(no longer) The Northernmost Jew

There is a local performer "Mr. Whitekeys" who does a lot of political humor, almost all focusing on Alaska. He used to have a regular act at the Fly-By-Nightclub, until they closed. My roommates and I decided to go see his performance in Valdez for a fundraiser. We had bought the tickets before Palin was added to the ticket, but once she was, we figured it could only help the show. It did. One woman in his troupe was as good at imitating Palin as Tina Fey is. I don't remember everything, but she did a great song number "Girls just wanna have guns" to the tune of "Girls just wanna have fun".

I still like Palin. Not enough to make me vote for McCain, however. I am voting for McCain mainly because I dislike Obama intensely.

There have been people complaining that she hunts. This makes no sense. The other candidates are not vegetarians. Even if they don't kill the animal themselves, someone must kill it for them.

Regarding "The bridge to nowhere" that people have been making a fuss about: Ketchikan is the at the southern tip of Alaska, next to Canada. They have about 7,400 people. Because of the topology, the city can not expand anywhere, and their airport was built on nearby Gravina Island, with a population of about 50. Because of it's location, This airport is a bit of a hub for planes flying north. Originally there were plans to build a bridge connecting Ketchikan with Gravina Island. Right now there is ferry service between them. Palin had originally been for the bridge, including while she was running for Governor in 2006. Palin supports developing Alaska, and this would be part of it. However, once she was governor, she canceled the project. People have complained about her "flip-flopping". However, she only canceled it when the cost went up dramatically. I can understand how someone can support a project at one price but not at a much higher price.

Regarding the clothing expenditure: I've heard people say that it is proof she she not a "regular person" if she spends so much money on clothes for the campaign. I think the opposite is true - the other candidates did not need to buy new clothes because they already had them! I can promise you that Palin does not need these clothes for work in Juno or Wasilla! In Alaska, the saying is "Fashion means your fur hat is dead." I could definitely see her needing other clothes for a lot of the country. (I am probably going to buy an outfit in Portland, OR before presenting my master's thesis at Portland State University.)

The report on "Troopergate" was pretty mixed, and mild in any direction. Safety Commissioner Walt Monegan said that he was reassigned because he refused to fire Mike Wooten, Palin's ex-brother-in-law. Palin said he was reassigned because of performance related issues. The investigation determined that not firing Wooten was certainly not the only reason he was reassigned, but it probably contributed to it. They said that she did abuse her power, but that she may reassign or fire the commissioners. As for Wooten, I think any police officer that uses his taser on his 12 year old stepson (Palin's nephew) and is carrying an open can of beer in his squad car should be fired. In his defense, he was not on official duty while driving and is allowed to use the car for personal use, although no one is allowed to have open alcohol while driving. And the 12 year old did ask to be tasered. No, I don't mean he was causing problems that led to be tasered, I mean he literally asked to be tasered out of curiosity. But you don't taser a curious 12 year old, you tell him no.

Friday morning I was woken up with an "OH MY GAWD!" from my roommate. The news had just come out - McCain had chosen Sarah Palin, Alaska's governor, to be his running mate. My friend Julie and I had joked about the possibility, but didn't really expect it to happen. Since then, everyone has been asking me for my thoughts on the matter. So here are some random thoughts on the matter, in no particular order:

I think she is a gutsy person. I believe she will do what she feels is right, not what she thinks is popular at the moment. And she won't care whom it pisses-off. I also think she is extremely intelligent.

She is very anti-choice. This I'm against. I think she would not even accept exceptions for the life of the mother.

My biggest problem with her is that she has had no foreign policy experience. No one knows where she stands on any international issues. In today's world, I think that foreign policy is the most important issue. And she is the running mate of a 72 year old cancer survivor.

She is for drilling for oil in ANWR. This is good IMO. Why should we be so dependent on foreign oil, when there is so much here? And most of the countries we are buying oil from are countries to whom I would rather not give money.

One of the criticisms of her I've been seeing is that she is the governor of a state of only 650 thousand people. But numbers is not the only issue. I think that Alaska had a more diverse population with unique problems. It is probably more challenging than other states to govern.

Is this pandering to women? Or at least the women who were upset when Hillary did not get the nomination? Many people seem to think so. However, McCain chose a woman who will NOT appeal to many of Clinton's supporters.

