Old, Familiar Place

The thrill of the road trip never lessens for me, even if the trip isn't very far. So on a sunny evening, setting out for Cheney via the Cheney-Spokane Road made me almost giddy. I've been hearing about Lenny's for a while and decided

• by Lauren McAllister

Recently Reviewed

Rock City Grill -- Rock City took over the spot vacated by Chevy's at River Park Square late last year and toned down the d & eacute;cor a bit with deep earth pigments and dark stained wood. The wood-fired oven pumps out pizzas and calzones and t

• by Inlander Staff

Girls Got Game

The players can't dunk, rarely talk trash, actually earn their college degrees and hardly ever wind up on the police blotter. Can this really be pro basketball? Welcome to the WNBA -- the Women's National Basketball Association. Call the

• by Howie Stalwick

Beat It

Pookiesnackenburger. That's the name of a street comedy group that performed at the Edinburgh Festival in the early '80s. Eventually it gave birth to the we'll-wail-on-anything extravaganza known as STOMP (running next Friday and Saturday

• by Michael Bowen

Hooked Up for Hoopfest

Downtown Spokane will be a HotZone during this year's Hoopfest games -- an Internet hot zone, that is. Local tech companies have been working with the city of Spokane to get 100 blocks of free wireless Internet access up and running ju

• by Kristina Crawley

Sketching Spokane County

The year of 1858 was a busy time in the lands we now call the Inland Northwest. White settlers were negotiating treaties that transferred vast areas to them -- treaties that were later opposed by many of the tribes affected by them. A Contin

• by Jack Nisbet

Letters to the Editor

Good Rep Gone Bad -- Our worldwide reputation, which took over 300 years to create and maintain, has vanished into thin air via the actions of the most corrupt presidential administration in the history of the United States. Courageou

• by Inlander Readers

Take Two

Oh hell, more Ben Stiller. It seems as though every manufactured comedy that studios fling into movie theaters these days stars either Stiller or one of his friends. If possible, both. It's not Stiller that's the problem. It's that comed

• by Marty Demarest

Bread Science

Bread develops its light, airy texture thanks to fermentation and the development of a protein in flour called gluten. When yeast, a microscopic plant in the fungus family, meets a warm moist environment -- say, a bowl of tepid water -- it

• by Ann Colford

Gettin' Ready to Rumble (or Not)

& & Right now, this moment, one of the teams you're going to face during Hoopfest this weekend is out on somebody's driveway, practicing their offensive sets -- the pick and roll, the give and go, the backdoor cut -- over and over. They'

• by Michael Bowen

Two-Wheel Torque Monsters

The fast-paced, throttle-to-the-wall world of street bikes is making its mark on the local pavement landscape. First gaining popularity in the mid-1980s, these neon-splotched speed machines have secured a place among riders. Now more than

• by Clint Burgess

Resistance Is...Splat!

Stardate 1692.04 After beaming down, our landing party has established a perimeter in a remote northern-hemisphere area of Pah'n Dreae 5. At the helm of the shuttlecraft Ulysses, Commander Brian Stevens hovers just above the planet's dens

• by Michael Bowen

Paint It Black

I'd venture to guess that there probably aren't that many Yale grads out there on the national comedy circuit. In fact, it's hard to imagine how Ivy League affiliations would necessarily translate into bankable currency anywhere in the en

• by Mike Corrigan

Bush Fills the Streets

Contrary to what most local TV reporters erroneously told viewers last week, there were more than a "few" or "handful of" anti-Bush demonstrators downtown to protest his visit to Spokane last Thursday. I saw hundreds of them. In fact, I'd

• by Mike Corrigan

Opening Films

3 on 3 -- Local production company North by Northwest has produced an intelligent, suspenseful documentary following three teams during last year's Hoopfest tournament: little boys from suburbia, teenage girls from the rez, and thirtysom

• by Inlander Staff

Take Two

The Day After Tomorrow is a disaster picture. You know, you go to the movie, you meet some people, you watch them nearly die, then you get on with your life. These films are melodramatic joyrides through "Well, it could always be worse"

• by Marty Demarest

Gas & amp;amp; Electricity Do Mix

It's getting more expensive to fill the tank. And with the pumps primed for summer fuel prices in the $2 per gallon range, it's not going to get much cheaper. One solution to this problem is the new and popular hybrid vehicle. These cars

• by Clint Burgess

Crying Wolf

Most Native American tribes revered them; the early Christian church demonized them. Their DNA is virtually identical to man's best friend - the loyal dog. But despite being second only to humans in their ability to adapt in extreme climat

