Bedtime in Alaska – Odds & Ends
29 01 2009Naughty Monkeys -No, not the kind that fling poo. I was going to try really hard not to bring up Sarah Palin again, because frankly, it’s been one of those days where I’m getting dangerously close to Sarah Palin burnout. But it’s worth a quick mention that her “Naughty Monkey” red pumps that were put on Ebayby her niece, have sold for $2025. They come complete with a Sarah Palin autograph, scripted in Sharpie marker. It makes you wonder why the RNC is “donating the clothes to charity.” Actually they’re still sitting around the RNC in trash bags. It sounds like “charity” would have a lot more to gain by putting the stuff on Ebay.
“Mind the volcano!” That was always one of my favorite obscure Lewis Carroll lines, and now I get to use it! Mt. Redoubt is still at orange level, meaning an eruption is possible at any time. It’s far enough away from people that nobody will be in danger, but close enough to Anchorage to see, and possibly get hit with an ash cloud.
Nerd test – OK, I took an online “Are you a nerd?” test. Which probably means I get bonus points right there. My final nerd score was 66. You can see it over at the bottom of the sidebar. This means I am a “Low ranking nerd. Definitely a nerd, but low on the totem pole of nerds.” If I had gotten a less compelling metaphor, I may not have shared this information. But the thought of a “totem pole of nerds” was just too fun not to share. If you want to see where you are on the totem pole, click HERE.
Divestment Update -Kudos to four great Legislators for bringing this to the fore. If the Legislature can take time to talk about the death penalty, we can surely make some time to save the lives of innocent people.
JUNEAU– On Thursday, the House State Affairs Committee will hear bills to stop the State from investing in foreign companies that are complicit in the 5-year old Darfur genocide. It is expected that the legislation will have bi-partisan support this year, after it became an issue in the national presidential election. “We don’t need to make money off genocide in this state. Congress has banned American companies from doing business in Sudan, and we can find better investments than in the few foreign companies still doing business there,” said newly elected Rep. Pete Petersen (D-Anch).
Reps. Les Gara, Berta Gardner, Beth Kerttula and Petersen have filed HB 45, which requires the state, and the Alaska Permanent Fund Corporation, to stop investing in companies the international community has identified as complicit in the Darfur Genocide. Rep. Bob Lynn and the Governor have filed similar bills. Roughly 30 other states have already joined the Darfur Divestment movement. Since 2003 the Sudanese government and paramilitary groups have killed over 200,000 of their own citizens, and jeopardized the lives of 2 million others through displacement.
Sarah Wallner, a member of Save Darfur Anchorage, has been pushing for state legislation on this issue for 3 years. According to Wallner, “An estimated 300,000 people have died and 2.5 million have been displaced to refugee camps in the ongoing genocide in Darfur , Sudan . Alaska can add our voice by becoming the 28th state in the nation by implementing targeted divestment of our investments in foreign companies doing business with the government of Sudan .”
Get Well Dennis! Our friend Dennis Zaki is down for the count. After drinking a big glass of tap water right before he left Emmonak, he got wretchedly sick. He says he’s feeling better, but he still sounds pretty bad. Another lesson from rural Alaska. Don’t drink the water. Here’s hoping Dennis is back to 100% soon.
Get Well Mudflats! No, Dennis isn’t the only one afflicted by a super bug. The main computer at Mudflats Central has been hit with a nasty virus. Remediation is almost complete without any loss of data, which is a very good thing. On the down side, the post I had in the works about our House Judiciary Committee, and the raking over coals they did to our Attorney General got delayed ad will have to wait for tomorrow. But suffice it to say, several more vertebrates have appeared in the Legislature!
Over and out!
January 29th, 2009 at 1:12 PM
Paula – re: shoes…….I think Beck or Rush got the shoes and will put them on the Sarah blow-up doll that you KNOW they have !!
January 29th, 2009 at 1:12 PM
I was happy to get some history on Hensley and the founding of the Alaska Federation of Natives which I learned about from Kim Murphy- LA Times.They have a relief program for all villages-AFN/Village Relief Fund. You can make cash donations to that name and mail to Gladys Charles AFN 1577 C Street Suite 300 Anchorage, Alaska. 99501…..Hi all, this is my 1st time posting and please excuse me if I am duplicating info.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:12 PM
@ jim
You are spot on – she confuses tenses as much as she butchers grammar – funny!
January 29th, 2009 at 1:13 PM
WELCOME AnnA!
January 29th, 2009 at 1:17 PM
Most of the Republicans who are well educated will want absolutely nothing to do with Sarah around primary time. Unless of course they are the slimy ones and then cerebral education doesn’t seem to trump the other brain.