Is it pandering to the Evangelicals?

I think she has more experience than O'Bama, not that that is saying much.

She is currently under investigation for "abuse of power". I don't think anything will come of it. though. Her sister was involved in a messy divorce, and then Palin fired her sister's ex-husband.

She ran against the incumbent governor and won. That isn't that much of an accomplishment, though. I think my schnauzer could have won against Murkowski. (see entry #252)

On the internet I've seen several critisism of her for sponsoring a bill supporting what one called "aerial slaughter of wolves". She did support a bill in favor of killing wolves from airplanes. So what? I voted for the bill, although it was voted down. The native population depends on the meat they get from moose, and the wolves were a threat. It's not like people who are bored rent planes and go shoot wolves for the hell of it.

Having been a beauty queen is not a something in her favor for political office, but it shouldn't be a negative either. I've seen comments putting her down for it. People seem to think that, at least for women, attractiveness and intelligence are inversely proportional. That just isn't true. (Look at Danica McKellar!)

Other criticisms have been that she describes herself as a "hocky mom", although hockey is not a popular sport. And she mentions eating moose stew. Guess what - many Alaskans eat moose! Isn't it supposed to be better for the world if you eat local food?

All things considered, I like her.

current temperature in Vostok, Antarctica: -105 F / -76 C.

Some volcano in the Aleutian Islands erupted, and the winds are blowing the ash across the flight paths.  It sounds like a lot of ash - blew 6.5 miles up from the volcano.  The flights in and out of Alaska are all cancelled for the time being.

The standing world record for the most people hugged by one person in a hour is 765.  Alan Baltis broke the record with 833.   This was at the Annual Gathering for American Mensa in Denver, Colorado.  I'm mentioning this here, because I was one of the people who helped him set the new record.  After receiving my hug from him and getting my hand stamped (so that no one gets counted twice), I went to the hotel lobby to send down more people.  The Guinness people are looking at the videotape of the event before declaring it a new record.

Hillary Clinton did not win the primary. Good thing too. If she became president, it would probably further alienate the US from the rest of the world. When leaders come to the US, the leader hangs out with our president, and their spouse hangs out with the president's spouse. Would world leaders, who are almost always male, want their wives to hang out with Bill?

We almost never get big names here. So when Elton John decided he wanted to have a performance in every state, everyone got exited. Tickets were $133 each (this includes the official cost and the BS fee they add to every ticket), although tickets with an obstructed view were slightly less. They sold out in under an hour. They decided to add a second concert, and those tickets also sold out within an hour. Stephen called to try to get tickets, but couldn't get decent seats so he didn't get them. (At first I was annoyed, but then I thought about how the Sullivan Arena was not built for acoustics, and there is no point in going to a concert if you can't hear well.)

Stephen ended up buying tickets online from a scalper for the second concert a week before the concert. Then he read a review of the first concert and saw that Sir Elton John did not have backup; it was just him and an acoustics piano, he decided he didnt want to go. I spread the word that I had an extra ticket, we got a few calls, and I ended up going with a friend of my boss.

The concert was fantastic! He did not need backup singers or other instruments. He was great, and sang for about three hours. It was an older crowd; no surprise there. The crowd was so old that some people actually had records with them to try to get him to sign the cover. (Remember records? Big black disks?)

Obama was being interviewed for Atlantic magazine.

Question: "Do you think that Israel is a drag on America's reputation overseas?"

Obama's answer: "No, no, no. But what I think is that this constant wound, that this constant sore, does infect all of our foreign policy. The lack of a resolution to this problem provides an excuse for anti-American militant jihadists to engage in inexcusable actions, and so we have a national-security interest in solving this, and I also believe that Israel has a security interest in solving this because I believe that the status quo is unsustainable. I am absolutely convinced of that, and some of the tensions that might arise between me and some of the more hawkish elements in the Jewish community in the United States might stem from the fact that I'm not going to blindly adhere to whatever the most hawkish position is just because that's the safest ground politically."

Hamas political adviser Ahmed Yousef told WABC radio his group hopes Obama will win the presidential election

A local radio station asked people to call in and say why their mother is special. I called in. So, here is why my mother is special.

