Friday: Busy and Patient in Equal Doses

Today I can finally take down all the artwork, bulletin board, dry erase board, clock, et cetera, from the walls in my soon-to-be former office.

And much as I loathe the idea, empty all the bookshelves and put a couple dozen large ringbinders into boxes. This, to make the shelves light enough to move down the hall to the new office.

I'm a firm believer in moving things as few times as possible, so we'll attempt to move the file cabinets with an appliance dolly without removing the drawers. They're heavy, but the offices are on the same floor, and only 100 feet apart ... give or take.

And as I commented on the previous post, I woke up in the middle of the night, a week or so ago, with plans for the move and how-to-arrange-the-furniture playing in my head. But the existing tenants have to move their stuff out before I can move my stuff in, so that they can move their stuff from the hallway into my "old" office.

And then I have to wait for the I.T. guy to re-connect the phone/fax/internet/HVAC controls/etc about mid-day.

Oh, and then the painter's coming to freshen the "new" office.

It may not sound like it, but I'm actually looking forward to the new space. It's 70+ square feet larger, and divided into two rooms. So all the cabinets and files, bookshelves, building plans and conference table will be in the other room, leaving just my desk, printer, and a couple of visitor chairs in the front room.

And like I've told my daughters a few times (okay, more than a few times - right, girls?), change is a good thing. It keeps us on our toes, and prevents us from getting stale. At least, that's the plan.

So it'll all be done soon, and then ... why then, there'll be something else to do.

There always is. :)

I Hate Waiting

My office is on the opposite side of a tenant's back wall. They need a back door due to a change in regulations for their business.

To accommodate them, I've agreed to give up my office. They'll use it as an employee entrance and storage area.

In exchange, I'll take over their slightly-larger, two-room suite down the hall from where I am now.

It's not a bad deal, and we both get what we need. But they're not ready until Monday to make the move, so I've been puttering around, packing a few boxes, and generally just wanting to get going ... so we can get it over with.

There are a number of large, heavy file cabinets, bookshelves, and storage cabinets which I'm loath to unpack. I'd rather just pick 'em up with an appliance dolly and start rolling.

Have I mentioned I hate waiting?

Things You Didn't Know About Alaska

Moose can swim...

and they sometimes dive for food.

Bison have the right-of-way.

What it's like to fish alongside a pod of orcas:

What happens if you toss out fish guts at the seashore:

These and many more found here.

Police Blotter: "Please Don't Mention Us"

Traffic Crime
Officers contacted the occupants of a vehicle whose driver appeared to be having great difficulty manipulating various controls and signals. The driver admitted to being only recently licensed, but did not appear to be otherwise impaired.

Trespass
Officers responded to a fishing vessel regarding a recently terminated employee who was dragging his heels about packing his gear and leaving the vessel. The ex-employee sped up, marginally, after officers arrived on scene and was eventually escorted to the dock.

Welfare Check
Caller reported an intoxicated man dancing near City Dock and expressed concerned that he might fall in the water. An officer contacted the man, who was jamming to his music, and advised him of the concern. The man apologized for having too much fun. 

Drunk Disturbance
Library staff reported an unruly and intoxicated patron refused to leave the premises. An officer contacted the suspect, who had just left the building, and advised him he would be arrested if he returned to the facility this night.

Assault
Security officers reported an employee had been “jumped” and had complained of back pain shortly before he collapsed. Responding officers restrained the patient, who was combative and uncooperative with EMS personnel, and attempted to ascertain the details of his alleged assault. The patient refused to provide any information about his attackers, except to say they were part of the Mexican Mafia. 

Suspicious Person/Activity
An officer responded to the Dutch Harbor Post Office regarding a complaint about a bike rider periodically getting off his bicycle and dancing in the middle of the roadway. The suspect, who appeared somewhat intoxicated, told the officer he needed to urinate and was advised that urinating in public was a violation of City ordinance.

