Which civic organizations do you belong to? Why?)
This map shows the percentage point change of U.S. foreclosures from January 2008 through June 2009 by county. Notice how North Idaho is shaded light red and moving toward bright red. Eastern Washington, meanwhile, appears to be among those parts of the country in the best shape, foreclosure-wise.
Please, people. Get over it. Barack Obama won the election and he is a natural-born U.S. 
citizen. So for all of you who are holding out some sort of hope that the Supreme Court will deliver you from evil, overturn the 2008 presidential election and install John McCain to his rightful place as leader of the free world, it isn’t going to happen. Besides, if Obama were somehow removed from office, Joe Biden would take his place and Biden would be far worse than Obama if only because of the wide gulf between Biden’s opinion of his own intellect and reality. And by clinging to the belief that Obama is not a natural-born U.S. citizen, “birthers,” as Obama doubters are known, actually do harm to the cause of turning the socialists out of power/Michael Costello, Lewiston Tribune. More here.
Question: Are you a ‘birther;?
But why is it important for the public to know a public employee’s first name? Because the basic 
components of transparency in government can’t exist if something as integral as an employee’s name is protected information. It’s impossible to track an employee’s progression through an agency over time. For example, perhaps you know that someone named “Hoffman” worked for the fire department in 2007. Today, there’s someone named “Hoffman” working in the mayor’s office. Same person? Don’t know. And there’s no way to tell. There is significantly more accountability and greater odds of knowing if the records show the employee is “Wayne Hoffman”/Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation. More here.
Question: I know you had a good discussion re: this issue while I was on vacation. But I need to ask: Did anyone take the city’s precarious side on the debate?
Joseph Mitengo, from Ntcheu District, Malawi, holds long sticks strung with mice while selling them alongside a road in Lilongwe, Malawi. Cooked, salted or dried, field mice are strung on sticks and sold as a popular delicacy in Malawi in markets or at roadside stalls. The rodents are hunted in corn fields after the harvest when they have grown plump on a diet of grains, fruits, grass and insects. Malawi, with a population of 12 million, is among the poorest countries in the world, with rampant disease and hunger, aggravated by periodic droughts and crop failures. (AP Photo/Tsvangirayi Mukwazhi) Question: Would you eat a properly prepared mouse?
Item: Hospice to fill growing need: North Idahoans will no longer have to move to Spokane for end-of-life care/Carl Gidlund, SR Handle Extra
More Info: Hospice of North Idaho plans to build an eight- to 12-bed facility in Coeur d’Alene to accommodate North Idaho residents who are near death and whose care needs exceed what can be managed at home or in a long-term care facility. Ground-breaking for the facility is anticipated in the spring, according to the nonprofit’s executive director, Paul Weil. Money for the project is being raised through donations. The “hospice house” would be the first of its kind in Idaho.
Question: Has your famiy turned to Hospice for end-of-life help for a loved one? What was that experience like?
Item: Spokane groom-to-be lands in jail after brawl/Jody Lawrence-Turner, SR
More Info: A Spokane groom-to-be and two friends ended up in jail after a bachelor party turned into a bar brawl early Sunday, prompting a response from 25 police. Brandon N. Peterson says despite his arrest, he still has a fiancé waiting for him, and now he just hopes he’ll be able to attend his wedding next weekend. He says he doesn’t remember much about the fight. “I saw the crowd. I was trying to find my guys, and I couldn’t,” Peterson, 27, said in a jailhouse interview. “I was headed over to ask the cops what was happening. The next thing I remember is them telling me to stop resisting arrest.”
Question: Did you (or your spouse) have a memorable bachelor’s party?
Woodworker Bruce Wright, of Rathdrum, is creating carving of the presidential seal that he intends to give to President Obama. Jacob Livingston story here. (Kathy Plonka/SR)
Item: Fliers lead to littering charges/Coeur d’Alene Press
More Info: After several months of complaints of Aryan Nations literature being thrown into yards and porches around the city in the late evening and early morning hours, Coeur d’Alene police caught three Athol men in the act and issued citations. Paul Mullet, 45, and Kevin McGurre, 27 were given misdemeanor citations for littering, and Todd Weston, 31 a citation for aiding a misdemeanor around 6:30 p.m. Saturday, said Sgt. Bill Tilson of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department. The three were cited in the 1500 block of Mullan Avenue after multiple reports by citizens.
Question: What would you do if you found an Aryan Nations flier in your front yard?
John Lennon once sang “life is what happens when you’re busy making other plans.” This and various bits of wit and wisdom adorn Caruso’s walls on big, eye-catching placards made of neatly pressed black plastic letters. Perhaps they’re there merely to offer potential ponderous conversation points to customers, or perhaps they’re the senior project of an especially unimaginative typography student. Taking them all into consideration while enjoying lunch there recently, I came to realize the connection between all these quotable quips: they do a good job of explaining the Caruso’s experience itself/Patrick Jacobs, Get Out! North Idaho. More here.
Question: What song lyric captures your approach to life?
