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Friday, January 28, 2022

Open Thread: Preparing for Setnetting!

Here’s a picture from several years ago of our campsite where we were setnetting during the annual personal use fishery. I’m looking forward to being there in just a couple of days! Setnetting at the Kasilof is already going on and in the Alaska tradition, we have a number of families sharing the nets and the campsite so we’ll be taking our turn soon. I apologize if the blog is a little sparse right now, but I anticipate a flood of Netroots posts, probably when Shannyn and Jeanne get a moment to breathe or get back this weekend!

I’ll have a post for you either tonight or tomorrow. Until then, here’s an open thread. Feel free to talk about anything, but fishing is the preferred topic today!

Comments

comments

Comments
111 Responses to “Open Thread: Preparing for Setnetting!”
  1. Man_from_Unk says:

    I just looked at a map and located Kasilof down there on the Kenai Peninsla along the shore of Cook Inlet which empties into the Gulf of Alaska. The Gulf of Alaska has been in the news lately because of the King Salmon ByCatch of the pollock fishery. The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council recently met in Nome, June 6-14, to address that and the Chum Salmon ByCatch problem of the Bering Sea pollock fishery. NPFMC capped the King Salmon ByCatch in the Gulf of Alaska to 22,500 and they decided that the Chum Salmon ByCatch study needs more work.

    So far it looks like the healthiest sockeye run is in Bristol Bay. People from Nome and the surrounding area are supposedly buying frozen sockeye filets from Bristol Bay. What a shame it is to lose a once reliable resource. I guess until the fishing is restricted in those vibrant locations elsewhere, the rich will continue buying their fish from elsewhere when their poor neighbors go without.

    • mike from iowa says:

      In Iowa,pollock is referred to as Alaskan Walleye for some reason.Speaking personal,I wouldn’t know pollock from seal blubber.

      • Man_from_Unk says:

        It’s easy to distinguish between pollock and seal blubber. Pollock flesh looks like fish flesh and seal blubber looks like fat – it’s greasy like fat. Alaskan Walleye? Never heard it called that either. Very misleading alright.

  2. mike from iowa says:

    Anybody have any thoughts on AARP giving up the fight to protect Social Security from cuts? I will go out on a short limb and declare Rethuglicans will take a buzzsaw to SS and Medicare and still find more taxcuts for the wealthy to offset any savings. I think that is a real slam dunk.

    • Krubozumo Nyankoye says:

      Mike, last I saw AARP is saying the WSJ put their own spin on what they said – now how could that be do you suppose? So far as I understand it, AARP’s position is that the cap on employment taxes should be eliminated, which is a change in policy but it is hardly a cut in benefits.

      • yukonbushgrma says:

        “the cap on employment taxes should be eliminated” —

        I haven’t read AARP’s position on this, but is AARP saying that retired persons should be able to continue to work, but there would be a change in employment taxes? What is the cap?

        **I need some more info!**

        • benlomond2 says:

          I thonk what is being refered to is the max amount yearly that can be taxed for SS. deductions on your earnings. Bt removing the cap, SS would get more revenue for distribution, those making more would continue to pay the % removed for SS deduction, rather than stop paying once they’ve reached the yearly limit.for SS deductions.

          • mike from iowa says:

            People with high incomes were taxed (for Social Security) on only the first 94K or 108k dollars of income and nothing after that. Regular folks paid the tax on all their income. This is one of those taxes that would help SS solvency if they would tax high income earners on all their income. Rethuglicans go apopleptic when someone wants to tax the wealthy.

      • mike from iowa says:

        A.P. is saying that AARP has changed their stance on SS cuts. AARP says no way. So who knows. The head of AARP is supposedly on vacation or just travelling around and can’t be reached for comment.

    • yukonbushgrma says:

      Do you guys have any links to that? I’m an AARP member, and haven’t heard anything! Please elaborate!

      Mike, I hope you are wrong …..

    • yukonbushgrma says:

      It just scares me that AARP is giving up on anything, frankly.

