The Slice: A recipe for disappointment

I’m not sure this actually qualifies as a conspiracy.

But have you ever known someone celebrated in your extended family or social circle for making a certain casserole, dessert or whatever? You know, a dish that never failed to be a big hit at gatherings.

So naturally, people ask for the recipe. And usually the flattered cook happily passes it along.

But when the friends or relatives then prepare this same dish, it just doesn’t come out quite the same.

Hmmmm.

Have you or others ever suspected that the original cook, not wanting to share the culinary glory, intentionally left out a key ingredient when sharing the recipe?

Slice answers: Last Sunday, readers were asked to name contemporary security/safety protocols that it could be argued make no more sense than the old Cold War “duck and cover” drills for grade-schoolers.

Jack Thompson was among a number of readers who questioned airport passenger-screening procedures.

“As an 83-year-old with a hip replacement, a knee replacement and rebuilt shoulder and rotator cuff that sets off all airport alarms, I must then go to the terrorist line for an all-over pat-down.”

Pullman’s John McNamara offered this.

“Owning a gun (it makes me feel safe).

“Owning a gun that is unloaded and locked up (would you mind standing there while I unlock my safe and load my gun?).

“Owning a gun that is loaded and within easy reach so it can actually be used (how did my child/child’s friend/spouse/relative/visitor get that and kill themselves/us/them/me?).”

Warm-up question: Slice reader Edgar Lincoln spent a few days working in Ritzville recently. He noticed the citywide town siren still goes off at noon each day.

So I have to ask. Do the good folks in Ritzville know something about the possibility of air raids or whatever that the rest of us don’t?

Today’s Slice question: A friendly, helpful guy working at a South Hill service station shared a theory.

He thinks there have been more flat tires than usual in our area since last November’s wind storm. That’s because of the post-storm surge in roof repairs and other construction activities that involved work crews traveling around town and, as his theory goes, accidentally spilling screws, nails and whatnot on the roads.

I might be missing something about that scenario. But let me ask you.

Have any of your vehicles experienced a flat tire in the last half-year?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. What did kids’ lemonade stands charge for a cup 50 years ago?