How to Shatter the Glass Ceiling With Good Looks!!

Anyone with half a brain can see that the whole Sarah Palin phenomena underscores one simple fact: good looks will get you far baby!!
The simplicity of this factoid has been reflected in numerous Saturday Night Live skits--how less beautiful accomplished ladies have to fight, work and work some more, while an exceptionally pretty one can sail along on the breeze of good looks. It's no secret that in Alaska, our Sarah was elected by many a man who simply stated they voted for the "hot one".
Thus the secret is out: any articulate and sassy woman can break through the proverbial "glass ceiling" simply by avoiding ugliness.
The irony of this simplicity is that two other pretty ladies were actually instrumental in bringing down Sarah P's popularity--Katie Couric and Tina Fey...No man would have been brave enough.

Let's Blame Wal-Mart for the Economic Woes

Ok, so I put a few common sense factoids together and came to the conclusion, that essentially Wal-Mart can be blamed for the common Americans sense that the economy is faltering.
Before the "economic mortgage-driven" crisis, most Americans already claimed they felt an economic pinch. The press likes to talk about "the economy, worries about the economy" blah, blah--but often don't articulate what that actually means to a middle class American.
Scanning a few recent interviews--you can easily see that most Americans (before the mortgage nonsense) cited their biggest concern was fuel prices. Cost of gasoline, heat and then general goods rising, because of those costs.

After scanning some newspaper articles, one can easily stumble upon the general info that one of the main reasons that our gasoline is so expensive (and now has come down a bit in price) is due to the demand in China. Now why is demand up in China?? Well their economy is growing & manufacturing is up. Who is growing China's economy? Well the average American addicted to cheap Chinese goods from Wal-Mart, that's who. Wal-Mart loves China and as long as nobody is checking their labels or buying American made, why do they even bother worrying about gas prices? Not to mention when companies are forced to move to other nations to remain competitive....What comes around, goes around.

Rinnai 1004F compared to Toyo Laser73

I wanted to throw my opinion out there about this obscure topic (but very important in Alaska) simply because I haven't seen much written about it, even on the vast Internet....
Simply stated, the Toyo stove and Rinnai are similar units--stoves or "mini-furnaces" that produce enough forced air heat to comfortably heat a small home.
The primary difference is that your Toyo is powered by heating oil (diesel) and the Rinnai is a propane or natural gas system. Needless to say, everyone preferred oil up to a few years ago-and that's mostly because of cost.
Now these two units cost about the same brand new and the energy used to run them is equal as well. So the other pros and cons???? Well there are quite a few die hard Toyo enthusiasts up here and I mean big time enthusiasts who would sell their first born before criticizing a Toyo stove. I can somewhat see why as the benefits are: reliable workhorse, pretty efficient, puts out the heat and we loved the programmable options. However, a badly insulated house will still run up your oil bill past $1,000 per season at today's prices. (speaking from experience)
The main cons that I have to say are: the thing produces some exhaust, which always managed to seep back into our home. The other problem is that a 10 year old unit starts gunking up and having a few maintenance issues--like possible leaky valves, seals, etc.. mostly resulting in diesel odor, but a worse case scenario could be a hazard. Needless to say--a new Toyo shouldn't have that.
So we just switched over to a Rinnai 1004F (with propane). Basically in anticipation of it becoming more cost-effective and less stinky (yet the Toyo crowd has scolded us for this move). So with one month of the Rinnai, here are the pros I have seen: no more exhaust smell (!), really fast, forceful heat production and cool to the touch. The cons are there too: it is a bit louder than the Toyo, and sometimes mysteriously whistles. I also believe it has a somewhat drier heat, and thus comes with a vaporizer which constantly needs to be filled (but that's not a big deal). It's too bad our unit doesn't have a computerized thermostat, so each morning we have to switch it back up.
Needless to say, we are very happy with the Rinnai, mostly because our Toyo had become a stinky little guy and we are glad to be oil free. I honestly don't know what the new cost breakdown will be--but we'll see at the end of the winter!

Where Will They Go???

I have to admit, I am extremely pessimistic that everyone in the world can not achieve an American middle class sustainable existence without significant resource depletion. I know there are those nutty optimists out there who think you can just plug everyone's car in, put solar panels on skyscrapers and be done with it.
Be it my negative nature, but I just don't see it working. Western societies are currently labeled "success stories". But they are where they are by being resource hogs. Face it, by global standards, Americans have large houses, use tons of water, drive too much, fill their homes with disposable wooden furniture and then blast the AC. You can't just reverse this type of lifestyle. Nor can you convince the MILLIONS and MILLIONS of citizens of the developing world that this is no good.
Are we going to tell the Chinese they can't heat their homes, drive cars? India can't build lavish subdivisions? That a sound economy isn't based on BUILDING MORE and more and more....."
In Alaska, everyone screams bloody murder if their right to "develop" land is somehow infringed. Majority of folks want to plow down the trees and place a "beautiful" huge house there instead. Needless to say, then the bears wander around the new suburbs, freak everyone out, then get shot.
There just isn't enough room on this earth for the animals, trees and people. Of course, so many people say---so what? I don't need no polar bear, I got Vegas and a Ford Taurus.
I don't even know how to articulate that I need those wild places and animals, not even to see them--just to know they are there...
The most I can hope for is to be proved wrong!