  3. Mo says:

    The money quote:

    “Having already done humanity a disservice by enhancing the legitimacy of human plantar wart Andrew Breitbart, Weiner definitely lost some members of the court by caving in to the media witch-hunt.”

    http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/the-people-vs-anthony-weiner-final-ruling-20110617

    “human plantar wart.” Heh. Hehhehehehehehe…

  4. fishingmamma says:

    My favorite fishing story did not happen to me. When I was commercial fishing, there was a guy on another boat that was a notoriously difficult guy to work for. Very demanding. all the deckhands were scared of him. He had a guy working for him that was new to fishing (green). the deckhand was working the cockpit, and cleaning a nice king salmon. He grabbed the fish and hung it over the side to rinse off the blood, and it slipped out of his hand just as the captain stepped out of the wheelhouse and saw what happened. He yelled at the deckhand to “Get that fish!!!”, and the deckhand jumped into the water after the fish. Boots, raingear, and all. He grabbed the fish and made it back to the boat. The captain grabbed the fish and yelled at the deckhand to “get back in the boat and get back to work!!!”

    My little family and I will be headed out to our annual dipnet trip soon, to load up the canner and the smoker with sockeyes. Looking forward to it.

    • Man_from_Unk says:

      Fishers in Nome, Teller and Brevig Mission use to be able to “load up” with sockeyes from the Pilgrim River sockeye run. That run crashed last year. Sardines and cheap tuna just doesn’t cut it!

  5. carol says:

    The new “moderates” in the rebupican party aren’t. They continue to be radicals.
    Keep the government out of the market, but into people’s privates. I’ve also wondered how
    someone can claim to be pro-life, pro-gun and pro-God. I have guns; I like to target practice, but guns’ primary function is to kill. God must really be pro-gun because didn’t he say “thou shalt not kill”. The Bush tax cuts really worked for the economy, didn’t they? What is scary is so many people are buying this.
    http://www.slate.com/id/2297141/

    • yukonbushgrma says:

      Carol, I truly belive the Right has no Moderates in its membership.

      • dahlia97 says:

        They used to be there….so where they go? (The moderates can’t have all fallen for the hype.)

  6. Mag the Mick says:

    Here’s one of my favorite fishing stories, and a good life lesson to boot: On one of my visits to Ireland, I was staying at a B&B in the lovely village of Cong (where “The Quiet Man” was filmed in the early 50’s.) Outside the village is a super-expensive, zillion-star castle hotel, where a world-class trout stream flows bounteously. The hotel management graciously allow the public to come in and walk the grounds. I was doing so, saw a man doing some beautiful casts with his reel, and sat down under a bush to watch. It was pure artistry. He saw me watching, smiled and waved, and asked if I fished. We got to talking about fishing in Alaska, where he had never been but wanted to go. I finally asked him about fly-fishing and what was he catching. He showed me what he was using, which was basically just a weight on the end of his line. No hook, no lure. He said he loved standing in the water in beautiful country enjoying peace and solitude, and that “flinging a weight about” helped him do that. He was a very nice guy, and though I thought there was something familiar about him, I didn’t want to pry. Next day, at Sunday mass in the village church, he was right behind me in the communion line and he gave me a lovely smile. When I got back to the B&B,m my landlady was all aflutter at seeing Eric Clapton at church that morning! I still think about his approach to fishing – just buying peace and solitude by flinging a little lead line around. He is a guitar hero, and a lovely fly fisherman as well.

    • tigerwine says:

      What a great story! Bet it’s one you’ll remember forever – I sure would. Think I’ll go hunt up one of his CD’s and play it. Thanks for sharing!

    • mike from iowa says:

      He could’ve offered to give the Duke guitar lessons. Clapton was god for awhile and so was Paige,Hendrix,Jeff Beck,VanHalen and on and on goes the list of outstanding guitar players.The Drifters recently lost their original lead singer and more and more are passing on to their next adventure in another time.

      • Mag the Mick says:

        Ah yes, back in my alternative past life with the Duke, young Eric was a regular visitor to the old ducal pile. We worried immensely about his addiction, and when he eventually went in for the cure, the Duke loaned Eric his old teddy bear, Rochester, for company. Unfortunately, the Duke and Eric shared a mighty liking for champagne and Jack Daniels, and we had no end of trouble from the village constabulary following the incident with the Aston-Martin and the hay wagon.

        Here in this life, Clapton is one of my heroes, not just for his musical skills but for conquering his demons and for being able to put in time as a decent human being.

        I think a lot of us who still remember the Sixties are incredibly blessed at having grown up with such great music.

        • yukonbushgrma says:

          Well, Mag, I don’t care what they say. I totally love Eric Clapton’s music. It reminds me of who I was — what’s part of MY LIFE — years ago. Those are my memories.

