Category Archives: Society

Mayor of Alaska village walks on four paws – CNN.com

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Mayor of Alaska village walks on four paws – CNN.com.

Stubbs the cat has been mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, for 15 years, since he was a kitten.

Not many mayors in the United States enjoy belly rubs from their constituents. Then again, most mayors don’t prance around town naked and curl up for naps in front of local businesses.

For 15 years, Stubbs the cat has held the top office in Talkeetna, Alaska. And his approval ratings have never been higher.

“He doesn’t raise our taxes — we have no sales tax. He doesn’t interfere with business. He’s honest,” said Lauri Stec, manager of Nagley’s General Store, which doubles as the mayor’s office.

Stubbs may be the only mayor in the country who rose to office asan infant.

“He was in a box full of kittens in the front of the store, and (the owners) were giving them away,” Stec said. She picked “Stubbs” because he had no tail.

Soon afterward, residents weren’t happy with any of the human candidates in the upcoming mayoral election and voted for Stubbs as a write-in candidate. The kitten won.

Because Talkeetna is a “historical district,” the mayoral post is more symbolic than functional, said Andi Manning, president of the Talkeetna Chamber of Commerce. So most residents are fine with a four-legged feline running the show.

Mayor Stubbs of Talkeetna, Alaska, drinks water with catnip from a wine glass.
Mayor Stubbs of Talkeetna, Alaska, drinks water with catnip from a wine glass.

But the power, apparently, has gotten to Stubbs’ furry head.

“All throughout the day I have to take care of the mayor. He’s very demanding,” said Skye Farrar, a clerk at Nagley’s. “He meowed and meowed and meowed and demanded to be picked up and put on the counter. And he demanded to be taken away from the tourists. Then he had his long, afternoon nap.”

In addition, the mayor will only drink water from a wine glass that has catnip in it, Stec added.

But most everyone is willing to put up with the mayor’s high-maintenance lifestyle, especially because he’s a big tourist attraction for the community of about 800 human beings.

Manning said the mayor frequently draws dozens of tourists who are en route to other Alaska destinations such as Mount McKinley.

And as of late Monday night, the Mayor Stubbs Facebook page had well over 6,000 subscribers.

But Stubbs remains true to his community, often showing up in local businesses — albeit unexpectedly.

“When my building burned down in 2002, he was the last to come out of it,” said Todd Basilone, owner of Mountain High Pizza Pie in Talkeetna. “He’s always in the restaurant. Stubbs wanders into every place in town.”

Even though dogs run loose and outnumber people in Talkeetna, he said, the canines seem to respect Stubbs’ authority.

“I’ve never seen a dog mess with him,” Basilone said.

Though the mayor generally receives positive reviews for his laissez-faire politics, he is guilty of frequently sleeping on the job.

“His biggest political rivals would be other local businesses that would hate that he comes over and takes a nap and leaves fur everywhere. They aren’t big fans of him,” Farrar said.”We usually say, ‘You have to deal with it. He runs the town.’”

 

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“If Only I Had Teeth Down There!” | Mama’s Health Blog

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“If Only I Had Teeth Down There!” | Mama’s Health Blog.

Rapex Condom

Rapex Condom

Call it provocative, call it medieval, whatever you call it aside from self-defense classes, self-imposed curfews and bodyguards it has to be one of the most progressive devices created to help prevent the rape of women. Invented by South African doctor Dr. Sonnet Ehlers after treating a rape victim who said, “If only I had teeth down there,” the female condom dubbed “Rapex” is being readied for distribution after 20 years of research.

“According to Dr. Ehlers “As soon as the man puts his penis in the woman’s vagina the condom catches it. The “teeth” of the condom then penetrates his skin and causes severe pain. The man will have to go to a hospital to have the condom removed,” she said. It will also collect the rapist’s DNA.”

30,000 of these condoms are being distributed in South African in various cities where the World Cup games are being played. South Africa has one of highest incidences of rape in the world.

While some think it increases a woman’s feeling of vulnerability, one could argue that women walk in the world and shape their lives around knowing their vulnerabilities. Others argue that the device is medieval, “Yes, my device may be a medieval,” Dr. Ehlers says, “but it’s for a medieval deed that has been around for decades,” she said. “I believe something’s got to be done … and this will make some men rethink before they assault a woman.”

While I don’t believe one thing will prevent rape, I do believe in having an arsenal from which to choose. What do you think?

Someone hand me my mace, my brass knuckles and my Rapex condom. It’s eleven at night and we need a loaf of bread!

- Aunt B

 

Heart Mountain Pilgrimage Set for Aug. 10-11 – Rafu Shimpo

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Heart Mountain Pilgrimage Set for Aug. 10-11 – Rafu Shimpo.

CODY, Wyo. — This year’s Heart Mountain Pilgrimage will be a multigenerational arts festival and will be held on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 10 and 11.

Reservation deadline is July 1. Register online at www.HeartMountain.org.

The focus of the event will be to bring in the younger generations to continue the efforts of the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation.

