"Hey, Uncle Ted! How about earmarking a bit of pork for me!"

I am big enough to admit it when I am wrong. Seeing as how no one is around, it is easy to admit that my prediction about Fabulous Frank Murkowski winning the Republican Primary was wrong. Very wrong. He finished a distant third with about 18% of the vote. Sarah Palin was the clear winner with somewhere around 51%, and John Binkley with 30%. There were too many missteps by Murkowski in the past couple of years: the jet airplane, the discontinuation of the longevity bonus, his secretive negotiations with the Sisters for a gas line, etc. That BP was forced to shut down a large portion of its Prudhoe oil field in the week leading up to the election didn't help his cause either.

I am not going to predict the out come of the Knowles vs Palin contest at this point. It will be interesting to see the sprint to November.

There were a couple of ballot measures that managed to pass. One delt with reforming lobbying practices in Juneau. It was hard to see how it would have had any appreciable effect other that to punish the part time lobbists who have day jobs.

The second measure imposed a $50 tax on cruise-ship passengers. Buried in the text was a provision that requires environmental compliance officers aboard some cruise ships and allows individuals to bring suits against the cruise companies for environmental damages. I suppose that this is intended to encourage "participation" in the regulatory process but it smacks of a full employement-act for lawyers. After all isn't that what Alaska Department of Environmental Compliance for? To police, monitor and enforce compliance? Of course, the state also was supposed to be watching BP as well. Hmmm. More bad timing?

What is the most troubling about measure 2, is the latent hypocrisy that it exposes in Alaskan voters. Alaskans stand proudly on their soap boxes and declare that taxes are an abomination; anti-American; anti-freedom; legalized theft; you know the mantra. But apparently taxes are alright when they are imposed on someone else; Corollary: Big government is bad unless it benefits me!

Primary Election Day

Tomorrow is election day here is the Great Land-

No shortage of idiots this year but it essentially boils down to a race between Frank Murkowski and Sarah Pallin during the primary this year. The other serious candidate on the Republican side of the ticket, John Binkley can't seem to gain much traction.

The winner (I predict Frank "The Machine" Murkowski) will face Tony Knowles in the General Election come November. If Murkowski can't produce something that resembles a pipeline contract, I'll expect that the voters will show him the door.

John Binkley (Republican)
http://www.binkley06.com

Eddie Burke (Alaskan Independence)

Walter Francis Christolear (Democrat) - WITHDRAWN

Eric Croft (Democrat)
http://www.ericcroft.com

Daniel DeNardo (Alaskan Independence)

Candidate's web site:

http://www.heikesontherock.com

Merica Hlatcu (Republican)

Tony Knowles (Democrat)

http://TonyKnowles.com

Bruce J. Lemke (Democrat)

Dan J. Levesque (Republican) - DENIED -

David M. Massie (Green)

http://www.palinforgovernor.com

Brad Snowden (Republican)- DENIED

William S. "Billy" Toien (Libertarian)
-->
Don R. Wright (Alaskan Independence)

Good Taste

Hard to argue with Kims choices

http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/tos/single/9677/

Be sure and check out his Department of Righteous Shootings for the latest good-guys win.

http://www.theothersideofkim.com/index.php/tos/9679/

Waaaa Waaaa

Waaaa Waaaa Waaaa...there are less gay characters on TV. Big deal.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060822/ap_en_tv/tv_gay_characters

On the one hand it doesn't matter and should matter, on the other, professional whiners are keeping track.

Nicole Kidman denounces Hezbolla

Yes, it is true! Well at least 85 Hollywood types. You aren't likely to see this in the dead tree media:

http://curmudgeonlyskeptical.blogspot.com/2006/08/haters-and-hollywood-kidman.html

Other notable signatories: Sylvester Stallone, James Woods, Pat Sajak, Bruce Willis!

Thank you you one and all for having courage.

Wait a minute, I'll bet this is a Karl Rove plot!

Quote of the Day

This is probably the most concise statement of the difference between the liberals and conservatives that I have seen is several months

"..this is clear, Liberal Democrats do not take the dangerous threats we face seriously...
sorry, but they are busy waging war on Wallmart, this President, and Republicans...
it is really getting sick to stomach..."

