Saturday, July 17, 2010

Disgraced Blogger Dave Weigel Turns up in Unalaska and the Port of Dutch Harbor Still a same elitist, condensending Ass he was at the Washington Post


So, Disgraced Blogger Dave Weigel has washed ashore in Unalaska and the Port of Dutch Harbor.

Gosh, maybe someone needs to check the outfall line at the Waste water Treatment Plant.
For those Unfamillar with this Guy:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/06/25/AR2010062504413.html
Basically he was hired at the Post to Report on Conservatives but pretty much trashed them any way he could. Anyone ever heard of the Impartial Journalist? Well they never use the term with guys like Dave Weigel.

Lets look at some of his posts this week:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/07/greetings-from-unalaska.html




"There is usually some diversity of companions on an airplane. Not on this one. The men have beards and gear and heavy boots; the women have all but one of these things. Your fellow travelers look like they're heading to the same bar after work, possibly because they are. Another thing you notice is that most of them have shirts or jackets with "Alaska" written on them. This seems odd -- you don't head into Newark and bump into travelers with "New Jersey" jackets. Then you realize you're being foolish, and that almost everyone you're flying with works for some Alaska company, in construction or fishing or research, and that they're wearing the raincoats they've been handed for free."


Mr Weigel:
People on the Flight into Dutch Harbor are coming here TO WORK. Real work. Unlike the smarmy, condescending, so called "writing" some misguided people pay you for, So they come dressed appropriately. Oh wait, I'm sorry, you are not getting that Paycheck from the Post anymore are you? I'm sure we can get you a job on one of the processing lines in town, you seem good at slinging Shit Around.
Also, your sexist comments on the women on the flight are not going unnoticed. Are all women supposed to be brainless bimbos in $5000 outfits like the tramps from Sex and the City? Do you just dislike women Mr Weigel? Maybe it is just strong women you dislike, Like Megan Kelly or anyone of the women who live, work and make their homes here. All of whom I am CERTAIN are at least your Intellectual equals, if not superiors, and could also kick your smarmy sexist ass all the way back to Washington.
Oh, and your Comment about us all basically getting our Clothes for free? Yeah, the fishing companies are usually pretty Generous with their workers. Personally I have a Black Card from Macy's, The Mayor Prefers Nordstrom, and they basically have to fly an extra plane in every month for the catalogues that are sent here. Remember, EVERYONE here WORKS. That Means they have MONEY. You know, Like when you get your Unemployment Check.

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"Fly into Anchorage's Ted Stevens International Airport (yes, still) and you don't immediately see the listing for your Dutch Harbor connecting flight. This is because you need to walk out of the main airport and into a few rooms located next to the airfield upon which 737s wait for clearance to fly."


Mr. Weigel
Do you miss ANY opportunity to bash Republicans? First of all Ted was Cleared of all those Charges. (You Know, Like Clinton was with Monica and the whole "Depends on what your definition of Is, Is?") Also, Senator Stevens Did a lot for Alaska, suck it up and deal.
Next, How Drunk, Or Stoned, were you on the flight out here? You DO NOT Leave the Airport at any time in Anchorage to get to Pen Air. You take some beautiful escalators down to the first floor, then walk the newly marbled hallways down to the Pen Air Terminal. Yes, the terminal is on the same level as the planes. Don't really need a gangway to get up to entrance level on a 737.
Personally I find Anchorage one of the easiest Airports to get around In that there is. Next time stop Smoking that rock that you got on "K" Street before you board a flight.

Next up:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/07/unalaska-journal-part-ii.html



"I took this photo yesterday on some winding road or another on the way to Summer Bay. This is a real sign, and it's one of several that warn Unalaska denizens of the threat posed by bald eagles. Sure, you think bald eagles are majestic. You don't see them more frequently than any other animal in your city, and you don't see them digging through trash and dumpsters."


Mr. Weigel
Bald Eagles are majestic no matter where they are, and are protective of their nests. These signs simply inform those that are unfamiliar with our wonderful town to be wary. Every year a tourist or a visitor strays too close to these nests for photos and gets attacked. Please, I encourage you to test this out for yourself! The Eagle's nest at the Dutch Harbor Post office is really an easy climb from the parking lot. Personally I'd rather see 100 eagles in a dumpster than get shit on by 1000 pigeons as they make their way from Monument to Monument in Washington DC. At least we respect an honor our wildlife here, unlike the mass poisonings that Washington DC, New York and Others do to their pigeon population. I've already given my Eagle Alexander your picture and told him to treat you like a pigeon would.




This isn't the place I'd pick for a moral crusade. Crime is so unheard of that it's common to leave your keys in your car, and it's not unheard of to leave your house unlocked. The only resistance I've met from an authority figure here was polite disapproval for bringing an empty soda into a museum. (I threw it out.)


Mr. Weigel
What? Do you miss the Gang Shootings? OH!!! You probably miss the easy availability of Drugs.
And What Kind of Idiot brings soda into a museum? Would you do that at the MOMA or the Louvre? Seriously, show some of the "Class" that you seem intent on proving you have. (Here's a hint though people who have class don't point out those who don't.)