Michael Ramirez/Investor’s Business Daily
One more day, and things will return to normal (or at least what we define as normal here at Huckleberries Online). I join you in applauding Cindy for filling in superbly for me while I was vacationing for the past two weeks. And Betsy Russell, too. Seems we’ve matured enough at HBO that I can now take a vacation without worrying that things will go dead here. It’s been a long, strange ride of 5 1/2 years here. And I’m still enjoying the ride. You can continue to use this Weekend Wild Card to while away the remaining time until this three-ring circus is operating at full capacity again …
A 30-year-old North Idaho man died after his car crashed into Hayden Lake early Saturday morning. Whitney R. Clute, of Hayden, was found unconscious in his car after the vehicle crashed into the lake around 1:30 a.m. The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office was called to the area near Tobler’s Marina on East Hayden Lake Road after residents reported hearing the vehicle go into the water. Deputies located a vehicle in the water, about a quarter mile west of the marina, with Clute unconscious inside. After an attempt to resuscitate him, Clute was pronounced dead at the scene. The incident is under investigation/Sara Leaming, SR.
Mia Yoshida and Dane Stokinger star in the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s production.
“More than 300 people showed up in New York to audition for the Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s production of “Miss Saigon,” according to producing artistic director Roger Welch. Imagine his surprise when he found his lead actress, Mia Yoshida, 19, right here in his own backyard.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/07/from-the-top/
Miss Saigon opens tonight and runs through August 22. Are you going to see the show?
The July 30 death of Lynea M. Sprung Hambrice was not the first 12th floor CDA Resort fatality. “While detectives ruled Eric Hildahl’s Jan. 3, 1993 death an accident the next day, news archives show they never determined what caused the 1989 Shadle Park High School graduate to fall.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/07/cda-resort-saw-deadly-fall-12th-floor-1993-too/
Both Hambrice and Hildahl were intoxicated at the time of their fatal falls.
Only four more weekends left ‘til the kids go back to school, and every one of them is already scheduled with fun things involving lakes, rivers and barbecues. This summer has been good to me. How ‘bout you?
Share your summertime thoughts or anything else on this wild card.
Rollins College student Steve Miller checks text messages on his phone in Winter Park, Fla. As the novelty of their wired lives wears off, young people also are getting more sophisticated about the way they use such tools as social networking and text and instant messaging, not just constantly using them because they’re there.
For those of us who do not speak “text” and yet have friends/family who insist on sending us these cryptic messages like WRUD, CIL and SWDYT??? Help is just a click away: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203674704574328920789548170.html?mod=yhoofront
Several translation sites are now available and will prevent embarrasing mishaps like sending IWSN to your boss instead of your spouse.
SWDYT? (So what do you think?)
“Idaho’s unemployment rate jumped to 8.8 percent in July, and to 10.3 percent in Coeur d’Alene, according to state Labor Department statistics released today. The state rate was the highest in 26 years.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/07/idaho-jobless-rate-jumps-26-year-high/
That’s what this lawsuits claims: “A landlord shot to death by a tenant in Coeur d’Alene two years ago should have been trained on how to deal with dangerous renters, a lawsuit filed this week claims. Bette Fears, 67, died Aug. 8, 2007, when Evelyn Botto, 44, shot her in the office of the Park Place Apartments, 3825 Ramsey Road, then turned the gun on herself.” More here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/07/lawsuit-filed-over-murder-suicide-cda-apartments/
What do you think?
Item: Buck Knives cuts pay, hours: Workers take 10 percent hit due to economy/Brian Walker, CdA Press
More Info: Buck Knives has cut employee pay to try to weather the economic downturn. “Due to continued slowness in the economy, Buck Knives has implemented a companywide 10 percent reduction in pay and/or work hours,” C.J. Buck, president and CEO, said in a written statement. “We hope the economy is transitioning to a more robust state. However, we must prepare in case it does not.” Phil Duckett, Buck chief operating officer, said the situation will be reviewed on a month-by-month basis.
Question: Do you worry when you read local stories like this, telling of wage and hour cuts?
Director John Hughes, seen in this 1984 file photo, died Thursday, Aug. 6, 2009, at age 59.
Hughes’ movies captured the eighties. I do believe I’ve seen most of his films. What’s your favorite John Hughes movie and do you have a favorite quote or scene?
“If House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were looking ahead—to the endgame on health care, and the election beyond—she’d be thinking hard on Walt Minnick. That she isn’t explains the Democratic Party’s growing woes.”
Minnick has made his stance clear: “We need to be giving consumers the incentives and knowledge to make wise personal health-care decisions. And finally, it makes no sense at all for the government to be running a health-care company.”
The irony is that a majority of politicians agree on this path, but are hostage to Mrs. Pelosi and her ruling liberal minority. And Mr. Minnick’s problem is that his fate is lashed to that leadership.” Read more: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204908604574334754074996882.html
H/T Aliasjax
Thoughts?
JeanieSpokane sent me this: “Breastfeeding is a mother’s way to feed and bond with her newborn child. It’s healthy and natural, but there is mixed reaction over a new doll that teaches little girls how to breast feed.” Story here: http://www.khq.com/global/story.asp?s=10866323
It seems Bebe Gloton is causing quite a controversy. Many little girls pretend to nurse their dolls because that’s how their moms fed their younger siblings. Seems like Bebe Gloton takes all the fun out of make-believe. What next?
Fifty-eight percent of you said there will be no fallout from from the western regional meeting of Democrats in red North Idaho. Twenty-seven percent believe Dems will make solid inroads into Idaho and the panhandle.
wondering why socks disappear in the dryer— you are not alone.
The great minds at SpoCon, Spokane’s local sci-fi/fantasy covention recently spent time discussing that very mystery. “Many hypotheses have been put forward: The eminent thinker Jerry Seinfeld once proposed that socks carefully plan their escape. Another researcher invokes quantum mechanics. Some crackpots even suggest looking under your washer’s agitator or in your closet. Can you believe that?” More here: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/08/07/2022164.aspx
Do you have your own disappearing sock theory?
