The Slice Cat: The Next Generation

Yes, that’s a shocking picture.

“I know you haven’t asked for photos of cats getting struck by lightning but…,” wrote Chewelah’s Debi Pohto. “Actually, I took this picture of my cat, Billie, and when it was developed we got the ‘flash.’ We think it was static electricity between her and the overhead ceiling light.”

Thanks for sharing, Debi. Seeing that bolt of energy, we’re tempted to refer to Billie as Frankenkitty.

You know. “She’s aliiiiiiiiive!”

Today’s spelling adventure: “Spoakane.” - from a localized press kit sent to the Swell Paper by Atlanta’s High Museum of Art.

Fess fest: Unless you are eager to hear baby boomers relive their childhoods in excruciating detail, don’t mention that Fess Parker appears as both Davy Crockett and Daniel Boone tonight on the Disney channel.

“No! Not the story about that fake raccoon-tail hat you wore when you were 5! Aiiiiieeeeee!”

Slice challenge: Make an anagram out of the letters in “Pigs Out in the Park.”

You’ll love it here: A friend from out of state was staying in a downtown hotel Sunday night. It was his first time in Spokane.

He found himself in an elevator with a woman he didn’t know. She asked if he wanted a date. She didn’t say how much it would cost.

He declined. But he found himself considering the possibility that perhaps Spokane is more, um, urban than he had anticipated.

Slice answers: The elimination of what word from the local vocabulary would render many of this area’s residents practically speechless? Readers’ answers included: basically, cool, volcano, whatever, uh, you know, absolutely, alls, I, guns, hotenuffurya, Buddy and s’pose.

But our favorite came from Kathleen Cavender. She nominated “impacted” and even offered an example usage. “As in ‘My decision really impacted her.’ Which sounds medically pretty uncomfortable.”

Help some little kid look sharp: Call 328-6461 in Spokane to find out about a clothing drive for needy kindergarteners.

Today’s Slice question: If you awoke tomorrow and discovered you magically had turned into a celebrity, what product would you endorse and what cause would you espouse?

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: The Slice appears Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. Write The Slice at P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; fax (509) 459-5098. Plan ahead. TNT offers up three “Shaft” movies Saturday night. Right on.