But this isn't some podunk town. Yesterday, I sat down to work in the same room as some kids recording a radio show for KUCB. As they edited songs on a Mac, one kid asked me what kind of iPad she had, because she'd just bought her own and was digging it. An hour later, inside that museum, a woman saw me using my ostentatious Steve Jobs word domination device and asked if wireless was working. Convinced that it was, she opened hers up. That's two expensive toys on an island with less than 4000 people, where the Internet is so slow that you can't watch Netflix and five-minute YouTubes can take 30 minutes to stream.


Mr. Weigel
Wow! Amazing! You can actually be swayed in your whole image of a community because someone has an I-Pad (which you casually insult as well. Is this an issue you need to work on in therapy sessions?)and a computer. Here's some news for you: I don't know anyone on this island that DOES NOT have a computer. Yes, The Internet is slow here, but we make due. Usually by not wasting our days downloading drivel such as you write.

http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/07/blogs-from-a-northern-town.html#more

What's it like to blog from a remote location like historic Dutch Harbor/Unalaska, America's largest fishing port?"

Well, I'll tell you. It's rife with difficulties! In previous posts I've mentioned that everyone on this island gets Internet access from a satellite, and I have now learned that the mountain the satellite pickup rests on is called "Haystack." So it's slow. It's also hard to finesse. I'd like to work closer to the girlfriend I came out here to visit when I'm at her radio studio. But the connection is slow near her office and, relatively, fast in an adjacent room where a bunch of high schoolers are recording a radio show that, for reasons that elude me, makes frequent use of a dance remix of Air Supply's soft-rock classic "All Out of Love."


Mr. Weigel
As to the Kids on this Island, They are Brilliant. Our Schools place among the TOP 100 in the Entire Country. Yes, that is true. Look up the standings in US News and World Reports.
And Unlike Washington DC, New York, Boston, CHICAGO they do not have to pass through metal detectors to go to class or worry about Drive By shooting such as in those YOUR "type" of city. No Gang violence either. But this is not an easy environment to teach in. These kids come from all over the planet, from the USA, to Samoa, Ethiopia, Somalia, the Philippines, Mexico and more. Many of them speak little to no English when they begin school, but because of the AMAZING staff they go on to succeed. When you put down Dutch Harbor and Unalaska you are putting down these kids as well as that is something I simply will not stand for. Did you know about the Schools ranking? Did you know about the 2 week trip to Europe that some of the students just got back from? How about all their volunteer work in the community? DID YOU EVEN BOTHER TO ASK BEFORE INSULTING THEM OVER THEIR CHOICE OF MUSIC YOU ELITIST SNOB?
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2010/07/over-and-out.html

and helping me put things online in those frequent moments when Haystack let Unalaska wireless customers down. (I did learn from former mayor Frank Welty today that there's discussion of running fiberoptic cables over to the island from Kodiak, which would be nice, although it hadn't happened as of 3:06 p.m. local time.)


Mr. Weigel
For Someone who bitches about technology an awful lot you certainly do not seem to know much about it. "Haystack" is a hill. It does not do anything to affect the wireless signal just to inconvenience you. Anthropomorphically Personifying Inanimate objects and technology is something the uneducated do. It would be better to blame the clouds overhead that might be messing with the satellite signal, or perhaps the numbers of people using the Internet for the slow speed. Don't Blame Poor Haystack Hill.

Mr. Weigel
You have wasted your time here in Unalaska and the Port of Dutch Harbor. You could have tried to learn about our community before insulting it. (Wait, that is the same thing you did that got you "let go" at the Washington Post! Another issue for therapy?) Perhaps if you had come here with an open mind you could have learned how our School System is one of the Best in the Country?Why our crime rate is so low even with a huge transient population? How a tiny island in the middle of the Bering Sea is able to build a $25million powerhouse, a $15million new small boat harbor? You could have toured the Russian Orthodox Church and seen priceless icons gifted to them by the Czars of Russia or spoken to local artist Gert Svarny and learned how her work is in museums around the Country? You could have toured the processing plants and seen the economic backbone of this community. You could have learned about all the Charity work, Fund Raising, Silent Auctions, and more that this community participates in, all to make this world a better place. You could have asked about the families that call this island home and have MADE it a home for those of us without close family ties. You could have learned about the amazing generosity of companies in this town towards both their workers and the community. You could have talked to people who immigrated here LEGALLY and through hard work have become citizens and vital parts of this community. You could have learned about the EMS and Volunteer Firemen who work so hard to make this city safe after working all day at their regular jobs. You could have heard stories of the forced evacuation of this island's native population during WWII directly from our elders lips. You could have taken a walk along the beach while Eagles soared overhead and sea lions and whales breach the surface in their quest for food. You could have simply taken a drive on overland pass and made a Snow Angel in July. You could have noticed that if you smile and wave at anyone in this town, either driving or walking, they will smile and wave right back. You could have opened your albeit tiny mind for one minute and learned that it is the small towns of this country that can teach the "big cities" a thing or two.