January 29th, 2009 at 1:43 PM
Since when is AK a “province”? Is this an AIP position – seceed and then join Canada? LOL
January 29th, 2009 at 1:45 PM
@here_in_PA (12:45:48) :
He was a State Senator, not a US Senator. Ben Nighthorse Campbell was the first Native US Senator.
January 29th, 2009 at 2:08 PM
ahhhh, thanks for the clarification. Boy, history buff in the JE article Palin: Dinner Offers audiance w/ Obama really said it outright, I hope she reads his comment.
January 29th, 2009 at 2:08 PM
Yeah, that was a good comment! So few of them are on the JE…
January 29th, 2009 at 2:11 PM
This comment is so completely OT that I stepped back here to the open thread to make it. My mom just found out that our dear governator (Ahnold), as part of fixing our fiscal disaster, wants to put a 9% tax on veterinary services. 9%!! What does he think taking pets to the vet is? A luxury item? Well it sure will be with that kind of tax. My mom is so mad she called our representative and complained. The person she talked to said he also wants to tax golf courses. Mom said that made a lot more sense. lol.
My husband only found out 2 weeks ago that he will still get a paycheck in February instead of an IOU from the state. Can you imagine the Queen running a giant messed up state like ours instead of her much smaller Alaska government?
January 29th, 2009 at 4:00 PM
As I am enjoying a cup of Joe and next to the wood stove it is – 20 degrees out surfing one of my favorite sites, I followed along and went to the americablog, my first visit. My nice quiet enjoyment of rolling my eyes at the Palinantics, i start reading this bunh of garbage.
I sat here pecking away at my laptop with my response until my husband said that I needed to step away from the computer (he is worried about my gaskets or blowing gaskets) and something about steam in my ears….
Here is my response…
cereal, you are a total and complete moron.
ALL YOU OTHER BONEHEADS…..
Do you suppose that this person hopped on the snow snowmacine and drove 25 miles to Kroger? King Supers, the A&P.
Safeway?
Give me a break they went to a village store. Let me see what is it you suppose they stock in that store, do you imagine that there are just rows and rows of groceries and produce. How naive of you.
We are talking about a store the size of your local blockbusters. Not only does that store carry food but also, OTC meds, bath and first aid products, cleaning, laundry and some hardware supplies.
There is a very small selection of products, and it is very difficult and expensive to ship and store perishable products. And in these village stores when fresh stuff does come in the quality is poor cost high but still don’t last long on the shelves. And of course most of you seem to have no idea what so ever that, you are transporting products that will freeze long before you get it home. I could go on and on but I will move on.
I bake 70% of the bread and even pasta we eat. But let’s just consider what it takes to make that bread, like take your baking source, be it propane stove/oven, or oil stove/oven, woodstove. (Woodstove ovens very expensive). Just so you know propane freezes at about -35 to -40 degrees. You will not be baking anything at those temps. Most people do use propane but remember that is also expensive and hard to transport. Electric stoves NO WAY if you think fuel is expensive well you would just love one of the electric bills from a utility that has paid $ 9.00 a gallon for diesel fuel.
Oh and I love the one about lets all be gardeners, hahahah, I am a gardener myself, I happen to live in an area that is somewhat conductive to growing certain things. But I would like some of you to Google this word. “PERMAFROST” and when you’re done educating yourselves with that one, try learning about TUNDRA, ARCTIC, CLIMATE, AGRICULTURE ZONES, and just so I am sure you understand this,
IT IS WINTER HERE THERE IS VERY LITTLE SUNLIGHT! Now for you naysayers who believe that say well geeze you also have the MIDNIGHT SUN for a few months well let me ask you to refer back to goggled word “PERMAFROST”.
And lastly HOW THE HELL MUCH STUFF DO YOU SUPOSE THAT I CAN STORE IN MY 20 X 30 CABIN.
January 29th, 2009 at 4:02 PM
There’s been some discussion over at PalinDeception.com/blog about how Sarah Palin came to be considered for McCain’s VP. I’d seen the name of Adam Brickley come up, and so, Googled him.
He started an unofficial Sarah-Palin-for-VP blog in March 2007, and apparently a number of conservative columnists and pundits picked up on it as the months went on. It’s quite educational — so are some of the comments that accompany each blog entry.
What makes it so valuable from our POV is that it has a huge number of linked articles and references that answer some of OUR questions, as well as those for whom the blog was intended…
Check it out in your spare time.
