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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His obsession with Palin can be understood, once we are able to see the extent of his social dating abilities:
And he's no stranger to making an idiot of himself at a function to which he's not invited:
Link:
So, I guess to show that Zeigler would do the same thing if he was on the other side of the fence, Anchorage Press journalist Brendan Joel Kelley got thrown out of an event he wasn't invited to by speaking loudly, dressing like a gangster and getting in the face of the video-maker. Here's the YouTube:
The ironic part: Alaska bloggers Phil Munger, Mudflats and videographer extrodinaire Dennis Zaki dress well, go to the screening, see the docu-drama and make an appointment to get an interview afterwards...
(I heard a rumor that you could hear the foot-stomping from Russia.)
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 09-04
Governor Palin Says to Media, "There You Go Again"
January 8, 2009, Anchorage, Alaska - Governor Sarah Palin today expressed dismay at continuing efforts in the media to take her comments out of context to create adversarial situations.
Ironically, the latest media eruption concerning the governor came out of an interview she gave to a filmmaker who is creating a documentary on distortions by the national press.
Gov. Palin gave the interview Monday as one of many voices contributing to the film "Media Malpractice...How Obama Got Elected," concerning the performance of the media last fall. The filmmaker posted excerpts from the interview on YouTube.com, which then led to misleading reports in the press.
Particularly troubling was a post on Politico.com titled, "Palin: Media Goes Easy on Kennedy." The headline inflames the governor's quote in the transcript, in which she answered a question about media treatment of the prospect that Caroline Kennedy would be appointed to the U.S. Senate: "It's going to be interesting to see how that plays out and I think that as we watch that we will perhaps be able to prove that there is a class issue here also that was such a factor in the scrutiny of my candidacy versus, say, the scrutiny of what her candidacy may be."
"I was not commenting at all on Caroline Kennedy as a prospective U.S. senator, but rather on the seemingly arbitrary ways in which news organizations determine the level and kind of scrutiny given to those who aspire to public office," Gov. Palin said today. "In fact, I consider Ms. Kennedy qualified and experienced, and she could serve New York well."
The governor's interview came as news organizations pursued erroneous and often outrageous leads on a variety of non-issues.
Just this week, false stories in the media surfaced alleging improper influence by the Palin administration or the governor herself. In one case, a state union alleged that the administration delayed serving an arrest warrant on the mother of Levi Johnston, the father of the governor's grandson. The union admitted within 48 hours that the allegation was not true.
In another case, an irresponsible talk show host in Anchorage alleged in a newspaper column that the governor must have intervened to get a job for her future son-in-law, circumventing eligibility rules for the position. Again, the allegation was immediately discredited by proof that the governor did not influence Levi's employment.
Meanwhile, bloggers, the Atlantic magazine and even the Anchorage Daily News continue to give credence to the sensational allegation that the governor's child, Trig, is not hers.
"As a public official, I expect criticism and I expect to be held accountable for how I govern," Gov. Palin said. "But the personal, salacious nature of recent reporting, and often the refusal of the media to correct obvious mistakes, unfortunately discredits too many in journalism today, making it difficult for many Americans to believe what they see in the media."
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A couple of things:
1) Exactly what were you doing IN YOUR HOME DURING THE DAY ON A MONDAY only TEN DAYS from the beginning of the Legislative Session giving an interview to some nutcase for his "documentary" that CLEARLY has NOTHING to do with Alaska...that CLEARLY is meant to improve your image in the "lower 48?" In other words, WHY ARE YOU CAMPAIGNING for 2012 ON STATE TIME?
2) What exactly were you thinking when you had your staff release this response to criticism about your obvious 2012 CAMPAIGNING interview as an official press release? Are you trying to get them brought before the Personnel Board?
3) You made this claim:
In another case, an irresponsible talk show host in Anchorage alleged in a newspaper column that the governor must have intervened to get a job for her future son-in-law, circumventing eligibility rules for the position. Again, the allegation was immediately discredited by proof that the governor did not influence Levi's employment.
Monday Palin was adamant she pulled no strings to get Johnston his job, only writing him a letter of recommendation.
Oh please, Governor Palin, don't you think that a letter of recommendation from THE GOVERNOR OF ALASKA holds just a TEENSY BIT of influence? Do you think that ANYONE would be STUPID enough to reject a candidate who had a letter of recommendation from THE GOVERNOR OF ALASKA? How many people have you given letters of recommendation and how many have NOT gotten the jobs they were looking for?
DO NOT try and claim that Levi's father ALONE carries the kind of clout as an engineer for ASRC to have them WAIVE THE EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS for an apprenticeship position. I'm sure the LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION FROM THE GOVERNOR OF ALASKA helped a great deal towards that end.
4) I see one thing that ADN should jump on. To my knowledge, they NEVER gave any credibility to the Trig allegation. I didn't talk about it...nor did a number of other blogs.
Yes, this is another Sarah Palin interview that was done at the Palin's Wasilla home. Yes, a lot of the same themes were covered in this video (billed as "excerpts"): bad, evil bloggers...bad, evil media...more bad, evil media...Sarah's a victim, victim, victim. But there were some significant differences:
-- This was done on January 5th and was originally released earlier on Wednesday the 7th as a "private" YouTube video. (Some YouTuber eventually converted it to a public format.)
-- It was done for a bigger project: a "documentary on the media coverage of the 2008 election" called "Media Malpractice"
-- The interview was conducted by a man named John Ziegler, who describes himself here:
I am virtually unknown nationally and there was absolutely no reason for anything to be done differently as a "show" for us. We saw the genuine Sarah Palin and it is patently obvious that this is the only one that exists. She is the real deal.
As a former TV sportscaster and radio talk show host, I have interviewed a lot big-time "celebrities," and I can honestly say that, even though you could argue that Sarah Palin was the most prominent I have ever spoken to one-on-one, she was also by far the nicest, most sincere and, seemingly, honest subject that I have ever questioned.
He also admits (big shock):
For context, I admit to being a fan of Sarah Palin from before she was ever named John McCain's VP candidate. I attended her convention speech and consider it to be by far the finest that I have ever personally witnessed.
-- Most significantly, this interview was very clearly geared towards the Republican base in the lower-48. How do we know that? From Palin's own words:
