The Best Bill in Juneau
During the hearings, and vote on SB21, (the governor’s oil tax plan to give billions to oil companies in exchange for absolutely no promise of anything) did you find yourself wondering why Sen. Peter Micciche who works for Conoco Phillips was allowed to vote to give his boss a windfall? Or why Sen. Kevin Meyer who also works for ConocoPhillips was allowed to do the same? And then there’s Rep. Mike Hawker whose wife works for the oil industry. Before critical votes, you’ll hear a legislator like Micciche and Meyer pipe up and say they’d like to abstain from the…
Day 18 – A Prediction
I thought I’d open with this weather prediction. It’s Bill Murray playing Phil the weatherman from the movie Groundhog Day. “It’s going to be cold, it’s going to be grey, and it’s going to last the rest of your life.” That’s where we are. Facebook is filled with people posting pictures of the snow, and writing messages in it. Some can be repeated: REALLY? WTF? OMG! And all are followed by the date. According to KTVA, we have now surpassed the previous record for longest snow season ever. The previous record was 32 years ago. Despite the winter weather conditions,…
Facts: They’re Just My Opinion
A few months ago a listener to my radio show delivered a fresh new conspiracy/scandal. He was certain that President Obama had orchestrated the Sandy Hook school shooting to help get himself re-elected. Really. When I pointed out to the caller that the president had been reelected more than a month before the shooting, he responded, “That’s just your opinion.” So, now actual historical events are JUST MY OPINION because they don’t fit into the narrative that Obama wants to take your guns so badly he’ll send a Manchurian nut-job to shoot up a school. OK, so this guy may…
‘Global Warning My Gluteus Maximus’ Says Palin
You knew this was coming. Alaska is experiencing insane weather anomalies. Last year Southcentral Alaska had its snowiest winter on record. This year, it’s the longest snow season, at 231 days and counting. So it’s not surprising some idiot on Facebook is going to pipe up and say, “Still believe in ‘global warming?’” But I actually didn’t expect to hear it from Sarah Palin, even though she’s repeatedly earned the title of Alaska’s newest village idiot. Palin, you see, during her very brief tenure as Alaska’s governor, not only acknowledged climate change, but actually tried to do something about it….
Bird of the Week – Canada Goose
With AKM’s permission, Wickersham’s Conscience will post a Bird of the Week very nearly every week here at the Mudflats. This week, it’s a Canada Goose landing in a seasonal pond at Creamer’s Field Migratory Waterfowl Refuge, in Fairbanks. Technical stuff: Canon 1D-X, 300mm lens with a 2.0 teleconverter, handheld; f11, 1/640, ISO 125. Taken May 2, 2013. The evening light and lucky timing on the splash help the shot. The reflection was planned.
Day 17 – Two Steps Back
This morning, I awoke to this. And this. There will be “after” shots tomorrow. If we get snow on the 23rd, we will have broken a record for the longest snow season. The fact that we have not already reached that milestone is a bit mind blowing. Today, as the flakes fall in that way that five months ago would have seemed magical, I am trying to reach deep, deep into my psychological reserves and make the best of it with my pal Ray Charles.
Day 16 – Does a Bear Sit in the Woods?
May 16. More than half way into the month. We are over the hump of May, and the weather calls for snow tomorrow and the day after. And yes, if one more person asks me, “So, do you still believe in global warming?” I’m going to wait for that snow, and I’m going to grasp them about the back of the neck and give them a good whitewash. Repeat after me. Climate is not the same thing as WEATHER. Last night when I went in to do Thursdays in the Mud on The Shannyn Moore Show, Shannyn suggested an interesting…
Family of Explorers
When a mutual friend notified me yesterday that Alaska adventurers Bretwood “Hig” Higman and Erin McKittrick might be looking for some transportation while visiting Anchorage, I jumped at the opportunity to meet them. Erin and Hig, as they are known, are the founders of the organization Ground Truth Trekking which provides a unique education on Alaska’s resource issues through hands-on exploration. Erin and Hig, along with the other organization members, combine their travels with exhaustive research, offering comprehensive, science-based coverage of issues like mining, climate change, Alaska fisheries management, energy options, etc…They frequently debunk myths on both sides of the…
Day 15 – Fromage Therapy
Day 15. I have just learned that the weather forecast is calling for up to six inches of snow at Mudflats Central. Yes, you read that correctly. No need for eye-rubbing or double-takes. SIX. INCHES. OF. SNOW. So, what’s the closest thing to a cure for this kind of mind-numbing disbelief, followed by abject depression? Cheese, that’s what. I decided to take a little trip to my new favorite shop in town – Fromaggio’s. They now have a second location on Spenard Road. On its face it seems like an unlikely location for a cheese shop. It’s smushed between a…