In Defense of Elitism

It's pretty obvious that the dirty word of this political season is "Elitist". As in "elitist candidate", "elitist media"and so on.....
Well the definition of elite is to be the best. So being the best is now not politically correct?? Fears of being an elitist should make us all into Budweiser swigging, TV watching, chip chomping couch potatoes?? I don't get this new form of quasi-socialism perpetuated by the Republican party. (The former elitists)
Eating an interesting veggie, say arugula, instead of iceberg lettuce makes you elitist. Why- because it has more vitamins?? Then a friend of mine called me elitist in reference to my opinion that a political candidate should go to a top notch university. Again, a better education is somehow snobby. We should all be drop outs then.
I'm certain that one of the reasons the Europeans don't understand Americans is this strange cultural socialism. That we all want to be Joe six-pack, and our kids want to be "bad-asses" not nerds.
When I think of a few examples of items considered "elitist", what comes to mind is-- classical music, literature, fine wine, art museums, ethnic foods, exotic greens. Of course one could say fine wine is expensive--but greens at the farmers market are usually the same price in Alaska, museums are cheaper than sporting events, libraries and classical music on NPR are free!! So what are we really talking about???? Besides, so many "elitist" foods are healthier--so good health is now wrong too??
Lastly, I speculate that some folks just associate snob with elitist. As elitist technically means the best--does that also mean that people who win awards, medals, contests, etc...are all snobs too?? That we can no longer "be all we can be" ?? In my opinion that is what is most un-American about this debate. If we all continue to embrace the opposite of the best we will simply wind up collectively driving our country downward--in a spiral of unhealthy eating, lackluster education and a loss of interest in classical pursuits. If we don't have the elite to look up to, we can only look down.

I'm Just Like You!--Struggling on $200,000 a Year

In their new found embrace of populist (ahem, Socialist) ideals the new Republicans love to demonize anything 'elitist' or uppity. Anything to do with fancy food, higher education, etc.. is bad, bad, bad...They just want the voter to think--we are like you, you, you!
Hence the new Republican star--Mrs. Sarah Palin. The "everyday hockey mom", who shops at Wal-Mart and knows all the working mans woes.
The last time I checked, median salary for a US family was around $50,000. The Palins on the other hand, usually live on a $200,000+ salary. Before she was governor, her Oil & Gas commissioner job paid $125,000 annually. Not to mention her husband's good oil field "slope" salary and fishing income. They own various properties, a plane (or two?) and reside in a $500,000 house in Wasilla. Not too shabby considering half a million buys you A LOT in that part of Alaska.
So how can she be considered "common"? I have no idea why on earth she even shops at Wal-Mart. Either it's a political ploy, or she doesn't have a clue. There is also the bizarre Alaskan Wasilla custom, where everyone with money likes to pretend "I'm just like you--common Joe". They love to deny that they are rich and stick to burgers & T-shirts.
Even with money bulging form their pockets, big houses, new trucks and RV's out front. These people will brag--"I'm no snob!"
Just look around at Wasilla, any decent restaurant collapses in favor of fast food joints or IHOP, just because nobody wants to be seen eating at an "elitist" restaurant.
It's really a shame though. Because it perpetuates the American ideal that greed is good, but culture is "snobby", hence the dumbing down cycle continues. Meanwhile the rich folks of Wasilla march around self-righteously proclaiming, "I am one of you--the common American, pass the Bud!"

The Lost Souls of the Alaska Playground

I know juvenile delinquents exist everywhere. But there's a special breed of lost boys running around Alaska. A co-worker and I coined them the "lost souls". You see them in the Mat-Su Valley parking lots, with skate boards in hand, dirty black clothes and anger in their eyes. It's not the clothes or the boards that bother me--it's that angry "devil may care" look. You know they are going home to unhappy homes in turmoil when these kids (ages 8-12, no joke) have so much hate in their eyes. I know the difference between bratty posers and real trouble, but these are the real deal.
Today I was at a park in Alaskan suburbia-- a.k.a Eagle River. I was surprised that two of these lost souls were at the playground in this otherwise more gentile region. The two lost boys proceeded to pick on a nicer boy, first by taking his bike helmet, then his bike. They told the boy he could get his bike back for twenty dollars. (Did I mention the tormentors were not a hair over 9 years old)??? I had had enough when they pushed the poor kids bike down a small embankment. So I proceeded to intervene--at least it gave the picked on child a chance for a graceful exit. I sternly told the punks that their attitudes were disturbing and they should go home to their parents--one looked me in the eye and angrily said--wish I could! Of course the bleeding heart liberal inside of me (or is it the old fashioned conservative?)knew that was the case. But what to do?? These kinds of kids are just gone already. If a nine year old is that mean and the parents aren't around, they are just doomed to delinquency. But I don't have the answer.