When I lived in New York, I had irregular working hours, and I got hooked on "The Bold and the Beautiful". Then we moved to Portland, OR, where B&B was not shown. My mother taped B&B every day and mailed me the tapes. She's great, not just for sending me the tapes themselves, but this shows that she is willing to humor me on silly things.

She won a dessert coupon from some restaurant around here, but since it is a bit out of her way (she lives in NY) she said I could have it.

My daughter has a weekly column in the Oregon Daily Emerald, "The Independent Student Newspaper at the University of Oregon". Here is today's column (Cartoon is from from Dry Bones, and is 18 years old, but I like it.)

Israeli-Palestinian conflict, Zionism misunderstood

In today's political climate, you might think I am hesitant to admit I am a Zionist. The very word itself carries a heavy stigma. Still, after years of broken dialogue, incessant violence and determined defense, I am happy to say that today Israel turns 60, and despite how you might feel about my homeland, I am hopeful for the future of a dynamic and thriving Israel.

You might not agree with me. In fact, many of you might even go so far as to equate Zionism with racism. Perhaps you blame the entire ideology for the suffering of the Palestinians. Or, maybe you just go out of your way to deviate from Bush's ideas and America's policies. It's okay; you're a self-proclaimed progressive; you root for the underdog.

I wish I could say that your stance is unique, but it's not. In fact, it's fairly common to disagree with the establishment of Israel. After all, if a major point of reference is a biblical text and the claim that God promised the land to Abraham, then who, in liberal, free-thinking academia, can possibly acknowledge this idea? We're skeptical, and for all we know, the Bible could be a result of some profound, inspired psychedelic trip.

One could also argue against the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the League of Nations Mandate, the UN partition of 1947, the admission of Israel into the UN in 1949, the diplomatic relations Israel has with most other states and most importantly, the stable democratic society that flourishes and continues to thrive today. I mean, honestly, how ethical are governmental institutions anyway?

Still, it is worth nothing that, despite contrary propaganda and common misconceptions, the Jewish people have every right to their homeland. The Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, Russian Pogroms and the Holocaust have actually demonstrated that the Jewish people need a homeland. They need a less formidable answer to "The Jewish Question."

It's not as though, after the Romans forced them into exile in 70 CE, the Jews returned 1,800 years later demanding their home back. In actuality, Jews maintained ties to and a continuous presence in their homeland for 4,000 years, including a language and a distinct culture. Throughout history, Jews have cultivated present-day Israel, planting the seeds for economic opportunity for Jews and Arabs alike.

Pursuant to the 1947 Partition Plan, the British Mandate of Palestine was divided into two countries, and while the Jews accepted this proposition, the Arabs rejected it outright and sought to destroy the Jewish state.

For more than 30 years, until the peace treaty with Egypt, the surrounding Arab states maintained a state of war with Israel, including boycotts, the support of terror attacks against the civilian population and the open proclamation of an objective to destroy them. Yet, Israel did not attack or retaliate except in self-defense. In fact, it has returned land to Syria and withdrew from the Sinai Peninsula. It has withdrawn from the Gaza strip and several parts of the West Bank. The only reason that the Israelis have attained more land than the Palestinians is due to actions taken in self-defense.

These cooperative gestures, rather than being effective as precursors to a peace, were taken as signs of weakness. Withdrawing from the Security Belt in Southern Lebanon only brought Hezbollah 20 miles closer to Israel's northern border. The withdrawal from the Gaza Strip resulted in terror for the citizens of the Israeli city of Sderot as Gaza became a launching pad for long-range missiles.

How ironic is it that despite the fact that terrorist organizations fund suicide bombers and launch rockets into Israel, Israel is constantly berated for not cooperating with them?

It is unfortunate that the Palestinians are so misrepresented by their own government and are forced to live in difficult circumstances, enduring checkpoints and shortages of necessities. While Israel welcomed and absorbed Jewish refugees forced out of the Arab countries, the displaced Palestinians have become pawns in the hands of Arab countries anxious to promote hatred of Israel and Jews throughout the world.

Israel is one of the smallest and youngest countries in the world. Yet it has become an epicenter for medical and technological breakthroughs, economic prosperity and a vibrant culture, and has done so in the face of a constant struggle to defend its people and justify its very existence.

