dutch harbor - a little drinking town with a big fishing problem

in the beautiful aleutian islands - like the himalayas flooded up to
the peaks.

i wonder how to arrange a bio-diesel lear jet?

monte

On Apr 24, 2006, at 6:49 PM, Joy Hecht wrote:

Sounds good, can I come too?

Where's Dutch Harbor? :-)

Joy

****************************************************************
Joy Hecht
and Matilda, 1989 Burgundy Vanagon

For musings about life and the vanadventures:
http://www.joyhecht.net

****************************************************************
:::-----Original Message-----
:::From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On
Behalf
:::Of Mark Tuovinen
:::Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 3:30 PM
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::Subject: Re: Local gas prices (sorry long)(NVC)
:::
:::Say Monte,
:::
:::The next time you have to take a Lear jet to Dutch Harbor I would be
glad
:::to go along thus reducing the per person waste of resources.  I have
yet
:::to go there and as the price of a ticket from Anchorage to Dutch
Harbor
:::is more then it costs from Anchorage to Costa Rica, or many other
warm
:::places with sandy beaches, I am not likely to get there anytime soon.
:::Think of it as Jetset car pooling. :-)
:::
:::Mark in AK  - looking for more ways to save our resources
:::
:::
:::----- Original Message -----
:::From: monte merrick <montemerrick@SPEAKEASY.NET>
:::Date: Monday, April 24, 2006 9:21 am
:::Subject: Re: Local gas prices (sorry long)
:::To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
:::
:::> given the fat that all of us on the list are probably getting
:::> somewherearound 20 mpg in our vanagons, we can assume that all of
:::> us  share
:::> whatever guilt therre is to share in the tragedy humans have
:::> visited on
:::> the world in the form of fossil fuel burning, as well as other
:::> forms of
:::> energy, which, plainly spoke, are not our birthright.
:::>
:::> the only energy we have an ethical right to, thinking here solely
of
:::> transportation is the energy supplied by our own two feet - every
:::> otherform requires a non-consensual donation from some other life
:::> which has
:::> an agenda not our own but gives its life toward ours. the road
killed
:::> animals - the oil-spill killed ecosystems, the car-crash killed
:::> children,  the war killed inhabitants of oil-rich nations and the
:::> youngwomen and men of the oil needy nations sent to secure the
:::> supplies -
:::> the list is  nearly endless and pretending it doesn't exist doesn't
:::> make it go away and bringing up all of the wonderful things we do
:::> withour cars - be it band practice, or my own work which i  love
:::> (oiledbird rescue and rehabilitation) or any of the other myriad
:::> good ideas
:::> people with auto lifestyles claim as the ultimate good - lets face
it
:::> we made musicals and sporting events pre-auto
:::>
:::> the reason there  are no easy answers is because none of us, myself
:::> included, are capable of choosing what is right over what we think
is
:::> necessary. it is my experience that in the long run, necessary and
:::> right are never in conflict.
:::>
:::> that said - flying in a lear jet out to dutch harbor responding to
a
:::> shipwreck in the alaska maritime wildlife refuge was a freaking
blast
:::> and no the bitter irony is not lost on me.
:::>
:::> as we juggle back and forth between the costs of gasoline and our
:::> pocketbooks, etc. it is good to remember that as the ice shrinks
and
:::> oceans warm, conservative climate change scientists (by
:::> conservative i
:::> mean cautious, not the insane oil company shills arguing that
climate
:::> change is not real)  estimate 10,000 species extinctions in the
next
:::> hundred years - how many birds will be saved then? how many school
:::> plays successfully mounted??
:::>
:::> my .02 as they say
:::>
:::> monte
:::>
:::>
:::>
:::>
:::>
:::>
:::> On Apr 24, 2006, at 6:13 AM, Milo's Kitchen wrote:
:::>
:::> Even though it's no longer Friday, I have to chime in:
:::>
:::> "live in a place where you don't have to drive.  Yup, that means
you
:::> have to
:::> live NEAR OTHER PEOPLE!  Horrors!  Most Americans don't want to."
:::>
:::> We tried that.  Lived in the city of Pittsburgh for 4 years before
we
:::> cut
:::> our substantial losses and fled back to our small town.  Our house
was
:::> broken into and robbed. BTW, they stayed the day eating our food
and
:::> going
:::> through everything in the house, watching TV and abusing our dog,
:::> untilI
