Militia Leader Cox Gets 25 Years
“Well, this proves one thing. Schaeffer Cox can still draw a crowd.” Reporter Michael Carey made the observation while sitting next to me on a wooden bench in the lobby outside Courtroom 2 in the federal courthouse in Anchorage this morning. It’s true. At the end of the day, Cox will be sentenced to 25 years, 10 months in prison, and his new lawyer will reveal the results of a recent psychological evaluation that diagnoses him for the first time as a paranoid schizophrenic, with paranoid personality disorder, and delusional personality disorder. But as the day begins, the courtroom is…
Shell: The Reckoning
Like any large corporation these days, Shell is making use of social media to spin its damage control about the Kulluk grounding. Whether the company’s aren’t-we-swell message is getting traction is open to debate. More important than getting an earful on its Facebook page is the legal/legislative reckoning the company is about to face. US Sen. Mark Begich (D-AK), the United States Coast Guard, the Department of the Interior, and the US House of Representatives are all launching investigations into the matter. Phil Munger over at Progressive Alaska has a nice overview of each of these inquiries. Given the PR…
Alaska-Sized Perspective
Here in Alaska, we always get calls from concerned relatives when they hear about tsunami warnings, or earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions in Alaska. And if we had relatives in Delaware when a natural even such as those occurred, you can bet we’d be on the blower in a flat second to find out if they were alright. But, here’s something to put all your Alaskan news into a little perspective. These maps pop up on Facebook every now and then, but I still find them fascinating. Even living here, you tend to lose perspective sometimes. So, if Alaska were superimposed…
Begich Wins Seat on Appropriations
Score! (I search frantically for a Democratic Alaskan political wonk and fistbump them!) I wrote before about how Harry Reid was busy armoring Mark Begich for his upcoming reelection fight in 2014 with committee positions that would bolster his effectiveness in Washington, and make him indispensable to his home state. What did Ted Stevens fans refer to when touting the special power he held in the senate? “Well, you know…” they’d say as they jammed their hands in theirr pockets and arched an eyebrow, “He was the, uh… head of the Appropriations Committee. Stick that in your pipe and smoke…
Shell & Water Don’t Mix
Royal Dutch Shell’s Alaska operations could have used a dose of “local knowledge” to prevent their latest debacle: the grounding of the oil rig Kulluk. That phrase, “local knowledge,” should ring a bell for Shell. The company was the one of the largest contributors to a group opposing the restoration of Alaska’s Coastal Zone Management program. Why did Shell spend so much money to keep coastal Alaskans away from the table? Don’t they value the experience of local people along the Beaufort and Chukchi coasts? Oh, that’s right. When you’re drilling in their back yards, you only want silent partners….
Downward Dogma: The Hindu Threat
Islamophobia is so 2010. To meet the more current threat totally not facing our nation, one must travel to the town of Encinitas—located on the California coast between San Diego and Los Angeles. Encinita’s local school district has received a $533,000 grant from a local yoga studio enabling students to learn about healthy eating, cultivating small gardens, and… (*cue shrieking violins from Hitchcock film*) Ashtanga yoga. Elementary school students in the district began taking yoga for 30 minutes, twice per week. Parents can opt their kids out of the program, but only 3 to 4 families at each school have…
Meanwhile, In Shell’s PR Office…
Following the loss of control and subsequent grounding of the Shell drilling rig, Kulluk, that company’s PR team goes to work. Sitting in PR headquarters, mostly silent, members of the PR team wracked their brains trying to find a way to at least mitigate some of the negative publicity being aimed at the corporation. Then it came. One member of the team jumped up and exclaimed, “I’ve got it! Let’s spend some money on Facebook and try to get some extra ‘Likes’ over this whole thing!” And everyone at Shell agreed. The end. ************************************************************************************************* Ryan Marquis lives on Alaska’s…
Palin Galluping Off the Chart
In these days of political woe and want, when fiscal cliffs, and debt ceilings, and oil rig groundings get us down, there’s really nothing like another little piece of confirmation that Sarah Palin is slipping into oblivion to make us at Mudflats central clonk our coffee mugs together and smile. It doesn’t really mean anything, but it’s still nice. It’s like the empty calories from a butterscotch candy. So, here’s one. Every year since the 1940s, Gallup has done a poll asking Americans two simple questions: What man/woman that you have heard or read about, living today in any part…
America’s Congresswoman
As the 113th Congress is sworn in, The Mudflats salutes one of our nation’s—nay, one of Western Civilization’s—most distinguished legislators. Minnesota’s 6th is represented by Freedom, and Freedom takes its oath of office today. Michele stands ready to address the concerns of America’s corporate leaders! The book the liberal media doesn’t want you to see! Which is why you’ve had such a difficult time finding it: Rep. Bachmann’s totally heterosexual husband Marcus simply cannot keep his paws off her! Get a room, you two! Michele was truly moved this Christmas when fans from across America sent her…
GOP Kills Violence Against Women Act
I sent a letter to House Majority Eric Cantor to bring to the floor a chance to pass the Violence Against Women Act that holds a provision giving Tribes the ability to go after offenders that have literally been getting a free pass to abuse and exploit American Indian / Alaska Natives for hundreds of years. The remoteness of reservations and rural villages makes us easy pickings and proving grounds for predators. The State and many staff with our federal delegation get so uneasy giving Tribes any sort of authority even though it is impossible for them, or fail to…