Palin: In or Out, or In… Or Out. Maybe.
In the never ending edge-of-your-seat boredom that is Sarah Palin’s future “political career,” we’ve got some hot breaking news! Remember how she wasn’t considering a senate run in Alaska? Then, she was… unless someone other than Joe Miller and Mead Treadwell stepped up to run. Nobody has. Still just them. Yet now she says she currently has no plans to run. Someone else can do it. But she’s also not ruling anything out. She’s not closing the door. Back in the day, an open door was God’s message to “plow through.” Now, it’s merely an option. It’s just there, open,…
Bird of the Week – Fiery-Billed Aricari
WC will break away from Alaska bird species for a bit and show some of the tropical species of the Western Hemisphere. The Fiery-Billed Aricari is a cousin to the better-known Toucan species. The spectacular bill has evolved to allow the bird to pluck, crush and eat fruits, berries and nuts. And it’s worth a close-up view. You can see the serrated edges in this closer view; they allow the bird to hold fruits and nuts. The bird is surprisingly delicate as it uses that big bill, plucking tiny berries and working the skin off of big fruits. The spectacular…
Gone Fishin’ in Seward, Alaska (PHOTOS)
It’s back to school time here in Anchorage, and on the last day of summer vacation, two of your editors here decided to seize the day and head south to go fishing with The Seward Fishing Club. Sometimes it’s necessary to reboot the system, cleanse the soul, and get off dry land. We loaded the Subaru, left Anchorage in the predawn light, and skimmed down Turnagain Arm, around the bend and up the other side to Alaska’s Kenai Peninsula. The weather was sprinkly and grey and Shannyn and I were both prepared with good waterproof outerwear, and hot coffee. The…
Parnell & Crew “Summit” Mt. Hypocrisy
Two weeks ago I wrote about the upcoming, state-sponsored “Federal Overreach Summit.” Well, Alaska, they dug to the bottom of the barrel and managed to make a meeting of it — trotting out all the usual tea party nonsense about how tapping Alaska resources without having to answer to the feds on environmental issues is the embodiment of democracy. But this summit wasn’t just a pathway to pillaging resources. It was a dog-whistle concert for every wing nut they could get in the door. The governor’s policy director, Randy Ruaro, said there had been a funding request for “proactive science.”…
Bird of the Week – Whimbrel
At a little over 17 inches tall, this is one of the larger shorebirds that breeds in wetter alpine tundra areas in Alaska. The long, downcurved bill and distinctive white and brown-striped head make the bird easy to identify. You’ll likely hear the haunting, hollow whistle call before you find this bird; despite its size, it can be hard to see, especially hunched down on a nest. This bird was photographed on the east end of the Denali Highway. Technical stuff: f5.7, 1/320, ISO250 More bird photos at Frozen Feather Images.
Don Young Goes Roman Empire
Don Young, you may remember from Jeanne’s previous piece attacked Federal (the number one employer in the state) Employees – well that wasn’t the only crazy that he spouted at Sean Parnell’s Federal Overreach Summit last week. (Dear lord. How many more of these do we have? A lot.) This time around he’s comparing he USA to the Roman Empire… because… well… let’s let him explain it. Here’s a quick excerpt in case some of the brilliant Young-ology didn’t come through on the audio. “Let’s not have the Roman Empire again. I’m going to tell one more story and then we’re out of…
Sen. Begich Sends Halibut to Domino’s
Usually when someone gets a dead fish in the mail, it’s considered a veiled threat. But don’t worry. Alaska Democratic Senator Mark Begich is not threatening to whack the CEO of Domino’s Pizza. The Domino’s “Powered by Pizza” campaign continues to draw criticism from the halls of the Capitol, and America’s Last Frontier. After their latest commercial asserted, “No one ever had a world changing idea over halibut,” as an actor gags up a piece of so-called halibut onto his plate. Alaska Senator Mark Begich decided it was time to play hardball. The Senator’s office reports: Concerned that…
Walker/Wielechowski – Right for Alaska
We like Sen. Hollis French, and respect him. He’s been an outstanding legislator. We think he’d make a good governor, and have donated to and voted for him in the past. Our issue with the senator’s contemplation of another gubernatorial run is not the candidate, but the fact that the candidate cannot and will not be elected governor. The problem is math. Sen. French retained his own state senate seat in his newly drawn district by the skin of his teeth. The statewide political terrain is far less friendly to him than West Anchorage. The far right made French the…
UPDATE: Whose Tardis is This? Doctor Who’s Tardis found in Alaska
I just received an Update on the origins of the Tardis in Homer. It is not stolen from Gallifrey as early reports originally implied. It was created by the Wolfe’s (Bad Wolf(e)? Rose Tyler might want to watch out…) From Nina: My daughter Rosemary Wolfe and the rest of the family are huge Doctor Who fans. We run the sod farm to the west of the grove where the Tardis is located. She, mostly, built the Tardis but had to leave to return to school and so it needs a bit more touchup, however, I am looking for the sign for…
Open Thread – Alaska Grown
As the Alaskan summer enters its final weeks, we at TheMudflats.net enjoyed some late summer carrots and strawberries bought at the South Anchorage Farmers Market. So, as school starts here in Anchorage next week, we ask, “What did you do over Summer vacation?”