Charlie Wilson's War

At the movies last week, we saw the preview [I know, they call them trailers these days, but 'pre' 'view' as something you see before seeing the actual film and something you see before the feature movie, still seems to make more sense than something you drag behind, like a trailer] for Charlie Wilson's War, starring Tom Hanks and Julia Roberts.

I want to make a plug here for George Crile's book. It's a very engrossing giant of a book that tells the nonfiction stories of Congressional intrigue, setting up the US arming of the Muhajedeen resistance to the Soviets in Afghanistan, and wheeling and dealing with the powers that be in Pakistan. This book goes into great detail, but reads like a good adventure spy novel. There's no better way I know of to till in some of those blanks about how we got where we are today in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I know that the movie, no matter how good it is, just can't go into the details that book does. If kids studied history by reading books like this, it would be the favorite subject of more than few people like Ropi.

So, before the movie publicity causes all the library copies to be checked out, go get your copy and start reading Charlie Wilson's War.

Library Day, Anchorage is Our Home

Lunch with A.S at the Thai Kitchen. Decided to bike it because it would be easier to park than the car at the UAA library afterward. It was nice being in the library, it's been a while.










Found my book - Scott Gant's We're All Journalists Now. Someone on the Next Hurrah had recommended it. And it fits right in the my previous post on bloggers credentialing. When I read this in the inside cover

Are bloggers journalists, even if they receive no income? Even if they are unedited and sometimes irresponsible? Many traditional news organizations would say no But Gant contends otherwise...

Then the bike trail home, by the south fork of Chester Creek at the bridge at UAA.






But I left the bike home later when I went downtown to the museum for the showing of Anchorage is Our Home - co sponsored by Healing Racism Anchorage and the Hispanic Affairs Council of Alaska (HACA). The film is a series of clips from interviews of people in Anchorage talking about racism they have encountered, how it affected them, and the kind of Anchorage they would like to see. The Mayor dropped by and said a few words - mentioning particularly Paul Bauer's proposed new Assembly Ordinance to require Anchorage Police to ask anyone they stop for any 'legal' reason to produce proof of their legal status in the US. There is an Assembly Work Session on this Wednesday at noon in City Hall.

You want to know who supports Bauer's proposed ordinance? Check out the Alaska Pride blog. While you are there check out his White Nationalist links some of his

Other Favorite Sites

* The Truth About Martin Luther King
* Council of Conservative Citizens
* American Nationalist Union
* American Renaissance
* Jeff Rense
* Conservative HQ Forum
* Boycott Cabela's

General WN Blogs

* Anti-Semite Sam's Blog
* Aryan Matters Blog
* Bill White's Blog
* Dietrich's Blog
* Estonian Sunshine Blog
* Expose Them All
* Masher News Blog
* Nationalist Dissident Voice (UK)
* Panzerfaust Blog
* PC Apostate Blog
* Snow White's Blog
* South Africa Blog
* State Line Star
* The Rabbit Hole
* Tuonela's Blog

* White Reference Blog

I don't have the heart to provide the links to these sites, but you can get them on the Alaska Pride site. Look at a few of these and then tell me that racism doesn't exist in Alaska.

Mountain Ash Berries on Ice

Big Oil's Still Big Oil

[This began at the end of the previous post on the state censoring a blog, but it got so long I decided to make it a separate post.]


While you check out Alaskan Abroad, don't skip the letter "consultant Daniel Johnston recently sent to legislators." I quote in part:

For those of you who had to suffer through my testimony the past two years you will recall numerous references to risky places like Libya, Kazakhstan, Algeria and Russia where the government share of profits ("take") was in the high eighties i.e. around 85+%.

So now Alaska is considering a change to the petroleum profits tax which will add another 1% or so to Government take. Yawn. [emphasis mine]

This, as we read in today's Anchorage Daily News that Rep. Mike Chenault of Nikiski "successfully pushed through an amendment to bring the rate back down to 22.5 percent." And, "Rep. Mike Hawker objected to raising the tax." If it weren't for Rep. Mike Doogen, I'd be wondering if we shouldn't make Mikes ineligible for the legislature.

These guys are still buying the oil companies' arguments that they will leave for easier pickings. If that's the case, why aren't the oil companies answering the questions about their Alaska profits?

Several state legislators, including Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Hollis French, D-Anchorage, and House Resources Committee Co-Chairman Carl Gatto, R-Palmer, have unsuccessfully tried to press the companies for cost and profit information specifically for Alaska.

They've found those who produce oil in Alaska don't like to talk about their profits in the state, and in some cases won't say anything.

Do the Mikes really believe their line about their accounting doesn't break out Alaska finances separately? They're playing hardball and you guys are blinking.

