State of the State – A Blizzard of Words!
Charlie Gibson summed it up best when he described Sarah Palin’s utterances as “a blizzard of words.” So it was with steely resolve and advanced preparation that I donned my metaphorical snow gear, including bunny boots, and sat down to listen to the State of the State address last night. Then I read the transcript. Then I listened to it again. Then I read the transcript. Then I thought that it really did need to be turned in to a blizzard of words, so I visited Wordle, and created a word cloud of the speech, which you can see above. I’ll get back to that in a minute.
I was amazed again at the difference between what she says, and what it feels like she says. When reading the transcript, it’s like wading through a pile of fluffy snow and stumbling over strained Alaskan metaphors buried inside. But when watching her confidence as she speaks, the ease with which she assumes the spotlight, and the assumption that everyone will agree with her, it has an interesting effect. This ability is probably why she’s gotten as far as she has. If her life were a transcript you had to read, she wouldn’t have gotten past the PTA.
After the viewings and readings came the daunting task of finding my way through the blizzard. Fortunately, Andrew Halcro has already begun . By the time I got up this morning, Andrew had almost finished shoveling the sidewalk. What a guy. He compared pertinent passages from last year’s state of the state address, with this year’s address. You can read his blog post HERE.
So now, I’ll take over. Here’s my belated “live” blogging of the state of the state.
First of all… What. is with. the corsage? I do not recall other governors wearing boutonnieres. I feel like I’m watching someone on their way to the Junior Prom.
Lame joke about Mike Gravel.
Barack Obama, the terrorist sympathizer has grace and the ability to lead and we support him. (applause)
George W. Bush – The worst terrorist attack in the history of the United States happened with warning on his watch. But other than that, he “kept us safe” by lying us into a pre-emptive war which killed tens of thousands of people. We thank him for “keeping us safe.” (mild applause)
Thanks to convicTed Stevens. (standing ovation)
Why can’t we all just get along?
When creating the budget we need to be consistent and ignore fluctuations in the price of oil.
We don’t want the federal government’s money to fix bridges and roads. We just want it to support the gas line and the military, and we’ll give the rest back. Just drive slow on that soon-to-collapse bridge on the way to Seward.
We’re going to “hold schools accountable.”
“Culture of Life!” (wild loud applause by Sean Parnell, followed by polite applause from legislators)
Part of the healthcare crisis is due to the fact that we need to eat right and exercise. So do that.
To help you all eat wild food, we’re systematically killing predator animals from airplanes despite the will of the people, so that all animals may survive, especially the ones we want to kill.
We want to be good stewards of the land for our grandchildren and preserve the quality of fisheries, so I personally endorsed a ballot measure which is the first step in allowing a gigantic mine to get its claws into the headwaters of the largest salmon fishery in the state virtually guaranteeing contamination. Remember, God gave us mineral resources, not fish.
We’re committed to studying climate change, denying it exists, altering the findings of scientists, and suing the federal government for saying that it’s causing polar bears to become endangered. (Applause. Surprised nobody yelled, “YEAH!” and pumped their fist in the air) Remember, God gave us the resources, but apparently not the wildlife.
Every problem we have can be solved by a gas pipeline. You betcha.
We need to put thousands of Alaskans to work, and we’ve instituted a hiring freeze.
“The test of leadership is to be prepared.” “Fail to plan, and you plan to fail.” (blink. blink.) Nice quotes. What do you think about that rural Alaska? Emmonak? How did she say that with a straight face?!?
Did she just WINK? Yes, she winked. I had to rewind it to make sure, but there it was. 27 minutes and 54 seconds in to the speech. A wink. I can’t believe she winked.
On the campaign trail she learned about the need to protect her family, and her Alaskan family from the media. So don’t listen to anything they say about her.
“Like a grizzly with cubs,” Sarah Palin is our Great Mother, protecting Alaska against “external sensationalized distractions on the periphery” that “draw us off course.” Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain! the national media. Nothing to see here. Move along.
Circle up like musk ox under the Great North Star! Keep outsiders out!
Cheerleader Parnell stands to applaud. Others follow.
I run for the aspirin bottle.
The rest of the speech is full of promises, and “we’re going tos” and “we musts.” 50% renewable energy by 2025? Sounds good. Improve health care? We’ll see. We did save up some money last year, which is good because we need it. In state gas line in 5 years? (Looks at watch) Ready…Go!
