Bedtime in Alaska – Odds & Ends
Don Young Twitterjacked!
Oh, the Twitter fun just never ends. Not only is the good governor tweeting up a storm on her brand new Twitter account, but so is Don Young…..or so we thought. Turns out that according to Young’s office an imposter has been tweeting weird stuff using the name and image of Don Young, and Palin was briefly taken in and followed the scoundrel on her own Twitter account! Now that the jig is up, he’s been un-followed. And on an amusing note, Mudflats, too, was briefly on the governor’s “follow” list and then removed. Interesting…
The Dirty Truth About Coal
You may have noticed that a new ad has appeared like magic over on the sidebar! Join Goldman Prize award winner Judy Bonds and acclaimed lawyer Joe Lovett as they share their lessons learned from fighting the destructive impacts of coal strip mining and coal power plants in Appalachia and the Southeast United States. In the first part of the Alaska Coal Workshop Series, Bonds and Lovett will pull back the curtain on the myth of “clean coal,” and will provide Alaskans with the information and tools needed to protect our lands, waters, fisheries and sustainable jobs. Mark your calendars and make time to hear these two remarkable speakers discuss the true costs of coal! You want some fish with that mercury? Click the ad for the schedule which includes workshops in Anchorage, Fairbanks, Homer, Seward and Palmer from May 4-8. Mark your calendar!
Drift River Oil Update
OK, now we’re talking!
The potential threat posed by the stored oil at the Drift River Oil Terminal has been reduced approximately 93 percent. The Chevron-flagged tanker Mississippi Voyager completed an out load of oil and water from the terminal’s tanks and departed for a refinery in Hawaii at 6:30 a.m. Thursday. “We have effectively removed the majority of the oil at the facility,” said Gary Folley, state on scene coordinator, unified command. “Thus we have significantly reduced the potential threat to Cook Inlet.”
The unified command will continue to monitor the facility and discuss the situation on at least a weekly basis until information is received from the Alaska Volcano Observatory indicating the volcano has entered a dormant period.
About 60 percent of the initial 6.2 million gallons (148,000 barrels) of the stored oil in tanks 1 and 2 at the Drift River Terminal was removed in the April 6 draw down.
That volume of oil has been further reduced to about 7 percent of the initial 6.2 million gallons.
Charge it!
It’s great to see Alaska’s newest senator working hard to make change that affects everyday Americans. I will send him out a good thought every time I swipe my card.
Senator Mark Begich of Alaska is co-sponsoring the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009. The Act amends the Truth in Lending Act to ban unfair rate increases and forbids abusive fees and penalties. Senator Begich says that Alaskans have been calling his office with horror stories of interest rates more than doubling for no apparent reason, or companies changing the terms without any explanation. Senator Begich said the last thing consumers need is high-priced games by credit card companies. He said this bill puts an end to much of that.
More Mark Begich Love Fest…
While we’re getting all warm and fuzzy about Mark Begich, it’s worth noting that he
has decided to post his daily schedule on his new Senate website, as he promised during his campaign. Beginning with this month, Begich is archiving his schedule on his site and is making it searchable. The Sunlight Foundation encouraged other lawmakers to follow Begich’s lead and “provide a similar archive of daily meetings.” Throughout his terms as mayor of Anchorage, Begich would post responses to comments under his own name on the Anchorage Daily News’s Alaska Politics Blog. I’m sure some on his staff went nuts over it, but it shows that he’s willing and disciplined enough to communicate with his constituents, one-on-one, in new ways.
The Littlest Mudpuppy
The Mudflats’ official correspondent from Nunam Iqua, Ann Strongheart just got back from a routine prenatal checkup in Bethel. She was nice enough to pass on this ultrasound photo from her previous visit. Imagine their surprise. They may not know if it’s a boy or a girl, but they know it’s a Mudpuppy! [We think those boots must be like a size negative 11]
Hey, y’all, I am thrilled to see in your new ad that you will soon get the truth out about the scourge of coal as fuel for power. We are still coal ash covered here in East TN with our TVA (Tennessee Valley Authority) stilll loading dump trucks full of the ash sludge, driving off site, and apparently driving around til they run out of gas…official statements imply that they STILL do not know where they are going to store the billions of toxic and radioactive stuff…plus our Emory River is full of dead fish and glows in the dark. Soooo…I heartedly recommend you all go to that informative meeting! I met Judy Bonds back in ’04. She is awesome and will stand against Big Coal til the coal trucks run over her!
And we are still (my Activist Friend Kim and I) supporting fund raising efforts (Art Exhibit and Silent Auction!) to benefit the United Mountain Defense activists who are helping the victims and survivors of our December 22 coal ash spill.
And all this could happen in AK if you don’t stop BIG COAL.
here’s an anti-ms. palin hug to all from coal ash covered Knoxville…
Cool pics. Ann..Take care :))
Congratulations, Ann and family!
Wishing a healthy pregnancy for you and the li’l Mudpup : >)
Defrocking!
