Comments for Out There http://indefinitely.wordpress.com rants from a husband, aati, SLP, and mentor in the bush Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:58:57 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 Comment on alcohol issue (local option) coverage from ADN by Pete http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/2009/09/20/alcohol-issue-local-option-coverage-from-adn/#comment-86 Pete Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:58:57 +0000 http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/?p=113#comment-86 I know I've been beating this dead horse for a while, and after writing another letter to the editor of the Delta Discovery tonight, it occurred to me that people probably wonder about my motivation. I'm not a puritan, I have nothing against people drinking responsibily. I have several friends (not in dry villages) who tinker around with making their own beer, experimenting with it until they get the flavor just right. My parents drank socially growing up, etc etc you get the point. But my job. I work in the field of special education. I have numerous kids on my workload who have been impacted by alcohol, whether via prenatal exposure, or through the ravaging effects of its amplification of domestic disputes, or through neglect. All of these impacts have been negative, and many of them devastating. The price, and what continues to be at stake, is the health of the kids. Kids who can't regulate their behavior, or focus on anything, or have a healthy relationship, because they literally have HOLES in their BRAIN from FASD. Or because they were up all night in a tiny home trying to block out the violence/screaming, or had to run to another home in the night to get away from their parent who was acting out of his mind. These are all actual examples from my time here. So no, this isn't me being some legalist and demanding nationwide prohibition. **People are dying and suffering, and some other people want to do something completely unnecessary that will only make it worse.** You can call me naive, or a bleeding-heart liberal who loves big government, whatever you want, it's still true. The vote will happen on Oct 6th in Bethel. I know I’ve been beating this dead horse for a while, and after writing another letter to the editor of the Delta Discovery tonight, it occurred to me that people probably wonder about my motivation. I’m not a puritan, I have nothing against people drinking responsibily. I have several friends (not in dry villages) who tinker around with making their own beer, experimenting with it until they get the flavor just right. My parents drank socially growing up, etc etc you get the point.

But my job. I work in the field of special education. I have numerous kids on my workload who have been impacted by alcohol, whether via prenatal exposure, or through the ravaging effects of its amplification of domestic disputes, or through neglect. All of these impacts have been negative, and many of them devastating. The price, and what continues to be at stake, is the health of the kids. Kids who can’t regulate their behavior, or focus on anything, or have a healthy relationship, because they literally have HOLES in their BRAIN from FASD. Or because they were up all night in a tiny home trying to block out the violence/screaming, or had to run to another home in the night to get away from their parent who was acting out of his mind. These are all actual examples from my time here.

So no, this isn’t me being some legalist and demanding nationwide prohibition. **People are dying and suffering, and some other people want to do something completely unnecessary that will only make it worse.** You can call me naive, or a bleeding-heart liberal who loves big government, whatever you want, it’s still true. The vote will happen on Oct 6th in Bethel.

]]> Comment on cell phones in the bush by Pete http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/cell-phones-in-the-bush/#comment-81 Pete Wed, 15 Jul 2009 08:03:26 +0000 http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/?p=75#comment-81 Just had to add, that after signing up for this service in January and intending to cancel our land line, we're pretty disappointed. Apparently they drastically underestimated the number of people who would sign up. I also heard anecdotally that Kasigluk had more signups than any other village (Tammy says "Probably because of our poor land line service!") for the new cell phone service. Anyway, dropped calls, "network busy" messages (so you can't place a call), and other problems are the norm. I am now getting half of our fees back as a refund every month, but most of my neighbors are not, though they have complained. We joke that it is a text-only service. GCI is supposedly working on the problem. There is a bottleneck on the local level at Nunap, where our calls are transferred to Bethel, where they hit another bottleneck because the entire delta goes through Bethel to a satellite to the outside world. That is apparently the problem. Calls in the early morning are not a problem. So this is still a work in progress as of now, 7/15/09. Just had to add, that after signing up for this service in January and intending to cancel our land line, we’re pretty disappointed. Apparently they drastically underestimated the number of people who would sign up. I also heard anecdotally that Kasigluk had more signups than any other village (Tammy says “Probably because of our poor land line service!”) for the new cell phone service. Anyway, dropped calls, “network busy” messages (so you can’t place a call), and other problems are the norm. I am now getting half of our fees back as a refund every month, but most of my neighbors are not, though they have complained. We joke that it is a text-only service. GCI is supposedly working on the problem. There is a bottleneck on the local level at Nunap, where our calls are transferred to Bethel, where they hit another bottleneck because the entire delta goes through Bethel to a satellite to the outside world. That is apparently the problem. Calls in the early morning are not a problem. So this is still a work in progress as of now, 7/15/09.

]]> Comment on postage increase by Pete http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/postage-increase/#comment-80 Pete Sun, 07 Jun 2009 16:00:06 +0000 http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/?p=96#comment-80 You're talking about the "zones" the usps uses. Like shipping from Alaska to WA state is a 6-zone leap, and to anywhere else is a 7-zone (maximum) charge. That isn't the reconciliation I was talking about. I was referring to the increase of bypass mail rates. Are you familiar with bypass mail? It is how most of the commercial goods arrive in bush Alaska. It is sort of like parcel post, but it is all palatized and metered in bulk, and only certain people can mail stuff that way, and it is all sent as one unit direct to where it is going. Sorry about the broken link, it worked for me when I posted it. Let me put in another link: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/v-print/story/63541.html and also it appears the bypass mail increase was reduced (although individuals not using bypass will still have the same increase), see this story: http://community.adn.com/node/139253 I'm not an expert on postal stuff, but deal with it a lot on a very local level. Maybe everyone had the same parcel post increases, and the only thing unique to AK was the bypass mail increase? UPS and FedEx deliver here, but (you'll like this) FedEx, once it gets to their hub in Anchorage, puts a USPS priority mail sticker and postage on it and sends it on to the bush that way. UPS, I can only speak for my area, they send it from Anchorage to Bethel via Lynden Air Cargo, and then from Bethel to the outlying villages like mine via air carriers or the hovercraft. Our "UPS man" is the hovercraft agent. We can't send anything FedEx. I think we can send it UPS if we have a shipping label, we just hand it to Moses the hovercraft agent, but I've never tried. This actually just came up because we have a vacuum that was recalled for safety reasons. The company will send us a shipping label to send back the old one. The label will arrive via USPS letter, but the shipping label is for...FedEx. I told them this won't work, they responded that "FedEx goes everywhere" and refused to let me speak with a supervisor. I complained to the feds and sent an email, and got a prompt callback that they are working on getting me a prepaid USPS label. That was a week ago or so and still nothing since. We often have problems with companies that insist on fedex or UPS, or people who MUST have a street address. There are no street addresses. Mail goes to the post office, to a PO box, that is it. There are some stories on this phenomenon too, see this one: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008851121_xboxnightmare13.html and related to it see this: http://community.adn.com/adn/node/139140 You’re talking about the “zones” the usps uses. Like shipping from Alaska to WA state is a 6-zone leap, and to anywhere else is a 7-zone (maximum) charge. That isn’t the reconciliation I was talking about. I was referring to the increase of bypass mail rates. Are you familiar with bypass mail? It is how most of the commercial goods arrive in bush Alaska. It is sort of like parcel post, but it is all palatized and metered in bulk, and only certain people can mail stuff that way, and it is all sent as one unit direct to where it is going. Sorry about the broken link, it worked for me when I posted it. Let me put in another link: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/251/v-print/story/63541.html and also it appears the bypass mail increase was reduced (although individuals not using bypass will still have the same increase), see this story: http://community.adn.com/node/139253

I’m not an expert on postal stuff, but deal with it a lot on a very local level. Maybe everyone had the same parcel post increases, and the only thing unique to AK was the bypass mail increase?

