Indigo Girls Come to Anchorage
Call me one of the two luckiest girls in Alaska today. The other one is Shannyn Moore. We got treated to a mini-concert by The Indigo Girls in the studio at KOAN today. I was excited for their performance in Anchorage tonight already, but I can tell you unreservedly, anyone going to tonight’s or tomorrow night’s show is in for a real treat. They’ll be playing at the Bear Tooth Theatre here in Anchorage before heading off to Fairbanks. Their songs of activism, love, life, purpose, and their incredible musical storytelling are truly gifts. For those of you who listened…
Open Thread – Indigo Girls!
Thursdays in the Mud has been bumped from th usual time slot on The Shannyn Moore Show, and I couldn’t be happier! I’ll be on an hour early from noon to 1pm Alaska time because my usual 1-2:00 hour will feature The Indigo Girls! They’re playing at the Bear Tooth Thursday and Friday night, and sitting down with Shannyn on the radio beforehand. If you’re in Anchorage, you can tune in to KOAN 1020am. In Juneau it’s KXLJ 1330am. Or you can stream it at KXLJradio.com
Last-Minute Holiday Gifts That Truly Show You Care
by Linda Kellen Biegel I received a secretive email from a friend of mine yesterday, telling me to search my “spam email filter” because she thinks that’s where a “special gift from Santa” may have ended up. So, I perused through the array of offers in my 97 unread “spam emails” to try and determine which gift Santa was bringing me. As it turns out, my friend gave me probably the coolest Christmas gift I’ve ever recieved. It was an e-gift card for a website called DonorsChoose.org where the card recipients can choose which education project(s) at schools across the…
Open Thread – M*U*S*H
For those of you wondering what to catch in the remaining days of the Anchorage International Film Festival, let me highly recommend M*U*S*H by none other than our very own, extremely talented Alex Stein. Alex is a Mudflatter from way back, and has been one of the many behind the scenes who have participated in helping to keep the Mudflats Forum running smoothly. Now, the only running he’s focused on is… dogs! Alex took a trip to Anchorage last year to make a movie about the Iditarod. And I’m here to tell you, it turned out GREAT! I caught the…
Voices from the Flats – A Whale of a Garage Sale!
By Mudflatter D All those props used in the “Everybody Loves Whales” film are on sale this week! While some were returned to LA, there is plenty left at the warehouse behind Spenard Builders Supply to entice practical-minded scavengers, like me. Remember, this movie loosely portrays an event in 1988, so don’t expect to find iPhones. There are a few items of movie memorabilia to be had, if you look carefully. My favorite is the stationery from the big oil company executive, played by Ted Danson. Why? Because the address is on “J Street.” For you cheechakos who just fell…
Open Thread – John Lennon 1940-1980
I wasn’t alive when John F. Kennedy was shot, so I don’t have an “I remember where I was” story as so many do. But I remember very vividly when John Lennon was shot. I was just a kid, reading under the covers with a flashlight and had my radio playing softly. I heard the announcement on WPLJ out of New York City, and remember the feeling that this was happening just a few miles away, and such an overwhelming feeling of sadness and loss. I had a big stack of Beatles albums in vinyl, and his voice was one…
Voices from the Flats – A Joyful Noise
By Pati Crofut This year the violin section in the Hiland Mountain Correctional Center Women’s String Orchestra was hit hard by attrition, good news for the inmates but bad news for the orchestra. Cathleen was released and relocated to California. Pam was released to a halfway house. Angela is out. Cassandra is at the Clitheroe Center. Intermediate players moved up to fill the vacated advanced slots but musically, the group slid back to accommodate this less experienced section. Prison orchestras are only as good as the members with the lengthier sentences so a prisoner’s release is bitter sweet. Our conductor,…
Anchorage Assembly Meeting 2011 Budget – What are People Saying? (Live blogging)
I’m here at the Assembly Chambers as public testimony is being taken on the Anchorage municipal budget. (See previous post) I’ll try to hit the highlights for those of you who couldn’t make it. There is a long line of people waiting to testify and the room is packed to standing room only. Guy in weird hat and American flag scarf thinks the mayor is doing a great job. Thinks the Assembly should buy their own lunch. Quoting from a book “citizens are a milk cow ready to give buckets of money… absurd taxes, bla bla bla.” 18th Century, Declaration…
War is Over, if You Want it… Have a Nice Day.
This time of year, it seems that everyone’s thoughts turn to the war… No, not Afghanistan. No, not Iraq. Not the War on Terror, or the War on Drugs. The War on Christmas. I’ve had to stay mum on the War on Christmas for professional reasons… until now. I used to own a retail business, and therefore I tried to stay professionally neutral at all times. Back in the day, when I was a brand new bright-eyed, twenty-something shopkeep, and my first November in retail began to wane, I thought to myself… “What shall I say to people?” “Have a…