The Slice: Near nature, near newsmakers

Here’s what Spokane is like.

Most weekday mornings, on my way to work, I cross paths with a man who qualifies as a household name around here. Usually we just exchange greetings. But sometimes we visit for a couple of minutes.

More than once I have thought, “This just wouldn’t happen in a huge city.”

Separated at birth: So I finally figured out why South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham bugs me. No, it’s not that. (Though The Slice has entertained the pros and cons of the North seceding from the South.)

It’s that he’s a dead ringer for the guy who plays smarmy Pete Campbell on “Mad Men.”

I Googled that and apparently I am not the first to notice, which isn’t surprising.

That show’s third season starts Aug. 16.

Speaking of politicians: Do you have special rules that guide your voting? You know, “I will never cast my ballot for someone who has a goatee” or “I always vote against candidates who dress as poorly as I do.”

One good reason to read the local news briefs: To remind yourself that not all of us are alike.

For instance, have you ever shot someone in the face with a flare gun?

Have you ever driven with studded tires in July?

Ever tried to sell stolen meat in a bar?

Probably not. But there are those who would answer differently.

Slice answer: “If the United States can send a man to the moon why can’t it build roads right the first time?” wrote Heather Leveque. “The Romans built roads 2,000 years ago that are still used today!”

Spokane teacher Dave Rolando, recently back from a trip to Europe, made a similar point: “Should we go to cobblestone?”

Today’s Slice question: At elite levels, which athletes are the toughest?

A) Hockey players. B) Bull riders. C) Football players. D) Bike racers. E) Boxers. F) Nordic skiers. G) Jockeys. H) Other.