The weekend will be centered on three documentaries. Each is different in its message, reminding the audience of the World War II internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans while asking the question: “Could this happen again?”

“Ken Watanabe’s America: Japanese Americans and Post-9/11 America” will be shown at the Wynona Thompson Auditorium on Friday evening following the pilgrimage dinner at the Holiday Inn. A panel discussion is scheduled after the movie.

Saturday events will be hosted at the Heart Mountain Interpretive Learning Center. An outdoor arts fair featuring local and Heart Mountain artisans and authors will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Among other presentations and demonstrations outside, Eric Muller will introduce his new book, “Colors of Confinement: Rare Kodachrome Photographs of Japanese American Incarceration in World War II” (University of North Carolina Press, 2012) with a short presentation and book-signing.

Inside the center, two films, “Hiro: A Story of Japanese Internment” and “An American Contradiction,” will have alternating schedules throughout the day. Each film will be introduced by the filmmakers with a short question-and-answer period after the screening.

There will be several showings of each film throughout the day. Guests will be invited to explore the exhibits and the outdoor arts fair while waiting for the movies. Food vendors will be available and a bus will take people from the ILC to the honor roll, walking tour, and hospital complex.

Lee Nellis, a private contractor with Y Loop Road Trips, is working with the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation and will be offering Heart Mountain hikes on Thursday, Aug. 9, Friday, Aug. 10, and Sunday, Aug. 12. Reservations for the hike can be made through him at www.ylooproadtrips.com or by calling (307) 250-9382.

Schedule of Events

Registration will include entry to the following events:

• Reception hosted by Youth Council on Friday, Aug. 10, from 4 to 5 p.m. at Holiday Inn in Cody.

• Pilgrimage Dinner on Friday, Aug. 10, at 5 p.m. at Holiday Inn Ballroom.

• Presentation of “Ken Watanabe’s America” on Friday, Aug. 10, at 7:30 p.m. at Wynona Thompson Auditorium in Cody.

• Interpretive Learning Center Arts Festival on Saturday, Aug.11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1539 Road 19, Powell.

Featured Programs

• “Ken Watanabe’s America: Japanese Americans and Post-9/11 America.” In the years since 9/11, Arab and Muslim Americans have faced harassment and discrimination. One group of Japanese Americans took a stand, and defended their countrymen. Ken Watanabe, the star of “Letters from Iwo Jima,” traveled to America to get to know these brave Japanese Americans.

He met and extensively interviewed Norman Mineta, a Nisei who was interned at Heart Mountain during World War II and who was the U.S. secretary of transportation when 9/11 occurred. In this film, Watanabe explores the link between the Japanese American experience and the discrimination experienced by Arab and Muslim Americans in a post-9/11 world, and shows that those who know their history are not doomed to repeat it.

• “An American Contradiction.” Seeking knowledge about her country’s history and heritage, filmmaker Vanessa Yuille journeys to her mother’s birthplace, Heart Mountain. Former internees reflect upon the experience of leaving their homes as children and the wartime hysteria that stripped them of their lawful rights.

This dark chapter of American history not only contrasts with the natural beauty of the landscape but also calls into question the definition of what it means to be an American. Through her investigation, Yuille challenges the audience to correctly define the true nature of what happened there.

• “Hiro: A Story of Japanese Internment,” 2012 Student Academy Award winner. Filmmaker Keiko Wright explores the life of Hiroshi Hoshizaki, a retired grandfather of six, who was imprisoned in an internment camp during his adolescence. As the film follows him on own journey to confront the events and memories of his past, the viewer learn of his experiences while imprisoned at Heart Mountain and the traumatic repercussions on him and his family.

The voices of “Hiro” tell a story of the political hysteria, racism, and scars that internment evoked during the World War II era — feelings that still echo to this day.

• “Colors of Confinement: Rare Kodachrome Photographs of Japanese American Incarceration in World War II.” This book presents 65 color photographs of life at Heart Mountain shot by Bill Manbo, an internee who was an amateur photographer, along with four essays interpreting the photographs. One of the essays is a reminiscence by Bacon Sakatani, and another is by Eric Muller, the book’s editor.

Travel Information

The following hotels have rooms blocked for the event:

• Holiday Inn in Cody, (307) 587-5555. Discount code: K1HMWF

• Comfort Inn in Cody, (307) 587-5556. Discount code: K4HMWF

• Buffalo Bill Cabins in Cody, (307) 587-5555. Discount code: K3HMWF

• The Cody in Cody, (307) 527-3360. Discount code: Heart Mountain Reunion

• Super 8 in Powell, (307) 754-7231. Discount code: Heart Mountain Foundation

Air Travel

• Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody (COD). Two miles from the central business district of Cody. The Cody Hotels listed above all provide shuttle service to and from the Cody airport. Time to the hotels from the airport is around 5 minutes. If staying in Powell, the drive is approximately 30 minutes.

• Billings Logan International Airport (BIL), Billings, Mont., 109 miles from Cody. The drive from the Billings airport will take approximately 2 hours. You will need to rent a car.

Both airports offer car rental services.