• by Cara Gardner

Little Museum on the Prairie

Ever wonder what life was like for the early farmers of Spokane County? What did a farmer use to plow the fields during the 1930s? How do today's combines resemble their early horse-drawn ancestors? What did a typical farm kitchen look l

• by Ann Colford

No Clowns Tonight

The scintillating parts may not add up to an organic whole -- it's more synthetic than that -- but oh, what parts! What sides the singers get to sing in Side by Side by Sondheim (at Interplayers through June 19). Highlights are numerous. I

• by Michael Bowen

Now Playing

13 Going on 30 -- Despite resemblances to many, many movies that have come before, this Big-like bite of bubble gum -- directed by Tadpole's Gary Winick -- is the kind of flawed but effervescent romantic comedy that soars on the chemistry

• by Inlander Staff

Opening Films

Harry Potter and the Prisoner Of Azkaban -- The kids are all back at Hogwarts, but so is the presence of escaped convict and wizard Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) who is said to be gunning for Harry. The darkest of the three films to date, t

• by Inlander Staff

Buzz Bin

Shout Out -- Let's give it up for our area university presses, shall we? This just in from the WSU News Service: Two WSU Press titles made it onto the "Best of the Best of the University Presses: Books You Should Know About" list. Captur

• by Inlander Staff

Quotes & amp;amp; Notes

Hybrids Penciling Out -- Until there's a market, hybrid cars and trucks are just a pipe dream. At least that's what the skeptical bean counters often say about all those granola-fueled dreams of cleaner air. But with gas nearing $2.20 a

• by Inlander Staff

Jake's Take- Seriously?

OK, here's the situation: Friends are in Spokane for a short vacation. And what? They want me to show them a good time?! All right, calm down and turn off DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. We're going to get through this just fine. Let'

• by Jacob Albert

Game Review

Mario vs. Donkey Kong, for the Game Boy Advance, comes along in the midst of a few decent shooters for the PC (Far Cry, Painkiller), yet it's more challenging and rewarding than either of them. The premise, along with the graphics, is si

• by Marty Demarest

Love of Country

Michael Moore's powerful, wrenching, drenching, heartfelt, ultimately patriotic Fahrenheit 9/11 -- a rapid-fire assemblage of what the career polemicist finds most wrong in our nation's government in the almost four years since the Supreme Cou

• by Ray Pride

Now Playing

13 Going on 30 -- Despite resemblances to many, many movies that have come before, this Big-like bite of bubble gum -- directed by Tadpole's Gary Winick -- is the kind of flawed but effervescent romantic comedy that soars on the chemistry

• by Inlander Staff

Book Review

Americans are an industrious lot, and when the smart ones set their minds to something, they generally perfect it. We've turned the most mundane aspects of life -- from eating to shopping -- into higher forms of art. Now, with The Tw

• by Ted S. McGregor Jr.

Letters to the Editor

Rummy Must Go -- Most of the criticism directed towards Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld has focused on 1) a perceived lack of honesty with the public, the press and Congress, and 2) the poor logistical planning that went into the

• by Inlander Readers

Inspecting Nik & amp;eacute;

Born in London, raised both in London and in Nigeria, Nik & eacute; Imoru ("NEE-kay IMM-oh-roo" -- "people always expect a Japanese man," she says) has taught and directed at the university level for 16 years, both here and in the U.K. She can act

• by Michael Bowen

Buzz Bin

Grease Is the Word -- When it comes to fund-raising, it's not what you know so much as who you know. Case in point: the Coeur d'Alene Summer Theatre's upcoming gala, which sold out in less than a week thanks to John Travolta. Travolta, w

• by Inlander Staff

DVD Review

Big stars don't just make movies these days. They make franchises. Pop stars "branch out" into perfume brands and religious movements. Mid-celebrities reinvent careers by producing reality TV shows about themselves. And pray for the poor

• by Marty Demarest

DVD Review

Most horror films suck. They're not scary, the jokes are agonizingly lame, the sex is uninteresting, and the acting is usually crappy. And those are the movies that make it into theaters. The horror movies that regularly arrive on DVD sh

• by Marty Demarest

Albi Damned

Named after Spokane's famed philanthropist and sports activist, the Joe Albi Stadium may be at the end of its game. The stadium needs millions of dollars of work in upgrades; neighbors complain that dust from its unkempt fields blows into

• by Cara Gardner

Recently Reviewed

The Bite Me Caf & eacute; -- The diverse and value-packed menu here has a noticeable south-of-the-border influence with breakfasts (served all day), burgers, sandwiches, fish and chicken baskets, burritos, tacos, sides and appetizers. The breakfa