          It’s amazing how you met him.

        • mike from iowa says:

          Would you be for knowing if Mr Clapton still has a rehab in the Carribean? I forgot where it is/was.

    • thatcrowwoman says:

      Mag, my dear one, I had to share that story with DH Happy, who, while not a guitar hero, exactly, can play some powerful blues, and is himself “a lovely fly fisherman as well.”

      Blues Before Sunrise:
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CY85PSxn0PI

      Speaking of Happy, I’ve told my best fish story here before. Happy married me on the opening day of trout season some 30-odd (sic!) years ago. My daddy was finally convinced that it was true love when Happy showed up on time and his pants weren’t wet to the knees, though he and his brother Had been in the river that morning. 🙂

      Happy used to take my Granddaddy Linus, of blessed memory, fishing also, too. They were fishing buddies, much to mama’s delight. I’m a swimmer, not a fisher. Good catch, my Happy.

      L’Shalom,
      and wishing rain for all who need some. We’ve had several showers lately, so the drought in the forest is not so severe.

      thatcrowwoman

    • Zyxomma says:

      He was photographed in LA doing his own wash in a laundromat. Money doesn’t spoil everyone.

      • mike from iowa says:

        I am not aware of his earlier life,but,losing a child as he did will give life a whole new perspective and give some humility they sorely lack. A parent should never,ever,ever,ever have to bury a child. It should be written in stone for the whole Universe to see.

        • mike from iowa says:

          I did not mean to imply Mr Clapton is not a humble person. Those that need some humility know who they are.

    • fishingmamma says:

      Mag, I sent your story to a friend, and here is his reply:

      The closest I can come to that story is the time I was out at Tee Harbor one morning bright and early. I ate breakfast at the bar and was drinking a beer, and reading a book, and I was the only person in the bar. Early on a Saturday morning back in the mid 1980s. A guy came in and sat down at the end of the bar, about 5 stools away from me. I looked up and right away recognized him. Since I was about to order another beer anyway, I had the bartender get one for the new guy too. When we got our beers, he looked up, tipped the beer in my direction, said thanks, and I nodded in acknowledgement, then I went back to reading my book. He was in there for about half an hour, long enough to reciprocate by buying me a beer back, but other than that, we didn’t say a word to each other. I figured somebody as famous as he was probably was taking a certain delight in just being anonymous and rather than spoil it for him, I just left him alone. I figured if he wanted to talk, he’d come over and be friendly, but he seemed happy just sitting there alone. So that’s how I did not get to meet Kris Kristofferson. (He was in town making a film, I can’t remember now which one it was, but he played the part of a bush pilot).

      Roger (so, its not a fishing story; but it DID take place in a fishermen’s bar!)

      • tigerwine says:

        I am so green with envy! Oh, to have been in the company with Kris! Lucky you.

        • fishingmamma says:

          Lucky Roger! These stories show me that fame does not always detract from humility and humanity. This gives me hope.

  7. Alaska Pi says:

    ANC- excellent post regarding recent activities of your Mayor’s office :

    http://whatdoino-steve.blogspot.com/2011/06/making-policy-behind-closed-doors-port.html

    • mike from iowa says:

      Does Dan Coffey have the expertise to do the job or is he just AFODS?

      • slipstream says:

        AFODS — a friend of Dan Sullivan?
        AFODS — a foolish old dip sherbet?

  8. Zyxomma says:

    You can help with $P’s movie, courtesy of Brave New Films:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yMAzL5wtuw&feature=dgst_fri

    Have fun.

  9. OMG says:

    I just posted this interesting take on the current GOP crop from London that you may enjoy:

    http://politico-junkie.blogspot.com/2011/06/uk-move-over-sarah-palin-and-say-hello.html

    • yukonbushgrma says:

      That was an excellent synopsis of the Repub debate in NH, and a pretty realistic take on the current state of the party.

      Many times the folks over the pond see things much clearly than we …

  10. mike from iowa says:

    For those of you who have Dish Network, you can watch Netroots Nation on Free Speech TV-channel 9415. They have coverage in the morning and late afternoon and probably evenings,too. Link TV might carry some coverage,too. Channel 9410. Did anyone catch Nitwit Mitt Romney’s attempt at humor by claiming he was unemployed,too,just like a regular Joe?

