Jun. 19--Gov.-in-waiting Gary Herbert is finding that some audiences are easier to play than others.

Herbert looked a little like a deer in the headlights Monday during a discussion about global warming at the Western Governor's Association conference in Deer Valley. He expressed doubt about the climate change problem most scientists are warning about and then noticed the audience seemed aghast at the comment, which came after Energy Secretary Steven Chu, a Nobel Prize physicist, said the debate is over and the evidence is conclusive.

But you have to give him some slack. He was coming off a speech at the Republican State Convention on Saturday, where anti-global-warming comments earn a speaker an automatic standing ovation.

He was back in his element, and friendly territory, Wednesday when he spoke at an event near Thanksgiving Point in good old Utah County where Microsoft was announcing the opening of a new office.

As it started to rain during his remarks, Herbert said, with newfound confidence: "Looks like we have a little global cooling going on here today."

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Man-made global cooling -- Foothill Village neighbors have found on their early morning walks that the Foothill Branch of the Salt Lake City Library has its sprinklers on five days a week, rain or shine; that the Wells Fargo branch next to Foothill Village has the sprinklers on every morning, rain or shine; and the grass is watered every day at Foothill

Village, flooding huge portions of the upper parking lot. Some neighbors called the Village about several broken sprinkler heads contributing to the flooding. They since have been marked by yellow flags, but have not been fixed.

Meanwhile: Sprinklers were running in front of a building on South Temple near 600 East in the middle of the afternoon after a strong rain this week. The building where the waste was flowing into the gutters: The Nature Conservancy.

Then there is the building at about 7800 South and 3500 West where the sprinklers run every day, rain or shine. That's the Jordan Valley Water Conservancy District.

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You say potato... -- Ethan Millard, host of KSL Radio's Nightside Project talk show, has recorded a public service announcement for the Harmon's Race for Multiple Sclerosis fundraiser, which is a 175-mile-bike ride in Cache Valley, June 27-28, sponsored by Harmon's grocery chain.

Because the route transverses a dam, the race is cleverly called "The Best Dam Bike Ride."

But because there is no way to discern the difference between "dam" and "damn" on the radio and the apparent concern for listeners' sensitivity, the PSA calls it the "The Best Darn Bike Ride."

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Double standard? -- Sen. Margaret Dayton, R-Orem, has sent invitations for an upcoming fundraiser for herself. It will feature U.S. Rep. Rob Bishop as speaker and music by Utah tenor George Dyer.

The suggest contribution for guests attending the fundraiser is $250 per person, except for lobbyists. They're being asked to pay $1,000 or $2,000 -- depending, perhaps, on how badly they want their legislation passed next year?

prolly@sltrib.com

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