Turkey tries to take over IDAHO

People are up in arms about a recent development involving the state Idaho and a foreign country. Apparently a Turkey company is literally trying to own Idaho. Uh-oh.

BOISE – An ag group in Turkey has applied to the Turkish Patent Institute to trademark the word “IDAHO” for its agricultural, plant and animal products – and the Idaho Potato Commission doesn’t take too kindly to that idea.

Neither did the Senate Agriculture Committee, which this morning not only introduced a resolution proposed by the Potato Commission, but put it on a fast track to the full Senate, which is scheduled to suspend its rules and take up the measure this morning.

“If that office grants them that authority to use IDAHO as their trademark, they can both sell and market products both in Turkey and internationally using the Idaho name,” said Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, Senate Ag chairman. “I guess we take exception to that. This is not intended to poke our finger into Turkey’s eye, but they need to understand that we treasure the Idaho name.” If others can use it on their products, he said, “We lose the ability to regulate the quality of Idaho’s products.”

Uh oh, you mean that "Idaho Potato" might not actually be from Idaho but rather Turkey? The horror. Because that's exactly what I am thinking when I am chowing down on french fries.

Idaho presents Robb Akey new contract

You've probably noticed that Idaho has had like 15 coaches in the last five years and really didn't have stability until Robb Akey showed up there. Now that he's riding on the top of the world after his big bowl game win, and the university wants to keep him around for a while.

Idaho athletic director Rob Spear said the school has presented a new contract to Robb Akey and is waiting to hear back from the third-year football coach who led the Vandals to their first winning season in a decade. Spear, who was interviewed before Monday night’s nationally televised basketball game between Boise State and Idaho, said the offer “has been out there for a while.” Akey just completed the third year of his original five-year contract. Idaho finished the season 8-5 and won the Humanitarian Bowl

Found this on Huckleberries. Let me be the first to say... Robb Akey! Please Stay! You're the best thing to happen to football in the Inland Northwest since Erik Meyer.

UW vs Idaho

Tomorrow the University of Washington will be looking for their first win in what seems like forever. They barely lost to a much better LSU team, and at 12:30 PM tomorrow, Idaho comes to town.

Brandon is an Idaho fan.

I am not.

Brandon will be wearing an Idaho jersey and hat tomorrow around Spokane.

I will not.

I will be wearing a UW jersey and UW hat and paint myself purple.

Brandon will not.

UW will win and I will cheer.

Idaho will lose and Brandon will cry.

Ladies and gentlemen, how JustSON will spend Saturday! PS, that's a cool potato.

Epic Photo: Anti Monkey Butt Powder

Saw this on Huckleberries Online.

MIA spotted this sign outside John Montandon’s Ace Hardware on Sherman in CdA a few minutes ago. She isn’t familiar with this product and is hoping some savvy HBO’ers might be able to enlighten us on it’s proper application.

I'm just wondering if the Anti-Monkey Butt Powder is tax-free in Idaho.

High School Sports Feature: Jake Plummer to coach at Sandpoint High School

If the Denver Broncos need a quarterback, they know where to go: Sandpoint, Idaho.

Their former quarterback Jake Plummer has been named an assistant coach at the high school there.

Head coach Mike Mitchell told CBS2 sports2night high school sports partner Idahosports.com that he had hired the former NFL quarterback, saying, "We have acquired the services of Jake Plummer to add to our football staff. Jake is a 10 year vet of the NFL and we are excited to have him join us."

Plummer grew up in the Treasure Valley, playing Optimist youth football, and starring at Capital High. He went on to star at Arizona State University and was drafted by the NFL's Arizona Cardinals in the 1997 NFL draft.

Lets hope he sports the beard and long hair, and let's hope that Sandpoint fans don't have some amazingly successful assistant coach named Elway that he has to follow up.

Hmmm, looks like I'll be making a trip out to Sandpoint this fall.

Clark Fork River Oil Spill: This is apparently how the Northwest does man-made disasters

Well not quite a disaster per say, more like a PR bloody nose for Avista. The Spokesman Review has the story on a transformer oil spill from a dam on the Clark Fork River.

Oil sheens were visible on parts of the Clark Fork River Friday afternoon – a day after a pipe broke at the Noxon Rapids Dam, spilling about 1,250 gallons of transformer oil.

Emergency response officials were working with the dam’s operator, Avista Corp., to evaluate the situation and craft a clean-up plan. A helicopter flew over a 20-mile stretch of the lower Clark Fork River. Pockets of oil were spotted from the air, but no dead fish turned up.

Apparently, a chunk of ice was to blame for the broken for the spill. Which isn't expected to have any long term environmental effects. Check out this wonderfully technical explanation:

The oil is “not the goopy, heavy stuff,” said Bruce Howard, Avista’s director of environmental affairs, but rather a highly-refined mineral oil used to cool electrical transformers.

The oil tends to float on top of the water, according to Howard. He said the spill shouldn’t put the river’s fish population or other wildlife at risk.

That's until we start seeing fish with three eyes and the jumping ability of Lebron James. Did anyone patch up the pipe yet? Just wondering.

Winter Driving 101

The Pacific Northwest is getting just pelted with furious snow storms, which has made the roads a winter wonderland of slippery doom. Spokane currently reminds me of a bad snow level on Mario Kart, complete with the power ups.

Yeah Spokies leave a lot of crap on the road.

What Seattle Drivers think about snow -- "Slowing down? I need my latte! A whole inch out there? Hmmm I may just stay inside and weather this blizzard. This is definitely the storm of the century. What's that? It's melted already?"

What Portland Drivers think about snow -- "Great... yeah this snow will really slow down in rush hour when I'm already sitting in bumper to bumper traffic, this is really gonna change things. Got to love left hand exits"

What Spokane Drivers think -- "Ho hum, I'm hungry, lets go to Denny's"

What Seattle Drivers who live in Spokane think about snow -- "THE END OF THE WORLD IS COMING!! KEEP YOUR CHILDREN IN DOORS. THIS IS THE END OF TIME!!! REPENT ALL YOUR SINS!!!"

What California Drivers think -- "What is this white stuff? Does this mean I should slow down, nope, probably not, why am I sliding, I'm still sliding, that car in front of me is getting awfully close. Wow, I'm still sliding. Yep, I wrecked."

What Idaho Drivers think -- "How bout this nice weather huh?"

What Montana Drivers think -- "I don't have a car, but these two horses should get me where I'm going."

What Canada Drivers think -- "Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey BEER Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey Hockey"

What New England Drivers think -- "I don't know what those pusses in Philadelphia were thinking about when they had to call a rain delay in the World Series. WOOOOAAAAH! A little rain never hurt anyone. I think I'll just stay in my favorite Pub, watch the Celtics and stumble home drunk."