Read about the ridiculous fees the State of Alaska (under former half-Gov. Sarah Palin and now) requires citizens to pay for public information!
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Thank you!
Though many of us suffer from Palin Factor Fatigue, it is irrefutable that there is a nagging curiosity to have the question answered, ?How in the world did Sarah Palin become so popular and why do we still need to hear about her?? My book answers these questions in detail and urges us all to be vigilant. She is one of a small pool of ?rising stars in the republican party? as John McCain stated as recently as January 25, 2009 on Fox News Sunday.
As unbelievable as her meteoric rise was we cannot delude ourselves, turning our backs once again, into thinking that she and those like her are going away. This woman is joined by millions of loyalists whose perception is that she was persecuted in the media, stifled by McCain, and mocked by liberals - and now the theocratic conservatives are regrouping with a vengeance!
"Blue Oasis" began in 2005 in its Blogger format (now an archive) and became possibly the first Alaska Blog on Progressive Politics. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis was honored to represent Alaska as the state blog.
Transition--Community Blog
In September 2008, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis moved to a Soapblox Community Blog format. Readers can become full participants by registering on the blog to comment and write "diaries." Diary titles appear on the right sidebar for folks to read and provide comments. Blog editors may choose to move some of these diaries to the front page.
While this Community was formed specifically with Alaska in mind, all "friends of Alaska" are welcome as members!
**Note about registering** Scroll down the right side until you find the link to register. Then, just follow the instructions!
**Note about comments** To comment on a story, click on the heading and then look for the "comment bar" at the bottom (it's light grey, I can't seem to change it). I believe the font color NOW permits you to see the "post comment" text.
YOUR BLOGMISTRESS
My name is Linda Kellen Biegel and I am a former 15-year Federal employee. Thirteen of those years were spent working for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I am also semi-retired from the Alaska music scene (singer, sound tech, stage manager, logistics).
When the blog was chosen to represent Alaska in the DNCC State Blogger Pool at the Denver Convention, I attended with the help of Alaska Real blogmistress, Writing Raven and my daughter Morrigan. On August 29th, one day after Barack Obama's inspiring speech at Invesco Field , my life took another turn as it did for all Alaska bloggers when Gov. Sarah Palin was chosen to be John McCain's VP running mate. Since then, I've either assisted or have been interviewed by media from the UK, Italy, Australia and Germany as well as national media outlets such as Wall Street Journal, NY Times, ABC Good Morning America's Kate Snow, National Journal, Dallas Morning News, LA Times, and NPR.
Presently, I work as a freelance writer, PR, event coordinator, community organizer, wife to computer programmer Josh and mother to 11-year-old Morrigan. Our family especially enjoys our summers in Alaska where we get to subsistence set-net fish Sockeye salmon as well as halibut fish/whalewatch in the family's homemade aluminum boat, "The Neverdone" (when it's working). We reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
Origin of "Celtic Diva"
I've used "Celtic Diva" as a screen name since the early 1990's on Web TV.
"Folks have asked about my Celtic heritage, especially in light of my name. What they don't realize is that I'm adopted. I was born Valerie Morehead of the Clan Muirhead. I was adopted at three-months-old by the Kellens. I always "knew" I was Celt even before really knew. I was drawn to all things Scottish, especially music. That's why my parents eventually told me at age 16."
"Linda is well-known in Alaska & beyond as the prominent progressive political blogger Celtic Diva of Celtic Diva?s Blue Oasis. But back in the day, the early 1990s, I knew her as Linda Kellen, a member of the local folk/rock band Sky is Blu, which amongst other things performed in at least a couple or so of the annual women?s show Celebration of Change, in which I also performed. And if you don?t already know, let me tell you: Linda is one fine damn singer."
I went on after the break-up of "Sky is Blu" to perform with various Alaska musicians and work with national folks like Bo Diddly, Coco Montoya, Debbie Davies, Taj Mahal, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bad Company, Creedence Clearwater, Carny Wilson, etc...
A bee on Dragon Tongue Stonecrop in my rock garden
August 2010
(Scroll down to find posts.)
