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Swans and Snubs and Bears, Oh My!

Swan Song

Alaska has two common species of swans; trumpeter swans and tundra swans.  The tundra swan is absolutely striking, with black bill and black feet.  It is also known as the “whistling swan” because of the noise its powerful slow wing beats make in flight.  To see a pair of tundra swans nesting on a misty lake, is absolutely, breathtakingly magical.

A grim death toll of migrating tundra swans is again being observed at northern Idaho marshes contaminated with toxic mining waste. Thousands of swans headed for breeding grounds in Alaska stop each spring at the marshes along the Coeur d’Alene River.

But the roots and tubers they feed on are laced with lead that’s part of about 100 million tons of mining waste from the Silver Valley that has washed into the river system over the past century.

A hundred years of toxins from mining.  the EPA is faced with a cleanup that will cost more than $360 million over the next 25 years to make the area “safer” for animals and humans.

Besides swans, researchers said they have documented lead exposure and health problems in at least 26 other wildlife species in the basin. Those include beavers, screech owls, field mice, wood ducks, robins and song sparrows.

Roy Brazzle, a biology technician with the Fish and Wildlife, said it’s hard to track the deaths of other species because they don’t leave behind “a big, white carcass.”

These are the kinds of stories Alaskans need to be paying attention to.  No, we don’t eat swans, and no, we don’t live in Idaho.  But we have the looming specter of Pebble Mine, a huge mining operation wanting to set up shop on the edge of the largest wild salmon fishery in the world.  Hopefully salmon won’t be “the new swan”.

Risky Business

Ronald Reagan’s former counsel, A.B. Culvahouse was supposedly the brains behind the vetting of the potential Vice Presidential nominees last year.  He helped McCain pare down the list to 44 potential candidates.

Near decision time, Culvahouse said, McCain asked him for the “bottom line” on Palin.

“John,” Culvahouse replied, “high risk, high reward.”

To which McCain, the former Vietnam attack pilot who flew off and landed on aircraft carriers before spending more than six years as a POW, replied, “You shouldn’t have told me that. I’ve been a risk-taker all my life.”

Now I bet he really wishes Culvahouse hadn’t told him that, as evidenced by the now infamous royal snub last week on Jay Leno.

 

Snub – Part Deux

And now, we have Newt Gingrich following suit with “Snub, Part 2” in an interview with Christianity Today.

Who do you see as the emerging leaders in the Republican Party: Bobby Jindal, Sarah Palin?

Bobby Jindal is certainly brilliant and has a great future. Tim Pawlenty has a great future. There are a lot of people who are terrific. The fact is, I think that you can look at [governer of South Carolina] Mark Sanford, Paul Ryan in the House, [California congressman] Kevin McCarthy, or Eric Cantor [in the House]. I just think we’re likely to have a dramatic resurgence. We have two great candidates in Ohio, John Kasich for governor and Rob Portman for the Senate, who are likely to be very, very effective.

So, the interviewer asked about Jindal and Palin, and got:  Jindal, Pawlenty, Sanford, Ryan, McCarthy, and Cantor.  Who’s missing?  Let’s narrow the question a little and see if we can get him to talk about Palin.

Do you see any women emerging in the GOP leadership?

I would start, frankly, with Linda Lingle in Hawaii, who was a terrific governor who got re-elected in very difficult circumstances. You have Kay Bailey Hutchinson running for the governorship of Texas. If she wins that, she will automatically be a national figure because she’ll be the governor of the second largest state.

Women in GOP leadership – Lingle, and Hutchinson.  OK, the Newtster is obviously avoiding Palin like the plague, so they’re going to have to come straight out and say it.

You didn’t mention Sarah Palin.

Sarah Palin has an obvious role if she wants it. The question for her has to be, are she and her family willing to go through another couple of years of the kind of media coverage that they currently get? Is she willing to do the kind of development of national issues and development of a national profile that would be required? She is a celebrity in her own right. She is probably the most successful figure in the party right now, and she’s a formidable figure. I think to go from there to becoming a national leader would take a significant amount of work.

It will take a significant amount of work to become a national leader?  That’s what we’ve been saying since August 29!  Welcome aboard, Newt.  There are those who’d do you one better and say it will take a significant amount of work for her to become a statewide leader.

Bear-ly Awake…

There may still be snow on the ground, but there are unmistakable signs of spring in the air.  I saw a couple of very….er….frisky squirrels today; there are magpies flying to and fro carrying twigs in their beaks, and lookee who left a calling card in my driveway this morning.

signs11

That’s our local resident black bear, in case you were wondering.  The tracks are next to tire tracks for scale. Black bears and brown bears don’t like sharing the same territory, and usually we are black bear territory.  A couple years ago, we were surprised by a kind of mangy looking, slightly creepy brown bear in the neighborhood, but it seems we’re “back in black” again.  Nobody has actually seen our newly awakened friend yet, but the long winter’s nap is obviously over.  And no sign of Brian the Moose lately, although the rest of the wildlife seem to be everywhere.  Spouse even had to slam on the brakes last night to avoid hitting that beautiful lynx we saw the other day!  At first I thought “That stupid dog!” when it ran out in front of the car.  Then I thought, “That stupid cat!”  Then I realized what it actually was!  I think it got quite a scare.  If I’d had my camera, you would have seen a shot of him with front legs off the ground and straight forward, back legs off the ground and straight back, looking right at me over his shoulder with giant saucer eyes.   Hopefully he will avoid playing in traffic from now on!

Comments

comments

Comments
112 Responses to “Swans and Snubs and Bears, Oh My!”
  1. Riverside says:

    Of course, my big mistake in discussing bear tracks was that I reversed the hind and front feet. It’s the hind foot that might be taken for Sasquatch, not the front one. The front pad (not including digits) looks like the head of a heavy-weight golf iron, the rear foot pad looks almost human, or ape-like and is distinctly different fron the front.

    So the upper right corner of the phota shows a fainter and longer right hind print with a shorter and deeper right front print right behind it in the classic black bear pattern. “Claw marks do not always show.” See the fun web site below-awsome pictures and casts of bear prints.

    http://www.bear-tracker.com/bear.html

    AKM, do you have wolverines? The last wolverine has sadly most likely gone the way of the grizzley bears in California. Ah, to see a wolverine track.

    Night All.

  2. Riverside says:

    Krubozumo,

    Sounds like you’ve seen a few bear tracks in your time. No way I disrespect that! But maybe if my guess that the fainter print overlapped by the leading hind paw (in the upper right corner of the photo) is a front paw print is correct, then those sure look like claw holes in the snow in front of the toes. Right hind paw forward, covering rear edge of right front paw print.
    I can almost see that bear walking through the snow! What about the size? If that’s a tire track, those are some big tracks.

    Bears tracks, front and rear, are paired closer together than cats. I just made my long suffering cat, Ashley, get up from a comfy snooze and demonstrate her walk across the room.

    She was not pleased. She denies having any connection with bears and wishes we’d all go back to whatever we were doing that didn’t require her assistance.

    This bear of AKM’s is becoming famous. (If it’s a lynx, it might be no less than the giant spirit of wild Alaska, looking out for AKM and family.)

  3. Krubozumo Nyankoye says:

    #101 Point taken, I am aware of that also, so do some fish.