  11. tigerwine says:

    OK, here’s my fishing story: Someone told me the local grocery chain had halibut, so I hied myself down yesterday and talked to the guy behind the counter and asked if they had frozen. Yea, they did – in individually flash frozen packs. I paid $9.98 for 6 ounces. I remember when we lived in Homer, our neighbor came down from Fairbanks in the summer to fish. Many’s the morning we would hear him clumping on the deck and dropping a pail of goodies, mostly king crab and halibut. Oh, those really were the good old days!

    Having grown up on the NH coast, lived in FL and AK, I sure miss my fish! Local mountain trout just don’t cut it!

    • Alaska Pi says:

      I tried living away from the coast.
      Found I couldn’t deal well with the lack of salt tang in the air and the form the changing of the tides give the day.
      How do you do it?

      • benlomond2 says:

        I have the same issue- gotta be near water…. wife tried to get us to move to New Mexico…. GAACCKK- 150 miles to nearest manmade lake with planted trout,,,aacck ! ( Bass fishing is SOOooo much more challenging !)

  12. beth says:

    An Observation:

    $Ps public persona has always been known for tailored clothing — not always age-appropriate or occasion-appropriate, but always! tailored. She is now sporting frou-frou and fluffy. And ribbon roses.

    Her public persona has also always been known for clothing of solid, strong, primary colors — she’s now wearing patterns and prints and colors that keep fashion writers up at night dreaming up names for them (“Is that ‘peach-kissed putty’ or ‘sun-blushed sand’?”)

    So, with that in mind, a question:

    I can’t help but notice something (or someone) has ‘gotten to’ $P…I’m guessing it’s Bachmann — is $P, do you think, going for a new/additional demographic, now…the Bachmann bots? beth.

    • benlomond2 says:

      Can I shorten “Bachmann Bots ” to “BB Brains” ?

      • Cassie Jeep says:

        I noticed that, too. Blouses are a little more feminine than leather jackets! (Snark!)

        Who knows with her—-mother of the year today, biker babe tomorrow, whatever the masses require.

        I’m glad I’m happy with who I am so that I don’t have to check the day of the week to decide “who I’ll be this time”….deep bow to Kurt Vonnegut.

  13. GoI3ig says:

    A DEN OF THIEVES……

    The Permanent Fund Dividend applicant list is public information. I find it a little interesting that the entire Palin clan is signed up for the 2011 dividend. They don’t appear to spend much time in Alaska, or meet the requirement of “intending to remain in Alaska.”

    An activity listed by the PFD corporation as showing lack of intent to stay is “buying a house in another state.” Didn’t Bristol just buy in Arizona, and momma bear follow suit?

    This looks like blatant PFD fraud on the surface. I wonder when the spineless administration will investigate this. I’ve know people who were denied a PFD after doing a lot less to diminish their Alaska residency.

    • beth says:

      For the PFD, would Trig be $Ps […wait for it…wait for it…wait for it…] “anchor baby”? beth.

  14. beth says:

    Our family often took trips out of town of a Sunday afternoon. When I was a most prissy 10-year old, we took a trip to a fish farm; it was in late October. And chilly. I walked out on one of the concrete pathways between the tanks, and went to cast the hook into the water.

    I took that rod and whipped it back with all my might and then whipped that puppy forward with equal strength to plunk the hook into the tank and hook me the mack daddy of all fishes! I was F.I.S.H.I.N.G…W.O.M.A.N…E.X.T.R.A.O.R.D.I.N.A.I.R.E!

    Next thing I knew, I was flying through the air — the hook hooked firmly in the seat of my pants and my hands –moving rapidly forward and downward– in a death-grip on the pole to which the line and hook were firmly attached. Somehow, mid-flight, I dropped the pole and I was able to do a 180-degree turn; I ended up with my forearms on the walkway and the upper half of my body out of the water — the other half, hips on down, were in the cold, wet, fishy tank. My pride was in that water, too.

    I don’t remember the logistics of getting my wet clothing off, but get it off, Mom and I did. I got into the car bundled up in my Dad’s winter jacket while the rest of the family turned in their poles and Dad purchased some fish for dinner. But then, Then!, to add insult to injury!, Dad took us all to the Air Force Base’s canteen to get some hot chocolate to warm up my teeth-chattering, shivering, 50# body. I was absolutely mortified that GIs would see me in a jacket made for a man of 6’3″ — zipped-up to my chin, with rolled up sleeves, and the bottom of it, hitting me about half-way down my scrawny little legs.

