The Slice: It’s time to address the task at hand

I need the help of Slice readers who live in rural areas.

It does not require any heavy lifting, though I know you folks are not afraid of hard work.

Anyway, I’ll explain it all in Sunday’s column. Now on with the countdown.

Here’s what you need to do: Go to http://playback.fm/ birthday-song and find out what song was No. 1 on the day you were born.

If you don’t use computers, let’s just assume it’s an Al Jolson tune.

Slice answers: Most responding readers ignored the micro nature of one recent question — How would it impact YOU if Fairchild AFB closed? — and instead provided macro answers. In a nutshell, they said it would not be good for Spokane’s economy. Of course. But a few acknowledged that propping up local real estate values is not the Air Force’s No. 1 mission.

A couple of readers expressed qualms about the psychosocial influence of a military installation in our midst and a few others got mad at The Slice for even suggesting the possibility that the base could ever close.

After checking the S-R archives: It would seem at least some Slice readers’ estimates of how many times their names have been in the paper are a bit low. I suspect a few just counted appearances in this column and forgot about Bloomsday lists, Christmas Fund roundups, letters to the editor, public records, trapshooting agate, honor rolls and what have you.

For instance, Jeri Hershberger guessed her name had seen print about 30 times. I looked her up and discovered it has been about double that since 1994.

Warm-up questions: Do any kids in 2015 play cowboys and indigenous peoples? Do you know what people are talking about when they make Don Draper references? Is it true that there are no atheists during dental X-rays? The terminology describing what sport’s penalties provides the best characterizations of common Easter egg hunt infractions? If we could catch the train at noon in Spokane, how many more of us would ride the rails?

Today’s Slice question (for those of a certain age): What are your memories of people you knew reacting to the news that the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. had been assassinated?