Trying to defrock on the blog to just Irish…testing.
Forty Watt…..the yellow boot gene is alive and kicking! 🙂
Wow! Who would have thought mudpuppies could evolve in just one generation. They’ve already developed a yellow boot gene. 🙂
@Michigander
Tee hee they do look like rubber duckies ;o)
Ann – Thanks for sharing such a special time with us. Love the yellow booties! No offense intended but my son thought they were teeny rubber duckies (o:
And as always, thanks AKM for such a great blog. I’m still reading and wishing the best for Alaskans.
@Ann,
I like the names you have picked…Brian and Brenda are moose names now….and I respect your customs.
I just had a really funny thought, the little Strongheart will get loads of pressies….we will keep you busy on that snow machine or mobile.!! 🙂
Love the boots on PJ Blogger Strongheart!
Breakdown on SP’s current Twitter follows:
2 Alaska state agencies (DEC, DHHS)
3 Alaska job/networking sites
7 Alaska-based news media
12 “mainstream” mostly rightwing news media (two different hannity feeds)
1 blog (Politico)
3 swine flu alerts
1 Redoubt alert
14 (R) politicians, mostly governors
1 (D) mayor of Anchorage
and 1 partridge in a pear tree, Karl Rove
Us pennsyltuckians have known for some time that “clean coal” is as oxymoronish as “ethical Sarah Palin.”
This was funny, also, too:
This my pubic announcement that I will NOT be twittering with that twit Sarah Palin. I’m more interested in what Paris Hilton has to say; Paris is more intellectual.
Quyana All for your well wishes for our unborn!
As far as PJs umm I am not that much of an artist the boots were about as far as I can go with Paint LOL
Names… No sorry we won’t be using Brenda or Brian. It is Yup’ik custom to name the baby after someone who has passed on. Either the a most recent relative that has passed on or deceased family name.
Our thoughts for names are:
Girl: Glenna Gabriela (don’t have a Yup’ik name picked yet) Strongheart after my late grandpas who were Glenn and Gabriel
Boy: Paul John (Yup’ik name?) Strongheart after Segundo’s late brothers
So we will have either a GG Strongheart or ROFLMAO PJ! Strongheart LOL PJ didn’t realized that until just now when I went to type it PJ. We have had that name picked for years!!
Too funny. Thanks again all for the well wishes!
ann strongheart thanks for sharing little sugarbaby with us. very happy for you and hubby….loveb
I loved this one:
OMG, that means she’ll probably name her next child/grandchild Twit or Twitter
ps… DO read some of the comments posted after that CNN story… quite entertaining as well…
Stolen from ‘Ken in NC’… “OMG, the nations biggest Nit Wit is now a Twit Wit…”
Priceless…
This just keeps getting better and better. Saracuda… Twit. This is just too easy!
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
Scroll down and enjoy!
Congrats to Ann and family… wishes of health to all…
Wow, I ment see the.
Bpoint- I would like thesee Bear to come to life on SNL.
love the tiny yellow boots on the little mudpuppy! Congratulations Ann and family! 🙂
I think the wee Strongheart looks like a little boy mudpuppy….can’t wait to meet him!
😉
I would report them for violating nonprofit requirements. Also know that Claire Booth Luce would not be impressed by SP. What a joke.
Ann S.–Congrats on your new little mudflatter. I’m guessing name choices might include Brenda or Brian?
Poor Don Young. Attacked by anonymous pajama twitterers. Who’d a thunk it!
And finally, I’m re-posting this because I put it on late the other day. Anyone else get these little missives?
New on the Sarah front: we received a fundraiser letter from the “Claire Booth Luce Policy Institute” in Virginia with a photo of Failin’ Palin on the envelope and the statement “A note of support to Sarah Palin enclosed”. The letter rants about why Sarah has the liberals all in a twitter (had to toss in a pun), and includes this note:
To Governor Sarah Palin:
Congratulations on your historic accomplishments! [sic] Please don’t give up or get discouraged in the face of bitter and mean-spirited criticism from radical politicians and the liberal media.
You have my support, as well as the support of countless other patriotic and concerned Americans. We are grateful for all you have done to advance our conservative ideas.
Thank you for all your hard work. God bless you, and God bless America.”
The lower part of the letter is addressed to the Honorable Michelle Easton, who serves as president of the institute. It asks for donations to support Sarah Palin, and offering that your donation will be tax deductible. whaa????? The letter says the institute is a 501 (c)(3) tax-exempt EDUCATIONAL organization. They hope to write op-ed pieces, discuss public policy on radio, television and “train tomorrow’s conservative leaders.”
I’m wondering if it’s ok just to send cookies.
Congratulations, Ann!!
Been checking Alaska report daily b/c of their “news teaser” that’s been up and just had to write Dennis Zaki and tell him how I love the Bird pics he’s been putting up 🙂 Received a nice email back and he has a gallery of his birds @
http://alaskabirds.org/
and no I didn’t ask him about ss palin…. lol!
