Category Archives: Alaska

Animal’s Daily It Happens Here Too News

Even in Alaska, the sickos are still present, although I hasten to point out that this sicko was in Anchorage, which a fair number of Alaskans would just as soon not consider “real” Alaska.

An Anchorage man who allegedly distributed child pornography and fantasized extensively online about anally raping children was allowed to continue his nefarious ways while the FBI dropped the investigation in order to focus on investigating those the agency believed were involved in the Jan. 6 election protest at the U.S. Capitol.

The delay in arresting the man raises an important question about how many other cases of serious nature or other criminal activity the FBI dropped in order to go after Trump supporters.

Brogan T. Welsh, 31, of Anchorage, was indicted in late October in the District of Columbia on charges of distributing child pornography. His arrest came in Anchorage.

Welsh allegedly was a member of a private group on an internet platform specifically set up to chat about sexual exploitation of children and to the sharing of child sexual abuse materials.

Throw away the key!

It’s safe to say that sickos like this have always been among us, but it sure seems like they are more prevalent lately.  Is it that there are more of them, or is it that methods for detecting and busting them are more efficient?  I’m inclined to believe that is in part the latter issue; there are more tools available to help law enforcement catch purveyors of kiddie porn online than there are for catching the guy in a dark alley in a trenchcoat offering VHS tapes for sale.

As long as due process is observed, I have no problem with that.

As for Brogan T. Welsh, well, I expect he can figure to have the book thrown at him. Anchorage or not, Alaska is not California or Oregon; the courts here take these matters seriously.

Or so we hope.

Animal’s Hump Day News

Happy Hump Day!

Note:  Since I have two weeks worth of my RedState posts here, this will be lengthy, but you can see it all beneath the cut. And I will also say this: It’s great to be home. I still love the Colorado mountains and had a great time, but we also spent a few days in the Denver area visiting friends and family, and boy have three years in the Great Land changed my perspectives on Denver.  Big cities are noisy, and they stink.

We’re really glad to be home, in Alaska.

Now then:

Continue reading Animal’s Hump Day News

Animal’s Hump Day News

Happy Hump Day!

I’ve written before about the possibility of small, modular nuclear reactors and their possible use in providing clean, reliable electricity to remote communities – like, say, much of Alaska.  Here’s another interesting piece on that topic.

SMRs are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, equivalent to around one-third the generating capacity of a traditional nuclear reactor. SMRs are much smaller than traditional reactors and are modular, making it simpler for them to be assembled in factories and transported to site. Because of their smaller size, it is possible to install an SMR on sites that are not suitable for bigger reactors.

If these live up to expectations, they could be game-changers for small rural communities.  But that’s a pretty big ‘if’ – and don’t underestimate the odds of the government regulating them out of existence.

Now then…

Continue reading Animal’s Hump Day News

Rule Five Federal Overreach Friday

The Imperial City, under the Biden(‘s handlers) Administration, is planning another unconstitutional intrusion into state sovereignty and private property rights, called the 30×30 plan.

Liberty Matters News Service: Fifteen Governors signed a joint letter noticing President Biden that section 216 of the Climate Crisis Executive Order (14008), to conserve 30 percent of America’s lands by 2030, “infringes on the sovereignty of the states and rights of the citizens.”

Led by Nebraska’s Pete Rickets, who was the first Governor to oppose 30 x 30, the letter was signed by the Governors of Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.

Representing both federal land and private land states, the Governors have united to defend State sovereignty and private property rights. They are heroes in this battle to push back the radical environmental agenda.

It is well worth your time to read the strong stand they have taken on our behalf, and make sure you thank them for doing so.

Here’s the letter.

A few tidbits from that letter, with my comments:

On January 27, 2021, your Administration issued Executive Order 14008 (“Order”), “Tackling the Climate Crisis at Home and Abroad” (86 Fed. Reg. 7,619). Included at Section 216 of the Order, the Secretary of the Interior, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture and other senior officials, was directed to develop a program to conserve at least 30 percent of the lands and waters in the United States by 2030.