Posted in the comments section of Captain's Quarters by reader Brooklyn (http://www.captainsquartersblog.com/mt/archives/007829.php#comments)

Powerlineblog (http://powerlineblog.com/archives/015041.php) provides a much more detailed analysis from a legal perspective. It is well worth the read!

Jimmy Carter: Treasonous Whore.

I just finished reading the Der Spiegel interview with Jimmy Carter. Once again this craven, spineless whore has spoken yet again, against the United States. In my opinion Carter is guilty of treason. He has to run over seas. Coward!


TITLE 18 > PART I > CHAPTER 115 > § 2381

§ 2381. Treason

Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States.

Jimmy Carter: Treasonous Whore

Thot for the Day

More Mike Adams

"Bringing American professors to laughter is nearly as tough as bringing American feminists to orgasm. It’s a theoretical possibility that is seldom achieved without a workshop."

"Men are fully capable of masturbating without taking a seminar. For men, it’s a natural talent. For campus feminists, it’s another excuse to seek funding from the university administration."

Christmas Shopping

Yep. I am still pondering the the bear gun issue. I can realistically afford only one or maybe two firearms over then next year so I am having to be careful about what I am considering. Assuming that I do actually drop the cash for the 629, I still see a few holes in my collection.


It is a little early to begin really worrying about the Christmas season but just in case, I thought that I would drop a few hints in the off chance that Santa actually read this blog. Springfield Armory really hit what I think is going to be a home run with it XD series. It's accuracy is better than acceptable and being that it's .45 it packs more than ample punch to drop even the most committed goblin.


As long as I am dreaming I should toss out this for Santas review. Also from the craftsmen at Springfield. The legendary M1A in functional and readily available .308 caliber. Springfiled also sells this with all sorts of whistles and bells but I like the classic version just fine. With a 20 round box magazine it seems the perfect.

I spent a portion of this spring working at the Bangor Submarine Base. In addition to the usual collection of M-16's, a number of the security personnel carried the M1-A. Including one of the cutest strawberry blondes that you would ever want to see.

Homeschooling

The Baron at Gates of Vienna (http://gatesofvienna.blogspot.com/) has a Carnival of Homeschooling nearly every week. This edition features a woman who is forced to come up with a politically correct way of explaining just why she homeschools to a social(ist) worker. I think that she does a pretty good job.

Computer Issues

I am now getting a little pop up in the lower corner of my screen that tells be that I might have a "counterfeit" verson of Windows XP. Click here to resolve? Is this another shake down from Bill Gate and company? I always start having problems when I try to intstall Yahoo Messenger. I have install and uninstalled that blasted piece of software at least a dozen times over the last couple of years and everytime, EVERYTIME, it sucks up all of my virtual memory and all of the resources. My CPU runs at 100% and I get the "Virtual Memory too Low" message. My kids both run YM and I find it an easy way to say hello or help them with homework, but unless I can find a simple solution, it ain't ever going back on my machine.

Mike Adams

One of my favorite quotes for the always funny Dr. Adams:

"Like Marxism, liberalism is not really a political philosophy. Instead, it is a state of arrested emotional development. It is a way of thinking, which leads to no place in the real world. It is a place existing only in the imagination."

Defenders Creed

My previous post reminded me of the Defenders Creed which I have kept in one of my "interesting" files. I don't recall where I found it nor do I have a clue as to the author.

Defenders Creed

• I accept and understand that human predators exist. Criminal or terrorist, they take advantage of our civilized society to prey upon the weak. They represent evil and must be confronted and defeated.
  
  I believe that self-defense is a moral imperative, and that illegitimate force and illegal violence must be met with righteous indignation and superior violence.
  
  I will not rely on others for the security of myself, my family and my community.
  
  I proudly proclaim that I run with a like-minded pack. I do not amble through life with the mind-numbed herd.
  
  I will train with my chosen weapons, maintain them and carry them in a condition of readiness at all times.
  
  I will be mentally prepared and physically equipped to effectively respond to an attack or emergency.
  
  I will constantly test myself against realistic standards to discover my strengths and weaknesses. I will turn weakness into strength.
  
  I will seek to learn new skills and techniques, and then teach what I have learned to other members of the pack.
  
  Be it with firearm or blade, empty hand or blunt object, I will hit my enemies hard, fast and true.
  I will live a quiet and unobtrusive life, but I will develop and retain the capacity for swift and decisive violence.
  