UPS and FedEx deliver here, but (you’ll like this) FedEx, once it gets to their hub in Anchorage, puts a USPS priority mail sticker and postage on it and sends it on to the bush that way. UPS, I can only speak for my area, they send it from Anchorage to Bethel via Lynden Air Cargo, and then from Bethel to the outlying villages like mine via air carriers or the hovercraft. Our “UPS man” is the hovercraft agent.

We can’t send anything FedEx. I think we can send it UPS if we have a shipping label, we just hand it to Moses the hovercraft agent, but I’ve never tried. This actually just came up because we have a vacuum that was recalled for safety reasons. The company will send us a shipping label to send back the old one. The label will arrive via USPS letter, but the shipping label is for…FedEx. I told them this won’t work, they responded that “FedEx goes everywhere” and refused to let me speak with a supervisor. I complained to the feds and sent an email, and got a prompt callback that they are working on getting me a prepaid USPS label. That was a week ago or so and still nothing since. We often have problems with companies that insist on fedex or UPS, or people who MUST have a street address. There are no street addresses. Mail goes to the post office, to a PO box, that is it. There are some stories on this phenomenon too, see this one: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008851121_xboxnightmare13.html and related to it see this: http://community.adn.com/adn/node/139140

]]> Comment on postage increase by David Williard http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/postage-increase/#comment-79 David Williard Fri, 05 Jun 2009 02:30:25 +0000 http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/?p=96#comment-79 Thanks for your friendly response. Sorry, I couldn't get your link to work. I do understand that you are taking a bigger hit because so much comes to you through the mail, but I'm not sure about the reconcilliation...I DO know that until recently, USPS had to charge the same amount to send a package from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale (30 miles) as they charged for a package going from Los Angeles to Portland, Maine. They were able to get that changed to allow more flexible pricing in order to compete with UPS and Fed EX. I'm guessing that is the issue you call reconcilliation? If so, I commiserate that you are probably taking a (another) whopping hit. I hadn't thought of that angle. Yet, I am also guessing that I was right about UPS and FED EX not wanting your business. True? Thanks for your friendly response. Sorry, I couldn’t get your link to work. I do understand that you are taking a bigger hit because so much comes to you through the mail, but I’m not sure about the reconcilliation…I DO know that until recently, USPS had to charge the same amount to send a package from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale (30 miles) as they charged for a package going from Los Angeles to Portland, Maine. They were able to get that changed to allow more flexible pricing in order to compete with UPS and Fed EX. I’m guessing that is the issue you call reconcilliation? If so, I commiserate that you are probably taking a (another) whopping hit. I hadn’t thought of that angle. Yet, I am also guessing that I was right about UPS and FED EX not wanting your business. True?

]]> Comment on postage increase by Pete http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/postage-increase/#comment-78 Pete Thu, 04 Jun 2009 23:48:39 +0000 http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/?p=96#comment-78 Hey Dave, thanks for the comment! I'm sorry my post was construed as criticism of the USPS. You will rarely find a bigger fan of the postal service than myself. Seriously, I've frequently told people what an amazing bargain a first-class stamp is. I was more trying to touch on the "reconciliation" of pricing that the USPS was doing between what they charge for shipping to bush Alaska and what it actually costs. This has been reported on in many places, including here (http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/rural/story/715834.html). While most of the country sees a 2 cent increase and very marginal increases for parcel post, we see a humongous increase. And as I understand it, they're still losing tons of money, especially shipping to places like villages on the Aleutians or the Pribilofs or St Lawrence Island or whatever. So I'm not criticizing, but sharing an aspect of life here that is unique in that (a) our prices for shipping large goods are increasing so much, and (b) nearly everything we have around here arrives via US mail so it affects us more comprehensively than other geographic locales. I'm not trying to complain, just inform. Most people don't have a clue and find it interesting. Hey Dave, thanks for the comment! I’m sorry my post was construed as criticism of the USPS. You will rarely find a bigger fan of the postal service than myself. Seriously, I’ve frequently told people what an amazing bargain a first-class stamp is.

