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This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.

The Slice: Those one-man filibusters make for gripping television

What could Congress learn from the “What are we going to watch?” negotiations that take place in your home?

Let’s move on.

The spirits are about to speak: After seeing the mention of people doing impressions, singer and teacher Ann Fennessy said there is, in fact, someone she can vocally imitate.

Bullwinkle J. Moose.

“Not much money in it, though.”

What people who don’t have allergies fail to understand: Plenty, readers said. Whether the problem is pets, pollen, foods or fragrances, misunderstandings abound.

But virtually all of the readers weighing in on this asked that I not use their names because many of the people in their lives with unimpressive learning curves regarding allergies are friends or relatives. So I have boiled their feedback down to four pieces of basic advice.

1. Remember that people don’t suffer from allergic sensitivities because they seek to inconvenience you.

2. The fact that a few people who claim to have allergies might be head cases doesn’t mean you should conclude that every allergy sufferer is nuts.

3. Reaction severity varies. Don’t assume that your experience in dealing with Person A means you are an expert on Person B’s allergy.

4. Please keep your home remedies and crackpot advice to yourself and defer to the knowledge of the individual who has actually had to deal with the condition for decades.

Slice answers: A couple of readers who answered the question about throwing a softball addressed it in terms of throwing out a joint.

How you mark your territory: “With great big ‘Keep Out’ signs,” said Karen Crain.

In the matter of Spokane commemorative gifts: “A stuffed marmot to hang on the wall,” wrote Jim Gyarfas. “If that is too expensive, a miniature Clock Tower.”

Quite a few others suggested “a pothole.”

Warm-up question: Ever inexplicably forget about a food you really like?

Today’s Slice question: What do you suppose your pets dream about?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Being over the hill doesn’t mean you don’t still wonder what it would have been like to have had one of the dream careers you imagined when you were 17.

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