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Category Archives: Alaska

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I Vandalized a Work of Art

11 Monday Nov 2019

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Alaska, Art, Austin Parkhill, Graffiti, Ilisagvik College, Mural, Painting, Tribal College

ResizedTank

Close-Up of Tank

So I recently vandalized a piece of artwork. I totally tagged a painting by Austin Parkhill.

Cause that’s just how I roll!

…and because he invited me to.

Austin was in Utqiaġvik awhile back to complete a mural for Iḷisaġvik College. The man used to work here, before moving down to Homer. He is definitely missed.

Even so, we totally tagged his painting!

Yes, we did.

Snow Signatures
Snow Signatures
Butt and signatures
Butt and signatures
Tank
Tank
Corner Signatures
Corner Signatures
IMG_20190926_220936_679

Moni taking a picture of Austin at work.

Resized Closeup

Bear face

ResizedallPainting

All 3 Panels

 

BTW: You should definitely check out more of Austin’s work on his own website, right HERE.

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Mileage Varies

29 Monday Jul 2019

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Travel

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Anger, Complaints, Delays, Hotel, Irritation, Perception, Satisfaction, Time, Travel

67249247_10220021150664156_1178125180153626624_oI’m at the airport in Anchorage. The woman standing next to me is visibly irritated.

“Yes, I’m waiting here for the shuttle. Another gentleman is waiting too. There are three of us. We called half an hour ago and you ssid it would be 15 minutes. You told the other gentleman you’d be here any minute. It’s been 30. We’ve already called you twice and nothing’s happened. We’re just waiting…”

…a group of at least half a dozen people walk up and pushes between us just as the airport shuttle arrives and opens its door right in front of them.

“Oh, he’s here already. Boy are they fast”

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The End of Everything at the Anchorage Museum

31 Monday Dec 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Politics

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Alaska, Anchorage, Art, Bigotry, Museum, Painting, prejudice, Racism, Stereotypes

The End of Everything

I thought I’d share this little gem currently on display in the Anchorage Museum. It’s called “The End of Everything” by Thomas Chung. I’m sorry, the photo-quality is really crap. Just thought the content was worth sharing despite that. Anyway, here is what Chung has to say about it:

“The painting explores why we may, at times, dehumanize others. It reflects our current political times, which are brewing with hatred and conflict. The cowboy character riding the bomb represents the male American ideal, while the cherubs represent the many living forms of bigotry from the past and present. The graffiti on the polar bear comes from posters repeatedly disseminated around the University of Alakas Anchorage’s campus this year by white supremacists as part of a larger campaign.”

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Summer at the Beach

06 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Bad Photography

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Alaska, Beach, Ice, Ocean, Photos, Pics, Sea Ice, Summer, Water

36868123_10216821637638330_8479229804195872768_nDamn!

I have papers to grade. So, I guess summer is really over.

I was planning to take it easy this summer, but it didn’t exactly work out that way. A move across town took up a lot more time than Moni and I expected. Our trip to Valdez is still the  highlight of the season for me, but I also made it down to Montana on a work-related trip and down again to Fairbanks to help put on the Motif Film Festival. When I wasn’t traveling or taking boxes upstairs, I was busy working on class materials and whatnot. Suffice to say, it was an interesting summer.

One of the most interesting things about this particular summer is just how long the sea ice seemed to remain intact, and how long much of it stuck around shore. It seems like this last winter got started late (snow didn’t start sticking here in Barrow until well into October), so I suppose it’s fitting in some sense that the remnants of that winter would linger a bit. It certainly made for some beautiful views. Few sites compare to the midnight sun shining down on an entire ocean served on the rocks, so to speak.

Yeah, people do swim in this stuff, usually just for a minute or two, just long enough to say they did it.

Other people do this.

Not me.

(Click to embiggen.)

 

 

 

 

 

Hadda zoom a bit for this one
Hadda zoom a bit for this one
Just Cold!
Just Cold!
Clear and peaceful evening
Clear and peaceful evening
A touch of yellow
A touch of yellow
Icy Reflections
Icy Reflections
A little sea life in the fog there.
A little sea life in the fog there.
Looks like I tweaked this pic a lot, but I really didn't tweak it much
Looks like I tweaked this pic a lot, but I really didn’t tweak it much
Okay, this might not be sea ice
Okay, this might not be sea ice
Mid July
Mid July
...and the world gets diagonal
…and the world gets diagonal
This little guy really wanted me off his beach
This little guy really wanted me off his beach
Lotta Blue
Lotta Blue
The cloud here steals the show.
The cloud here steals the show.

