The Slice Garth Can Gring Some Pals To Blows

Income levels, race, and religion are popular US vs. THEM themes.

But the longer we live in Spokane, the more we’re convinced the one real divider here is country music.

Bring back the draft: “This year’s college freshmen are more indifferent to politics than any class previously surveyed.” - assessment of a poll, in The Washington Post

Nice kitty: “Release his claws from your hand or other part by moving toward his paw and unhooking his claws.” - from “How to Raise a Sane and Healthy Cat”

Helpful hint for Slice callers: It’s “Hi, I want to share an anecdote,” not “Hi, I want to share an antidote.”

Ten best places to meet someone of the opposite sex: 1. Bars. 2. Singles dances and parties. 3. Dating services/personal ads. 4. Bookstore cafes. 5. At work. 6. Classes. 7. Weddings and engagement parties. 8. Churches and synagogues. 9. Concerts. 10. Outdoor activities. - from the authors of “How to Start a Romantic Encounter”

He requested that we not print his name: “One thing my wife does before out of town guests arrive is clean the house - the only time cleaning is done. So I invite business guests over to our house so that it will get cleaned. She doesn’t know I do this for that reason.”

That must be easier than pitching in and doing some cleaning yourself.

Warm-up questions: What’s the perfect snack for the State of the Union Address? Can a person be a fan of “The Simpsons” and still find “Itchy and Scratchy” disturbing (even if you recognize that these cartoons-within-a-cartoon make fun of violent kids shows)?

Slice answer: Thanks for all the critiques - including some praise - of Spokane TV news performers. But rather than do our impression of Claude Rains - “Round up the usual suspects” - we have decided to drop the matter and move on to…

Today’s Slice question: What do strangers imagine about your looks after hearing your telephone voice?

MEMO: The Slice appears Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday on IN Life. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098.