    #102 I can’t reference any guide to tracks since it’s been 20 years since I looked at one but all the bear tracks I have ever seen left claw marks, cats never leave claw marks because the claws are retractable. So we will just have to agree to disagree. I hope AKM can settle the issue though by seeing both the tracks and the track maker… at a safe distance of course.

  4. Swan Lover says:

    Well, and after those lovely swans make it back to their nesting areas in Western Alaska, the locals are allowed to kill 3 with a registration.

    Hunting of swans is allowed, after all their flying. Folks here call them “eskimo turkey” and say the meat is delicious.

    Please have young children doing research let ADFG know that killing swans as a food source is sad.

  5. Twodux says:

    Poor Newt! He pulled a Beth Kerttula. Now he has no chance of an appointment in a Palin White House.

    Of course, there is zero chance of a Palin White House.

    And I don’t really give a damn about Newt Gingrich. I find him to be a hypocrite of the highest degree second only to Rush Limbaugh, the drug addicted, thrice divorced, childless, sex vacationing, “family values” conservative, college dropout. Those two are a huge reason American politics took such a “you’re with us, or you’re against us” turn in the last 20 years. They are definitely dividers, not uniters.

  6. TBNTJudy says:

    @Closet Mudpup,

    I think they must have started the Festival at Sandpoint after you left. It’s held every August for 8 days. They do a fine job of bringing in an eclectic mix of music, and I have been introduced to many musicians I’d never heard of before. It is an outdoor venue set in a little park right on the edge of the lake. Google Festival at Sandpoint.

  7. Gamebird Kelp says:

    I was just reading the Blog, Immoral Minority, and came back here to question as I am registered here.
    Story up over there of aa NEW Palin Apointee, a “Rural Advisor”. I read this advisor’s letter and he seems to me to be just another massive “Sarah Cheerleader”.
    Anyone know who this dude is?
    Can’t believe the emphasis he puts in his letter, relative to Sarah’s involvement in WAY WEST RURAL affairs this Winter.
    Sorry to ask, but I don’t have time to research myself right now as gotta’go now for the night.
    Hope someone out there can save me some time by the time I get back, tomorrow.
    Thanks mucho….
    “Happy 4/20, everyone…..”

  8. Deb says:

    Governor Palin has just dropped her buddy Tim Grussendorf and appointed Dennis Egan to the Juneau Senate Seat.
    He’s no Kim Elton, but few are.
    Congratulations, Juneau! You have a Senator!

    from Shannon Moore’s site…

    Congrats!

  9. sauerkraut says:

    How serendipitous that AKM blogged on tundra swans on the same day the kidlet was complaining about having no topic for her science paper.

    Guess what I did?

    Yep.

    Made her do research on the tundra swan.

    In response to Pearl89:

    “The NC coast is the winter home to approximately 100,000+ tundra swans and snow geese + other water fowl. I am proud to say we fought the Navy and we won. There will be no OLF in NC for the foreseeable future.

    You are right about the swans they are quite beautiful anytime, but especially in the morning. Although, I like to see them when they take flight to go to nearby fields for feeding..there are literally thousands of them in the air at once.

    AK and NC connection…thanks to Mudflats it’s not just for the birds anymore.”

    Well, include pennsyltucky in there, too. Also.

    Found some stuff on tundra swans. There are two major flyways in the Lower 48: west coast and east coast. Both have a bit over 80,000. The east coast group spends approx half of their lives migrating 4000+ miles to winter and summer. In winter, they now go down to NC. Used to be, they stuck around Chesapeake/NE VA area but development has moved them further south.

    All them east coast birds come thru pennsyltucky, primarily up the Susquehanna River. Lots roost at a Pennsylvania Game Commission (PGC) area called Middle Creek. She found something that said there’s now a Middle Creek Initiative (MCI) which is trying to preserve farmland in northern Lancaster County so that the tundra swans can feed on winter wheat. Farmers like tundra swans but hate the snow goose (nearly a million of them come up the same flyway and damage crops due to large numbers and sheep-like grazing).

    The PGC alots only 100 licenses to hunt the tundra swan (but has given none out for decades due to the smallish number of birds) but is increasing the license numbers for snow geese (getting almost as bad as canadian geese).

    She found a blog for tundra swans – tundraswan.blogspot.com – but says there’s not much on it.

    Tundra swans fly up into northwestern Canada and northern Alaska (many go to ANWR) but their nesting areas are being threatened by the increasing snow goose population up there and the melting tundra.

    She’s got lots more research to do but I suggested she contact the PGC folks at Middle Creek, the people who are doing the MCI and a woman who developed the satellite telemetry on tundra swan as her thesis work for a PhD.

    So, thanks to AKM for the (unintentional) helping hand on getting the kidlet off her keister and into something that she really finds interesting!

  10. Elizabeth says:

    I am fortunate to live between the Skagit and Nooksak river valleys in Washington. I wish to assure my Alaska friends that we are taking good care of the Trumpeter Swans for the winter. It has been my great joy to see them out in the fields along I-5 as I commuted to work. Out in the Skagit delta areas, the organic farmers are flooding their fields in the winter to make them more friendly to the water birds wintering. We also have a lot of marsh lands. The water birds are the delight of our winters.

  11. Riverside says:

    Looks more like the hind foot of a black bear to me. I’m using the Pererson Field Guides to mammals appendix on tracks as my reference. Claws are clearly present in their fisher, striped skunk and wolverine prints but not in their black bear footprint drawings.

    Toe #five looks less distinct but present in one of the rear foot prints.
    The toes of a black bear rear foot form a much flatter arc across the pad than those of a lynx. Lynx toes almost form a semi-circle around the pad.

    Then there is the almost human looking print of the black bear’s front paw. There is a 5 toed hint of that one overlapping the forward rear paw print.

    Looks like AKM got it right.

    How cool to have those kind of prints in the snow to puzzle over!

    Thanks for the photo AKM. Maybe you could give us more to play with if the occassion presents itself. Better than a crossword puzzle!

  12. Lee323 says:

    Regarding # 95 Krubozumo Nyankoye Says:
    April 19th, 2009 at 3:14 PM ….” Bear tracks have five toes and exhibit claw marks as a rule.”
    ————————————————-

    This was actually a tea-drinking bear….with his pinkie lifted, my friend.

    Jes’ kiddin’……….You had a great post with many good points. I might add that lead shot doesn’t only dissolve into the water but waterfowl may ingest the shot while foraging for food.

  13. Closet Mudpup says:

    @Krubozumo Nyankoye

    Thanks for the tracking tip – it’s always fun to learn something new. I’ve included links to examples of bear tracks (both brown and black) and lynx tracks for comparison. It seems finding animal tracks is as easy as Googling tracks

    Lynx tracks:
    http://www.whitepineprograms.org/ezstatic/data/whitepineprograms/images/a/Lynx%20Tracks%20web.jpg

    Bear Tracks:
    http://safety.eas.ualberta.ca/images/bears/image011.jpg

    @TBNTJudy
    With apologies to those of you who are still spending your hard earned $ to keep warm – it was 94° here in Tucson this afternoon, and my evap cooler needed some TLC. Are you referring to Lost In The Fifties festival? Everyone tells me it’s a wonderful time, but I’ve still never made it back for one.

    Re: Religion and Politics
    Steve Schmidt, McCain’s campaign manager, offered some insights into how religion is hurting the Republican party by “being the voice of the party rather than a voice within the party.”
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/17/steve-schmidt-mccain-camp_n_188354.html

  14. History repeats says:

    I have lived in Alaska 20 years and I’ve yet to see a lynx. Lucky you AKM and spouse.

