Talk:Alaska/Archive 3

This is an archive of past discussions about Alaska. Do not edit the contents of this page. If you wish to start a new discussion or revive an old one, please do so on the current talk page.

Archive 1

Archive 2

Archive 3

Archive 4

Archive 5

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Archive 8

Race and Ancestry

Repetitious. The earlier statistics are unnecessary —Preceding unsigned comment added by Assignedtoglop (talk • contribs) 00:56, 12 May 2010 (UTC)

State Dog

The Alaskan Malamute —Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.178.86.193 (talk) 07:42, 14 May 2010 (UTC)

Flag

Thanks, Devin, for working on the flag. The standard proportions seem unavailable online, and seem not to matter much. Flags are sold in 3 x 5, 4 x 6, and 5 x 8 sizes, which are only roughly equivalent. The stars, however, are designated as "the color of natural yellow gold." The current color seems too yellow. Yopienso (talk) 15:27, 15 May 2010 (UTC)

I checked online in an attempt to find a detailed description of the flag. I did find a 2006 description in Alaskan Law, but it only included some rather vague text, but implied there was an image in in legislation. The blue is supposed to match the blue in the U.S. Flag. The stars are supposed to be natural gold. I could create a new version using picture to position the stars. Here is the "description": -DevinCook (talk) 16:16, 15 May 2010 (UTC)

The design of the official flag is eight gold stars in a field of blue, so selected for its simplicity, its originality, and its symbolism. The blue, one of the national colors, typifies the evening sky, the blue of the sea and of mountain lakes, and of wild flowers that grow in Alaskan soil, the gold being significant of the wealth that lies hidden in Alaska's hills and streams.

The stars, seven of which form the constellation Ursa Major, the Great Bear, the most conspicuous constellation in the northern sky, contains the stars which form the "Dipper," including the "Pointers" which point toward the eighth star in the flag, Polaris, the North Star, the ever constant star for the mariner, the explorer, hunter, trapper, prospector, woodsman, and the surveyor. For Alaska the northernmost star in the galaxy of stars and which at some future time will take its place as the forty-ninth star in the national emblem.

The flag of the Territory of Alaska is the official flag of the state. The standard proportions and size graphically delineated herein shall be used in the manufacture of the official flag of Alaska. The stars shall be the color of natural yellow gold and the field of blue shall be of the same shade of blue used in the official manufacture of the national emblem of the United States. The design, standard proportions, and size are as follows:

I found a picture on the Alaskan archive of the creator, the governor, and a mockup of the flag: [1] -DevinCook (talk) 16:41, 15 May 2010 (UTC)
- Yes, all that's widely available on the internet, but I suppose it's good to reposit it here. Unfortunately, all sources I've found cut off with "The design, standard proportions, and size are as follows:" without divulging them. :( Here are two pictures of Alaskan politicians with good quality flags in the background. You can see the stars aren't lemon yellow or orange yellow, but gold. Stevens Palin I don't have the technical expertise to adjust the colors in the info box. Yopienso (talk) 17:34, 15 May 2010 (UTC)
  - I modified the flag to attempt to get a more accurate version. I updated the fly to match the 2/3 of most U.S. Flags. The color of the stars was set to gold - as specified in State Law. Also, I set the Dipper star diameter to 1/10 the fly. The North Star is 1/10 the fly. The top of the Dipper's "handle" is centered on an imaginary line passing 1/3 the hoist height from the top of the fly. The bottom star is left-aligned with an imaginary line passing horizontal center. This matches official mockups. Although, State Law must be consulted for an official rendering. -DevinCook (talk) 00:18, 16 May 2010 (UTC)

You're a whiz! I live in Alaska, by the way. Yopienso (talk) 04:09, 16 May 2010 (UTC)

Better map

I wonder if anyone can insert a map that shows the position and size of Alaska in relation to the contiguous 48 states. This one would be perfect. I don't know anything about copyrights. It's from this page. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Yopienso (talk • contribs) 03:09, 21 May 2010 (UTC) Ack!! I forgot to sign! Aren't bots nice? Yopienso (talk) 03:51, 21 May 2010 (UTC)

The map you refer to is originally from Perry-Castañeda Library and was created by the US Census, so it is public domain and could be used. There are also a few images already on Wikimedia Commons that might work: File:Alaska locator2.svg, File:Alaska locator.png, File:Map of USA AK full.png. Not sure where it should go. Perhaps to replace the one currently in the infobox that puts Alaska south of California? --skew-t (talk) 17:12, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

Wonderful! Maybe...