    That my lips were blue from the cold, I was shaking like a leaf, and my fingers and toes were tingling, meant nothing to me…in the presence of GIs, I was too prissy to care. My poor parents — I was quite a p-i-t-a, as a young’un. They loved me anyway. Go figure. beth.

  15. Zyxomma says:

    Green America is awarding four projects with grants for their green businesses. All the nominees are worthy, so I won’t say (yet) which I voted for. Please go to:

    http://www.greenamerica.org/greengrants/index_voting.cfm

    and cast your vote. Thanks!

  16. leenie17 says:

    With all the icky news on the tv box lately, I thought you might enjoy this bit of uplifting warm fuzzy.

    Six tween Girl Scouts from Iowa who meet on a regular basis in a large neighborhood fir tree (pretty low ‘overhead’ for a start-up business!) have been awarded a patent for a prosthetic device they invented as part of the FIRST LEGO League science and engineering challenge.

    Yes, you read that correctly…these girls actually have a patent for a device that is helping a 3-year-old born without fingers to be able to write.

    Now, doesn’t that make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside???

    http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/girl-scout-team-patent-prosthetic-hand-device/story?id=13858959

    • ugavic says:

      I saw this on the news and to be honest it brought tears to my eyes. To see a group of young girls do such a powerful thing filled me with hope on so many levels.
      Given all the junk in the world right now I was happy it has been highlighted!!

    • mike from iowa says:

      I have faith in America’s pro-corporate climate. Some large corporation will finagle this patent away from the girls and leave them with a pittance. Call me cynical.

  17. mike from iowa says:

    Can you capture the taste,texture,flavor,color and general yumminess of whatever it is your going to net,with a camera? I would love to try fresh salmon. I don’t particularly care to share and share alike with the local bear population in Alasksa Which is why I’m firmly ensconced in this place.BTW,is Todd still a private citizen today?

  18. I’ll have pictures for you on Sunday. I’ll try to take pictures of the whole process 🙂

    • ugavic says:

      Oh goodie…I LOVE seeing how others set up their set net sites!! There are so many ways to fish in AK and I find it so interesting to see how it is accomplished.
      Hope you have a great time and lots of yummy fish to bring home!!

    • CO almost native says:

      Good. I don’t get it either (scratching my head over this). I’m used to lake fishing, sitting on the edge of a dock, or in a motorized row boat.

    • jimzmum says:

      Thank you!

    • Diane says:

      How much fish do you catch and can you catch as much as you want?

      • Man_from_Unk says:

        That’s a good question Diane. It depends on where the fishing is taking place, what species of salmon you are fishing for, and if the ‘escapement goals’ for salmon sustainability are met. About 30 years ago along the Norton Sound area and the Yukon River, people use to “catch as much as you want” but that’s all changed in the last 20 years. Last year I was able to catch 3 Silver Salmon for my subsistence permit. We’re hitting hard times for salmon in many of the Western Alaska Coastal rivers.

  19. jimzmum says:

    Linda, think of it as a season ender to a house party on a cable channel. Would you please explain the whole structure of a set net when you have time? I don’t quite understand. Have read and reread Dana Stabenow’s description, but still am iffy on it.

  20. leenie17 says:

    My students went on a field trip yesterday to a camp run by the Rotary club. They got to fish in the pond and had great success since we were the first group to use the camp this year and the fish were very hungry!

    It reminded me of when I was all of 3 years old and my family went fishing at the pond on my grandmother’s farm. Since I was a little too much of a squirt to trust with sharp hooks (and too wiggly to hold a pole for more than a few seconds), I had the great and important responsibility of being the Official Bait Lady. My job was to carefully cradle the bowl that contained the magical bread bait and respond instantly when a family member called, “Bait Lady!” Off I’d go, toddling over with my precious supplies of mushy bread so they could replenish the end of their hooks. I was VERY proud of my important job! 🙂

    • benlomond2 says:

      chortle !! … when my girls were about 3, I would have them “help” Daddy get worms for fishing, and as Daddy was always hungry, I would “eat” a worm for them, by being sideways to them, and lower the worm past my mouth and along my neck while smacking my lips. To them, that worm was going down my mouth with great gusto. A couple of yrs ago, was on the dock in Fla with my brother and his 3 yr granddaughter, and pulled the same trick… “Pappy-Pa” will you eat a worm like Uncle Ed?” Younger Bro had a few beers in him, and hadn’t caught on to what his big Bro had done, but his Granddaughter had made a request; and to not be outdone by, promptly popped a big ole nightcrawler in his mouth and chewed that baby down !! Little one was delighted!, I was laughing my sternsheets off, and my brother was looking for a beer to wash the taste outta his mouth !