(Please register to participate in diaries and comments! We'd love for you to join our Community!)
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Members of United HERE Local 878 spent a good part of the day on September 25 in the rain outside the Anchorage Hilton picketing for a fair contract.
The last thing I was wrote before heading to the True Diversity Dinner last Friday was a lengthy post called Unity & union-busting about what I'd learned since last Wednesday about the struggle by workers at the Anchorage Hilton Hotel for a fair contract. If you haven't already, please read that post. This is an ongoing issue.
Hilton Anchorage, a familiar landmark in downtown Anchorage -- now making its mark as a union-buster that cares little about the welfare of the workers who actually provide the hospitality the hotel brags about.
Unite HERE Local 878 represents workers at several Anchorage hotels including about 200 at the Anchorage Hilton. As described in that earlier post, Hilton workers have been trying since August 2008, when their last contract expired, to negotiate for a new contract. But Kentucky-based Columbia Sussex, which took over the Anchorage Hilton in 2006, has been dragging its feet as much as it can, while simultaneously imposing -- unilaterally -- new demands on the workers, including increased workloads without additional pay. For example, workers who once were previously expected to clean 15 rooms in a day are now expected to clean 17 rooms per day -- and if you've ever cleaned a hotel or motel room, you know that's imposing quite a bit more work for no additional compensation. Workers are also being asked by management to pay a far larger share of their health costs.
I knew that Local 878 workers would be picketing outside the Hilton on Friday, so I parked at the Post Office Mall so I could stop by and take photos. (Janson Jones of Floridana Alaskiana v2.5 also got some photos; I'll try to get his up later too, since he's given me permission. Phil Munger of Progressive Alaska got photos earlier in the day -- you can see one in his Busy Friday Recap post, posted on Saturday.)
Dave, a member of United HERE Local 878. I talked with him for a few minutes about labor issues at the Anchorage Hilton.
I also got a chance to talk with one of the workers, Dave, where he stood outside the entry way with flyers about what union members were fighting about. He mentioned that Columbia Sussex is pulling the same tactics at several other of its hotels, and also pointed out that if Columbia Sussex succeeds in breaking the union at the Anchorage Hilton, there's a chance that other Anchorage hotels that currently have reasonable working standards and compensation packages will also begin to degrade their treatment of workers.
Even as hotel workers spent hours picketing in the rain outside the Hilton on Friday, the Alaska Republican Party fundraiser and the Mayor's Unity Dinner were being held inside -- a sign of the regard both events' organizers have for how unfair working conditions affect Anchorage workers and their families. Remember how Mayor Sullivan said that his dinner was supposed to reflect the common values shared by everyone in the Anchorage community -- "the importance of family, quality education for our children, and safe, vibrant neighborhoods"? Remember when I wrote a couple of weeks ago about how "Sullivan’s veto [of the Anchorage equal rights ordinance] makes it clear that he only deems some families important — and mine’s not one of them"? Seems the the hotel workers' families aren't important to him either.
What diversity looks like. Hotel workers picketing outside the Mayor's Unity Dinner, the keynote event of Anchorage's "Mayor's Diversity Month".
This is unfair treatment that both the Alaska Republican Party and the Mayor's Unity Dinner upheld by crossing picket lines on Friday. And so with anyone who patronizes the Hilton until the hotel's management settles a fair contract.
How can you help? First, if you're traveling, dining, or planning an event, check the list of properties owned by Columbia Sussex and don't patronize them. In Anchorage, that's the Anchorage Hilton and the Anchorage Marriott. Second, pass the word on to other people who care about fair workplace treatment. Third, show Local 878 your support.
One great way to show your support is by joining with union members on Wednesday, September 30 for Anchorage's first Hotel Workers Rising March. They'll be assembling at the Sheraton Hotel at 4:30 PM and marching from there to the Hilton. I'm going to see about getting off work early that day so I can participate.
As the day's picketing ended, workers prepared to meet in a few days to continue working for a fair contract.
Here's the other photos I took on Friday of the picketing. You can view this slideshow fullscreen by clicking on the fullscreen icon; you can also see them at my Flickr photostream.