Suspicious Person/Activity
The man who had told an officer he really needed to urinate did in fact do so a short time later… in the Post Office lobby. Postal employees noted that the mess was disgusting and inconvenient, as the man had simply peed in his pants and down his legs rather than exposing himself.

Traffic Roads
Caller reported two drivers stopped front to rear, essentially blocking Dutton Road at Broadway. An officer advised the two drivers of the complaint and they quickly departed after expressing mild dismay at the thought of being mentioned in the police blotter.

After Yesterday's 6.4 Earthquake

we need some hump day motivation ... but this isn't what we want:

Another Strong 'Quake

We had another 6.5-magnitude earthquake about an hour ago.

It was 145 miles southwest of Anchorage, so it didn't shake as hard as the last one ... but it was still a pretty good tremor.

It knocked photos over in the bookshelves, rattled cabinets, and made all the pictures crooked. No reports of any damage or injuries yet, though.

Only in Alaska: "Long horned cows?"

Nope. Yaks.

Yaks on the highway.

APD was able to get in touch with the owners that were about two or three miles away, and the yaks were returned. Images courtesy of Anchorage Police Department.

It's a Big Deal

Most of you are familiar with Chris Kyle, the Navy sniper who wrote the book "American Sniper."
You're probably also aware that he, as a combat veteran with PTSD, was working with other veterans suffering from that.

From wikipedia: Christopher Scott "Chris" Kyle (April 8, 1974 − February 2, 2013) was a United States Navy SEAL and the most lethal sniper in U.S. military history.

You probably also know that he and a friend were working with a traumatized veteran who turned on them, and killed them both.

Now here's some more to the story:

In Anchorage today, the Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital will be officially dedicated by Mrs. Taya Kyle (Chris' widow), along with a number of invited dignitaries and friends.

Taya Kyle

From the hospital's website:

Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital provides an intensive dual track treatment program for military service members and veterans, who have experienced trauma and are in need of detoxification and/or rehabilitation for substance abuse.

[snip]  Holistic in nature, the Chris Kyle Patriots Hospital is attentive to needs of the whole self—the mind, the body and the spirit, and therefore, provides services that enhance the mind, strengthen the body, and empower the spirit.

 A facility to treat the effects of post-traumatic stress is sorely needed, and it's wonderful to see this.

About That "Earthquake in the Alaskan Islands"

"The quake struck 100 km (60 miles) southwest of Nikolski, the USGS said, but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage."

It was a 6.9-magnitude 'quake, and we hadn't even heard about it until e-mails started arriving, asking if we're okay.

The reason no reports were received is because it's uninhabited, and some 750 or 800 miles southwest of here. The folks in Dutch Harbor/Unalaska/Cold Bay probably got a good shaking, and I pray they're all okay.

Monday Morning Thought

My buddy in Missouri sent me a list of Thomas Jefferson's accomplishments and several quotes.
I wrote this in response:

I've been publishing those quotes, off and on, on my blog for years ... but I'm preaching to the choir. I rarely hear from anyone who doesn't already agree with the sentiments expressed by Jefferson.

You can go back to around 1885 or 1890 to find the Progressives who decided that the only way to curb the rampant liberty of free Americans was to dumb them down, and stop teaching about the Founders ... and about the Constitution ... and about our history.

And it's worked, by and large. The average American citizen has absolutely no idea about any of those things.

My friends, I won't stop talking about history, the Founders ... and about our Constitution; I truly believe it to be a document inspired by God Himself. For that matter, so did the Founders themselves.

Several wrote, after the dust had settled, that they couldn't figure out how such a historic document came from all the squabbling and politicking as took place during the Convention - unless God made it happen.

I believe He did.

Whatever Plans We Had for the Day

have been set aside.

The average July rainfall in Anchorage totals 2.02". We received more than that between late evening and midnight, and it's still coming down at a good clip. The weather service has issued a flood advisory for small streams and low-lying areas in Anchorage.

