Open Thread – I Like Ike
Remember when THIS was a Republican President, and former General?
Open Thread – Political Clouds
Here are two interesting and very different word clouds. The first is from President Obama’s state of the union address. The second is from the official Republican response delivered by Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels. The more often a word is repeated in the speech, the larger the word will appear in the cloud. h/t The Maddow Blog
Kids Under the Bus, and What You Can Do About it.
There’s no doubt about it. Alaska is blessed. Just ask Governor Sean Parnell. These are golden oily days indeed. In his state of the state address last week, he told us that financially, we’re doing just fine, thankyouverymuch But what if… What if some day we aren’t? We should really start cutting the budget just in case. Besides, swashbuckling with a red pen looks really good, even if you have a patch on both eyes. It can even make a chief executive/oil lobbyist look like a sound-minded fiscal conservative. Don’t look over there where the state is readying itself to…
APOC Ruling Assigns Large Penalty to Bob Griffin for Multiple Campaign Violations
by Linda Kellen Biegel Last week, I listened-in on an Alaska Public Offices Commission hearing regarding an old friend of ours here at Mudflats, Mr. Bob Griffin. You remember Bob: — In April 2011, he ran on his status as a veteran and a pilot in order to win a seat the Anchorage School Board (he lost), in a campaign best-known for the accusations of illegal yard signs. He was also one of Mayor Sullivan’s chosen-ones in that campaign, receiving donations from the both the Mayor and his wife. — In May 2011, Mr. Griffin showed some questionable judgement through…
In Parnell’s Administration, Cronyism Rules the Day
By Shannyn Moore The war on science is winning. And I’m not talking about those who confuse weather and climate. Nope. I’m frustrated with the continual election of candidates with a faith-based bias when it comes to policy that should rely on science. In a letter this week, Ed Fogels, deputy commissioner of the Alaska Department of Natural Resources, informed his colleagues that the mission of the department had changed. The new mission: “To responsibly develop Alaska’s resources by making them available for maximum use and benefit consistent with the public interest.” There are a few issues with DNR’s newfound…
Dispatches from the Congo – A Journey of Love (Part 24)
In my last post, I talked a bit about Andrew’s birth and foster families. My relationship with them is complicated at best. I’ve been told that the little boy in the picture is Andrew’s older brother, Baracka or Barack (his foster mother calls him Barack, his father calls him Baracka). While it’s certainly crossed my mind that it could be a lie, I’m inclined to believe that it’s true. I first learned of Baracka in August, when I asked Andrew’s foster mother for a picture of his birth parents. She sent three: two from their wedding day, and one with…
South Carolina – Let the Games Begin! (UPDATED)
While most can no longer stomach the cringe-inducing, stomach-churning, never-ending bouts of ethically challenged mud wrestling that are the Republican debates, apparently to others they do make a difference. CBS News notes: Nearly two out of three South Carolina Republican primary voters say the recent Republican presidential debates played an important factor in their decision, according to early CBS News exit polls – a good sign for Newt Gingrich, who was widely seen as outshining rival Mitt Romney in both debates there this week. …thus proving that a cow pie is shinier than a buffalo chip. Since 1980, the winner…
Open Thread – Move to Amend
A Move to Amend rally on Anchorage’s Federal Court House steps on the second anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling “Citizens United” will be one of many rallies all over the country on (hopefully) all 100 federal court steps in the nation. The ANCHORAGE CHAPTER OF movetoamend.org will host a rally on “Legalizing Democracy and Challenging Corporate Personhood” in an attempt to raise awareness to Overrule the Supreme Court and reestablish a government of, by, and for the people. The local educational rally will be at the Federal Court House @ 7th and C, from 11am-1pm on January 20th. The…
Palin Urges South Carolinians to Vote for “Egotistical Narrow-Minded Machine Goon”
Was Sarah Palin’s proclamation, “If I were in South Carolina, I’d vote for Newt” really an endorsement, or just her attempt to keep the wounded elephant that is the current presidential GOP lineup limping forward as far as possible before it collapses under the weight of its own unelectability? Correspondence from Palin seems to indicate the latter. During Palin’s VP candidacy, her relationship with Newt Gingrich was tumultuous at best. Emails sent on Palin’s Yahoo! account while she was governor, which (despite being in the hands of the state of Alaska) have never been made available to the public, reveal…
Open Thread – Lights On!
Thanks to all who contacted their legislators regarding SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) yesterday. Google didn’t go dark, but included a link to take action against these two bills and got over 4 million people to make their feelings known. That’s some pretty impressive online activism. Wikipedia, Reddit, and a host of other megasites went completely dark. The Mudflats followed suit. All of us here take the first amendment, and free uncensored speech pretty seriously. Online piracy is a serious problem, but starting down the slippery slope of regulated content and censorship through loosely worded…