Tnt Is What Channel Again?

Here’s an early warning.

If you are offended by the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, you’ll want to avoid cable’s TNT channel next month. That network will present some sexist nonsense called “Sports Illustrated Swimsuit ‘99” four times.

We thought some of you might want to know in advance so you could plan on not watching it.

And if the photo in today’s Slice ironically serves to help deliver a larger-than-normal audience to IN Life’s advertisers, well, that’s just something we’ll have to live with.

* Today’s nail-gun story: “My crew and I were on the roof of a house we were framing in a development when we heard a cry from a nearby house,” wrote Paul Hamre.

“We ran over and found a framer from another crew lying on the deck with a nail in his knee. He had been walking around with the nail-gun in his hand swinging next to his side when the head bumped his knee. Boom! Buried a 16d nail in his knee joint. (He had his finger on the trigger, a major no-no.)

“We called an ambulance. …A week later he came by the job site to say thank you. He had a cast on from his hip to his ankle.”

* Signs at entrances to Spokane should say:

“Caution: Home of the Idiot Driver.” — Frank Girault

“Welcome: Catch and Release Area.” — Steve Maguire

“No Traffic Cops, Drive As Stupid As You Wish.” — John E. Johnson

* The big rigs: The Inland Northwest RV Show is under way at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds.

There are RV shows all over the country. But this event always strikes us as being especially Spokaney.

* Slice answer: This isn’t quite what we had in mind. But here goes.

“The most personal handwritten letter I’ve found in a book was a love letter from my husband to another woman,” wrote a Spokane reader. “It was 30 years ago. I stayed with him and forgave, but you can’t forget.”

* Warm-up question: Friendships based on which of the following tend to last longest?

a. Truth-telling sessions after several beers.

b. A belief that it would be fun to beat the snot out of Don Imus.

c. Mutual admiration for Mike Price.

d. Shared regard for single-malt Scotch whiskey.

e. Avoidance of honest criticism.

f. Ability to say with a straight face, “So you had a 4 on that hole?”

g. Willingness to hear Neil Young tapes for five hours on long drives.

* Today’s Slice question: What’s the surest sign that a slumber party has gotten out of control?