  15. crystalwolf aka caligrl says:

    Lori in Los Angeles Says:
    April 19th, 2009 at 12:52 PM

    Alaska’s Sanctimonious Sarah – do the acronym.
    or Alaska’s Sanctimonious Sarah Has Obviously Lost Everyone.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    Lori…. 😀 Geeze good thing VO isn’t here, IT would censor you good and proper. You insulting the queen Gino!

  16. priceless says:

    she’s got the ego for a third party run. But she won’t have the votes. Romney will be running against her. I can’t imagine the three – Romney, Obama and Palin in a debate. Not THAT I’d almost pay to see. Wink wink won’t work with facts, facts.

  17. TBNTJudy says:

    @Nan,

    I agree that when religion begins to dictate politics/government, we are in deep doodoo. Our founding fathers/mothers thought so, too. I think they would be appalled at how much of a clutch the scrawny hand of religion has on politics today. They had already been through this when they escaped from religious persecution/tyranny to come here. They understood the clear need for separation of church and state. I think it is ridiculous that someone cannot run for POTUS without making at least a little noise about being religious. They wouldn’t get elected. I’m not qualified to be President for many reasons, but I wouldn’t even be able to APPROACH the starting gate because I am not religious. Spiritual, yes.

  18. Krubozumo Nyankoye says:

    Just a few comments on the main posting and some of the comments I have
    read.

    While it is quite true that mine waste leaching from a 100 year old mine is
    likely to have contaminated wetlands and be a contributing factor to the
    death of migrating wildlife and local wildlife, there were no laws or regulations in place at the time the mine was created, worked out and decommissioned, so such a comparison *should not* be valid with a responsibly planned and executed mining operation in the present. That said, and as pointed out in comment #85 by Moose Puckey, the Kensington mine and the Pebble mine both have serious concerns in that their tailings disposal plans would never pass muster in some S. American or African countries where I have worked. Incidentally the SCOTUS just recentely ruled in favor of the defendants in a lawsuit against the Kensington mine’s containment plans. In both these cases the plans are designed not with environmental responsibility in mind, but with a view to maximizing profit. In fact, it is possible that neither mine would be profitable under current economic conditions without dodging the environmental issues. Further to that it is likely that given the steep decline in commodity prices, neither of these mines is going to be economic for several more years, perhaps decades, hence a big red flag goes up, more corner cutting will take place to reduce costs and defend the almighty profit motive against every other consideration.

    Having said that, I think I should also point out a much larger issue relating to, taking one example only, of lead poisoning specifically of water fowl. That is obviously, hunting. Hunters of water fowl use lead shot. Where do the pellets land? In the water, which slowly but eventually dissolves them, hence they enter the food chain. Thus thousands upon thousands of wetlands, lakes, ponds and streams in no danger whatever of contamination by mining activities are increasingly poisoned and the whole ecosystem suffers. So I think it bears mentioning that while it is possible, albeit at greater cost, to develop mines responsibly so that they do not turn their immediate surroundings and downstream habitats into death zones, it is also worth noting that millions of people contribute in their own small way to the same kind of pollution but in a much more widely distributed fashion.

    Along the same lines, we all have to ask ourselves, for example, do I responsibly dispose of the lead-alkaline batteries I use? Do they go into land fills or to a responsible recycler? What about that computer monitor thrown away last year? Or my previous cell phone, or any of a large array of household, everyday items which I use and thoughtlessly dispose of, and replace with something newer and perhaps in some respect better, but that was manufactured out of freshly exploited natural resources instead of 100% recycled resources.

    This is a subject I have raised before and I apologize in advance to mudflatters in general and everyone else for reminding them that although it is true we should work to hold others responsible for how they behave and earn their livings, i.e. mining companies et alia, we are also responsible in that we constitute the demand that makes their enterprises possible.

    One last comment directed specifically to AKM, please, please, turn off that popup link to the weather widget, it is an extravagent waste of electrons.
    😎

    Oh yes, one other thing AKM, I think you should consult a tracker Re: the footprint photo. Bear tracks have five toes and exhibit claw marks as a rule.
    The four toed prints shown in your photo are more likely made by your friend with the tufted ears and the yellow eyes.

    Bom dia to the mudflats….

  19. Lisabeth says:

    Lamont, just curious why you think the people at palindrception.com are “nutjobs”? Do others feel that way? I just saw it recently for the first time, that is why I ask. I just read her pregnancy story and my first thought was this is nuts, she is lying or covering sometimg up.

  20. Lee323 says:

    AKM: “A.B. Culvahouse was supposedly the brains behind the vetting of the potential Vice Presidential nominees last year. ”
    ———————————–

    Culvahouse blew it…..big.

    Everyone knows it and are laughing up their sleeves at him.

    His whole article smacks of someone desperately trying to salvage his reputation.

    “High risk/ high reward.” Snort.

    High risk for the GOP….and high reward for the Dems.

    Tsk Tsk…..Dangling the phrase “High risk” in front of McCain McCrash was like waving a red cape in front of a bull.

    Face it, boys…..your “Hail Mary Pass” turned out to be a fizzle for McCain’s pizzle.

    We have a real leader in the White House now….instead of a bull and a pseudo (pit) bull in the china shop…..Yes. We. Can.

  21. bubbles says:

    it has been busy around here. and exciting what with the w.a.r. vote and the palin speech in indiana. wow!

  22. Pepper1939 says:

    Now, if I just would have taken the time to check my spelling. Thanks to you who did so.

  23. UK Lady says:

    Hi Irishgirl – Glad you are back, forty watt told me you were OK, wondered where you were.

  24. Irishgirl says:

    Hugs, bubbles!! I was visiting my mum. No internet connection…YIKES!! Couldn’t wait to catch up on the news!!

  25. bubbles says:

    hey irishgirl. miss you. hope all well with you and yours… yeah. she is pretty pathetic….b

  26. Irishgirl says:

    I was away for the weekend and only just got to listen to the tapes. If I was of their persuasion…..I’d have been pretty disapppointed at Palin’s *speech*……far too much about herself, not enough about the issues. I thought the clapping was lukewarm at times.

  27. Sarah in SC says:

    debinOH Says:
    April 19th, 2009 at 11:12 AM
    If you all check out glenn becks 912 project website, they were talking about contacting her to run as a third party candidate. The were thinking about naming their party the Constitution Party or The Tea Party.

    Oh, please, oh please, oh PLEASE have her run as a candidate for the Tea Party! She could be the Mad Hatter!

  28. Moose Pucky says:

    The Couer d’Alene mining corporation is trying to start up a gold mine (well, they’ve actually dug the hole, built the infrastructure, and started up) in a location just north of Juneau without proper permits for disposal of toxic tailings. The mine is called Kensington. Legislature just passed a resolution in support of Kensignton, also.

    I’m not so sure Alaskans wouldn’t be better off to just fire the governor and shorten the legislative session to maybe every other year.

    If only government officials would be a little more sensitive to sustainable development and all of Alaska’s important resources…

    Seems like Alaska is h*ll bent on repeating the mistakes of the lower 48. It’s $$ and lobbyists and politicians. Too close of ties all the way around.

  29. Moose Pucky says:

    Pearl89, thanks for caring for our beautiful cousins the tundra swans.

  30. ericmiami says:

    Sure do love the politics on your blog. And also the eagle and bear tracks! Thank you so much!

