Numbers Bite Reporter

In a story about dogs biting mail carriers on June 7, the Anchorage Daily News  reported that Los Angeles had the most dog bites and more than implied that Anchorage, in comparison, really didn't have a dog biting problem.

"It also released a national ranking of cities where the most mailmen have been bitten by dogs. On top: Los Angeles, with 65 dog bites recorded in 2023.

Anchorage isn’t anywhere near that number. Each year, six or so postal carriers are on the receiving end of dog attacks here, said safety manager Peter Neagle, a 40-year veteran of the service."

 Whoa!!!!   Let's look at that a bit more carefully.  

[Mixed Media Dragon, Madison Griffin,
 Anchorage Museum,
South High School Anchorage]

LA, with 13,000,000 people had 65 dog bites.

Anchorage with 380,000 people had 6 dog bites.  

LA has 34 times more people than Anchorage.   (13 million/380k = 34.2)

So, if Anchorage had LA's population, Anchorage would have had 205 (34.2 X 6) dog bites.

The numbers we want, if we're going to accurately compare LA to Anchorage, are the number of dog bites per capita.  

Anchorage has .000016 dog bites of mail carriers per capita.  (6/380,000 =.000016)

Los Angeles has .000005 dog bites of mail carriers per capita. (13,000,000/65=.000005)

In either case, it's a relatively small number.  If we look at number of dog bites per 100,000 population we get:

Anchorage: 1.58 dog bites per 100,000 people

LA: 0.5 dog bites per 100,000

But relative to actual population, Anchorage's problem is 34.2 times worse than LA's.  

Dismissing Anchorage's number because it is less than Los Angeles' number is flat out wrong.  

This doesn't mean that if Anchorage had 13 million people it would have 205 dog bites.  Perhaps people in large cities have fewer dogs per capita, or smaller dogs.  Or mail carriers delivering to high rise apartments and condos leave the mail downstairs and have less contact with dogs.  

But to suggest Anchorage numbers are good because our overall number of dog bites is lower than LA's overall number is just wrong.  

Of course, this applies to other stats as well, like murders, suicides, rapes, missing women, etc.  

[If you find errors in my math, let me know.  It's a very rusty skill that I don't use every day.  But even if I'm off a bit, the point will still be valid.]

Last Post Repaired - Now It's Just the Leash Laws

[ UpdateMarch 3,2022  11:30pm -Whoops. I meant to only put up the part about the leash law enforcement.  Not these other notes that weren't finished.  But I somehow copied them to here as well.  I'm going to edit them out of this one and put them up in the next post.  Sorry. ]

The top of the sign says, "Leash Laws Strictly Enforced."  I looked around,  There wasn't anyone in sight and I couldn't help but think:  "By whom?"  

I'm all for leash laws.  It made me think about how people ask/tell other people what to do.  I'm guessing this was written by a very rule oriented person.  The kind who is a stickler for all the rules to be followed.  They tell us about the rule with a threat.  

Now if there was an enforcement officer in this park most of the time, I could better accept the sign.  But when you put up threatening signs that don't have much in the way of teeth, it erodes people's obedience.  

In this situation, "Please keep your dog on a leash" would probably be more effective.  

So, are my instincts here correct?  Or is this just my opinion and not backed up with evidence?  I do ask myself these questions when I blog.  And so I tried to find someone who had studied this and had more concrete evidence. 

The National Canine Research Center does address the issue, sort of.

"Effective Policies clearly describe the standards of Responsible Pet Ownership practices expected by the community from all dog owners. They also outline behaviors that the community will not tolerate from dog owners.

Which Policies are Effective?

Laws that govern responsible pet ownership, including: licensing, vaccination, and leash / confinement laws are effective.

For example: Calgary, Alberta enacted a Responsible Pet Ownership By-law in 2006 that focused on community-wide support for basic responsible pet ownership behaviors, including humane care (providing proper diet, veterinary care, socialization and training), humane custody (licensing and permanent ID), and humane control (following leash laws and now allowing a pet to become a threat or a nuisance). Through defined goals, support, public education, and incentives, Calgary achieved an unparalleled level of compliance, as well as record lows in total reported dog bites through 2012."

Education and getting voluntary cooperation rather than threats of "strict enforcement" is the focus.

Dornbossigns thinks educational signs are better too. 

"While fines can certainly deter people from leaving dog poop behind, they might not always be the answer. As we’ve seen in Chicago, community involvement may be an even better solution as it calls on people’s sense of duty and responsibility to keep their areas safe and clean. Signs are an excellent way to communicate this message and serve as a gentle reminder to clean up after your pets."