While the word "Zionism" has evolved into a demonizing pejorative, the concept itself actually has nothing to do with the Palestinian people, warfare or the displacement of others. It is a declaration of support for the establishment of a Jewish homeland. It is a statement of solidarity among the Jewish people and an outcry against several millennia of oppression and genocide. It is necessary and legitimate. It is anything but racist.

These were taken in Anchorage on April 25, 2008, around 9 pm. We had up to 22 inches of snow. It is sort of weird to have the sun out so late but still have it snow so hard. Normally the law says we may not drive with studded tires after May 1, but this year we just got a 14 day extension.

It was in the 50s earlier this week.

Here is a picture I took of a fabric store in Jerusalem on Jaffa Road near King George. I don't know why they named the store Alaska. I asked the people who were working there, and they don't know either.

One event of Fur Rondy was Outhouse Races.  Each team must build an outhouse, and have people to push the outhouse along the path.  There must be a person in the outhouse during the race.  It was fun to watch;  there were a lot of collisions.  Team names included "Poopsie Daisy", "Royal Flush", and "We're #1 and #2".

Spain has The Running of the Bulls.  We have The Running of the Reindeer.  No one was hurt except for a few people who slipped on the ice.  It was too crowded for me to be able to take pictures, so here are some pictures other people took.  Some people thought it was sick that vendors were selling reindeer sausages, but I figure that livestock shows sell hamburgers, so it is OK as long as no one feeds any to the reindeer.

"Only wimps bowl on wood"

New Orleans has Mardi Gras, Anchorage has Fur Rondy. This is short for Fur Rendezvous, an annual festival which began with fur trappers in 1935. Festivities include dog sled races, outhouse races, The Running of the Reindeer, blanket tossing, ice sculptures, ice bowling, Native Alaskan crafts fair, carnival rides, fur bikini contest, etc. It ends with the beginning of Iditarod.

I will report on different activities in the next few days.

pictures: a few children watch the sled dog races on the statue of local canine hero Balto, Fur Rondy banner across fifth Avenue.

Wikipedia links: Fur Rondy, Iditarod, Balto

The powers-that-be at Hasbro have decided to come out with a worldwide Monopoly edition.  They are having people vote for the cities that will be included as properties.  There will be 22 cities on the board.

OBrien Creek, Alaksa was -67 F / -55 C.

yesterday -61 F / -52 C

temperature yesterday: -56 F / -49 C.

Someone asked me why I changed the title of this blog from "The Northernmost Jew" to "(no longer) The Northernmost Jew". Well, it's because I moved south. All the way to Anchorage.

To be fair, I never was really the northernmost. I met a Jewish man who lives in Kotzebue. And I know there is a family in Barrow, the northernmost city on the North American continent. I'm not sure how many are in northern Siberia.

The northernmost Jewish community that I know of is in Fairbanks, north of Anchorage but south of Deering. (The community was founded in 1904, the same year as Stuyvesant HS and the NYC subway system.)

The most northern place where anyone lives is Alert, one of the islands north of Canada. If I ever get to alert, I'll let you know. If anyone knows of a Jew who lives in alert, let me know. (I think Alert has a population of 5.)

Lattutude (locations listed N-S)
the North Pole (the real one, not the town) 90.00
Alert (Nunavet, Canada) 82.47
Barrow (Alaska) 71.30
Kotzebue 66.90
the Arctic Circle 66.56
Deering 66.08
Fairbanks 64.83
Anchorage 61.19
New York City 40.72
Jerusalem 31.78
the Equator 0.00

After two weeks in Israel (where it was nice and warm) and a week in NYC (where it was somewhat warm except for one day) I was NOT in the mood to return to Anchorage where it is 8 F / -13 C.

But now that I'm here, I realize that it is a lot less bad than it sounds. It has been snowing pretty constantly, but there has been very little wind. It is nice and crisp outside, and rather pleasant.

(Although Deering was down at -30 F / -34 C, with a windchill of -46 F / -43 C. Buckland is predicted to be -45 F / -43 C. I think I'll stay down south in Anchorage.)

Of course, it is WAY better than NY at 90 F / 32 C .

Since it is Christmas Eve, here are two photograhs I took in Jaffa (a suburb of Tel Aviv). The words across Santa Claus say "Happy Holiday" and the words with the drawings say literally "Holiday of the Birth" which means Christmas.

