Staycation

Starting tomorrow, I will be on a week long staycation in Juneau. I hope to focus on doing photography and hiking, weather permitting and reading and watching movies if not.
This staycation will involve a news fast and disconnecting from the internet, except MAYBE for Flickr and to check my bank balance. Or I could just [...]

Yay Obama! Cuba and Chavez

Although I don’t agree with President Obama on everything, particularly fetal stem cell research and attempting to uphold the 1950s era “state secrets” doctrine, I am happy with at least 80% of what he is doing.
Two things he’s done in the past week that deserve special praise in my view are:
Greater engagement with Cuba – [...]

Torture’s Effectiveness Doesn’t Matter

As a consistent advocate for transparency in government, I support Dick Cheney’s recent request to release two currently classified documents on CIA success in obtaining information through torture techniques. I won’t even spend a lot of time noting the irony of America’s foremost advocate for secrecy suddenly demanding public access to classified information. I think [...]

Kodiak and Alaskan Librarian

Kodiak and Alaskan Librarian

Originally uploaded by AlaskanLibrarian

One more photo blog for today and I’ll stop. This picture of Kodiak Island hangs in the Kodiak High School. If you look closely at the middle of the picture, you’ll see my reflection. I’m a sucker for reflection photos, even when they interfere with my mine subject.

Good Advice from Rotary

Good Advice from Rotary

Originally uploaded by AlaskanLibrarian

Banner hanging in the halls at Kodiak High School. Good advice I don’t take often enough. How about you? Which of the criteria is hardest for you?
I know, I know. I said the next few weeks would be light blogging! But I’m finding inspiration from my photography. From the [...]

Downtown Kodiak with View of St. Herman Orthodox Seminary

Downtown Kodiak with View of St. Herman Orthodox Seminary

Originally uploaded by AlaskanLibrarian

I’ve hit a sort of dry spell in my blogging. I’ve got ideas, but I’ve been either too tired or too distracted by recent news to elaborate on those ideas.
So I’m expecting blogging to be light for awhile. But I’m going to try and [...]

Douglas Harbor, Low Tide

Douglas Harbor, Low Tide

Originally uploaded by AlaskanLibrarian

I was out walking on a beautiful Easter Sunday and took this picture of my local harbor.

Obama Makes Two Bush Errors

Right after the election, I pledged to criticize President Obama if I thought he wasn’t carrying out good policies, just as I often criticized President Bush when I thought he wasn’t living up to our country’s professed values.
Today, I read a blog entry in the Washington Post (Obama to Europe: No More Excuses) by Dan [...]

Common Ground: David Horowitz

Today’s Common Ground figure is a surprise for me. It’s David Horowitz of Frontpage magazine. On every foreign policy and terrorism issue I can think of, we are polls apart. I never appreciated the way he demonized opponents of President Bush’s policies as al-Qaeda supporters.
But in this March 30, 2009 post from Front Page [...]