2007 in review

Once again, it is time to reflect on the previous year. This makes my 335th post on this blog, which means I'm averaging far less than a post a day, which is what I'd hoped to do when I started it up, but hey, I can't always be inspired. So, as Adam Meahan Olfahrt would say, Onward!

January

In January of 2007 I presented, for the first time, the Mike Kelly Award as a special Publisher's Pick at the Republic's 8th Birthday Bash. David James, also known as Dr. Feelgood, was the lucky winner of this dubious recognition for an article providing a valuable lesson in civics, science, or sex advice (or all three).

The Republic moved from the Old Post Office Espresso Publishing House & Art Gallery (now known as the Old Post Office Ester Library Annex) and the Trial Run to the Clubhouse, across the street and hidden behind the bar, there to start a large and disorganized office mess with dogs, kids, temporary guests, a refrigerator and range, and a VERY comfortable couch.

February

The fourth edition of the Local Et Cetera came out.

Don Young, after spouting a false quote supposedly by Abraham Lincoln that advocated arresting, exiling, or hanging those who damage military morale in wartime, refused to recant after his error was pointed out to him. Lincoln actually advocated strong limits on the power of the president.

"Scrotum" got put on the elementary school censorship list by those who wish to protect us from knowledge of our body parts.

The municipality of Largo, Florida, distinguished itself as a city of bigots, and Alaska gained headway in the discrimination spotlight with the phenomenally obnoxious HJR 9, introduced February 12, 2007, that would deny employee benefits of any sort at any level of government to same-sex OR unmarried couples, AND prevent civil unions. Bastards.

March

Brutus, our Mazda truck, went up in large, explosive, and very noisy flames, burning to a crisp in our driveway and causing rather a bit of excitement in our household.

The Republic was positively reviewed in the Utne Reader!

April

The library held its third Lallapalooza & Book Bash and raised better than $6,000.

Fred Dyson declared, in public no less, and with no apparent shame, that "government has the right to decide which relationships are forbidden and which are approved." And stunningly, the Libertarian party said absolutely nothing about this. So much for standing by their moral principles.

The Republic won awards again at the Alaska Press Club conference, even though we weren't there to stomp and whoop loudly.

The Supreme Court decided that half of the population is worth no more than their reproductive organs, and that we (women) are not mature enough to handle troublesome emotions such as regret, and therefore the menfolk of the reactionary rightwing kind are obligated to make all our most personal decisions for us. Again, I say, with feeling, "Bastards!"

We bought our green Honda Element.

May

The Cartoon North exhibit catalog was printed.

June

Got informally threatened with lawyers by the News-Miner for an article by Dru Heskin on the Newspapers in Education program. Although the newspapers in the dumpster story was mostly correct, there were problems (which I blush to admit I should have spotted). I didn't doublecheck thoroughly enough. So I published a correction and clarification in the next issue. Taught me a good lesson about making sure of all the dots on the i's and crosses on the t's. But ouch.

Don Young (o, that marvelous inspiration for editorial cartoons!) got conked by a coconut of his own pitching.

July

I hosted the 85th Carnival of the Green.

The DC contingent of Alaska's Corrupt Bastards Club started to get their comeuppance.

August

The News-Miner redesigned their paper and started copying, in certain respects, the Republic.

We poured the library gazebo foundation.

We held the Li-Berry Pie Throwdown and Music Festival, and boy was it fun!

September

Not much happened (at least that I wrote about), except for a Friday the Thirteenth, and Tim Easton was briefly back in town.

October

I started carrying around Alaskans for Clean Elections petitions.

Fairbanks discovered just how awkward it can get when the city doesn't use Instant Runoff Voting. Not to mention pricey.

The office refrigerator began barking. I kid you not. And it hasn't stopped yet. Ask me why I'm a nutcase. Ask me.

There was a humongous and hilarious Dumpster-diving fuss, sparked by Charlie Rex's second attempt to ban Dumpster diving. Major turnout by the local recyclers. This time the News-Miner got it right.

November

We finally got our water (and our septic line) running again!

I started begging for short-term, interest-free loans to help with printing Jamie Smith's books. Am still working on it.

I found out that Hans Klint died.

Dumpster diving was saved!

December

Got Like A Tree to the Soil off to the printer (for my day job).

Started working on John Haines' CD.

The United States got booed in Bali during the climate change convention.

Wolves started eating dogs in Fairbanks and Anchorage.

I got Mired in the Health Care Morass off to the printer!


And that was our year, folks!