A friend sent me this: “Thurston County’s Animal Services agency is investigating a report that two construction workers killed two chipmunks with nail guns at a job site.” More here: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009611533_webchipmunks06m.html
At least in Spokane we humanely blow up our squirrels.
The woman driver of this small car found the very quickest way to get a police officer’s attention Monday as a stuck gas pedal caused her vehicle to crash into and under the rear end of a city police cruiser on Sprague Way. (SR archives)
Top Cutlines:
#1. What seems to be the problem, officer? BayviewBob
#2. Apparently she didn’t see the bumpersticker “I brake for donuts.” CabbageBoy
#.3 Evidently while doing her nails and hair, talking on the phone, eating a sandwich and drinking coffee while driving, she didn’t think of simply shutting off the engine. HowardMartinson
“The Idaho Department of Correction has settled lawsuits with two transgender inmates who castrated themselves after they were denied feminizing hormone therapy.” Read more: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/07/idaho-settles-transgender-suit/
Thoughts?
Sonia Sotomayor is congratulated at the federal courthouse in New York after being confirmed to the U.S. Supreme Court by the Senate on Thursday.
“The Senate, in a vote laden with history and partisanship, confirmed Sonia Sotomayor on Thursday as the 111th justice and the first Hispanic to serve on the U.S. Supreme Court.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/07/sotomayor-confirmed/
Thoughts
“It’s official: Paula Abdul is leaving “American Idol.” In a Twitter post, she said: “With sadness in my heart, I’ve decided not to return to Idol.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/06/abdul-pulls-out-of-idol/
Will you miss Paula? How will her leaving affect the show?
John Popper and Blues Traveler are scheduled to perform Friday at 7:30 p.m.
“The big white tent is up, Lake Pend Oreille is sparkling-blue and the osprey are poised to soar picturesquely overhead. Now it’s time for the musicians to do their part at the Festival at Sandpoint, the region’s supreme outdoor music festival.”
Some great music can be heard in Sandpoint this weekend.
Have you ever attended the Festival at Sandpoint? What band/muscian did you most enjoy?
Can’t get enough of those toilet photos can you?
“The City of Spokane and Spokane County unveiled new programs Thursday designed to cut the amount of water going into and out of homes by offering rebates to homeowners buying new Water Sense toilets or Energy Star washing machines to replace less-efficient versions of those appliances.” More here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/06/city-county-offer-incentives-save-water/
Do you own energy efficient appliances or plumbing? Have you been pleased with them?
“In one case, a 15-year-old boy dislocated his shoulder. In the other, a man spent three days in a hospital for brain swelling. Both said their assailants yelled racial slurs. These unsolved assaults occurred in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene in the past two weeks.” Full story: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/06/police-seek-help-solving-racial-attacks/
What do you think— jerks behaving criminally or racist attacks?
”The real kicker, there was a 10 foot birch that I had planted in the back yard that myseriously vanished…and when I say the tree vanished, I mean vanished-no stump. It was actually closer to 15 feet now that I think about it. Strange.”
South Korean special warfare command soldiers exercise during a sea infiltration drill in Taean, south of Seoul, South Korea, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009.
#1. The South Korean Army bends over backwards to pose for Digger & Cindy’s new coffee table book “The New Look of Foreign Policy.” nic
#2. Hoping to get the heck out of Taean, commandos bend over backwards while doing some serious Seoul-searching. JohnA.
#3. “Gasp! Quit teasing us, Cindy H. Tell us … are we in the calendar?” KevinTaylor
Douglas Adams said, “This must be Thursday. I could never get the hang of Thursdays.”
Me either. So today I’m not even going to try. The boys and I are headed to Silverwood. I plan to spend the afternoon floating down the lazy river. I’ll post several items in the morning and then I’m off. Rumor has it some Portuguese guy with a mustache will be checking in, so I hope you’ll all be on your best behavior and not fight like cats and dogs. Er… you know what I mean :-)
Use this Wild Card to post all those things you’ve been itching to talk about all week.
“The Charles Manson follower convicted of attempting to assassinate President Gerald Ford is set to be released from a federal prison in Texas later this month after serving more than 30 years behind bars.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/06/manson-disciple-set-for-release/
Thoughts?
More Info: Estrada was filibustered in 2003 by Democrats who feared he was too conservative. It marked the first time a filibuster had been used against an appeals court nominee. A high-powered private attorney in Washington, D.C., Estrada ultimately dropped out of the process, and the experience left a bitter taste with many Senate Republicans. Had Estrada been confirmed to the appeals court, it’s possible he would have been tapped by President Bush for the open Supreme Court slot that went to Samuel A. Alito. Many said during Sotomayor’s confirmation hearings that the Honduran-born Estrada should have been the Supreme Court’s first Hispanic nominee.
Question: Do Republicans have a legitimate complaint on the brink of Sonia Sotomayor’s confirmation re: the treatment of the 2001 Appeals Court nomination of Latino Miguel Estrada by Senate Democrats.
“It can be eaten by itself, or hidden within cakes and cookies. It can be served melted or frozen. It functions as a main ingredient or an incidental topping. It can be poured into a cup and topped with marshmallows. It’s been called the elixir of the gods and a cure for PMS.” More here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/06/eating-not-the-same-as-experiencing/
What’s your favorite way to eat chocolate?