Are the maps copyrighted?

Most of the maps scanned by the University of Texas Libraries and served from this web site are in the public domain. No permissions are needed to copy them. You may download them and use them as you wish. We appreciate credit to "University of Texas Libraries" as the source of the scanned images. http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/faq.html

Problem: The same basic US map is used for the 50 states. This is great for the 48 contiguous states, but highly misleading for Alaska and Hawaii. My strong suggestion is that we change the maps for those two states; many people have no notion of the relative sizes of AK and HI and their great distance from the other 48. I lack the technical expertise to insert images. Are you willing to try, Skew-t? We might get reprimanded for losing the consistency, but imo it's a false and misrepresentative consistency. --Yopienso (talk) 18:35, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

````

Yes, the map you referred to at UT is public domain, as it was created by the US Census, and can therefore be used on Wikipedia. I agree the map currently used in the infobox is misleading as to the location of the state. To replace the map in the infobox, I'd suggest using File:Map of USA AK full.png as it has a similar color scheme and style as the maps used in other state articles. I'm not aware of any guidelines stating a reason to stick with the current map, so I'll go ahead and change it. --skew-t (talk) 19:23, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

Beautiful!! Thank you so much! And you've managed to preserve the color scheme consistent with the other states. Would you care to do the same for Hawaii? It's not as important since someone added a second map that shows Hawaii on the globe. (Anyway, it's only Hawaii--who cares? LOL) Yopienso (talk) 20:45, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

Lowest Point

The article says, "Lowest Point: Pacific Ocean 0 ft (0 m)." Wouldn't it be equally valid to say "Lowest Point: Arctic Ocean 0 ft (0 m)"? To resolve the issue of there being multiple bodies of water that qualify as the lowest point, I think it would be best to say "Lowest Point: Sea level 0 ft (0 m)." (With its very rugged terrain, are we sure Alaska has no points below sea level, as California does?) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.219.246.138 (talk) 13:46, 22 May 2010 (UTC)

I agree it should not specify the Pacific. I'll change it as suggested. I'm not sure about points below sea level. There is certainly ground that has been depressed below sea level by glaciers, but I'm not sure that counts as the top of the glacier would likely be considered the elevation. --skew-t (talk) 17:12, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

According to this there is no land in Alaska below sea level. It gives the Pacific as the lowest level, but I agree with your logic on changing that to "Sea level." Yopienso (talk) 18:21, 25 May 2010 (UTC)

Update request

SENATOR JOHN McCAIN INTRODUCES OPEN AMERICA’S WATER ACT Merchant Marine Act of 1920 June 25, 2010

http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=6f6b73f4-a9f3-8433-0472-f3bd97d2fa86&Region_id=&Issue_id=

“Today I am pleased to introduce legislation that would fully repeal the Jones Act, a 1920s law that hinders free trade and favors labor unions over consumers. Specifically, the Jones Act requires that all goods shipped between waterborne ports of the United States be carried by vessels built in the United States and owned and operated by Americans. This restriction only serves to raise shipping costs, thereby making U.S. farmers less competitive and increasing costs for American consumers.

“This was highlighted by a 1999 U.S. International Trade Commission economic study, which suggested that a repeal of the Jones Act would lower shipping costs by approximately 22 percent. Also, a 2002 economic study from the same Commission found that repealing the Jones Act would have an annual positive welfare effect of $656 million on the overall U.S. economy. Since these studies are the most recent statistics available, imagine the impact a repeal of the Jones Act would have today: far more than a $656 million annual positive welfare impact – maybe closer to $1 billion. These statistics demonstrate that a repeal of the Jones Act could prove to be a true stimulus to our economy in the midst of such difficult economic times.