    • mike from iowa says:

      When I was a kid,us boys wouldn’t eat the heels of a bread loaf and we wouldn’t eat a sandwich that utilized both halves of one slice of bread. The theory was the upper half with the round shoulders was the girl half. Us men had to have good,sharp corners on our sandwiches.

  21. I have to say this somewhere…

    I’m going to miss Anthony Weiner. 🙁 🙁 🙁

    • Nekolibrarian says:

      Hubby, who is a pastor, said that Weiner is guilty of doing something stupid, but he didn’t commit any physical act against any woman. Therefore, those who forced him to resign over this stupid act are behaving like pietistic pharisees (who, in the Bible, behaved “holier than thou” and hectored people for not being more like them). I’m very upset with Weiner for doing something he should have known could get him in trouble.

      • Krubozumo Nyankoye says:

        Well, obviously no? Compare Weiner’s transgressions to those of the man he was trying to impeach, supreme court justice Clarence Thomas who for years lied on federal income disclosure forms such that he could sit in judgement on cases before the court in which he had a vested interest.

        Where is the outcry about this sleaze bag Thomas? Weiner stood up in congress and publicly called him out, citing the lies and documenting them. No one, not a single media outlet gave it any exposure at all. And so the accuser has been discredited, humiliated and forced from office by the cacaphony of righteous moralists, those who get tailored letters from the heavenly father ordaining them to lord it over all of us squalid vermin who actually have to work for a living. And yet, Thomas is the swing vote at present in a myriad of constitutional decisions that will shape the future in a way that would give Picasso nightmares.

        Weiner never broke the law. Thomas did, over and over and over again, and he still sits in a position to decide what the law is. Weiner was a pawn, Thomas is a rook. And a crooked one at that.

        People do things all the time that are likely to get them in trouble. How many of you exceed the speed limit when you take a city to city drive? Sex is a biological imperitive. Ask any catholic priest. There is a clear double standard here. Republicans can break the law with impunity. Any democrat who might want to correct felonies comitted by republicans will be crucified in under three weeks.

        The war criminals, Bush, Cheney, Rumsfelt, etc.etc. the people who illegally invaded Iraq and murdered hundreds of thousands, who illegally and in secret conspired with corporate interests to bleed every possible dime out of the population utterly dependent upon gasoline to live, the enormous surveillance and snooping into eveyone’s and anyone’s correspondence, national security letters, unwarranted wire tapping, and on and on and on, goes without mention. Lakes of blood and mayhem are as motes of dust to the so called fourth estate.

        What a pathetic and unconscionable joke.

        • thatcrowwoman says:

          Amen.

        • mike from iowa says:

          You have to remember that for Rethuglicans to find high crimes and misdemeanors,the offender needs to be a popular Democrat and the crime must be lying about a sex act. Minor things like outing a covert CIA agent or lying America into needless wars or even lying on tax returns don’t attain the bar that Rethugs set for Clinton. I would gladly sign a citizen’s petition to force Congress to at least investigate the possibility of an impeachment. With Rethugs in control of the House of Reprehensibles I’m afraid justice is dead in the water.And,I am all for the impeachment of the last five Rethuglican Poti,including deceased ones,just for the hell of it.

        • Zyxomma says:

          I am so angry at this resignation. While what he did (that we know of) was immature and irresponsible, it’s not illegal. Nor is it (again, from what we know) all that immoral. Now, we’ve lost one of the few truly progressive voices in the House (at least Grayson was voted out), and there’s no one left to hold Clarence Thomas’s feet to the fire. Thomas didn’t “forget” to include Ginni’s RWNJ earnings, IMO. And there is no way he should get away with non-recusal in Citizens United. Silly me. I thought sexting was for teenagers.

        • Jim K says:

          The Constitution says: justices shall hold their office during good behaviour ; I would
          presume from that statement that what ever they did before taking office is not relative.
          I am not sure if Thomas committed those offenses prior to taking office, if so, they are not impeachable offenses.