We've watched the surveillance tapes. We know what goes on. Mikes, is your free market ideology blocking your common sense? The free market posits two parties making a deal. The oil companies are making a deal. They are offering much lower than they are willing to settle for. They'd be stupid if they offered their last best level first. And the state, the owner of the oil, this scarce commodity that is now pushing $100/barrel, is the other actor. It should be asking much higher than it's willing to settle for. Given what the oil companies are paying elsewhere, it should be a lot more than 25%. Either you guys are a little slow on how the game is played or you've got reasons to push the oil company line that you aren't sharing.


Call your legislators and tell them not to sell out the state. If this oil was in your back yard, would you settle for 22.5% of the profits and let the guys who got it to market take all the rest, minus their costs? Sure you would.

Remember, these Republican legislators are the same people who have kept Randy Ruedrich as their party chairman. This is the guy Sarah Palin filed ethics complaints against when she quit the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission.

State Censoring Blogs?

This was posted on the political/oil/Czech rock blog Alaskan Abroad Saturday:

I just found out the state blocks AA [Alaskan Abroad] on state-owned computers, at least for classified employees. The ban doesn't apply for legislators or the Third Floor. How cool is that?

My response? Not cool at all. The most positive explanation would be that something in his plastic people coverage snagged the State internet filter. But then it would have snagged the ADN as well, surely. And I know State workers can get the ADN because they've linked to this blog from the ADN.

And why would the third floor have access? Or do they have unfiltered access to the internet?

So, first, is this really happening? If it is, who sets the State policy on state employee internet access? Why would a blog that focuses on Alaska politics and oil issues get blocked? This is a giant step backward for bloggers.

Watching the Snow Fall

This is the sequel to the thriller, The Leaves Are Falling.






Join me on the deck1234567891011121314151617181920123456789101 All is still, winter snowflakes 12312341234567891234567894567891 only moving things

Refugee Nation

Wow - another story telling show. This time three main story tellers presenting some of the stories of Lao Refugees to the US. They aren't always easy as we hear about the difficulties of adjusting to a new land after surviving war and refugee camps in Thailand. Although the two main actors are from LA, this is not a slick Hollywood production. Rather it is a well acted, genuine performance by people who want to entertain and educate about their people - the Lao refugees in the US. This is still a work in progress and I expect that the transitions from scene to scene will get a little tighter and the film will be better integrated into the rest of the performance. But these are my picky points and they really don't detract from the power of the show. This is a chance to see behind the news images people might have (or as the show points out, not have) of Lao and Hmong people.

The ADN did a great job of covering this show on the front page this morning. Below is a brief video of the question and answer period after the performance with Leilani Chan, Ova Saopeng, and May Lee-Yang.




And according to their blog, they've been having a busy but great time in Anchorage. They've been to various schools, to the Senior Center, met with Alaska Native kids, and tried out several of the Thai/Lao restaurants. Here's what they say about their welcome in Anchorage.

It's been two days in Anchorage and already we feel like part of the family. We've been welcome with warm smiles, hugs and hospitality unmatched beyond any expectation. In these two days so far, we have met more people, been filled with excitement and enthusiasm and gone to several happenin' events in Anchorage that it's like we never left home.

Also check out the website.

I know that Mike Huelsman, the Executive Director or Out North Theater, is responsible for much of the hospitality.

Anchorage is blessed to have such cultural riches and if you don't already have tickets to something Sunday, you should go to see Jack Dalton at Cyrano's and then Refugee Nation at Out North. You can get your tickets online there.

Refugee Nation has a 7pm performance Sunday and 4pm on Monday afternoon.
Dalton's My Heart Runs in Two Directions at Once has a Sunday 3pm show, then Monday - Thursday at 7pm. Cyrano's is on D Street between 4th and 5th Avenues downtown.

Yes, this is less a review and more a shameless plug. But I wouldn't be pushing this if I didn't think it was really worthwhile.

Jack Dalton - My Heart Runs in Two Directions

Just go to Cyrano's tonight. Just do it. Jack Dalton really is a story teller. That's his profession. In the stories we heard last night, he tells his own story. If I were to try to give a synopsis it would be like trying to describe a kind of music you've never heard before. Your brain would try to grab onto the closest images you have to the words I'd use and you'd come up with your own story.

But Jack tells his own story and it is the telling that makes the story powerful. One message he clearly sends is this: He wants through his stories to give others the courage to tell and to live their own stories. I guess I can list the scenes as printed in the program since they are his own words:

Act One: From the Tundra
Can't Sleep
Birth
Byron Scott Dalton
Heathen Savages
Foreigner
Happy Birthday
Really Being Yup'ik
Not Really Being Yup'ik

Act Two: From the City
The Storyteller
My Heart Runs in Two Directions at Once
Ellangellemni: The Moment I Become Aware
Angallguq: One Who Facilitates Healing


I knew Jack casually when he was a student at UAA and a waiter at Golden Pond restaurant long ago. There was always something special about him. The picture above from the program captures a Jack I don't know. The picture toward the end of this postseems to show his warmth and humor better. I also appreciated last night how quick he is. Several times he slipped out of character to make real time comments, and then easily slipped back into character. Or was that part of the act too?

