Rungs in the ladder.

Well, I used to say that nothing in politics surprises me. However;my surprise at the current entry into the circus is conflicted. I am not sure which is the greater upset for me, that Sarah was picked, or that she accepted.
I mean, I actually believed that she had our states best interest in heart when I voted for her. I understood she was ambitious and could be a tough as nails when needed, thats what I liked.
The blogs are alive with rosy and not so; spins on this turn of events. Terry over at Rogue Wave is definitely not happy. The Devils Club has an excellent post as does Fireweed at Arctic Brainfreeze. Art Vandelay has written volumes and I am not sure if he is caught up in the Palin glamor or not. I do know that Ish over at the KoKon is , but he always has been.
My spin is this. This is a time when our state needs strong, honest leadership. There is a lot coming down the pike and we Alaskans need a good leader at the wheel. We had that and now we are losing it. We are facing the very real possibility of needing to find a new governor and Lt. governor in the middle of a critical period for this state.
So now what? Do we sit back and hope they don't make the cut, then welcome them home with gratitude and fervor? I say NO! I don't give a rat's ass about all the good they will do for our state in their new positions. Sure, Sean could end up in a role where he could make a difference, but Sarah? Face it folks the VP has a lot less influence than a congressman or senator down in D.C.
The right thing to do was for Palin to put a check on her avaricious political ambitions, let Sean make a run at it, and look out for us. Whose gonna mind the store while these two wannabe's are on the campaign trail? The next few months of campaigning will absorb the majority of their time and leave little left over for the state they purported to love.
Face it folks, we were just rungs on Sarah's ladder to somewhere else. As for Sean, well I think your move , at the time made sense, but now you have been overshadowed by the Palinator.
Too bad, your new job would have had direct impact on the policies that affect out great state, not so much for your bosses. Maybe Sarah has already written your chances off and figures you can run things in her absence, maybe she doesn't care either way.
How about this? Sarah step down as governor now, and focus on the next achievement in your life. Let Sean step up and do his best. If you don't make it to VP then you can come home and wait for the next election round to regain your seat in Juneau. Or are you a "cake and eat it too" girl?
My feelings om Ms. Palin,s attitude are easily summed up by quoting the title of one of my favorite books,(by Douglas Adams), "So Long and Thanks For All the Fish".
I will post more later on our neighborhoods politics, but for now I am heading out into the sun and bake of this dirty, used feeling I am left with.
Do the right thing ya'll, even when it ain't easy.
Peace
Griff

Tourists

Ok this is what the bears chillin' out in the Flats look like.
So now every time you get the urge to sprint out here and block the highway while you take pictures, or risk the lives of your families as they run back and forth across the road,(the speed limit is 55 BTW), just look at these and stay home!
Better yet, print these, and put them in your pocket. That way you can gaze in wonder at the magnificent beasts while you wait in line at the KFC/Taco Bell thing.
If you insist on driving out to watch the critters at least park in the parking areas and when your done mosey down the road and throw some of that town money around at Java Flats or the Rondy.
Sorry if I sound a little put off, but some of us actually live out here and have places to go and things to do. Sitting around while the person in front of you stops their car in the middle of the road to chat about the cute little omnivores, gets old after three or four times.
Oh yeah, theres a new Island blogger on the scene, check out Fireweed.
Drive sensible ya'll and think about the other person.
Peace
Griff

I started the day off in a good mood, but...........

What the hell?
Do those literary geniuses at our local fishwrap ever proof read anything Lorna writes? I have never agreed with the Arndt matriarchs style of prose and she is certainly entitled to an opinion, but for a public forum to print her scything commentary every time she submits it is irresponsible; at best.
I can see it now. Tropical storm Lorna enters the senior editors office with her latest offering to the opinion section. She sets it down and, shaking her poison pen in the editors face , threatens to reveal one of the deep dark secrets she has if they don't print her latest tirade. The associate editors stand ,trembling in the corner, for fear of attracting her attention.
OK; probably not true, but what else could possibly explain the fact that everything she writes ends up in print? The editor of the Mirror screens a lot of good material out of the opinion section, so well in fact the majority of us have quit trying and now have blogs with which to rant.
Disagree? Think about this, our community and our country are in the middle of political changes, economic turmoil, and BTY we are at war. So what is the thought provoking poll in the latest edition? It concerns cosmetic surgery.
I challenge the mirror; if ya'll can't rub your collective brain cells together long enough to actually give off a creative spark and ask questions that matter, then add another choice to the poll. Let the answers include a face lift for the Kodiak Daily (oneway) Mirror.
Perhaps that answer scares you more than the disapproval of Mrs. Arndt.
For my handful of faithful readers, I would apologize for sounding pissed off, but I am.
Ish and Art V.; keep it up I love your stuff.
Ask hard questions, and expect real answers.
Peace ya'll
Griff

Where does the time go?

