A Successful Deer Hunt on the Kodiak Road System

      On Monday I finally spotted a buck (the first I'd seen after six weeks of hunting all over the Kodiak road system) and was able to take him down with two shots - I think the first missed, but the second was a heart shot that dropped him within seconds.  He is the largest Sitka Black Tail deer I have ever shot - his rack is a clear 4x4.
     I'd been hunting since 7 am and since it was a sunny, but very windy day (gusts to 30), I was checking out the sheltered, sunny slopes and about noon I saw this big boy, a little below me and across a deep ravine.
     He saw me first, so I dropped down into the tall grass immediately.  I was in a spot where I couldn't retreat and stalk around out of sight for a good shot without spooking him. After glassing him several times to be sure he really had antlers, I decided to try to move closer through the patches of alders. Luckily, the sound and motion of wind covered my movements and allowed me to crawl through the alders and then through tall grass to get into position for a sitting shot at about 100 yds even though he was watching in my direction the entire time.
     By the time I was in position, he had turned to face me, giving me a straight-on shot which I was not about to take at that distance.  So I sat and waited (and waited) and finally he turned broadside and I was able to take my shot.  There was no indication that the first shot hit him, but he started up the slope diagonally, still broadside to me - when he paused, I took the second shot and he ran up over the hill and disappeared - I was convinced that I had missed both shots and was quite disgusted with myself!
     I spent a couple minutes searching for my pack which I had dropped in a stand of alders, then hiked up and around the ravine over to where I thought he had gone.  I spooked a little doe from the alders, but did not see any sign of the deer - no blood, nothing.  I was convinced that he was long gone and I was pretty bummed out.
     I decided the wise course of action was to go to where he was standing when I took that first shot and try retrace his route - as I headed toward that area, I looked down to my right and there he was, dead, laying in a small depression.  My mood changed radically at that point! Apparently, he'd died right after he hopped over the crest of the slope where I shot him. The blood trail indicated that it was the second shot that dropped him and I'm glad that he went down quickly without suffering.  For those who are interested, I was shooting a 180 gr. partition bullet with a stainless steel, composite stock Browning A-Bolt 30.06 with a Burris 3 x 9 scope.  This is the only rifle I own, and it has served me well over the years.
     I dragged him into a nice sheltered spot where I was able to skin and debone him out of the wind, but in the sun.  The temperature was in the low 40s and there was some breeze, so it was perfect for cooling the meat as I worked. He had a very thick layer of fat under his coat and a stomach full of vegetation.  A very healthy deer!
     Packing him out was tough, especially at first when I had climb up a steep slope only to drop down another sleep slope into a ravine, cross the creek, and then literally crawl up out of the creek and climb the opposite slope.  After a few more ups and downs crossing ravines, I was able to hike down a moderate slope to level ground and it was all downhill or level from there.  My Kifaru LongHunter Hauler performed perfectly - it was my first time to haul meat in it and it is easily the most comfortable pack for heavy loads that I have used.
     I returned to my vehicle and enjoyed a cold Alaska IPA to celebrate a successful hunt!
     As a life member of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers (BHA) , I am proud to say that I did this hunt without the aid of an ATV (Weapon of Mass Destruction) or any other motorized support. I hiked in about 4 miles with 2000 feet of elevation gain to get my deer and then packed him four miles out on my back.

I'm So Proud!

Team Sarah
to the Yellow Porcupine

Congratulations! Your Team Sarah membership has been approved.

They kicked me out a few months ago because I suggested that the Palin/Prejean ("Two Beauty Queens Make the Right") would be a great ticket for 2012.

Going Rogue - Sarah Palin Refuses to Accept Her Responsibilities

Frankly, Sarah…I Don’t Give A Damn.
(Copied from Shannyn Moore's blog - click on title for the link)
A letter from former, twice governor Wally Hickel ran in Sunday’s Anchorage Daily News. I think it’s well worth a read. Hickel is the only other governor to quit (1966-1969). His resignation was to serve as the Secretary of the Interior under President Nixon. He ran and won the governorship under the Alaska Independent Party from 1990–1994.

Wally Hickel is now 90 years old. A one time supporter of Sarah Palin, Hickel recently stated in Clark Gable style , “I don’t give a damn what she does.”

