J. Jason Lazarus Blog

For a while, actually for almost a year now, I’ve been holding on to some Solar Print Paper and haven’t actually gotten around to using it. For those that don’t know what this stuff is: it’s basically photo-reactive paper that uses light to develop the picture and water to fix the image onto the paper. It’s the stuff that childhood summer camps and kid craft days are made of and usually consist of a bored child going outside, grabbing the most boring leaves, grasses and dandelions that they can find, slapping it on the paper and watch it expose a photogram of the objects - but there is so much more that you can do with it. Of coarse, anything that’s photo-reactive will work with negatives - albeit without the same awe-inspiring resolution that standard photo paper will give you, it still gives you some neat images to look at. This took twice to get it right and 15 minutes worth of an exposure but I like the results - the negatives are from out at Cleary Mine the last time I went to it last summer <insert grumble that I haven’t done photo trips this summer… yet>. Anyways, enjoy.

All is well otherwise - Aidan’s almost 6 months old (come this next week), starting on solids (carrots will come this weekend!) and becoming such the charmer. He’s been pretty decent at daycare this first week with us having him one day a week at my parents and 2.5 days over at a friend’s in-home day care. We’ve been cooking a lot at home lately - or should I say Deanna has, I’m finally over my 2-week old night fever thing that the doctors still can’t explain…. and that’s about it. Boring life for us right now - should be picking up with the Halloween Party coming up soon and PFD season making things like another Anchorage Trip potentially possible…

Wow - just wow.  Just found out that our wonderfully hot governor has done it again - First she’s been working since she got in office on getting us as close as possible to a gas pipeline in the past 30 years of talking - much closer than both Donny and our ole’ pal Teddy has ever.  Next, for a good portion of her first term (this term) as governor, she has been pregnant with her fifth child - a seemingly unsurmountable triumph for anyone.  Next, unlike any of her more democratic-minded (read: welfare) constituants, she actually not only suggested a energy rebate plan but also drafted quite a bit of the wordage behind it - and it has become so large that it has now blown the federal government’s out of the water.  When for the past couple years our local and state-wide legislators have been lathering on the bull that they brought tons of money to Alaska for their special local projects (which by the way took no effort at all as the money was fully funded from a unearmarked “bridge to nowhere bill”), Sarah, on the other hand, seemingly has been doing all the work (with, of coarse, the help of her entire office).   To boot, through a highly successful special session (which possibly wouldn’t have been needed if Alaskans weren’t completely idiotic two years ago when they voted to reduce the legislative season from 120 to 90 days - stupid! now special sessions are required!)  the legislative managed to make the deal even sweeter by attaching the energy rebate (now a full $1200 per Alaskan who gets the PFD) to the PFD.  Believing it was too late in the year and potentially far after many households would need heating fuel, Sarah pushed even more for a early release of the now tried-and-true early October Direct Deposit Release - and although I have no clue who was the driving force, now Direct Deposits are coming September 12. This’ll even push the mail-out checks up to a stunningly early release of October 2nd - a month and a half before it usually does!  Anchorage Daily News, doing all the math, reckons that the 2008 PFD should be around $2100 per person - so $3300 per person with the energy rebate!  Because Aidan wasn’t born before December 31st, he wasn’t eligible - but depending on how the energy prices continue to go and seeing that our state’s surplus is directly related to the price of oil - some suggest this could be the first of many energy rebates we see.  Now, lets just hope that direct deposit actually *works* (little prayer).

I’ve been asked to comment on my thoughts on Uncle Ted and I’ll state my feelings about him in conjunction with my feelings about Don Young - you’ve been promising a damned pipeline for 30+ years - both your campaigns still say you’re going to get it for us while you let Palin do all the work for you.  Don Young, you haven’t represented this state in years - in fact, I can’t remember the last time I saw your name in the paper for something not related to this election.  Stevens - your time has passed - we need someone who can bring a fresh new face for Alaska to Washington.  Your days of sleeping with oil companies - and at that, not bringing anything back from the encounter, are done with.  I’ll admit, I’m not too knowledgeable about he VECO scandal but it’s hard to believe there isn’t significant truth to the story.  I appreciate your years of service but you no longer represent the majority of the young Alaska who want to see change.  I usually vote Republican but this time, it’s not going to happen if either one of them are my choices.

And as a side pet peeve - after the VECO scandal broke national news this last month, all national newscasters could do was to place “Stevens” in the same sentence as the “Bridge to nowhere”.  Will we get over this?  Seriously - look it up - when the Brooklyn Bridge was built there was less than 100 people living on the other side of the bridge - one side was unending metropolis - the other nothing - how can this not be related to Anchorage, who has nowhere to go?  Knik Arm Bridge is needed, period - and even though Deanna will vehemently disagree with me, a Turnagain Arm Bridge going from Potter’s Marsh to Northern Kenai Peninsula is needed as well.  Sure, go ahead and call the Ketchikan Bridge a bridge to nowhere - Gravina Island isn’t *that* big - I can see the rational.  But they are to separate, very different projects.  Get that straight, lower 48-ers.

Just a thought…

…no matter how much I say that I’ve got my child on a schedule (and he is) I think it is him who has me on a schedule. Last night I almost fell asleep at a friend’s house before midnight - proving this statement whole-heartedly. It’s relatively reassuring to know now that it is not my age that befalls me and forces my eyes shut before the early hours of the day.

Additionally, here’s the regular new batch of Aidan Pictures - about 20-25 new ones. Should have some more as soon as I gather the rest off of Deanna’s camera.

Not much else has been going on - the weather, which currently likens itself to Seattle for the past 6 weeks, has truly been effecting any plans we had for outside activity. This summer has been painfully uneventful from not only the outdoorsy side of things but the photographic side as well. Let’s hope that some normality will return once this monsoon passes.

I always have disliked CCH for what many who know me say are “unreasonable” reasons - now I have a rational one - no freaking changing station and some of the filthiest floors I’ve seen this side of a truckstop. I’m so glad that this local business wants my business so much that they won’t even spend $70 to greatly enhance their coffeeshop. A $10 mop would help as well. What should I have expected from a place that still charges $4/hour for wifi in this era - how 1999 of them! Enjoy the pic of Aidan - at least he’s enjoying his romp on a germ-infesed floor.