Four Years of Progressive Alaska

Mooch the cat - my longtime editor

The first post at Progressive Alaska was on November 4th, 2007, a day after my 61st birthday.  Now, 3,414 posts later, I'm 65 and Progressive Alaska is four. 

When PA began, there weren't nearly as many progressive Alaskan blogs as there now are.  Twitter wasn't going yet, and Facebook was barely off the ground.

Most Americans had never heard of Sarah Palin, and far fewer knew anything about Wasilla, Alaska.  From August 29th 2008 through October 5th 2011, PA, along with a lot of other blogs around Alaska, the USA and the world, spent a lot of time trying to make sure Sarah Palin wasn't somehow insinuated upon the world.  In the end, more than anything we did, she did herself in.

PA ended up publishing 492 posts as parts of the Saradise Lost Series:

•  Saradise Lost - Book I --- 181 chapters  (the 2008 Presidential campaign)

•  Saradise Lost - Book II --  77 chapters  (from Palin's return to Juneau to the resignation announcement)

•  Saradise Lost Book III --   31 chapters  (from the announcement to the quitting)

•  Saradise Lost Book IV --  66 chapters  (Palin's re-insinuation into national political dialog)

•  Saradise Lost Book V --   86 chapters  (following Palin's attempt to create a 2012 campaign basis)

•  Saradise Found --------  32 chapters  (strange events of people worshipping Palin)

•  Saradise Lost & Found -- 19 chapters  (Palin oddities)

Besides those articles, PA has probably published over 100 other articles and diaries about Palin.

2007 anti-coal plant sign near Palmer

When PA began, we were concerned about plans for a huge coal-burning power plant proposed to be built on the southeast edge of Palmer.  Now we're fighting up here in the Valley to keep a huge open pit coal mine from being developed within yards of residential subdivisions, and 3.8 miles directly upwind from my house.  The way the wind was blowing here yesterday, it would take that coal dust five minutes to get from the mine to my yard, windows and lungs.

There are more battles to be fought here, too.  I'm going to devote much space to following Carl Gatto very closely this upcoming legislative session, even though I've been gerrymandered out of his legislative district.

Since August, I've had the biggest work load ever at UAA, and added a class that is wonderful to teach - advanced music theory - but has required a tremendous amount of preparation and accounting time.  And I've got three music composition projects going on simultaneously, something I hadn't tried to do since starting PA.

I've learned a lot while writing here.   Much of it has been from doing research for articles.  But a lot has been from readers who commented.

Thanks!

Neklason Lake and the Talkeetnas above Wishbone Hill