Alaskans can rise above petty politics, hateful acts

BY WALLY HICKEL
09/26/09

Both of my grandfathers left Southern Germany for America in the 1880s to escape what George Washington called in his Farewell Address “the toils of European ambition, rivalship and caprice.”

German was the first language I heard at home. This changed when my older sister Gertrude returned from her first day at school, where her classmates made fun of her broken English. From then on, I rarely heard a German word spoken at home.

My family and their relatives lived through the Dust Bowl in Kansas, the Great Depression, and two world wars when their new homeland fought against the land of their ancestors.

Some Americans today are uncomfortable with the changing face of America. Anger and frustration are invading our national discourse. I urge us all to study our roots.

America’s greatness is not in spite of our immigrants. It’s because of our immigrants.

We are a mongrel nation. We are not a thoroughbred. We’re not German or Irish, Hispanic or Asian, black or white, Christian or Jew. We are all those things and many more, and we don’t all get tired at once. That’s why America has always out-worked our competition.

During the presidential primaries last year, I liked what I saw in Barack Obama. I didn’t see him as black. I saw him as a young American with a deep understanding of what America was meant to be and how we could regain our moral standing in the world.

When Gov. Sarah Palin surprised us by joining Sen. John McCain on the Republican ticket, I agreed to support her, sticking to my commitment to put “Alaska first.” When she took the podium at the Republican National Convention, however, I was greatly disappointed. The race-against-race and class-against-class message of the McCain/Palin campaign was transparent.

I urged Sarah to take control of her message and appealed to her in this column “to rise above the worn-out, negative tactics of presidential politics and assume the role of stateswoman.” (Op Ed of September 14, 2008).

My hopes were dashed. Palin became the spokesperson for the divisive voices in American politics. She dismissed the greatness of our immigrant heritage, indeed of today’s Alaska, where in Anchorage alone nearly 100 languages are spoken in the homes of the children in our public schools.

She missed a golden opportunity to challenge the rest of the country to adopt the welcoming spirit of the Alaska frontier and the message of mutual respect championed by Bridge Builders of Anchorage and the School District that helped us win All-America City honors in 2002.

I believe that Alaska can be a model for America. We have much to offer, but we will fail if we don’t deal with prejudice, not only against newly arrived immigrants but against anyone.

My wife Ermalee, a lifelong Alaskan, and I were outraged several years ago when high school students videotaped Alaska Natives as they shot them with paintball guns, and again this summer when Anchorage teenagers attacked a man apparently for no reason other than he was Eskimo.

These hateful acts must be strongly dealt with and condemned. They are especially offensive in light of the remarkable leadership today’s Alaska Native community provides in business, politics and honoring cultural values.

When we represent Alaska to the rest of the country, let’s go beyond our stereotypes. Let’s explain that Alaska is a place of environmental excellence and spiritual renewal, a vast source of energy and resources, and a model for how commonly owned lands can benefit the people who live on them.

Let’s also make Alaska known for respect for all people and reject those who would use racial and class division for personal or political reasons. Because those who do so are playing with forces in the souls of men that could sink our country into that pit of conflict and violence George Washington warned us about more than 200 years ago.

Shuyak Island Volunteer Stint

Just back from a month of volunteering up at Shuyak Island State Park. Observing commercial users in Carry Inlet, opening beaver dams to allow fish to reach lakes, and some cabin maintenance were my primary tasks. I also helped with the Big Creek Weir where I took these underwater photos of pinks and silvers.
The weather was superb and it was another successful season for the staff and volunteers - user use is way down which certainly improves my enjoyment of the park: cabin rentals, charter boats, and private kayak parties are all fewer than recent previous years.






































Very mysterious eggs............

Kodiak National Wildlife Refuge Plant Survey 2009

We're back in town after five weeks in the field doing a plant survey of the KNWR for USFWS. This is the fifth year of the survey and we have camped in about 20 different locations in the Refuge as part of the survey.
The glorious weather of the first two weeks held as we worked in Alitak and Sukhoi Bay. Normal miserable weather returned as we ventured to East Olga Lake and Frazier Lake, although things got better when we spent a few days at Camp Island.

