Did you hear about the Wal-Mart temp who was stampeded to death on Friday? No, this isn’t a set up for a joke. What could be the possible punch line? There was a sale on western wear.
What could possibly be that important to buy? It’s a Wal-Mart! They sell cheap crap. Now if one of Kodiak’s gas stations was selling gas at the national average for 2 hours only . . .
The Kodiak Perspective admits to being a slow reader, and taking on a tome the length of DF Wallace’s “Infinite Jest” may seem madness, but the book is thoroughly enjoyable. The Kodiak Perspective has just purchased several more copies, so if you are on his Christmas list, beware.
As the events lead together we find the Quebecois Wheel-Chaired Assassins infiltrating the Ennet half-way house in their quest for the entertainment. Considering the office door for possible after hours searching, he notes that “there is no bolt of death for the locking.”
The Bolt of Death, what an image, and so unlike the function of a deadbolt lock. Next time you are in Sutliffe’s or Spenards ask for the bolt of death and see the reaction.
As Thanksgiving nears, The Kodiak Perspective is thankful for the enjoyment of this wonderful book.
Happy Thanksgiving. Here is a piece from the late 70's from Ian Dury and the Blockheads. Reasons to be Cheerful, Part 3.
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Summer, Buddy Holly, the working folly Good golly Miss Molly and boats Hammersmith Palais, the Bolshoi Ballet Jump back in the alley and nanny goats
18-wheeler Scammels, Domenecker camels All other mammals plus equal votes Seeing Piccadilly, Fanny Smith and Willy Being rather silly, and porridge oats
A bit of grin and bear it, a bit of come and share it You're welcome, we can spare it - yellow socks Too short to be haughty, too nutty to be naughty Going on 40 - no electric shocks
The juice of the carrot, the smile of the parrot A little drop of claret - anything that rocks Elvis and Scotty, days when I ain't spotty, Sitting on the potty - curing smallpox
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
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Reasons to be cheerful part 3
Health service glasses Gigolos and brasses round or skinny bottoms
Take your mum to paris lighting up the chalice wee willy harris
Bantu Stephen Biko, listening to Rico Harpo, Groucho, Chico
Cheddar cheese and pickle, the Vincent motorsickle Slap and tickle Woody Allen, Dali, Dimitri and Pasquale balabalabala and Volare
Something nice to study, phoning up a buddy Being in my nuddy Saying hokey-dokey, singalonga Smokey Coming out of chokey
John Coltrane's soprano, Adi Celentano Bonar Colleano
Reasons to be cheerful part 3
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Yes yes dear dear perhaps next year or maybe even never
The world’s sexiest woman enjoys riding a bicycle, as does The Kodiak Perspective. Sexy is as Sexy does. With the skyrocketing fuel prices this past summer, more Kodiak citizens have rediscovered the joy of bicycling. Currently with snow on the ground, you may not be thinking of getting out the trusty two wheeler, but winter riding supplies can be found at 58 Degrees North at 1231 Mill Bay Road. Let Tim help transform you from an ordinary person to one of Kodiak’s Sexiest people.
If Karolina Kurkova ever visits our beautiful island she in welcome to borrow The Kodiak Perspective’s sexy Italian machine.
This year has been a very strange one for the US economy, dubious home loans lead to a credit crisis which pushed oil prices skyward, changing Americans driving habits, housing starts dropped off the map, and now the auto industry is broke despite oil prices dropping due to flagging demand. The talk in the news is that the government may stage their third bailout (remember the economic stimulus?) of the auto industry.
The concern is that if the auto makers fail, the resultant job loss will further put the economy in a tailspin.
The Kodiak Perspective is of a different mind though. Americans used to be leaders in new ideas, such as the assembly line which allowed Henry Ford to make the automobile affordable for the common man. Now we cling desperately to a dying industry. If the automakers fold, Americans will still want to be mobile. An open field may spur new ideas and that next great idea will be found. The automakers resistance to change has been their demise.
America needs another Edison, Whitney, Colt, or Ford for the American dream to continue. Let’s see what happens.
These long dark evenings have left the Kodiak Perspective in a bit of a funk. So being distracted by thoughts of travel has lead him back to a web community of travelers that he belongs with. It is called Virtual Tourist. Here contributors from all over the globe upload their vacation pictures and give tips about what they did, where they stayed, where they ate, how the got took. It is all point and shoot, so a page made be someone in Ulan Bator will appear in the same format as one made by The Kodiak Perspective.
If you would like to share your vacation photos, become a member, and then you too can bore everyone with stories of your travels, just like The Kodiak Perspective.
While researching a possible vacation location The Kodiak Perspective has been working with a travel agent who doesn’t always think the same way. In one case she suggested a hotel that was $650 per night! Does that room come with hookers and drugs?
Thank goodness for the internet, it shows many more options. Still haven’t figured out where to go, but it ain’t gonna be no $650 per night digs for this Kodiak soul.
