~And they would’ve got away with it too… if it weren’t for that pesky Constitution!

The question is “school choice.” That’s what they call it, anyway. Anchorage is fortunate in that there is already a great network of 27 charter schools available for those who want a public school alternative. And America is fortunate that for our kids, attending school is a privilege to which everyone is entitled. Yes, education is an “entitlement program,” (oh, the horror) and we ought to be proud of that. It’s one of those instances when “American exceptionalism” really means something.

Republicans in the Alaska State House, like Republicans across the land, have put the institution of public education squarely in their cross-hairs, and the House Education Committee is attempting to usher through a bill known as HB145.

One of those leading the charge is Rep. Wes Keller of Wasilla. Keller was one of the five lawmakers who filed the suit to stop the legislative investigation of the Troopergate scandal, and is also an elder in Palin’s church whom she appointed to his seat.

And the Hardiest Occupiers Award goes to….. Occupy Fairbanks! The Mudflats salutes you from the Anchorage Banana Belt.

Happy Solstice to all! It’s that wonderful time (especially in the far north) when the Earth decides to tip back into the summer direction, and the amount of darkeness gets less, and the light gets longer. It will only be a second or two a day at first, but as the weeks roll on, it will turn to minutes at a time in its frenzied journey to long summer days.

I love the Solstice, and try to make time to appreciate it in some way. It’s almost a shame it comes surrounded by all the rest of the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. It can tend to get lost in there. This year it was decorating the tree, listening to beautiful music, drinking yummy drinks, and feeling grateful to have made it through a difficult year. A new tipping of the axis has come, with new possibilities, new hopes, and new strength. This is one of those holidays that exists objectively, whether we want it or not. Every culture marked it, and every human has noticed it since the beginning of time. And nobody will change it to Monday so we get a long weekend, or combine it with another event and call it “Celestial Day.” It is what it is – simple, scientific, magical and beautiful.

The Sun, which has been conspicuously absent the last week or so, rose (literally) to the occasion today with a beautiful sunrise, and equally lovely sunset. A grand entrance and finale, worthy of celebration in itself.

But if noting the turning of the seasons, and basking in their resplendent symbolic glory isn’t enough for you… and if you’d rather mark this most notable of days by celebrating your Constitutional rights, and challenging the grinchy government interventionist mayor, who says that he can tell you when you can and cannot sit on the sidewalk, then have I got the thing for you.

Join the group of protesters who are ready to do the unthinkable, the untenable… They shall defy big gubmint, and those who have grown too large for their mayoral britches, and they shall SIT. That’s right. They’re going to sit – right in front of City Hall. They shall dare to park their backsides on the cement surrounding the Ivory Tower.  They are a mighty lot. To join this noble crowd, dress warmly, bring a thermos, and prepare to sit for liberty.

Where: Right in front of City Hall on 6th and G Streets

When: Lunchtime, any time 11am-1pm  [Note that there will be some hearty souls there at 6am when sitting officially becomes illegal]

Yesterday, I was on the Shannyn Moore Show (1020koan.com) for my weekly segment, Thursdays in the Mud. I’d just come from the press conference held by the One Anchorage campaign which will put basic equal rights for the LGBT community on this spring’s Municipal ballot. It proposes the radical notion that gay and transgendered people should not face legal discrimination in the areas of housing, employment, education and the use of public facilities.

During the show, a perennial homophobic caller decided to voice his opinion about “homo encounter relations” and went on a rant about the unnatural nature of gay marriage, or any kind of non-heterosexual relationships. Shannyn explained that the issues on the ballot had nothing to do with gay marriage, to which he responded, “it’s the same thing.”

Speaking to the “unnatural” argument, I signaled to Shannyn. I wasn’t on the air yet, so I gestured to her, bending my elbows, flapping and mouthing, “What about the penguins?” She remembered a previous conversation we’d had on the subject, and informed the caller that individuals in many species in the animal kingdom, including humans, are gay – penguins being a notable non-human example.

On the break we joked as we wondered how they could really tell the difference anyway, since they were all in tuxedos.

Then this story crossed my radar today. It would likely throw our caller and those who believe as he does into a tailspin. It seems that one of the gay penguin couples – Adam and Steve – at the China Zoo, are raising a baby!

They were once given the cold shoulder at the wildlife park in China for stealing heterosexual couples’ eggs to nest as their own.

But after being allowed to try out with eggs rejected by their mothers the couple have become the zoo’s best penguin parents.