Bear Watching at Hallo Bay with Sea Hawk Air

We headed over to Hallo Bay in Katmai National Park last Friday and spent the day with the bears under the very capable guidance of Roland's wife, Jo Murphy. We were able to observe all sorts of bear behavior rather close up. It was a sunny day with just enough wind to keep the bugs away. A highly recommended trip!

We Hike to Pasagshak Point

We hiked out to Pasagshak Point on the old road on Friday, June 5. The ranchers had done quite a bit of clearing along the road; this is unfortunate as it will increase the number of people driving, rather than hiking, out to the point. The devastation caused by the cattle is unbelievable - Narrow Cape and Pasagshak are being destroyed by overgrazing.

Christie Arrives From Oregon

Our friend, Christie, arrived yesterday from Oregon. She is the owner of Ocean Haven Bed and Make Your Own Damn Breakfast in Yachats, Oregon. We met Christie at Laguna San Ignacio several years ago while petting baby grey whales. Click on the title to see the Ocean Haven website.





Oh boy! Chocolate!



Vito gets in on the fun:

KISAR Helicopter Training on Old Woman Mountain

On Sunday, May 31, 2009, KISAR had a helicopter training session with the U.S. Coast Guard. After a hangar orientation, the group headed up Old Woman Mountain for hoist training. Unfortunately, the clouds came down just as the helicopter arrived, so we did only one hoist with the litter before the HH60 had to slowly make its way down through the fog. Nonetheless, it was a valuable training exercise.

Audubon Society Termination Point Hike

Stacy Studebaker led the hike with 26 participants. The trail was in good shape with some muddy spots and some fallen trees blocking portions of trail. Weather was good: overcast and not too chilly.

Fishing on the U Rascal

A great day on the water with Chris Fiala and crew - I came home with two nice halibut and several large rockfish. NO kings, unfortunately.


Ugak Island

A few of the fat halibut we caught today

Chris and Dan discuss a successful day on the water

Team Sarah is Anti-Free Speech!

The Team Sarah website has "suspended" my membership after I posted a blog entry supporting the Palin/Prejean ticket for 2012. Apparently, Team Sarah does not share Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's support for the First Amendment and free speech. My account on Team Sarah was under the name of Thomas "T" Bagges, a pseudonym I use to avoid harassment from left-wing extremist eco-terrorist, tax and spend, big government, anti-American, tree hugging, global warming believing liberals. Oh, I left out commie pinko socialist teleprompter-needing. Sorry.

I received the following message:

You have been suspended from Team Sarah

Sorry, Thomas "T" Baggs, you can not access Team Sarah as you have been suspended. If you feel that this was in error, please email with details as to what happened prior to your suspension of membership privileges. When an account is suspended we utilize a review process with other individual members, not just moderators, who decide to suspend an account. NOTE: When a serious offense occurs or when profanity is used, we suspend membership privileges without any review. If you wish to have the suspension lifted, with the proviso that you verify your identity and agree to abide by our Terms of Use and Community Standards please email tsgovernance@yahoo.com.

Name the Sarah Palin Memoir on Mudflats

Head on over to The Mudflats and record your suggestions for the title of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin's memoir. Or just read the titles already proposed - you won't be able to stop laughing!

Obama's Public Health Insurance Option

5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OBAMA'S PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION

The choice of a public health insurance plan is crucial to real health care reform. But right now, it's being smeared by conservatives and insurance-industry front groups. Here's what you really need to know:

1. Choice, choice, choice. If the public option passes, Americans will be able to choose between their current insurance and a high-quality, government-run plan similar to Medicare. If you like your current care, you can keep it. If you don't—or don't have any—you can get the public insurance plan.

2. It will be high-quality coverage with a choice of doctors. Government-run plans have a track record of innovating to improve quality, because they're not just focused on short-term profits. And if you choose the public plan, you'll still get to choose your doctor and hospital.

3. We'll all save a bunch of money. The public option won't have to spend money on things like CEO bonuses, shareholder dividends, or excessive advertising, so it'll cost a lot less. Plus, the private plans will have to lower their rates and provide better value to compete, so people who keep their current insurance will save, too.

4. It will always be there for you and your family. A for-profit insurer can close, move out of the area, or just kick you off their insurance rolls. The public option will always be available to provide you with the health security you need.

