Huckleberries: ‘Dunkirk’ was ‘fabulous’ but that didn’t stop Al Gore Boo Birds

Christa Hazel couldn’t believe what she was hearing in a Regal Riverstone theater in Coeur d’Alene on Thursday evening: Boos.

The trailers were playing as the audience settled into their seats to watch Christopher Nolan’s “Dunkirk.” Then, a trailer for Al Gore’s new documentary on global warming hit the screen. And the Boo Birds in the crowd responded.

And then the fans of former Vice President Gore shouted back.

The back-and-forth angered Hazel, a Kootenai County Republican precinct committeewoman. She said she was “just irritated that what was once considered rude is now encouraged to publicly show your dedication to an agenda.” Global warming might separate the Gore Boo Birds from the Cheerleaders. But both sides of the environmental divide probably would agree with Christa’s assessment of the movie: “ ‘Dunkirk’ was fabulous!”

Speaking of rude

Driving back from a Spokane Indians baseball game, Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger’s wife, Mary, had a conversation with 4-year-old grandson Boston about rudeness. These are the things that Boston considers rude: “Spitting; punching; not listening to mom, dad or teachers; taking things that aren’t yours; cutting down trees; stealing cars; taking tires, lights and steering wheels off cars; and eating eyeballs.” You can never learn too early that “eating eyeballs” is rude.

Huckleberries

Poet’s Corner: They open to a width incredible/when he spies something vaguely edible;/I’d guess a hungry anaconda/might swallow whole a four-door Honda – “The Bard of Sherman Avenue: Poems by Tom Wobker” (“The Jaws of the Anaconda”) … Sgt. Paul Twidt, of the Kellogg PD Roll Call report, had a two-word response for a recent crime at the Inland Lounge: “Not cool.” Seems someone had climbed a ladder to steal the bar’s iconic cocktail sign. The sergeant was correct … Deana Oswald, of Coeur d’Alene, has just the thing for fellow residents like Howard Kuhns who are tired of garden invasions, defecations and urinations by stray cats: Cat Scat Mats. She describes them to Huckleberries as “sort of an upside-down shampoo brush.” She swears by them … Nic Casey, of Coeur d’Alene, offers this open letter to Washington drivers: “I know weed is legal and all but could you not roll a joint while driving? I would feel safer if you were actually paying attention to where you were going.” Now there’s something besides swerving while drinking coffee that the Washington cops can crack down on … Poll: For all the oohing and aahing about the huckleberry crop this year, only 17 percent of my Huckleberry blog readers have picked or plans to pick the purple gold this year … A Facebook friend noted weeks ago that the swinging bench dedicated to the late Maj StormoGipson at McEuen Park is always occupied. Since then, I haven’t seen it unoccupied during my daily noon walks through the park.

Parting shot

Heather Branstetter interviewed at length the son and daughter-in-law of Darlene Murphy for her history of the Wallace sex trade, “Selling Sex in the Silver Valley: A Business Doing Pleasure.” Murphy was known as “Ginger,” the madam of the Oasis and Arment bordellos back in the day. Ginger told her son: “You know, as long as I had a house in town, men weren’t beating their wives and raping their daughters. And some of the sickest (expletive deleted) that ever walked the street were your judges and your attorneys.” You can ask Heather about this story and others when she discusses her book at The Well-Read Moose in Coeur d’Alene’s Riverstone from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday. Be there or be square.