  31. Nan says:

    @ Closet, etc

    The trouble is that religion is a sacred cow (pun intended) for reporters, afraid to ask anything in case they look as if they’re prejudiced against a particular faith. That’s fine as long as religion doesn’t try to dictate politics, but once that separation of church and state breaks down, it’s all over.

    Dang, have to go for now. But there has to be a way that is respectful yet effective, to ensure that no one entity ever has that much power, ever again.

    Nan

  32. TBNTJudy says:

    @Lori in LA,

    LOVE the acronyms..ROFLMAO

  33. TBNTJudy says:

    Closet Mudpup,

    I LOVE your hometown! Clearly it produced some good folks (nods to you) along with the questionable. And, it has that fabulous festival which I attend each and every year.

    I am a native of MS, but I haven’t lived there since ’72. I have lived all over the U.S., and I have never found a place where prejudice doesn’t exist. That is a sad commentary on our nation, I think…

  34. Closet Mudpup says:

    @TBNTJudy

    Sorry to be so slow to respond – I haven’t been able to get back to this thread.

    As a north Idaho native myself, I understand what you’re saying. I’m not proud of it (though I havn’t lived there since ’75), but SP was born in my home town.

  35. Lori in Los Angeles says:

    Alaska’s Sanctimonious Sarah – do the acronym.
    or Alaska’s Sanctimonious Sarah Has Obviously Lost Everyone.

  36. austintx says:

    OT – There is no question that Mt. Redoubt is of major concern to Alaskans. These folks have found a way to have fun with their live volcano. Who will be the first AK. mudpuppie to do it ?!?! I want pictures !!
    Wheeeeeeeee !!!!!!!

    http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/travel/19headsup.html?ref=todayspaper

  37. mlaiuppa says:

    GINO could be the Ralph Nader of the GOP!

  38. honestyinGov says:

    Are those 1000 Troopergate protesters still hanging around Anchorage from last year…?

    I’ll bet there are some Juneau citizens (without a Senator) that would like to join in.
    http://www.bluebloggin.com/2008/09/28/alaskans-rally-to-recall-gov-sarah-palin/

  39. Skf says:

    AKM,
    I LOVE YOU. Your pulse on AK politics is so refreshing and vibrant.
    You redeem my faith in human nature.

    On a totally picky, grammarian note of little consequence:
    PLEASE desist from putting commas between your subject and verb.

    My g*d, it’s the only complaint I can make. I’ve resisted the marginal nag for some time now. I apologize if I could make it more thoughtfullly.

    Yours from Tennessee,

    Susan

  40. TBNTJudy says:

    @pearl89,

    Good job, NC. I am so happy to hear you blocked the Navy’s plans.

  41. TBNTJudy says:

    @Closet Mudpup,

    I’m not one for conspiracy theories, either, but this article and video from Daily Kos, along with the one I can’t find on HuffPost, as well as the experience you describe with apparently former members of Sarah’s church, gives one serious pause for contemplation. There is no doubt that cults are out there, and given the power of the internet, these fringe groups can organize so much more easily. And, now, with Obama’s election, we are seeing a renewed call to Aryan Nations membership in northern Idaho. I have a little place over there, and during the last election cycle, I repainted a McPalin sign with a big circle and slash and “thanks, but no thanks” on either side. I was afraid to put it in my yard because hatred runs deep in those parts, and I was afraid that my house would be shot at in retaliation. And, I don’t think I was being paranoid. We need to keep our eyes, ears, and minds open.

    http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/10/8/81320/5572/717/623739

  42. pearl89 says:

    I am really sadden to hear of the tundra swans being poisoned by mining runoff. Several years ago, we in NC were in a fight with the US Navy to prevent them from building an OLF (Outlying Landing Facility) in our state. The Navy wanted to build the facility (a place for jet pilots to practice landings and take-offs) next to the Pocasin Wildlife Refuge which is the winter home to thousands of tundra swans and snow geese. The NC coast is the winter home to approximately 100,000+ tundra swans and snow geese + other water fowl. I am proud to say we fought the Navy and we won. There will be no OLF in NC for the foreseeable future.

    You are right about the swans they are quite beautiful anytime, but especially in the morning. Although, I like to see them when they take flight to go to nearby fields for feeding..there are literally thousands of them in the air at once.

    AK and NC connection…thanks to Mudflats it’s not just for the birds anymore.

    A video of the SMILE breakfast can, also be found at Progressive Alaska.

  43. honestyinGov says:

    I wouldn’t have even gone to C4p at all except I was doing a Google search on something else and it got a keyword search of something. They seem to be upset with the Legislature….hence a ‘call to arms ‘ for them. Their Plan.
    —————————————————

    Call these legislators, every single one of them, and tell them not to sell out the people of Alaska. This is the last day of the legislative session, you cannot wait.
    Melt the phones!
    ——————————————–
    Their opinion is that it is the Legs. fault for voting for the Stimulus Bill passage and that GINO must do something… NOW
    ( some verrrry strange ideas…. telling her how she should do this though )
    The main idea is that she must say NO because of all those ‘strings attached ‘ and she knows what is good for Alaska…. better than the Legs.
    The fact that her own Party has come out and declared that there are ‘no strings’ attached to the Funds is irrelevant I guess. I mean… what do those Republican guys know….. Because they have ulterior motives and all because THEY are in HER own Party… And……?
    Nevermiiiiiind…… (quoting Rosa Rosanadana-SNL )

  44. UK Lady says:

    Can you just imagine the conversation between McCain and a leading GOPer (e.g. Boehner),regarding the PAC money?

    Boehner – That blasted woman is syphoning off our money!
    McCain – What am I supposed to do about it?
    Boehner – Well it was your stupid ‘hail Mary pass’ that sicked her on us.
    McCain – Well I suffered for it didn’t I?.
    Boehner – Not enough!, you have to do something, it’s your responsibility.
    McCain – Well what do you want me to do, she keeps saying nice things about me to deliberately make me look a jerk if I badmouth her.
    Boehner – Well get one of your staffers to write about the tantrums and meltdowns on the campaign trail.
    McCain – That won’t work, the morons will think they are just making it up.
    Boehner – I don’t care how you do it, just do it, it’s our money and she’s stealing it.
    McCain – OK, Well, I’ve made a start, but it If tell the truth she’s gonna look really bad, and my reputation is b*ggered!
    Boehner – John I’ll give it three more months, and if she hasn’t buried herself by then you have to do it.
    McCain – Three months!, Oh I’m safe as houses then, great!

  45. Moose Pucky says:

    Last day of legislative session. And we still have….no budget, no AG, no one for Juneau’s Senate seat, the same old Game Board (kill those wolves), and a resolution that supports federal funding for hydro in Alaska “without restriction” (to heck with fish).

    Ah, but we do have State Dog now. (sigh)

    It’s going to be a busy Sunday!!!!???

  46. honestyinGov says:

    Even the non-political blogs (Stocks) are making reference to Palin now..

    Has Sarah Palin jumped the shark — again?

    ” it looks like the Sarah Palin show can legitimately be accused of “jumping the shark!” … and then some.

    Palin, albeit on an intermittent basis, has created her “reality TV show,” entertaining the nation without the networks having to pay a dime, and they are eating it up.”
    http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2009/04/18/has-sarah-palin-jumped-the-shark-again/

  47. Polly says:

    Regarding the statement in an earlier post about the people electing an AG instead of having the Guv appoint one… I thought that was a great idea too.

