Krazy Kampaign Lit Alert!
Joe Miller is running for U.S. Senate again. And in Alaska, it’s a 3-way scramble to the right to woo the hard-core conservative primary voter. Miller, Mead Treadwell, and Dan Sullivan have all been trying to outdo each other in their attempt to unseat incumbent Democratic Senator Mark Begich. Above is Miller’s latest piece of campaign literature, mailed to voters. Xenophobic fear mongering and downright silliness aside, (and that’s a BIG aside) let’s follow the message, shall we? You may need a pith helmet, and a machete to get through the jungle of “logic.” Warning: there’s a cliff at…
Bird of the Week – Common Merganser
The Common Merganser breeds south of the Brooks Range in Alaska, in wooded areas along clearwater streams. The female has that excellent spiky hairdo feather-do; the male is a bit plainer, but both have the bright orange bill that is a good field mark for these birds, although you want to be sure you don’t have a Red-breasted. They are one of the less common ducks in Alaska, but you can usually find them canoeing a clear water river. Most years there’s a pair on the West Fork of the Upper Chena River. This is a fish-eating duck; that long…
Marijuana Debate Wednesday!
Should marijuana be regulated like alcohol in Alaska? The third in a series of four debates on upcoming ballot initiatives from Alaska Common Ground is scheduled for Wednesday night in the Wilda Marston Theater in the Loussac Library. Colorado and Washington have recently legalized pot, and the world has not, in fact, ended. In Libertarian Alaska, it seems like a no-brainer, but there are two sides to this debate. Come see what they have to say, and arm yourself for the water cooler wars. Forum on the Marijuana Legalization Initiative Wednesday, August 6th, 7 – 9 pm Wilda Marston Theatre,…
Show Me the Troops! Cause I don’t see ’em…
In a story published in The Daily Beast and Propublica, Kim Barker breaks wide open the Tea Party Express-associated group Move America Forward’s financial dealings. Barker writes: “Move America Forward calls itself the nation’s “largest grassroots pro-troop organization,” and has recruited a bevy of Republican luminaries, including former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush and former Vice President Dick Cheney, to support its efforts.” “The driving force behind Move America Forward is Sal Russo, 67, the longtime political consultant who is listed on the 10-year-old charity’s tax returns as chief strategist. “Russo is better known for helping to form the Our Country…
Sullivan Waffles on Eggs – One of Them May Be Yours.
Back in April, Alaska Republican Senate primary voters got to listen to their three candidates try to figure out who the lifey-est candidate of all actually was. It’s been a gigantic run to the right on pro-life issues by the three men running for the office, each trying to be more hard core than the others. They were asked whether they would support a so-called “personhood bill” called the Life at Conception Act introduced by Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) that defines life as beginning the moment that little swimmer cracks the eggshell. The bottom line of this bill is that it…
Five Things Alaskans Can Agree on. Maybe.
I was thinking of writing about less controversial things this week… you know, like fish allocation wars or immigration. I’m never sure what’s going to throw people down a rabbit hole of rage, so I’ve decided to focus on a Top 5 list that I would hope we Alaskans could all get in agreement with. First — If it’s illegal to have five cars stacked behind your motor home pulling a skiff full of four-wheelers, why don’t I ever see that guy pulled over by the red and blue lights? I don’t know how many times I’ve driven the New Seward…
Bird of the Week – Lesser Scaup
Lesser Scaup is another species of marsh and sea duck that breeds far inland in Interior Alaska. Lesser Scaup are notoriously difficult to tell from their close cousins, Greater Scaup. Their ranges overlap, too. But by slight differences in the head, neck and pattern on the back, you can usually tease the two apart. These birds were at the Peat Ponds, one of the better birding spots around Fairbanks. The photo was taken in the fall of 2013. The female has moved into eclipse plumage; the male is still in breeding plumage. For more bird photos, please visit Frozen Feather Images.
Palin Slams Parnell, Says YES on 1
Former Governor Sarah Palin was likened to Joan of Arc by her followers in her 2006 run for governor. Today she was back in the saddle taking on the “good old boy network,” using her new subscription website to slam the administration of Republican Alaska Governor Sean Parnell (her own former Lt. Gov.), and members of the state legislature (also R) for engaging in crony capitalism, and shilling for Big Oil. She was, as they used to call her, a breath of fresh air. In an 18 minute long address provided to viewers as a free sample of her programming (which costs…
Don Young Goes Aggro on Staffer
We snickered when he banged a walrus penis bone on the table during a House session. We face palmed when he threatened to bite a New Jersey congressman like an Alaskan mink. We rolled our eyes when he wore a beanie propeller in committee to mock wind power. We sighed when he cursed at a police officer, and barged into a building that was closed for asbestos cleanup. We dropped our jaws when he suggested that public sector union members/federal employees should be ashamed of themselves. We cringed when he made goofy faces on camera during the naming of a post…
Minimum Wage Debate!
Last week’s oil tax debate packed the house at the Loussac Library’s Wilda Marston Theater. This week, the series of debates host ed by Alaska Common Ground continues with Ballot Measure 3. Not as widely discussed as some, this measure is nonetheless important, and will decide if there will be an increase to Alaska’s minimum wage. This should not only be of interest to those on the left seeking to float all boats, but to those on the right who bemoan Americans’ dependence on government “handouts” in order to survive. This issue affects all Alaskans and all Americans. Be an…