Palin, Ducks & Free Speech
OK, so I guess I’m writing this. I tried really hard not to, but if one more person screamed, “First Amendment!” in defense of this self proclaimed hillbilly, I think I’d cry. [Sidenote: Can I say that if you get a paycheck from the Arts and Entertainment Network, you immediately lose your ‘hillbilly’ creds.] The Half Hearted Governor Sarah Palin dressed in camo, that she claims she wears ‘all’ the time went on Fox News to bloviate: “This is all about freedom, free speech, you know, so many American families have spilled blood and treasure to guarantee Phil Robertson and…
Parnell Gets Paid Back by Appointee
Hey! Here’s a little something. It’s the fastest game of connect the dots ever! Check it out. What could it be? GOP administrative hinkiness? Ethical bankruptcy? Sean Parnell asshattery? I guess we’ll just have to connect the dots and see. 1st Dot: Governor Sean Parnell apointed Tom McGrath to be a member of the State Compensation Commission. 2nd Dot: McGrath recommended giving Sean Parnell a pay raise. 3rd Dot: McGrath is holding a fundraiser for Sean Parnell. See? There he is in the right hand column, among the other ethically challenged “hosts” like Randy Reudrich, Dan Coffey, and Chris Birch. A man is known…
Tea Party X-Mas Gifts
We’ve all got one in our family. A teabagger. Outside of the John Water’s reference that makes me giggle everytime I hear the word, we all know what that means… Arguments over Obamacare, Obamaphones, Obama birth certificates and other Obama related tragedies. Unfortunately it’s the Holidays, so you’ll need to buy this lovely human being that is somehow related to you a gift. The latest Chomsky book isn’t going to work, and neither is a t-shirt from TheMudflats.net [wink]. That’s why I’ve complied a list of some sure fire gifts for that angry at the world for making him white in…
Good Tidings & Great Pain – The Rill Dill
The invisible war is come. It is insidious. It lurks out of your conscious mind, weaving its evil spell. You don’t even know it’s happening because the War on Christmas is cleverly disguised… as Christmas itself. It’s like the monster under your bed, disguised as a sock. Or that person following your car five miles back that you never really see. But ohhhhh, he’s there. It’s all designed to lull you into believing that monsters don’t exist, and that the CIA is not following you to the mall. Clever. Veeeeery clever. But not clever enough for Sarah Palin. We’re still…
Broken Trust: Victims of Pipeline Spills Tell Their Stories – from Julie Dermansky
Broken Trust: Victims of Pipeline Spills Tell Their Stories (via Desmogblog) Evaluating pipeline safety is the business of engineers and scientists, but evaluating the human cost of transporting hazardous materials near people’s homes is best left to those who’ve experienced the fallout. Homeowners shared their experiences…
Parnell: Progressive Activist of the Year
We’re coming to the close of 2013, and top 10 lists are coming out of our ears. Top movies, albums, people (The pope! Time’s Person of the Year!). We seem to feel compelled to wrap up our year in nice little boxes. I have my own list I’d like to trot out. Hang on just a minute. Last week the governor released state revenue projections and his budget. His projections are based on the information oil companies give the state about how much of that sweet oil they plan to send down the pipeline. The administration takes those numbers and…
Bird of the Week – Black-capped Chickadee
Courtesy of the Arctic Tern, we are back to Alaska birds for a while. It’s winter, it’s dark and it’s cold. Only a few hardy birds tough out the Interior Alaska winter. Chickadees have number of strategies to allow them to survive a Fairbanks winter. One of those strategies is piloerection, fluffing up their body feathers to increase the amount of insulation. As a result, this little fellow is more than twice his usual size. It’s still not very much; a half an inch instead of a quarter inch. Imagine spending the winter outside, at -40 F, with a half…
Casey Reynolds – Trojan Mole
Several weeks ago, an event occurred here in Anchorage that had union-hatin’, librul-bashin’, flag-huggin’, gun-totin’, tree-choppin’ conservatives blowing their weeping noses into their hankies. Casey Reynolds had disappeared. Moved out of state. Until just weeks ago, he was bloviating every morning on right-wing talk radio in Anchorage. When he wasn’t mocking public employees and union members, he was pronouncing Delaware a stand up place to do business because of all the white people, or suggesting that raping a prostitute should be viewed as more of a “theft of services.” In an age when every Republican male seems obligated to make an offensive…
9 Moments of Frozen Alaska Zen
Here’s a little visual respite from the hullaballoo of the holidays. As crazy as the malls and the roads may get, Alaska (even the “big city” of Anchorage) is never far from peaceful places. Here’s hoping you find a few of your own, wherever you may be.
Parnell Should Choose Support for Youth
In 2011 the state conceded that its protection system to discover child abuse and neglect, and lead foster youth to greater success, was in need of improvement. It came up with a cost-effective request: What if they filled the massive staffing gaps at the Office of Children’s Services (OCS), which investigates these cases, with lower-cost support staff rather than Masters-level social workers? That would free social workers to do their fieldwork, and let lower-cost employees do their paper and administrative work. The governor needs to govern and find efficiencies, rather than excuses to ignore our child protection system or his…