Random Bird Brainage - Chapter 1

Goldfish and I went to dinner at a coworker's house tonight; fish tacos, beans and rice, mango and banana crepes and good conversation made for a relaxing evening. Now I'm poised at the emotional summit, distantly aware of the enormous amount I need to get done in the next 24 hours but not ready to commit to the task just yet. In this state of mental neutrality I thought I'd throw up some tidbits of Alaska Steve trivia for general consumption . . . . .

1. In case you haven't figured it out, this blog's primary purpose is to give my Dad something to read in the morning when he eats his cereal. It's a tiny bit more complex, perhaps - there is a son in Anchorage; a son in North Dakota; a brother and sister in Maine; and a sister in Idaho in addition to my Dad in Maine eating cereal - but more than anything, it is the thought of my Dad not having a post to read that will drive me to commit that 20 minutes to getting something up, no matter how long my day has been. Case in point, it's after midnight and I need to be up in a few hours, and here I am . . . . a blog is just simply an efficient and elegant way to stay in touch with friends and loved ones. I have also made a few new friends along the way that I like and admire and would have never met off-line.

2. I have nothing to sell and no agenda to push. When I was growing up my Mom and Dad would generally cancel each other out at the polling booth, and I'm a product of that - I'm not the most conservative member of my family but neither am I the most liberal. As are many Alaskans, I'm a member of the Independent political party but do not necessarily vote along party lines. I am most passionate about issues I feel I can investigate first hand and effect a change in such as North Pacific / Bering Sea commercial fishing policies.

3. With that said, I have nothing but admiration for folks that blog to educate, illuminate, and advocate their position. I love regional blogs that are often the best source of news in that particular area, I love blogs with photos taken by the blog author, and I love blogs that follow grand adventures. You might be surprised to know I only read just a handful of blogs regularly - that is due to time constraints, not a lack of interest. I do generally investigate and bookmark the blog of anyone who takes the time and trouble to leave me a comment, and I plan on linking to more of those blogs soon. I've been blogging for three years now and I can't imagine stopping, and I have few ideas for additional blogs for the future.

Enough bird brainage for now, cheers . . . . .