          • Zyxomma says:

            Thomas took money (I think it was 100 grand) from Citizens United in its infancy, to campaign for SCOTUS. He did NOT recuse himself from the suit, and it passed 5-4, forever tainting our democracy. He is, IMO, scum, and so is his wife.

          • Krubozumo Nyankoye says:

            Under two minutes on googles (with my glacially slow connection) shows 66,000+ hits on [clarence thomas financial disclosure]. On Jan 22. 2011 A SATURDAY, he “amended” 20 years worth of judicial financial disclosure forms, that is to say what we call in the trade a felonious do-over. His wife collected near a million dollars in fees during that time and he declared exactly none of it and checked the box indicating no spousal income. He deliberately lied. So you were saying?

      • Valley_Independent says:

        I will miss him too, though he needed to resign. Had he immediately taken responsibility for his lack of judgement, he would have survived. However, failure to take responsibility and the repeated lies meant he had to go. Those who lie about one thing are very likely to be caught lying about others.

        True, others have done much worse and are unfortunately still around, but that doesn’t make what he did right.

        • Alaska Pi says:

          amen

        • Krubozumo Nyankoye says:

          I’m sorry I don’t quite follow your logic here. Some who lies about something deeply embarassing might lie about something else and so must resign from a responsible position but someone who commits the same felony 20 times get’s a free pass. Craig was charged with a crime and pled guilty – then he tried to reverse his plea, no dice. He’s still in congress and still comitting crimes no doubt. Vitter? I thought solicitation of prostitution was a crime? Oh it isn’t if you’re a republican congressman.

          Did I say what Weiner did was right? No, I don’t believe I did, but isn’t it just a little amazing that for nearly six months Thomas has been stonewalling the iron clad fact that he lied about a felonious financial interest that he had in supreme court decisions? Where is the outcry for him to resign? The loudest voice was Weiner.

          • yukonbushgrma says:

            Seems to me, the way these guys get out of it is to make us “riil Amerikans” believe they can tell a LIE!

            Sorry, there are so many lies that have been told to cover up so many sleazy things.

            Weiner’s was so small in comparison ……

            It just does not balance out.

          • dahlia97 says:

            It comes right down again to THE MEDIA. If they don’t report it, it never happened. Where is the media outcry about Thomas?

            It seems most men lie about sexual issues. Not right, just fact. But when they lie about things that affect our lives, livelihood and the state of our democracy, that truly IS a crime.

    • Diane says:

      How hypocritical of republicans that a man who sends pictures of himself to other women were made to resign when paying a prostitute and a wides stance can keep you receiving government checks.

      What the hell was he thinking when he sent those pictures!

  22. Alaska Pi says:

    All Kenai mudpups ok after the quake today?
    No reports in ADN about damage.
    Best wishes to all there!
    http://www.aeic.alaska.edu/Seis/recent/sub/quakes/2011167_evid10253162/evid10253162.html

    ——————————————-
    http://fishyfellow.blogspot.com/2010/12/de-coding-eco-labels-flaws-and.html
    fishy business…

    • Now that I live in a mobile home, it sure makes quakes more…errr…interesting.

      Yelled across my house during the quake:

      “Mom, is it over yet?”

      “Almost, honey…you OK?”

      “Yeah”

      “Is the flat screen OK?”

      “Yeah”

      “Where are you?”

      “Under the table with the dog!”

      • Alaska Pi says:

        Hanging with the pupper during it’s 1st quake is a very thoughtful thing to do 🙂
        Stay safe!

      • benlomond2 says:

        I’ve been informed that it’s actually safer to be NEXT to a sturdy piece of furniture than under it ( unless it’s one of those MASSIVE dining room tables … If the building collapses. you will be in a triangular space supported by the couch or dresser. and not flattened out by that table with the legs that went flat as the roof collapes on it. Living in Cal, it’s always been get under the table or doorway, so I was very interested to have this bit of info thrown my way. I’ll do a search for the article this weekend…

        • ugavic says:

          I had read the same thing– get down next to the couch or bed and chances are better.
          Found it interesting and hopefully if things shake here on the AK Peninsula I will remember it!!

        • carol says:

          Check out the mixture of truths/untruths about earthquake survival tools on snopes. I just searched earthquakes. I’d be more inclined to believe what the Red Cross said on the subject.

