My 'skyline' is changing

This is what I woke up to a block away this morning.



This is my new dream job.

Flamage: Next round's on me

A fire broke out on 15th Terrace a few blocks from here this evening -- a smoke alarm could be heard beeping as the first police officers ran up to a smoking apartment building. As he was nearby shooting a sports story, Channel 2 photographer Parker Winship saw the smoke and made it to the scene fast enough to capture the incident as a corner of the building became engulfed in flames, the windows exploded, and firefighters attacked from inside with hoses.

See the full video here (it's worth watching):

Fire tears through Fairview apartment complex

My dad, a 25-year veteran volunteer firefighter, and other firefighters have told me that the rule is this: When you're seen on the news at a fire, you have to buy ice cream, or a drink or whatever for everybody else who was there.

There are plenty of Anchorage's finest, including those working on Engine 1 from the downtown station, who are going to be buying rounds in the coming days.

Parker deserves a beer or three, too.

Time to bring a gun to a knife fight

There was a report of a man lurking around 12th and Eagle, right where a close associate's house is located, and he even sexually assaulted a woman, at knife point, with his hand.

He was described as dark skinned and between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-8 and was wearing baggy pants, a checkered or striped blue or black and white shirt.

It happened last night at about 11:30.

"... while holding a knife to her back, [he] sexually assaulted her with his hand ...

The woman's boyfriend was sleeping at the time, and she was unable to wake him, police said. When the boyfriend came out of the bedroom, the suspect ran off.

About 20 minutes later, police received a report that a woman saw a similar-looking man hiding and crouched down near 11th Avenue and Eagle Street. He asked her if he could hide in her apartment, police said, and when she refused, he grabbed her and attempted to hit her ...

Anchorage police ask that anyone with information should call them at 786-8900 or CrimeStoppers at 561-STOP (7867)."

We consider 12th and Eagle a second home -- if not the true home -- of Los Anchorage, so creepy, stalking rapists beware: Our pit bulls will be expecting you.

And if that doesn't work, we'll get you with this:

Rap star

Pictures and stories are circulating of and about a Daily Show crew in Fairbanks for Gov. Sarah Palin's resignation Sunday. They were just one set of many photographers and reporters there for the media blitz on Fairbanks.

Reporter Jason Jones (at left, with The Alaska Standard reporter Dani Carlson) apparently hit AP photographer Al Grillo on the head or hat, blaming Grillo and the rest of the media for Gov. Sarah Palin's resigning, or something.

Jones also threw a cup of coffee at the Channel 2 News satellite truck, for the same reason, to get back at the media. The truck operator, who was in cahoots, came out to contribute "What the F--- are you doing?"

Obviously he's just having fun, but the idea's kind of harsh and maybe more what the crowd and the then-governor were getting at. I mean, blaming the Alaska media? Isn't that who Sarah blames? Was it really Turkeygate or Gobblegate or whatever, or was it the national press? The Daily Show?

The media, of course, all of them, were made a focus when during her speech Palin declared they were liars, that we were making "stuff" up, and that it was dishonoring the troops, somehow.

From How we said goodbye to Sarah, by Lynne Snifka, a.k.a. Monster House:

"So, how about, in honor of the American soldier, ya quit makin' things up," she said, though she didn't specify what.

In the press box, some reporters shifted uneasily, as though a volley of eggs or spoiled vegetables was about to be launched.

And other journalists, too, commented on feeling uneasy.

I'm guessing Jones' story will be some sort of commentary on the media, its credibility and its enemies now and in the future. And there are likely many other cameo appearances by Alaska journos on the Daily Show story.

Whatever it is, Los Anchorage's typewriting monkeys are currently hitting refresh every once in a while at The Daily Show.

Update: I just watched the show, and I have to say, Jon Stewart had a great take: Of all the things to blame mainstream media for, is it stories about the cost of Palin's wardrobe that bother her, or the false reports of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq? I think he's insinuating the former.

Here's the Jason Jones piece:

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Quitter - Leave Sarah Palin Alone
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Joke of the Day

Conan also had jokes on the Tonight Show, starting his monologue off with Palin jokes. William Shatner performed her speech later as a jazz poem:

Video Recaps | Full Episodes | Webisodes

Here's the full video of the Palin speech.

Rehash: The anti-quitter

It's been a long time since I've posted here, and a lot has changed since September of 2008, both for me and for Alaska.

A sitting senator, and a champion for Alaska was indicted, convicted, defeated in election, and seemingly vindicated by a Justice Department reversal, all due to prosecutorial misconduct.

The mayor of Anchorage became the so-called boy senator. The man we called a giant Humboldt squid is one of 100 of the most powerful men and women in the country, but nowhere near the force his predecessor was.

Alaska's governor was hand-selected to run for vice president, claimed the national spotlight and has been blinded by its glitter ever since. She resigned because of it, and because of "frivolous" ethics complaints, and because she is going on to bigger and better things, she said today, in so many words, at Pioneer Park in Fairbanks. (How we said goodbye to Sarah, by Lynne Snifka)

Incidentally, Pioneer Park, as old-school Fairbanksans from way back will remember, was once known as Alaska Land. I've given up on trying to save that name for posterity. The playground equipment has all been turned to plastic, the train whistle sounds feeble and sad to me now, and it's become a place where vibrant Alaska governors go to die aboard restored, but somehow still-sunken riverboats.

It's also a place where second-in-commands, who've been carefully carved out of wood, are allowed through ceremony to latch onto the mantle of power for a while.

What will 2010 bring?

Sitting here, at Los Anchorage headquarters at the 6th and Fairbanks compound, I can't help but reel in the strangeness of the times in which we live. Things have only gotten weirder since September. It was shortly after my last post here that I became managing editor of KTUU.com, the online wing of Channel 2 News.

Because of the work managing KTUU.com -- specifically, the number of hours I spent at a computer wrecking my eyesight -- and because I wasn't sure how far I should, or could, go with Los Anchorage, I stopped posting here.

Now, I'm happy to say that Los Anchorage is returning. Today, I paid the $10 to re-register the domain name. The times call for it.

And stay tuned.