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March 28, 2024

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Friday, January 28, 2022

Open Thread – Perry Island

As I was flying across Prince William Sound on my way to the East Coast recently, I looked out the window and almost jumped out of my seat. There was a beautiful dawn-kissed 3-D version of a chart I’ve seen hundreds of times. The distinctively shaped island that in this picture looks a bit like an ‘M’ is Perry Island. I’ve been there in the summer, but never in the winter and it looked strange to see it all covered in snow.

And the bay on the right has a teeny little inlet that you can’t even see on this picture that is one of my favorite spots on earth. If you were standing at the base of the furthest right stem of the ‘M’ looking out, and if it were May instead of January, this is what you would see.

And if you were to turn around and hike up the hill to the highest part of that furthest right stem of the ‘M’ and look out over the Sound, you would see this.

And if you turned and looked in the direction of that bay instead of out into the Sound,  you’d see this.

And if you were a very small boy, who had hiked all that way and got very tired, you might look like this.

Comments

comments

Comments
48 Responses to “Open Thread – Perry Island”
  1. Jim says:

    What did you do to my nephew???

  2. Zyxomma says:

    Did Fox & Friends ban Joan Rivers for saying Sarah Palin is not too smart?

    http://www.politicususa.com/en/joan-rivers-banned-fox-palin

  3. Marnie says:

    wow
    It is both thrilling and depressing to be reminded what the world looks like without pollution.

  4. leenie17 says:

    Gorgeous photos, as always, AKM. You’ve done more to promote Alaska tourism with your photography than any Convention and Visitor’s Bureau could possibly do.

    (And certainly more than a certain someone we know with a trashy reality show!)

  5. Sue Evans says:

    Thank you for the hike from 4000 miles away.

  6. Laurainnocal says:

    Yet again AKM, one of your delightful photo tours for those of us whom have not been fortunate enough to spend any time in your lovely land. I felt the boy was having an OMMM moment – check his hands!

  7. Zyxomma says:

    Thanks for taking me on a virtual hike, AKM. Now I feel like taking an actual hike! Perhaps soon …

  8. thatcrowwoman says:

    What a wonderful hike you took us on today, AKM. I’ve saved the whole set of photos for when I’m feeling frazzled. I can spend a few moments revisiting your lovely island, close my eyes for a bit, and relax like the small boy. Aaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh.

    Now that’s some sweet Shalom. Toda raba. Many thanks.
    thatcrowwoman

  9. AKPetMom says:

    Okay, now I’m definitely ready for summer! Great photos from one of the most beautiful places on Earth. How many more months now? Only 3.5, we’re almost there!

  10. G Katz says:

    Interesting poll results regarding trust in the news:

    Democrats trust everything but Fox. Republicans don’t trust anything but Fox. And independents don’t trust much of anything. For Democrats 73% trust PBS, 64% NBC, 61% CBS, 60% CNN, 56% ABC, and 22% Fox. For Republicans 67% trust Fox, 29% PBS, 22% CNN, 21% NBC, 17% ABC, and 15% CBS. For independents 44% trust PBS, 36% Fox, 34% CNN, 33% NBC, 27% CBS, and 26% ABC.

    http://publicpolicypolling.blogspot.com/2011/01/our-second-annual-tv-news-trust-poll.html

    • beth says:

      Well, it’s clear then! We MUST stop funding PBS with tax-payer funds!

      If 74% of Democrats and 44% of Independents trust it, and only 64% of Republicans do, it’s obviously a wasteful, brain-washing, left-leaning mouthpiece and boondoggle the taxpayers would be wise to defund as we “take our country back!” PBS should not get one red cent of our hard-earned tax money! [/snark]

      Sometimes I have to wonder about the mentality of my fellow citizens – one of those times is when they call, as they do regularly and did again just recently, for defunding PBS. beth.

      — Figures I found over at wikipedia show: “15% to 20% of its [PBSs] annual operating revenue from Federal sources and 25% to 29% from State and local taxes.” b.

  11. bubbles says:

    lovely pics. thanks akm. this why i love you. you take me where i would love to go but maybe cannot. i don’t hike. i schlep. faced with hill or molehill i simply lie down like the little boy and take a nap.

  12. The wind tortured tree in picture three reminds me of an x-ray of my spine,or was it my mind that’s twisted? Doesn’t matter which. Heard on the news this morning the “Queen’s” unfavorable ratings are an all time high. Would that I were a mere Raven that I might chortle with glee at thee. Sorry Mother, I couldn’t resist this once and if you knew of Quitty you would probably agree with me. RIP

    • bubbles says:

      your spine may be weathered like that tree but there is nothing wrong with your twisty mind. i like twisty minds.

