Bird of the Week – Tennessee Warbler
Tennessee Warblers appear to be expanding their range into Interior Alaska. There are isolated places where they are found during Breeding Bird Surveys. For example, for the last seven years there’s been a Tennessee Warbler found on the Richardson Highway where the road drops down into Black Rapids Canyon. But they aren’t common. So it was a Birder Big Deal when this handsome fellow turned up outside of Fairbanks in 2008. Camera geek stuff: f5.7, 1/250, ISO 800 For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
Alaska Marriage Equality Has Day in Court
Courtroom 1 at the Alaska District courthouse was full to overflowing. Courtroom 2 held those who couldn’t find a seat. The fates (and a friend) ushered my daughter and I to seats right in the jury box, which was a wonderful surprise. A TV monitor to my left showed a distant room which I knew to be in Fairbanks, because there was Gary Black from the Newsminer! Juneau was with us also, and had to be asked to mute their sound because of laughing and merriment. The mood was optimistic, but cautious. Alaska’s LGBT community has had victories within their grasp, and…
Deer Hunting in Paris
Congratulations to Mudflats contributor Paula Lee who has won a big, fancy, and prestigious award for her wonderful book Deer Hunting in Paris! She’s given us an excerpt to enjoy. Winner of the 2014 Travel Book award of the Society of American Travel Writers, Deer Hunting in Paris is an unexpectedly funny exploration of a vanishing way of life in a complex cosmopolitan world. The liberal author, Paula Lee, recovers her roots in rural Maine by running after a headless chicken, learning how to sight-in a rifle, shooting skeet, and butchering game animals. Along the way, she figures out how…
Palins Vindicated! Just Ask Them.
I’ve learned that I cannot ignore the Palins’ drunken rumpus. But in light of the fact that our friends at Wonkette have taken the newly released Anchorage Police Department report and run with it as only they can, I’m just gonna put this right here to give you a little taste. CLICK for the full story of the Palin’s “vindication.” You’ll be happy to know that we stand by our original illustration of the event, and that t-shirts remain available for purchase HERE. Remember, Christmas is coming and nothing says Peace on Earth, Good Will to Man like ripping your shirt…
Money Machine Steamrolls Alaska
This week I received an email from a Republican friend. (Yes, I have those.) She requested a different kind of column from me this week. “Instead of adding to all the ugly, negative political comments out there why not a column about the economic stimulus this election is having on Alaska with all the Outside money coming into the state?” Really? Yeah! We have Outside money trying to get a guy elected that wants to get rid of Social Security! That’s the opposite of economic stimulus. So the short answer is, no. I won’t be riding that unicorn this week….
Sullivan Goes ‘Fog of War,’ Then Flees
Looks like our Republican “Alaskan” Senate candidate has been watching The Fog of War, and taking a little advice from former Secretary of Defense Robert MacNamara. “Never answer the question that is asked of you. Answer the question that you wish had been asked of you.” Savvy advice when one’s actual answer might be harmful to one’s political prospects. The question asked of the candidate by KTUU’s Grace Jang was pretty straightforward: “How much backing are you getting from the Koch brothers?” One would expect, perhaps, a numerical answer of some kind, like “millions of dollars.” Percentages maybe. Or a…
Bird of the Week – Wilson’s Warbler
The small, handsome Wilson’s Warbler tends to stay in dense, brushy vegetation, often near water. But the male sometimes comes out into the open to sing, staking out his territory. The black cap identifies the adult male; the female is less commonly seen, but has the same yellow face and chest. It’s always a treat to see them. Camera geek stuff: f11, 1/250th, ISO 500. For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
Take Back the Senate, Alaska!
Remember the good old days of the Senate Bipartisan working group, where legislators from both parties chaired committees, and worked together to accomplish things? Divisive wedge issues were shelved, and the Senate work was focused on things we could do together. Back then the fringe group of Republicans who refused to work with Democrats formed their own minority and sat in the corner snapping blue crayons and not doing any work. Well, Sean Parnell got his way after new district lines were drawn and we ended up with one party in control of the Senate and the House, and they…
Mudflats Chats: Gov. Gary Johnson on Marijuana
I sat down recently with Gary Johnson, two-term Republican governor of New Mexico (1995-2003), and Libertarian Party nominee for President in 2012. Johnson is also the founder of the SuperPAC, Our America Initiative, which promotes Libertarian-minded causes, and is the CEO of Cannabis Sativa, Inc. He came to Anchorage to speak at a fundraiser for the Yes on 2 campaign which supports ballot initiative 2, to regulate marijuana like alcohol in the state of Alaska. The proposition will be put before the voters on the November 4 ballot. This isn’t Johnson’s first trip to Alaska. In his quest to summit…
Anywhere but Alaska: Dan Sullivan from Yet Another Place
OH Dan, DC Dan. Now it’s… Dan Sullivan, MD? If you’re confused, don’t worry… so am I. One thing we can be sure of, at least for now, is that Dan Sullivan is not a Doctor. But he is from Maryland – at least according to Maryland. To be specific, the Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation. This is only a problem if you’ve been telling people, let’s say on official state forms, that you are from Alaska. Which is exactly what Dan Sullivan did. We knew from the beginning of his candidacy that he was lying, we just didn’t…