It's been many years since we've seen this much rain here. Up in the mountains, and along the Gulf of Alaska coast? Sure, happens all the time. But since the lows circulate counter-clockwise, and we're nestled against the western feet of the Chugach Mountains, there's a "rain shadow" effect where it rains all around us ... but not so much locally.

Except this time. It did make good sleeping, though.

The Blessing of the Pets and Animals

A number of denominations hold an annual service wherein pets and other animals are blessed by the priest/rabbi/pastor.

In my experience, it can be a lovely time as pet owners brings their beloved four-legged (and often, finned) family members to church. It helps also if the pastor is an animal lover.

It can also be ... well, less than lovely when the above conditions don't apply. I'm sure you can imagine.

And then there are the critters which don't appreciate getting sprinkled:

This happens, too. You can trust me on this.

Surprise! Lafayette Theater Is a Gun Free Zone, Bans Firearms for Customers with 'Permits'

` How you can help support JPFO Join JPFO Contact JPFO (800) 869-1884 Office Hours PST. MORE FOOD FOR ANTIS July 24th 2015 Lafayette Theater Is a Gun Free Zone, Bans Firearms for Customers with 'Permits' How you can help support JPFO Contact JPFO (800) 869-1884 Office Hours PST. About JPFO Site Links The BoR Page. JPFO 25 Years Alerts Archive Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser on JPFO. By AWR Hawkins. July 23rd, 2015, 2015 Article Source The Lafayette, Louisiana, Grand Theatre–site of the tragic July 23 attack in which a gunman killed two, wounded at least seven others, then took his own life–is a gun free zone. The movie theater chain does not even allow law-abiding citizens with concealed carry permits to carry for self-defense. According to the "Conduct Policy" for all Grand Theatre locations, the "possession of firearms or weapons of any kind" are completely banned and the ban applies regardless of whether the firearm or weapon is carried "openly or concealed, with or without a permit." The Conduct Policy also forbids "violence, intimidation, or physically threatening behavior," as well as "unlawful conduct." One thing we know even now, just hours after the tragic shooting took place, is that the gunman did not adhere to the Conduct Policy. He ignored the gun ban, he ignored the bans on violence, intimidation, and physically threatening behavior, and he ignored the rules against "unlawful conduct." Just like so many attacks before–from Nidal Hasan's 2009 Fort Hood attack to James Holmes' 2012 Aurora theater to the 2013 attack on the DC Navy Yard–gun free zones put law-abiding citizens at a disadvantage because law-abiding citizens are the only ones who obey them. People with criminal intent are not phased by "No Guns Allowed" signs or a Conduct Policy that says no firearms can be brought into the theater. Follow AWR Hawkins on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Yours in Freedom, The Liberty Crew at JPFO Protecting you by creating solutions to destroy "gun control" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Yes. Yes, He Does.

Friday, Old NFO, and a Raging River

We were beginning to think the calendar was broken. Friday wasn't going to come this week, oh my. The week is too long, we're too tired, why is this week so busy and yet so slow ... and on and on went our collective, plaintive cries.

But it's finally here, the sun is shining, and it's supposed to be in the 70s today.

Note: I'm talking about the temperature, not my age. Murphy's Law would turn it into a remark about Old NFO's age. But here's the thing: Jim and I are only a couple years apart. Rather than admit any degree of decrepitude, I choose to observe that he is quite a youthful fellow.

So there. That's my story, and I'm sticking to it. :)

* * * * *

A building hangs over the Matanuska River east of Sutton along the Glenn Highway Thursday afternoon, July 23, 2015, minutes before it collapsed into the river. The river is carving away its northern banks due to warm weather and rain causing the Matanuska Glacier to melt.  Zaz Hollander / ADN

In local news, the Matanuska River is on its annual summer rampage, changing course and taking out homes, sheds, and other man-made structures. The most recent home to wash away had been there since 1952.

From the linked article:

SUTTON -- The surging Matanuska River has consumed a home and seven buildings at just one property near Sutton and threatens a half-dozen others along the Glenn Highway.