I'm currently in Newark Airport, first class lounge, waiting for my flight to Tel Aviv. (I'm not flying first class, but I got in with some people who are.) Almost everyone here is on a laptop. (There is free wireless access, and the tables have electrical outlets on them.) It just seems strange to look around and see everyone ignoring everyone else on a laptop. (Myself included, I suppose.) The few that are not are reading or talking on cell phones. My daughter is several tables down because we couldn't all find electrical outlets near each other. She says that if I want her I can IM her.

But wait - There is a group of people over there sitting together, and actually TALKING to each other. Three men, two women, a few little kids, all pretty religious looking. They actually look like they enjoy each other's company. Talking - is that allowed in here?

Alaska is the state with the most people who walk to work, 7.4%. This is because of little villages like Deering, where everything is within half a mile of everything else, there are no roads that lead there so it is difficult to get cars, and gas costs like $10/gallon. The national average is 2.5%.

As fat as cities go, Boston was names the "large city" with the most people who walk to work at 12.5%. In case you are curious, New York City has 9.4%. We have villages which are not "large cities" so they don't make the list, but almost 100% of the people walk to work.

WHY is Olmert arming the Palestinians?

Olmert approves supply of 25 armored vehicles to PA

Despite IDF, Shin Bet's warning that equipment could reach terror organizations, prime minister agrees to hand over to Palestinians armored vehicles from Russia, 2 million bullets as goodwill gesture to Palestinian President Abbas ahead of Annapolis summit

Hanan Greenberg
Latest Update: 11.21.07, 08:33

Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has approved the supply of 25 armored vehicles to the Palestinian security organizations in the West Bank, as a goodwill gesture to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of the Annapolis Peace Confrence.

The move was approved despite the defense establishment's strong objection. The Palestinians will also receive from Israel 2 million bullets...

"We are asking the Palestinians to fight terror. How are they supposed to do that, with stolen Israeli cars?" a senior official at the Prime Minister's Office said in response to the criticism over the planned move, which was approved a week ago....

Security sources still believe that this is a dangerous move. Although the armored vehicles are considered defensive rather than offensive equipment, weapons transferred through official channels have been known to reach Hamas in the past.

According to defense establishment officials, a large number of terror cells are located in the West Bank city of Nablus, where the equipment is slated to arrive.

[My own comment - I don't even think Israel should be supplying Gaza with electricity and water.]

Two new Orthodox girls schools push egalitarianism in Jerusalem

By Brian Blum

photo: Beverly Gribetz, principal of Tehilla School in Jerusalem, with her students, Oct. 23, 2007.

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Two new cutting-edge schools that opened in Jerusalem this fall are pushing the envelope on modern Orthodox education in the Jewish capital — and challenging rival schools to follow suit.

The Shalom Hartman Institute, a popular pluralistic Orthodox educational institution that already has a junior high and high school for boys, opened a girls school for grades seven through nine, and educator Beverly Gribetz started a girls school called Tehilla for grades nine and 10.

With a decidedly liberal bent that includes allowing girls to study Talmud and lead prayer services, the schools are positioning themselves to challenge the status quo in girls’ religious education in Jerusalem and throughout the Orthodox world.

“Hartman is very clearly flying the feminist flag,” Hartman parent Lori Glashofer said.

Talmud study is absent from the majority of Orthodox girls schools in Israel and girls leading prayer services is virtually unheard of in the Orthodox world. School officials at Hartman and Tehilla also say they will not discourage girls from going to the army, whereas most Orthodox schools in Israel encourage girls to avoid compulsory military duty by exercising the option to do national service instead.

Founded by North American immigrants, Hartman and Tehilla will compete with their Jerusalem rivals for the daughters of Jerusalem’s liberal Orthodox families, many of whom are also originally from North America.

Among Hartman and Tehilla’s competitors are the prestigious Pelech School, the Omaniyot Torah and Arts High School and Rabbi Shlomo Riskin’s Ohr Torah.

The 30-year-old Hartman Institute was founded by Montreal native Rabbi David Hartman. The new girls school, officially called Midrashiat Habanot, is run by his son, institute co-director Rabbi Donniel Hartman, and Chana Kehat, founder of the religious feminist group Kolech.

