Just testing out HaloScan...
David | Email | Homepage | 10.17.04 - 3:47 am | #

Why did you leave the Blogger comments behind? As someone's who's considering switching from HaloScan comments to Blogger comments, I'm just curious.

As I see it, HaloScan has the advantage of enabling visitors to leave a non-anonymous comment without having to setup a Blogger account first. Blogger commenting has the advantage of streamlining your comments with your blog so you can edit them together and so your site doesn't render incorrectly just because the HaloScan site is down (which happens occasionally).

Shifting between the two is always a pain, though, I guess, with all the old comments spontaneously disappearing.

By the way, keep up the good work with the pictures and the stories. It's starting to get cold in Philadelphia these days (where I am), though surely not as cold as in Alaska.
salasks | Email | Homepage | 10.17.04 - 7:35 am | #

Well, it looks like I might not have had to go through all the trouble of copy and paste from Blogger to Halosham... somewhere around Iq'mik I realized that if you just click on the...

I was going to say that if you click on the date in the footer of the post (rather than where it says "comment/s {#}") it would bring you to a "permalink" where the original content was stored. But that isn't working now. To be honest, I really don't even know what a "permalink" or whatever is. Blogger, along with all the other free blog builders available makes it so that ANYONE with a little time on their hands (and maybe a little imagination) can feel like a serious published writer. I think that's a good thing. We all could work on our writing skills.

I'm finished copying and pasting comments. My apologies if you wrote one and I didn't get to it.
David | Email | Homepage | 10.17.04 - 9:04 am | #

Salaska
With Blogger comments, deleting a post results in a trash icon that stays where the old post was. Once a comment is posted, it can't be edited. I know a bunch of people that would probably post if it were easier- some because they’re lazy, but for other reasons too. When you say the site sometimes doesn't render correctly, do you mean the whole blog, or just comments?
David | Email | Homepage | 10.17.04 - 9:24 am | #

Just the comments. But if HaloScan is down, the whole site might also load slower (waiting for a response from the HaloScan site). But apart from the occasional server being down, HaloScan has been pretty good to me.
salasks | Email | Homepage | 10.17.04 - 10:22 am | #

You should actually check out this link:

http://the-raw-prawn.blogspot.co...ing- system.html

The bloggers there just switched blogging systems and retained their old comments. Their new commenting system is a mix between HaloScan and Blogger comments - using a Blogger hack they managed to capture the best of both worlds.
salasks | Email | Homepage | 10.17.04 - 9:08 pm | #

Hey... thanks, I'll have a look.
David | Email | Homepage | 10.17.04 - 11:34 pm | #

Stumbled over your blog and have read all of your entries. I've often thought about returning to Alaska, after a visit back in 2000 - but I've wondered how I'd handle the weather, the isolation, the lack of contact... then I wonder how much of that is propaganda and how much of it is real.

How are you finding it? What kinds of things do you miss? What do you not miss? If someone were to send you a package of 'goodies' - what would you want to be in it?
Kess Campbell | Email | Homepage | 10.18.04 - 5:31 am | #

Interesting post, especially the fact that you're in Alaska makes it more interesting. Nice pictures by the way, especially the last one with the sunshine, the vehicle looks like the moon rover of the Apollo mission :)
Raminok | Email | Homepage | 10.18.04 - 2:02 pm | #

yo dave. looking forward to seeing what the elder has to say. pretty interesting i'm sure. loving these pic's you been putting up. keep up the good work. and by the way, thanks for the kind words. stay well, J.
J. | Email | Homepage | 10.19.04 - 10:24 am | #

love the pictures, interesting analagies about the trash and fall around the philly area. has the freeze-up set in yet? more importantly have you been able to venture farther out then the dump? keep the pictures coming. did you get your bugs yet? be in touch soon...josh
josh | Email | Homepage | 10.19.04 - 11:08 am | #

Haloscam. Heh. THAT's funny.
Dean in Des Moines | Email | Homepage | 10.19.04 - 12:15 pm | #

These photos are fabulous! The nights are drawing in here in the UK now ... I am guessing that your days are becoming much shorter?
Ally | Email | Homepage | 10.20.04 - 11:42 am | #

Ben from nomad tavern linked you so I thought I'd check out life in rural Alaska. He was right, you can take picture...

Anyway, I live in rural Japan so...I can relate :-)
tom | Email | Homepage | 10.21.04 - 1:50 am | #

Looking forward to reading your interview with the elder. Haven't seen much snow in your photos yet. When does winter set in for you?
sean | Email | Homepage | 10.21.04 - 11:34 am | #

Thank you for stopping by, Dave. I am also enjoying your blog very much, having been a teacher in San Diego and moving up here right before my 40th birthday (when we were still adventurous!)
I look forward to reading your entire entries thus far, following your adventures through the coming academic year, and of course, the interview with Elder Lupie.

The elders up here keep alive the time-honored oral tradition and their words are often metaphorical images, very soothing to both ears and heart.
I always wanted to be a bush teacher... you are to be commended for making the leap across the frozen crevasse. Good luck!
Kate S. | Email | Homepage | 10.23.04 - 8:12 am | #

Wow, what an adventure you are on! I will visit often to see how you endure your first Winter in the Wilderness! Alaska lures me. Always has.
Phyllis | Email | Homepage | 10.23.04 - 10:50 am | #

David,

I do hope that you get to see other places in Alaska other than the villages. They tend to be isolated, desolate and boring. Alaska is a beautiful place with so much to experience. I truly hope that you get to do lots of things while you are here. If you are going to be in a different town, just let me know and i will let you know the "must see" areas in that town.

I am also happy to see that you are getting to know the villagers, because they can be so fascinating to be around and learn about. I will be checking back to see how you are doing.

~Enjoy
Shawna | Email | Homepage | 10.25.04 - 11:00 am | #

Now we are neighbors in the Linklist of photofridays challenge burn. And each of us can learned from another how is his sight of the world.
I find the WWW is the most importend thing what ever invent.
Greetings from good old Germany and apologize my English. This is not my native language.
Hans Sendker | Email | Homepage | 09.22.05 - 10:06 pm | #