What didn’t we hear about? Domestic violence. Substance abuse. Sexual assault. Drop out rate. Child abuse. Suicide. Teen pregnancy. Rural energy crisis. Emmonak and other villages choosing between heat and food. But those things are bummers, anyway.
Now, back to the word cloud. Take a look at it again. The largest words represent the words that were most used in the speech. Look at them. Alaska State Energy Now. In other words, “Drill Baby Drill.” “Drill Here. Drill Now.”
I live in Alaska. I get that energy is important for lots of things. But it isn’t everything. I would like to believe that a Mama Grizzly would care if her “cubs” are without heat, or food, or higher education for instance. But that’s just me.
So break out the bunny boots, because for now, it’s just a blizzard of words.
A bunny boot!
Keith Olbeman just said Sarah Palin is trying to sell her memoirs for $11,000,000. What?????? Do you think someone will pay that?
Excuse me . . . Chris Matthews, not Keith Olberman.
I was waiting for your report on the AK SoS and you did good….
Is this her first and only appearance in Juneau, this session? More expenses with Todd and Trig present? She needs to shut the f**k up.
I just caught the tail end last night and that was about all I could stand, but I was hoping someone would report on what she had to say about all those things you listed that we care about…well, I suppose I’ll just have to keep waiting…and waiting, and waiting….could you just get rid of her??? I suppose not, until the next election…that just seems so long, and so many kids not going to school, so many going cold and hungry, so many rapes, ok, I’m depressed I’ll stop now…..
I read where she made two last minute hires to her staff, then instituted the hiring freeze. Wonder if she gave dept. heads that same opportunity?
Yeah… One was the replacement for Kelly Goode, the Legislative Liaison who quit a couple weeks ago. AKM
@pvazwindy (16:02:35) :
Well, I think somewhere along the line she said she was going to live here during Session, what with the Gov’s House being all fixed up now and everything, but I’ll believe it when I see it.
It is truly amazing how she can say so many words that don’t actually have any meaning or relevance…it’s all gobblygook…
I can’t imagine how she is ever going to string together a coherent sentence when she “writes” her book.
@pvazwindy (16:06:04) :
Oh, I’m pretty sure NOT
InJuneau (16:08:06) ::::::: If she takes up residence in Juneau, does that mean she pulls Piper and Willow out of school, wherever it is that they attend. Or do they stay behind and take up residence in that taxidermy shop, that grandpa and grandma call home? Also, if Todd works the North Slope, who picks up the added expense of his airfare from Juneau, rather than Anchorage? Just asking.
Defeat her. Impeach her. Stop her. Please.
Not surprised. It was all nonsense and smoke and mirrors as usual. Funny how she once again covered the children blah blah blah and of course there is baby Trig.
Notice she mandated a hiring freeze but not a wage freeze or travel expense freeze or per diem freeze. Hmmmm Does this mean no Rural Adviser?
Smoke and mirrors. She is such a waste of human space.
Thanks for the true version of her speech. It’s so sad that it is true. My sister said that when she went to the AFN conference, that it was only for 5 minutes for the photo op. What a shame.
Do you mean the AFN convention in Anchorage? She was not present there….She was on the campaign trail, but had a taped address. I wasn’t impressed. That’s when she announced Talis Colberg as head of the rural subcabinet. How’s that working out??? (bangs head on desk) AKM
Thanks, AKM, for putting into words what I was sensing but not understanding ~ how can she believe energy is the only project, the only solution…….way too much salad and no meat in this S.O.S. message of little, if any, hope.
Also, too, why are our gas prices still not equal or less than the far away places we send it?
yeah, thats the one, maybe it was the year before she was talking about. I’m not really impressed w/her and neither is my sister. She does absolutely nothing for the natives, have you noticed that all of things she backs are the things that benefit her husbands sports interests?
It must be fun to fly around and shoot wolves and then present a paw and get paid for it.
With the shear number of PR folks she has working in her office you would think that SOMEONE would have proofread that speech!
The next was loaded with grammatical errors, and although no one is perfect, there should be no excuse for a governor to release the text with errors, obvious ones. (Ok I admit to being the annoying kid in the back of the class who pointed out her teachers’ typos!)