    However, someone else made an insightful comment that, judging how we have stupid elections – money, power, who knows who, and the general out of touch reasonings of many voters – the position of AG, would probably be best determined by nominations from the people, and selected or confirmed by the court and the legislators. Not an election by the people, who don’t do their homework on credibility??? Something to think about…

  48. txdemocrat says:

    “I will explore, as a private citizen, how Alaskans can do what the Senate has refused to do.”

    More jumbled palinese, maybe?? Was she trying to say that “I will explore how Alaskans, as private citizens, can do…..”

  49. Closet Mudpup says:

    @Nan and TBNTJudy

    I read the HuffPo article, and I agree – it is scary.

    Way back when AKM named the backers of the legal challenge to the TrooperGate subpoenas, I started doing some reeding, and it is amazing how such a far-reaching network has built up completely beneath the media radar. (Well, maybe not too surprising – it seems to me that “Neocons” and “Project for a New American Century” weren’t brought into our social consciousness until Bush’s second term.) When I began making references to the Spiritual Warrior movement in Youtube comments during the campaign, two people messaged me and reinforced my concerns. One self-identified as a member of the Wasilla church where [Witch Hunter] Rev Muthee (now Bishop Muthee – not sure how many witches he had to vanquish to get that promotion), and the other identified as a former member who has left Alaska. I was struck by the similarity of their almost-identical messages: “There are some real problems there.” That was it – both declined to discuss anything further. Their comments and their reluctance to discuss their meaning seemed disturbingly fearful to me – like something I might expect to hear from cult members or escapees. I don’t know what’s up, but think it’s a scene that bears watching. Understanding it might even cast some of Palin’s actions in a different light. As an example (and at the risk of sounding like I have my tin-foil hat firmly in place and silver bullets and wood stakes at the ready), there is an End Times faction that believes there will be an influx of “their people” to Alaska in the last days. That’s would seriously up the demand for (don’t let Brian read this) mooseburgers. If Palin – who according to Phil Munger believes Jesus will return in her lifetime – is one of those believers, how does that belief impact her judgement on the issue of predator control and “Managing for Abundance?”

    I’m really, really not one who is prone to believing conspiracy theories. Even evangelist Rick Warren concedes that we have a right to know the world view of our leaders, and that their faith is important in forming their world view. With Palin having nearly a thirty-year connection to right-wing – and in my view, radical – theology, I think it would be naive to think that her belief system isn’t closely linked to theirs.

  50. austintx says:

    54 Pepper1939
    May I humbly add………..

    comes from Republican vice-presidential nominee Sarah Palin meaning completely unprepared and nonsensical.
    Q: Yo did you see what that girl was wearing last night at the club?
    A: You mean that topless one with footie pajamas? That shit was too Palin for my tastes.
    http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Palin

  51. AKaurora says:

    Excellent choice Pepper1939!
    Sanctimonious: making a show of being morally superior to other people. Someone who makes a hypothetical show of being righteous is often described as sanctimonious–in other words, acting like a saint without having a saintly character.

  52. tamara says:

    SP just aint gonna put up with these silly court rulings. Why’s law innerferin’ with my governin’ ?

    Governor Dismayed by Court Ruling
    “Unfortunately, while we have been struggling to persuade the Obama administration not to undo the opportunities for off-shore drilling, an appeals court has stepped in at the bidding of short-sighted environmentalists and pre-empted the federal-state dialogue,” the governor said.
    http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1772

  53. debinOH says:

    If you all check out glenn becks 912 project website, they were talking about contacting her to run as a third party candidate. The were thinking about naming their party the Constitution Party or The Tea Party.

    Some of the people posting on glenn’s site are much scarier than sarah’s site (& I mean downright scary that I can’t believe they don’t wonder why Homeland Security issued a report about domestic terrorism). They all want to move to TX. Someone posted a list of what you would get when you passed into their borders. You guessed it, guns, made it to the top of their list. Not sure how you would go about finding it again because they have different areas for posting. If you are bored it is worth a read.

    Love your bear tracks & eagle photos. Thanks for keeping us posted. I guess parental notification is much more important than like running
    Alaska also, too!

  54. TBNTJudy says:

    Whoops! My post #29 should have been to WakeUpAmerica. Fingers flying all over the place, and clearly, I wasn’t awake.

  55. Canadian Neighbour says:

    hedgewytch,
    Just did a search re the Superferry – Hawaii story you posted. It had a very familiar ring to it. It was initially positioned to run between Rochester, NY to Toronto, ON. Failed miserably!! The captain docking it, crashed it into the dock for one thing damaging it and the dock in Rochester. Seems that the Gov of Hawaii had no concern with the previous history of the company.

    http://www.cruiselines.us/cruiseline_hawaii_supperferry.html
    (pics of the Superferry)

    “The Lake Ontario service, between Rochester, N.Y., and Toronto, was initially plagued by boarding delays at the dock. It eventually shut down for lack of business.
    Lerchbacker frets about this, and clearly thinks Hawaii Superferry should have gotten a smaller boat, but he doesn’t want the venture to fail.
    “I love the ferry,” he said. “I think Hawaii’s gonna love it.”
    (A familiar sound of who cares what’s best for the people/state — I like it)

    Here’s a link to further show the history of a short-lived business life of this craft. Millions of dollars wasted buying/selling, etc. Hawaii is so much better off without it as if it could not withstand waves on Lake Ontario, how would it ever withstand the ocean!!

    http://www.savekahuluiharbor.com/ontario.php

    Doesn’t sound all too much difference between the Governors.

  56. Pepper1939 says:

    I have the word!!! I have the word!!! Pats self on back. The word is:

    S A N C T I M O N I U S (sp)

    Gino’s description. Thank you. Thank you.

  57. mlaiuppa says:

    I hope your bear (as yet to be named?) remains safe from Sarah’s traps and poison. I like bears. I like moose too. Of course, we don’t get many down here.

  58. Canadian Neighbour says:

    hedgewytch,
    Just did a search re the Superferry – Hawaii story you posted. It had a very familiar ring to it. It was initially positioned to run between Rochester, NY to Toronto, ON. Failed miserably!!

    http://www.cruiselines.us/cruiseline_hawaii_supperferry.html (pics of the Superferry)

    “The Lake Ontario service, between Rochester, N.Y., and Toronto, was initially plagued by boarding delays at the dock. It eventually shut down for lack of business.
    Lerchbacker frets about this, and clearly thinks Hawaii Superferry should have gotten a smaller boat, but he doesn’t want the venture to fail.
    “I love the ferry,” he said. “I think Hawaii’s gonna love it.”
    (A familiar sound of who cares what’s best for the people/state — I like it)

    Certainly appears the Gov of Hawaii was not concerned with the previous history of the company. I recall shortly after it started, it had major mechanical issues and shut down to fix. I guess Toronto was the ‘test run’!!

    Here’s a link to further show the history of a short-lived business life of this craft. Millions of dollars wasted buying/selling, etc. Hawaii is so much better off without it as if it could not withstand waves on Lake Ontario, how would it ever withstand the ocean!!

    http://www.savekahuluiharbor.com/ontario.php

  59. Janet in Texas says:

    Canadian Neighbour
    Martha

    Thanks to both of you for the links. I wonder if she refused to have her stupid speech filmed because of the major criticism she got from her stupid speech the night before. “Her Stupidity Flows” says it all. I LOVE that you-tube. ha

  60. DrChill says:

    I will explore, as a private citizen, how Alaskans can do what the Senate has refused to do.”
    ============
    Is Sarah going to out anonymous patients?
    Follow kids home from planned parenthood clinics and talk to their parents?

