The Slice: Prehistoric economy took its toll

Beau, the 4-year-old son of Spokane’s Eric and Katherine Phillips, knows a lot about dinosaurs.

The other night, during dinner, he described one creature that had heavy armor and a bony tail. Beau explained that these physical features helped protect it from “credators.”

That’s what he said.

Now perhaps he meant “predators.” Or maybe, just maybe, this junior paleontologist has theorized that tough economic conditions are what did in the dinosaurs.

Lion eyes: Tonight, as part of its “Nature” series, PBS takes a look back at the whole “Born Free” phenomenon and examines the legacy of that wildly …

Beau, the 4-year-old son of Spokane’s Eric and Katherine Phillips, knows a lot about dinosaurs.

The other night, during dinner, he described one creature that had heavy armor and a bony tail. Beau explained that these physical features helped protect it from “credators.”

That’s what he said.

Now perhaps he meant “predators.” Or maybe, just maybe, this junior paleontologist has theorized that tough economic conditions are what did in the dinosaurs.

Lion eyes: Tonight, as part of its “Nature” series, PBS takes a look back at the whole “Born Free” phenomenon and examines the legacy of that wildly popular ’60s book and movie.

You can get in on the action by calling The Slice’s number and leaving a phone message in which you sing the following lines from the song of the same name.

Born free, as free as the wind blows

As free as the grass grows

Born free to follow your heart

I’m not sure what, if anything, I’ll do with these short recordings. But I might just sing along.

I was once in a grade school chorus scheduled to perform “Born Free” at some sort of assembly. But then I got drafted into lunchtime crossing guard duty. And because the chorus rehearsed at noon, I had to give up my singing career.

But nothing’s stopping you from remembering in song the big cat that changed the way the world looked at lions.

After you slipped and fell, when did you realize you were injured: “The second I regained consciousness,” said Jim Clanton.

“When I noticed that my wrist was hanging at an odd angle,” said Sharon Larson.

Today’s Slice question: How dirty does your car get as a result of Spokane area winter road grime?

A) So dirty that you can’t get within 10 feet of the vehicle without smearing your clothes. B) So dirty that getting into the car requires movements akin to the rhumba. C) So dirty that you can’t remember what color your car is. D) So dirty that you hear the foreboding music from “Jaws” as you approach. E) Other.

Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098; e-mail pault@spokesman.com. Retinal floaters can be startling when you momentarily think they’re indoor crows.