I heard the song Winter Wonderland several times today, and it seems like it ought to be Alaska’s seasonal state song. This was one of those times when it looks like someone went a  little too crazy with the fake canned snow.

By Shannyn Moore I’ve never wanted to sit on a sidewalk so badly in my life. This week, seven members of the Anchorage Assembly voted for Mayor Dan Sullivan’s ordinance to create sidewalk sitting hours and rules. Ernie Hall, who has talked about being independent of the mayor, once again, with his vote, proved he [...]

By Erin Pohland NOTE: I wrote this post from Kinshasa on June 30, the Congo’s 51st anniversary of independence from Belgian rule. On November 28, 2011, the Congo will hold its second election since the “end” of its civil war in 2002. Whatever your beliefs, please take a moment to think of or pray for [...]

Not the best picture, but definitely the best idea for what to do today! Black Friday is over, and the deals are dealt. So, now it’s time to think local! No matter where you are today, think about what local businesses you’re grateful for, and give them your support. Small local businesses are up against [...]

Alaska Attorney General John Burns has submitted his resignation which has been accepted today by Governor Sean “Captain Zero” Parnell. “It is with reluctance that I accept General Burns’ resignation,” Parnell said. “General Burns is a capable leader and a true public servant dedicated to the people of Alaska. I appreciate his efforts over the past [...]

Once again our intrepid New York Bureau Chief Zach Roberts was on the scene in Zuccotti Park, but this trip was far more peaceful than the last one, where hundreds were driven out of the park by police, and violence ensued. The spirit was more festive on Thanksgiving, where thousands of free turkey dinners were [...]

        Happy Black Friday, everyone!  As you can see from the pictures above, one Alaskan business has been preparing long and hard for your shopping pleasure. Nope, it’s not in a mall, it’s not a national chain, and you cannot get anything made in China. So before you open that Swiss Colony [...]

Happy Thanksgiving, Mudflatters! With so much distress in the world, it’s difficult sometimes to remember all the things to be grateful for. There are many. First of all, I’d like to thank all of you for reading! I suppose I’d be writing anyway, even if only into the void, but it certainly wouldn’t be as [...]

By Wickersham’s Conscience WC’s readers will recall that back in June 2011, WC was critical – well, vitriolic, really – of Governor Parnell’s decision to litigate the endangered species classification of the Cook Inlet Beluga Whales. Because Parnell’s other bad decisions had removed Alaskan officials from the group that develops the recovery plan, Alaska had no [...]

by Linda Kellen Biegel (Homeless Anchorage protestor John Martin and his faithful friend) On the same day that the world is outraged by the pepper-spraying of peaceful UC Davis protestors, Newt Gingrich still manages to capture the attention of the media. Friday, his announcement of “extraordinarily radical proposals to fundamentally change the culture of poverty [...]

After the excessive and brutal use of force by officers on the campus of UC Davis, photoshop gurus from around the web have been busy at work putting the image of Lt. John Pike (the pepper spraying cop) into images where he pepper sprays all manner of other harmless and benevolent people and critters and [...]

As Thanksgiving approaches, let’s all give a big helping of thanks (and an even bigger ladle of sarcasm gravy) to Sean Parnell for yet again wasting our money. Thanks, governor. Cook Inlet has a problem. It used to have a large, healthy population of beluga whales. The population of about 1,300 animals was large enough, [...]

Happy Monday, Mudflatters!  Here we go again…

Apparently someone put something in Don Young’s oatmeal this week. OK, yes… he’s got something in his oatmeal every week, but this week he got an extra helping. Or perhaps he jus needs a bran muffin instead. Or perhaps the propeller beanie he wore to the Resources hearing a few days ago was a liiiitle [...]

By Erin Pohland Day 14, Kinshasa Hey all- I’m utterly exhausted, so this email will be very short. The good news: we got the visa! The bad news: my agency (via Reverend Bashaka) messed so many things up that I had to spend 4 hours at the embassy fighting with the consul to get it, [...]