Oh how cute Ann , he/she is not bashful at all . Mudpup in the making right before are eyes. What a ham LOL
I can hardly wait for SNL tomorrow night. You know they are going to do something really special with the American Chopper and that darn bear hanging off the couch.
Blue Idaho Says:
May 1st, 2009 at 6:45 AM
I just went to Mudflats twitter And it looks like Palin is following again. Could it be the Pit Bull is afraid of the ankle biters?
~~~~~~~~~~~
I don’t have twitter account so I can’t see if that is her “official” twitter account, but that a-hole eddie smurke is following AKM???? Stalking is more like it, what does he want…early word on anklebiter’s filing ethics complaints???GRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love,love,love the yellow boots! Congrats Ann and family…
oH, And, adorable Pre-Mudflatter there! I agree, the only thing missing is the Moose Jammies!
Methinks that Twitter might become a thing of the past if having GINO in it causes hacking and biting. Oh Twitter, what evil has been wrought upon you?
I do not tweet, and never will. I have a text message bundle for that!
Love the little yellow booties! Baby Strongheart is taking it to a WHOLE new level by blogging from mother’s very womb. Take that, mother’s basement bloggers!
But I agree with DrChill, some PJ’s are needed to complete the ensemble. 😉
I just went to Mudflats twitter And it looks like Palin is following again. Could it be the Pit Bull is afraid of the ankle biters?
Time to start knitting yellow booties! Congrats Ann and family!
@ gnomestrath We’ve all been wondering about that for the couple of days it’s been up… High time for an update, I say!
way OT
History channel – “Save our History” the tlicho tribe of Canada – now (9 a.m. Central)
Rumor Central: Whopper story heading towards the S.S. Palin
An iceberg is heading toward the Palins. Can it be stopped? I don’t think so. Will it sink the ship, all signs say yes. Stay tuned…
Alaska report – whats this about please try and keep up
lol those little boots are just too cute. As long as we don’t see a bear rug in there will our littlest pup, I’ll be happy.
LOL, too funny, CNN had an announcement about GINOs tweeting and they scrolled through who she was following. They made a snarky remark about why wasn’t she following Katie Couric. They were also had a bleep on her being on American Chopper and showed footage of her and paul on the couch. They were laughing about the bear on the couch and someone off camera piped in about the crab on the coffee table. Just goes to show what a joke she has become.
Ann, congratulations on the new addition to your beautiful family. S/he will certainly have many “aunts” and “uncles” here in our Mudflats community. Love them yellow booties!
Namaste
Talk about an early start on becoming a mudpuppie !! Thanks for sharing the picture.
Congrats Ann! Nice little booties 😉 and yes…….. that is “our” Mudpuppy too! Sorry Ann you will just have to share!! I”ll babysit, if you can fit him/her into a flat rate box!!! Just kidding…. wink wink
the credit card thing —
The final bill that was passed was watered down — as a concession to the banks. They are still pandering to the banks.
I could tell you a great horror story about credit card abuse on the part of the banks. We spent 10 years trying to get a business off the ground, and all they did was raise our rates.
Anyway, right now we are fortunately in a position to NOT use them anymore, and we only use a debit card.
At one time we owed many thousands of dollars to the credit card companies. In our house, that will never happen again. NEVER.
yukonbushgrma Says:
Hey, no — those boots were made for BLOGGIN’ !!!
You know, Ann Strongheart — this baby is going to belong to all of us crazy bloggers. Sorry, Ann …… we’ve claimed him/her!
———————————————————-
I agree.
Are you sure those aren’t blogging slippers? and where are the PJs? blush
“The potential threat posed by the stored oil at the Drift River Oil Terminal has been reduced approximately 93 percent”
crunch crunch 6.2 million *.07 = .434 million gallons of oil
I think the potential of a disaster is the same, and it depends on MtRedoubt.
The extent of the disaster has been reduced, not the threat of one.
“We’ve managed to take away most of the mad gunman’s ammo, and he only has enough to kill 7% of you. Don’t you feel better!?”
When the oil tanks are completely empty, the threat is gone, but not before.
@ lettersfromeurope:
Hey, no — those boots were made for BLOGGIN’ !!!
You know, Ann Strongheart — this baby is going to belong to all of us crazy bloggers. Sorry, Ann …… we’ve claimed him/her!
I don’t think I’ve ever seen an ultrasound posted like this. Wow! It almost feels like you’re FAMILY!
Love ya, Ann — and family! Bless you all.
Great credit card news and beautifual baby! Is this our first official mudpuppy birth? That’d be a fun page on I heart mudpuppies…
You guys REALLY need to get over to that site, by the way. It’s such fun! Go, go, go, right now!
Oh….this is so funny, I’m laughing heartily at Ann’s scan. I love those little yellow boots!! 🙂
Those boots were made for walking!!! HAHAHAHA, what a great start to my probably awful long week-end. Thankyou.