The last structure left on Robert Luch’s property dropped into the river around 2 p.m. Thursday. A loud pop was the only signal before the red shed collapsed into the surging gray water.

“That’s what they do when they go. No warning,” said Bill Schmidtkunz, a neighbor helping move items away from a bank losing at least 12 feet a day, and sometimes twice that.

Two more large storage sheds that had dropped into the river earlier Thursday sat about a quarter-mile down the river, perched against a gravel bar.

The Zoo Gains an Extra Bear ... For Awhile

The Alaska Zoo in South Anchorage temporarily gained an extra animal Wednesday when a wild black bear strayed onto the zoo’s property and temporarily kept it from opening to the public.





Pat Lampi, the zoo's executive director, told Channel 2 News that the bear -- which had climbed a tree in the zoo -- had come down of its own accord at about 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Once it was on the ground, zoo staff promptly herded it off the premises.

"The bear has left the zoo," Lampi said. "It's out of the zoo and back in the wild."

The Second Amendment Isn't for Playing

The Second Amendment Isn't for Playing


Excerpt:

Some variation of the words "for sporting purposes" can be found repeated over and over again in the interminable list of "gun control" laws burdening the American people. Given the history of those words, used that way, JPFO readers have plenty of reason to want to see them excised from American legal code, like the cancerous tumors they are.


But it's more than "merely" the fact that the "sporting purposes" requirement for firearms and ammunition appears to have been lifted directly from the gun laws of Nazi Germany, but the fact of why a government would want to limit the people's access to firearms to those that are better for recreation than for the deadly serious business of defending one's family, liberty, and life. There can be only one reason for that: the government does not wish the people to possess the means to effectively defend those things.

Go. Read the whole thing.

She Says What We're All Thinking

Police Blotter: Never Mind

Traffic Crime
Caller said she was sick and tired of the way taxi drivers drive, and reported that one of them had just cut her off. An officer contacted the suspect driver, who predictably denied any wrongdoing, and issued a warning.

Assistance Rendered
Officers responded to multiple locations listed as the residence of a man from whom a 911 hang-up call had been received, only to find that the man whom they sought was not present at any of them. The man eventually phoned police to report that he had accidentally pocket-dialed 911.

Assistance Rendered
Officers, ambulance and fire department personnel responded to the scene of a controlled burn which had been reported as a towering fire, and learned that there was a responsible party on scene monitoring the burn. 

Traffic Crime
Woman reported the driver of a blue or white flatbed swerving on the roadway. An officer located the suspect driver, who immediately denied any poor driving and called the woman a liar. The officer advised the man to drive safely. 

Welfare Check
Officers conducted a welfare check on an extremely intoxicated man who had vomited in his bed and would not wake up. The responding officer inspected the unconscious man and requested EMS; the inebriate awoke shortly thereafter and told the officer he was fine and to get out of his room. 

Assistance Rendered
UDPS forwarded information to the US Coast Guard regarding the location of a small plane which had touched down on a remote beach but which could not take off for the return trip to Unalaska. The pilot and passenger, who were both unharmed and in sporadic contact with their families, declined emergency rescue, spent the night in the sand and were collected by a friend the next morning. The plane was left at the beach for recovery at a later date. 

Assist Other Agency
US Coast Guard reported having received a distress signal from an Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) associated with the F/V Pacific Knight. Officers confirmed that the vessel, which has been unoccupied and tied to the dock for a number of years, was still afloat. They also determined that the EPIRB was missing from the vessel’s sea shelter. Other mariners later reported the EPIRB in the harbor. 

All Around Alaska

It's been a rough week for aviation (again). Last Friday, the pilot of a Cessna 207 out of Juneau crashed; she was killed, but all four of her passengers survived. Fariah Peterson was from Birmingham, Alabama but had been flying in Alaska for Wings of Alaska. She had been a pilot for about 13 years and was known to travel the world.

