The Alaska State Fair: Record-breaking pumpkins and cabbages

by Catherine Bodry on

It’s State Fair time all over the country, and Alaska is no exception.

While the Alaska State Fair offers many of the same rides, cuisine and 4H projects you’ll find elsewhere in the US, there are a few exhibits and contests that carry a bit more weight. These involve Alaska’s giant produce, which grow to record size under our endless summer daylight. Sure, the growing season is short, but our months of midnight sun make up for that.

Bypass the deep-fried Twinkies and check out the healthy stuff: cabbages the size of bean bag chairs, zucchini as thick as baseball bats, pumpkins resting like large boulders.

This year, the winning cabbage in the Great Cabbage Weigh-Off came in at 105.6 pounds (the record is 127 pounds). Though it didn’t break any records, other produce broke the scales. A pumpkin came in at 1101 pounds (!), while the winning turnip weighs 21 pounds.

New Wisconsin hotel smoking ban: big fines, no choice

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Wisconsin has just cracked down on smokers from out of state. It’s only the second state with a smoking ban that applies to every hotel room in the state. This differs from most smoking bans, like the one in Kansas, in which the properties can allow smoking in a certain percentage of guestrooms. Michigan is the only other state with a hotel smoking ban this severe.

The hotel business in Wisconsin wasn’t thrilled about the legislation and did push against it. The greatest challenge, however, seems to be convincing the guests that it’s not a scam – that the ban is actually the law. It’s a lesson worth learning, for guests, because the consequences are severe. Notes USA Today:

Wisconsin’s roughly 2,000 hotels post signs declaring their building a non-smoking facility. They’re also requiring guests to initial a statement promising to comply or face paying a fee. Hotels are charging penalty fees anywhere from $100 to $300, she said.

[photo by ell brown via Flickr]

Body of missing climber discovered after 21 years

by Kraig Becker on

On August 15th two hikers making their way through the Columbia Icefields of Canada discovered the body of American William Holland, who had been missing for more than 21 years. The 38-year old Holland had traveled to Canada back in April of 1989 to take on a challenging climbing route known as “Slipstream.” That route goes up a frozen waterfall on the 11,338-foot tall Snow Dome. Apparently, Holland slipped while making that climb, and fell more than 1000 feet to his death.

All previous attempts to discover what happened to the Maine native proved fruitless, as ice covered his remains, keeping him hidden until now. But with glaciers melting all over the globe, it seems that they have retreated enough in the Columbia Icefields to reveal Holland’s body at last.

According to a rescue specialist who helped with the recovery, the body was fully exposed and didn’t even need to be chipped from the ice. It was also said to be fairly well preserved and in an almost mummified state. Holland’s gear and clothing were also in nearly perfect condition as well thank to him being encased in ice for 21 years. He was still wearing his spiked boots and had a loop of climbing rope slung over his shoulder.

After 21 years of not knowing what happened to Holland, the discovery brings a measure of closure to his family.

[Photo credit: Qyd via WikiMedia]

Utah ski resort offers dream job

by Kraig Becker on

Utah ski resort The Canyons is giving someone the opportunity of a lifetime, the chance to ski all season long, and get paid for it in the process. In return, all you have to do is hit the slopes on a daily basis, blog about the experience a few times a week and attend special events at the resort.

Applications are being accepted for the Ultimate Mountain Gig and all you have to do to apply for the job is tell the resort “how you mountain,” that is to say, how you embrace the skiing lifestyle and can inspire others to do the same. To enter you’ll need to submit a 2-minute long video and a written report explaining how you’ll approach the job. You’ll also have to be 21-years of age or older, and eligible to work in the U.S. All the details can be found by clicking here.

The lucky person who is given the job will receive a full season pass to the Canyons, suite lodging for the entire season at the Waldorf Astoria, and a $40,000 salary for four months of work. They’ll also get a camera, video camera, and laptop to assist in their day to day duties, a complete set of ski or snowboard gear, access to the spa, ski school and avalanche rescue training, and VIP credentials to all of the resorts events, amongst other things.

The job begins on January 1 of 2011, so get your resume together, and start packing for Utah.

[Photo credit: The Canyons]

Five reasons flight attendants should become Wal-Mart greeters

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Flight attendant complaints about compensation are not unusual, but they’ve certainly gained momentum with the recent admission of food stamp use by one. Sure, it’s a low-paying gig – the average income of $35,000 isn’t what newbies to the friendly skies are pulling down. Some make less than $20,000 a year, which is tough in just about any part of the country. The work isn’t easy, especially for the thin comp. So, it does make me wonder why more haven’t quit and picked up easier jobs for the same pay.

Maybe it makes more sense to become a greeter at Wal-Mart? If the pay is comparable and the life isn’t as hard, why not?

Based on federal minimum wage of $7.25 and the 70-hour work week I’ve heard flight attendants claim, that comes to $507.50 a week and $25,375 a year. This assumes two weeks off unpaid (for mental health) and no overtime, since the work may have to be split across two Wal-Mart locations, because of shift availability.

How do the two gigs stack up? Well, becoming a greeter might just be the perfect alternative to pushing the beverage cart.1. The financials
While a 70-hour work week at Wal-Mart, at $25,375 (with no overtime pay), does fall short of the $35,000 or so average flight attendant compensation, it does stack up against starting pay at some carriers reasonably well. And let’s face it: you can’t expect to start at the top, right? Now if you build in some time-and-a-half, you’re looking at $39,875 in greeter pay at minimum wage. My advice: flight attendants choosing this route should opt for a Wal-Mart location that is short-staffed.

2. No prolonged customer exposure
While a flight attendant can be trapped working on a plane for hours with the same loathsome people, the greeter only deals with customers on the way in and may notice them on the way out. The interaction is fleeting, making it difficult to become annoyed by the personality types that can stand out in the cabin three hours into a trans-Atlantic flight.

3. Still responsible for safety
As any soldier will tell you, it’s tough to move from a job where people’s lives are on the line to one in which what is considered a high priority doesn’t involve the risk of fatality. I’m sure this is an issue for flight attendants, as well. The good news is that Wal-Mart greeters can see their share of life-or-death action, especially when there’s a big sale. Think back to the 2008 Black Friday death at the Wal-Mart in Queens if you need proof. Also, there’s always a chance one of the “people of Wal-Mart” will have a heart attack before making it through the door. Time to spring into action!

4. No union nightmares
Flight attendants who lament insufficient union protection won’t have to worry about that at Wal-Mart, which isn’t exactly friendly to organized labor. If you think something of value is lost in this arrangement, look back to point #1 above. Flight attendants looking to trade one polyester uniform for another will get by just fine with federal minimum wage protection.

5. Nobody’s griping for an upgrade
Why not? Well, I have no idea how you could possibly be upgraded in any Wal-Mart transaction. So, you can be sure the usual collection of white-collar business travelers won’t be bothering you at the door for priority of entry or a better shopping cart.

What can flight attendants in Manhattan do? Wal-Mart is conspicuously absent from this borough, making it one of the few places in the country that isn’t home to one of this American institution’s stores. Well, there are countless Starbucks locations, and they’ll even teach you how to make a latte!

[photo by FaceMePLS via Flickr]