Yes, it’s dark during winter. Yes, it’s really cold. No, you can’t survive without studded snow tires. Yes, it’s a 14 hour travel day to the east coast. BUT There are so many things to be grateful for… And yes, I had an awesome Mother’s Day dinner!

For those of you who missed the mock 2012 GOP Candidates Who Haven’t Declared Yet skit on Saturday Night Live last night, enjoy! Tina Fey is back, resplendent in red blazer, life-sized flag pin, and the admiration of… Donald Trump. Sometimes I think it would be worth it to have Palin in the race, just [...]

My mom saved everything. And so did her mom.  I come by my pack rat nature honestly.  As many of you know, my mom recently passed away, and this is the first Mother’s Day that I don’t have one. So, it was bittersweet when I got something back from her belongings recently, that I’d given [...]

~Bucolic Trapper Creek, Alaska – in the shadow of Denali Residents of Trapper Creek Alaska (pop. 513) had a bit of a scare after 50 homes in the tiny hamlet an hour north of Wasilla were evacuated last night. The evacuations resulted because of the report of 550 pounds of unstable explosives in an old [...]

~Thick and fast they came at last, and more, and more, and more! Derby Day! That’s right. Today with your plate of tasty oyster news nuggets, you can also enjoy a mint julep. (pause while that sinks in) OK, maybe not the best combination, but you understand my metaphorical drift. It should be an interesting [...]

…it’s a tasty way to make money! I made one today for the Service High Football Team cake auction. It’s in the center in the top picture…gingerbread cake with lemon buttercream filling and cream cheese frosting topped with two Danish gingersnaps and candied ginger. Mine was FAR from the fanciest but it did taste yummy! [...]

~Ruth Sheridan and Tom Macchia   By Ruth Sheridan, Alaskans for Peace and Justice On Thursday, May 5, three activists from Alaskans for Peace and Justice were in the Federal Courtroom in Anchorage where a panel of three judges of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals were holding hearings. One of those three judges was [...]

By Patrick DePula As if the Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice “recount” isn’t a big enough mess, It appears that the Wisconsin GOP  has been engaged in widespread fraud surrounding their attempts to recall democratic senators.  Inexplicably, the Republican Party of Wisconsin had relied heavily on people they hired from out of state to collect signatures [...]

It’s been a very rainy couple of days here in Anchorage, and frankly… I love it! Why? Because it’s precipitation that isn’t white! Yes, it’s May 6th, but I’ve seen it snow far later in the year than this. A couple years ago we even got feet of snow on May 1st. Regardless of what [...]

Alaska is a land of extremes, both good and bad. We have the most coastline, the most islands, the best fishing, the most park land, and I can confidently say the most natural wild beauty of any state in the nation. On the flip side, we have the most earthquakes, the most infant botulism, the [...]

Happy Cinco de Mayo! Here’s something completely un-Mexican, but it will start your day with a smile. It’s way better than the creepy-toed American Coot from last night. (Thanks to AKaurora and all who identified it!) Check out the painfully adorable baby anteater in this video. Dare you not to smile!

Mudflatters will remember ‘Mrs. D’, also known fondly as the Chair of the Mudflats History Department. She has reported on various locations from around the globe, with a historical perspective and our mascot Brian the Moose in tow. This past weekend, she had booked a flight to Alabama for a family wedding. Little did she [...]

by Patrick DePula It’s been a cold spring here in Madison.  Just about every rally I’ve been a part of, it seems to have been freezing, snowing and/or raining.  Surprisingly, the weather looked promising for the May Day, or International Workers Day, rally that would begin with speakers in Brittingham Park, involve a March to the [...]

OK, it’s still bugging me weeks later.  I saw this bird last month in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. I was sitting on a bench, enjoying a moment in the warm sunshine, looking at a beautiful little water feature with a bridge. There were laughing children nearby, and people out enjoying the idyllic day. [...]

~Palin in the headlights at the MSNBC after party So, who is the most influential journalist in America today?  Not an easy question, perhaps. It’s one that requires some knowledge of who the journalists today are. And if you’re on camera, and a politico or media type, it might also require a little diplomatic forethought.  [...]