School Board Candidate Wants to Outsource Orchestra Program? **UPDATE**
By Linda Kellen Biegel Observant earwigs noticed a little story in last Sunday’s Alaska Ear talking about a rather big boo boo perpetrated by the Municipal Clerk’s Office. That office works with the Anchorage Assembly and directly for the Chair, Debbie Ossiander. (She’s one of the Mayor’s “yes” men/women on the Assembly…the group I’ve nicknamed “Team Sully.”) WHAT’S IN A NAME … The muni clerk’s office is apparently confused about which of Starr Marsett’s names is her first name. Looks like it guessed, and got it wrong — at least on the ballot Ear got: Marsett is a candidate for School Board….
Don’t Bend Over Alaska II – Hilarious! (Video)
Coming on the heels of the $40/plate White Linen Tablecloth Oil Executive “Rally” yesterday, is another video from Bob Lester – Don’t Bend Over Alaska II. It’s hilariously funny, and right on target. Remember to tell your legislators that Alaskans aren’t buying the governor’s BS. It’s our oil, and we’d rather not give it away. And to the oil companies who made a trillion dollars in profit in the last five years, and who don’t think that’s enough? Enjoy!
North Pole Republican Wants to Eliminate Government Regulation… of Food
~Want some yummy fish? You’ve got to hand it to Alaska State Rep. Tammie Wilson. Right in the middle of the “pink slime” debacle that is turning stomachs across the nation, and increasing scrutiny on what we are putting in our mouths, she’s got a project – and it’s worse than pink slime. At least that gelatinous cow-part goo was designed to preserve food. She wants to deregulate food – even hazardous food. Just like many of her right wing cohorts, she thinks there’s just too much government regulation these days, specifically at your local farmers’ market. Sanitation is overrated…
MudMole Reports: How Oil Execs “Rally” (Updated)
Get out the Dawn dishwashing liquid, because you’re going to need its ability to disperse oily residue after today’s “rally” to give the oil companies billions in no-strings-attached money. Starting in just a few minutes, you’ll hear from former Conoco oil lobbyist and Exxon oil spill apologist Governor Sean Parnell. But right now, we’ve got our first shot from inside. Yes, we have a MudMole. Shhhhh. This is how the other side holds a “rally.” Note the fresh-faced leaders of the future, the homemade signs, the air bristling with righteous indignation and the desire to benefit mankind. These protesters began…
Open Thread – First Map of Alaska
As an aficionado of old maps, I’m not sure why I never posted this one before. This is the oldest map of Alaska. It was made on a Russian expedition in 1741 by the Danish explorer Vitus Bering. Obviously, it wasn’t completely accurate, but I think they did find Kodiak. Do not use this map for navigation purposes, particularly if your travels will take you to the Aleutian chain. Source: “Steller’s Journal of the Sea Voyage from Kamchatka to America and Return on the Second Expedition, 1771–1742,” American Journeys Collection—Document.
“Don’t Bend Over, Alaska” Soon-to-be-Viral Video
Remember the $40 Rubber Chicken lunch I told you about yesterday – the one in which the Governor and his oil cronies are actually charging for a lunch to tell oil executives how great it will be for Alaskans to pay them billions in no-strings-attached money? Here’s an awesome video called “Don’t Bend Over, Alaska” from radio host Bob Lester, calling out their oily BS. Let’s make this video go viral before tomorrow’s “rally.” You know what to do – watch it, and share it. And here’s a little fun fact about ConocoPhillips. In 2010 they spent $89,169 on lobbyists…
It’s Time. Tell Lawmakers, “Don’t Give Away Alaska’s Oil!”
In the last weeks of the legislative session, the oil companies and their pet legislators have pulled out all the stops. Their bloggers are blogging, their mouthpieces are bloviating, their legislators are lying, and their money is cranking out ad after ad, and all of them are hoping to make you so afraid, you’ll ask lawmakers to give away our oil. Don’t fall for it. And, get this! This week the opposition is actually charging Alaskans $40 for a chicken lunch so they can have the privilege of listening to the oil company shills ask for billions more… They are…
Yes, House Majority, There is an Internet
By Michelle Scannell After giving their southwest Anchorage constituents less than a single day’s notice , some members of the House Majority abandoned their posts in Juneau for a weekend in Anchorage, calling a last-second town hall meeting Saturday afternoon with constituents as their excuse. I called around to some of my supporters, and about ten of us and my entire family went over to hear what Reps Johnson and Costello had to say for themselves. The answer? Not much. There were no presentations or slide shows for constituents. There were brief discussions about roads, the moose relocation project, and HB 110. And then…
Open Thread – One Person’s Folly is Another’s Fortune
Happy Seward’s Day, Alaskans! And for the rest of you, please allow this post to serve as your permission slip to bail out of work early today. Just tell your boss we said it was OK. Seward’s Day is one of those “we’re going to force it to happen on a Monday” holidays that gives many Alaskans a nice three-day weekend, and a special grown-up treat – a day off while the kids are in school! The day commemorates the signing of the Alaska Purchase Treaty, on March 30, 1867. Newspapers at the time called Alaska “nothing but walrus covered…
In My Cottage Garden: Personal Scale Urban Farming
By Linda Kellen Biegel The ABG Conference session where I received the most personal motivation was on “Urban Farming” and was run by Dohnn Wood. It was motivating because his journey was similar to mine: from he and his family discovering that fresh, Alaska grown produce actually has taste and intoxicating aroma unlike the shipped-in variety to year by year, trying to improve their vegetable gardening and increase their yield. However, his story today is one all home “farmers” would like to achieve: in 2011 he was able to harvest over 1500 lbs of food from his 5000 sq ft…