 

An ice bow, some sea ice, and an annoying little blue dot.

 

 

Sorry, for the poor quality of this video, and in particular for my very shaky hand.

 

.

 

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Road Trip! (Anchorage to Valdez)

31 Tuesday Jul 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Bad Photography, Travel

≈ 20 Comments

Tags

Alaska, Boats, Glacier, Harbor, Nature, Photos, Road Trip, Travel, Valdez

36063336_10216696059378952_4554756841099231232_n

Moni likes to take pictures of the road.

Between her new job and our move into a new apartment, my girlfriend and I haven’t had much of a chance to to travel together this summer. We did manage to sneak out for a week or so in mid June. What we decided to do this time was a quick road trip from Anchorage to Valdez. Of course, getting to Anchorage required a little flying time, but that’s old hat. We had to make a couple purchases for the new place, so that meant staying a couple days in the vicinity of Anchorage, so we found a lovely bed and breakfast in Palmer.  After that, we hit the road!

Not literally, of course. I ain’t got nothin’ against the highway.

AnchtoValdez.png

Anyway, the trip was about a 5 hour drive, but we made plenty of stops. We traveled along the Matanuska river for quite some time, made a brief stop a bit south of Glenallen, then headed off toward Valdez. To say that we found a number of beautiful sites along the way would be putting it mildly.

Valdez itself was absolutely wonderful. I hit a couple museums (The Whitney Museum and the Valdez Museum & Historical Archive) and we hung out at the docks for a time. We ate at the Fat Mermaid a couple of times and made stops at Mike’s Palace and Fu Kung. …suffice to say that we were well fed. We also ran into the folks from Sweet Cheeks Bakery, run by the parents of a coworker, but we didn’t get back in time to get our cinnamon buns. Still, …all of Alaska is just one small village! You just can’t travel through this state without finding connections to the people you meet. Eventually, we bought tickets on a tour boat, which of course meant that I got sick (yes I took some meds), but mostly that was just amazing. I almost never opt for a paid tour, but I’m very glad I did this time.

On the last day as Moni and I were strolling around downtown getting ready to say goodbye to the place, a random guy came out of Mike’s Palace and asked us if we lived in the area. The answer was ‘no’, of course, and then he proceeded to tell us that he had lived here himself once, 30 years ago. I cringed inside as he launched into his efforts to tell me about the good old days. A few minutes later I felt a twinge of sadness as he left us with tales of bar fights between Okies and Texan (oil workers) spilling out of the Palace and onto the street. Apparently, the police had once been disarmed so as to enable the fight to continue. Additional stories involved a pair of Korean prostitutes who paid him extra for a pizza every night so as to have a place to stay. Just how much of this was true, I have no idea, but the stories were a good deal more entertaining than I had anticipated. I found myself wishing we’d run into him before lunch rather than after and on the verge of leaving. Still, a few more eagle pics and off we went.

Hell, even the shopping we did back in Anchorage before boarding the plane back home went well.

I wish every vacation was this cool.

(You may click to embiggen!)

 

