For everyone who has been wondering about our power shortage here in juneau, The Juneau Empire is reporting:
Alaska Electric Light & Power Co. reported power restored at about 5:05 p.m., and the diesel generators keeping the city lit during the past three weeks were shut down shortly after.Engineers bypassed tower No. 3-5 – the lone casualty during the Jan. 12 slide – to another tower less vulnerable to avalanches, AEL&P Vice President Scott Willis said.
“Engineers … determined that the standing towers on either side … could handle the (power) load,” he said.
The Juneau Empire goes on to say:
The most recent energy crisis lasted just half the time of last year’s, and will cost a fraction of the $6 million in damage caused by last spring’s avalanche. Willis estimated repairs this time around would be in the neighborhood of $1 million.
Though final numbers won’t be available until later today, Willis said roughly 1.6 million gallons of diesel – or $3.6 million worth of fuel – were burned during the city’s three weeks without hydro power.
For residential users, that will mean just one month of paying for a 15-cent Emergency Cost of Power Adjustment, which Willis said AEL&P will ask the state’s Regulatory Commission for later this week. Energy costs during the current billing cycle will be about 25 cents per kilowatt hour.
Willis warned residents to continue conserving energy because the more expensive billing cycle is still in effect. The end of the billing cycle varies from person to person. Details about residential billing can be found at www.aelp.com.
Hannah’s first week in Anchorage is almost over, and with just over two weeks left to go word of a volcanic eruption in her area is spreading. In an e-mail forward she sent me form University of Alaska Anchorage, it reads:
Mount Redoubt
As Mt. Redoubt is showing signs of a potential eruption, we want to remind everyone of the appropriate safety precautions and the information resources available for the most up to date information. This afternoon the Alaska Volcano Observatory reports the following:
“Intermittent volcanic seismicity continues to be recorded at Redoubt. Volcanic unrest continues at Redoubt. Seismicity currently remains above background and the possibility of an eruption exists. AVO continues to monitor the volcano 24/7.” The watch alert is level orange.
UAA is open and operating today, January 28, 2009. In the event of changing conditions, updates via e-mail and the UAA website (www.uaa.alaska.edu) will be made.
Should the Redoubt eruption level change to red and the ash cloud is expected to impact Anchorage and the surrounding communities, UAA Facilities will shut down building air supply to prevent ash from moving through the ventilation system. Before leaving the office, please wrap or drape your electronic equipment with plastic bags after turning the equipment off. Plastic bags are available under the liners of most trash cans and barrels on campus. Please reuse the bags rather than discarding them…
The Office of Emergency Management issued the following safety precautions:
“If Anchorage is affected by an eruption the following basic health and safety measures should be followed.
1. Remain indoors during heavy ash fall periods;
2. Wear an N95 face mask when outdoors to reduce inhalation of ash particles. These dust masks can be purchased at most hardware stores;
3. As an alternative to a face mask, a wet cloth or bandana placed over the mouth and nose can help reduce exposure;
4. Contact lens wearers are advised to switch to eye glasses to reduce eye irritation from ash exposure;
5. Wear goggles for eye protection;
6. Wear long-sleeved shirts and gloves to protect skin; avoid bare skin contact with ash as much as possible.
So needless to say this news has made me a bit nervous about Hannah’s safety. Speaking with her on the phone that night, she and the class mates she is staying with are not to worried about it. I guess they have safety equment for breathing should this volcano decide to blow it’s top.
The next day I received the following e-mail forward from Hannah.
Dear UAA community:
We wanted to update you on the Redoubt volcano activity. As of 1:30 p.m, on January, 29, the Alaska Volcano Observatory reported the following:
“We have no indications that an eruption has occurred or is underway, or expected in the next few hours. Seismicity at Redoubt remains above background levels, and relatively unchanged over the past few hours. AVO is currently staffed 24 hours per day to monitor Redoubt Volcano. The Aviation Color Code remains at ORANGE and the Volcano Alert Level remains at WATCH”
If Redoubt does erupt and the ash cloud is expected to impact Anchorage and the surrounding communities, we will notify you immediately. If the campus does close as a result of the eruption, the Campus Response Team will send out notification via e-mail, the UAA Web site and through our Voice Over IP phones across campus as soon as possible.
Up to date information sources:
NOAA Forecast Office:
http://pafc.arh.noaa.gov/volcano.php
Alaska Volcano Observatory, Mt. Redoubt:
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.phpUp to date information sources:
Anchorage Emergency Conditions Information Line: 343-4701
Again, UAA is open and operating a normal schedule today, January 29, 2009. Please watch
the Web site (www.uaa.alaska.edu), your e-mail box…for campus closure information or status.
Sunday, Hannah left Juneau for Anchorage to take some nursing classes. Her folks came into town the day before she left. The nice thing was that the day she left for the north it as very sunny. Cold, but sunny. We were able to get some morning pictures taken before she left. After her folks and I dropped her off at the airport we took a trip to the Mendenhall Glacier. Mendenhall Lake was frozen over and we where able to walk across it to the actual glacier. It was really cool.
For anyone who has had trouble using Street View on the iPhone, I hope this helps. Last November, Apple release iPhone firmware 2.2 which introduced Google’s Street View to the iPhone’s “Maps” application. This was a new feature I was trying to use while I was on vacation this last December in Washington State. But at the time I was a unable to figure it out.
Now that I am back in Juneau, I have had some time to dig around the internet and figure out how this works. Here is a step-by-step of what you have to do to enable use Google’s Street View.
Step 1.) Launch the ‘Maps’ application on your iPhone by tapping on the icon.
Step 2.) Type in any city or location that has Street View enabled.
Step 3.) On the bottom right of your screen tap on the “page” button and then tap on the “Drop Pin” button located on the middle of the screen.
Step 4.) Drag the “Drop Pin” to the location on the street you want to see. Then tap on the “person” icon on the left side of the pin. This will activate Street View on your iPhone.
Using Street View on the iPhone is pretty amazing really. I would argue that it’s better then using it on Google’s maps website. It’s very fluid, and quick to respond to your figure swipes, pinches, and taps. Having the little GTA map circle on the Street View screen helps you know which way you are looking.
Those of you who are fans of the show “How I Met Your Mother” know about Barney’s “Get Psyched Mix”. The Get Psyched Mix is an audio CD that the character Barney on the show made with the idea that a good music mix dose not have to have highs and lows. But can be all rise! As he stated on the show, his Get Psyched Mix is nothing less then an audio journey to the white hot center of adrenalin.
This has inspired me to create my own Get Psyched Mix that is nothing less then all rise it’s self.