Item: 4 months to build a house, 2 months to trash it/KXLY
More Info: If you can’t sell your house because of the sluggish real estate market why not rent it? That question comes with a warning from a North Idaho couple who rented out a home they own in the Greenside Vistas subdivision in Post Falls. Gineen Bertram and her husband Travis own Bertram Construction Incorporated. They built and sold homes until the real estate market took a dive. To help pay the bills they decided to rent an investment property, a three bedroom home they built in four-and-a-half months. They say that it took only two months for a renter to trash it.
Question: Have you ever had a renter trash a house that you owned?
Even Republicans can hear the blues this weekend. The Democratic
National Committee’s Western Regional Conference will take place today
through Sunday at the Coeur d’Alene Casino Resort and Hotel. This
is the first time Democratic delegates from across the 13 western
states have congregated in Idaho, said Julie Fanselow, communications
director for the Idaho Democratic Party. And the location selection was
no accident. “The whole American West, the Mountain West
especially, is starting to fill out more Democratic over the last few
election cycles, but Idaho is just on the tipping point,” Fanselow
said, pointing out that the Gem State has yet to catch up with the
number of Democratic officials elected in Colorado or Montana. “So the DNC looks at Idaho and thinks, ‘Maybe by meeting in Idaho we can nudge it more into that Democratic column’”/Alecia Warren, CdA Press. More here.
in my freezer. (See Jeanie’s post).
“Former Rep. William J. Jefferson, D-La., who gained national attention after federal agents found $90,000 in his freezer, was convicted Wednesday of political corruption.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/06/jefferson-found-guilty/
Tom Heckler, left, is president of the Hillyard Fire and Rail Museum, and Marjorie and Mike Brewer established the Hillyard Heritage Museum Society.
“The Hillyard Fire and Rail Museum is in a red caboose and two boxcars on specially built tracks at Queen and Green streets. This collection of railroad and fire memorabilia is the brainchild of retired deputy fire marshal Tom Heckler.
In addition, in 2004 the Hillyard Heritage Museum Society was established by neighborhood advocates Mike and Marjorie Brewer. Their goal is to collect and preserve information and artifacts of historic significance. The group is raising funds to build a museum on property near the rail cars. The two independent organizations have a common goal: ensuring Hillyard’s past is not forgotten.” Full story: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/06/showing-off-hillyard-history/
Do you enjoy museums? Got a favorite?
“A Seattle Postal Service worker with a Lexus and a bad alibi was charged with mail theft and bank fraud last week after he allegedly stole a $208,307 check that a Spokane company had tried to send to a subcontractor.” Full story: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/06/mail-carrier-faces-fraud-theft-charges/
Gotta say that’s my favorite lede of the day— a Lexus and a bad alibi— heh.
JeanieSpokane says bugs are disgusting. “Earwigs are the scourge of the earth. Did you know that they lay 100 eggs at a time? They take only two weeks to incubate and about a week to mature. I’m surprised they don’t cover the earth from end to end. Who named them earwigs? It’s a horrible name.” More here: http://jeaniespokane.blogspot.com/2009/08/disgusting-bugs.html
Listen, I’ve got lots of bugs in ziplock bags in my freezer. Why? Because Sam has to collect bugs over the summer and prepare a bug report as his first assignment for fourth grade. The more bugs the higher the grade. I’ve been through this 3 times with his brothers. I’m SO glad this is our last bug hurrah.
What would you add to Jeanie’s list?
More than you do, you know you’ve got a boring life.
“It started as a joke,” says Seth Hardy, a researcher for an anti-virus company who modified his toilet to tweet. “I don’t like Twitter much and think everyone puts up very mundane stuff on Twitter. I thought, ‘Why not have my toilet in there, too?’” http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/08/twittering-toaster/
So anyone going follow Hardy’s toilet tweets?
A common bedbug is engorged with blood after feeding on a human arm.
“Bed bugs have become a big problem. Reports of infestations have increased 71 percent since 2001. Hotels and apartments, where numerous people are passing in and out, are some of the most susceptible locations.” http://www.hdmag.com/hospitalitydesign/content_display/industry-news/e3i8a55a31083e02409cdcf7e562590f8c1
Omigosh! Bed bug symposiums? This story creeps me out.
When is the last time you slept in a hotel?
“Hank Aaron wants the list of players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in 2003 to be released. In a wide-ranging interview Tuesday night with The Associated Press, the Hall of Famer said releasing the list would help Major League Baseball get past the so-called “Steroid Era.” The list was supposed to remain anonymous and is now under court seal, but big names have continued to leak out.” http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=4377766
Do you think releasing the list serves any useful purpose?
A Netflix customer Mei Michelson holds up a DVD from the television series “Friends” that she is returning in the mail from her home in Palo Alto, Calif.
“The Netflix warehouse in Carol Stream does not appear on any map. Your odds of finding it are slightly better than your odds of stumbling upon a rare insect in a field of weeds.
One could drive to Carol Stream, stop in a random office park, climb from one’s car and scream, “Reveal thyself, Netflix!” This is not advisable.” http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/chi-0804-netflixaug04,0,6424990.story
I’m still thinking about succombing ot the Netflix temptation. Any happy Netflix users out there? What’s the last movie you got from them?
Look at Susan Boyle now: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/beauty/susan-boyle-is-back-with-a-super-chic-makeover-and-weve-got-the-behind-the-scenes-496318/
Perhaps Taryn can tell us if it’s all in the photography.
