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Friday's loose thread

A shiny dime to the first person who complains about the heat. And, for everyone else, today's loose thread. Comment at will.
(Protect yourself, Will.) ( Full post )

Friday editorial

Times change. Communities adapt. Today's "Our view" discusses how Idaho's Silver Valley has gone about it. ( Full post )

Boise ombudsman at City Hall

Just returned from listening to Pierce Murphy, the Boise ombudsman, field questions from the City Council. Mayor and chief were there. He said many of the things that have been reported in the newspaper. ( Full post )

Return with us now to yesteryear

As a grade schooler in the '50s, I took a couple of trips to San Francisco and Portland when he led his commercial art students there on extended field trips. Despite my provincial upbringing in a small southern Oregon town (where my friends and I would take our .22's on a Saturday to prowl the surrounding hillsides), Dad frequently left me to roam the cities alone while he and his class were touring some advertising agency. Today, I suppose, he'd be hauled in by CPS. There were never any horror stories.
I reflected on those days after hearing about this Web site.
Columnist Rosa Brooks will have more to say on Friday's Opinion page, but the theme has to do with whether we are smothering our kids these days. ( Full post )

Stereotypes: You can't leave home without them

My column today urges people to get comfortable with stereotypes, because they're not going away any time soon. In fact, growing less angry and more understanding of what they represent might help us to get past them more easily. ( Full post )

Thursday's editorial

Human rights warrior Tony Stewart will reveal today what his plans are after retiring from North Idaho College where he's been a faculty member for 38 years. Today's editorial salutes him. ( Full post )

The failure of school choice

Heard much about vouchers and school choice lately? Probably not. The promise of injecting market forces hasn't been fulfilled where it's been tried, according to this article in the Washington Monthly. ( Full post )

Wednesday's loose thread

Anyone doing a study to measure the popularity of biking to work with whether the workplace has showers (and whether the route to work is uphill or down).
Just one of many areas for reflection on this, today's loooooooose thread. ( Full post )

Our view for Wednesday

Today's editorial questions the wisdom of a policy, promoted by the Washington Education Association, that prevented three Spokane-area high schools from accepting millions of dollars in grants to promote advanced placement courses. ( Full post )

Question to mull during your drive time.

Barack Obama keeps getting asked about his running mate. He keeps deflecting the question by saying he hasn't won the nomination (yet) so it would be premature of him to talk about a vice presidential choice.
Hmm. He hasn't been elected president yet, either, but he doesn't refrain from talking about what he'd do about health care, taxes, the war in Iraq if he is. ( Full post )

Race and Obama

Campaign workers in Indiana hear some ugly reasons for not supporting Barack Obama. ( Full post )

Tuesday thread

Ralph Nader is suing Arizona state election officials over the difficulty he's having getting himself on the ballot as a third-party candidate. That issue has become a standard part of every presidential election. What about it, should Americans just accept the two-party system or is a reform needed to open the gates?
Or is there something else on you mind. Here's today's loose thread so you can let us know. ( Full post )

Letter: No safe way to spend

I have been thinking how I will spend the money from my stimulus check. I will not spend it on buying gas to have it end up in the hands of the Arabs. I will not spend it toward the purchase of a new car or a new pair of shoes to have it end up in Japan, Vietnam or China. I will not follow the example of our leaders and politicians and spend it on prostitution and beer. I will keep it locally and help the economy by putting it in a tin can and burying it in my backyard. -- Dean Coats, Colbert

( Full post )

Tuesday's editorial

Bipartisanship on an environmental issue? Who'd have imagined? We're pleased. We're very pleased. ( Full post )

Bob Barr for President

Looks like the former congressman from Georgia is going to be the Libertarian nominee. What will this mean for the dynamics of the race? ( Full post )

Loose thread (or maybe loose bearings)

Let's see if we can combine two things that people obsess about -- the cost of gasoline and "When I was a kid...."
After a TV anchor recalled this morning when gas was only $1.50 a gallon, my wife and I recalled instead when it was about a quarter.
Altogether now, how many of you remember the phrase, "A dollar's worth of regular, please."
If so, what was the likely response one got to such a request? (Answer later today.) ( Full post )

Still drinking after all these years

You've read about it. You've worried about it. You've been nagged about it. But have you ever seen the Spokane-Rathdrum aquifer? As Monday's editorial notes, you can grab a peek here and there. ( Full post )

Keep an eye on Maddow

On Tuesday evening as the margin in Indiana's primary was narrowing, I was following it on MSNBC, where (along with most other channels, apparently) the concensus among commentaters was that Hillary Clinton would soon be stepping aside. The only questions were how and how soon. Only radio talk show host Rachel Maddow of Air America was reading the chicken entrails differently. Hillary is in it 'til the end, she predicted. Things could still change, of course, but so far, Maddow alone seems to have had it right.
I have to admit, I've become a fan of the woman's humor and insight. It has nothing to do with her far-left views. But I do appreciate the way she can be impassioned and still be both civil and good-natured.
Actually, I think a team of Maddow and conservative Tucker Carlson would blow Hannity and Colmes out of the water. (Of course I make it a point not to watch Hannity and Colmes.) ( Full post )

Loose thread for Mother's Day weekend

Don't forget to coddle Mom this weekend, but take a moment, when you can, to post your thoughts here. In fact, give Mom first dibs on the computer to have her say. ( Full post )

Our ombudsman drumbeat

From our editorial today: ( Full post )