No, Instead you insult us, our town and our lifestyle.

Well Mr Weigel, unlike those imprisoned in the cycle of poverty prevalent in the large cities you are so fond of, you are free to leave at any time.

Go back to your Skyrocketing Unemployment. (Familiar with that one aren't you?)
Go back to your Air Pollution.
Go back to your Gang wars, Drug Shootings, and Meth addicts.
Go back to your traffic jams.
Go back to your failing school systems.
Go back to your Urban Sprawl.

For me and the rest of the citizens of this amazing town, we'll keep the amazing beauty and sense of community that is all too lacking in YOUR world.

Have a Great Day Mr Weigel!!!

24 comments:

"Seattle" Heather said...

:-)

Nebraska Outback said...

What on earth was he doing up there? Surprised he didn't take a long walk off a short pier for all of his insults! Even from afar, I love Unalaska and the Port of Dutch Harbor.

Anonymous said...

Right On CB !!

Anonymous said...

I did not see any insults. He is dead on. We are in a small plane with fisherman and working people.
WE do have lousy internet speed.
Maybe the mayor could work on that problem.
Good thing he did not have to stop in cold bay and have to go into that dirty waiting area with the digusting bathrooms. Chill out CB. Spend your energy on the real problems in Dutch. The reason most of us live here is because we can dress as we want, park where we want, and trash who we want.

Anonymous said...

You girls need to take this outside and have a little cat fight and get your frustrations out!

Carlisleboy said...

And not so Annonymous....V......
That is fine because we live here. I just get pissed when someone comes here and craps on the town when they have been here all of 5 minutes.
As to the parking not all of us can put up orange barriers......LOL
Besides, I dislike the Hypocracy that this guy was spewing even before he came here.
Alexander will have fun when he sees him.

Anonymous said...

Hey, at least he did not park in front of the grocery store door like some of those lazy ass's around here. Sorry I like the guy. I think he was right on.
But we love our fisherman.
Don't knock the orange cones. They may save a life.

Cookie Dough said...

Thanks CB, I tried to post pretty much all that you said as a comment on one of his posts, but the site wouldn't allow it (go figure)
To me, the point isn't if his observations are correct, but he doesn't "get" our town and his attitude about everything is too condescending. I hope he somehow sees this post.

emarienan said...

Someone has GOT to make Mr Weigel aware of your post, CB.

Weigel's employer would do well to Ditch him from Dutch (!) and hire you...

emarienan said...

Great job, CB!

Weigels' employer should "Ditch him from Dutch" (!) and hire YOU if they really want accuracy, flavor, depth, and quality writing!!!

Margrita said...

Right on CB I never like his condescending attitude he seem to convey through his writing for the Washington Post. I think he had some really preconceived ideas about Dutch. I hope your responses get back to him so he can see how rude he has been.

Anonymous said...

Oh people. not all residents from the nations capital are idiots!!!! It has been apparent to me for years that the Washington Post writers don't live in the same world as do I. My parents firmly believed that "travel is the best form of education." This was always said with this caveat, "an open suitcase should not contain a closed mind." This dude should have stayed here and gone to the exclusive parties, bars, and vegan restaurants he obviously prefers. Someone do us a favor and spit in his soup. Holly From College Park

Reading said...

It really is a shame that he didn't take time to learn about the place he was visiting - it would have been an opportunity for him to meet some awesome people...but on the flip side at least those awesome people were spared meeting an ass...

Carlisleboy said...

Stopping that evil nummber from coming up!

Mystic Spider said...

Hey CB....WAY TO GO!! I am so proud of how you responded to the East Coast trash... It's a same that such small minds need such big platforms in order to feel good about themselves. Please tell Alexander I will personally buy him a salmon if he nails this guy.

mamawas said...

Mr. Weigel should have investigated the beautifully unique Unalaska island prior to departure. This professional Colorado woman was in awe at every turn during a recent visit to Unalaska. The hospitality and wonderful residents left a glow in my soul!

CB'S LITTLE SIS said...

He better not be dissing snow angels in July!!!

AnnieOakley said...

I'm shocked he didn't become fish food while he was there!

Kimi said...

If it weren't for the snow angels in July, I'd move there.

Helen said...

To get around the problem of slow internet re Youtube, I use clipnabber (it's free) to record the youtube to my computer instead of just buffering it. It takes no longer and I can watch it when I like.

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FeFe said...

His girlfriend is from Alaska. One would think she is a resident there, and if she agrees with him, why she would leave D.C. and move back after the week he got canned for basically lying.

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Big Pat Dinneen said...

Big Pat from Cordova says-Thank God that guy had the opinion he did about Unalaska/Port of Dutch Harbor. We don't need any more fools trying to discover our world. Yeah, Deadliest Catch plays up the Bering Sea's siren call, few can hear the song, let alone do the dance.