Veep veep

At their debate tonight (Page A3), Joe Biden and Paul Ryan face distinctly different challenges. For his part, the much younger Ryan must appear plausibly presidential while defending the accuracy of the Romney ticket's assertions.

And Biden? He, as always, must avoid gaffes -- most notably of which would be blowing the debate by looking glum, downcast and like he'd rather be anywhere else.

Sticks and stones: A 16-year-old Philadelphia girl says she was mocked by her geometry teacher for wearing a Mitt Romney T-shirt.

The teacher was way out of line and the girl's family is justifiably angry, but it could have been worse. Imagine the ridicule if she'd also been wearing a pair of Romney's dad jeans.

Was he there for the waters? Although Kennewick Man's skeleton was found in the Columbia Valley, he actually lived on the ocean coastline, where he hunted and ate seals and other marine mammals, according to the scientist who studied the remains.

Which introduces a new wrinkle into the 16-year-old mystery: What on earth would possess Kennewick Man to walk all the way from the verdant coastline to the Tri-Cities? That goes double if it was the summer.

-- Mark Carlson, Herald staff