5. And it's a key part of universal health care. No longer will sick people or folks in rural communities, or low-income Americans be forced to go without coverage. The public option will be available and accessible to everyone. And for those struggling to make ends meet, the premiums will be subsidized by the government.

Mother's Day Hike to Termination Point

Valerie (White) Aartun, visiting from South Carolina, joined us on Sunday for a great hike to Termination Point. Sunny skies, light wind, and dry (for Kodiak) trail combined for a very enjoyable afternoon. We ran into four other hikers with two black labs and a wiener dog on a leash. They said the weiner dog is the one that goes wild and they have to restrain in the woods.
Map: http://www.trailweek.com/trails/monashka_bay.aspx

Brown Gold for the Garden

Today, the spousal unit and I collected bison chips for the garden. Michelle Obama's organic garden can only look on with envy as we add the magic elixir to our raised beds.

EXTERNAL AIRBAG PROTECTS PEDESTRIANS

Thanks to researchers at Cranfield University, you don't have to feel bad when you plow into a group of pedestrians who are crossing the street too slowly. They have designed an external airbag that mounts to your hood at the base of the windshield. Research shows that this is the area where a pedestrian's head is most likely to hit in an accident. "Test results indicate that the system works extremely well. When fitted to a demonstrator vehicle not originally designed with pedestrian protection in mind, the results were well inside all current legal criteria for pedestrian protection currently in force in Europe," Roger Hardy of the university's Cranfield Impact Centre said.
*

We're Number Three!

La. tops gun death list, Alaska 3rd

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) -- Louisiana has more gun-related deaths per capita than any other state, and Alaska isn't far behind.

That's according to the Violence Policy Center, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C. Second on the list is Alabama, followed by Alaska, Mississippi and Nevada. The group said Wednesday that Hawaii has the fewest gun deaths per capita.

The study says that each of the states had a per capita gun death rate far exceeding the national rate of 10.32 per 100,000 for 2006. Louisiana's rate was 19.58 per 100,000, followed by 16.99 in Alabama, 16.38 in Alaska and Mississippi and 16.25 in Nevada.

The Violence Policy Center says each of the states with a high death rate has lax gun laws and higher gun ownership rates.

The nonprofit compiled its list by analyzing data from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

---

On the Net:

http://www.vpc.org/press/0905gundeath.htm

http://www.vpc.org/fadeathchart09.htm

Guns, guns, guns

"...guns have no loyalty; they're not like dogs." (Philip K. Dick, Counter-clock World, p. 173)

Girl beats off muggers with marching band baton

Unfortunately, there was no photo with the story. I wonder if the AP headline writer wants to rethink this one. Click on the title for the story.

Girl beats off muggers with marching band baton
Thursday, April 30, 2009 2:03 PM EDT
The Associated Press

Help Convince Sarah Palin to Accept Energy Stimulus Funds

The Alaska Conservation Alliance offers you the opportunity to lobby Governor Palin to accept the federal stimulus funds related to energy efficiency. A story on APRN today showed that what few "strings" might be attached have actually already been satisfied. And small communities of less than 250 are exempt from any strings anyway. Click on the title to help.
Sarah, this is your opportunity to demonstrate wise leadership and the ability to put the needs of your constituents above political pandering and posturing. Do you have the courage to do what is right? That courage is the mark of a true leader. It's your actions, not your words (however jumbled they may be) that show us what you are really made of.

Sarah Palin Haiku Contest

Click on the title and go for it!

Sarah Palin's Hypocrisy

« Quote For The Day | Main | Lanny Davis Comes Around »

29 Apr 2009 10:43 am

The Odd Lies Of Sarah Palin, XXVII: The Stimulus Money

You may recall the Alaska governor's signature move last month. She declared that she would only take half the stimulus money:

Palin first told the news media that she's turning down nearly half the federal stimulus money -- but later conceded that does not count the Medicaid money she is accepting. That brings down what she's refusing to 31 percent of what the state government could get... Palin said she is accepting the federal stimulus money that would go for construction projects, but not funding directed at government operations. "We are not requesting funds intended to just grow government," Palin said. "In essence we say no to operating funds for more positions in government."

