The Slice: Here’s to some of the best people in the world

August reminds us that some children really do dread going back to school.

I wish they knew what many of us know. I wish they knew that waiting for them in their classroom door might be someone who will change their life for the better.

And when, as a kid, you do connect with that special teacher, that person who really believes in you, all your prospects seem brighter.

Slice answer: “I was born on the 5th of July,” wrote Chuck Ellis. “My mother told me if I had been born on the 4th of July and been a boy she would have named me ‘Firecracker.’ And if born a girl, she would have named me ‘Independence.’ ”

What do you think of the name Firecracker? Might have been perfect for a judge, a hockey player, race car driver, exotic dancer, military aviator or a mayor.

But what about journalism as a career? “Firecracker Ellis” would have been one of the all-time great bylines.

This date in Slice history (1997): A baker’s dozen of Slice-approved names for cats: 1. Cheetah. 2. Flipper. 3. Lesley Gore. 4. Electric Ladyland. 5. Bea Taylor. 6. Pugsley. 7. Shane. 8. Tatiana. 9. Baxter. 10. Nemo. 11. Scout. 12. Emy. 13. T. Tommy.

I liked this story from soap maker Sandy Tarbox: Perhaps you will, too.

“Years ago my dad bought an ‘atomic clock.’ The directions said install battery, push button, clock will set itself in a few seconds. Dad did as instructed, saw the display flash a couple of times and then stop with some unintelligible symbols showing. He pushed the button a few more times and then waited.

“Three days later my nephew stopped by and Dad asked him to look at the clock, which still showed unreadable images. Nephew reached up, reeled off the clear plastic overlay with ‘12:00’ printed on it. And there underneath was the current time and temp.

“Dad’s been gone 12 years and I still grin when I look at that ugly clock and hear him laughing at himself.”

Today’s Slice question: There are people scattered around the country whose last name is Spokane. I remember going to the public library and looking them up in various big-city phone books long ago. I called some of them to see how they pronounced their name. The answers were mixed.

But here’s my question. If your last name was Spokane, would it be sort of cool to live here or would it be a daily pain in the rear end?

Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. This Thursday is The Slice column’s 25th anniversary. Thanks for everything.