January 29th, 2009 at 5:57 PM
WOW!!!!!!! We distributed over 700 (YES SEVEN HUNDRED) Pounds of FOOD today here in Nunam Iqua. The Emmonak Traditional Council sent down 600 lbs of food for our village today ADDITIONALLY we received over 100 lbs of food in the mail. It came from:
Seattle, WA
Miami, FL
and Wahpeton ND
It was a wonderful day!!! We gave food to 30 families!!! It took me and my volunteers (hee hee cousins and aunt) 4 hours to sort, inventory, and fill boxes and deliver them to those who couldn’t come and get them. I am on a food drive/giving HIGH right now LOL. I am soooo proud of all of you muddflatters and others for making it possible for us to help my village
Quyana Cakneq (Yupik for THANK YOU VERYYYYY MUCH!!!)
I need to go make dinner for my family now but wanted to update y’all.
Ann Strongheart
Nunam Iqua Food Drive
P.O. Box 7
Nunam Iqua, AK 99666
nunamiquayouth@yahoo.com
January 29th, 2009 at 6:37 PM
That is wonderful news. People are going to bed with full bellies tonight. Screw all the fake christians who sent nothing but spite and callousness.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:11 PM
@ The Rubber Room Hotel
GREAT post! I’m an Alaskan who has only visited Southeast villages, and I learn constantly from these posts. I just wonder at the folks who open mouth and insert foot, as though in ten minutes they have figured out all the factors of a lifestyle like yours? I think they just want to see their comment in writing as a sort of graffiti, rather than a thoughtful response. It’s one of the oddities of the “blogoshphere” and its anonymous nature. Sometimes people just need to wait FIVE MINUTES or so before they post as a mini expert on a topic they are clueless about. Why not more questions about your lifestyle rather than judgments?
January 29th, 2009 at 7:49 PM
My husband knew Ben (Nighthorse) Campbell when he was a judo competitor in California, both before and after Campbell’s efforts competing in judo in the 1964 Olympics. From what I remember of him, he was always known just as “Ben Campbell” in those days.
He didn’t start using his “Nighthorse” name for quite a few years after that — resurrecting the name when he started his political career. I mean, what I remember of him, he was just a large fast-moving athlete in a “niche” sport.
Sorta like someone who plays up the “hockey mom/maverick” title, he played up his Indian heritage to separate his persona from the political pack. Actually, I remember when he entered politics he touted his judo training as part of that exotica, too.
January 29th, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Glad I stopped back and found that post from Nunam Iqua.Happy to hear that supplies are arriving …
January 29th, 2009 at 11:01 PM
Ann, I’m so thrilled my boxes got there! I just KNEW my 4 guys were some of the “rumored” boxes on lastnight’s flight. Got the confirmation notices this afternoon. I DO hope that troublesome Box3of4 (he seemed to be slow out of the starting gate in Kent,WA for some reason) made it too, its confirmation merely said “Notice Left”
NUNAM IQUA AK 99666 01/29/09 1:14pm
All the others said “Delivered”. They were all mailed same time on Monday,Jan26th by 5:15pm. All large Flatrate boxes. New price is now $13.95each for everyone’s info). Didn’t insure, just paid 65cents each for Confirmation, so that I could track them. Arrived today Thursday,Jan29th by 1:14pm.
So those Flatrate priority mail boxes are getting there fast! Unlike the 1-2 wk lag times people talked that we should be expecting.
YAY for “me and my volunteers (hee hee cousins and aunt) 4 hours to sort, inventory, and fill boxes”. Glad you’re not having to do it by yourself, I knew there would be willing volunteers! That’s a LOT of wonderful WORK!
January 29th, 2009 at 11:23 PM
@ C.Rock (09:09:36) :
Welcome and thanks for Newseum site! I will be sure to check it out.
Ahem, I THINK what might have gotten your post off to an uncomfortable start was the ‘tag’ you inadvertently must have hauled along too from that site. LOL Reminds me of once dragging a string of toilet paper, caught in my pantyhose, while getting to my seat in church:
“——————————————————————————–
A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! ”
- – -
AKM gets so many folks trying to sneakily snag people over to their OWN blogs, there’s a tendency to be wary. Sorry, you ran into the mishap, I look forward to seeing more posts from you.
January 30th, 2009 at 9:04 AM
Took my own advise and sent and emails to LifeLoc.
Can not listen to limbaugh on the radio, so I went to his website.
This company advertised there.
http://www.lifelock.com/about-us/about-lifelock/contact-us?oplisting=2
Feel free to email them. I told them I shop elsewhere and would not support a business that supported Rush and his un Ameriican views.
Satisfying. Also sent an email to my R congressmen. Voiced my displeasure with his vote the other day.