You Capture-Autumn

This week's You Capture subject, "Autumn," feels a bit late for those of us in Alaska. At least it does to me. Though, oddly, I suppose not as late as it might feel to those in some Lower 48 places (like Denver and Salt Lake) where they've recently gotten a ton of snow!

When I left on October 12th for my trip down the Pacific Coast, from Seattle to Santa Barbara (I ended up making it all the way to San Diego, BTW) fall was still in full swing here in Anchorage. Though the season already felt extended for us, even at that relatively early point in October, for this part of the country, the trees were still covered in beautiful colored leaves and all the termination dust that had graced the mountain tops a few days prior had since melted. It was beautiful and certainly autumnal feeling.

However, when T and I returned late last week things had changed drastically. We're now stuck in a weird limbo where it doesn't really feel or look like Autumn anymore (all of the trees are bare) but it doesn't really feel like winter yet either (we've not yet gotten any snow that has stuck around. Snow fell for a few hours yesterday, but it was melting before it hit the ground.) As a result, Autumn was a little difficult for me to capture around these here parts. I'm going to include some shots from my trip that feel more authentically autumnal, as well as a few shots I took while walking to work this morning (just to give you all a sense of what it's like around here.)

A Lone Leaf on the Rain-Soaked Pavement

Tillamook, OR

Starting the Drive Along Avenue of the Giants

Humboldt Redwood State Park, CA

Shed Redwood Needles and My Keens

Humboldt Redwood State Park, CA

Look at the size of those needles!!

In Southern California It's Blue Skies and Added Autumnal Colors

Disneyland, CA

Sunrise Walk to Work

Anchorage, AK

This is a shot of the same bridge so many of you loved from a few weeks ago. See how much it has changed in just a few weeks?

Snow Covered Chugach Mountains at Sunrise

Anchorage, AK

Also on my walk to work this morning. It was about 9:00am and the sun was just starting to rise. That's a sure sign of late fall around these parts. So is the dusting of snow up there.

Cook Inlet Timelapse

Cook Inlet -Turnagain Arm - Portage Valley Timelapse from Dennis Zaki on Vimeo.

Oh damn!

Alaska republicans calling for Sean Parnell to resign as Lt Governor because he wants to campaign against Don Young.

Actually, I remember suggestions not too long ago that Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich should resign if (when) he starts running against Ted Stevens.

What's the deal? Since when has anyone ever resigned from their current position/elected office to campaign for anything?

Sure, I agree that it can possibly interfere with their current duties somewhat, if they let it (Hillary missed the important FISA vote in the Senate, Obama did not...as a good example...) But really. Come on people.

When has anyone ever left their current office to campaign for another? Why would you demand that? People don't resign until they've WON the job they're seeking. And, he's taken his hands out of the division of elections, even though as the LG he is supposed to be the oversee-er, just so the conflict of interest claims can't be made.

I'm no huge fan of Parnell, or most of the republican party...but there by and large what I've got up here...I think the Old Guard in this state is starting to feel very, very fearful. As they should...

Oh, except apparently not too much yet, since the republicans also let Reudrich keep his job today. Which, apparently he had no plans on leaving even if they told him to.

Snow

There was snow on the ground this morning as I snuck out of the house, at what FELT like a very early hour.

It wasn't actually an early hour at all, or least not a very early hour. it was 7:45. It's only been a few weeks since I was last up and out at that time, but it was completely dark, without a hint of sunrise yet on the Eastern horizon. It's amazing how much earlier (or later at the opposite end of the day) the absence of light makes it feel.

It also wasn't the first snowfall Anchorage has seen yet this autumn/early winter. But it was the first seen by me, given that all the others have virtually melted away before I've left the house.

Being outside at that hour, with fresh snow on the ground and the sky still dark gave me a brief hint of one of the feelings I treasure during winter time. I love snowfalls, anytime of day.

However, snowfall at night is heavenly. In the city the snow laden clouds glow a soft pinky-orange and every falling flake seems vaguely back lit as it drifts to the ground, even if you are near no street lights. Plus there is the resounding hush that a snowfall creates, it seems amplified at night. The flakes in the the air create a dampening effect on the sounds around, even the traffic. And you know that the next day everything will be blanketed in white: clean and bright.

At night time, snowfalls are bliss. I can hardly wait to get out and ski around a lighted loop at Russian Jack (which is now just around the corner from my house) ...to fly down the hill at Bicentennial Park...or to skate around Westchester Lagoon with fires in the barrel and beer in the snow. All while the snow falls, the sky glows and the ambient noise is seemingly gone.