Wow! Dennis set off quite a thread yesterday when he wrote about the loss of his beloved partner and friend, Missy. I would hope there’s plenty of room in the blogworld for people who treasure their pets and for the petless by choice.
Speaking of choices, I just found out I know a couple of regular HBO readers who never comment. They’re called blurkers. I happen to mention a discussion on HBO to an aquaintance and he said, “Oh yeah, I saw that.” Someone else sent me an email that said, “Great post on HBO.”
I asked both of these folks why they don’t comment on the blog and they both said something like, “It’s not my thing.”
Well. Gosh. If you read it and enjoy it, go ahead and add your two cents worth— or not :-) I have a feeling most regular commenters here started out as blurkers. I know I did.
You can comment about why HBO is your thing or what prompted you to cross the blurker/commenter line or anything else on this Wild Card.
Sorta. Maybe. Isn’t Montana somewhere nearby?
“Bozeman city officials say they are preparing for President Barack Obama to visit next week — an event that would bring the president to the home state of the senator leading bipartisan health care talks.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/05/obama-planning-trip-montana/
Milo keeps CindyH company while she works.
Top Cutlines:
#1. Milo heard the internet was good for Phishing! Charlie
#2. “I don’t feel so good after eating that mouse I found up here.” IdahoDad
#3. Milo & Cindy both experience writer’s block at the same time. Herb Huseland
You know this photo is starting grow on me:-) However, there’s always more to the story isn’t there?
“Bill Clinton undertook the mission, a senior administration official said, only after the North assured the White House that the reporters would be freed and allowed to return home with the former president. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to detail the back-channel negotiations, also said the north rejected Gore as a suitable emissary.” More here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_us_nkorea_analysis
Over at Bay Views Herb Huseland says excitment is high for Saturday’s Athol Daze. Read all about it here: http://bayviews.blogspot.com/2009/08/athol-daze-r-us.html
So, have you ever been to Athol? Will you make the trip on Saturday?
“Two 15-year-old boys were assaulted outside the Coeur d’Alene Resort late Saturday, and Crime Stoppers is offering a reward for information that leads to an arrest.
The boys were asking people for money after visiting a friend at the Resort and missing the bus home when seven or eight men attacked them while yelling racial slurs, according to the Coeur d’Alene Police Department.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/05/boys-assaulted-outside-cda-resort-reard-offered/
“Nine workers at Spokane’s Shriners Hospital for Children will lose their jobs and 13 others will see their wages reduced, the hospital announced today.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/05/shriners-hospital-cut-nine-workers/
Thoughts?
“You’re being followed. Stalkers are everywhere, even in your pocket. That’s the warning Wednesday from the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the San Francisco-based civil liberties group.
In a “white paper” entitled On Locational Privacy, and How to Avoid Losing it Forever, the group warns how everyday ways of life and our gadgets are transforming us into a digitized stalking society.” More here:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2009/08/digitized-stalking-is-the-new-world-order/
How concerned are you about digital stalking?
”Can anyone tell me if Eddie’s Bar & Grill at Arrow Point is open for business this summer?…Looking for somewhere to dine on the lake this evening that is accessible by boat.” OTV
“Wood and paper consumption fell by 8.5 percent last year in Europe, North America and the former republics of the Soviet Union as a sharp decline in U.S. housing construction took its toll on the industry, a U.N. body said Tuesday.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/05/forest-products-industry-struggling/
Anyone care to venture a guess as to the long-term prognosis of the timber industry?
Birthday celebrants President Barack Obama, 48, and Helen Thomas, 89.
Gee. JFK got Marilyn Monroe and Obama gets Helen Thomas? http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/05/obama-turns-48-shares-cupcakes/
How did you celebrate your last birthday?
Department of Corrections K-9 Officer Paula Lewis watches Jessie search for a phone during a drill at Airway Heights Correctional Facility.
“…the Washington Department of Corrections has joined more than 20 others state prison systems in signing a petition asking the Federal Communications Commission to allow cell phone signals to be jammed in prisons.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/05/cell-no-place-for-cell-phones/
Not everyone is thrilled about the Cash for Clunkers program.
“The federal government’s “cash for clunkers” program could end up hurting some local small businesses by driving down the price of scrap and parts and making it harder for low-income people to find an affordable used car, several business owners said Tuesday.” More here:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/05/when-a-lifts-a-letdown/
Thoughts?
Taylor Pettit, 1 year old, and her mother Robin Pettit of Airway Heights, Wa., get an eyeful of bubbles as they participate in the Spokane County Moran Prairie Library Baby Lapsit program, June 4, 2009 in Spokane, Wa.
Just wait until Robin finds out it’s going to cost her $221,000 to raise Taylor: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090804/ap_on_re_us/us_fea_parenting_cost
That’s a lot of bubbles!
File this under only in New York: http://www.nypost.com/seven/08032009/news/regionalnews/boobs__bologna_outrage_182769.htm
“A notorious sleaze merchant could be on the hook for nearly $100,000 after opening an unauthorized Subway sandwich shop that doubled as an after-dark strip club.”
Uh. So what’s your favorite Subway sandwich?
Gaston Chabolla, 15, searches for CDs at a music store in Los Angeles. Major recording labels are under pressure to explore new ways to get music fans to pay for music.
“In the past decade, have you downloaded music from a peer-to-peer service like LimeWire? Or shared files on the original Napster? Once? Twice? Lots? If so, you might want to hire a good lawyer, or consider moving to another country.” http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351132,00.asp
So where do you get your music?
