5:05 P.M. Alaska Standard Time

Our European friends went through the "time change" last week. Yesterday, K drove our standard transmission car (the Blipmobile) to Anchorage for the first time. She had some trepidation dealing with semi urban traffic and traffic lights, but I had every confidence she would do well which she did. We saw a spectacular sunset on our way to Anchorage, but we weren't in a position to pull over and take advantage of it photographically. We hoped to get a shot of a decent sunset today (albeit one hour earlier), but no such luck. Crappy grey skies today yet one hour darker.

I owe it to my Blip family to expand on the photo controversy that I have eluded to over the past couple of days. The historical context of the photo is this: During WWII in June 1942, eight Nazi saboteurs were dropped off by submarine on the U.S. Atlantic coast with tools and explosives with the intent of wreaking havoc on the U.S. war making infrastructure. They were captured quickly before they did any damage mostly due to second thoughts of one of them who turned himself in. They were convicted of espionage by a closed military commission and sentenced to death. Two of the eight were spared due to their cooperation and information. I nice write up of the case is on the FBI's website.

The condemned Nazis were being held at the Washington D.C. Jail at the time. There was much speculation by the news media at the time as to when and if the executions would take place. My (and DWP's) grandfather was the Washington D.C. coroner at the time. His arrival at the D.C. Jail essentially was confirmation the executions were taking place. The photo being sold was one taken by a news photographer outside the D.C. Jail on a rainy August day. Nothing particularly sinister other than the dirty business of administratively dealing with the corpses of six condemned and executed men in a desperate time in the world's history.

My sister became aware that this photo was being sold on the internet and brought it to my attention. Here is how the asshole wrote up the photo to make it more appealing to the morbid collector (I've sanitized my family name):

"Dr. Death~Original 1942 Photo of Coroner for Dead Nazi's
One of my favorite photographs shows the Washington,D.C. Coroner ++name++ entering a jail where Nazi Prisoners were being held just after being found guilty of sabotage. Sounds pretty much normal to some degree. But wait...Check out old ++name++'s clothing. It is stained & splattered with blood from head to toe. (Head to Toe). Why would any Coroner hop in his Buick Roadmaster drive across town,stop at 7-11 and get a Big Gulp to visit some nasty Nazi's without at least first taking some Irish Spring to his body and a little Biz to his clothing. And what kind of name is ++name++?. Sounds like the name of some bad Scottish Rum. Finally take a close look at his gloved hand and that creepy extra long index finger. Don't even ask where that finger has been. Don't even ask."

His last correspondence with me was this:
"Good Lord. Have you thought about getting a hobby? It bothers you so much that you cannot fork out less then $100.00 dollars. Tells me everything. And you wanted to trade something of no value for something of value. You really admired your grandfather as long as it doesn't cost you anything. What noble admiration indeed."

Like that jerk would get a single dime from me.