The Anchorage mayoral race has been a special brand of political torture for progressives.  The general overview is this.  There are a host of very good, viable, capable candidates for mayor, any of which the moderate or progressive populace would probably be happy to have running our city.  And it’s painful to have to choose.  [...]

We don’t usually have a morning open thread here, but the Mods and I were just chatting and we realized Tyra was going to be on soon – in fact *is* on right now in certain places. So rather than have the comments go off topic, here is an open thread. Can I just politely [...]

Mt. Redoubt continues to erupt, and the most recent activity has postponed plans to drain the majority of the 6 million gallons of crude oil in Chevron’s Drift River facility, sitting at water’s edge.   It has also forced Chevron to completely suspend oil production in Cook Inlet.  This is a very big deal.  It means that [...]

I’ve been posting pretty regularly giving updates on the crisis in rural Alaska. The mismanagement of fisheries in Western Alaska has led to salmon runs that are unable to sustain the people who have relied on them for thousands of years as a staple subsistence food, and more recently as a source of income. This, coupled with [...]

Mudflats Central is in low gear this weekend.  My wish for nothing to happen is actually working out well with on exception – the volcano. Mt. Redoubt had a violent 30 minute long eruption yesterday morning, the biggest and longest yet, that spewed ash to about 50,000 feet and deposited ash on the Kenai Peninsula [...]

Here we go.  The last news out of the capital on Friday could mean a showdown between Governor Palin and the Alaska State Legislature. Here are the Cliff Notes to get you up to speed, in case you’re one of those rare people who think there are other things more worthy of your time and [...]

And I thought 5:00 on Friday might mean the news was over…..but the governor continues to take us on a tour through the Looking Glass World.  Thanks to flyinureye for summing it up oh so perfectly! Palin Takes the Money (We Think) No, there hasn’t been an official press release.  Those are saved for important [...]

Well, the internets are all a-flame with the latest antics of the Palin clan.  It now seems that the Johnston’s are going to appear on The Tyra Banks Show this coming Monday.  We’ve been teased and tantalized with hints that Sarah and Todd Palin knew that the two young lovebirds, were….how shall we put this [...]

In life, we’re all dealt a certain hand.  We each have different gifts, challenges and abilities.  Same goes for politics.  We’re all dealing with different players on a local, and state level.  It’s like a big political feast, and we each have our own plate. At the big long banquet table, as an Alaskan, I’ve [...]

OK, last night I tried to get out of Looking Glass World.   The rules are, you’re supposed to be able to go back through the mirror when you’re done.  (Here’s where you can picture me looking slightly panicked, and banging on the backside of that mirror….trying to get back to the rest of you.  You [...]

Something strange has happened.  I feel like Alice when she slipped into Looking Glass World.  At first, everything seemed to look the same for Alice, but the farther she got, the more obvious it was that she had entered another dimension where nonsense was the norm. I have entered such a world, apparently.  It wasn’t [...]

This is very good news, indeed. The 6.3 million gallons of crude oil that sits, as I type, between the pristine waters of Cook Inlet and Mt. Redoubt, an actively erupting volcano, will now be drained, if it can be done safely. The project is set to begin on Saturday according to Capt. Mark Hamilton [...]

Now you’re going to have to follow this carefully.  So shake out your arms, rub your palms together briskly, and focus carefully.  OK… The Anchorage Daily Newsreader has linked to the Alaska Dispatch, which has written a news article based on an anonymous blog comment in response to an article in the Anchorage Press about [...]

The new group called “Citizens Against Dan Sullivan and Liquor Industry Influence”  which seems to have the unfortunate acronym CADSLII, will be holding a press conference this morning at 11am. The press conference will be at 645 G Street, across from McGinley’s Pub, of which Sullivan is part owner.  The purpose is to publicize Dan [...]

Remember a few days ago when Sarah Palin sent a message to Senate Democrats? Dear Senate Democrats, Sincerely, Sarah Palin Governor Well, now the Senate Democrats have sent a message back. Dear Governor Palin, Sincerely, Senate Democrats Oh, dear.  I think I’m beginning to see a trend. Tim “I Didn’t Know I Was a Republican” [...]