Kehat describes Hartman’s girls school as “Orthodox but open-minded” — much like the Hartman school for boys, which has been open since 1986.

Students employ a critical approach to the study of Jewish texts, and volunteer work is part of the weekly schedule — elements that have made the boys school a top choice for modern Orthodox families in Jerusalem.

Additionally, a revolutionary new program will bring a sex-education curriculum to both the boys and girls — one of the first ever among religious schools in Israel.

It wasn’t easy to open the two new schools. Aside from finding students, faculty and funds, Hartman and Gribetz had to overcome the objections of the Israeli Educational Ministry.

At first the ministry opposed the opening of both schools, claiming Jerusalem did not require any additional classroom space for Orthodox girls.

Eventually the ministry relented.

“The educational authorities recognized us as a serious voice in the religious community,” Donniel Hartman said. “Here was a group of liberal Orthodox Jews that takes feminism and modern Judaism seriously. Their biggest concern was that the opening of our school wouldn’t come at the expense of other schools.”

The schools’ openings have devastated one school, however — the Evelina de Rothschild girls high school, which until recently was run by Gribetz.

During her stint as principal of Evelina, Gribetz was accused of falsifying hours on her time sheet and suspended from her post for six months. Subsequently she was cleared, but Gribetz left shortly thereafter to start Tehilla in September 2005.

Without the innovative Gribetz, an immigrant from the United States who was a headmistress for several years at the Ramaz School on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Evelina’s decline accelerated and it lost a considerable number of students with the openings of Hartman and Tehilla.

Evelina is slated for closure, with the Hartman school designated to become its successor under a deal worked out with the Education Ministry. Hartman already has taken over some of Evelina’s facilities and faculty, and the 148-year-old Jerusalem school likely will be phased out entirely within three years.

Meanwhile, Gribetz, who also has taught at the rival Pelech, has gone on to make waves at Tehilla.

Gribetz first tried to open Tehilla in 2005, but the Education Ministry shut it down because it had no license. After a court ruling from the appeals board of the Education Ministry ruled in Gribetz’s favor, Tehilla reopened this September.

Some parents suggested that the ministry’s objections to Tehilla had to do with ideology.

“Beverly believes girls should get a good education,” Tehilla parent Naomi Stahl said of Gribetz. “Other places believe they should get ‘an appropriate education for girls.’ ”

Gribetz says Tehilla emphasizes a creative approach to learning, bringing in well-known rabbis and professors to teach Talmud, professional musicians to teach music and artists to run art electives. She also says she wants Tehilla to be an “integrated school” with students from an array of religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

For its inaugural year, the school drew students from nearly 25 feeder schools, according to Gribetz.

“When the first family from the Horev school” — a traditional Orthodox institution — “came to interview,” Gribetz said, “we asked, ‘Are you sure you’re in the right place? Your daughter will be learning Talmud in this school.’”

“They said they were willing to try it,” Gribetz said. “We know that half the girls coming to Tehilla wore a tallit at their bat mitzvahs. This coming-together of students is unique in Jerusalem.”

Tehilla student Daniella Slonim says the integration effort hasn’t been very successful so far. Many of her classmates, she notes, are native English speakers from similar backgrounds.

But she had praise for her teachers.

“There were girls who were failing subjects or wouldn’t listen or were not getting good grades in their previous schools. Now they’re getting 90s,” Daniella said. “The teachers all want you to do well.”

Unlike at Hartman, Tehilla has not yet instituted girl-led Torah readings. Gribetz says she’ll let the school’s evolving community decide the controversial issue.

Hartman, which this fall is hosting the popular egalitarian Orthodox Shabbat minyan Shira Hadasha while its regular Jerusalem locale undergoes renovations, has no such qualms.

Asked if Hartman would accept a girl laying tefillin for services, Donniel Hartman said, “Absolutely.”

Hartman student Ayelet Kagan, who has laid tefillin herself and whose mother regularly lays tefillin, says she’s not so sure she wants to do so at her new school.

“Maybe the school would” accept it, Ayelet said, “but the girls would still think it’s over the top.”

Tuesday (Nov 6) I was in Portland, getting on a plane to fly back to Anchorage. In back of me a group was talking; they obviously were flying from Phoenix to anchorage, and had to change planes in Portland. It had been about 92 F (33 C) in Phoenix, and they hated it.