  I recognize that I am the modern equivalent of the traditional Minuteman, and that I may be called to service at any time against heavily armed enemies. I will respond effectively.
  
  I accept that I am a pariah among some of my countrymen, and a quaint anachronism to others. I will not hold their ignorance against them.
  
  I will win, or die trying.
  
  I swear this creed before God, my family and my fellow citizens.
  
  Author Unknown
  
  Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. (Psalms 144:1)

On the Passing of a Family Member and Firearms

I morn the passing of my mother in law, Carolyn. She passed very unexpectedly last Friday from a heart attack. Is is survived by four children, 13 grandchildren and 2 greatgrandchildren. She is to be burried in Covington, LA on Wednesday. She will be sorely missed. Although we didn't have a lot in common other than my wife and three grandchildren she was an easy person to like. She had a great love of horses and for all living things. May she rest in peace.

Despite her decidedly liberal tendancies and disdain for the NRA, I learned today that she infact had a Concelled Carry Weapons permit and was armed nearly everytime she left the house. Amazing. My wife and I have talked on occasion about her getting a permit. Although we live in a state where thankfully the state allow you to exercise your second amendment rights with minimal interference from the state, I still would like her to take the course and get the paper if for no other reason than ensure her confidence. In all honesty I could probably do just fine teaching her if she wasn't my wife. And she wasn't left handed. And she wasn't so hard headed (some times). But I do probably have some habits that I might pass along. The local range offers courses a few time a year if there is sufficient demand. A "supportive environment" is the popular term.

What brought this interest in firearms on was an incident with a friend of ours. Apparently they had an attempted break in at their house while she was at home with her small children. She dutifully summed the law enforcement. She managed to scare the would be burglar off while awaiting the arrival of the troopers. Something like 20 minutes later the State Trooper arrived which as they told her, was a very short response time. These aren't people that live in the bush, but never the less fairly remote. We are even more remote with our nearest neighbor is only a hundred yards away or so but, he is very hard of hearing; other neighbors aren't even visible except for night in the winter months when the foliage is down. The fact that we live in an isolated area makes the potential unnoticed break-ins much higher.

The second reason for firearms is the possibility of bears. So far we haven't been the victim of a bear ransaking our trash but it can happen. My .300 winchester magnum is more than a match of a bear but it is a little awkward hauling it out everytime I take the trash to the barrels or up to the road for collection. So I am shopping for a bear gun. The Alaska standard is the Ruger .44 magnum; the more affluent opt for the S&W 629 or mountain gun. The more manly Alaskan might choose the .454 Casull. There are other revolvers to be sure but you really can't beat a .44 in bear country. Buds Gun Shop (www.budsgunshop.com) has a 629 listed at $604 which is much better than even Wally World but by the time I pay transfer fees it would be more than a wash.

One of the better writers about firearms and firearms related issues is Kim Du Toit (www.theothersideofkim.com). Kim has an encyclopedic knowledge of firearms and is a very practical source of information.

News of the Week

My week has been one fire fighting at work and I am happy it is over. It is a pretty sad state of affairs when you start wishing 5/7th of your life away. Work: The necessary evil. I was unemployed for the month of May following being RIF'd from a firm with which I had been for about 14 years. Thankfully I had seen it coming and was prepared financially. The local office for this Lousiana based engineering firm is struggling under the weight of poor management and baggage carried by its staff. Until this year I was able to keep busy by finding my own work through connections that I have within the company. Unfortunately the jobs that I was able to get required a great deal of travel and I was tired of being on the road and away from my family. I spent a month last fall working a disaster recovery center in Orange, Texas. My employer had a contract with FEMA.

Initially I was a little shocked by being sacked and in fact probably have a pretty good wrongful termination case, but on the other hand, the time off was nice and I was able to finish several projects that had gone undone during the times away from home. Life is all together to short to carry a grudge. Screw 'em. I am done.

Arapahoe Rescue Patrol

Long ago in a town far from here I was a member of a youth organization whose mission was providing mountain search and services to the front range of Colorado. In addition to supporting serch and rescue, these high school students also provided support to the local fire and law enforcement. It is hard to imagine but it is more than 50 years since this organization was formed. In 2007 the Arapahoe Rescue Patrol will be celebrating 50 years of service to the community. You can get more information at: http://www.arapahoe-rescue-patrol.com/. I am unofficially trying to make contact with members from the early 1970's. So if you were a member, please contact me at yatalli 'at' yahoo 'dot' com.