    I think Alaska needs a good precedent setting privacy / anonymity case.
    Hmmm AKM any ideas about that ? 😉

  61. TBNTJudy says:

    @MarthaUYS,

    Yes, whenever I would click a link to an ADN article and then wanted to read the comments, I could never figure out why the actual comments I could see were far fewer that the number listed..that is, until all you guys started explaining what was going on there. What is left behind and uncensored are the illogical rants of the PeeBots.

    And, as you may have guessed, I’m not from AK, but my heart is with you all!

  62. DrChill says:

    Palin Third party candidate?
    She’d draw votes from the Conservative Republicans. That would serve the Democrats.
    Go Sarah !

  63. tamara says:

    Closet Mudpup,

    I agree with you. She may believe to be that Seventh Manchurian Mountain Candidate. Though I think a secessionist royal queendom of Alaska would suit her ambitions best, and I’m only half joking.

  64. TBNTJudy says:

    @wired differently,

    These issues are all over this country…nay, all over this planet… where ever the native peoples have been pushed off their lands and sold a bill of goods by the invading white man.

    Sarah embarrassed me with her on-camera, complete-and-total disregard for Nick Tucker and the issues he and his fellow villagers face. He proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is a far-superior human being than Palin.

  65. pvazwindy says:

    #38———Governor to Continue to Push for Parental Notification
    “It is imperative that this issue is resolved as soon as possible. I will explore, as a private citizen, how Alaskans can do what the Senate has refused to do.”

    ———private citizen? What the hell is that suppose to mean?

  66. Lamont Cranston says:

    What you are ignoring about Palin is that she lost. If you lose, you are done nationally in either party. Gore, Kerry, Quayle, and Palin all lost and are done as a potential candidate on a national ticket. If McCain was younger, he would be done also.

    Her goofiness, lies, etc, do not matter.

    She has no national future. Don’t know Alaska politics but I would bet that she loses her next gubernatorial race and she will disappear which will be fine esp. if it shuts up the nutjobs at PalinDeception.

  67. lilybart says:

    Private citizen?

    She could sue the state for some kind of parental rights interference?

    The courts are the only way for a private citizen to attempt policy change.

    OR, does Alaska have a ballot initiative process like CA? She could try for a ballot initiative in 2010?

  68. Canadian Neighbour says:

    hedgewytch,
    Thanks for the link. Interesting read. Seems Neuter Newt names he mentioned, shows how low the bar has been set for the GOP.

  69. sandra in oregon says:

    What if the reference to “as a private citizen” means that she will be resigning? That would be interesting.

  70. KaJo says:

    AKM — and anyone else — I thought you’d be interested in this semi-OT comment (wildlife related):

    This morning “our” mated pair of bald eagles which have used a tall Douglas fir on the lot next to our house for a viewing platform (but not a nest, yet) returned for the third year in a row.

    I’m not sure where they usually nest, but it’s not likely they will build one in that tree, because a house was built on that lot a couple of years ago. The eagles don’t mind all these human beady eyes focussed on them, but if we make too much noise, they’re outathere!

    The fir tree stands on the edge of a sharp slope that descends to a slow-moving creek that runs from north to south, west of our house and the other houses on our street. We’ve seen nutria, raccoons, skunks, deer, coyotes, as well as fish in the creek, herons, ducks, Canadian geese, hawks, crows — and these eagles. Lots of food sources for the larger predators…

    No wolves or bears, though 🙂

    If you want to see what “our” eagles look like, go here (Photobucket).

  71. wired differently says:

    Re. Similar issues in Hawaii and Alaska– interesting that the sovereignty movement in Hawaii is spearheaded by Hawaiian natives, but the independence movement in Alaska is comprised of non-indigenous people.

    Interesting also that both states find themselves governed currently by non-native, conservative women who do not represent indigenous peoples’ interests.

    Linda and Sarah, mind that swinging pendulum, it’s going to smack you on the back of the head.

  72. hedgewytch says:

    Spelling correction: That’s a big MAHALO to the Hawaiian’s!

    The Thank You is also for the big Pineapple weather express you sent up last night, its doing a good job of melting the snow I’m covered up in out here in Prince William Sound. We should be seeing hummingbirds here in a few weeks.

  73. TBNTJudy says:

    @Closet Mudpup,

    “radical right-wing religious groups (New Apostolic Reformation, Seven Mountains theology, Spiritual Warriors, et al) whose stated goal is a political takeover”

    There was an article on HuffPost about this, and it’s pretty scary stuff. I cannot find the link, but this movement is worldwide and needs to be watched, IMO.

  74. tamara says:

    Just picked this up from the Gov’s website. Isn’t there something odd about her mentioning action as a private citizen on the topic, though we know that she certainly would use all her governor’s influence ?

    http://www.gov.state.ak.us/news.php?id=1773

    Governor to Continue to Push for Parental Notification
    “It is imperative that this issue is resolved as soon as possible. I will explore, as a private citizen, how Alaskans can do what the Senate has refused to do.”

  75. TBNTJudy says:

    @hedgewytch,

    Wow. I didn’t read the whole article, but it sounds as if the good people of Hawaii are in a pickle like the folks in AK, TX, LA and other states with wacko govs. Good on the Hawaiians for their grassroots efforts.

  76. Martha Unalaska Yard Sign says:

    @ TBNTJudy

    I know – very unlikely that poster was Alaskan. The posts at ADN are a mess with the rat pack invasion, but it’s pretty easy to spot a non Alaskan who is likely a team rat. In fact, darn easy!

  77. Nan says:

    Closet Mudpup:
    re your last paragraph, and the fact that time after time SP has blown off the “official” Republican party requests for speeches etc, you make one scary point.

    And if that does come about, I will work my tail off to ensure it never comes to fruition.

  78. TBNTJudy says:

    @Martha,

    I read a rant somewhere in the comments section (perhaps ADN) that the AK legs should have *elected* W.A.R. like the people wanted. Seems Sarah and W.A.R. aren’t the only ones confused about the laws and procedures in AK.

  79. hedgewytch says:

    Linda Lingle from Hawaii is another GOP nutcase like Sarah. For interesting reading; check out the Hawaiian fast ferry debacle and Lingle’s unsavory role in it: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20090406/mander_paik

    I gotta give the Hawaiians a Big Maholo for taking on the Navy on this one. They have truly shown how grassroots organizations of all stripes can come together sucessfully for the common good.

  80. Closet Mudpup says:

    David Niewert blogged at Crooks and Liars, “Is Sarah Palin Toast? Beltway Republicans Seem Happy To Stick A Fork In Her.”

    Besides video of Billo interviewing two Republican women, A.B. Stoddard of The Hill, and “pro family” advocate Rebecca Hagelin discussing Sarah Palin’s political future, Niewert included a link to Paul Bedard’s blog, Washington Whispers, which includes more Republican insider comments about Palin – none of which would please GINO’s ears.

    http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/sarah-palin-toast-beltway-republican

    Considering GINO’s conspicuous lack of effort to build a network of support within the Republican party, the strength of her appeal to the rabid elements among us, her esteemed status with radical right-wing religious groups (New Apostolic Reformation, Seven Mountains theology, Spiritual Warriors, et al) whose stated goal is a political takeover, and her lust for the spotlight, should we look for Palin to be a third-party candidate for 2012?