They seem to prize humor over threats.  But this comes from a company that makes and sells signs, so it needs more research.  But if it's a successful company, it would try to sell the most effective signs, and these are in line what the National Canine Research Center recommends.  

 

New Inventions At The Invention Fair

The conference this weekend set me behind on lots of things here.  So let me catch up on the invention fair at my granddaughter's school.  This is a K-6 optional program where all the kids are in two giant connected rooms.  There's an emphasis on independent learning and working cooperatively.     This is part of the local school district.  Sort of like Steller in Anchorage, or Polaris.

They have a three year cycle:  1.  science fair; 2.  environmental project; and 3.  invention fair.

All the kids have to come up with a problem.  Figure out a solution to the problem (the invention).  The presentation at the fair is supposed to cover the process - problem, solution, steps to the solution, materials used, etc.

So here are a few.  I don't post pictures of kids except in rare circumstances with parent permission so the focus is on the project here.

This is a special backpack to carry school papers, using a paper sized folder so papers don't get all wrinkled on the way to and from school.


I need to say there were maybe 50 or 60 projects by first graders to six graders.

This one quantified the number of plastic, non-biodegradable sandwich bags a kid uses a year and talks about the time it takes for the plastic to degrade (400-100 years), the toxic materials in the plastic bag you wrap your sandwich in, and the harm bags do to the animals that ingest them.

And I'm afraid I can't remember the edible material they used as sandwich bags.  It seems that side of the-poster is blocked by a head.  It isn't seaweed because I thought of that as a possibility and they used something else.

This one was my personal favorite.  (After my granddaughter's, of course.)  The inventor explained that her mom kept getting on her for leaving the light on in her room.  So she designed a little M&M holder (in the middle)  contraption to put above the light switch.

And when you turn off the light switch, it causes an M&M to drop out to reward the energy conscious kid.

Here you can see an M&M just released from turning off the switch.





All the kids were at the projects and eager to explain them in detail to anyone who asked.  Even people who didn't ask but were close by.  I know that some of these kids would not willingly talk to a strange adult, but they were so into their projects they all just wanted to tell me everything.






The student who made the Mopping Slippers has a dog that regularly comes into the house with muddy feet.  So she made these slippers with sponges and scrubbers on the bottom that she can wear that help clean up the mess when she walks around.  (She being the student, not the dog.)

I did ask whether the dog jumps on her bed.  She sighed, said yes, but you just have to wash the sheets.

This was another popular invention - a new cookie recipe.  She tried a number of different new types of cookies and as you can see on the poster, Mango won.

Not only is she a good inventor (no one else seemed to think about inventing a new recipe) but also a good marketer.  She had pieces of the mango cookies there to taste.  And I can vouch for these cookies.

This student's problem related to reading in the dark.  So she invented a book mark that had a light on it.

You can see it at the bottom.


Another student had a very similar idea.  He said when he wanted to read at night in bed under the cover, he could never find the light.  So he invented a strap that goes around the book - which I think could also be used as a book mark - that holds a small light.

Another book related invention solved the problem of arms getting tired hold the book.  He took a bike helmet and put two extensions and connected them to the sides of the helmet.  At the end, they had clips to hold a book.  So you could sit with the book held out about 15 inches in front of you.

And this student enthusiastically explained his project.  When I jumped with his skateboard, it often falls away and he falls off.  So he invented a magnet to attach to his shoes and some metal on the skateboard.  He demonstrated the electromagnet he made with the battery and the nail wrapped in wire.  He could then turn the magnet on and off in his hand.

And finally my granddaughter's invention.  Her problem was that her arms get cold, so she wanted to invent arm warmers for her forearms, sort of like leg warmers.  She used toilet paper rolls (with a slit so they could stretch for bigger forearms) and material from old pants and tights to wrap around the rolls.

As demonstrated in this project, the instructions were to recycle materials for the poster boards and most projects did that.

This is a reminder that if you let kids chase what they're interested in, they've got all kinds of creativity and enthusiasm.

Busy Day, Sun Came Out

We had to be at the language school at 8.  It had thundered a lot during the night.  Loudly.  So I didn’t get as much sleep as I would have liked.  But we learned from our first bus trip, and this time we asked people to help us get off at the right stop.  It’s hard when it’s dark and rainy.  But all went well.