Don Young

The three most terrifying words that an Alaskan will ever hear: "Ted is dead". Senator Ted Stevens will probably go down in history as one of the greatest budget porksters of all time. Lesser know is our single representative, Don Young who is no slacker in porking up a budget. Don has remained in the showdows of Uncle Ted until recently with the "Bridges to Nowhere" and Bridges to Almost Nowhere earmarked pork.

For the next month or so, as time permits, the Fishhook Council will focus on the accomplishments of Don "Bridges" Young.

Tough Weekend

This past weekend I joined my son and heir (apparent) joined six of his buddies on a hike in the Hatcher Pass area of the Talkeetna Mountains. Once, a very long time ago, I was a pretty damn good boulder hopper. Even with a full pack. This trip proved that time takes it toll. Bruises and a jammed left thumb were the result of a couple of days hiking, climbing, and scrambling up the reaches of Fairangel Creek. Some of the prettiest and most accessable country in Alaska. Not that I am complaining. Any day out of doors beats a day in the office.

The big news in these parts was the announcement that BP is shutting down its Prudhoe Bay field. BP operates the field for its sisters: ConocoPhillips and ExxonMobile. BP has a history of neglecting maintainance in lieu of risk management. The strategy backfired in the worst sort of way. A series of small spills and leaks over the past winter brought their neglect to the attention of regulators. They are now under a self imposed shut-down until they can repair the flow lines. I say "self imposed" but in reality they could probably see the writing on the wall. If they didn't I am pretty sure that either the state or the federal regulators would have stepped in and done the deed for them. Not only are "out" revenue against their share of some 400,000 bbls of crude oil at a time that crude prices are at a peak, they have also cut into the revenue streams of their sisters, greatly impacted the revenue base of the State of Alaska as well as placing further pressure on the price of crude oil. In the giant scheme of things, 400K barrels isn't that all that much world wide but perception is everything in the market place. Reports of a several month shut down are probably on the mark. Winter is not a good time to be working replacing pipelines or cleaning up spilled crude. The environmental consulting firms have got to be licking their chops.

To their credit, they did issue an apology.

Other news was the passing of Susan Butcher -the great dog musher and mulitple Iditarod Race winner- to cancer. She was an icon and the state morns her passing.

What Folks Are Talking About

Wondering what to write about...hmmmm what ever are people talking about here? The state wide issues are 1) natural gas pipeline. The Govenor is offering a contract the he negotiated with the three sisters to build a gas pipe line from the northslope to Valdez; 2) Changing the oil and gas tax structure as a part of the pipeline proposal; 3) fishing has slowed awaiting the second run of the red salmon and hunting season is coming; 4) The state announced the Permanent Fund Dividend (PFD) is expected to be better than last year. Inital estimates are $1200 to $1400, which is good! For the record, I'll lay odds that the cost of a round trip to Hawaii and lodging for a week, from Anchorage will run right at $1,000 to $1,200 come late fall or early winter. Funny how that works.

I'll submitt the above topics to the Council and see if we can reach a consensus.

Dental Times

I spent this afternoon sitting in the dentists office while my eldest daughter visited the good doctor. This is a newer practice and fortunately he had newer magazines! Not the some-time-in-last-year new, but actually this month AND this week, sorta new. /Newsweek/ and /People/! I am informed! Christy Brinkly is seperated from Peter Cock (what a name, eh?). Which pisses me off. After she and Billy Joel split I thought I was the next. Kidman married Urbane. Ophra is not gay. Lance Bass is gay. Do they really think that anyone really gives a rats ass one way or another? Frankly, what offends me isn't who they sleep with -except in the case of Christie and Billy Joel-it is self adulation. Is it only me or are gays that self-absorbed? The pretty boy mentality? Or, jumping the shark.

It is still Tuesday and

Castro is still alive. Let's hope for a better tomorrow, shall we?

It is only Tuesday

I am convinced that Einstien was wrong: Time is not constant! Time accelerates once you have children. I still am wondering where the summer has gone. Moose season is less than a month away and my to-do list is still two pages long. My son and heir (apparent) are planning a backpacking trip into the Talkeetna Mountains this weekend so another weekend of chores is thusly avoided.