I was more trying to touch on the “reconciliation” of pricing that the USPS was doing between what they charge for shipping to bush Alaska and what it actually costs. This has been reported on in many places, including here (http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/rural/story/715834.html). While most of the country sees a 2 cent increase and very marginal increases for parcel post, we see a humongous increase. And as I understand it, they’re still losing tons of money, especially shipping to places like villages on the Aleutians or the Pribilofs or St Lawrence Island or whatever. So I’m not criticizing, but sharing an aspect of life here that is unique in that (a) our prices for shipping large goods are increasing so much, and (b) nearly everything we have around here arrives via US mail so it affects us more comprehensively than other geographic locales. I’m not trying to complain, just inform. Most people don’t have a clue and find it interesting.

]]> Comment on postage increase by David WIlliard http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/2009/04/07/postage-increase/#comment-77 David WIlliard Thu, 04 Jun 2009 03:38:28 +0000 http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/?p=96#comment-77 It's sad that things go up in price but a stamp is still the best bargain you can think of. A letter goes across the country to any mailbox for 44 cents! I'm pretty sure USPS is losing money to do that in the bush of Alaska but it gets done anyway, doesn't it? How is Fed Ex of UPS doing up there? Do they deliver everywhere? Or just where it's convenient and they can make a profit? No fuel surcharges or hidden fees with USPS. When gas was at $4 down here did stamps double in price? No. Every penny in in gas amounts to $8 milion a year in costs. The Postal Service is the most trusted government agency and they take no tax money. They are self supporting. Again, sorry it hurts, but there are other organizations more deserving of critcism. And yes, I am a proud employee of USPS. It’s sad that things go up in price but a stamp is still the best bargain you can think of. A letter goes across the country to any mailbox for 44 cents! I’m pretty sure USPS is losing money to do that in the bush of Alaska but it gets done anyway, doesn’t it?

How is Fed Ex of UPS doing up there? Do they deliver everywhere? Or just where it’s convenient and they can make a profit?

No fuel surcharges or hidden fees with USPS. When gas was at $4 down here did stamps double in price? No. Every penny in in gas amounts to $8 milion a year in costs.

The Postal Service is the most trusted government agency and they take no tax money. They are self supporting. Again, sorry it hurts, but there are other organizations more deserving of critcism. And yes, I am a proud employee of USPS.

]]> Comment on Emmonak, Nunam Iqua, hard times, and publicity by Secret TalkerΔ http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/emmonak-nunam-iqua-hard-times-and-publicity/#comment-72 Secret TalkerΔ Tue, 24 Mar 2009 22:48:18 +0000 http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/?p=89#comment-72 Hi , just stopped in from anonymous bloggers, so now that makes 2;Jane and me. I want to let you know that the folks at Margaret and Helen are helpful ,and have been helpful,but I think the crowd is changing and moving on to other things. Those of us who moved to ab from there are still having a great time and collecting flat rate boxes for Nunam Iqua, Ugashic& Pilots Point, and Alakanuk. You are right-we are not political on our blog- Yet the mudpups seem to never tire of it! All the best! Hi , just stopped in from anonymous bloggers, so now that makes 2;Jane and me. I want to let you know that the folks at Margaret and Helen are helpful ,and have been helpful,but I think the crowd is changing and moving on to other things. Those of us who moved to ab from there are still having a great time and collecting flat rate boxes for Nunam Iqua, Ugashic& Pilots Point, and Alakanuk. You are right-we are not political on our blog- Yet the mudpups seem to never tire of it! All the best!

]]> Comment on recycling in the bush – is it worth it? by Ron Newcome http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/2008/12/06/recycling-in-the-bush-is-it-worth-it/#comment-70 Ron Newcome Thu, 12 Feb 2009 02:34:13 +0000 http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/?p=79#comment-70 There is a resource in Anchorage, ALPAR, that you should definitely contact. http://www.alparalaska.com I'm dealing with similar issues in Seward which is on the road system and has some existing back-haul systems in place. Reasonable women and men disagree about "best practice" and the conversation is a lively one. Back in the day, (75-81) I worked all over bush Alaska so I have some sense of bush community dynamics and I expect the discussion could get even more "lively" out there. Your family presence alone sounds like a very positive addition to the community conversation whatever the end result. Good for you and all the best. There is a resource in Anchorage, ALPAR, that you should definitely contact.

http://www.alparalaska.com

I’m dealing with similar issues in Seward which is on the road system and has some existing back-haul systems in place.