Ruins from Old Valdez
Ruins from Old Valdez
Columbia Glacier
Columbia Glacier
Mountains in the Background
Mountains in the Background
On the Wing
On the Wing
Factory across the water
Factory across the water
Snow Goose BnB
Snow Goose BnB
The chunks of ice on top got there when they were thrown up out of the water as the ice broke apart.
The chunks of ice on top got there when they were thrown up out of the water as the ice broke apart.
This juvenile whale was playing around the boat for about half an hour. ...his mom was not amused.
This juvenile whale was playing around the boat for about half an hour. …his mom was not amused.
St. Innocent, Russian Orthodox Church in Anchorage (Moni really wanted to see this one)
St. Innocent, Russian Orthodox Church in Anchorage (Moni really wanted to see this one)
Random Waterfall empties into the sea
Random Waterfall empties into the sea
Yep, lotsa bunnies too!
Yep, lotsa bunnies too!
Looks Kinda Smug for a guy that lives on the scraps tossed out by fisherman!
Looks Kinda Smug for a guy that lives on the scraps tossed out by fisherman!
When you look into the scenery, sometimes the scenery looks back at you.
When you look into the scenery, sometimes the scenery looks back at you.
Copper River
Copper River
Blues happen
Blues happen
Almost there
Almost there
Just purdy
Just purdy
Are these guys ever not angry?
Are these guys ever not angry?
Water will fall
Water will fall
Mountains over trees
Mountains over trees
This, I'm told, is an oyster catcher.
This, I’m told, is an oyster catcher.
Well hello there!
Well hello there!
Almost an island of sorts
Almost an island of sorts
Local ruffians!
Local ruffians!
Heading Out
Heading Out
That mountain was framed!
That mountain was framed!
Glacier
Glacier
Horse Tail Falls
Horse Tail Falls
Lotta little ice
Lotta little ice
Moni likes to stop and take pictures of the road.
Moni likes to stop and take pictures of the road.
Big chunk of ice
Big chunk of ice
Closest I could find to street art
Closest I could find to street art
Random roadster (Anchorage)
Random roadster (Anchorage)
Columbia Glacier has the blues!
Columbia Glacier has the blues!
Couldn't get over the color of the water
Couldn’t get over the color of the water
You otter sea the mountains!
You otter sea the mountains!
Abandoned structure along the Matanuska
Abandoned structure along the Matanuska
Local Humor
Local Humor
Athabascan footwear (Copper River Heritage Center)
Athabascan footwear (Copper River Heritage Center)
Matanuska River
Matanuska River
Bit of color
Bit of color
Model Athabascan food cache.
Model Athabascan food cache.
Columbia Glacier
Columbia Glacier
The view from the Snowgoose BnB
The view from the Snowgoose BnB
Worthington Glacier
Worthington Glacier

 

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Capturing One of the Last Wild Alaskan Blockbusters on Film

06 Friday Jul 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska

≈ 12 Comments

Tags

Alaska, Blockbuster, Business, Photos, Retail, Technology, Travel, Videos, Wildlife Photography

Wasilla

Yes, there are still Blockbusters in Alaska, at least two of them as I understand it; one in Fairbanks and one In Anchorage. I haven’t seen the one in Fairbanks, but Moni and I visited the one on Anchorage a couple weeks back. The one pictured above was still operating in Wasilla when we passed through on our way to Talkeetna this last Spring. Sadly, it has since closed down. Almost a year ago, we stopped into another Blockbuster in Soldatna, but that one too seems to have closed down. So yes, the great Alaskan Blockbuster lives yet in the wilderness of this great state, but it is an endangered species to be sure.

Why have Blockbusters lasted this long here in America’s ‘last frontier’?

Well ironic frontier jargon aside, the issue really does have something to do with the rough edges of our state. Simply put, the internet has not fully replaced video rentals in much of Alaska. Many of us have data-caps, and net usage can be quite costly up here. This fact makes video rental a more attractive option, and along with the various rental kiosks, it enables a precious few blockbusters to do business here in Alaska. But times, they are a changing, and we’re now down to two.

It’s a funny thing when you walk into one of these stores. You can’t help but feel as though you’ve been transported back a decade or two. They look just like you may have remembered them, which is of course the impression store managers want to create. But seriously, what else were they gonna look like? You might find moose in the parking lot, but inside the store, it’s pretty much the same.They will even ask you to be kind…

(You may click to embiggen)

 

Soldatna Interior 3
Anachorage
Alaska-specific marketing
Soldatna Bockbuster
Soldatna Interior 2
Soldatna Interior 1
Soldatna Interior 4

 

Many thanks to Moni for contributing the Soldatna pics.

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The North Pacific Fur Fish

23 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Animals, Minis

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Amusing, Cyptozoology, Fish, Fur Fish, Museum, Nort Pacific Fur Fish, Odd Weird, Totally Cereal, Valdez

North Pacific Fur Fish

North Pacific Fur Fish

So, today, my girl and I happen to be in Valdez. I decided to pop into a museum or three, and, …and well, Moni said something about me being a nerd and told me she was going to take a nap. Lot she knows! Moni totally missed learning about the North Pacific Fur Fish. It really is an amazing specimen. Just see what the Valdez Museum and Historical Archive has to say about it:

North Pacific Fur Fish

This fish is reported to have been a rare sight in the waters of Prince William Sound. Its fur coat is an adaptation to the frigid glacial waters of the area This is one of a few ever caught.