  23. Martha says:

    Voices for Wild Salmon – Broken promises and assurances..we have been played for fools by the government and disregarded by David Suzuki.;

    Voices for Wild Salmon – we have been played for fools

    http://alexandramorton.typepad.com/

    • Alaska Pi says:

      from the post you reference:
      “But it is not just government. The environmental groups of BC are deciding whether or not to support World Wildlife Fund Certification of net pen salmon farms! David Suzuki is even considering this, despite no mention in the certification of real protection from disease. Please contact your environmental organizations. They are trying to survive in a corporate world of funders and really need your guidance. If they support WWF in certifying net pen salmon feedlots BC will further its role as a doormat to corporate schemes. These companies are following their own laws failing to recognize the biological world they use. ISAv has demonstrated it’s capabilities and for our government to prop the door open to this marine influenza C with a meaningless certification is criminal. ”
      —————————————–
      The dialogue planning paper that blogger links to comes from this project of the WWF:
      http://www.worldwildlife.org/what/globalmarkets/aquaculture/whatwearedoing.html
      ———————————————
      The shift to certifying fisheries, timber, whatever , as sustainable as a way to manage methods of production, harvest, etc has gained favor in recent years. To me, accepting certification by ANY group, the WWF ‘s program included, requires a close look by consumers as to the methods, criteria for judgement,stakeholders involved, etc. before accepting that a particular harvest is sustainable.
      The much lauded Marine Stewardship Council certification is under increasing fire and rightfully so.
      http://fishyfellow.blogspot.com/2010/12/de-coding-eco-labels-flaws-and.html

      WWF has a process which is more open and seeks to address things globally but has it’s own set of problems .
      The International Pacific Halibut Commission has been under increasing fire in recent years and since their recommendations are sent to governing bodies in the US and Canada to be used for alloaction and management of the resource it’s important to keep an eye on them.
      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halibut
      I think a very important part of sustainable anything is on-the-ground participation by all of us when we wear our “consumer” hat . We should be trying to understand as much of where, what, and how of the food we bring home as we can.
      Sometimes I wish I could just accept the pretty glossy pictures from industry and commissions but I can’t…

  24. Mag the Mick says:

    As this is an open thread, I will take the opportunity to wave my arms and yell “HELP!” Southern and eastern Arizona are burning up. There’s a very hot, very fast-moving wildfire about 20 miles west of here that is burning east. The monsoon (our summer rainy season) does not seem to be building up. We already have been visited with a natural disaster called Sarah Palin, and now this. Please visualize rain clouds flowing up to us from the south. We need rain badly.

    • merrycricket says:

      Rain clouds in my thoughts for you!

    • jimzmum says:

      Hoping for rain! Wish we could send you some. We are flooded here.

    • mike from iowa says:

      I’m on it for you and Thatcrowwoman. We’ve had six or seven inches of un-needed wet stuff and we certainly didn’t ask for it. If I died tomorrow,Satan would have to prop me up by an inferno to dry ,me out enough to burn in eternal damnation. The Devil’s work is never done.

    • CO almost native says:

      I’d love to send you rain… as well as the smoke that the Arizona fires have sent all the way to Denver. We usually have plenty of our own, thank you very much. Daughter in Las Cruces NM is impacted by the Wallow fire, although they still have electricity.

    • Diane says:

      Many good wishes/thoughts of rain. We were deluged this spring. It made me realize how nature is really really beyond our control.

      Be safe and my prayers for you, others and fire fighters!

    • Zyxomma says:

      Sending rain to Arizona. If all else fails, put on velvet and go outdoors. Works for me! Also, go to youtube & play some 528 Hz. music — it’s the water frequency (and heals DNA also, too).

    • yukonbushgrma says:

      Mag, here on the Upper Yukon we’ve had rain almost constantly for about 2 weeks straight! We put our garden plants out June 1, and they’ve done nothing since. It’s been so cold and rainy … what else would you expect?

      Has $P put a curse on us??? I wish I could re-direct all this rain down to you (minus the lightning, of course…)

      Never fear, though. If you need a good fire crew, they’ll send the Alaska guys down to you … and believe me, they know what they’re doing!

  25. MonaLisa (inCT) says:

    One of my best friends is at the Star Island Shark Tournament right now. He’s promised me some mako if he gets one!

  26. Zyxomma says:

    Well, I don’t fish (or eat seafood other than sea veggies), but there’s a family story about my earliest fishing experience. I was a toddler; my older sister got tired of waiting for a bite, and gave me her fishing pole. Of course, I got a bite within minutes, and daddy helped me reel in my first fish.