The undersigned are not aware of any constitutional or statutory authority for the President, the U.S. Department of the Interior, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, or any other federal agency to set aside and permanently conserve 30 percent of all land and water in the United States, and no authority is referenced in Executive Order 14008.

This is hardly new for the Biden(‘s handlers) Administration, and to be fair, it’s nothing new for the last several Presidential administrations.  As far as the guy in the chair in the Imperial Mansion is concerned, the Constitution hasn’t existed for some time.

It’s also important to note that there is no statutory authority, either – not that the Constitution wouldn’t override that in any case – or even in the President’s own executive order.

The Order directs the Department of Interior to submit a report to the National Climate Task Force within 90 days, “recommending steps that the United States should take, working with State, local, Tribal, and territorial governments, agricultural and forest landowners, fishermen, and other key stakeholders, to achieve the goal of conserving at least 30 percent of our lands and waters by 2030.”

I’m not a Governor of one of the states affected, of course, but if I were, I think my reply to the Imperial City would end with the words “…and the horse you rode in on.”

Congress determines land use policies for the federal lands, while states have sole regulatory authority to govern other lands within our states. Nowhere in the laws of our nation is the authority delegated by Congress to the President or executive agencies to unilaterally change the policies governing land use in America. Section 216 of the Order appears to be a clear overreach of executive authority, which infringes on the sovereignty of the states and rights of the citizens. We cannot and will not allow this to happen.

This is of particular concern here in the Great Land, since our state has – by quite a wide margin – more Imperially-owned and controlled land than any other state.

Just another day, just another Imperial power grab, and the really outrageous thing about all this is that it’s purely arbitrary and based on several faulty premises.

The letter concludes:

We encourage your Administration to focus on better management of the lands the federal government already controls and to be more proactive in working with states. States are not simply additional stakeholders to consult in your policy development; states are essential partners and the leaders in developing innovative policies that already appropriately conserve lands, waters, and wildlife for the American people.

To the undersigned, I can only say, “Don’t hold your breath.”  The Imperial City, of late, does what it wants, the Constitution and the states be damned.  They are under pressure from base elements in their party, primarily “environmental activists” who generally live in big cities and have very little experience with the actual environment.

It seems like lately, it’s another day, another outrage from Washington.

Goodbye, Blue Monday

Goodbye, Blue Monday!

Thanks as always to The Other McCain, The Daley Gator, Flappr, Bacon Time and Pirate’s Cove for the Rule Five links!

A couple of bank and credit union robberies down in Anchorage have been solved, and the perp in custody, thanks to an online dating app.  No shit.

Anchorage resident Tyler Ching, 34, was arrested Sept. 22 in connection with two robberies at a credit union and bank in Anchorage.

On Sept. 19, authorities allege that Ching entered the Global Credit Union located on Industry Way. Ching menacingly approached two patrons in conversation with a bank teller, and brandished what appeared to be a gun. He demanded the teller fill a bag with cash.

Making his escape, he took about $2,320 with him. The next day, he repeated the pattern at the Wells Fargo Bank on Jewel Lake Road, making off with $2,820.

Meanwhile, the FBI put a photo out of the suspect and someone in the community recognized him from the Tinder dating app. He was also identified by an employee of the Anchorage Police Department, who knew a mutual acquaintance.

Here’s the fun bit:

Ching, a registered voter with the Green Party of Alaska, according to the Division of Elections, worked at a coffee shop not far from the Wells Fargo branch. He faces two counts of bank robbery and could serve up to 20 years in prison for each count.

Well, a Green Party leftist.  Not that there are plenty of Green Party nutbars who, while being nutbars, are at least law-abiding nutbars.  But Mr. Ching’s Green Party affiliation may well be a manifestation of the three personality traits an old retired cop once told me are present in every criminal; the percentages vary, but all three are always present. Those traits are Greedy, Mean and Stupid.

