Author: Elise Patkotak

So, this is for newcomers to Anchorage. Yes, we do a lot of strange things. We wear shorts while there is still snow on the ground and insist if it’s April, it must be spring. We pull out more fishing gear from our garages than is seen in most 3^rd world countries. And we hold elections in the spring.

Why, you may reasonably ask, do we do that? Well, if I remember rightly, Anchorage had a big discussion about how its elections were lost in the furor of state and national elections held in the fall. So, local elections Continue reading →

Despite my feelings about Donald Trump, I do believe that our democracy is the best form of government we can have. And voting is critical to that government surviving. So, if he’s your candidate – the person you think can solve the problems we face today in a way acceptable to you, then go for it. And if, instead, Biden holds the values closest to your own, then vote for him. Just get out there and vote. It’s what has made America great.

But when I see interviews with Trump supporters who express that they are comfortable with his statement Continue reading →

I came to Alaska over 50 years ago when the phrase North to Alaska meant adventure, excitement, a taste of the old West in what was then modern-day America. Turns out, much to my surprise given that I loved living in Brooklyn, Alaska was my future. I’m guessing there aren’t many people today who feel that way anymore once they arrive here.

We seem to have blown our pipeline money on every common sense or ridiculous scheme anyone proposed back in the day when the money seemed never ending. But it did end. And given that we have a legislature Continue reading →

Let’s talk toilets. Yep. That’s the topic with your morning coffee today. Toilets.

I’m guessing anyone who reads this while sipping their morning latte is well aware of how critical a toilet can be soon after that coffee goes down. So, the idea of having clean, fairly sanitary toilets for public use as opposed to the infamous porta-toilets we have all known and loved since our first band concert makes sense. As someone who has traveled to most 3^rd world countries in Asia and Africa, I can’t emphasize enough how important public restrooms can be. Especially the kind that Continue reading →

When I was ten years old, the year 2024 seemed forever away. It was a time and place for Star Trek or Star Wars but not for someone relatively normal like me. (I am sticking to the idea that I was a relatively normal kid no matter what anyone from my childhood says.)

While I’m going to assume that there was some part of me that knew outer space would not yet be populated with Americans going warp speed somewhere else, there was also a part of me that never imagined America would become a different country – one in Continue reading →

It’s hard to describe what it feels like to relive the pain. Not the pain of being hit. After a while, abuse becomes just another part of life, pain you learn to live with. No, it’s very much more the pain of feeling so alone and vulnerable. You’re hurt, crying, and scared. And there is no one to protect you. The other women are just as scared. Even if you run to their house, there is every chance he will follow you there and then they will be potential victims too. As for the men, while they may try to Continue reading →

Growing up in Atlantic City in the 50s, the closest I came to greenery was Columbus Plaza. This was a one block square of grass, the occasional tree, and a very large statue of Christopher Columbus. Living in an all-Italian neighborhood, this was as close as we got to a national hero. Granted he didn’t sail under an Italian flag. And granted he didn’t claim lands for Italy, which didn’t really exist then. And sure, he never actually stood on North American soil. But as far as our parents were concerned, he was Italian, and he was a hero. So Continue reading →

will science see me naked and refuse the package? Continue reading →

I grew up as part of the infamous 60s generation. At the time, I thought our government could not be more broken, less mindful of the people it served or less responsive to national needs. I was so wrong.

Here’s the definition of collegial. “Relating to or involving shared responsibility, as among a group of colleagues.” Here’s a further explanation of that definition. “Relating to a friendly relationship between colleagues; used to describe a method of working in which responsibility is shared among several people.”

I learned about collegiality in civics classes, something I’m guessing isn’t taught much anymore. I Continue reading →

Do they still teach Shakespeare in high school? Are there still students trying to read Macbeth or Hamlet and wondering why Shakespeare thought he should use language that is just confusing and hard to understand? Do they wonder what kind of a sadist would do that to kids just trying to finish a report on Ophelia?

So, here’s the answer. Shakespeare is not, to the best of our knowledge, a sadist. He did not write his plays to cause high school students to scream into their pillows as they try to decipher what Iago means or Shylock is saying. What Continue reading →