A long discussion on the Huckleberries social media began with a tweet in the form of a question from KXLY's Melissa Luck: "Do you shake hands with women?" The answer isn't as simple as you may think.

If you don’t like the two main candidates for the U.S. presidency in Idaho, you can select one of six other choices on the ballot including Libertarian Gary Johnson and Independent Jill Stein. Or you can write in one of 37 other names that have been certified by the Idaho Secretary of State as write-in candidates, including six from Idaho. Or you can vote for Pedro.

New York Times travel writer Rachel Levin has officially pinpointed the “middle of nowhere” to be in central Idaho (despite those of you who thought it was in the greater Athol area). According to the Gray Lady reporter, the middle of nowhere is Stanley, Idaho, squeezed between the Salmon River of No Return and the Sawtooth Mountains. In a Wednesday article, Levin writes: “The ‘Entering Stanley, Idaho’ sign seemed more like a friendly warning than a welcome. ‘Population 63,’ it read, as if to say: Congratulations, you’ve made it to the middle of nowhere.

North Idahoans know that huckleberries are delicious – the state fruit, if not a certain column by that name. The latter has helped put bread on my table since January 1985. But I’ve never heard of it being served as a main course for anyone’s supper. In her relatively short time with The Spokesman-Review, Cindy Hval achieved something that neither I nor any other columnist/reporter has. She wrote an article that was so good that a reader called to say that he’d eaten it. Cindy, for those keeping score at home, also subs for me during my vacations from the Huckleberries Online blog.

Often, readers move on quickly after a horrific accident or crime, while victims are left to deal with injuries and shattered lives. Take Yvonne Wallis, for example. She was one of the four victims of that hammer attack by a deranged Bayview neighbor pre-Christmas 2010. Daughter-in-law Patty Heath died in the attack. Suspect Larry Cragun is in jail awaiting trial.

First, you should know that Marianne Love admits that she taught George Orwell’s “Animal Farm” and “1984” during her years as a Sandpoint High instructor. Therefore, she knows the difference between indoctrination and diversity of ideas. In her Slight Detour blog, Marianne recalls fondly that the best class discussions involved different views, offered by students under rules of civility that she occasionally enforced. Why am I telling you this? Marianne believes that parents and ideologues threatened by President Barack Obama’s address to students Tuesday are afraid their children will learn to think for themselves. “Listening to a speech by President Obama or Dick Cheney or Rush Limbaugh or any other politically charged big name whose face or voice constantly shows up on the air waves is not gonna plant a poisonous seed in children’s minds,” writes Marianne. In fact, she continues, “listening to advice or speeches from parents is not gonna necessarily guarantee that little Johnny or little Jane will go forth loyally espousing Mommy and Daddy’s philosophies.” So what advice did this astute educator suggest? Let the kids listen to Obama. Or Rush Limbaugh. Or John McCain. Then, discuss their speeches around the dinner table. Bingo. Small world