Darjeeling Limited

Light, but not as light as it appeared, and lots of fun. Three brothers on a pilgrimage in India. The India part appealed. They obviously had a good time making the movie. The official webite has lots of material about making the movie and the soundtrack that deftly blends Indian music and Western music.



I've made two versions at different quality to see the difference. I'll post the second one soon. [Here's version two. Is the difference significant enough to justify using 5 times the megabites?]

DOJ Press Release on Kohring Trial

Again (as with the Kott verdict), the Department of Justice tells the world that the defendant was convicted of three counts (bribery, conspiracy, and attempted extortion) but doesn't mention that he was NOT convicted of one count (extortion.) It's one thing for private companies to omit important information to make themselves look good, but it's entirely different when the government does that.

Also of interest is that they say he faces a maximum of 35 years in prison (20 years on the attempted extortion charge, 10 years on the bribery charge, and five years on the conspiracy charge.) If the attempted extortion charge means up to 20 years, what would he have been facing if convicted for extortion? Not only did the DOJ not mention that he was acquitted on one charge, but that he was acquitted on the most significant charge - Extortion.

The last paragraph is also of interest:

This case was prosecuted by trial attorneys Nicholas A. Marsh and Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, headed by Chief William M. Welch, II, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph W. Bottini and James A. Goeke of the District of Alaska. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigative Division.

The first sentence includes all four attorneys, though only Sullivan and Bottini actually tried the case. Marsh was there for the first couple of days. He said he was returning to DC after that. Goeke was in Courtroom 3 during most of the Kohring trial, sitting in the back.

The last sentence says the IRS is investigating the case with the FBI. One question that has been raised about the Veco contributions to remodeling Ted Stevens' Girdwood house has been about what Stevens did for Veco in return. Can the Government prove a direct connection? There is the National Science Foundation grant that Veco got. But if the IRS is investigating too, perhaps they are checking on whether Stevens declared the $100,000 worth of work Allen says Veco did for Stevens on his income tax forms.









FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2007
WWW.USDOJ.GOV
CRM
(202) 514-2007
TDD (202) 514-1888

Former Alaska State Representative
Victor Kohring Convicted on Public Corruption Charges

WASHINGTON – A federal jury in Anchorage, Alaska, has found former Alaska State Representative Victor H. Kohring guilty of conspiracy, bribery and attempted extortion, Assistant Attorney General Alice S. Fisher of the Criminal Division announced today.

Following an eight-day jury trial, Kohring, a member of the Alaska State House of Representatives from 1994 to 2007, was convicted of conspiracy, bribery and attempted extortion, for corruptly soliciting and receiving financial benefits from a company in exchange for performing official acts in the Alaska State Legislature on the company’s behalf.

On May 4, 2007, Kohring was arrested following the unsealing of two indictments charging him and two former Alaska representatives with various public corruption offenses.

At trial, the jury heard evidence that Kohring, while serving as a member in the state legislature, solicited bribes from and took action to benefit the financial interests of VECO Corporation, a major Alaska oil services company. Trial evidence, including more than 25 recordings of conversations involving Kohring and former VECO executives, showed that Kohring repeatedly agreed to lobby his colleagues and, if needed, cast votes in VECO’s favor on a key petroleum production tax proposal pending before the Alaska legislature. In exchange, Kohring received multiple cash payments and solicited a $17,000 payment.

“Former Representative Victor Kohring betrayed his oath of office and the people of Alaska when he deliberately and repeatedly took bribes in exchange for official acts,” said Assistant Attorney General Fisher. “I thank the federal prosecutors and FBI agents who have worked so hard on this case. Their efforts demonstrate that the Department of Justice will pursue public officials who abuse their positions of power for their own financial gain.”

The VECO executives who testified at trial, former Chief Executive Officer Bill J. Allen and former Vice President of Community Affairs and Government Relations Richard L. Smith, pleaded guilty in May 2007 to providing more than $400,000 in corrupt payments to public officials from the state of Alaska.

Kohring is the third former member of the Alaska House of Representatives to be convicted this year of corruption crimes. Thomas T. Anderson, a former elected member of the Alaska state House of Representatives, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for extortion, conspiracy, bribery and money laundering for soliciting and receiving money from an FBI confidential source in exchange for agreeing to perform official acts to further a business interest represented by the source. Peter Kott, a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, was convicted in September 2007 of extortion, bribery and conspiracy, and is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 7, 2007.

Kohring faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the attempted extortion charge, a maximum sentence of 10 years on the bribery charge, and a maximum sentence of five years on the conspiracy charge. U.S. District Judge John W. Sedwick of the District of Alaska set sentencing for Feb. 6, 2008.

This case was prosecuted by trial attorneys Nicholas A. Marsh and Edward P. Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section, headed by Chief William M. Welch, II, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph W. Bottini and James A. Goeke of the District of Alaska. The case is being investigated by the FBI and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigative Division.

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