--Seablade (talk) 02:01, 3 July 2010 (UTC)“The Jones Act also adds a real, direct cost to consumers – particularly consumers in Hawaii and Alaska. A 1988 GAO report found that the Jones Act was costing Alaskan families between $1,921 and $4,821 annually for increased prices paid on goods shipped from the mainland. In 1997, a Hawaii government official asserted that ‘Hawaii residents pay an additional $1 billion per year in higher prices because of the Jones Act. This amounts to approximately $3,000 for every household in Hawaii.’” “This antiquated and protectionist law has been predominantly featured in the news as of late due to the Gulf Coast oil spill. Within a week of the explosion, 13 countries, including several European nations, offered assistance from vessels and crews with experience in removing oil spill debris, and as of June 21st, the State Department has acknowledged that overall ‘it has had 21 aid offers from 17 countries.’ However, due to the Jones Act, these vessels are not permitted in U.S. waters. “The Administration has the ability to grant a waiver of the Jones Act to any vessel – just as the previous Administration did during Hurricane Katrina – to allow the international community to assist in recovery efforts. Unfortunately, this Administration has not done so.

“Therefore, some Senators have put forward legislation to waive the Jones Act during emergency situations, and I am proud to co-sponsor this legislation. However, the best course of action is to permanently repeal the Jones Act in order to boost the economy, saving consumers hundreds of millions of dollars. I hope my colleagues will join me in this effort to repeal this unnecessary, antiquated legislation in order to spur job creation and promote free trade.”

Reference: http://mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressOffice.PressReleases&ContentRecord_id=6f6b73f4-a9f3-8433-0472-f3bd97d2fa86&Region_id=&Issue_id=

View Bill

Reference: http://www.mccain.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Files.View&FileStore_id=244846c7-d436-4704-87fb-ccff411ebae7

--Seablade (talk) 01:45, 3 July 2010 (UTC)

Map with cities?

I was very surprised to look at this article and not find a map of Alaska showing the locations of major cities. Is there really not one available? -66.169.221.135 (talk) 01:11, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

I think the lack of such a map might be due to scaling necessary requiring it to be illegible as a thumbnail and the article's focus on the state as a whole. This article does not seem to be alone in not including such a map, see say Texas or Washington (U.S. state). Such maps exist and can be found by clicking on "Images and media from Commons" at the bottom of the article. Among them are File:AK01 109.gif, File:Alaska-fhwa-map.jpg, and File:State-of-Alaska-Map.png. --skew-t (talk) 06:44, 8 July 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from 76.127.29.144, 11 August 2010

{{editsemiprotected}} As of July 20, 2010, the state bird of Alaska is the Puffin. On the Alaska page it is still listed as the Willow Ptarmigan.

76.127.29.144 (talk) 14:14, 11 August 2010 (UTC)

Not done: please provide reliable sources that support the change you want to be made. Dabomb87 (talk) 16:25, 11 August 2010 (UTC)

Not done source? All my google searches show the Willow Ptarmigan, and I don't find anything on http://www.alaska.gov. CTJF83 chat 16:26, 11 August 2010 (UTC)

Here's the page: http://www.dced.state.ak.us/oed/student_info/student.htm

And while WP has no experts, I do live and teach in Alaska, and have heard nothing of changing the state bird. --Yopienso (talk) 15:35, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Edit request from 89.138.69.180, 18 August 2010

{{editsemiprotected}} The longitute reading for the Alaska page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alaska) in the side bar is incorrect. It currently reads Longitude 130°W to 172°E It should read Longitude 130°W to 172°W Source used to check was google earth and several other internet sites.

89.138.69.180 (talk) 09:05, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Not done: Welcome. The Aleutians extend west to 172°E; that's part of why there is a massive zig-zag at the northern end of the International Date Line. Thanks, Celestra (talk) 14:05, 18 August 2010 (UTC)

Map

Thanks for reverting the map to the more useful one, Weetoddid. Quite some time and effort went into it. Martin, this one shows the size and location of Alaska in relation to the rest of the US. Please leave it as it is unless you reach a consensus here to change it. Thanks! --Yopienso (talk) 06:14, 24 August 2010 (UTC)