Mr. Ching, it appears, weighs in heavily on the Stupid side of the trilogy.

 

Animal’s Hump Day News

Happy Hump Day!

Just overnight, our juncos are gone, headed south for the winter.

Dark-Eyed Junco

One day there were a lot of them about, gleaning seed from under the feeders; the next day they were gone.  Juncos are one of our last summer birds to leave in the fall.  Friday is the first official day of autumn,  but our brief Great Land summer has already given way; we had our first hard frost Monday night, it’s raining more, the leaves on the birches are turning, and the fireweed is all come up in red.

Winter is coming!  Next month we’ll start getting snow, if things go as usual, and that’s fine.  Our winters are every bit as beautiful as our summers.  We have a full heating oil tank and two and a half cords of firewood put away.  We’re ready.

And so…

Continue reading Animal’s Hump Day News

Animal’s Hump Day News

Happy Hump Day!

Housekeeping note:  Since my Wednesday links posts have always been long, and are getting longer, I’m going to try sticking the actual links below a “Click to Read More” tag.  This will help me to keep my already crowded front page a tad less cluttered while I consider how to go about a more involved revamp of the site. I’m still using the 2014 theme for WordPress, and while I like the looks of it, it may be time to update.  It’s been almost ten years since the last major site revamp, so we’ll see.  And, of course, please do let me know in the comments if you like/dislike and changes or have any other comments.

And so…

Continue reading Animal’s Hump Day News

Animal’s Hump Day News

Happy Hump Day!

Special programming note!  Tonight I’ll be live-blogging the first GOP Presidential primary debate with some of my colleagues over at RedState, from 9PM to 11PM EDT (5PM to 7PM here in the Great Land).  Join us over there for the best blow-by-blow coverage!

Now then…

On To the Links!

Presented without comment:

Dismantle The Inflation Reduction Act!  (We should be so lucky.)

No shit, Sherlock.

Gee, I wonder why?

I love a happy ending.

Texas Tells the American Library Association to Go Pound Sand

It’s time to eat!

Animal agriculture is here to stay.

Trump’s Covid Failures

I.  Will.  Not.  Comply.

‘Bidenomics’ Means Americans Can’t Pay Their Bills

Americans Aren’t Buying ‘Bidenomics’

I love a happy ending.

Get the eff out of Belarus!

Maui Wildfire Response Sure Looks Like Government Failure

China’s Economy Is Sick and Could Infect the U.S.

My RedState Stuff:

The Changing Face of Conservatism

Should We Ban Electric Vehicles?

It’s Time for the GOP to Punch Back

Mike Pence Looks Forward to GOP Debates

Mary Peltola’s Fishing Failure

Is the FTC Aiming to Take out Amazon?

Ford CEO Faces Hard Sell on EV Road Trip

IRS Agent Killed in Shooting Range Accident

The Great College Scam

What San Diego Is Doing About Homeless Encampments Offers Us Lessons

Tennessee Couple Missing in Alaska for More Than a Week Found Safe

Sunday Gun Day IV – What Happened to the 10- and 16-Gauge Shotguns?

They Need Us. We Don’t Need Them.

14 American Cities Aim to Ban Meat, Dairy, Private Cars by 2030

Her Own Worst Enemy: Kamala Harris and 2024

The Rise of the Passport Bro

U.S. Embassy in Belarus Advises Americans to Depart Immediately

Bill Maher: Vivek Ramaswamy Is ‘Such a Likeable Guy’ Who Could ‘Really Could Go Far’

California Contemplates Mandating Heat Pumps

Alaska Governor Dunleavy Endorses Donald Trump for President

This Week’s Idiots:

Salon’s Brian Karem is an idiot.

Vox’s Rebecca Leber is an idiot.

MSNBC’s Jessica Levinson is an idiot.

The Nation’s Joan Walsh is an idiot.