The Northern Pacific Fur Fish was a popular tourist attraction during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This original Fur fish hung for many years on the Valdez Gift Shop.

* New information just in suggests that the Fur Fish is still alive. It has gone through further adaptation since this specimen was caught. It is rumored that one caught recently was not fur covered, but was instead covered in Fore-Tex with a Thinsulate liner.

If you believe this story then you are in for a lot of laughs during your stay in Valdez.

Fur Fish donated by museum supporter Jim Thompson.

So, there it is. I learned about a really really rare breed of fish, and Moni doesn’t know anything about it, because she took a nap instead of going to the museum with me. She knows all about the Mojave Penguin, but she doesn’t know about this one, and I mean to keep it that way. So, shhhh!  My dear readers, please don’t tell Moni. This fish will be our secret!

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Pillow-Bombs

14 Thursday Jun 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, History, Museums, Public History

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Alaska, Alaska Veterans Museum, Anchorage, Army, Bombs, Museum, Pillow, Veterans, World War II

35281652_10216605160826545_1651775535061139456_n

I Made a quick stop recently at the Alaska Veterans Museum on 4th Street  in Anchorage. I’ve written about this place before, but of course they’ve changed a few things around. I’m continually amazed at the amount of material they manage to cram into such a small space. The whole facility is clearly a labor of love.

Anyway, this little throw pillow definitely caught my attention. I think we’ll just let it speak for itself.

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Ah Spring at NARL Can Be So Lovely!

09 Saturday Jun 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Alaska, Arctic, Midnigt Sun, NARL, Night, Snow, Snow Buntings, Spring, Youtube

 

…and by ‘lovely’ I mean the sound of the snow buntings that you can almost hear over the wind near the end of this video. The rest of it just makes me feel all somehow.

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Film Festival?

01 Friday Jun 2018

Posted by danielwalldammit in Alaska, Movies, Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Alaska, Fairbanks, Film, Film Festival, Filmmakers, Idie Film, Independent Film, Motif, Movies

Motif Film FreewaySo, a couple of friends and I are putting together a film festival, scheduled for August 3-5 in Fairbanks.  We are interested in all manner of independent submissions, but we are particularly interested in just about anything with a social consciousness, so to speak. If you happen to make films, please consider submitting to the festival. And if you happen to like independent films, then please consider watching a few with us in August.

…and if you don’t know, and haven’t been, yes, Fairbanks is gorgeous in August.

We have the following to say for ourselves…

Films from everywhere and of all genres are welcome. MôTif strives to turn our festival into a platform and outlet for voices fighting to be heard. We also encourage submissions from indigenous filmmakers, filmmakers of color, filmmakers with different abilities, LGBTQQIA filmmakers, female-identified filmmakers, and filmmakers from any other underrepresented group. Please help us spread the word and share this with filmmakers from around the world. You can submit your film through FilmFreeway.

MôTif is a multimedia production company that supports and creates art projects, focusing on the underrepresented and the environment.

We have no limits on how to use art to show untold stories and make ideas come true. Our core goal is to explore solutions and help in the fight to decimate racism, bigotry, poverty, sexism, and climate change through art.

We collaborate with masterly artists to offer innovative services for communities, individuals, and organizations including workshops, event development, performing arts, film, photography and design.

With our mission in mind we want to offer the first ever MôTif Film Festival. We are committed to discover new and diverse voices, with 97% of the films coming directly from the submissions we receive. We strive to turn our festival into a platform of voices that still fight to be heard, that need support, and is an outlet for their stories.

Awards & Prizes

The winners of each category will receive an exclusive handmade trophy created by a local Alaskan artist and business owner of The Monolith Project as well as a certificate.

Total Prize Value (USD): Priceless

Rules & Terms

All submitted films must comply with the Submissions Guidelines including deadlines, exhibition format, entry material, etc.

We do not pay screener fees.

Entrants are responsible for obtaining any necessary licenses, royalties, release forms, clearances, permits necessary to present their work. MôTif Film Festival is not responsible for any claim involving copyright, trademark, credits, or royalty infringement related to the work.

 

Interested parties can find out more here:

https://filmfreeway.com/MoTifFilmFestival

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