Just as we were getting on the plane, they made an announcement that it was 30 F (-1 C) in Anchorage. They all cheered! Probably caught some people by surprise.

If anyone reading this is in Portland, the Jewish Students Union is putting up their succah in the Park blocks at Portland State University from 10 am to 3 pm. Go help them!

The weather has been pretty nice lately - most days have been around 60 F / 16 C, perfect short-sleeves-with-no-jacket weather (although last Wednesday, September 12, was really rainy, cold, and yucky). But the signs of winter are beginning in Southern Alaska.

Last Saturday, September 15, was a nice summer day, with the autumn equinox still 6 days off. It was, however, the first day we can legally drive with studded tires.

But yesterday, September 16, there was snow on the top of the Chugach Mountains. That's the first sign. (see picture)

Last night I checked the weather prediction and there was a 'severe weather advisory' for Anchorage: "Potential Frost For Parts Of Anchorage And The Matsu Valley
 Tonight / Mostly clear skies and light winds tonight will set the stage for quickly dropping temperatures after sunset and near freezing temperatures. At greatest risk are areas in east Anchorage and low-lying areas. / It is strongly recommended to bring plants indoors tonight. Those with agricultural interests are advised to take necessary precautions."

The state high yesterday was at Noatak, 71 F / 22 C. The state low was Deering, 30 F / -1 C.

And today, September 17, there was frost on the grass when I woke up.

The weather prediction for the week is pretty much highs in the mid 50s and lows in the high 30s.

(photography credit - some guy I don't know. I wanted to take a picture of the mountains on my way to work, but could not find my camera. Later in the day I saw some guy downloading photographs. I asked him if he happened to have taken any new pictures of the mountains and he had and said I could use them.)

When thinking about 9/11 almost no one thinks of any effects it may have had on Alaska. Alaska, however, is isolated from the rest of the US, and many of the communities in Alaska are isolated from any other area. We are more dependent on airplane service than the rest of the country. In the days after 9/11, no airplane flights were allowed. Even tiny private planes were grounded.

• Many people were stranded away from home when the airplanes were grounded. Some people, rather than wait for flights that had know of knowing when they would fly, rented cars and drove home. This is harder to do when you have to get to Alaska, which involved a several day's drive through Canada. There is also a lot of Alaska with no roads, and villages to which you can not drive.

• Most of Alaska gets groceries by airplane. While I know of no village that ran out of food, some people did mention that market shelves got noticeably emptier.

• Mail also goes in and out of Alaska by airplane. Not only could people not get mail to or from the rest of the country, villages could not get mail from each other.

• Many villages do not have doctors. A person from a small bush town (like Deering) must fly to the nearest village with a doctor or hospital. In case of an emergency, like someone in a small village having a heart attack, each hospital keeps a plane ready to go to any village in a moment's notice. (If the weather prevents flying, that person is SOL.)

• The problem that seems to have caused the most concern was stranded hunters. Hunting is very popular in the Alaskan bush, where it is the easiest and cheapest source of food. Many Alaskans rely primarily on the meat from hunting. Many hunting trips involve camping in the wilderness. A hunter is dropped off by airplane in the middle of nowhere. he makes arrangements with the pilot to pick him up at a specific time a few days later. The hunter has supplies for the few days but not much else. A number of hunters were left stranded because the pilots that were supposed to pick them up were not allowed to fly. Many hunters had no way of contacting the outside world (These areas do not get cell phone service) and did not know anything about 9/11's events. All they knew was that were there with a very limited food supply and the pilot who was supposed to pick them up didn't. After a couple of days, even though the country was still not allowing any flights at all, the Alaskan whoever-is-in-charge decided that planes could go to pick up these hunters.

[Today's Anchorage Daily News printed my letter to the editor. Picture is of the dogs who inspired it. L-R Max, Trouble, Argos, Preston]


Columnist Joel Stein says that dogs don't feel affection toward people, that they are just "using" us ("All this fuss about dogs is just crazy," Aug. 14).

People are always using other people. It is what makes society work. Businesses use customers to stay in business while their customers use them for services. My employer is using me to get work accomplished; I am using it to get money. Married people use each other for companionship, love, sex, money, housework, and care.