    • thatcrowwoman says:

      No need to “man up” there, Mike, or merely chortle…
      I’ll join you in a great big right out loud hahahahahahacaw Caw CAW CAW CAW!

      Your mum and my Grandma Shorty, both of blessed memory, recognize our righteous, er left-eous???…reaction to the news (I’m pretty sure)…and my Norwegian Grandmother, of blessed memory, would add, “…it’s about time”…also, too. 🙂

  13. Mo says:

    Did anyone else post a link to this? It’s the most cogent article I’ve stumbled across yet about what Palin, the Kochs et al., and the Republican Party have been perpetrating: domestic terrorism.

    http://www.politicususa.com/en/palin-hit-list-terror

    Palin Hit List Show Pattern of Successful Targeting for Terror

    “And that’s the real point – the threat of violence is enough because terrorism works on the psychology of the targets. It’s a form of extreme political behavior and its effectiveness in influencing political events depends on arousing emotions. Does this sound familiar? Recall the fear of the townhall meetings, the outrage when the average citizen couldn’t be heard, the outrage over Palin’s hit list, Bachmann’s call to raise arms against this government and Angle’s second amendment remedies. Recall how we adopted to this behavior, subtly adjusting our expectations and reactions so as not to provoke the beast. In order for political terrorism to be successful, the target audience must feel psychologically threatened.”

    • jojobo1 says:

      I thought the same when I saw clips of the town hall meetings.We need to keep articles like this out in the open so all can read.Even if it does not change some minds it will for some.

    • thatcrowwoman says:

      “Terrorism requires more than the lone gunman. Effective political terrorism involves leaders and a network of supporters. Studies show that leaders of terrorists regimes are often what we refer to as the narcissistic personality type, people with the charisma to make violent behavior seem attractive and who fail to take or feel responsibility for their actions. This can combine with what is termed neurotic hostility, which involves a sensitivity to criticism and a deeply suspicious, aggressive nature.

      The network of supporters take on the tasks of public relations, fund raising, and propaganda in addition to the actual perpetrators of the violence. It could be suggested that the Republican Party leaders mounted the public relations campaign against healthcare reform using violent rhetoric and inaccurate characterizations of the bill (with the larger target being to disrupt and disempower the Obama administration), funded by the Koch brothers who propped up the Tea Party foot soldiers “grass roots movement”, while Fox News provided the propaganda necessary to form the complete network in order to create the climate for political terrorism.”

      Domestic terrorism , you betcha.
      Where’s Homeland Security when we need them? Groping passengers at the airport, eh…

    • leenie17 says:

      Brings to mind the video of Joe Miller supporters carrying assault weapons in a family parade. What is the point of that besides intimidation and subtle threats of violence if you didn’t vote for their candidate?

      What it tells me is that those who use that kind of implied (or overt) threat have nothing else to offer besides the threat itself. Don’t offer platforms, policies or promises…just show the voters a gun and make them think they’re in danger if they vote for your opponent.

      Sounds like terrorism to me.

  14. AKM, those are beautiful pictures. I really think the Alaska Tourism folks should give you an award for all the times you have shown the rest of us just how beautiful the state of Alaska is.

  15. Bretta says:

    My favorite is the wind-twisted tree (right stem of the ‘M’). Does my heart good.

  16. Shadow's Heart says:

    Ok Mudpups off to another job interview. Wish me luck. I’m so tired of being poor and unemployed. Not that I wasn’t poor before but some income to support oneself is better then no income.

  17. G Katz says:

    Someday I hope to see the beautiful state of Alaska. Until then, I so enjoy seeing it through your eyes!

  18. Alaska Pi says:

    And if you were a very small, very tired boy, resting like this, you would be soaking up energy right out of that beautiful ground and be ready to climb and run and zip all over very, very soon…
    That one picture reminded me of years and years of wonderful adventures with a very small boy who grew into a wonderful man … hikes, rock-skipping, picnics, camping in pouring rain and laughing until you hurt over making the finally successful campfire to stay warm, fishing, sand castles…
    I’m taking all THAT with me today , even all those the questions about how-many-rocks, trees, grains of sand, drops of water-are -there-? that came from that very small, very busy boy…
    I’m taking a big smile out the door today- thanks AKM!