Now keepers at Polarland Zoo in Harbin, north east China, have rewarded their devotion with a wedding day.

One wore a tie and the other was dressed in a red blouse – a traditional Chinese bridal colour – as they stepped into their icy wedding room to the music of the Wedding March.

Keepers then served them their favourite dish for the occasion – spring fish.

“They have been a good couple and deserved their reward,” said one keeper.

This isn’t the first example of excellent parenting skills from gay penguin couples. The Central Park Zoo in New York City has a penguin couple named Roy and Silo who were given a chick (Tango) to raise as their own. A best-selling children’s book was even written about it.

So, here’s to loving couples, equality, and great parents of all stripes.

[Adam and Steve's wedding photos can be found at the second link above]

Are we really surprised that Alaska is overrepresented in anything having to do with bizarre politics?

No, we are not.

Inspired by the very strange Herman Cain ad, in which his campaign manager, as a finale, takes a nice deep drag off a half-smoked cigarette, followed by a cutaway to an extreme closeup of Herman Cain staring in to the camera and taking a full ten seconds to finally and veeery sloooowwwly smile, the Washington Post has posted the top ten most bizarre political ads of all time.

Guess who won the top spot?

Anyone living in Alaska at the time will remember it. The gold medal went to none other than Mike Gravel, former Alaska Senator and candidate for President in 2008. Behold the majesty. In a staring contest, our guy would wipe the floor with Herman Cain. But don’t tune out half way through. Something does happen, but I don’t want to be the spoiler.

Also making a showing in the top ten was a spot from Alaska Congressional candidate Diane Benson that same year. I actually thought this one was pretty hilarious.

You can check out the others HERE.

Occupy Fairbanks photos from Mudflatter “Fairbanksan,” and front page coverage from the Fairbanks Daily News Miner HERE.

Armed with megaphones, signs and the power of free speech, Occupy Fairbanks protesters occupied downtown for much of Saturday. The group of more than a hundred people marched from place to place, chanting, singing and speaking up about their frustration with corporations’ power in the country.

“I’m here today because I grew up loving America,” Marco Lewis, a retired military veteran, said. In recent years, though, he said, the country is different than the one he grew up in.

“It’s becoming an America controlled by the corporate elite,” Lewis said. He said politicians and representatives are financed largely by corporations and are being forced to serve those corporations.”

Occupy Fairbanks photos by Gary Black

Occupy Homer [photo by Shannyn Moore]

Occupy Homer from the Occupy Homer Facebook page

Occupy Anchorage from Mudflatter SapientAOhm

Occupy Anchorage from Mudflatter BlueInAK

To see more from BlueInAK, click HERE.

Occupy Juneau made the front page of the Juneau Empire!

There was little activity downtown, but the group received positive feedback from those who took notice. Some drivers honked, some stopped to take photos, and one man thanked the group for making the effort. Another man joined the group and started the chant, “Where’s my golden parachute?” while a demonstrator wrote on a piece of cardboard to create a sign for the man, who suffers from arthritis.

“Nobody’s going to have any retirement anymore, it’s ridiculous, I can’t believe it. People are working their entire lives paying taxes.” said the newcomer, who chose to remain unnamed.

And, we just had to include these last two again…

Occupy the Bering Sea, Unalaska! Photo by Jane Rice Bye

Occupy the Tundra, Bethel – Diane McEachern

OK, Barrow. Let’s have one by the arch!

[Send your Occupation pics to akmuckraker(at)yahoo(dot)com]

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Here are some pictures just in from Occupy Cordova! Let’s hear it for the folks on the “East Coast!” (of Prince William Sound) Photos by Kelley Weaverling via David Otness

Alaskans are busting their buttons this week. I couldn’t let these wonderful accomplishments pass without a little hat tip to the folks that made their fellow Alaskans proud as peacocks.

Brian Schmidt

An Australian-based astrophysicist, Brian Schmidt, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics is a product of the Anchorage School District, having graduated from Bartlett High School! He originally had dreams of being a meteorologist and worked for a time at the National Weather Service in Anchorage. When that career path proved to be less challenging than he had hoped, he was on to bigger and better things, like proving that the universe is expanding and accelerating, creating a colder darker and less densely populated neighborhood with passing time… I’m not sure how I feel about this, but congratulations are due regardless.

STOCKHOLM – Three U.S.-born scientists won the Nobel Prize in physics on Tuesday for overturning a fundamental assumption in their field by showing that the expansion of the universe is constantly accelerating.

