The Slice: Dipping into The Slice mail bag

Readers weighed in on multiple topics.

No relation: “My last name is Straub,” wrote a reader whose first name is Rick. “When the recent police chief was chosen it was certainly intriguing. Lots of people who weren’t familiar with the name said ‘Oh, like that police guy.’ I always wondered what it would buy me should I ever get pulled over. Now I pray I never do.”

Converting your tag number to a date: “When we purchased a vehicle last March, I was surprised to see my new plate number was the date of my 50th birthday,” wrote Emmett Arndt. “I can remember that instead of having to run out to the parking lot to see what it is when registering at a motel.”

Remembering 1980’s “Miracle on Ice”: “We were living in Springfield, Ore., and watched that amazing win on our bed with our three sons, Nate, 6, Caleb, 4, Jacob, 2, and our newborn daughter Abigail,” wrote Pat Mannan. “My husband and I went completely crazy with our kids that day. It made us feel so American! It’s a favorite memory of ours.”

Food fights: “My husband has an affection for kimchi,” wrote Vicki Barnes. “He eats it all the time. We generally have a jar of it in our refrigerator. Ever been around that stuff? It STINKS. We have a two-story home and if he opens that jar I can smell it upstairs, and it lingers for a long time. I just cannot get over that stench.”

At Mike Almond’s house, the food of contention is Brussels sprouts. “My wife loves them, but I abhor them, in taste and smell. She insists on putting them into all kinds of otherwise savory meat casseroles and dishes, but tries to keep them segregated from the real food. It wouldn’t be so bad if they just laid there on the side of the pan where she puts them and behaved, but in certain dishes they permeate the sauce or other items and can really ruin a good dish.

“The worst part though is the smell! While cooking them, the smell is nearly indescribable. The closest I can come is to imagine a rather mangy, long haired dog with wet fur that has begun to molder on a hot humid day.”

Today’s Slice question: What was the most absurd answer a player came up with in a game that requires contestants to form words?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Most responding readers said cropping dogs’ ears for looks amounts to mutilation.