Lynea M. Sprung Hambrice
“A woman who fell to her death at The Coeur d’Alene Resort last week landed in a way that indicates an accidental fall, not a jump or push, a deputy coroner said Tuesday.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/coroner-resort-fall-likely-accident/
And Meghann Cuniff reports the the victim’s boyfriend ran for the Idaho Senate here: http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/sirens/
Sam Lyden, left, and Delphine O’Reilly, of ScrumDiddilyUmptious Donuts, help a customer select goods in the Otis Orchards shop.
Seems the folks at Pyscho Donuts in Campbell, CA are creating quite a stir. “As the Psycho Donuts web site says, they’ve “taken the neighborhood donut and put it on medication, and given it a shock treatment.” http://smallbusiness.aol.com/article/_a/we-should-all-be-so-crazy/20090803135409990001
What’s your favorite kind of donut and where do you buy it?
Moviegoers enter AMC’s Studio 30 theater in Olathe, Kan.
Probably not more of this: http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2009/07/just_when_you_thought_it_was_s.php
Do you notice product placement ads in movies? Does it bother you?
Habitat for Humanity volunteers work on a house Wednesday, June 3, 2009.
“Spokane’s Habitat for Humanity affiliate is one of 123 in the country that will build energy-efficient, low-income homes as part of a national program fostering affordable “green” construction.”
Have you ever worked on a Habitat for Humanity project? What do you think about the organization?
Can’t seem to formulate a question for this story: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/coroner-says-body-looks-be-missing-boy/
I saw photos of the hundreds of people who volunteered to seach for this child. I wonder how many Boise folks held hopes that this story would have a happy ending.
I was slumped in front of the computer yesterday, franctically trying to finish a big project. “Stuff like this is going to make me old before my time,” I muttered.
My fourteen-year-old heard me as he was walking past. He turned and said, “You’ve aged well, Mom. I was looking at your high school photos and you look just the same. Well, except for a few wrinkles.”
Sigh. I think I’ll keep him around for awhile. Use this wild card to talk about your own unexpected blessings or anything else thats’s on your mind.
Bruce McConnell, owner of McConnell Chevrolet Chrysler Jeep Dodge in Healdsburg Ca., blows off some steam by jumping on a Mercury Villager that was traded in last week under the cash for clunkers program.
Top Cutlines:
#1. Sadly, Bruce impaled himself on the car’s freakishly long antenna, lending new meaning to the term “Sticker Shock.” BayviewBob
#2. Bruce takes out his frustration after being passed over for the position of used car czar by the Obama administration. redman
#3. Bruce shows that north Idaho isn’t the only place where the Mercury’s risin’. JohnA.
but a pelican swallowed my phone.
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/idaho-falls-zoo-pelican-swallows-cell-phone/
“The Martin Jetpack – literally a personal strap-on aircraft – is a two-litre jet-powered engine designed to soar across the skies at 100km/h at heights of up to 50 metres.”
Sounds like a really loud weed whacker to me: http://www.news.com.au/travel/story/0,28318,25880890-5014090,00.html
And come on, aren’t you just itching for the guys to let go? Say, I wonder what the view is like six-feet above the ground?
This is for you OTV.
But by golly, I’m going to learn how to insert my own pics before the week is out and then watch out! It’s gonna be an all Milo HBO.
Sorry Dennis, I couldn’t find the right doggie photo to do Missy justice.
Joker gets the Least Sensitive Male award. (And I know very well there’s a lot of guys out there who agreed with his assessment of OTV’s grief. The rest of you are just too smart to blog about it!)
Spotted that on a t-shirt when I picked my son up from camp. Cracked me up :-)
Would/Do you text your kids’ friends?
“A man who saved another man from a car fire in Coeur d’Alene last month will be honored as a hero tonight.”
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/cda-honor-man-who-saved-driver-burning-car/
In this photo released by Korean Central News Agency via Korea News Service in Tokyo, former U.S. President Bill Clinton, seated left, meets with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il, seated right, in Pyonggyang, North Korea, on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. Others are unidentified. Former US resident Bill Clinton met Tuesday with North Korean leader Kim Jong Il on the first day of a surprise visit to Pyongyang, holding “exhaustive” talks that covered a wide range of topics, state-run media said.
Bill Clinton’s visit to North Korea to negotiate the release of two American journalists has pundits talking: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/bill-clinton-in-north-korea/
Does his trip undermine Hillary’s public stands? Is it tantamount to negotiating with terrorists?
Update: http://www.editorandpublisher.com/eandp/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1004000023
More Here: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090804/ap_on_re_as/as_nkorea_journalists_held
What’s Bill got that Hillary doesn’t?
“The state of Idaho will buy all required childhood vaccines through January 2010, Gov. Butch Otter said today.”
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/idaho-will-cover-child-vaccine-costs-through-janua/
Moscow becomes the first city in Idaho to ban lighting up in private clubs and bars: ““Never smoked a day in my life,” declared 50-year-old Corner Club patron Ted English as he nursed a can of Rainier Beer in Moscow’s oldest watering hole. “Now I’m going to have to go elsewhere to get my secondhand smoke.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/moscow-smoking-ban-goes-effec/
Do you think Idaho will follow Washington’s lead and enact a strict statewide ban on smoking in public places?
“In a few weeks, the Treasury Department’s czar of executive pay will have to answer this $100 million question: Should Andrew J. Hall get his bonus?” http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/107456/100-million-payday-poses-problem-for-pay-czar.html
Thoughts?
