Gravel chips trucks paint, windshield
Is it just the fact that I have a new truck? Does anyone else dread using the southbound lanes of the Seward Highway between 36th Avenue and Dowling Road this time of year? For that entire stretch on the edge of the fog line, is a solid blanket of gravel that is impossible to avoid getting into your windshield and chipping out paint by drivers ahead of you. No other section of the highway has been like this.
Yesterday came the big ping and resulting huge crack in the windshield. When I got home, I discovered the paint chipping. This is the main way for me to move about town, and the conditions shouldn't be this way. State DOT says it will be mid-April before anything can be done. Let the windshield repair companies and body shops rejoice.
-- Brian Webb
Anchorage
The deficit, not DST, keeps us awake
What is this with the daylight saving time? Our 24/7 culture offers the chance to disturb our circadian rhythms in many more frequent and disruptive ways than the twice-yearly shifting of an hour of daylight. Many of us work nights, or rotating shifts, or two weeks on, two weeks off at Prudhoe, or commute among numerous time zones many times each year. We accept these as realities supporting the lifestyle that prevails in our time.
Heaven forbid that Sen. MacKinnon would use her current success with the Senate vote to eliminate these other stressors that could and probably do affect our physical and mental wellness. I hope the House of Representatives will not go along with the notion of fixing something that isn't broken, and that Sen. MacKinnon will lead her committee in addressing the financial issues that keep us Alaskans awake nights.
-- Susan S. Faith
Anchorage
Theres no app for real conversation
Social media has become a major source of communication in our society. Human interaction has dramatically changed since the birth of sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and numerous others. We have gone from actual friendships and speaking to gaining friends or "likes" so it can appear as if we have a great social life. This breeds drama and devolves our interaction with each other into "likes."
In coffee shops, you will sometimes see two friends spending time together, but they both spend half the time with their attention fixed on the screen of their devices to check tweets, status updates, or Snapchat. The impact social media is having on our society is far too great to ignore. It is destroying our youth's ability to participate in a conversation without the shield of technology.
-- Lindsey Foster
Eagle River
Iran offers Middle East new stability
In the wake of the rise of the Islamic State, the U.S. finds itself befriending our once sworn enemy — Iran. This is no anomaly in the world of geopolitics; as new problems present themselves countries must adjust. But the Obama administration is now considering the ultimate symbol of trust — allowing the Islamic Republic of Iran to pursue its nuclear ambitions.
Just a few years ago this policy would have been met with intense objections from both sides of the aisle, but nowadays Iran is looking like the lesser of two evils when contrasted to the Islamic State.
Nobody argues that the rise of IS is directly related to the toppling of Saddam's regime. In 2003, the Bush administration couldn't have possibly known that IS would rise from the ashes of Saddam's regime, but it did and it's now time to realize the most important lesson to come out of the 2003 invasion of Iraq: Instability leads to disaster. While the heavy-handed rule of Saddam was indeed egregious, it pales in comparison to the ensuing sectarian violence left after his toppling and was infinitely preferable to IS that now seems to be replacing the government of Iraq.
Considering this, it is wise that the Obama administration finally ended the silent treatment with Iran that has been in effect since the country overthrew its Shah in 1979 and took American citizens hostage. Iran is now a regional power and wields a considerable amount of influence in the Islamic world. Considering the good relationship between the U.S. and the Saudis, bringing Iran to the table should work in defeating IS and start a path to healing the region.
The Middle East doesn't need more sanctions or another U.S.-led intervention. The Middle East needs stability, which Iran offers.
-- Michael Lowe
Anchorage
Alaska Airlines gives autistic girl her wings to fly with grandparents
Thanks to Alaska Airlines for their Wings for Autism program. My son, his wife and their twin daughters, one of whom is autistic, participated in the program last fall. We all took our first family vacation last month to Hawaii. Both granddaughters had a great experience on their first airplane ride.
They knew what to expect from waiting in the security line to what the inside of the plane looked like and how loud it would be when the plane engines were started. If she had not participated in Wings for Autism I don't know that her first trip would have turned out as wonderful as it did for her and our family.
-- Theresa Day
Anchorage
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