THERE They Are!

I don't see a bucket of steam or a smoke-shifter, though.

Mysteries, Answers, and More

I realize that not everyone who visits this little corner of the cortex will want to watch this, but there are some fascinating and wonderful Christian revelations here. I encourage you to watch it, even if it takes several sessions to see it all. (And it's okay to skip the commercials for Rabbi Cahn's books, etc.)

Mysterious Mysteries & Budget Woes

You remember a story I mentioned, about a guy found beaten and bloody? Police and medical personnel first thought he had been stabbed. Then they decided it was a bear, but the injuries weren't consistent with bite or claw marks. Then they opined that perhaps it was a stomping attack from a young moose.

The plot thickens: now it's possible that he was beaten with a hammer or some other type of tool. A witness reports seeing the guy leave home with an unidentified second man. A couple of hours later, the victim was found unconscious, and doctors say he may never speak again.

* * * * *

Alaska, like many of the other oil-producing States, watches its budget deficit grow. The Governor first proposed budget cuts, but promptly announced that "we can't cut our way out of this." So then he duly proposed several draconian measures to stem the tide of red ink, but the Legislature refuses to do anything at all.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not a fan of most of the things the Governor proposed: an income tax, a sales tax, and allowing the State to dip into the oil revenue savings account, which is specifically ear-marked as belonging to the residents of the State. A small percentage of said savings are divvied out to the residents each year, after they've been here for awhile.

But the Governor is a good modern-day politician ... that is to say, neither terribly reliable nor particular innovative, relying on traditional liberal tax-and-spend policies instead of budget cuts.

So the Legislature stonewalls his proposals, and now - in their second consecutive "special session" - refuses to do much of anything at all.

The local fishwrapper decries the whole mess, of course, and declares that the deficit will continue to grow. It's probably one of the few predictions they've made in recent times which will come true.

Police Blotter: It's Spooky

Cue the spooky music...

Suspicious Person/Activity
Two Alaska Ship Supply employees reported hearing footsteps - of a person, not a bird - on the roof of the store building. Officers responded but found nobody on the roof and no clear indication that anybody had been there.


Alarms
Officers investigated a vacant building at which an alarm had been activated, and found signs that a squatter(s) had gained entry to the building at some point in the recent past. Building management was notified.

Suspicious Person/Activity
Officer noted signs of recent activity and/or occupancy at a house that should be vacant. No persons were found in or around the secured premises. 

Traffic Crime
Flagger reported a driver had continued past her, ignoring her signal to stop. Officers were unable to identify or locate the suspect driver.

Welfare Check
Driver reported a woman walking in the middle of the roadway, in an area with blind curves. An officer responded but found no pedestrians in the area. 


Suspicious Person/Activity
Officers responded to the home of a woman who found her back door open after her dog’s barking woke her. The woman stated she always locks her door. Officers observed no one in the area.

Mysterious deaths of Gulf of Alaska whales trigger stepped-up investigation

Yereth Rosen, Alaska Dispatch News

August 20, 2015

 

Bears feeding on the carcass of a fin whale in Larson Bay, near Kodiak, on June 13, 2015. NOAA photo

A mysterious die-off of large whales in the Gulf of Alaska is now classified as an “unusual mortality event,” elevating the official response, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Thursday.

The deaths were first discovered in late May, when carcasses of endangered fin whales were found floating near Kodiak. Since then, the toll has increased, and now totals 30 whales -- 11 fin whales, 14 humpbacks, one gray whale and four unidentified cetaceans, NOAA said Thursday.

Go here for the whole article.

Mysterious Odor: Solved?

We think the strange odor may have been coming from a capped waste line in the space above the dropped ceiling. The HVAC technician said the line wasn't as tightly capped as it might have been, and addressed that issue. Monday will prove if he was correct.

And with that, I'm so gone, I wasn't even here. Ta!

Bleg: Mysterious Mysteries of Mystery

One of my tenants has a problem: a strange odor manifests around lunchtime, smelling like ... well, like cooked broccoli. (I know. Deal.)

We can't figure out the source of the, um, aroma, and no one in any adjoining space is heating anything that would produce such a smell ... especially not every single day.

I have the HVAC people sending over a tech with an air sniffer to see if it's anything dangerous.

I know my readers are a clever bunch, so whaddya say? Any ideas?

Regarding the NDAA...

Neither Alaska senator voted on the Act at all. But why?

Readers are invited to tell me what they think about that.



UPDATE:  Okay, so no one else cares about this. Moving on ...