Classes were great.  There were only three new people and they rated us at different levels, so we ended up with private lessons.  There are also two holidays this week, so we only get three days instead of five.  But they calculate the private lessons as worth more time than group lessons.  And mine were prefect for me.

We got our sim cards into working order and we now have What’s App, because lots of people don’t get actual talking on their phone - text and internet, and call people using What’s App.

We had a tour of San Martin Square - we were told he was the liberator of Argentina and Chile and handed the baton to Simon Bolivar in Peru.  How come we all know about Bolivar, but not Martin?  I don’t know.

Then we were able to see a doctor at the Deutsches Hospital, but he said he rather wait a few more days to take our her stitches.  They’re ok, but a few more days would be better.

And then I’ve been doing homework all evening.  Pictures are:


1. Statue of San Martin
2. Our first sunshine in Argentina (we got here Saturday, and I’m writing Tuesday night)
3. Milo, our host’s dog

Four Time Iditarod Winner Dallas Seavey Denounces Iditarod Board Over How They've Handled Positive Drug Tests Of His Dogs

Watch the video tape Seavey posted yourself. The jury's job is to evaluate who is telling the truth and who is not.



Seavey certainly sounds sincere here and the facts, as he presents them, logically raise serious questions. But as a former union grievance rep, I learned long ago there are always facts that my client was leaving out and that I had to reserve judgment until I heard from others involved.

I'd also note that everyone denies the charges.  How many years did Lance Armstrong strongly deny the drug charges?  And a series of baseball champions denied allegations too, until they finally admitted them.  

Those things make it harder for someone who is really innocent.  Plus someone does not win four Iditarod races by being timid.  I'm sure Seavey has ruffled a few feathers over the years.  But at this point, I think the Iditarod board is going to be hard pressed to respond as convincingly.

One Story of Irma Refugees: Friend And Her Family Flee Sarasota

I just talked to my friend Lynne.  She moved to Sarasota to be with her then 90 year old dad last year. Lynne has been my guide into the world of blindness and it was with mixed feelings that she decided to leave Alaska.

Sarasota is on the west coast of Florida.  It's low lying, near the water.  And in the path of Irma.  She told me they were looking to get to higher ground - probably a nearby hotel. [UPDATED:  They were in a mandatory evacuation area and had been told to get out.]   But her son called from Seattle and told her to get out of Florida.  She has a cousin in Tennessee.  Her dad, who's pushing 92 now and her older brother weren't sure about the 760 mile drive to Tennessee, but finally agreed.

The three of them, plus Lynne's guide dog, got in the car at 7:30 pm Friday night and drove 20 hours to Franklin, Tennessee.  Dad drove.  Oh year.  The cousins are there.  There on vacation in Hawaii, but they told them they could stay in the house.  They arrived yesterday (Saturday) afternoon about 2:30 Central time.  So now they are adjusting to the new situation.  For a blind person, that's a lot more difficult than for sighted people.  She has to figure out the paths she can take around the house without bumping into things.  And she can't just look into cabinets and closets, she has to feel for things.  And cans of food don't usually have Braille labels.  There are apparently lots of stairs which are harder on her dad than on her.  She just needs to know where they are.  He can see them, but has trouble getting up and down them.  She's still trying to figure out how to connect to the wifi.

But they're out of the storm (for now anyway).  They don't know how long they'll be there or how it will work out when the family gets back.  Their condo is on the ground floor and they're worried about what will be ok when it's over and they get back.

But for now they are safe and adjusting.

[UPDATE Monday Sept 11:  Lynne got word that there's no flooding but the evacuation is still in place and roads are impassable - lots of trees down and still falling.  They're also waiting for the electricity to go back on.  Maybe they'll spend the night somewhere on the road so they don't have such a long drive.]

Anchorage Pridefest 4: Dogs of Pridefest

Let's start with little dogs.  Rachel's got her pup in a front pack because it's got a recovering foot.  But the dog attracted a hello from a vet and there was a long discussion. There's hemp based medication you can get for dogs.  One issue I hadn't thought about given the legal status of marijuana in Alaska now, was an increase of dogs coming to the vet after consuming cannabis edibles.  They either come in very dopey or very wired.










There were also middle sized dogs.

And very big dogs.

The first post on Pridefest covered this year's parade.
The second covered businesses that had booths at the Pridefest.
The third was people.

What Are Your Ethical Responsibilities To Your Pets?

Next Tuesday evening, you can find out:

The UAA Ethics Center and Philosophy Department is please to welcome philosopher, Prof. Gary Varner, Texas A & M to campus for a free, public symposium.  Prof. Varner who will be speaking on 

Pets, Companion Animals, and Domesticated Partners: Ethics and Animal Companions on 

April 18th 

between 6-8 pm in Library 307.  

