The Slice: Time machine required to weigh in on this one

Occasionally we see signs of progress.

Once upon a time, people in the Northwest were obsessed with one particular issue. Even those who didn’t feel a need to weigh in on, say, the spotted owl or Californication, seemed to care about this.

The issue? Wearing socks with sandals.

Seriously, people used to take sides on this as if, well, as if it really mattered.

Some said homegrown practitioners embarrassed the whole region. Others suggested that the fashion police couldn’t recognize the form/function beauty of this footwear style.

People laughed about it. People wrote about it. People steamed about it.

And then, eventually, people stopped caring.

Oh, sure, there might be pockets of resistance – places where holdouts still summon the energy to argue the merits/horror of wearing socks with sandals. But mostly we have moved on.

Today, getting worked up about that seems about as dated as being flummoxed by the jargon of ordering lattes.

Sometimes getting good and tired of a debate is great.

Royal stash: North Idaho’s Carrie Falter wonders what the Queen of England carries in her purse.

Her guess? Mad money.

“When I was a teenager in northern California, my mom would give me ‘mad money’ to get away from a date I didn’t feel comfortable with. I never had to use that money, fortunately. But my mom felt it was important for me to have.”

My own guess about what’s in the queen’s purse? Corgi treats.

Your turn.

Arboreal seniority: Thom Foote saw a story the other day about a tree inventory taking place in Spokane. It made him wonder what the oldest tree in Spokane is and who owns it.

Today’s Slice question: You know how one dog barking can set off another canine down the block. Well, what if that turned into a dog-after-dog chain reaction? How far could it go?

Our population density drops off once you get out of the city. So there probably are limits. Still, it’s possible to imagine tag-team barking covering a decent distance.

What’s your guess? A) Ten blocks. B) From one of the neighborhoods south of 57th Avenue to Mead. C) From the West Plains to Spokane Valley. D) To every residential block in Coeur d’Alene. E) From here to eternity. F) Other.