Now she's changed her mind:

She earlier called the stimulus package "an unsustainable, debt-ridden package of funds." Alaska's Legislature conducted more than 20 public hearings on the federal stimulus package, and legislative leaders said they couldn't find any of the strings attached to the funds that Palin had warned about. "The Legislature then had to come in and find out through a lot of research that simply wasn't true," Gara said of Palin's argument.

But of course, having lied about how much stimulus money she would take at the start, and lied about the strings attached to the money, she is now denying she has changed her mind on this at all:

Palin spokeswoman Sharon Leighow said the message earlier this year that Palin was going to reject stimulus funds was misconstrued. "She's never said she's rejecting anything. She's been consistent we need to hear from the public, thus the legislative hearings," Leighow said.

I almost miss her. Almost.

(Photo: Robyn Beck/Getty.)

Michelle Malkin: Racist, Poser, Homophobe, Liar

Michelle Malkin is amazingly ignorant - her "blog" is nothing but outright lies, racist and homophobic remarks, and narcissistic posing. Sad and pathetic cries of "look at me".
Check out the swastika in the photo to the left - guess she's pretty weak in the judgment category as well.

Palin Accepts Stimulus Money After All

Just as most of us who realize just how deceptive and pandering Sarah Palin is predicted, she is accepting almost all of the federal stimulus money. "Thanks, but no thanks; oh, uh, thanks after all."
Aide says Palin will OK most stimulus funds

by Mark Thiessen
The Associated Press
Tuesday, April 28, 2009

ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- A spokeswoman for Sarah Palin says the Alaska governor is going to accept most federal stimulus funds.

Spokeswoman Sharon Leighow says Palin is only likely to reject nearly $29 million for State Energy Programs funds because she believes it to be tied to developing a statewide energy code.

Palin had initially indicated she did not want to accept about one-third of the $930 million available to Alaska because of strings attached that would bind the state in the future.

Legislative budget leaders couldn't find those strings, however.

Lawmakers passed bills accepting nearly all funds available to Alaska. Once the bills reach Palin's desk, likely by early next week, she has 20 days to accept or veto them.

The Ignorance Out There: My First Non-quote Post

Since Sarahcuda's visit to the Kodiak Launch Complex while in Kodiak for the UFA dinner, my Google Alert has linked me to numerous right-wing bloggers commenting on her visit.
I am astounded at the ignorance I've seen in these blogs and readers' comments.
One commenter said that Obama was incoherent when not using a teleprompter - this after 8 years of Bush's inability to speak coherently and Sarah Palin's inability to put together coherent sentences.
I've also read praise for Palin's support for Missile Defense which is ironic because MD has meant millions in pork barrel federal dollars for Alaska; yet, she's against accepting federal money for things such as education.
I don't care that someone might oppose Obama's policies or even his approach to governing, but the vast amount of stupidity out there is truly alarming. These are folks who think Sean Hannity knows what he's talking about.
Right here in Kodiak, Ted Stevens, Sarah Palin, and Al Burch receive standing ovations from a purported commercial fishing group. These three have done more to destroy commercial fishing than any three individuals I can think of.
Granted, 52% of those who voted supported Obama. I just fear the consequences for our country if the Palinites and their ilk gain any sort of power.

Key to Success

"...those who study oak are finding that the tree's success is owed not to the ruthless suppression of competitors, but to its flexibility." William Bryan Logan in Oak: The Frame of Civilization

Palin/Blagojevich 2012

The best choice for entertainment.

How Change Occurs

"If the community's gonna change, neighborhoods's gonna change, society's gonna change, the world's gonna change, it's by individuals. Not by big bureaucracy, not by the Exxons, not by all that. It's by individuals making that decision: I'm not gonna violate myself and I'm not gonna let you violate me." (Nancy Jefferson in American Dreams: Lost and Found by Studs Terkel, p. 302)

Too Many Papers to Correct

The following sums up some of the reasons I loved teaching, but retired.
"I miss having conversations like this with teen-agers--I'm done teaching now; it's summer and I won't be going back--but it would be better if a teacher didn't have so many papers to correct. It's the papers that make teachers think twice." (p. 191 The Other by David Guterson)
Amen