But dogs? As my mother used to say, "We give dogs time we can spare, space we can spare and love we can spare. And in return, dogs give us their all. It's the best deal man has ever made."

1. This sort of nonsense doesn't happen in the latitudes of the far North. (see pics)
2. Thunder (and Lightning) storms are vanishingly rare.
3. 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit are considered HOT days.
4. 24 hour sun for 20 days in June, 24 hour Dark for 20 days in December, equal 12hr sun/dark at March and September Equinoxes. Always changing!
5. The Sun is in a different position at any given time of the day. In other words, that morning commute 'sun in your eyes' will only be for about a week.
6. Aurora Borealis -the Northern Lights- always inspiring and viewable 6-9 months of the year!
7. No fleas, no cockroaches, no ticks, few spiders (unless you bring 'em with you).
8. Little chance of sunburn, sunstroke or skin cancer.
9. Less light pollution for viewing the stars and planets.
10. Less crowding, less traffic. You can usually walk where you need to go.
11. Cold air is heavier, so aircraft fly better in the cold (to a certain degree).
12. With Global Warming, the climate is only improving! '

Alaska's first Dairy Queen just opened in Anchorage. There is a rumor that we will get a Target next year. I want Trader Joe's!!!

Last Shobbos was the one closest to the summer solstice. Candle lighting time was 11:24 pm on Friday. Havdalah was 2:02 am Sunday morning. (source: The calendar from the Lubavitch Jewish Center of Alaska)

Since 1906, Fairbanks has had a tradition of "Midnight baseball". Every year, on the longest day of the year, the Alaska Goldpanners baseball team plays a game. The game begins at 10:30 pm and mostly ends sometime between 1 and 2 am. They do not use (or need) any artificial lights. In Fairbanks the sun dips below the horizon for about an hour, but it is still very light out. This year the Oceanside Waves beat the Alaska Goldpanners 5 to 1. Every year they invite a different, out-of-state team to play.

There is a short break at midnight to sing "Alaska's Flag", the state song.

Here is a picture of the signpost at the entrance to a walking trail at a park in SE Anchorage. The top sign is always there. The others are added as wild animals are spotted. In case you can't make them out, here is what thet say:

1. MULTI-USE CORRIDOR (this is the permanent sign)

2. "BEAR ALERT,'' read the words splashed above a snarling bear drawing on the uppermost sign.

3. "Please be aware,'' said the sign below. "Very protective cow (moose) with two babies."

4. "MOOSE ALERT,'' read the headline above the drawing of a bull moose on the sign at the bottom.

Everyone in Alaska knows this poem, but few others. I can't find any mention of who wrote it. Keep in mind that oosiks are often a couple of feet long. You can get them in any souvenier shop here, or on ebay.

ODE TO AN OOSIK

Strange things have been done in the Midnight Sun,
and the story books are full---
But the strangest tale concerns the male,
magnificent walrus bull!

I know it's rude, quite common and crude,
Perhaps it is grossly unkind;
But with first glance at least, this bewhiskered beast,
is as ugly in front as behind.

Look once again, take a second look -- then
you'll see he's not ugly or vile --
There's a hint of a grin, in that blubbery chin --
and the eyes have a shy secret smile.

How can this be, this clandestine glee
that exudes from the walrus like music?
He knows, there inside, beneath blubber and hide
lies a splendid contrivance -- the Oosik!

"Oosik" you say -- and quite well you may,
I'll explain if you keep it between us;
In the simplest truth, though rather uncouth
"Oosik" is, in fact, his penis!

Now the size alone of this walrus bone,
would indeed arouse envious thinking --
It is also a fact, documented and backed,
There is never a softening or shrinking!

This, then, is why the smile is so sly,
the walrus is rightfully proud.
Though the climate is frigid, the walrus is rigid,
Pray, why, is not man so endowed?

Added to this, is a smile you might miss ---
Though the bull is entitled to bow --
The one to out-smile our bull by a mile
is the satisfied walrus cow!

Anchorage has a kosher restaurant! They don't have a mashgiach, but they use all kosher ingrediwnts, ordering their meat from Albertson's in Seattle. They are Falafel King, on 1oth and Gambell. Great schwarma!!!