Abstract: Prof. Varner is author of Personhood, Ethics, and Animal Cognition: Situating Animals in Hare's Two Level Utilitarianism (Oxford University Press, 2012).  In this presentation, he will introduce stipulative definitions of terms "companion animal," "domesticated partners," and "mere pet."  He will argue that the institution of pet-keeping is justifiable, but that the justification is stronger for companion animals than for mere pets, and that it is stronger for domesticated partners.

Cut Teachers Pay To Preserve Their Peers' Jobs?

There were a number of noteworthy (which literally means worthy of noting) clusters of words in today's Alaska Dispatch News.

Here's the letter that triggered this post's title:

"Teachers should work for less
To go along with the article "Senate education plan could cut hundreds more jobs statewide" by Dermot Cole, teachers statewide should consider taking a reduction in pay during this state of Alaska budget crisis to help save some of their peers' jobs!
— Richard N. Ramirez
Anchorage"

What sort of pay cuts is Mr. Ramirez suggesting?  Why should teachers alone take a cut in pay for the benefit of everyone else's children?   Why, "during this state of Alaska budget crisis" shouldn't all Alaskans take a cut in pay to help save some jobs?  And to help keep the student/teacher ratio a little lower so each kid gets more attention?

But why stop at teaching jobs?
If everyone who works in Alaska (including non-residents) took a cut in pay, no one would have to take too big a cut.  There is a way to, in effect, have all working Alaskans take a cut in pay to share the burden.  Now that oil isn't paying all our bills, shouldn't all of us pay equitably for the roads and  the bridges,  for our state parks, for keeping our water clean, for use of the airports, for disease prevention, and all the other, sometimes, invisible, benefits of having a state government?  All these things we use and like a lot that we don't notice until they stop working.  Shouldn't Alaskans take a little pay cut for what we get, like the people in other states and in the rest of the world?

There's a system already set up to do that.  It's called an income tax.

It does exactly what you are saying teachers should do - take a cut in pay.  We'll still get our PFD's. Come on all my mighty fellow Alaskans who get all these state benefits for free.  Let's stop whining and grow up and pay our fair share.  But, let the legislators know, you want them to design a tax that is as easy as filling out a PFD application.


Another opinion that caught my attention was Suzie Smith's 'aw shucks' defense of keeping our taxi regulations the way they are by voting yes on proposition 8.

"If having 300 cabs available on the streets to take us from A to B whenever we wanted them actually didn't cost us any more money than having 188, then why stop there? Can we have 1,000? 10,000?  Hey, can we have, like, a cab each? Parked outside our houses, with a private driver wearing a chauffeur's hat? He can take us wherever we need to go for the same rates … in fact, it should cost us less, because competition, right?"

Cute, but no one is asking for a cab for everyone.

Let's stick with 300 cabs for a minute.  Give us the numbers to show us how many hours cabs have fares and how many hours a day the average cab is riding empty.  Or which hours no cabs are available.  Show us how much income you get by owning a cab permit, the hours you work on cab stuff, and what that comes to as an hourly wage.  Maybe you have numbers that prove your point, but you didn't offer them here.  And you didn't mention things like access for handicapped passengers which was improved by the ordinance you want to repeal, or how Uber and Lyft are going to impact the taxi business.  Or is this really about how much you stand to lose if your permit loses its value?

There's also a great story in We Alaskans about an Indonesian 17 year old who is an exchange student in Kasilof told from the perspective of the student and her American temporary father.  I've spent ten minutes trying to find a way to link to the story for people who aren't ADN subscribers, but I can't.  Here's a link to We Alaskans with the other stories in today's edition, maybe it will show up eventually.

Finally, I'd note that Nathaniel Herz' brief interviews with new legislators gives us a chance to see these people as, well, people.  Nat got glimpses that add a little bit to our understanding of individual legislators and the legislature as a whole.  Rep. Jason Gren has a son named Atticus who's not pleased that his daddy isn't always home to tuck him into bed. Rep. Dean Westlake is part of the R.J. Reynolds Caucus which meets for smoke breaks and gives him a chance to spend time with Republicans.  Gary Knopp gets to ride excavators and road graders when he's not in the legislature. Rep. George Rauscher drove about 7000 miles in his Jeep campaigning in his huge Southcentral district.  Wasilla's Rep. David Wilson doesn't seem to like talking to the media.  Nothing huge here, but reminders that our legislators are not cartoon stereotypes, but real human beings trying to make a difference.