• by Inlander Staff

The Search for Sourdough

My friend Wayne is the kind of guy who asks provocative questions. Over a sandwich one day, he asked, "Who do you suppose came up with the idea to grind up wheat and add yeast to make bread?" Since my mouth was full, I couldn't come bac

• by Ann Colford

Hoopfest- The Movie

On tap for you in Spokane, 3 on 3 by North by Northwest." That pretty much sums up the documentary film about last year's Hoopfest tournament created by the local production company. The movie tracks the fortunes, both good and bad, of

• by Michael Bowen

Bovine Goldmine

Before she could perform for the crowd back in 1993, poor Precious died. Somehow, the show continued on that year, just as it has every year since. Precious was a big lady. She enjoyed eating, standing around and lying in the shade. She

• by Leah Sottile

Stepford Wife

As numerous reviewers of the overblown and over-remade remake of The Stepford Wives have pointed out, men do not really want to be married to robots. In particular, it is probably safe to say, they do not want to be married to robots who w

• by Katha Pollit

The Search for Sourdough

My friend Wayne is the kind of guy who asks provocative questions. Over a sandwich one day, he asked, "Who do you suppose came up with the idea to grind up wheat and add yeast to make bread?" Since my mouth was full, I couldn't c

• by Ann M. Colford

Valley Rally

I recently attended a Spokane Valley meeting that discussed issues concerning the Spokane Valley Comprehensive Plan. The purpose and the objective of the Valley Comprehensive Plan is to present a blueprint of a 20-year vision for the S

• by Doreene Anderson

Dear Graduate...

This is the time of the year that we adults give so much unsolicited advice to our graduating high school seniors. Most of it comes in the form of platitudes -- all that nonsense about "leaving the nest" and "the world is your oyster" and,

• by Robert Herold

From Henry V to George II

As our anger, anguish and anxiety about Iraq continue to mount, I find myself looking for clarity and understanding not in the media's daily play-by-play, which confuses more than it illuminates, but rather in Shakespeare's Henry V.

• by Arianna Huffington

In Brief

Bridging the Valley -- SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. -- Plans for raising railroad crossings at intersections between Spokane and Athol, Idaho, are underway at the Spokane Regional Transportation Council. The goal of the Bridgi

In Brief

A Colorful Week -- SPOKANE -- Monday, June 7, marks the beginning of Pride Week, and the Inland Northwest Business Alliance (INBA), a professional gay and gay-friendly business organization, has announced the showing of Key West, City of Co

• by Cara Gardner

House Divided

When former House Republican Majority Leader Dick Armey's official portrait was unveiled at a reception in the Capitol's Statuary Hall in April, Speaker Dennis Hastert delivered a praiseworthy little speech, as did Armey's longtime policy n

• by Mary Jacoby

Fish Fight- Wilderness Isn't a Fish Farm

For a start, you can blame the enthusiasm of "bucket biologists" in the West. As far back as the 1800s, these avid anglers and fishery managers took it upon themselves to bring fish -- and fishing -- to lakes and streams in the high country

• by George Nickas

CD Review

You always hear stories about the singer/songwriter who has to wait tables in Nashville while hoping for a shot at fame. It's almost a clich & eacute;, but in Kim Richey's case, it's true. An Ohio native who lived in Boston, Colorado, Swede

• by Ted S. McGregor Jr.

Fish Fight- Some Environmentalists Don't Get It

This may sound harsh, but it's true: Environmentalists tend not to see, handle or understand fish; to distrust agencies dedicated to their recovery; and to set up mental spam-filters for facts about short-lived fish poisons. Usually, thes

• by Ted Williams

CD Review

New Latin (and world) jazz from a quartet led by a devout 27-year- old Puerto Rican alto saxophonist whose shaved head is going to become quite familiar to jazz fans -- that's a quick take on the second CD of Miguel Zenon. This is "not th

• by Michael Bowen

On Your Radio

If you haven't yet picked up the excellent radio sounds beaming from the towers of KYRS (95.3 FM), then you need to get out your coat hanger, attach it to your car antenna and do some driving around downtown (actually, u

Dolly's Daughter

With her cell phone cutting in and out somewhere on a lonely rocks 'n' sage highway between the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and Boise, Idaho, Mindy Smith is nevertheless a trooper. "Hi, this is Mindy," she s

Quidditch, Anyone?

It's been slightly over a year and half since the release of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets -- a long time for fans who have been waiting with hands clasped to see how the next installment of stories about the heroes and villains and

• by Ed Symkus