“In at least one place in the region — prudence argues against naming it — a night’s work with a backhoe could sever regionally vital arteries for oil, natural gas and electricity.”

— The annual report by Northwest Environment Watch which expressed concern about the energy network’s vulnerability because of problems such as running multiple transmission facilities along the same corridor.

“It was just a rather sneaky backdoor investment scheme.”

— Washington state Sen. Darlene Fairley, D-Lake Forest Park, sponsor of a bill that prevents employers from taking out life insurance policies on rank-and-file employees and making themselves beneficiaries without written consent.

“That’s when I ran out of cheeks to turn.”

— Doug Wead, former friend of President Bush, telling The New York Times that he intended to release more secret recordings of his conversations with Bush, because of a “character assignation campaign” he says the White House launched against him over the first batch of tapes.

“It seems kind of ironic that the guy is using our court system to avoid court-ordered judgments while he is being deported.”

— Attorney Kevin Mahoney whose clients, the family of Tesia Parris, commenting on the bankruptcy filing by Saudi Arabian Abdulwahab Al-Jazairy to escape a $3.6 million jury award over Parris’ death in an auto accident.

“God bless Judge Charles Hosack.”

— Hauser, Idaho, City Councilwoman D.J. Nall, after the Kootenai County judge ordered the BNSF Railway refueling depot near her community to shut down because of fuel leaks.

“For so many families of firefighters, our sons and husbands have disappeared into death.”

— Sally Regenhard, mother of a firefighter who died in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center, after the New York medical examiner called an end to efforts to identify human remains retrieved after the terrorist attack.

“All options are on the table.”

— President Bush, talking about the prospect of U.S. military action against Iran — right after having said the idea was “ridiculous.”

“If she calls in the morning, I don’t answer.”

— Gonzaga Bulldogs basketball star Ronny Turiaf, a native of Martinique, explaining that he has several long-distance phone conversations a week with his mother, but not at that hour.