The United States is a deer

"... the United States had always seemed to me like some powerful innocent beast, lushly beautiful, with the cranial capacity of a narrow-headed deer. Look how it stretches its sleek muscles in the sunlight. Look how it bounds high. Look how it runs gracefully straight into the path of the oncoming train."
(p. 64 Beggars & Choosers by Nancy Kress)

Revolutionary vs Reformer

"Do you know what makes a revolutionary...? Being an outsider looking in, coupled with the idealistic desire to create the one true, just community, coupled with the idealistic belief that you can. (sic) ... Idealists on the inside don't become revolutionaries. They just become reformers... Revolutionaries think about wiping everything out and starting all over."
(p 51 Beggars & Choosers by Nancy Kress

Alaskan Native Shows Palin's Dark Side

This is written by Matthew Gilbert originally of Arctic Village. He left the village to go to college.

---

An Alaska Native¹s take on his Governor

By Matt Gilbert

Hello. My name is Matt Gilbert. I am originally from Arctic Village, Alaska. I am Alaska Native: Gwich¹in Athabascan. I visited Sarah¹s campaign office and spoke with her before she became Governor. We talked about the hunting & fishing rights of Alaska Natives. We didn¹t get anywhere. She sided with sport & commercial interests, so I walked out on her and never looked back. In general, I believe Sarah Palin is another version of Bush, just as inexperienced, but more impulsive. She is very dangerous and scary. People are continuing to support her because she¹s beautiful, and this should be a Red Alert for the world. Her purposed policies is to include Georgia into NATO and that would mean all the European countries with all their armed forces will have to go to war with Russia. So she¹s willing to ruffle the feathers of a country right next door to her home. Is this who you want as President? You know the scene in the movies when a car or stage coach is about to go over a cliff and you see yourself sliding over? Scary image isn¹t it? That¹s¹ what I¹m seeing if Palin gets elected Vice President. Wake up America! Send her back to Alaska. She has plenty of un-finished work here. She hasn¹t even gotten funding to move the town of Shishmeraf. It¹s falling into the ocean from an eroding coast due to Global Warming, which she wants to fuel more by encourage more coal and oil development. She fuels the fire, and now they want her to do it on a national level.

Palin has done a lot of irrational things up here as Governor. In the summer of 07¹, she Line Item Vetoed a lot of infrastructure projects in rural Alaska. The small town of Eagle spent years trying to get a community center built when they finally got funding, Palin shut it down by her Veto. Even Lawmakers are baffled by her Vetoes. They¹ve had Bills well-debated on both sides of the aisle, yet she cuts, cuts, cuts. She supported $15 million to Anchorage¹s University¹s Sport Complex and cut $1.5 million to an expansion of the runaway teen center. How do you justify that? She supports drilling Off-Shore which would utterly destroy the livelihood of the Inupiaq people on the North Slope. They rely on Whale for subsistence and the development would detrimentally impact those whales. She supports drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. My people, the Gwich¹in have kept this area closed from development for 30 years. No other American Indian tribe has ever accomplished such a feat. If she drills in the Arctic Refuge, it¹ll be the end of my culture. We rely on the Porcupine Caribou Herd and if drilling takes place in the Arctic Refuge, our caribou goes and so does our culture. We Gwich¹in Athabascans are the last American Indian Tribe in the US that hasn¹t been majorly disturbed, heavily impacted, and assimilated. We are the last pure Native American tribe left. We are the last stand for Indian Country. We are the last chapter in American Indian/Anglo American relations. The prior chapters were bad, so make this last chapter a good one and vote for Obama.

Alaska Natives in general are the last group of Native Americans in the United States still depended on a hunting & fishing-based lifestyle where kids and grown-ups go out to fish and hunt to supplement their western diets. It¹s crucial we have food off our land because the western foods, processed foods, give us diabetes if we eat them alone. The subsistence foods not only feed our bodies, but our culture, spirit, social lives, and minds. The Western World calls it Subsistence, but we call it our Way of Life. I¹m using the word against my well. It gives our lives meaning and keeps us busy. With God¹s help, hopefully everyone can understand. Our way of life off the land is everything to us. If we don¹t have that we¹re nobody, just another group living off the grid, consuming McDonalds, and buying Brand-Named items. We add diversity and richness to the world. Sarah Palin doesn¹t care about this. She wouldn¹t care if our culture eroded before her eyes. She¹s like Nero, sitting in Juneau putting on lip-gloss as Alaskan villages suffer. We¹re suffering from fuel costs. We¹re suffering from strangulating Fish & wildlife regulations that keep us from surviving off the already scarce wildlife. She has done some things, but not enough. She can ease the Fish & wildlife regulations in order to improve food security in the villages. She can subsidize the villages with the rising fuel costs. The US Government has a Trust Responsibility with its First Americans, the TR requires the Federal/State Governments to ensure we, Alaska Natives, have everything we need to survive. Mrs. Palin has failed miserably at this task. She has a lot more work to do back home.

