Buzz Bin

by Inlander Staff & r & & r & We Are Not Amused & r & Message from a Binster's cat: We are not happy about Spokane author Terry Bain's newest book, We Are The Cat. We think it rude that he wrote first about those inferior and annoying dogs, and we don't believe that the spirit of All That Is Feline could possibly be captured in human language. If you insist on attending Bain's reading, however, it is Friday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 pm at Auntie's Bookstore. Call 838-0206. You won't see us there, though; we'll be napping.





Bushels of Fun & r & It's Spokane County Fair time again: Sept. 8-17, from 10 am-10:30 pm. So what's to do? Laugh at the racing pigs, the dock-jumping dogs or the lumberjack show. Listen to Lee Greenwood (Sept. 11) or 10,000 Maniacs (Sept. 14; surely, they're in an asylum by now?). Handle the snakes and skulls at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry exhibits. Stare at the pigmy goats, mammoth donkeys and the always inscrutable llamas. (They'll stare right back at you.) All that for only $8 (or $5 for the kids). Visit www.spokanecounty.org/fair.





Wield the Covenant Sword & r & Most folks go to the Spokane County Fair to gobble some cotton candy, stare at the llamas and then leave. Not your hard-core computer gamers. They log on, down a couple of Red Bulls and get all sleep-deprived while defending the rest of us against the alien menace. Acknowledge their all-ruling power by journeying to Ag Building A and observing GameFest: a LAN party (24 hours beginning Saturday, Sept. 9, at noon) and a Halo party (also 'round the clock, beginning Sept. 16 at noon). Tickets: $20; $33, at the door. This is a BYOC affair; computer rentals are $30. Visit www.spoklan.net, and keep those Prophet Hierarchs in line.





Indians Re-Up With Rangers & r & The Spokane Indians will remain part of the Texas Rangers' minor-league baseball operations for another two years.


Cynic's view: Another losing season. And none of these guys make it to the majors, anyway.


Optimist's view: Yes, young hopefuls have to wind their way up the Rangers' farm-system food chain -- up from short-season A-level ball here in Spokane, all the way through Clinton, Iowa; Bakersfield, Calif.; Frisco, Texas; and Oklahoma City before making it to the Promised Land of Arlington's Ameriquest Field. But hey -- Ian Kinsler (starting second baseman, .293 average) and Wes Littleton (1.90 ERA in his half-season) have made it. You saw 'em here first.





What the Heck Is an Annual Manual? & r & Whether you're looking for a women's mountain biking club or the best place to go for Chinese food in Cheney, our once-a-year magazine covers everything that's artsy and culture-y in the Inland Northwest. It's at an Inlander rack near you now, and it's free.