Last summer I first noticed two things; Al Franken’s strange and wonderful parlor trick, and it’s fatal flaw.  It seems that Al Franken, when he was a child, was given by his parents a wooden map puzzle of the United States.  I was also given by my parents a wooden map puzzle of the United [...]

After the second full day of Netroots Nation, I realize what a culture shock I’m experiencing.  And when I say culture shock, I mean that in a good way.  It feels nice… Out of the frying pan and in to the fountain.  Let’s face it.  It can get a little much being a small blue [...]

Sorry everyone for the lack of open thread. Time has lost all meaning when you’re four hours ahead of where your brain is AND you’re operating on 3 1/2 hours of sleep a night! Enjoy the open thread. I’m at a panel on local blogging right now that’s just getting started.

Can I say, as an Alaskan who is still in the recovery process, that it feels really nice to hear everyone around here at Netroots Nation saying “the governor” and meaning Howard Dean?  Wow.  I’m sitting right now listening to his Town Hall Health Care meeting at Netroots Nation in Pittsburgh.   One of the [...]

I finished up the morning today by attending a discussion called “Staying on Top of Congress’ Shenanigans.”  How could I resist that one?  It turned out to be a tutorial on using a webiste called “Progressive Punch.”  It’s probably something you can figure out yourself by just jumping in and clicking around.  It seems to [...]

This morning I attended a panel discussion entitled “A Warming Web – The Blogosphere and Climate Change” The panelists were Miles Grant from the National Wildlife Federation, Kate Shepperd a political reporter for grist.org,  Tim Lang (Meteorblades) of Daily Kos, Brad Johnson from the Center for American Progress, Brent Monk a former Pittsburgh journalist working [...]

For the next week or so, the blog will be more like a diary than usual. I’m out of Alaska attending Netroots Nation, and traveling to points beyond, all because of YOU! Your online votes, and your generous donations to the blog via the Donate button have made this trip possible for me, so I [...]

That’s the plan, anyway! When this thread posts automatically at midnight Alaska time, I’ll be somewhere between here and Pittsburgh on the way to Netroots Nation.  I’ve been looking over the schedule of events, and it’s absolutely overwhelming.  There are so many things happening at the same time,  you’d have to be octuplets to fully [...]

Public testimony is over, but now the Assembly takes up the issue of Anchorage’s non-discrimination ordinance which would add the words “sexual orientation” to the city’s non-discrimination policy in areas of housing, employment, education and public accomodations. Here’s a message from Equality Works: You don’t have to testify, you don’t have to engage in debates [...]

Yes, I know what you’re thinking.  Aren’t you and Shannyn running around like chickens trying to get ready to fly out to Pittsburgh tonight to attend Netroots Nation?  Why, yes we are.  So all I can say about this last minute request to appear on Countdown with Keith Olbermann is “better her than me!” Tune [...]

Talk amongst yourselves!

The Alaska Legislature just voted to confirm Craig Campbell as the new Lt. Governor for the state of Alaska with 55 voting to confirm and 4 opposed to his confirmation.  The no votes were Senators Kookesh and Paskvan, and Reps. Crawford and Thomas. And in a decisive smack-down the Legislature voted to accept the stimulus funds that [...]

I am taking a break. This was a strange and disturbing morning. I started the day with a big cup of coffee, and an 8:30am arrival at The Egan Center in downtown Anchorage.  That’s where the special session of the Alaska State Legislature is meeting today.  They have two things on their plate – voting [...]

It’s special session day!  Stimulated coffee drinkers and decaffeinated tea baggers will be out in force while the legislature decides whether to overturn the former governor’s veto of the weatherization stimulus funds, and whether to confirm Craig Campbell as Lt. Governor. Stay tuned for details, and enjoy the open thread.

Q.  Let me get your reaction to Governor Palin’s comments on her Facebook page. Dean: About euthanasia? They’re just totally erroneous. She just made that up. You know…just like the “Bridge to Nowhere” that she supposedly didn’t support. There’s nothing like euthanasia in the bill. Look, I’ve practiced medicine for a long time, and of [...]