Her hometown Wasillia, has been a hot-bed for racist and Anti-Native attitudes. Anchorage is worse. Alaska Natives fight discrimination on a daily basis there. Palin isn¹t there for them. I read in the Anchorage papers once that a homeless native man froze to death in downtown and some man called it in sounding all casual about it. It¹s like the South before the 60s up here. It¹s bad. This is the Alaska Sarah Palin maintains and waters for growth. She¹s never bothered to change anything because she thinks nothing is broken. As Mayor, she didn¹t think anything was wrong with an atmosphere where a native woman had beer bottles thrown at her as she walked down Wasillia. So you have to ask yourself, if she¹s willing to ignore the plights and issues of an ethnic group within her town and state, than how much more horrible do you think it¹s going to be when she ignores the issues of the same ethnic group or another on a national level?

I believe her popularity comes from her beauty. This society has got to shift itself away from a National Inquirer-based lifestyle to an NPR or New York Times-based lifestyle. Our very world may depend on it. Our hurricanes and disasters are getting worse due to Global Warming, our Stock Market is dangerously shaky, our healthcare is getting so bad it may cause a revolution soon, and the War in Iraq is draining our resources and working families to depression-levels. We need a Change! We need Barack Obama. Not somebody whose reputation is based mainly on image and charm. As an Alaska Native, I see that she doesn¹t support our way of life, as a Gwich¹in I see that she is willing to end my culture and people for only six more months of oil, and as a Global citizen I see that she is impulsive and inexperienced. Do you want someone like that in charge of a nuclear arsenal? It¹s probably already going to take our lifetimes to recover from Bush, if you elect Palin, the consequences are too scary for me to even think about. Please vote for change. Vote for Obama. Vote for Obama.

Americans Hate Intelligence

"And throughout it all, the United States: rich, properous, myopic, magnificent in aggregate and petty in specifics, unwilling--always, always--to accord mass respect to the mind. To good fortune, to luck, to rugged individualism, to faith in God, to patriotism, to beauty, to spunk or pluck or grit or git, BUT NEVER TO COMPLEX INTELLIGENCE AND COMPLEX THOUGHT." [emphasis my own]
p. 424 Beggars in Spain by Nancy Kress

(see my post entitled "Politicians want us not to think"

Sound advice

"Teenagers must be supervised." from the warning sticker on a Cybex weight machine at the Kodiak Athletic Club.

The Sounds of Silence

From some James Patterson Alex Cross novel I read in a cabin on Afognak Island in July: "Never miss a good chance to shuddup!"

Life is Short

"Life is short; there is never enough time to learn." (p. 108 Zorro by Isabel Allende)

Observing people

"He began to practice his skill at reading people's actions, and in that way discovered that words do not always correspond to intentions. He realized that bullies generally are easy to cow, that the loudest are the least sincere, that arrogance is a quality of the ignorant, and that flatterers tend to be vicious." (p. 80 Zorro by Isabel Allende)

A Law of Life?

". . . any time a great man tries do do a wonderful thing, lesser men will try to stop him. That is one of the laws of life."
Ireland by Frank Delaney (p. 27)

Politicians Want Us Not to Think.

"War goes in the direction opposite to that in which man naturally wants to aim. Man wants peace and ease, so that he can work out the mysteries of life, but war introduces such chaos and actual physical pain that man can't think. And that, of course, is what politicians want--they want us not to think."
Attributed to W.B. Yeats in Ireland by Frank Delaney (p. 589)

The Five Basic Virtues

Okahue: The Five Basic Virtues: honor, justice, respect, dignity, courage
(p. 38 Zorro by Isabel Allende)