The Nation’s Jeet Heer (Repeat Offender Alert) is an idiot.

Salon’s Heather Parton is an idiot.

Salon’s Amanda Marcotte (Repeat Offender Alert) is an idiot.  And again; the second one is stupid even for Amanda Marcotte, a serial idiot.

Robert Reich (Repeat Offender Alert) remains a sawed-off runt, and an idiot.

MSNBC’s Hayes Brown (Repeat Offender Alert) is an idiot.

This Week’s Cultural Edification:

I’m not sure what to say about this song, except that the song got a lot of radio play back in the mid-Eighties, and MTV, back when they were actually about music, played the video a fair bit.  OMC was, as I recall, a one-hit wonder, but How Bizarre at least was catchy.  Here it is, then – enjoy.

Animal’s Hump Day News

Happy Hump Day!

In Alaska news: We have a Red-Backed Vole living under our workshop building.  I’ve seen her a couple of times, making the scurrying crossing from the workshop to glean seeds from under the bird feeder at the front of our office building.  I know it’s a “she” because the other day she had her two little bitty baby voles with her.

Red-Backed Vole

Voles are basically short-tailed mice.  Mice (the clean outdoor kind, not the nasty invading-your-house kind) are generally pretty good neighbors.  They are clean, they feed mostly on seeds but will snack on bugs if the opportunity permits.  And mice in general are Nature’s Nachos – everything eats them.  Our little local Cooper’s Hawk prefers birds but will pick up a mouse if it can; and our resident Least Weasel, Herman the Ermine, prefers mice above all things.  But in spite of that, there are still mice around.  They’re great survivors.

Now then…

On To the Links!

They forgot “work spouse.”

A possible new human ancestor.

Bank Records Show $20 Million to Biden-Tied Businesses

Biden Needs To Stop Lying to Gold Star Families

Stossel: The ‘Consensus’ on Climate Change Is ‘Manufactured’

Garland’s Latest Dirty Trick To Protect ‘Big Guy’

We All Pay The Price For Uncle Sam’s Bad Credit

Millions Flowed to Biden Family From China

It’s working fine for me.

Fuck ranked-choice voting.

No shit, Sherlock.

I’m coming around to the idea of shooting looters.

Good and hard.

I don’t know who “50 Cent” is, but he’s right.

My RedState Stuff:

Richard Nixon – A Tragedy in Five Acts

BREAKING: Multiple FBI Field Offices Targeting Catholics as Domestic Terrorists

Newsom vs. DeSantis Debate Prep: The Smart Move for Gavin Newsom Is to Bow Out

Fifth Circuit Strikes Down Law Forbidding Gun Ownership by Drug Users

Civil Forfeiture Is Legalized Theft

Sen. Joe Manchin Reportedly ‘Thinking Seriously’ About Dropping out of Democrat Party

BREAKING: Illinois Supreme Court Upholds Semi-Auto Gun Ban

Environmentalists, Misanthropy, and Hypocrisy

Judge Rules Some California Students Can Sue State Over Learning During School Lockdowns

Pence, Other GOP Candidates Split on Abortion Law Over Federal Vs. State

US Government Credit Is Sinking, But Spending Is Still Running Wild

Sunday Gun Day III – Great Guns for Small Game

I’m Not Saying It’s Aliens, But in 2027 It Will Be Aliens

Social Security Reform is Too Little, Too Late

Fake Meat Fails

Doggone!

In Energy Production, Coal Is Still King

The Best States to Live In, 2023 – Really?

This Week’s Idiots:

Salon’s Olivia Luppino is an idiot.

MSNBC’s Max Burns is an idiot.

The New Republic’s Michael Tomasky is an idiot.

Vox’s Darren Grant is an idiot.

The Nation’s Amy Littlefield is an idiot.

Paul Krugman (Repeat Offender Alert) is still a cheap partisan hack, and an idiot.