Yes, there should be more in depth articles about legislation that help spell it out for average folks, but I'm guessing far more readers will read this piece than more penetrating news on what they are and aren't doing in Juneau.

"The copulation of cattle as an enterprise in Ballona was soon mounted" and Other Notes

1.  Mar Vista History

My mother's house is in a part of Los Angeles called Mar Vista and a local realtor there dropped off a flier with a lengthy excerpt from a history of Mar Vista.  When I looked up the source - the Mar Vista Historical Society - I found the whole long and, for some of us, interesting document.

But I have to say that the sentence in this post's title jumped out at me.  One possible explanation is that this part was translated into English, presumably from Spanish, and the the computer stuck in 'copulation' instead of 'breeding.'  But I can't account for the 'mounted.'

I'd note that the excerpt in the real estate flier left out the story in the original of how the Spanish settlers' land grants displace the indigenous people in the area and then after the Spanish American war, the Americans either invalidated outright or set up administrative barriers that effectively dispossessed the Mexican landowners of their property.



2.  Viewing Sourdough Starter As A Pet

It's been a long time since Cocoa died, but we decided against another dog because we didn't think it fair if we were going to be away for longish periods.  But I realized on this trip, that in some ways my
sourdough starter is a kind of pet.  But one that can stay safely in the refrigerator for fairly long periods of time.  But as we were close to returning to Anchorage, I began to wonder how my starter was doing.

When we got home I took it out, let it warm up a bit, then fed it a bit of flour and water.  Soon it had risen in the jar and was actively bubbling.  So I had to do the sourdough starter equivalent of taking it for a walk, I had to make a bread.

The rubber band around the jar shows where the starter was after I fed it.  When it grows like that, it's like a dog jumping and yipping to go for a walk.

I made two breads.  First a baguette and then a second round loaf.  Here's the baguette.


3.  One Step Closer To Filling The Gap

Picture from Mayo Clinic

Back in October I wrote about the post the oral surgeon embedded in my gum.  On the left is a picture from the Mayo Clinic.  In the October post, I talked about the process and there's a picture of my post implanted in my mouth.

It takes time for the post to get connected firmly to the existing jaw bone.  So Friday the oral surgeon checked to see if it was in ok.  Monday I go to my regular dentist who will do a mold for a new tooth.  The oral surgeon was pleased with his work and said no one would notice.

I couldn't help but think about having the dentist give me a green tooth so they would.  After a bit more thought, I was thinking I should have the tooth on the other side pulled too and get vampire like fangs.  It would be great if you could have several different teeth and you could trade them out by yourself.  I suspect the dentist has to do that.  I'll check on Monday.  The dentist had a full display of teeth in the window sill.

The 'flipper' (sort of like a retainer with a tooth on it) that was supposed to fill the hole until all this work is done, was a pain.  It interfered with speech - my tongue would rub against it on the roof of my mouth when I spoke - and it made eating unpleasant.  It might be a good diet tool, but I found it a pain.  So I wasn't too upset when it disappeared somewhere in the house.  If you don't mind a gappy smile, I'd recommend skipping the flipper.  Fortunately, the missing tooth isn't right in front.





On the way home I passed this hoar frosted hedge.  Most of the trees I saw looked like this. Yesterday there was more snow, warmer temps, and all the frost is gone.










3.  Citizens Climate Lobby Meeting

The second Saturday of the month is the international CCL meeting.  The Anchorage chapter meets at UAA.  The speaker was Yareth Yoram [not sure where Yareth came from] Bauman, the man who lead the Washington state's initiative for a revenue neutral carbon fee in that state.  It didn't pass, but it got 40% of the vote, and potential opponents with deep pockets, chose not to campaign against it.




You can listen to the podcast of the meeting here.



4.  Shoveling Snow - My Winter Exercise

Yesterday we got about 5 inches of snow, and showering out the driveway and sidewalk was a productive way to get in some good exercise.  People didn't used to have to go to the gym to stay fit, they just walked more and did chores without all sorts of motorized devices.

When I got back from the meeting, there was another inch of snow and it was windy.  Our mountain ash tree tends to keep its leaves as long as it can and the wind had scattered some of them onto my recently shoveled driveway.  But I got out the shovel and did another rep.   I feel great after 30-60 minutes of moving snow around.

By the late afternoon, there was sunshine and clear sky.

