The Slice: For so many of our pains, it’s the world’s best cure-all

A friend’s young son got sunscreen in an eye, which stings.

The boy blamed his dad, some would say unfairly. But the kid suggested that there was something his father might do to make amends:

“Chocolate.”

Ogling: Virtually all the women responding to last Monday’s questionnaire about men’s styles of women-watching requested anonymity. I understand. But here is a quick synthesis of at least some of their answers.

Yes, a woman can tell when guys are straining to keep their eyes on her face. “Because they are rarely completely successful,” said a reader named Leslie.

Women said they know what they are doing when they wear something snug or revealing but suggested that this is not an invitation for men to de-evolve into cave dwellers.

Some said, yes, reading a guy’s smile can tell you if a man is a creep or just red-blooded. Others disagreed.

There was also disagreement about whether men in sunglasses should be regarded with suspicion.

Almost all said they would prefer that male co-workers maintain an air of obliviousness. Well, except for Mr. Right.

All agreed there is a right way and wrong way to compliment a woman’s appearance. But one reader said a guy who doesn’t already know the difference probably can’t be taught.

The line between gawking and healthy admiration was described as something a woman recognizes instinctively. “Keep mouth closed at all times” was one reader’s tip for guys.

There was disagreement about whether a woman can sense that a man is admiring her from behind.

And most respondents said that, for the most part, oglers in Spokane aren’t nearly so brazen as men in other places they could name.

This day in Slice history (1993): “Warm-up question: How many people still say Inland Empire?”

Plan to look up: Tuesday is the anniversary of the moon landing in 1969. Did you know Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin had been combat fighter pilots during the Korean War?

Today’s Slice question: If you had to guess, how many times a day do Spokane area drivers flip one another off?

A) 90. B) 1,603. C) 49,987. D) 2,402,678. E) Other.