This Week’s Cultural Edification:

I’m not a fan of modern heavy metal music.  I find it too formulaic, it all seems to sound the same, feature the same few guitar riffs, and all the lead singers sound the same, alternating between grunts and squalls like a cat whose tail was caught in a door.

But when my son-in-law, who is a big metal fan, sent me a link to a video by some group called the Texas Hippie Coalition and their song Pissed Off And Mad About It, I couldn’t help but be reminded of my current attitudes towards the Imperial government and the state of our country.  Here, let me know what you think.

Animal’s Hump Day News

Happy Hump Day!

In this, our third summer in the Great Land, we’re still getting used to how short the warm season is. Here we are on August 2nd, where most of the country is sweltering (and it’s supposed to hit 77 here, which is pretty damn warm for the Susitna Valley) and we’re going to be moving into cooler, wetter weather soon. The swallows are gone, the trees are turning from the bright, vibrant green of late spring and early summer to the darker, dustier green of late summer.  We may see snow as early as six weeks or so from now.

That’s Alaska, and we love it here more every day, long, cold winters and all.

Now then…

On To the Links!

Is the WaPo collapsing?

This is probably a safe assumption for China to make.

Oh, yeah, that’s sure to end well.

Yeah, it’s time for the Murder Turtle to hang it up.

Ten Senate seats mostly likely to flip.  We’ll see.

Judge to Hunter Biden:  “Get a job, stay sober.”  Hah!

EVs piling up at dealerships.

I love a happy ending.

We can hope.

National Treasure Dr. Victor Davis Hanson.

No shit, Sherlock.

Did China get their money’s worth?

RIP, PeeWee Herman.

The question isn’t “how big a problem is Biden’s age,” it’s “how big a problem is Biden’s dementia, and his family’s shocking corruption?”

Ford losing $4.5 billion on electric vehicles this year.  That’s “billion” with a “B.”  Or:  $4,500,000,000.

Yellow Freight shuts down.

China’s coal use hits new record.

Animals – delicious, delicious animals.

My RedState stuff:

Is China Resurgent? Or Is the House of Cards Collapsing?

Commander, the Wonder (Bite) Dog

Hunter Biden, Joe Biden, and Their Endless Chutzpah

The Facebook Files: How the Biden Administration Cracked Down on Free Speech

China Abandons the Paris Climate Agreements; America Should Be so Lucky

Of Pendulums and Politics

Politics: You Can’t Always Get What You Want.

California’s Marxist Math: The Once-Golden State Is Past the Point of No Return

China, Biology, Illegal Labs and the Coming Conflict With the US

Anchorage Mayor Proposes Sending Homeless to California

Sunday Gun Day I – Great Reading for Shooters

Grown-Up Children and Permanent Minors

Great Migrations: The Grapes of Wrath, Book Two

There May Be Many More Gun Owners Than We Thought.

This Week’s Idiots:

The Guardian’s Margaret Sullivan is an idiot.

Washington Monthly’s David Atkins is an idiot.

The Hill’s Eugene Fidell is an idiot.

Salon’s Heather Parton is an idiot.  And again.

MSNBC’s Jessica Levinson is an idiot.

The LA Times Robin Abcarian (Repeat Offender Alert) is an idiot.

Sidney Blumenthal is an idiot.

The Nation’s Luis Feliz Leon is an idiot.

MSNBC’s Zeeshan Aleem is an idiot.

Paul Krugman (Repeat Offender Alert) remains a cheap partisan hack, and an idiot.

I should have put this up before now.  I’ve written on the topic of Jason Aldean’s tune over at RedState, and so has my friend and colleague Brandon Morse.  Read both articles.

Jason Aldean makes a great point in this song.  This shit may fly in the big cities.  It won’t fly out here in the hinterlands.  We won’t put up with that shit, and we have the gear and the determination to stop anyone who tries it.

And, in case you’ve forgotten, old Bocephus had much the same message forty years ago.