Reasonable women and men disagree about “best practice” and the conversation is a lively one.

Back in the day, (75-81) I worked all over bush Alaska so I have some sense of bush community dynamics and I expect the discussion could get even more “lively” out there.

Your family presence alone sounds like a very positive addition to the community conversation whatever the end result.

Good for you and all the best.

]]> Comment on About by anonymousbloggers http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/about/#comment-69 anonymousbloggers Mon, 26 Jan 2009 21:42:43 +0000 #comment-69 I stumbled onto your blog with a wordpress search for rural Alaska. I'm trying to do what I can from Miami to get the word out about the situation in the Yukon Delta. Is your village affected? If you have a few minutes, could you please visit my blog and see if you have anything to add to my "how to help" page? Any comments about how this is affecting you or people to know would be appreciated. If you would like to contribute, that would be great. I don't know enough about the situation to keep a conversation going -- I just want to get the word out so people won't go hungry. Thanks, Jane I stumbled onto your blog with a wordpress search for rural Alaska. I’m trying to do what I can from Miami to get the word out about the situation in the Yukon Delta. Is your village affected?

If you have a few minutes, could you please visit my blog and see if you have anything to add to my “how to help” page? Any comments about how this is affecting you or people to know would be appreciated. If you would like to contribute, that would be great. I don’t know enough about the situation to keep a conversation going — I just want to get the word out so people won’t go hungry.

Thanks,
Jane

]]> Comment on net metering by Pete http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/2008/10/31/net-metering/#comment-68 Pete Tue, 13 Jan 2009 06:13:45 +0000 http://indefinitely.wordpress.com/?p=65#comment-68 Hey, thanks for the comment, and I think you deserve a medal for reading every word of that absurdly long post! I agree with both of your points. What I found fascinating was the utility dude's argument on principle - that it was Wrong (with a capital W) because it would result in my neighbors paying a few pennies more per year (literally). That he would make this argument in a public way (the email went to dozens of people, many of them far more influential than myself like sitting legislators) was shocking to me. Either he is as shameless and brazen as a housecat and drenched in deception, or he is an outrageously principled idealist tilting at windmills in 21st century America. I wonder how he feels about a graduated income tax? But you do run into a disproportionate number of characters like this in our unique state. The vast majority of comments in the ADN (www.adn.com) on global warming stories are about how climate change is a total left-wing fabrication. I'm all for skepticism, but believe that we should always be willing to at least review and weigh the evidence, and be pragmatic about solutions (like accepting the idea of paying 1/1000th more on your electric bill so that more wind-generated energy can come to fruition). Hey, thanks for the comment, and I think you deserve a medal for reading every word of that absurdly long post! I agree with both of your points. What I found fascinating was the utility dude’s argument on principle – that it was Wrong (with a capital W) because it would result in my neighbors paying a few pennies more per year (literally). That he would make this argument in a public way (the email went to dozens of people, many of them far more influential than myself like sitting legislators) was shocking to me.

Either he is as shameless and brazen as a housecat and drenched in deception, or he is an outrageously principled idealist tilting at windmills in 21st century America. I wonder how he feels about a graduated income tax? But you do run into a disproportionate number of characters like this in our unique state. The vast majority of comments in the ADN (www.adn.com) on global warming stories are about how climate change is a total left-wing fabrication. I’m all for skepticism, but believe that we should always be willing to at least review and weigh the evidence, and be pragmatic about solutions (like accepting the idea of paying 1/1000th more on your electric bill so that more wind-generated energy can come to fruition).

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