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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...
USA Women's Olympic Hockey Team Star Kerry Weiland with our friend Isabella and my daughter Morrigan at St. Baldrick's Day
(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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I was exploring the clever snarkfest which is Wonkette and the plethora of Palin posts. The "post swarm" started when I "consorted" with Dr. Chill to "desecrate" her icon through the evils of photoshop. It has continued through the insanity that has been her resignation and up to the wacked-out strategy of threatening another Alaskan media figure (Shannyn Moore) with legal action.
Among those Wonkette posts was a little gem under the title "win of the afternoon"...they highlighted a comment from Alaska Girl:
She didn't finish her term as mayor, stepping down to run for Lt. Governor. She didn't finish her term on the petroleum board ethics panel, she resigned in protest and then ran for Governor. She doesn't want the office, she just likes running for office. She doesn't want (can't actually) accomplish anything, she just wants to talk about it.
Quitting before the job is done is her modus operendi.
Of course, this last year has also highlighted other patterns that Sarah Palin can't seem to break. Her biggest, most glaring pattern is hypocrisy mixed with secrecy.
In the middle of the primary, a conservative columnist in the state, Paul Jenkins, unearthed e-mail messages showing that Ms. Palin had conducted campaign business from the mayor's office. Ms. Palin handled the crisis with a street fighter's guile.
"I told her it looks like she did the same thing that Randy Ruedrich did," Mr. Jenkins recalled. "And she said, 'Yeah, what I did was wrong.' "
--In Palin's resignation speech, she continued her steady drumbeat of whining about the media, bloggers, the internet...everyone who has criticized her or made her life difficult. Yet, during the campaign, she reamed Hillary Clinton for her "whining" about the press:
--During her resignation speech, Palin also blamed those who "cost the State money" by filing "all those complaints."
During Palin's inauguration speech, she told us to "hold her accountable":
Palin steadfastly denies the allegations, and with her signature resolve, said she welcomes the investigation. "Hold me accountable," she challenge her critics.
Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission Chairwoman Sarah Palin said Friday she is resigning amid frustration that she is being forced to keep silent about ethics allegations against Republican Party of Alaska chairman Randy Ruedrich.
"I'm forced to withhold information from Alaskans, and that goes against what I believe in as a public servant," Palin said in a Friday interview.
Today, Sarah Palin doesn't seem to have any problem at all witholding information from Alaskans. It obviously suits her long-term purpose to leave us in the dark. I have my own theory as to what's going on. However, no matter what the actual details of "why" she resigned, it's pretty clear that they involve personal or financial gain...much like the basis for every single ethics complaint filed against her.
If we were paying attention, we should have seen this coming.
There are so many parties, fundraisers and BBQs planned for this weekend because the last several weeks have been SO gorgeous!
Of course it's raining like crazy today!
I don't mind because then I don't have to feel guilty for being behind the computer when there is so much yard work to do. (Yes, folks, that's what 16-years of Catholic school will do to you! My permanent companions sound like a popular Irish band, Shame-n-Guilt!) I just recently found my IPod (yay!) while unpacking boxes so I'm listening to my version of rainy-day music...Me'Shell Ndegeocello's album "Bitter." ("Grace" is one of my favorite songs of all time.)
Anyway, it seems that, like the leaves on the trees outside, news, emails and comments are just springing up all around me and it's impossible to keep up. I'm working on several other analytical posts, but I decided I needed to do a summary post of news I haven't had time to cover:
Homer Fire
While I have mentioned the flooding my friends in Rural Alaska have been experiencing and suffering through, I have NOT mention my good friends in Homer fighting and fleeing from the East End Fire. The link is to an facebook group started to follow the fire. Information about the fire can be found at Homer News, including the shared photos section:
The fire, originally estimated at about 1,200 acres, is more accurately about 1,075 acres, said spokesman for the fire command team Pete Buist on Friday morning.
"The weatherman is making us look like heroes," he said.
The forecast for the day was cloudy skies and temperatures in the low 50s, the National Weather Service said. The area might even get a few scattered rain showers later this afternoon.
Meanwhile, residents of three Russian Old Believer communities were still holding out in the face of the smoldering wildfire.
No injuries have been reported.
I hope that some of the rain we are getting here finds its way South to you guys who need it!