And then there are these:

• Small plane flips, sinks on lake near Wasilla (pilot survived)
• Trapper Creek pilot killed in plane crash over daughter's wedding

 That last one ... what should have been his daughter's happiest day turned horrific as her dad crashed while buzzing the wedding. I can't imagine, but our hearts go out to all these folks.

* * * * *

And now - for you, my friends - here's a video shot last month around Alaska. I recommend watching it full-screen.

An Exercise in Pretension

That's what I thought. :)

Monday Humor

Got nuthin', you see, so here's a blast from the past:



Only once, he says. I wonder if he took Elvis along for the ride...







"The duck refused ..."? (bangs head on keyboard)
















No need to put on airs, you see.















With brainpower like that on display, I wonder why they were bought out?









Well, since it's on sale...











h/t AJDShootist

Sunday Quote

GOA Addresses the Chattanooga Massacre

From the Gun Owners of America:


Gun Owners of America has been working with several congressmen on Capitol Hill to introduce legislation to repeal the gun ban on military bases.

And we have good news!  Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN) plans to introduce a bill early next week. 

And the office of Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) -- a former Marine himself -- has told GOA that he will be introducing a bill to allow military recruiters to carry firearms.

On the Senate side, GOA is working with Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) on similar legislation.
We will provide you updates as things develop.

It is imperative that this legislation get introduced and tacked on to a must-pass bill, because the sad truth is that more lives will perish if Congress does not repeal the ban on service members carrying guns.
 
“Our servicemen are sitting ducks at every military base in the country,” said GOA Director of 
Communications Erich Pratt.  “How is it that a concealed carry holder shopping at Wal-Mart has more rights than our soldiers who are also trained with firearms?”

Obviously, military bases are not the only gun-free zones that must be repealed.  So GOA is working to repeal the Gun Free School Zones Act and other gun bans.

All of these efforts are just part of the gun control “fabric” that needs to be torn apart, one piece at a time, and tossed into the trashcan of history.

We recognize that the Second Amendment protects our God-given right to own and carry firearms for protection.  But if we don’t repeal these infringements of our Second Amendment rights, then good people will end up behind bars for merely possessing guns for self-defense. 

That cannot be allowed to continue.  Stay tuned for future alerts on this matter.

ACTION: Click here and urge your Representative to become an original cosponsor of both the DesJarlais and Hunter bills. 

Please note that there are still no numbers assigned to these bills, as they are expected to be introduced next week.  However, by emailing your Congressman now, you will be helping Reps. DesJarlais and Hunter to get more original cosponsors.

We've Learned NOTHING

The base commander of Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER) in Anchorage said that he and all his airmen and soldiers are saddened by the murders of Marines in Tennessee.

And said he doesn't plan any changes in base security.

Sigh ...

There is a We the People petition now online HERE to get rid of the stupid directive put in place by Bill Clinton in 1992 that prevents the military from protecting themselves. (Thank you, Old NFO, for posting that link!)



I can't believe I even have to say these words ... in what strange parallel universe is the military disarmed??

Weird Stuff Found on Amazon

Helps you organize all that pesky loose spaghetti laying around the kitchen

Sigmund Freud action figure

Don't leave home without it. Or something.

Nose aerobics?

Inflatable toast. No, seriously.

Crazy cat lady action figure, so that Sigmund has a patient.

Fun fun fun! Amaze your friends! Annoy your visiting relatives! (Well, maybe that last one is a valid point ...)

And finally, a product to use when that plain black or white phone stand is too boring.

We Should Be Ashamed

of ourselves, for betraying a sacred trust. Whose trust?

Samuel Adams.

An important patriot of the Revolutionary period, Samuel Adams was a vocal opponent of British rule and largely responsible for the resistance that culminated in the Boston Tea Party.

Yes, that guy.  So what did he say?

The liberties of our country, the freedom of our civil constitution, are worth defending at all hazards; and it is our duty to defend them against all attacks - It will bring an everlasting mark of infamy on the present generation, enlightened as it is, if we should suffer them to be wrested from us by violence without a struggle, or be cheated out of them by the artifices of false and designing men.