This pic is for Art V.

15 days since my last post? That also means 15 days since I have visited the varied blogs I enjoy so much.
Yup, I was on the road again and I am happy to be back. As I traveled about our state I was amazed at two things. The amount of former Kodiakans I ran into and the number of mainlanders who had wonderful comments about our little isle.
Living here I should not be amazed at any positive commentary, it was just surprising to run into so many people who have been here. I am grateful for both the comments and the fact that they all didn't move over here.
I got to fly on what of the new micro planes that ERA purchased, and while I appreciate the nostalgic feeling that flying with my knees around my chin and looking over the pilots shoulder, for the price of the ticket a little leg room and a snack would have been nice. As for snacks; I flew over on the jet, in the afternoon, and all they offered was a water, orange juice, and a teeny bag containing about five micro-pretzels. What's up with that? I hope the three dollars they saved on that flight gives them a comfortable buffer zone to pad the millions they have made this season.
Good news is that after I got of the flight my bags were actually already on the turnstile. Although this was probably due to the extra time it takes for the copilot/flight attendant to help revive the several passengers who knocked themselves unconscious when they foolishly tried to stand upright, it was nice to have my luggage waiting on me for a change.
So next, after assuring my wife that my knee would eventually straighten out, we headed out the the Flats; Java Flats that is, for a great Cup o' Joe and the best Breakfast Burrito I have ever had.
Anyways, it is good to be home and catch up on whats been going on. The Kokon has been keeping on top of things and BTY Ish, Congrats on the 100,000 hits! Mr. Vandelay over at Al-Anon has been keeping busy and is still a pleasure to peruse.
I must catch up on all the intrigue and shenanigans that have taken place in my absence, but i did hear that there some new assembly candidates in the wings.
Feel free to quote me on this.
I WILL VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE THAT OPPOSES OSWALT OR ABELL.
Providing they are not a felon, pedophile, religious extremest, or related to the any member of the triad.
Do a good thing today folks;, but not for yourself.
Peace
Griff

What are you gonnna settle for?

I love election years!
I would like to say all the current political intrigue surprises me, but it doesn't. Teflon Ted is under the spotlight, The Don is circling his wagons, Saucy Sarah is getting her first taste of public disapproval and the borough has settled with that miscreant trio of dissidents.
I might not like the idea of the borough settlement much, but it does make financial sense. By my calculations the total cost of this adventure has cost the tax payers over six figures. Best to end it now and save our money.
As for Ted, Don , and Sarah, I am holding my judgments for later. I urge all my fellow citizens to do the same.
Never forget that the majority of this country does not understand the causes and problems of our great state. There is also a certain amount resentment harbored towards a state that many see as abundant in resources, scenery, and capital funding wind falls. Couple that with a population that loves a good media blitz as much as the Romans loved the coliseum and there is bound to a lot of negative press.
What I am saying is this. Do not let media hype convince you of what is right or wrong. Listen to both sides, seek to find the middle, (where the truth usually hides), and draw your own conclusions.
I am not a huge fan of Ted or Don anymore. However, I am not convinced that they are guilty of any more than any one of their mud slinging colleagues are.
This year we must make some serious decisions at the polls. Are you going to vote your conscience, are you going to vote your party line, or are you going to vote the path of least resistance?
This year we must decide if all the good that the incumbents have brought to our state is outweighed by their controversial and possibly criminal behavior. Like it or not, their actions reflect on the ethics and moral image of all Alaskans. Face it if you run on a program of moral and ethical superiority then you will be held to the standards you tout. If not, well I think President Clinton showed us the other side of that coin.
Locally we will have the power to remove two of the money seeking dissidents from the assembly by not voting for them, but will you have the conviction to do so? Will it be easier to vote the status quo, or even not vote at all?
I mean if the the mail shows up, and the trash gets picked up then the majority of the populace seems to settle for who ever the rest of us vote in. Sad but true. It is Apathy, not terrorists, or the economy that is eating away the foundation of our great nation.
So I guess the question is this. When you step into the voting booth this fall, what are you gonna settle for?
I will end this rant with my favorite e-mail quote of the week
The real reason that we can't have the Ten Commandments in courthouse........
You cannot post "Thou Shalt Not Steal," "Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery" and "Thou Shall Not Lie" in a building full of lawyers, judges and politicians --
it creates a hostile work environment.
Peace
Griff