The Slice: The Slice: ‘Pull here’ isn’t always the answer

Slice reader Bruce Penske has a question.

“Have you ever noticed that every box or bag has some kind of ‘easy open’ system that never works?”

Yes.

“Slice answer: “My daughter Kyra drove me to distraction with the number of times she requested ‘Panda Bear’s Paintbox,’ ” wrote Sheila Jacobson. “I intensely disliked it. Probably because I thought it was a boring book.”

Her daughter loved it, though. “And I probably read that thing hundreds if not thousands of times.”

When young Kyra figured out that her mother didn’t really want to read that book, the little girl requested it even more emphatically.

Well, the kid grew up. After she had a child of her own, Kyra’s mother presented her with that well-worn copy of “Panda Bear’s Paintbox” – along with a small companion diorama Jacobson had created.

“The joke now is that Grandma will have to read the darn thing to my grandson,” said Jacobson. “I said I won’t.”

No one believes her.

“Quest for knowledge: There are all sorts of ways to learn new tidbits about our region.

The other night, I was watching a rerun of a ‘60s TV show. An actress named Sherry Jackson was in it.

I noticed her because I remembered her, uh, face. You see, she was featured in a Playboy my big brother unsuccessfully hid on his side of our room when we were kids. It must have made an impression.

So I decided to do a little scholarly research. It turns out the magazine in question was the August 1967 issue.

And – get this – Ms. Jackson was born in Idaho.

(Insert your own “potatoes” joke here.)

It’s true, isn’t it? You learn something new every day.

“Today’s real estate euphemism: Once Reardan’s William Robinson was looking at some property and found himself shaking his head in dismay. He quickly realized he was wasting his time.

The land in question seemed unsuited for any sort of building or improvements. It consisted almost entirely of a steep, steep slope.

“This is terraced property,” said the helpful agent.

“Warm-up questions: When you have cleaned up in anticipation of having company over, what special instructions do you give your kids about keeping the bathroom looking bright and shiny? Does a woman’s body type influence her willingness to engage in celebratory or consoling hugging with male co-workers?

“Today’s Slice question: Is it possible to go anywhere in the United States and not see someone who used to work in Spokane TV news when you flip on the set?