Anchorage PrideFest Photos

I'll let the photos do most of the talking.  I'd note that there were a lot more exhibitors than I recall from last year.

Cormac and Anton were so striking that I asked if I could take a picture and post it here.  They obviously said ok.

I'm afraid most of the other pictures are here more to document some of the organizations that hosted booths, than for the photography.

I first connected with the Alaska Workers Association at a previous PrideFest.  This is a group of volunteers that works to help workers who have no other organized support.

The local branch of Moms Demand Action.

Petroleum Club of Anchorage made its first appearance at a PrideFest.

National Park Service.

Hilton Hotels

Dogs of all sizes and shapes were there.















The Anchorage Neighborhood Health Center.

And there was plenty of food - here's Bear Mace Bites.

AARP Alaska.

There was HIV and Hep C testing.

The Writer's Block Bookstore and Café is coming soon on Spenard where the old adult books store used to be.  They had architects plans for the new building where writers and readers will be able to hang out, buy books, read, and maybe even write.

They predicted an October opening date.  We'll see.

The Alaska Club.

More food from Mimi's Kitchen.

Wells Fargo was there.  

The Family, from the University of Alaska Anchorage.  

And the National Organization for Women.  

There were lots more booths, and I have a video of a candidate for the Assembly that I'll post separately.  At first PrideFest had booths around the perimeter.  But over the years there have been more in the middle as well.  This seems to be the biggest yet.  

Lots of people, lots of rainbows, lots of kids and dogs.  Lots of smiles and lots of people talking.  

"My client was too poor and disadvantaged to take responsibility." - Three Articles On Wealth And Power

Three articles today in the ADN about wealth.  Actually I'm guessing that one of them is about wealthy people, but the other two clearly are.  And while I saw them in the ADN, my links go to the original sources.

The first was originally a New York Times article about how the 400 wealthiest people have what amounts to their own private tax system that allows them to avoid billions in taxes.  And they use some of that saved money to give millions to support political candidates and organizations that support their loopholes.  I don't see anything wrong with financially supporting your political beliefs, but I do see something wrong with getting that wealth by cheating the system that allowed you to gain wealth in the first place, and I do have a problem with individuals and companies contributing such huge amounts to the political process that their political influence upsets the democratic ideal of one person - one vote. I'm using the blog here as a note pad because I need to follow up on this article.

The second article was what the ADN now labels "Talkers."  I found a Guardian article that gives more detail.  This article is about a couple who have gone to South Korea to clone their recently deceased dog for $100,000.  This is the one I'm assuming involves wealth. There are a lot of questions raised here and because dogs can be such an emotional issue, I don't want to raise them quickly and without careful thought.  Plus I want to know a little more about the couple involved.  The article says almost nothing about who they are and I'm just assuming they have some wealth if they can afford to do this.  And if there isn't significant wealth here, there certainly is an issue here about power.  But I do want to note this for now.  And if any readers have reactions, please leave a comment or send me an email.

The third article, again tracing back to the NYT, was about the young man who escaped a prison sentence after killed four folks in a drunk driving accident when his lawyer made up the 'affluenza' defense -

"he was too rich and spoiled to take responsibility"

The only way a court should accept such a plea is if the parents then become responsible for their kid's crime.   This sounds like the Twinkie defense. (The link says Twinkies played no role in the verdict, so maybe we should be skeptical about the role a affluenza too.)

I guess that public defenders are too rushed, too uncaring, too overburdened, too ethical, or not creative enough to come up with the 'poverty' defense - "my client was too poor and disadvantaged to take responsibility." 

July 4 Anchorage Symphony In The Park - Even Maestro Berkowitz

It was grey.  Micro-droplets were floating down.  The grass was damp, but once the music started the moisture abated and we had a great old fashioned concert in the park.  It wasn't exactly a white round wooden bandstand, but it kept the orchestra assured of having dry instruments.

Maestros Berkowitz and Fleischer

It wasn't til near the end that they introduced Maestro Berkowitz.  Based on my junior high school orchestra days, I'd say this was proof again that orchestras can do fine without a conductor.  But he had a good time with the baton.

click to enlarge and focus

I took these pictures before it got crowded. 

These traveling members of the UW marching band added a lot of enthusiasm to the afternoon.

And I don't expect there are too many 4th of July concerts that include Alaska Native* dancers.  I wonder how many others include any Native American performances. 

There were lots of dogs and kids.  The little ones  - who were awake - were having a great time moving to the music. 






















I find something disturbing about these giant blow up creatures, but can't quite put my finger on it yet.