Shares your insights, opinion on blog
Huckleberries Online turned 4 years old this month. I don’t know how old that is in human years. But it’s pretty mature for a blog. HBO began as an online exercise to support the 2004 re-election bid of George W. Bush, a cause that seems questionable now that so much American blood has spilled in the Middle East. HBO has evolved into a cyber coffee shop where, somewhat like “Cheers,” everyone knows your pseudonym – and the regulars enjoy one another’s company despite passionate disagreements. Unlike the late Chicago Tribune columnist Mike Royko, whose columns were peopled with fictitious characters such as Slats Grobnik, HBO regulars are real people with cool nicknames: Stickman, Cabbage Boy, OrangeTV, Digger, Marmitetoasty, TUBOB, Kendramama, and many others. They’re elected officials and attorneys, police officers and parolees, conservatives and liberals, witches and Evangelicals, gays and straight, and everything in between. Some 75 of them helped HBO celebrate its fourth blogiversary Feb. 16 with pizza and pop at Capones. Why am I telling you this? At HBO, there’s always room for another blogger, commenter or blurker (reader who doesn’t post). You’re welcome to be part of year No. 5.
V-Day to remember
Three years ago, I published an all-time fave Huckleberry: “A funny thing happened to Sandpoint High (journalism) instructor Erin Daniels in her sixth-period class last Monday (Valentine’s Day 2005). Her water broke. In an e-mail announcing the birth of Emma Marie, she blames the poor timing on Principal Jim Soper. Quoth: ‘He was in my room 5th, and just being a real pain.’ Editor Chris Ginzton of the Cedar Post rushed to Erin’s rescue, despite turning the wrong way down a street as he drove his adviser to the hospital. Erin’s favorite line from Chris during the hospital rush? ‘Can I help? Should I be helping you breathe or anything?’ Later, a visibly shaken Chris said, ‘I don’t know how dads DO that!’ Or moms! Erin and Emma are doing fine. Ah’m not so sure about Chris.” Erin, now coordinator of the SR’s Vox Box section, and 3-year-old Emma are still doing well.
Huckleberries
Jason Hunt, the talented Coeur d’Alene Press photographer is hanging up his lens cap in favor of a badge, as he soon will join the Post Falls Police Department. Someone else will have to shoot those swell eagle photos for the Press next fall …
Mike Gridley tells Huckleberries that Kathy Sims and Tom Macy have until March 3 to file proper campaign finance papers with the city before he takes legal action. The city contends that Sims and Macy didn’t handle the paperwork correctly for their direct-mail ad attacking Coeur d’Alene City Council incumbents shortly before the 2007 city elections. At this point, Gridley says, the two activists have refused to heed warnings from the city to correct the paperwork and, as a result, have accrued some $15,000 in penalties. Gridley doesn’t plan to waive the penalties. Stay tuned.
Toadman was one of the HBO regulars who relished the action taken by U.S. Sen. Larry Craig’s lawyers in filing a “motion for enlarged brief.” Sez Toad: “Each time I eat too much pie I have to enlarge my briefs.” In Craig’s case, an “enlarged brief” means he wants to add words to the current 15,000-plus in his quixotic effort to escape his seedy bathroom toe-tapping case.
Parting shot
Berry Picker TUBOB was shook up about that ha-huge USDA meat recall that touched even Idaho – you know, the one in which Westland/Hallmark Meat Co. manhandled nonambulatory cows prior to slaughter. “Normally I’m a big beef eater but I’m seriously considering cutting way, way back after this,” commented TUBOB, tongue slightly cheeked. “I want to believe that my cows I eat are laid down gently in a pen full of sweet grass with pretty music piped in, perhaps some Anya, and IVs are gently placed in their big cow veins and a slow drip of morphine is released to gently send these sweet and gentle creatures off to rib eye heaven.” Outta sight. Outta mind.