“The Postal Service said a Spokane Valley post office is one of hundreds of branches it may close to save money. The Trentwood branch, at 14409 E. Trent Ave., is the only one in the Inland Northwest targeted for closure.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/postal-officials-weigh-options/
When is the last time you visited a post office? Do you ever use the blue drop boxes?
“Families who want cheap, close-to-home fun this summer are heading in record numbers to a pastime that dates to the 1800s: the county fair.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/04/county-fairs-draw-bigger-crowds-in-hard-times/
Are you going to the Fair this year? What’s your favorite thing about it?
Amazon.com’s Bezos speaks about the Kindle DX.
Told ya Kindle was evil. Now they’re “disappearing” books: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2351087,00.asp
Scary stuff.
Update: Here’s the best article I’ve read about Kindle: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/08/03/090803fa_fact_baker?currentPage=1
It’s long, but worth the read.
Sometimes I despair of the whole human race. Take this seemingly normal lady who called 911 because Burger King didn’t prepare her CHEESEBURGER correctly: http://www.entertonement.com/clips/hdntpnnkpx—Woman-Calls-Cops-on-Burger-KingFunny-Burger-King-911-Call-Viral-
What should be done about folks who abuse the 911 system?
Kristen Havens works at her bedroom office Monday at her apartment in the Hollywood section of Los Angeles. In spite of the potential pitfalls, there were almost 14 million Americans telecommuting at least part-time in 2004.
Turns out the ultimate green job is telecommuting: http://www.mnn.com/business/green-jobs/blogs/telecommuting-the-ultimate-green-job
Could you do your job from home? If your company offered a telecommuting option would you take advantage of it?
Oh dear. It seems that Obama’s “cyber czar” Melissa Hathaway has resigned: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124932480886002237.html?mod=googlenews_wsj
Wired.com says good riddance: http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2009/08/white-house-cyber-czar-resigns-good-riddance/
What would be your first order of business if you were appointed “cyber czar”?
Someone asked about the fireworks display over Lake Coeur d’Alene Saturday night. Kerri Thoreson explains here: http://moremainstreet.blogspot.com/2009/08/mystery-solved.html
The social event of the season and I wasn’t invited. Dang. First the beer summit, now this. I’m going to get a complex.
“Joker…I do not jump on demand even if I had read your comment within your hour deadline. There is no reason for you to call me out like that. I do not shy away from the media or the public. Everyone knows I work for the police department. Pick up the phone and give me a call if you have questions. if I can’t answer them I will tell you why I can’t.
But since you ask, I have issued a statement on behalf of the Chief of Police to several media representatives today.
I am happy to share it with HBO. “The Police Department stands behind the actions of Officer Reneau and believe he acted appropriately in the arrest of Ms. Reighard,”
Since there has been a law suit filed I am not able to speak directly about the complaint but I am able to answer basic questions about police procedure.”
So, I went to the smokin’ hot Highland Games on Saturday. I saw burly men in kilts toss massive cabers. I heard sweet Celtic music and watched amazing displays of Highland dance. Marmie: I had my first banger (but no mash). This tasty sausage was served in a bun and topped with grilled onions. And while Scottish ale was available, I stuck with Miller Lite, (sorry Bent).
Oh yeah. I also tried haggis, both canned and fresh. The canned version looked like hash, and tasted okay. At $9.95 a can it was too spendy for me to take home to the kids. But fresh haggis is the way to go. The long line around the haggis tent offered proof of its popularity. It was delicious. I even had seconds! It’s not very appetizing to look at, but as my haggis host asked, “How long do you stare at your meatloaf?”
Use this Wild Card to discuss your own culinary adventures or anything else.
Update including video link: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/03/lawsuit-claims-cda-police-assaulted-teen/
“A federal lawsuit filed against the Coeur d’Alene Police Department claims an officer sexually and physically assaulted a teenager during a drunken driving arrest last summer.” More here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/03/lawsuit-claims-cda-police-assaulted-teen/
Thoughts?
“Boise police: Body found in canal matches missing boy” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/03/boise-police-body-found-canal-matches-missing-boy/
If I wasn’t a parent, I wonder if these stories would haunt me like they do? All I know is the death of a child diminishes us all.
“A walleye hangs unceremoniously from the seat of Mark Henckel’s pants – certainly the catch of the day.”
Top cutlines:
#1. Bottom feeder. mike s
#2. I’m telling ya, crack beats worms, maggots and powerbait. Taryn Hecker
#3. That’s not a walleye!!!!! It’s a “Trouser Trout”! Dennis
HM: Bent
New York Red Bulls defender Jeff Parke (20) heads the ball over Los Angeles Galaxy forward Carlos Pavon during first-half MLS soccer Saturday night, Aug. 18, 2007, at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)
I’ve always said soccer players are hotter than baseball players. Looks like folks are listening: “Sold out crowd of 93,137 pack Rose Bowl to watch European Champions face LA” http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20090802&content_id=6200128&vkey=news_lag&fext=.jsp&team=t106
Any soccer fans out there?
Giants wide receiver Plaxico Burress leaves a New York City police station.
“Former New York Giants star Plaxico Burress was indicted by a grand jury on weapons charges after shooting himself in the thigh at a Manhattan night club last winter, prosecutors announced Monday….Burress was at the Latin Quarter nightclub Nov. 29 when he shot himself in the thigh after a gun tucked in the waist of his track pants slipped down his leg and fired.” http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=txburressweaponscharge&prov=st&type=lgns
Plaxico? Really? The guy looks huge. What does he need to carry a gun for?
