Blogger just trying to cover all sides

First, you should know that Sam Taylor is a North Idaho native, a former Spokesman-Review intern, and now a reporter at the Bellingham Herald. Onward. Sam caused a ruckus on his newspaper blog Dec. 10 when he posted a photo of himself holding an AK-47 and this cutline: “This is how I spent my Thanksgiving holiday in Idaho with family. Shooting AK-47s. Does this make me right-wing?” Sam was trying to make the point that he doesn’t fit the various stereotypes his readers have of him. He’s been called a liberal. He’s been called a conservative. “It appears that the reason why people come to such conclusions is because I’m just not reporting their perspective, I’m trying to cover all sides,” Sam blogged. Editor & Publisher, the newspaper industry mag, picked up the quote two days later. Sam told E&P that he owned a .22 as a kid. But prefers fishing to hunting now. Also, he said, he borrowed the AK-47 from a shooting range. The hubbub made Executive Editor Julie Shirley nervous. But she didn’t make him pull the blog post. She shoulda. No Idahoan would be caught dead wearing tennis shoes while hunting with an AK-47.

Suspicious package

With the help of two CPD Blues and three Spokane bomb squad members, I survived the arrival of Marmitetoasty’s Christmas card Tuesday. Marmitetoasty? She’s a delightful Brit who hangs out at Huckleberries Online. Her card arrived via air mail in an odd-shaped, brown envelope, sans address, Scotch-taped close. It looked so suspicious that I called Sgt. Christie Wood. She sent the CPD bomb expert over to check it out. He stepped back when he saw it and called the bomb squad. You see, there were two suspicious prods nearly poking through the back of the envelope seemingly connected by tiny wires. Two hours later, with the help of an X-ray machine, a bomb squadder declared the envelope safe, slit it open and – faster than you can say, “Ted Kaszinski” – handed me Marmitetoasty’s card. It featured a raised Christmas tree with three tiny, diamond-shaped ornaments poking up. Inside, Marmitetoasty wrote: “Fanks (thanks) for letting me be a part of your Dingleberries.” On the back were the words: “Keep out of reach of children due to small parts.” Hey, that’s better than “KABOOM!”

Huckleberries

Blogger OrangeTV elevated retiring Coeur d’Alene Councilwoman Dixie Reid to nearby sainthood status on HBO last week when he dubbed her – “Our Lady of the Perpetually Wagging Finger” … In wishing Sandpoint Mayor Ray Miller well before his recent bypass surgery, real estate agent Thom George quipped: “Let’s hope his bypass goes more smoothly than the Sand Creek one!” … The S-R has rehired three reporters laid off from the Coeur d’Alene office for jobs in the Spokane office: Taryn Hecker (environment), Meghann Cuniff (night cops), and Paula Davenport (receptionist) … The Bloem administration should change the photo that tops the Talk of the Town ad insert that occasionally touts City Hall accomplishments in the Coeur d’Alene Press. The one published this month shows nothing east of the CDA Resort but snow-covered McEuen Field. No new library. No McEuen Terrace. No Parkside. Just blight. Mebbe that’s the point … Kelsey Husky said in the NIC Sentinel Chokecherries that her guy heard a woman console her kidsickles during the downtown parade on Black Friday: “Pretend you’re from Idaho; then you won’t be cold. This is normal for Idaho.” Or, like everyone else, they should wear Sorels, long johns, beanies and gloves.

Parting shot

“Does anyone know if this funeral home will be performing cremations on site?” asked Thom George regarding Aspen Funeral Home’s plans to open near Riverview Tower. “Ya gotta think the Riverview Tower occupants won’t be too happy having to wash off bits of ash and soot off their windows (not to mention bits of Auntie Em and Uncle Henry).”