Introducing Exotic Terrane

A terrane is a piece of the earth's crust that has been transported by plate tectonics far from its place of origin and accreted - glommed on, essentially - to another plate. Alaska is composed of several exotic terranes that traveled across the Pacific over millions of years and accumulated on the northwest corner of the North American craton. In some ways, the state's geologic history is an apt metaphor for its culture and politics.

This blog will attempt to define and explain the strangeness of politics in the Great Land. Alaska has been my home for over five years, but as an East Coast-transplant, my perspective is often one of bewilderment and awe. In this interesting post-Palin phase of the 2008 election cycle, much attention has been focused on the 49th state and our various and sundry quirks and particularities. While this attention can be both exciting and embarrassing, my reaction is most often one of frustration with the misinformation and misrepresentation of Alaska and Alaskans. Through this blog, I hope to correct some of those misconceptions and serve as a guide to this exotic terrain. More than water vapor is transpiring in the temperate rain forest here on the ragged edge of the continent.