Spokesman.com blogs: Garbage gizmos, video picks

Looking for browsing materials? Check out these recent hand-picked links from Spokesman.com blogs. • Video: In case you slept through the news shows | Spin Control It’s such a nice day that anyone with time on their hands Wednesday morning should consider stopping by Corbin Park at 11 a.m., where the city plans to show off one of its newest vehicles. A new garbage truck that can pick up cans on either side of the alley in a single pass. • This week’s interesting video choices | Movies and More If you’re interested in mainstream fare, here are the week’s DVD releases for you: “The Caller,” “The Day the Earth Stood Still,” “The Tale of Despereaux” and “Yes Man.” But if you’re interested in films that offer something just a bit different, or are otherwise interesting, consider the following. • Zags 13th in final ESPN/USA Today poll | Sportslink Gonzaga (28-6) was ranked 13th in the final ESPN/USA Today poll. The Zags were 0-3 against teams in the top 10 (No. 1 North Carolina, No. 3 UConn, No. 9 Memphis) and 0-4 against teams in the top 25 (No. 24 Arizona). • ‘I miss my stuff’ | Everyday Economy There’s a fantasy a lot of us have, once we’ve accumulated a house and cars — and the payments that come with them — and filled the house with stuff. The fantasy involves getting rid of it all and living a blissfully simple life. But maybe there’s a downside. • Jailbird swallows razor blades | Huckleberries Online Two inmates at the Benewah County Jail swallowed razorblades in separate incidents over a three-week period. • HBO’s a.m. headlines | Huckleberries Online Idaho Records/Sherry Adkins, SR | One day more of mild spring weather/Mike Prager, SR | Blanchette: Ken Bone might stick around awhile/SR • First school-cuts bill wins final passage | Eye on Boise A bill to allow various state laws to be temporarily suspended to allow cuts in education funding - including teacher pay - when a school district declares a financial emergency got a vigorous debate in the Senate today, much different than the chorus of approval that met the bipartisan bill earlier in the House. • From Democrats, several ideas, little agreement on bonds and taxes | Eye on Olympia With less than three weeks to go in the legislative session, Democrats seem near-unanimous in being unhappy with the cuts in the budgets they’re proposing. • Child dies while mother works | Are We There Yet? In Tuesday’s paper, a few paragraphs sum up the lonely death of a year-old baby. No matter how many times I read stories like this it still takes my breath away. I think about this little boy. Did he cry for his mother? Of course he must have. • The soap opera | A Matter of Opinion Smart Bombs does the dishes. • Kids Incorporated: The Vox | Vox Box Local TV Channel, KSPS, has a periodic show that features various teen jobs in the area. The Vox was recently featured. Check it out. Want more? Go to spokesman.com and click the “Latest blog posts” tab, just above the “Latest news” list of headlines.