  81. Nan says:

    Honesty in Gov
    from comments in a previous post:
    http://community.adn.com/adn/node/140647

    The first sentence from that link that really got my goat was this:

    “If your department is working on other bills while your own Governor’s bill for which you are responsible is stalled, you should be prepared to explain.”

    Since when is it appropriate to threaten others into doing your own homework? (I keep visualizing Biff & McFly…)

    The other sentence in that article that bugs me – [it] “…also tells the state staffers to stay out of the Capitol unless they have specific priority legislation.”

    As for the definition of “priority legislation”??? “Bills that have the Governor’s name on them are the first priority of each department.”

    And if you do show up? Check in and let them know “what you’re up to”

    Unbelievable.

  82. honestyinGov says:

    For those that did not hear about the Dems. new Fundraising idea..
    (story on HuffPo yesterday)

    ” A dollar a day to make Norm Go Away” (Minnesota Senate race)
    Early yesterday it was at $5000… it went to $7500 in about an hour. Late last night it was at $15,000… and is presently at $17,500.

    Who’s laughing now Norm…?
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/18/norm-coleman-legal-fight_n_188553.html

  83. TBNTJudy says:

    @wired differently,

    I’m pretty sure we all know what a hypocrite she is, but that video was, to me, an incredibly ironic example of “be careful what you say because it just might come back to bite you in the bottom.” Sending multiple links to her is a great idea, I think.

  84. AKPetMom says:

    If you haven’t already, go take a look at the ADN “Alaska Ear” column. Some good SP stuff today.

    http://www.adn.com/news/politics/alaska_ear/story/764484.html

  85. Martha Unalaska Yard Sign says:

    @ Janet, here’s a video of her at SMILES (didn’t watch it – can’t stand her voice!)

    http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=10193852&nav=menu54_10_1

    Look under Video Gallery, it’s number 1

  86. Martha says:

    Martha Unalaska Yard Sign Says:
    April 19th, 2009 at 9:17 AM
    From our Sunday morning paper re: Electing an AG in Alaska
    ==================================

    I always thought the best thing that has come out of the embarrassing, anti intellectual, anti law, AG and potential AG would be ;

    Changing this from an appointed position to an elected one.
    How can an AG possibly work for the people of Alaska, when they are not the ones that give her/him the job in the first place?

    Obviously it isn’t hard for the Gov. to use and abuse her appointed AG. Palin has made that abundantly clear.

    Whomever Palin appoints will be left to her mentally unstable whims and the direction of national political winds.

    My humble, personal opinion is that, Alaskans would be doing themselves a great favor, in petitioning (or what ever means you have, since I do not know your legal avenues) for the election of an AG, rather than an appointment.

    Palin has inadvertently paved they way for this to happen for Alaska.

  87. Canadian Neighbour says:

    Janet in Texas

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfvDSUJDNBc

  88. Martha Unalaska Yard Sign says:

    @ Janet, here’s one photo:

    http://www.courierpress.com/news/2009/apr/17/palin-meets-down-syndrome-parents/

  89. Janet in Texas says:

    I have been searching on all the Alaskan websites, etc., looking for a photo or article regarding Sugarbritches attending that Smiles shindig on Friday morning (for Downs Syndrome) and I can’t find a thing. Has anyone here seen or heard anything? Thanks.

  90. UK Lady says:

    Don’t pretend to know much about this stuff, but they are going nuts about it ‘you know where’. Does this mean the legs have stuffed Gino again?, apparently they voted 55 – 4.

    http://www.legis.state.ak.us/basis/get_fulltext.asp?session=26&bill=HB199

  91. Carolina Girl says:

    Hi AKM,
    I am curious as to what type of camera you use to capture your wonderful wildlife encounter shots.??

  92. Martha says:

    McCain Vetter: Palin Told Us Everything, Would Have Been A Great VP

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/17/mccain-vetter-palin-told_n_188394.html

    As for the infamous Katie Couric interview, in which it appeared that Palin could not name a Supreme Court case other than Roe v. Wade, Culvahouse insisted that the impression was not even close to reality. “I don’t know if it is edited or not, but the suggestion was she didn’t,” he said. “She clearly did. My law firm represents Exxon in the Valdez matters and until she became governor, Governor Palin was a plaintiff in that case.”

    Culvahouse and his team asked Palin three “lead-in” questions to determine her capacity to serve as McCain’s V.P.

    * Why do you want to be vice president?
    * Are you prepared to use Nuclear weapons in the defense of the homeland?
    * Osama bin Laden is identified in the FATA, the CIA is ready to take a shot, but if they take a shot there will be multiple civilian causalities, will you take the shot?

    Her grade: “She knocked those three questions out of the park,” said Culvahouse.
    =============================================

    I have rarely seen such a BS article in my life! the following is what I posted yesterday on Huff Po. ;

    Oh please, this is about A.B. Culvahouse and his desire to work for Palin in 2012. It took him this long to say this? Where was he when Palin faced all the criticism from the McCain campaign handlers? Where was he when McCain was criticized, attacked actually, by the press for NOT properly vetting Palin? Especially after he lost the election, McCain was ripped apart by all media for not properly vetting Palin.

    It was and is more than evident, that Palin was not properly vetted. How could she be, with so little time? As far as not knowing her daughter was pregnant, well you would have to be blind as well as stupid not to know that, just by looking at her. What about the “my space” pages? How hard was THAT to look up. It is obvious that Palin doesn’t have the intellect to govern her state, let alone be VP.

    This is how one Alaskan, Shannyn Moore discribes Palin;

    http://shannynmoore.wordpress.com/

    Sarah Palin just suffered a massive defeat. For the first time in Alaska history, an appointed attorney general has been rejected. With a bipartisan vote of 35 NOs to 23 YEAs, the Alaska joint House and Senate voted down W.A.R. (Wayne Anthony Ross).

  93. Martha Unalaska Yard Sign says:

    From our Sunday morning paper re: Electing an AG in Alaska

    http://www.juneauempire.com/stories/041909/opi_430833908.shtml

    “Of greater concern than Ross’s past newspaper columns or views on subsistence hunting was his lapdog demeanor, immediately backing Palin’s erratic decisions involving the Juneau Senate seat. Ross’s best shot at confirmation would have been to oppose Palin. Instead he parroted her every word.”

    Lapdog demeanor! Ya gotta LOVE it! So THAT’S what the biscuit jar was doing in her office!

  94. wired differently says:

    Sorry for OT, but I’m reading the Sunday news blogs (no newsprint on these fingers!) and I can’t believe that Jay Bybee, author of the legal opinions contained in the ‘torture’ memos has a lifetime Federal Court appointment, and that John Yoo a tenured teaching position at UC Berkeley!!!

    A reminder of a previous moment in history in which people stood up to the powers that be. Mario Savio on the steps of Sproul Hall (UC Berkeley) on December 2, 1964.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcx9BJRadfw

  95. rebekkah says:

    Yikes, the bear, be careful. About lynxes, I was walking once around our block, a neighborhood up on a mountain with woods behind us, and stood face to face with a lynx. At first I thought it was a big cat, but the shape of it’s ears, it’s whole shape and the eyes, I knew it was a wild cat. Carefully walked slowly passed it, checked google and yes it was a lynx. This was in winter. Another time,hubby and me were taking my daily walk and a fox walks up right alongside of us; I was afraid it had rabies, but it took off and thankfully, no scuffles with wildlike.