What do you think should happen to football players who accidentally shoot themselves?
At From a Simple Mind Cis wonders “Where are they now?” http://wordtosser.blogspot.com/2009/08/where-are-they-now.html
When I wrote a column about my second grade classmate Ruthie, I heard from two classmates from Jefferson elementary. One was a really good friend who used to play “The Avengers” with me after school. I finally got to apologize for always making her be Mr. Steed, so I could be Mrs. Peel :-)
Have you ever wonder what happen to a friend from your childhood?
Over at A Butterfly Moment Jen writes, “I have always had this idea of Heaven being a place where you can do whatever makes you happy.” http://abutterflymoment.blogspot.com/2009/08/blessed-sunday.html
Do you believe in Heaven? If so, what do you think it will be like?
I say that at least three times a week. Turns out my coffee habit is good for me! http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/18/health/he-coffee18
Do you drink coffee? How much and how often?
Driver identified in fatal Hayden crash: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/03/fatal-crash-under-investigation-near-hayden/
Be careful out there.
“A bid to set a new world record for the number of women being photographed wearing bikinis in one place failed, after only 42 of the required 1,924 turned up.” http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/5960486/Beach-attempt-to-break-world-record-for-bikini-clad-beauties-fails-as-only-42-turn-up.html
So, have you ever been part of a world record attempt? Are you planning to break any world records in the future?
Richard Marks, president and CEO of ClickShops.com, a Web retailer, in his office in Sandpoint.
“A small, relatively unknown Sandpoint company has turned itself into a thriving Web retailer, developing a successful formula that puts its name atop Google search results when people look for products like safes, computer desks, garage cabinets and massage chairs.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/02/finding-success-a-name-at-a-time/
Do you do much online shopping?
Ken Griffey Jr. of the Mariners arrives at second base with a double.
“Ken Griffey Jr. was drafted by the Seattle Mariners less than a year after Texas starter Tommy Hunter was born. On Saturday night, Griffey added the rookie to the long list of pitchers he’s homered against.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/02/vintage-griffey/
Gotta say baseball bores me to tears, but for you fans out there: Who is your all-time favorite ball player and have you seen him play in person?
”A campaign on conservative talk radio – fueled unintentionally by President Barack Obama’s calls to control exorbitant medical bills – has sparked fear among senior citizens that the massive health reform bill moving through Congress will lead to end-of-life “rationing” and even “euthanasia.” http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/02/health-reform-opponents-put-scare-in-seniors/
Should seniors be frightened by the proposed health care reform?
Victor Vangelakos looks out from his seventh-floor apartment balcony in downtown Fort Myers, Fla., last month.
“The Vangelakos’ southwest Florida condominium has marble floors, a large pool overlooking a river and modern furnishings that speak of affluence and luxury. What they don’t have in the 32-story building is a single neighbor.” More here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/02/family-has-high-rise-all-to-themselves/
I dunno. After a hectic weekend, I’m thinking being the sole tenant of 32-story building, sounds pretty good. What are your neighbors like?
“This is kind of dramatic, the turning of a page, really,” Gridley said of the removal of the tracks that run into downtown Coeur d’Alene, which he said could happen early next year. “The whole area is going to be kind of a clean slate. The community is going to have an opportunity to say, ‘Here’s what we’d like to see there.’” Full story here: http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009/aug/02/corridor-dots-connect/
Changes are afoot in the Lake City. What dreams do you have for CDA?
Gosh. Mebbe the best thing about blogging is making up new words.
Anyhow, in no particular order, here are your reponses to the question: What profession that doesn’t yet have a calendar, would you most like to see come out with one?
“No, it appears that this decision is in direct correlation to other information also sought. In my brief experience in journalism over this last half decade - it’s usually because people don’t want their names tied to their salary information. I know of no state in the country, or any judicial opinions for that matter, that allows a government agency to do what the city of Coeur d’Alene is doing.” Sam
“Here’s the simplification (oversimplification?) as I see it, based on my conversations with city lawyers, our city clerk, the personnel director, and my own research: One open records state law says to release the pay information. Another personnel state law says you shall not release gender information (along with other information). By the city attorney’s interpretation, these laws are in conflict. I want to err on the side of disclosure. But I don’t get to wave a magic wand to force staff to do this - any change would have to be a council directive and there has been no council meeting since this issue came to my attention. I’ve suggested to staff that they seek clarity from the Attorney General - that would be helpful and productive.” Mike K
Sam is young, tenacious, and knows his way around court records. Plus, he can bench press like, 900 pounds. Mike K is is older, and an experienced pol. As a father of 24 kids, he can handle youngsters.
Any bets on who’ll win this cage fight?
Be careful out there! According to Forbes.com August is the most dangerous month to drive: http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/21/car-accident-times-forbeslife-cx_he_0121driving_slide_4.html?thisSpeed=15000
And that’s not all. Saturday is the most dangerous day to drive: http://www.forbes.com/2009/01/21/car-accident-times-forbeslife-cx_he_0121driving_slide_3.html?thisspeed=25000
So please be extra careful. If I survive the haggis, I’ll be back Monday to tell you all about it :-) In the meantime post your weekend thoughts here.
What with our parents buying us terrifying toys like this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XQqqTlRa_c
What’s the scariest toy you ever owned?
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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