:::> came home from work then they fled out another door.  The justice
:::> systemkept the two teens about 3 hours and then, after we pressed
:::> charges,they
:::> harassed us RELENTLESSLY for months until we caved (parole officers
:::> were a
:::> joke).   Lost tens of thousands of dollars on the sale of the
house,
:::> which
:::> took two years. Recently the city closed that neighborhood's police
:::> station
:::> to save money.  Yeah, I'm going to move back to the city, sure.
:::>
:::> "don't drive a vehicle that gets less than 50 mpg. Get a Prius."
:::>
:::> I can't afford $20 for a Prius.  Our last brand new car was a 1981
:::> Rabbit
:::> GTI.  Currently our newest vehicle is the 1991 Carat (suby pwrd). I
:::> haven't
:::> seen a Prius up close, but can I get my 17 yr old son, his tuba or
:::> sousaphone (wind ensemble/marching band/lessons), and my 6 yr old
:::> daughter
:::> and her legally required car seat into one at the same time? Don't
:::> think so.
:::> Last Christmas, in Betsy the 91 Carat, I transported 5 teens, 2
:::> tubas, 3
:::> trombones, folding chairs, music stands, and my 6 yr old with her
car
:::> seat
:::> to perform in free concert for the folks at the local retirement
:::> center.That was much more efficient than taking 5 different small
:::> cars and was
:::> socially beneficial.
:::>
:::> "Reducing energy consumption is, IMO, an ethical choice.  It is not
:::> always
:::> the most economical option, especially if you have already got sunk
:::> costs in
:::> housing out in a place where you have to drive everywhere"
:::>
:::> When we purchased our current home in 1999, its location took
priority
:::> over
:::> square footage and condition (lacking in both).  We did not want to
:::> have to
:::> drive constantly.  I can easily walk my daughter to school, to the
:::> library,
:::> to the pool/park, and the post office, et.  I can walk to the
grocery
:::> store
:::> but not purchase more than I can carry home (not practical for a
:::> familyof
:::> 4).  BUT, housing in an area with this level of convenience costs
:::> money.  We
:::> bought the cheapest house on the block and were lucky that one was
:::> evenavailable for sale when we needed to move.  I'm the director
:::> of the
:::> local
:::> food pantry, and believe me, a family of 4 with both parents making
:::> minimum
:::> wage has few options for living in town.  They get pushed father
out
:::> where
:::> it is cheaper, but less convenient, or into the city with its
failed,
:::> crime
:::> ridden public school system.
:::>
:::> Not directly related, but another relevant point.  Our health
:::> insuranceprovider requires us to use a specific pharmacy.  The
:::> closest one is 9
:::> miles
:::> away.  The drive is still cheaper than the full price of the
:::> medicationpurchased at the pharmacy within walking distance.  No
:::> choice here. (you
:::> can't wait for a mail order of Amoxicillin when your child has a
sinus
:::> infection)
:::>
:::> "and apparently there aren't any school buses"
:::>
:::> My son is a sound and light technician for the high schools'
:::> auditoriums.
:::> When programming a light board for an event or play, the techs are
:::> sometimes
:::> there until 8 p.m. or later. There are no busses to bring them
home.
:::> Nor
:::> are there busses when they come home after an away football game
:::> at 11
:::> p.m.
:::> To participate, you drive.  I don't think canceling the Mancini
award
:::> winning all school musical, or disbanding the marching band to
:::> save gas
:::> is a
:::> wise choice.
:::>
:::> I'm not disrespecting anyone else's opinion, and I have a great
:::> deal of
:::> admiration for Joy in particular.  There are just no easy answers.
:::> We
:::> are a
:::> big, diverse country.
:::>
:::> _
:::>  |_
:::>    |_
:::>      |
:::>
:::> Stepping off my soapbox....and walking to school.
:::>
:::> Sandy
:::>
:::> Disclaimer....The opinions expressed are mine alone, Dave has no
:::> knowledge
:::> of this email until after work.
:::>
:::> --
:::> No virus found in this outgoing message.
:::> Checked by AVG Free Edition.
:::> Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.5/322 - Release Date:
:::> 4/22/2006

"I long ago lost a hound, a bay horse, and a turtle dove, and am still
on their trail. Many are the travelers I have spoken to concerning
them, describing their tracks and what calls they answered to. I have
met one or two who had heard the hound, and the tramp of the horse, and
even seen the dove disappear behind a cloud, and they seemed as anxious
to recover them as if they had lost them themselves." - henry thoreau