So...I've been collecting various news items the past week or so and guess today is a good day to share them...
And speaking of the Capitol...the Alaska State Legislature is in its final week of the regular session. And unlike most other states - we're flush with cash. So the boiz and goils in the House and Senate are busy writing the largest capital budget in Alaska's history. Governor Parnell is making veto noises - he's running this year and has a serious primary challenge. It will be modestly interesting to see how this plays out...
As usual, the legislature is a little lite in the public speaking department. Here's the Speaker of the House justifying the porkfest:
"In the economic times that we're living in, we're concerned about jobs for Alaskans and how do we keep them working through these times. And this is one way that we're able to do that and try to get Alaskans through those times," House Speaker Mike Chenault, a Republican from Nikiski, said Monday.
Indeed. How then, should we then live then?...
Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/04/12/1222798/speaker-capital-budget-could-still.html#ixzz0l0fXNdZt
Also from the Anchorage Daily News, an article a couple of days ago describing a mishap of two mating eagles down by Homer.
An acrobatic display of passion proved too much for a pair of eagles engaged in a mating dance over Alaska's Prince William Sound.
The female bird is recovering from an injured wing and other injuries sustained when the couple slammed beak-first into a hard snowbank in what her rescuers believe was an aerial courting ritual gone awry. The male eagle died in the impact, which left the birds buried upside down at least two feet in the snow in the town of Valdez.
...
"They just lose track of what they're doing and don't know how close they are to the ground," he said. "It's raging hormones or something."
Love is in the air in bird land. In fact, I caught an abbreviated and non-fatal performance of this act out Fish Creek last week. A pair of eagles locked talons and dropped toward the water...but fortunately separated before the ker-splash.
Read more: http://www.adn.com/2010/04/09/1219914/eagle-survives-plunge-during-mating.html#ixzz0l0gvoCHz
And speaking of critters, a very amusing story in the LA Times Travel Section last week regarding the deer of Nara, Japan. These deer are "sacred" and pretty much have the run of the place:
You are likely to meet one as soon as you step off the train, and you will also find them walking the streets and inside the stores, shops and restaurants. Although the local people are used to them, it may take a little adjusting for the casual visitor to feel at ease because their sacred status has made the deer of Nara aggressive.Finally, from the April 10, Times of London:
They may join you in an elevator or inside a public restroom. If they cross the street, the cars will stop and the local police will hold up traffic until they are clear.
The city's main occupation seems to be feeding the thousands of deer, and there are signs and vendors everywhere, not to mention vending machines, as well as countless movable carts, all selling shika senbei, or deer crackers. At the vending machines the deer will push you aside to get at the chute, and they flock to the carts where they can overwhelm the unwary. They will push and head butt, nibble on one's clothes and, as my wife found out, eat a woman's purse in their pursuit of food.
While I was trying to photograph them, two chewed on my camera while another removed the keys from my jacket pocket and chewed them into uselessness. I watched them eat food and the wrappers it came in, plastic, paper -- you name it. When a Nara deer begins to eat, nothing stands in its way.
When my wife and I tried to have a small picnic on a park bench, the deer mobbed us and took our sandwiches and drank our sodas. But they are not ungrateful. Most of them have learned to bow after receiving a treat, as is the local custom. Bowing to show respect is a way of life in Japan, but only in Nara will you see people bowing to deer and the deer bowing back.
For thirsty brewery workers, it was probably the worst ban in the world. Hundreds of Carlsberg employees walked out when managers removed their right to drink free beer during the day.You mean I have to stay sober all morning? Doh!
Lorry drivers also joined the lightning strike in sympathy even though their long-standing right to three bottles a day was not touched.
The workers said that they were demonstrating their anger at a lack of consultation before beer was removed from fridges around the plants at Fredericia in mainland Denmark and Høje Taastrup near Copenhagen.
But Carlsberg insisted it would not reverse its decision to scrap the 163-year-old tradition that its workers could enjoy free beers throughout the day, imposing a new policy of drinking only at lunchtime.
In personal news, Leah called yesterday with the very good news that she has been hired by an insurance company - with a decent salary, benefits, and the whole nine yards. She was quite pleased - as she should be. Portland is still brutal for twenty-somethings looking for work. And employers can be mighty choosy...Leah had to "pass" a criminal background check, a ten-year work history check, provide numerous references and so forth. WAY TO GO, LEAH!!!!
Meanwhile 'Manda had a great weekend at the folk festival and yesterday started working part-time at Annie Kails. She's still feeling a mite ragged with the crud - but is on the mend and was going to rest-up last evening. As soon as we both feel better we'll meet-up for supper. And she's interested in doing some hiking the next nice day.
Well, guess I'll get dressed... Gonna be a long day, I'm afraid... I'm tempted to go walk on the treadmill at the Club; but that would probably not be well received by the other patrons. We'll see.
Later gang...
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