From mid-October till mid-November next year’s vacation choice list makes its rounds through the office. Choose the time for your vacation for next year. Well, gee whiz, The Kodiak Perspective is just not that organized.
Living in Kodiak has changed the way The Kodiak Perspective thinks about vacation. While living in the lower 48, it was easy to get anywhere, it is all on the road system. Kodiak is technically on the road system when you include the Alaska Marine Highway, but distances make auto travel a limiting choice. The Kodiak Perspective has spent his time here on Kodiak without a car, for over 8 years now.
Being forced to fly opens up many more destinations. In 2007 The Kodiak Perspective flew to Rio de Janeiro and cruised to Africa and Europe. So where in the world would you go?
The Kodiak Perspective has noticed that many islanders like to travel to otherislands. Strange. The Kodiak Perspective is also fascinated by an island destination, Guernsey, one of the channel islands between England and France. It is the location of his favorite book.
Today is the day that we honor our veterans who put themselves in harms way so that we could live in this country without fear from our nation’s enemies. Many of these men and women freely volunteered their services and some over the years never made it home. They left behind family and friends and we should also remember those that they left behind. Many veterans were also injured and their lives were forever changed by their time in the service.
So please take the time today, and everyday to thank these brave men and women. They sacrificed much in the service of their country.
It is unfortunate that we have to have a special day to honor these men and women, but people and countries often do not get along, and these disagreements are often settled by hostilities. Disagreements between countries, tribes, men go back as far as human history.
It is sad that the world is unable to put aside their differences and get along. This goes back to the previous article about prejudices. We are taught not to trust strangers and that our cause is always right. Just as others are taught to hate us, it could be national interests or religion or just the color of our skins.
Hopefully the world is making progress, look at the European Union as an example or the uniting of the fifty states here in America. Maybe the election of Barack Obama will help us to see all people as people. Until that time armies will exist and our young people will be sacrificed. It is very sad.
Here in Kodiak we are very lucky. The Coast Guard here does a lot of good. Rescuing people at sea, even if they are not citizens of this nation. This is a branch of the service that crosses boundaries and fosters good will towards all men, a step in the right direction.
Since the election The Kodiak Perspective has heard many disturbing comments that has him thinking about racism in Kodiak and America. Actually racism is just a small portion of a larger phenomena of xenophobia, fear of the other.
The Kodiak Perspective believes that everyone is a racist, now before you go getting defensive, answer this question: You walk into a public place, say a coffee house, and order your favorite beverage, when you turn to find a place to sit there are two seats available, one at a table full of people who have similar ethnic background to yourself, and one at a table full of people who are from a different culture, you do not know any of the people in the room, which table do you choose to join?
The Kodiak Perspective believes that if you answered honestly, you would choose the more familiar, the people who are similar to yourself. This is a very small, but real, form of racism. Does it make you a bad person? NO it does not. Does it mean that you can not or do not get along with people of other cultures? NO, it does not.
Racism exists in all of us to some extent, it is only bad when it escalates.
Some prejudices are naturally occurring, and some are learned behavior. Many are perpetuated by stereotypes. Many are because we have limited experience with other cultures. The more we mingle, the less fear there is of the other. So the next time you are faced with that choice, will you sit with the “others”, and if you do will you be accepted? Or will it be uncomfortable for all. It may be. It is your choice.
Well, it is official, we’re living in “Obama”nation. The Kodiak Perspective is sometimes skeptical, and even though the polls showed Obama leading, he thought that when it came time to actually cast a ballot, America would be too xenophobic to elect Barack Obama. The results make The Kodiak Perspective proud to be an American.
Aside: The Kodiak Perspective found out from some Filipino friends that barack is the tagalog word for coffee.
The Kodiak Perspective enjoys the YouTube channel of “The Resident”, for her reaction to the election watch this video.
Election day may be a new beginning for political life, but it is a sad day for The Kodiak Perspective. It was on election day 2004 when he received news of his father’s passing. That day was spent in travel arraignments and travel back to Ohio for the laying out and interment of “Big Nick.
Many readers did not know pops, but he did visit Kodiak for three glorious months in 2002. If you did get to meet him and get to spend any time with him, you know that he was fun and always had stories to tell.
Pops loved to travel and didn’t miss opportunities to explore new places. We took a trip to Hungary in 1992 to see the land of his parents.
After the semi-annual ritual of spring ahead, fall back, it is now the time where we go to work before the sun rises and return home from work after the sun sets. If you work in a building without windows it is even worse. During this time make it a point to go outside during lunchtime. Take a walk, the sunlight is more nourishing than food. Hardest times can be the long evenings, when it has been dark so long, it must be time for bed. Now is the time to think about evening activities, like playing bridge. The Kodiak Perspective hopes that you have a way to cope with the darkness.
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