I think Halcro and Mudflats would make an excellent team! That’s what I would call reaching across the blogosphere.
Oh My..I just read the actual transcript. Did any of your elected officials that attended the SOS really believe or understand what she had to say?
Did she go back to Wasilla afterwards?
Careful what you complain about because it could be you! I just committed a typo of my own thanks to one of my cubs crawling all over me while I’m typing. “next” should be “text”. Mea culpa.
heres and interesting article http://www.thearcticsounder.com/news/show/3840 or just google koyuk and urannium. Then they want to claim preditor control and turn their back on what mining does to the wildlife. What a shame.
AKM-I saw that wink too. She was looking over in the direction of Rep. Berta Gardner. I’ll bet that didn’t play to well with Berta, given her views of SP. New pics up on legislative home page of the leaders. Beth Kertulla looks nice.
@pvazwindy (16:20:53) :
In THEORY, the kids (well, the younger ones) were supposed to spend first semester at their schools in Wasilla and second semester here. I have no idea if that actually happened. I would assume if she’s moved most of the family down here that Bristol might be staying in Wasilla with her grandparents to finish up school however she’s doing it, but I have no clue. I don’t know if there have been any kid sightings in town yet or not.
Emjay (15:54:40) :
Keith Olbeman just said Sarah Palin is trying to sell her memoirs for $11,000,000. What?????? Do you think someone will pay that?
_________________________________________________________
My book worm husband believes she could get that because there are enough “stupid” people out there (his words) that would be willing to forgo food for their children to buy it.
I could care less what she gets since I don’t have to buy it (I suspect Keith will to get material) just as long as she goes away and doesn’t impact my children’s lives anymore. I’d almost pay her that much to go away into obscurity, though that probably won’t happen since she craves the spotlight way too much.
@here_in_PA
Here’s some info regarding the wolves…and bears.
http://www.grizzlybay.org/SarahPalinInfoPage.htm
AKM…great article! Oh, just wondering, when SP is staying in the Governor’s Mansion, does the state pick up the tab for all utilities…including the tanning bed?
$11000000, mercy. I can remember when I could buy two “Archie”comic books for a nickle. I wouldn’t pay a plugged penney for her’s.
penny, my bad
Had JC, on my mind.
I heard about “The Clothes”.
If you care.
http://wonkette.com/405742/sarah-palins-clothes-are-in-trash-bags
@SillyWhabbit
HuffPost had an article about the clothes, too…I have been laughing all day…such witty folks! Last time I checked it out, there were over 3700 comments.
One thing I noticed was that purse…made me think the items were purchased for keeps until the story broke.
Oh man do I have a story about bunny boots that I am going to tell someday.
But not yet AKM, not yet.
I love the word cloud. But I found even more interesting than the BIG words were the littlest, tiniest words..
Words like ‘accountable’, ‘sense’ ,’health-care’,'priorities’…
$11 million for waz.er.name to hire a ghost writer to put together fairy tales about her life.
And then she gets to travel — with expenses paid for by the publisher — to book signings….screams….I don’t want her in NY.
Does this mean the publisher will be buying clothes for waz.er.name?
I’m getting sicker and sicker each time I hear her name.
All she is is a good reader…that’s it.
….retreats to the corner and begins crying….
Thanks AKM. I’ve been stuck on “forging the river” all day. Nice summary. I read the transcript and watched part of the video. Barf. Your version is better. I have been reduced to mumbling under my breath, “please let sarah hit a really big moose when she is speeding on the highway to Anchorage (not Brian).” Mostly I fantasize about a magic polar bear ridden by a savior wolf bearing magic arrows that will render sarah speechless and then dead (sorry, but she is really taking up useful cosmic space. I can’t help myself anymore). I truly hate that useless person masquerading as your governor.
I just have to remind myself, karma karma karma. May all the gods of justice smite her down.
I used to have “Juneau tennies” and moon boots when I lived in Juneau.
SP gives new meaning to “Gas Pipeline”
Will that hiring freez include members of her family [aka Levi & company]
“Like a grizzly with cubs that were always placed directly in front of her in every picture, protecting the eyes of the world from her FLAT stomach.”
