Best of the Northwest
I heard a rumor that a local human rights type asked the Republican Pachyderm Club, which meets Friday mornings at IHOP, to quit praying "in Jesus' name." Seems the tolerant fellow thought the ending suggested in Scripture was, sniff, exclusive. Well, I have this to say to the fella. If you want inclusiveness in prayer, you should look to the D's. They tolerate everything but traditional Christianity. It's nice to see one political party still praying in Jesus' name.
1. Cartoonist Milt Priggee eyes that latest social sensation -- Costco selling caskets at its Chicago stores -- here.
2. According to The Seattle Times, "Some 1,200 nurses, medical assistants and others at Group Health Cooperative entered the second day of their five-day strike today as the Seattle-based co-op carried on with patient care using nonunion employees, temporary workers and more than 500 union members who crossed picket lines." For the full report, click here.
3. David Bond begins his latest Wallace Street Journal column: "Here we go again. No sooner did silver start scratching at the door of $7.00 than the humdiddlers this Friday (West Coast time) morning breathlessly warned long-side "speculators" through a Reuters megaphone that they were marching like lemmings toward the proverbial cliff." Now, I don't know much about silver. But I do know something about good writing. And David's columns are that. Click here.
4. Kimiko Hirai Soldati, a diver whose father was born in an Idaho concentration camp for Japanese, will go for the gold in the 3-meter springboard competition here.
5. Sgt. Jason Cook, 25, a brave Marine from Okanogan, Wash., serving his second tour of duty, was one of four Marines to fall in fighting Saturday in Iraq. He's the second troop from northcentral Washington to die in the last week here.
6. Another beautiful photo from Chris Jordan of The Daily Interlake of Kalispell, Mont. -- a creative shot of the Northwest Montana Fair. When I was editor of the Interlake (1977-82), Publisher Pat King once wanted me to fire a photographer who snapped creative art rather than kids with bunnies and Aunt Betty and her giant zucchini. I kid you not. Click here.
7. A moment of silence, puh-LEEZ, for the fluoride measure that failed to make the Spokane ballot when supporters failed to gain enough signatures here.
8. The Ralph Nader campaign is confident it will file enough signatures by closing time this afternoon to qualify for the presidential ballot in Oregon here.
*Writing for Next Generation of The Seattle Times, April Seipp, a sophmore at American University in Washington, D.C., sez a hipper version of Christianity is drawing young folks to church here.
*According to Blaine Newnham of The Seattle Times, USA's softball team is in the same league as the men's basketball "Dream Team" here.
*Columnist Bill Virgin of the P-I explains why you should care about that Group Health strike here.
*Writing for the Seattle Times, U-Dub prof emeritus Brewster C. Denney sez the U.S. must get smarter with intelligence in its fight against terrorism here.
