I just had to get this referral off to everyone. I'm sure in these tough economic times, many will appreciate a good laugh. Are gas prices getting you down? The author of Just Rondering, turned the glass from half-empty to half-full. Check out this post. It is brilliant.

Cheaper Gas is Killing Me

Good morning!

Before we put the Walter Monegan case to rest, I heard a NBC telephone interview early this morning. Monegan responded to the investigations report with relief. Stating that he and his wife had been through much since June, they were relieved that it was over.

Monegan does not have any plans at this time to take legal action regarding his previous job. He expressed that he never contended his firing, and that it was entirely lawful.

He elaborated on this by further stating that the important issue was why he had been fired. He feels that in Alaska they are more concerned about their Governor and her promises of openness and transparency.

The transparency issue has concerned me as well from A to Z.

Sarah Palin skirted questions from journalists on the campaign trail this weekend. Surely hoping that the issue would quickly disappear, she also responded with relief to what she expressed was "vindication". Repeatedly stating that she was not found guilty of illegal action, nor unethical behavior of "power abuse", left more than a few people scratching their heads.

I sat and watched her statements unfold this weekend, and you can also read about it here:
Palin: I've been cleared of 'any hint of unethical activity'

Abuse of power is a serious charge for a public official. Yet, it does not seem to be of importance for Sarah Palin, blowing off the issue as though the findings were non-existent. It is difficult to understand how people can talk about the "character" of their candidates and public officials, yet choose "selective sight".

We cannot be so side-tracked by political tactics that we no longer recognize fundamental issues surfacing as factual findings. Nor, can we simply wipe them from the slate as hype.

image: www.yahoo.com

Tamera Daun© www.pentad.no

If regulation of genetically engineered animals is an issue that engages you, this is your chance to speak out as an American consumer.

The public has the opportunity to comment on the proposed guidelines, entitled "The Regulation of Genetically Engineered Animals Containing Heritable rDNA Constructs," until November 18, 2008 (www.naturalstandard.com).

The FDA will be working with the USDA and EPA among other agencies, in regulating and developing policies. Producers will need to prove that these animals are safe for consumption, and potential environmental impacts will need to be considered. I feel it is important that we consumers educate ourselves about these issues, and voice our opinions when the opportunity arises.

Director Bernadette Dunham from the Center for Veterinary Medicine, states, "We look forward to the public comments to help refine our thinking and approach".

The FDA does not plan to require GE animal products to be labeled, indicating so. This is the point that I do not appreciate as a consumer. I believe that when we consumers place our money in certain products, the action is a vote of our preferences. I believe that this should remain a right of consumers, yet it demands transparency, and information. And, one way in which this is done, is labeling. Consumers also need to demand a standard of quality information from our governmental agencies.

For all a poll is worth, some of you may still find it interesting that in a general CBS News poll "87% of consumers would like GMO ingredients to be labeled. Yet, the U.S. Congress has never even held a vote on the issue, to give shoppers the opportunity to exercise their most basic right - to make a choice". I do believe that most consumers would actually prefer these types of choices.

For more info: Genomics & Proteomics database
Again. Voice your opinion: proposed guidelines

image: http://www.cbsnews.com

Tamera Daun© www.pentad.no

The title may confuse you, but I'll explain. We were out back this morning discussing politics. Of course. You all notice that the election is receiving my writing attention for the time being. We were discussing campaign tactics on both sides, and the investigation of Sarah Palin. Strangely enough, although not if you know me personally, the whole thing sent me off down memory lane.

Sarah Palin mentioned that she will not apologize for protecting her family. She was disturbed by the behavior of her ex brother-in-law. It was actually this that catapulted my mind on a side-track of very fond memories in an attempt to put myself in her shoes and understand something about her. I may be completely wrong in the assessment applied to Sarah Palin. It is only speculation on my part, and an attempt to understand. Nevertheless, the reminiscing was fun.

The opening image is a fishing picture from Bristol Bay. My Mom and I used to work up there in the summers in the early-mid '80's when I was a teenager. We worked in a fishing camp, and the pay was amazing. So amazing, that you almost had to know someone to get one of those summer jobs as they were so attractive. My Mom knew the camp owner and his wife through work, and knowing how she worked, they kept after her to come up for a 3 week job. After her first summer, she pulled strings, and I also went up to work the next year.