My readers are smart and wonderful and really, really observant!!
One item was noticed by a number of you (bravo!) and was summed up nicely in this email from a reader:
Van Flein writes in his letter to Svobodny that "the Governor may spend time in the Governor's Mansion writing and editing drafts and use state provided equipment, such as a fax machine, phone, internet connection, etc. to do so, based on the premise that the Governor's Mansion is to be used as her personal residence and personal activities are permitted there. However, if this uses causes an additional cost to the state, such as long distance charges, the Governor will reimburse the state for any such additional costs."
Despite this statement, Svobodny responded that "Ethics Act precludes use of state equipment and resources to benefit your (Palin's) financial interests. You have made representations that you will not use state equipment....in connection with your book project." He also says it's ok to have "incidental, inadvertent, or insignificant... use" of state equipment. It seems clear that Palin's is planning to use it (it's not inadvertent) and Van Flein's statement does not state any intention to limit the use.
Does the ethics act does say that the governor can feel free to use state equipment, and then reimburse the state? Or can a state legislator use his or her office/equipment for campaign purposes, and then only reimburse the state if there are incremental costs?
More to the point, didn't someone rise to prominence in large part that she accused Randy Ruedrich of using state equipment for personal purposes?
Why yes...yes she did!
Expect to see more about that on a future post!
Sarah Palin attends Bristol's graduation...and still manages to make it all-about-her!
Yesterday, Bristol Palin walked down the aisle, graduating with other Seniors from Wasilla High School. Eddie Burke even congratulated her on the air.
However, could this day remain simply about Bristol's graduation? No-friggin' way...
Conservatives4Palin, the same blog that spins those rare moments that Governor Sarah Palin is actually DOING HER JOB into supreme acts of courage, "reported" that Palin was "uninvited" to speak. (Gee, I wonder who made sure they found out THAT information?) After harassing the High School for information (and then their readers subsequently doing the same thing), Sean Cockerham from the ADN picked up the story. He talked to Senior Class Advisor Tony Jenson, who told him:
Jensen said Palin, who had been chosen as governor since she last gave the school's commencement address, was the favored pick. School officials were discussing the speaking engagement with the governor's staff even as late as August. When Palin was picked as the vice-presidential nominee, those discussions took a backseat to her national election campaign. Jensen said he wasn't sure that she'd ever agreed to speak.
After the election was over, school officials began discussing graduation plans again. Their thinking about asking Palin to speak had changed, Jensen said. The school was already in the national media spotlight because of the election and Palin's alumni status there. Here's Jensen's synopsis:
"We didn't want that to distract from the graduation ceremony itself. The other idea was, we'd had a political figure speak at the last three or four ceremonies ... the idea was floated by our administration that maybe she had had her turn."
Gee...imagine that...thinking that Palin was going to be a "distraction" from the ceremony itself...from the graduates...hell, from her own daughter. Why, that's MADNESS!!!!
Her mom, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the former Republican vice-presidential nominee, was not always so sure. Palin said in an interview that one of her first thoughts when Bristol announced her surprise pregnancy last spring was, "Oh, there goes her education." "And that's why I'm so proud of her ... really relieved," Palin says. "It's been a challenging and exciting year - her senior year - and I'm just so pleased that we are where we are today."
Sarah's motto: There is no major event in my children's lives that I cannot use to publicize MEEEEEEEEEEEEE!
Those Palin kids are going to need some serious therapy down the road. On the other hand, their tell-all books should be awesome!
CONCORD, N.H. - Gov. John Lynch said Thursday he will sign a bill to make his state the sixth to legalize gay marriage as soon as the Legislature makes some changes, which legislative leaders immediately said they would back.
Lynch asked that the already-approved legislation be revised to better protect churches and their employees against lawsuits if their beliefs preclude them from marrying gays. Gay marriage supporters said they do not object.
"Throughout history, our society's views of civil rights have constantly evolved and expanded," Lynch told reporters. "New Hampshire's great tradition has always been to come down on the side of individual liberties and protections."
And now, the part that blew me away:
Lynch said he personally opposes gay marriage, but decided to view the issue "through a broader lens."
And that, my friends, is the way it's SUPPOSED to work! I can only hope that this will be Alaska someday.
