Convicted Militiaman Schaeffer Cox Fires Attorney
Schaeffer Cox, who was recently found guilty in federal court on multiple counts including conspiracy to commit murder, solicitation to commit a crime of violence, and various weapons charges, has fired his attorney Nelson Traverso. In papers filed today, Traverso moved to withdraw from the case since Cox has discharged him from representation. “Mr. Cox is extremely dissatisfied with counsel’s representation and expressly requests that any further attorney-client representation be terminated,” Traverso said in his motion to withdraw from the case. He has been Cox’s attorney since March 23, 2011. Cox, who is currently being held at the Anchorage Correctional…
Dear Mr. President, “I believe,” is not good policy
An open letter to President Barack Obama: Dear Mr. President, As a woman who worked very hard to make sure your last opponents were not elected — walking door to door in the snow on your behalf, registering more than a thousand Alaskans to vote, exposing Palin in the national media, etc. — I feel obligated to write you about a few of my concerns. Your secretary of the interior, Ken Salazar, recently told reporters asking about Shell’s recent drilling permits and Alaska’s Arctic, “I believe there’s not going to be an oil spill.” Sir, he just wrote the headline for the first oil spill under…
Open Thread – By Any Other Name
One of my very favorite Alaska flowers. Wild roses may not have all the long stems, bi-color fanciness, or ruffled petals of the new hybrid roses, but oh do they give a big sloppy kiss to the olfactory section of the brain… When masses of them are blooming, you can walk through the brush, and be treated to a scent so heady, so sweetly divine, it makes you want to lie down in them and take a nap… with the appropriate body armor of course.
Arctic in Crisis
By Rick Steiner The Arctic is one of most pristine and unique regions of our planet, but it is now in crisis from two serious threats — climate change and industrialization. As sea ice retreats, the Arctic has become the “wild wild north” — a last frontier for a failed development paradigm that has ravaged much of the rest of the biosphere. And while governments and industry say they will develop the Arctic “responsibly,” their actions so far suggest otherwise. On climate change, things have quickly gone from bad to worse. The Arctic is warming at twice the rate…
Open Thread – Make a Wish!
We’re having a bit of a chilly spell here on the Last Frontier. While temperatures soar to record highs in the east, we are stuck with a week of cloudy, sometimes breezy, high 50s, with showers on and off. Not the greatest weather for camping, but it does provide some lovely diffused light for taking pictures of flowers. So, that’s what I’ve been doing. I’ll share over the coming days. Let’s begin with the much-loathed, but objectively gorgeous dandelion.
Ghost Pots Haunt Bering Sea Crab Fishery
The ocean has many woes. Over-fishing, acidification, heavy metals, plastic and styrofoam, oil spills, marine mammal endangerment, mining near water bodies, and climate change, just to name some of them. But here’s one you don’t hear about very often that affects one of our favorite gifts from the sea – Alaska crab. For those who have never seen a crab pot, they are huge metal and net contraptions that cost between $1000 and $1500 a piece. They sit on the sea floor, collecting and trapping crab that dwell on the bottom. They are secured by heavy lines and marked by…
Open Thread – BBQ
The writer in me wants to wax poetic about the spread you see before you, but since a large portion of it has been ingested by yours truly, I find myself unable to do much but groan… I hope you all had as wonderful of an Independence Day as I did!
The Soldier, The Sailor & The Senator
Prisoner #313052 was wounded and, a few days later, taken captive by the Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. A member of the 86th and 28th Infantry Divisions during World War II, George Chilton aka “dad” would later be liberated by the Russians and awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service. He never did claim the Bronze Star. He said he didn’t like to think about what he had to do to earn it. And thus, ever since I was a young girl, I was made aware that there are ordinary people who do extraordinary things…
Sully Goes Viral!
Well, look at that. Mayor Dan Sullivan’s decision to skip town and take his oath of office in Hawaii has, apparently, gone viral. None other than First Lady Lynette Sullivan has sprung to his defense. She piped up in the comment section of the Anchorage Daily News to quell the rumblings of Anchorage citizens who thought that the Mayor actually ought to put his official duties first, and his tropical vacation second. It’s worth reading, just to see if you can manage to keep your lunch down. My comments (as always) are in red. ********************* Hello Anchorage! This is First Lady…
Open Thread – Dog Days
Ah, the dog days of summer… Like many Alaskans, Buf has been enjoying the company of a summer visitor. Her name is Ladybug. Let’s just say there has been much wagging, and rolling, and frolicking in the grass.