The Slice: Still not purr-fect, but getting closer

In these polarized times, when it seems disagreement breeds hatred, I want to bring word of ascendant peace and harmony.

My neighbor’s cat has stopped biting me. In fact, we’re getting along pretty well.

She still hasn’t invited me to pick her up. But maybe someday.

•Maybe you can relate to this: “My husband and I have found ourselves cheering for sports teams from Philadelphia simply because our child is going to school in that town,” wrote Erika Balazs.

•The really new testament: Jeanne Thompson attended a church service Sunday and was surprised to hear a lector say that a reading came from St. Paul’s letter to “the Philippines.”

•The downside to low humidity: Readers cited dry skin, chapped lips, mummified fingertips, lifeless hair, nosebleeds and static electricity.

•Some people might think I’m crazy, but winter weather isn’t going to make me stop … : “Barbecueing,” said Jared Roberts, David Rolando, Bob Witte and others.

•The Spokane definition of elite: “When the obit column reads, ‘He/she wintered in Arizona,’ ” wrote David Saiz.

Ken Yuhasz said it might be having a truck decal depicting the little boy from “Calvin & Hobbes” urinating.

And Gary Polser suggested it is being a South Hill resident. “Just ask one of them.”

•The reason North Idaho’s Dave Wolfe does not buy bottled water: “You can’t fool all the people all of the time.”

•Sign of the season: “I did a super lawn mowing job this weekend due mostly to all the pine needles that covered my entire lawn,” wrote Ray Tansy. “Oh, did I mention that I don’t have any pine trees on my property?”

•Feedback: Shirl Foien agreed with my negative assessment of the sympathy-card selection available in most stores.

•In the matter of kids and fundraisers: Jennifer Eide wonders if anyone might have some good advice for her children, who she described as not being natural sales people. “I think my kids would rather have their teeth pulled than ask someone if they’d like to buy a candy bar,” she wrote.

Don’t suggest that they watch the Alec Baldwin scene in “Glengarry Glen Ross.”

•Warm-up question: Do you feel free to speak up about aspects of your in-laws’ dietary habits that drive you crazy?

•Today’s Slice questions: Do the pathetic, intellectually stunted people who steal campaign signs see themselves as sophisticated political strategists? Besides freedom of speech, what other constitutional rights annoy them?