The Slice: We happy (or hardy) few

Sure there’s the traffic and housing tends to be expensive.

But let’s face it. Seattle and Portland are swell cities.

Spokane is not without its charms, of course. But we really can’t compete with the Northwest’s two big metros when it comes to jobs opportunities and an appealing reluctance to vote for political candidates who seem to be insane.

There is, however, one area in which we stand head and shoulders above Seattle and Portland. And that’s our ability to cope with weather extremes.

It gets colder and hotter here. So Spokane has had a lot of practice at taking impressive temperatures in stride.

Just the other day, online commenters on the West Side were speaking in dramatic terms about some winter weather many of us here would not have considered all that apocalyptic.

Someone here sarcastically suggested “We will rebuild!” would accompany the next over-the-top Seattle hand-wringing.

As I said, Seattle’s a great city. No question. But that doesn’t mean Spokane-area residents can’t feel smugly superior when we see an opening.

Just wondering: A Deer Park reader I know and like got a bit tongue-twisted when leaving me a phone message last week. He said, “We love your program.”

That made me wonder. What would I need in order for The Slice to truly qualify as a program? A co-host? A band? An opening monologue?

Slice answers: In the matter of deciding which personal papers need to be shredded, Anne Albrecht had an answer.

“I like to think it’s more common sense than paranoia.”

Jean Kindem saw the question about what readers would change about the way Spokane news media cover winter weather. For one thing, she would like to see a greater recognition that not every snowfall constitutes a snowstorm.

Julie Roberts said she is not impressed by having reporters stand outside while it’s snowing to report that it’s snowing. “Stay inside where it’s warm.”

Mike Carney said he would welcome more precision when drivers are being advised to slow down. “Slow down to what?”

And a regular correspondent saw the question about people living below their means. She said she once said to her financial adviser that surely he had other clients who did precisely that.

“The immediate answer, with absolutely no hesitation or looking away from the computer screen, was, ‘No, I don’t.’ ”

Today’s Slice question: Are you happy with your height?

Write The Slice at P. O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210; call (509) 459-5470; email pault@spokesman.com. Edgar Lincoln thinks there ought to be a set-in-Spokane musical deriving its title from a guy clearing snow off his roof.