~~~~~DeeDee Jonrowe crosses Long Lake in Willow. Photo by Dennis Zaki~~~~ When I first moved to Alaska in February of 1991, I had no idea what to expect.  I knew nobody here, had no job, and found myself at the top of the world in the middle of winter with no idea what to do [...]

Remember just a day or two ago when Sarah Palin filled the Alaska Supreme Court vacancy, and her administration claimed “Her choice for Supreme Court judge was made in accordance with Alaska law. She chose the person most qualified from the names sent to her.”  Well, apparently that attitude is checked at the door when [...]

CNN has aired the following piece, including great video from Dennis Zaki. They interviewed Zaki and used footage of his interviews with residents of Emmonak to shed more light on the situation in Western Alaska. He speaks about the “why don’t they move?” argument, and brings the focus back where it ought to be -on [...]

It has happened.  The first official group to register to raise money to draft Sarah Palin for President in 2012 has reared its head.  “Where is this group located?” you might be asking yourself.  Wasilla?  The neighboring town of Palmer?  Somewhere in Utah? Oklahoma? Arkansas? “Nope.  Keep guessing,”  I tell you. “Alabama?  North Carolina?  Texas?” [...]

As the Republican Party does its level best to brand themselves as the regional party of the South, the party of the rabid Evangelicals, or the party of the “I never met a war I didn’t like” neo-conservatives, there are a few….a very few out there in positions of power who attempt to remind the country of the [...]

This won’t take long, but it will be a fun way to get the goat of  “maeT haraS”  (Read that backwards. I don’t want to tip off the Google alert!) The Juneau Empire has an online poll, and today they want to know if the governor ought to choose House Minority Leader Democrat Beth Kerttula [...]

Last week, Governor Palin selected a new judge to serve on the Alaska  Supreme Court.  You might think the prospect of this would make the entire progressive community break out in a cold sweat.  Not so fast. Thanks to the Alaska State Constitution, Palin had to make a choice: Candidate A, or Candidate B.  Both candidates were presented to [...]

Back in March of 1990, Captain Joseph Hazelwood was sentenced to 1000 hours of wiping off oiled rocks in Alaska’s Prince William Sound, and paying a $50,000 fine.  Hazelwood captained the Exxon Valdez oil tanker which ran around on Bligh Reef in then pristine Prince William Sound, spilling between 11 million and 30 million gallons [...]

Nicholas Tucker of Emmonak, Alaska has become known as the man who brought the plight of rural Alaska’s crisis of food, fuel and fish to national attention.  The problem has existed for a long time, but until now has played out beyond the view of most of Alaska, nevermind the rest of the country.  But [...]

Check out this great interview with Ann Strongheart of Nunam Iqua, and Victoria Briggs from Pilot Point on APRN (Alaska Public Radio Network). Groceries and fuel dollars are pouring into rural Alaska from as far away as New York and New Zealand.  Village residents say the aid will make a big difference this winter. And [...]

This may be bigger than hula-hoops, cabbage patch dolls or Pokemon cards!  The latest Republican fad seems to be apologizing to Rush Limbaugh.  We all know that sometimes it’s hard not to speak your mind, especially when inspired to do so by the bloviations of America’s favorite….bloviator.  But we also know that the Republican Party [...]

A new development from the “Corrupt Bastards Club”!  It’s funny to think back when the tales of miscreant legislators selling their souls and their offices for a song to oil services company Veco, was the big news in Alaska politics.  Nobody was thinking about Ted Stevens or Sarah Palin back then.  The names in the [...]

First – Thanks to all of you for your nice thoughts as I struggle through “the crud”.  I’m hoping to be able to post a bit more than I have been for the last few days.  And to those of you who have sent emails anytime in the last 3 or 4 days, please know [...]

Before that song starts running through your head and you learn to hate me, pleas stand. (Hand on heart, clearing throat)  I pledge allegiance to the Democratic Presidential Candidate of the United States of America… In my humble opinion, pledging allegiance to a flag is a bit odd to begin with.  I’d rather be pledging [...]

Sarah Palin…the conservative sweetheart, the down home girl who grew up in a small town in Alaska, whose meteoric rise to mayor, governor, VP candidate, and Presidential contender in 2012 can only be described as a phenomenon.  She has fired up the passions of conservatives, inspired tens of thousands to join her fan club site [...]