September and early October are always hard months. The anticipation of winter and the coming darkness is much worse than winter itself.

Seeing the snow on the ground and getting the vague sense of the peacefulness that will soon be brought reminds me of that. The anticipation does not lend itself to the fantasticness that is wintertime. I can't wait!

And I love my home. As Yukon Rider says "Where you can ski through most of the city, regardless if it's night or day--ya...."

Universal Health Care in AK?

I just came across this article on adn.com about Hollis French sponsoring a bill that would mandate universal health care coverage in the state of Alaska.

Just based on the brief information in this article, it sounds like the idea might be similar to what was passed in Massachusetts in 2006. However, I need more details...such as what kind of coverage people are going to be mandated to have, and at what cost to themselves.

The term universal health care is being used too broadly these days (I think) to mean simply "everyone's covered" instead of "we find a way to help everyone get coverage in a reasonable way that doesn't create an economic burden on the individual."
Which, I think, was the original intent. I mean, who is going to be defined as amongst the poorest? I bet I'm not...but I sure couldn't afford a real health care plan, and either could most of the people I know.

I'm completely in favor of absolutely everyone having some sort of coverage to meet their health care needs. However, I'm not in favor of the individual being fined for failure to provide for that need when such a heavy economic cost is associated with it. The issue here is not that individuals aren't taking enough responsibility for their health care. The issue is that our health care system is set up to function as a series of corporate machines. Corporate machines rarely favor the individual unless a heavy enough demand requires it.

I'm not sure that setting up a system which fines people for not being willing or able to buy in to the bigger system is the appropriate way to apply demand based economic pressure.

I'm going to see if I can't find the wording of the bill... when I do I will post it, probably with more commentary.

My other commentary (at least on the article from adn.com) is on the suggestion that individuals be allowed to purchase insurance from other states if it is cheaper than purchasing from an instate provider.

Businesses can already do this on behalf of their employees and it often creates a larger burden than necessary. Frequently the resultant outcome is that people have an insurance carrier with a great plan and great rates...but they have to fight to have any services covered at a reasonable rate because there are no "preferred providers" in their area. All services are immediately paid at out of network rates, increasing the cost to the individual by 30% or more.

In my experience working for health care providers, it was frequent that we had a patient with an out of state carrier who had to fight to have each service covered at a reasonable rate. They would first have to pay a higher portion of the costs directly to us, and then fight for reimbursement from their insurance carrier. This happened because, not only was my physician considered to be out of network, but there were no other physicians in the state who were. The same held true for the few large medical centers/hospitals in this state. Too Frequently they were considered out of network because they weren't daughter institutions of a larger company (Kaiser Permanente, Colombia etc...)

The one exception to this seemed most frequently to be within the Blue Cross/Blue Shield system because they are already set up to share preferred providers with the local carrier.Generally because the local carrier is the one to whom the claims are submitted regardless of whether or not they are the one through whom you are covered.(For example, I used to have coverage through Blue Shield of California, but live in Anchorage, AK...so all claims on my behalf were submitted to and paid by Blue Cross of Alaska.)

Politics and Alaska

It seems the ethics problems are only continuing to heat up for the politicians in my fair state. I feel conflicted.

I'm not at all shocked. I feel like I've been saying these people are evil, and believe they can get away with it, because we have continually re-elected them term after term as long as I've been cognizant of political issues. (Stevens has been in office since 1968!!) But, some people still seem shocked.

They were shocked when Murkowski (the elder) left Washington and was all of a sudden a royal ass and a putz to boot. It's all because these guys (and now a lady) are successful at bringing home the bacon to our crazily pro-resource development state. As long as they keep bringing home the money (some of it's good, don't get me wrong...rural areas especially need help) people ignore the fact that they are idiots, pompous and unethical.

Now with the FBI beating on their doors, people can't ignore it anymore.

Why am I conflicted though? Because, on the one hand, I feel like I should be enraged and embarrassed. I'm not. Well, maybe embarrassed, but no more embarrassed than I have always been. I'm also not worried about it affecting tourism up here. Too many Americans are far too apathetic to actually let some political foibles ruin their vacations.

On the other hand, I'm kind of delighting in this. I can't help but hope that this means we will finally have some fresh faces (that also happen to be intelligent and represent some more of my values) in Washington.

It is probably far too much to hope that this state will actually swing a little more liberal in terms of the people it elects...