Expatriates keep in touch via Weblogs
Huckleberries has located two Spokane County expatriates writing blogs: Richard Glasgow/This Is Rich, in Texas, and Scott Sala/Slant Point, in New York City. Both are conservatives. Rich moved from Millwood as a West Valley High junior and misses North Idaho (Tony’s, the boat races, Templin’s, the floating restaurant, YJ’s and picking huckleberries.) Scott, a U-Hi/WSUer and “lifelong Republican,” moved to New York City 12 years ago to enjoy “some of the more liberal things in life between high school and (his) late twenties.” And got slapped alongside the head by 9/11. Now, family and friends are important again and he’s trying to establish a conservative beachhead in the Big Apple. Betcha Scott knows how an Idaho Democrat feels.
Cyberspace mutts
For St. Paddy’s Day, Huckleberries Online (spokesmanreview.com /blogs/nhb) readers dissected their nationalities. Kootenai County Demo Mike Kennedy registered the highest Irish blood content – 88 percent – followed by Marianne Love of Sandpoint at 75 percent. Most of the rest were Heinz 57 varieties, including Ryan Hill, who listed his ancestry as “English, Irish, and Russian. Does Canadian count?” Only if you’re escaping the country … UI student Sam Taylor claimed a lot of Irish on his mother’s side, adding: “I started celebrating early last night, because that’s how we Irish do things!” Ditto for UI students … Then, Tom Taggart of the Lakeland School District can track both lines of his family back to the Revolutionary War – a general and respectable people on his mother’s side, horse thieves and other riffraff on his father’s. “At Taggart family reunions,” quipped Tom, “the horse thief side really shows through.”
No respect
During a Google search, I discovered that my December “Red State” rant was published by the Washington Times, which apparently believes the S-R has relocated to Spokane, Oregon … Huckleberries hears that Coeur d’Alene Councilman Woody McEvers has lost his lease with the Hagadone Co. for his popular Rustler’s Roost building in Hayden. P’haps the Woodster wasn’t enthusiastic enough when Mr. H called last fall with his downtown memorial garden scheme? … Also, Huckleberries hears that Alice Rankin enjoyed herself at that property tax demonstration at the Kootenai County Courthouse Thursday, particularly when she saw a sign proving the vox populi hasn’t forgotten her late husband, Ron, Idaho’s most famous anti-tax activist: “Where’s Ron Rankin. We need him now.” Read: Help us, Obi Ron Kenobi, you’re our only hope.
Poet’s corner
“From rags to riches,/back to rags,/they stole it from/the Lady Zags” – The Bard of Sherman Avenue (“Selection Committee”) … “Coeur d’Alene is a great place to be/That’s what they said on TV/But don’t you dare doubt it,/This place will get crowded/Like LA eventually” – CdADave (“Take Your ‘View’ and Shove It”).
Huckleberries
“If Michael Jackson upsets the court,” wonders Kootenai County Undersheriff Gary Cuff, “does he go to an adult or a juvenile detention facility?” … Question: “Have you considered the one promise the Burlington is keeping – employment?” asks attorney Scott Reed, tongue firmly cheeked. “Eighty guys working full time to clean up the mess” … Seems Bonner County Deputy Dawgs have a catch-and-release approach to law enforcement. They cited and released Richard G. Myers, 52, of Sandpoint on a shoplifting charge at 3:48 one recent afternoon and then nabbed him again 84 minutes later, for driving without privileges. Dunno what became of our wayward small fish.
Parting thought
The two expatriate bloggers above discovered Huckleberries Online via a link to the police report I posted re the semen-topped brownies at Coeur d’Alene High. In fact, that link doubled my previous highest traffic to 6,534 page views March 11. Sorta keeps things in perspective.