Alaska is a beautiful state. It is absolutely gorgeous, and the people are friendly and helpful as all get out. At least, that is my experience with the Alaskans that I met. Although in many social circles it was like stepping into another world, and for a teenager like me, it was an eye-opening experience about quite a few life realities. They were the glory days of the famous King Salmon runs.

The only way into our camp was by boat or small plane landing on the beach. You could pretty much find all types of people, and a wide representation of society. We had professors that used their free summers fishing to earn extra money. There were also ex-convicts just coming out of prison wanting some good start-cash in order to get ahead. There were college students looking to pay next year's tuition, and quite a few like my Mom that used her vacation time to get ahead.

We were bunked in 8-10 person cabins, and worked 12 hour shifts unless a run was on, and then we were on 24/7 call. During a run, the fishing boats would have to take several trips in daily to unload, as they were filled to the brim. We were allowed a shower every 3-4 days, and the outhouse/toilet was down by the waterfront. The camp was run on generators, and when they were turned off and quiet for the night, the bears would wander down to the water to eat. This meant that we females didn't want to be headed to the "bathroom" during those hours, so we had bedpans and buckets stored under our bunk beds. We all smelled the same, so it didn't matter.

In context with the opening of this post and understanding, it was noticeable that Alaskans were no-nonsense people. Many of them had their own ways of "settling scores", whether they were family disputes, between rival camps, and even fishermen. Granted, things were a little more wild out in the tundra, so I'm not saying that it is the same in the middle of Anchorage. And, before anyone accuses me of condoning settling scores in an unlawful manner, I'd just like to express that I do not. Neither do I think that Alaskans feel they are above the law. Of course not. Yet, being no-nonsense, they look out after each other, and I don't think they see any reason to apologize for it.

At least out in the tundra, there were not many rules that applied. One example is that it was a free fly zone. We sold our packed salmon to the Japanese and we had a crazy Japanese pilot that used to fly (what I think was) a huge DC3 in to transport the fish out. I have pictures of the aircraft, but can't remember which model it was. I explicitly remember him looking so tiny in the cockpit of the monster he was flying solo. We couldn't pronounce his name, so we called him Tocky.

Tocky's hobby/game flying into camp, was to try to hit the 4 foot antenna on top of the flat-roofed cookhouse. We'd hit the floor, and the entire cabin would shake. He thought it was hilarious, and we always knew he had arrived, as he turned to land out in the tundra somewhere. I was the youngest working at that camp, and he used to bring bubble-gum and ice cream for me from Anchorage. It was a real treat.

Evening entertainment was sometimes spent in front of the Ham radio, tuning in to the different frequencies in order to catch what was going on among fishermen out in 'deep waters'. There was always a lot of fighting, yelling, and competition between boats trying to position themselves mid-run. And, attempts to steal from the nets of others were common. The Italians were known for being a little hot-headed, and there were quite a few rifles pulled, and shots fired. Up on land, there was little fighting, but it was important to keep one's nose clean, and not cause any trouble. There are personalities that can get a little irritated living in conditions of hard work, no comfort, and little sleep.

I have fantastic memories of those days, and the impressions were many. At the end of the working season, we could drool over our paychecks, fly into Anchorage to cash them, take a shower at a real hotel, and jump on the plane back to hum-drum life in Seattle.

In a strange way I understand Sarah Palin's statement. The committee of her peers has investigated and reported their assessment of "power abuse" in this situation. However, I am quite bothered by the political pull to try to delay the investigation, with all that has entailed. I believe in transparency of Government, and the stonewalling tactics are in my opinion, disturbing.

image: http://www.newser.com

Tamera Daun© www.pentad.no

As Mayor of Wasilla, Sarah Palin was appointed ethics commissioner of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission. Building her career on the reputation of "reformer", she went after an ethics overhaul as Governor of Alaska.

However. The political ticker shows this evening that Sarah Palin has "abused her power as Alaska's governor and violated a state ethics law by trying to get her ex-brother-in-law fired from the state police, a state investigator's report concluded Friday" (cnn.com).

Allowing the situation to continue, "her efforts to get Wooten fired broke a state ethics law that bars public officials from pursuing personal interest through official action". (cnn.com)

The Republican campaign continues their fear tactics by asking, "Who is Obama"? Perhaps we should be looking closer at "Who is Sarah Palin?", while we're at it.

You can also read it here: chicagotribune.com


sources: time.com
cnn.com