  19. Laughing here! Love the pictures! That’s one tired boy!
    Wow! Four exclamation points.

  20. Irishgirl says:

    From Peter Fenn:

    “The problem for Palin is that she was way off the mark and not in the least bit presidential. Having her staffer deny there were gun cross hairs on a map was ludicrous. The “other people do it” defense from Palin, especially after Congresswoman Giffords had called her on it last year, was equally weak. The “blood libel” line was unexplainable and historically devastating. [Read Robert Schlesinger: Palin Reloads on ‘Blood Libel’]

    Even her defense on Sean Hannity’s puff-piece TV show was pitiful. She wandered and wallowed in her own self pity, was woefully unprepared for Hannity’s soft ball questions, and showed herself to be just another self-absorbed politician. Those kinds of performances are even more dangerous when they are supposed to be set-ups!

    So, my Republican friends, I think you can breathe easier. Sarah Palin may still run for president, but the bloom and the luster are most definitely off the rose.”

    http://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/Peter-Fenn/2011/01/19/arizona-shooting-bungle-sinks-sarah-palins-2012-presidential-bid.html

    • Bretta says:

      But how many times have we seen her do a Teflon-coated bounce back?

      That’s what scares me.

    • jojobo1 says:

      I recieved this from Alan Grayson.Maybe he could be our version of palin only he does not play the victim or lie and say he is innocent when guility .If th MSM would only look at what he says maybe a face book page and calling the media to let them know something is up.I am sure that is what palins group does

      When I opened my web browser yesterday, at yahoo.com, there was Sarah Palin, smiling at me.

      “Oh, God,” I said to myself, “what has she done now?”

      The headline was “Palin Defends ‘Blood Libel’”. That’s interesting, I thought. What else might Palin be defending? Cannibalism, maybe?

      Well, it turned out to be a report on Palin’s disjointed remarks on Sean Hannity’s show, regarding the shooting of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. I then watched the report. Let me summarize it for you:

      Palin: I am so misunderstood.
      Hannity: I am so misunderstood.
      Palin: I am so misunderstood.

      But there was one person who seemed to understand Sarah Palin quite well. Gabby Giffords, herself, during the health care debate. Discussing threats against Democratic Members of Congress. After the door to her office was shattered. This is what Gabby said:

      “You know, for example, we’re on Sarah Palin’s targeted list, but the thing is the way that she has depicted it is the crosshairs of a gun-sight over our district. When people do that, they’ve got to realize that there are consequences to that action.”

      And here is Palin’s blithe response, on Hannity’s show: “That map wasn’t an original graphic.”

      What is that remark supposed to be, Sarah? An exculpanation?

      Even before I heard earlier Palin’s whining about “misguided finger-pointing” and “irresponsible statements from people who are apportioning blame,” I thought about this:

      Palin came to my district, and told her people to “take me out.”

      Palin told people again and again, “don’t retreat, reload.”

      The day before the health care vote, one of my five-year-old twins received a telephone death threat intended for me.

      A right-wing commentator offered anyone $100 to punch me in the nose.

      We received so many threats of violence from teabaggers that we started a file.

      And the day before Gabby was shot, I received a postcard saying “you better get some personal protection. You could very well be getting your ass kicked soon.”

      Cause and effect. As Gabby put it, “there are consequences.”

      Of course, I wasn’t the only target of these threats.

      Gabby’s tea party opponent held fundraisers in which he invited contributors to fire an automatic weapon.

      Democrat Debbie Wasserman-Schultz’s opponent conducted target practice on her initials.

      Democrat Ron Klein’s opponent told his supporters to make sure that Klein was “afraid to leave his house.”

      Democrat Frank Kratovil was hung in effigy.

      Democrat Tom Perriello was burned in effigy. And the gas line to his brother’s house was cut.

      Democrat Emanuel Cleaver – a minister – was spat on.

      Democrat Russ Carnahan had a coffin left at his home.

      I could go on, but you get the point. Cause and effect. “There are consequences.”

      And the Republicans? The shot supposedly fired at Republican Eric Cantor’s office was quickly exposed as a hoax.

      As I observed on MSNBC last week, there has been a stream of violence and threats of violence by the right wing against Democrats. Gabby warned against it, and then became a terrible victim of it. Palin has instigated it, and then tried to pretend that it doesn’t exist.

  21. jimzmum says:

    So beautiful!

  22. Irishgirl says:

    Thanks for the virtual tour. No wonder the little guy is tired.

  23. twain12 says:

    what a lovely spot…the picture with the boy is priceless