So what say ye now, patriots? Anyone? Bueller?

Post #4,901: Alaskan Summer, in Pictures

All photos found here. These are just a sampling:

Grizzly catching salmon at Brooks Falls

Salmon attempting the upstream trek to their spawning grounds

Out for a hike near Girdwood

Bee gathering pollen from fireweed blossoms

Dipnetters setting out on the Kenai River

A "lake rake" clearing weeds from Lake Hood, to protect the dozens of floatplanes as they take off & land at the world's busiest floatplane "airport"

Ptarmigan, on Bird Ridge southeast of Anchorage along the Turnagain Arm

Completing the course at the Cardboard Regatta

Tourists from St. Louis braving the wildfire smoke in Fairbanks

Police Blotter: Shoulda Known Better

Assistance Rendered
Caller requested assistance unlocking a house. An officer responded and learned that the caller had a key to the house.

Public Safety
Officer confirmed that an inebriated man in the mud along the roadway was in fact capable of returning himself to his vessel. Several of his comrades agreed that taking a taxi might be a good idea.

MVA Damage
A driver who parked with his standard transmission vehicle still in gear and then got out of the driver’s seat, suddenly found his vehicle driving itself into the Alyeska Trading Store building. Damage to the building was estimated at $5000. No injuries were reported. 

PC Alcohol
Caller reported an intoxicated man lying on a trail near the Alyeska Trading Company, passed out with his genitals exposed. The man claimed to officers that he was the captain of a fishing boat but could not provide much other information. He was taken into protective custody. 

DUI
[A man], 35 yoa, was arrested for Driving under the Influence and Driving while License Suspended/Revoked after officers contacted him regarding a potentially stolen vehicle and discovered he had a revoked license and had been drinking prior to driving his borrowed vehicle. 

Traffic Crime
Caller was upset because she had loaned her vehicle to three of her comrades and nearly an hour later they had not returned. An officer responded to the caller’s residence as the suspect occupants returned, and discovered that the driver not only had no valid license but had also been drinking prior to driving home.  Charges of Permitting Unauthorized Person to Drive pending for caller [the woman], 49 yoa, who was aware that the driver had a revoked license.  

4.5 Millions Acres Consumed

Looks like we're going to set another record: largest amount of acreage destroyed by wildfires.

ANCHORAGE -
A wildfire burning near the trans-Alaska pipeline grew by about 3,200 acres overnight Sunday.

As of 11 a.m. Monday, 495 people are working to contain the Aggie Creek Fire, which has reached 31,755 acres in size according to a Monday update on the expanding blaze.

Crews had completed two and a half miles of burnout operations along the pipeline Sunday, in the vicinity of Pump Station 7, but reported no new burnouts Monday. Officials reported the fire to be 37 percent contained Monday.

The lightning-caused fire has so far cost at least $7.8 million to fight.

In addition to the Aggie Creek Fire, there are 304 active fires burning across the state which have scorched nearly 4.5 million acres. So far this year there have been 671 wildfires in Alaska, including about 300 human-caused fires.

In related news:

ANCHORAGE -
Two Anchorage residents have been charged with a variety of crimes in connection with the ignition of last month’s devastating Sockeye Fire near Willow, which destroyed dozens of homes and took weeks to contain.

A Monday statement from the Alaska Division of Forestry says 59-year-old Greg Imig and 42-year-old Amy Dewitt were charged after an investigation of the 7,220-acre fire which started on June 14.

“State forestry fire investigators determined the cause of the fire to be an illegal, escaped debris burn pile located in forested lands at a recreational cabin owned by Imig,” Forestry officials wrote. “Both Imig and Dewitt are facing a variety of charges that include three counts of reckless endangerment, criminally negligent burning, failure to obtain a burn permit, burning without clearing an area, allowing the spread of fire and leaving a fire unattended.”