Humor: Only in Alaska...

[LSW]

To set the theme for the newer members. I live in Alaska and enjoy it, but I am not a born Alaskan and only been here 3 years or so. So I still find the place interesting. You would be amazed about how little people know about us, but due to our Governor people at least know we are a state (don't laugh, I could tell you stories...). Also alot of programs about Alaska these days... But things are different here than anywhere else I have lived.

 

Well in the old forum I had an "Only in Alaska post" due to a eagle causing a black out. Well I have some more so am raising the thread from the dead...

 

1. My first summer here we had a long Blackout (we have dozens a year, 7 since January) and it was later announced that a Bald Eagle had found a Deer Head in the city dump and tried to fly away with it. It was to heavy... bird and head crashed into the powerlines and conductors at a station near bye and shorted out the power for half the population. Eagle and Dear confirmed dead.
   
2. A few years ago (before my time) a car was driving over the bridge to Douglas Island and lost control for a short time when a Fish impacted the windshield (It is a high arching bridge)... explanation was an Eagle had lost it's grip on a Salmon it had caught while flying over the bridge.
   
3. Not long ago a Bald Eagle flew into a cars windshield, yea cars hit deer, here the birds hit us.
   
4. In 1987 a Alaskan Airlines Jet was delayed after being struck in the air by a fish...
   

Fish Strikes Jet in Air; Eagle Is Held at Fault (AP)

A midair collision between a jet airliner and a fish delayed an Alaska Airlines flight for about an hour Monday while the plane was inspected for damage.

 

A mechanic was dispatched to the plane's next stop, in Yakutat, 200 miles to the northwest, were the plane was inspected, a spokesman for the airlines said.

 

''They found a greasy spot with some scales, but no damage,'' said Paul Bowers, manager of the Juneau airport.

 

The airport spokesman said the fish had been dropped by a bald eagle, which apparently escaped injury.

 

According to the pilot, the collision occurred as the Boeing 737 took off from Juneau, Mr. Bowers said. About 400 feet past the runway, the jet crossed the flight path of the eagle, with fish in talons.

 

''The law of the jungle prevailed,'' Mr. Bowers said. ''As the larger bird approached, the smaller bird dropped its prey.'' The fish hit a small window at the top of the cockpit, Mr. Bowers said.

 

 

 

Now of course other states have Eagles, so the same things could happen there. But it just seems fitting to point such things out.

 

To finish off here are some Alaskan Law's that may interest you:

• No person may look at a moose from an airplane (But shooting wolves from Helicopters is allowed)
  
• Adultery may not be grounds for divorce if the action hasn't commenced within two years of the discovery of the act by the other spouse (I think this is related to the Gold Rush where miners likely stopped at brothels and wives maybe had visits while the men folk were gone for months.)
  
• A marriage can be considered void if there is failure to consummate the marriage at the time of the marriage and still hasn't been consummated when filing for divorce (see above)
  
• An ordinary citizen can be designated as a marriage commissioner by simply petitioning the court (In the old days there were lots of officials and travel took ages... not to mention villages with populations in double digits.)
  
• Huskies are not allowed inside school buildings (Good things Huskies are Russian, guess we can take our Malamutes in )
  
• No child is to build a snowman taller than himself on school property
  
• Fairbanks: Moose may not have sex on the sidewalks
  
• Fairbanks: it's against the law to park your horse on city streets. It isO.K. to park your dog sled.