The Slice: Slice reader predictions for news headlines for the new year

Here are Slice reader Gary Polser’s predictions for headlines we will see this year.

“City Council in Disarray.”

“North/South Freeway Underfunded and Delayed.”

“Slice answers: In the matter of what upcoming credit card bills would sound like if they made a noise, a couple of readers mentioned freight trains and artillery being fired. But Ken Stout suggested “An earthquake producing THUD.”

Tracy Castoldi had a different idea. “My upcoming credit-card bills most likely would sound like a few of my asthma attacks — lots of wheezing, can’t get any air. Unfortunately my inhaler can’t help.”

Maybe she’s got something there. A reader named Jim thought of Ross Perot’s campaign reference a few years ago to “A giant sucking sound.”

Alas, this is not a universal apprehension.

Carole LaCombe’s answer? “Silence,” she said. “I don’t have any credit cards.”

“Family Phrases Department: An exchange about a European cuisine featuring tomato sauce and pasta led to a discussion of languages. And that’s when Tadashi Osborne’s son, Tiernan, came up with the word “Italish.”

“I’ve heard of Spanglish,” said Tiernan’s dad. “But I’d never heard the Romance language Italian referred to as Italish. The name has stuck in our family lexicon.”

“Tip for Spokane political candidates: If you can get most of the people named Anderson to vote for you, you’re halfway to victory.

“Slice answers: Kathy Altieri saw the question about families in which all the children were born in different states. “My family can say that,” she said.

She was born in Idaho. Her older brother was born in Alaska. Her sister was born in Montana. And her younger brother was born in Washington.

Ruth Pickup’s four children were born in North Carolina, California, Washington and Kansas.

“Pet Names Department: About 10 years ago, Dick Sullivan’s wife showed signs of wanting to keep a puppy that had arrived on the scene. So he had to put his foot down.

“No one gets to live here except me and you,” he declared.

So that’s how the dog’s name came to be You.

“When looking at the wedding pictures in IN Life: Beth Bollinger tries to pick out the teachers before reading the write-ups.

Richard Knott sometimes thinks, “God, she’s hot. And she married THAT guy?”

And Bob Neubauer asks himself, “Was I ever that young?”

“Slice answer: Jeff Brown said the one thing people will do no matter how bad the weather or how awful the road conditions is go buy cigarettes if they are out.

“Today’s Slice question: What profile of you can your neighbors draw up based on your mail that gets mistakenly delivered to their house?