Their discovery created a new portrait of the eventual fate of the universe: a place of super-low temperatures and black skies unbroken by the light of galaxies moving away from each other at incredible speed.

Debby Dahl Edwardson

Barrow resident, Debby Dahl Edwardson is one of five finalists for the National Book Award in the Young People’s Literature category. The winner will be announced November 16th.

“My Name is Not Easy” is the story of three Inupiaq children sent to a boarding school between 1960 and 1964. The story deals with their homesickness, hope, loss and some specifically Alaska matters. Kirkus Reviews said, “The rivalry between Indian and Eskimo is made … vivid, along with the stereotypes and bias that both sides believe about the other.”

Clarence Lee Alexander

Fort Yukon’s Clarence Lee Alexander, 72,  is one of only 13 Americans invited to the White House next week  who will receive from President Obama, the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest civilian honor in the nation. There were about 6,000 people nominated for the award which recognizes American citizens who have  “performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.” according to a White House press release.

Sometimes called the grandfather of tribal government in Alaska for his long-held role as Chief of Fort Yukon, Clarence Alexander has done extensive work cleaning up the Yukon River, resulting in closure of numerous open-burning dumps and the removal or recycling of millions pounds of waste. Alexander is former Grand Chief of the Gwichin people of Alaska. Alexander receives the Citizens Medal for demonstrating how much good a dedicated leader can accomplish.

Nanci Morris Lyon and Kate Taylor

These two Alaskan women, also known as “Team Bear Trail” may not be as well known as the others on this list, but their accomplishment and what they are doing with it make them eminently worthy of our respect and admiration. They were the top fundraisers of this year’s 24-Hour Fish-A-Thon in Nebraska. Not only did they smoke the competition, but they raised about $8,000 – more than the entire Fish-A-Thon raised the year before! Half of the funds they raised will be dedicated specifically to the campaign for Bristol Bay, to stop the proposed Pebble Mine. Do we love them, or WHAT?

They also won an all expense paid fishing trip to Griffin Fishing Charters on the Mississippi Delta near New Orleans, Louisiana. Congratulations, and thanks for sharing the spotlight with Bristol Bay and all those who unite to stop Pebble Mine.

Check out 2:33 in the video for the awesome “Wrong Mine Wrong Place” no Pebble can cozy!

by Linda Kellen Biegel

My husband and I are big users of Google Maps on our iPhones anytime we go somewhere new. I’m especially fond of clicking on the “little man” and getting the “street view” of the area we are checking, if it’s available.

It can be quite useful, actually, if one is researching/investigating a location. (example: I used it to figure out where the Samaritan’s Purse camp is in Soldotna).

I always wondered exactly how they got the street view. Was it someone riding as a passenger in a car with a video camera? Was it done by volunteers?

Well, my little geek heart rejoiced today when, as we were driving home, my daughter and I spotted the car in this picture. When it actually turned onto our street, I excitedly waved him to stop so I could get a photograph. This prompted a *facepalm* from my daughter with her comment, “Oh my god, mom, you really are a nerd!”

I beg to differ. Nerds still live in their parents’ basements and dress like Star Wars characters (hey, I haven’t done that since I was 16!). Geeks have a life…we just like all of the same things as nerds and get really, really excited about stuff that makes other folks snooze. So, sue me!

I console myself with the thought that Rachel Maddow would probably get excited to see a Google Maps Street View car in her neighborhood. At least, that’s MY story…

From HERE.

~photo by Heather Aronno

So, what’s the savvy Anchorage dweller into these days? Urban chickens, my friend. Pampered personal poulets. The Municipality of Anchorage has just legalized chickens – up to five of them per household. They’re good for fresh eggs, or … umm… chicken. And since Alaska is pretty cut off from the rest of the nation, should we ever have a national emergency like if the sky was falling, having chickens is a great way to ensure your own food security.

But the most fun about the coverage of this particular pastime is the meeting of three great people to tell the tale. Heather Aronno of Alaska Pulbic Radio Network met up with Peggy Wilcox and Theo Graber, two of Anchorage’s most enthusiastic chicken keepers. They’ve crafted a bungalow for their feathered friends, and yes… they even have a live chicken cam!

You can read or listen to Aronno’s report HERE.
And if you want to take a peek and see what Peggy and Theo’s chickens are up to, you may behold the chicken cam HERE.