    We lived in Maine and the white bald eagle is no longer on the extinct list, they are populating everywhere on trees along the highway, on power line transformers, you can see nests built on many of these. On the coast, they swoop down on tiny uninhabited islands, and eat small baby seals.

    Anyway, it’s Sunday thought you might like the trivia. Thanks for the wildlife stories, Alaska seems to be a lot like the eastern U.S. coast, maritime provinces.

  96. Polly says:

    The far right is like an unattended pimple that turned into a big zit that has been festering. Hopefully it will soon soon pop and be gone.

  97. WakeUpAmerica says:

    TBNTJudy, thank you for reminding us what a hypocrite she is. I think we should all send the link to her by email.

  98. Martha Unalaska Yard Sign says:

    Ruh roh! If you are seeing bear sign up north AKM, that tells me that the bears say “spring has sprung” and I better move my garbage cans to the unreachable back deck!

    I think it’s funny as h*ll that Palin is getting the cold shoulder by the Rs speaking up right now. Just a reminder – she may have a whack job following, but those people are so desperate for a viable candidate to foist their weird agenda on the country that they will happily (as we see daily) follow a flawed candidate. Ethics means nothing to her followers – however, ethics do matter to other voters and even to many politicians (yes, they are out there!). And getting along matters, too – not to her rat pack base, but to almost everyone else. And we outnumber them many times over.

    You know the saying about the snowball and h*ll – I think Palin’s the snowball and she’s rolling fast toward the hot place! I’ve written off her pack ‘o rats, and when you strip them away – there’s not a whole lot left of Palin. Just a lying, aging Sneauty Wannabe Queen. With a shrill ugly voice and a whole bunch of personality disorders.

    And if you think things will calm down in Wasilla, think again! I’m so glad she’s leaving Juneau, there just isn’t enough drama here w/ the legislature adjourned and she feeds on drama so she’s headed home!

  99. Leota2 says:

    What a weak group of republican props McCain mentioned. The only one that didn’t make me gag was Huntsman. He disavowed Limbaugh and tends not to act rubber room crazy–ya know, like Sarah can’t help acting. But I hope they keep Sarah up there because moderate Republicans and Independents fear and loathe her.
    And it’s so true what Professor Geezer says about her PAC raising money. The GOP will have to act like they want her–for a minute at least. But in the end when they try to boot her out–the base will go completely nuts and attack them all . . . . Potential fun for all but the GOP.

  100. honestyinGov says:

    ( in reply to )
    (#5) Suchanut Says:
    April 19th, 2009 at 8:22 AM
    Today’s the last day of the Legislative session.
    Let us know what you hear from your sources, AKM.
    —————————————————————-
    It will be verrrrry interesting what will come out of this last days session.
    The ADN story yesterday has the Gov. basically telling the Legs. to drop the work they were working on and work on her ‘ stuff ‘. But her ‘ stuff ‘ was not important enough for HER to stay in town and work on it HERSELF. There has to be a new level of Hypocrisy for this… OR..maybe there needs to be a new word for this..? What comes after hypocrisy..? Or do we rate it at different levels like the Volcano levels. Level Yellow… little bit. Level Orange…. moderate hypocrisy. Level Red….top of the scale. (yeah… it has been Red for awhile)

    And THEN…..there is that simple little Senate seat from Juneau.. How many days has this been going on…..? But rather than address it directly (and fill it ) she makes ANOTHER comment to the NewsMiner yesterday scolding the Legs. saying it is THEIR fault. I guess we have lost count on how many times she has given that message. ” Toddler Think 3 “… coming soon to a theater near You.

  101. Peaceful Granny says:

    I live and grew up in Northen ID, on the Lead Creek (otherwise known as the Couer d’Alene River) please don’t let happen to you, what happened here. Clean-up is so costly and no one needs the health risks that we have gone through. Mines must be made to clean as they develope or never be allowed to develope in the first place. The stories I could tell…..maybe later.
    It’s Sunday and I have children to play with today.

  102. UK Lady says:

    Professor Geezer

    Funny you should bring that up. I was wondering myself about the internal polling for the GOP. Judging by comments on national sites (ie Jack Cafferty on CNN), they must be pretty dire for Palin. However, they are having to dance around dropping her like a smelly sock because of the money her PAC is now syphoning off from their own funding. Can’t upset the base, the poor noodles who part with their hard earned cash.

  103. wired differently says:

    And speaking of SP’s determined march to oblivion, here’s Frank Rich’s column in today’s NYT, indicating that she didn’t get the memo wherein the GOP comes to grips with gay marriage.

    http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/19/opinion/19Rich.html?_r=1

  104. MissSunshine says:

    (Weakly, as if from a blow..) thank you for bringing up the Culvahouse vetting.. still in mental recovery from the “how many innocents are you willing to see die, to achieve X goal”. Is this really what it boils down to, for McCain/GOP? To ascertain how bloody-thirsty candidate Y is? No wonder they thought her answer “knocked it out of the ballpark”. I’m guessing she replied “All of ’em, any of ’em, you betcha (wink).”

    I’m dragging myself back to bed. Both McCain and Newt Gingrich backing away from the previous “superstar” of the Republican ticket is chicken soup for my state of mind. There are probably back room stories going around regarding what a disaster she is to work with, that may never see the light of day, but I’m thinking we can put together a pretty close guess.

    I’ll feel more sun-shine-y tomorrow.

  105. tigerwine says:

    That’s probably the only thing the Newt will ever say that I agree with!

  106. pvazwindy says:

    McCain and Gingrich both know Palin’s butt is a baked moose. But I guess lame protocol, won’t let them say it outright. Ha, now she wants the senate dems to find a time to talk about her rejected senate selection. They did, you were out of state. When is the info going to come out that sinks this ugly swan.

  107. wired differently says:

    At the rate we’re taking over wildlife habitat for shopping malls, and creating deadly pollution, we’ll be lucky to spot the occasional pigeon or sparrow in the future. How fortunate you are, AKM, to live among those other species!

    As for women, specifically Sarah Palin, in the GOP, ‘meh’ is all I have to say. Linda Lingle? Not interested. KBH? Just want her to whup Perry’s be-hind and stay in Texas. And the Wasilla-billy needs to go home and tend to her brood.

  108. Suchanut says:

    Today’s the last day of the Legislative session.

    Let us know what you hear from your sources, AKM.

    🙂

  109. Professor Geezer says:

    Thanks, Newt, for speaking the semi-truth.

    The real truth is (and the reason why they are bailing on Palin like the plague) is that the GOP or RNC’s own internal polling shows that Palin has negatives that are so heavy they bring a whole ticket down, no matter who is at the top of it.

  110. pvazwindy says:

    McCain crashed again on this selection.

  111. TBNTJudy says:

    I posted this link on another thread, and it shows Sarah’s height of hypocrisy. SHE was offering what she thought Hillary was doing wrong with her bid for the Presidency. “Just plow right through” all the scrutiny, she says, and understand that you will be under a “sharper” microscope while campaigning. Seems as if she cannot take her own advice.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gA15XU23kEc

  112. ATF says:

    High Risk, High Reward. Sounds like wall street advice to me. Look where that led us.