FW: “It is truly amazing how she can say so many words that don’t actually have any meaning or relevance…it’s all gobblygook…”
Type some of her phrases into Google = site crash
She is keeping everyone distracted and froze again. She puts on a pretty show, that will keep are legislators from acting on the ethic’s violations.
Every one wants to believe that oil and gas money will dance into are state checking account soon, and forget about that 500,000 dollar gift to trans Canada. Pocket change once the gas flows….. “In the future we will pay less for gas”……… Were did aI here this before.
MY father worked in the nuclear industry in my youth. He would say that, “when I was paying my own electrical bills, my monthly bill would be just pennies a month”. Sure I wanted to believe him, but I new better. Just like manny Alaskans know better now, than to believe Sarah’s plans on power and roads to no were.
She considers burning natural gas as renewable energy? Sure its cleaner than oil but it’s not a renewable fuel, just a cleaner alternative fuel. But then again she is the self proclaimed expert on energy, don’t you know, so as…..
Alaska gas line for Alaska! That theme will win her votes and good press. But iF Norway is going to wind power in a big way with all their oil and gas money, what does that tell you Sarah? Just keep plowing through doors that make you money, and forget about the wisdom of nations that want to develop cleaner energy NOW!!!! The planet is asking for help Sarah, get off you oil and gas only train. Travel to Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the UK. Look at all the wind power projects that work and are in process .
She has help with speech writer’s now, helping her spin a distracting web of BS. I don’t think we have the balls in are legislators to hole her accountable. SHe has the high beams on again, stunning everyone into submission.
School funding, missiles, gas, oil and health care reform. She covered enough material to get reelected. She even has Todd with trig there for the sympathy vote.
Is it true that a pair of SP’s campaign shoes is being sold on ebay by a family member? What a hoot!
SP’s personal reputation mender and BFF Greta rushes to the rescue again. This time she’s hollering false on the claims about SP’s potential book of lies and the $11 million deal.
http://gretawire.foxnews.com/
I know I shouldn’t visit that site because the people that make comments on there are fools (for the most part), but I can’t help but go in search of the latest spin to make SP look angelic. It must take a lot of work to do that.
So, bein’ as I’m an Outsiderlower48er I have to ask, can you forge a river in bunny boots? or climb Denali, or walk the non-existant Road to Nome, or cross the mudflats without sinking up to your chin? Or maybe take your morning run in them around Dead Lake Louise to keep in shape so people can’t tell you’re pregnant?
Anon Blogger (18:24:27) said: Is it true that a pair of SP’s campaign shoes is being sold on ebay by a family member? What a hoot!
————————————
I saw that link…eBay. Says “Aunt Sarah will autograph” the shoes too.
Wonder if the fidgits at TS know about the shoes? Are they bidding as we type?
To help you all eat wild food, we’re systematically killing predator animals from airplanes despite the will of the people, so that all animals may survive, especially the ones we want to kill.
We want to be good stewards of the land for our grandchildren and preserve the quality of fisheries, so I personally endorsed a ballot measure which is the first step in allowing a gigantic mine to get its claws into the headwaters of the largest salmon fishery in the state virtually guaranteeing contamination. Remember, God gave us mineral resources, not fish.
We’re committed to studying climate change, denying it exists, altering the findings of scientists, and suing the federal government for saying that it’s causing polar bears to become endangered. (Applause. Surprised nobody yelled, “YEAH!” and pumped their fist in the air) Remember, God gave us the resources, but apparently not the wildlife.
Barbie is a domionionist…has dominion over Animals/earth. Squash that wildlfe, drill baby drill. Notice she doesn’t have any pets…?
I live in Alaska. I get that energy is important for lots of things. But it isn’t everything. I would like to believe that a Mama Grizzly would care if her “cubs” are without heat, or food, or higher education for instance. But that’s just me.
Oh but her cubs are safe and warm, forget about those natives out there.
Don’t want to be bailing them out after all she gave every man/woman and child of Alaska a permanent fund check.
First of all… What. is with. the corsage? I do not recall other governors wearing boutonnieres. I feel like I’m watching someone on their way to the Junior Prom. I wondered about that too, but since I was accused of being snarky about her being “lead” to the speech, I shut up about it…
I thought the applause was forced, alot. And her using dud (irondog) as a inspiration for health, well was a dud. Now if she changed it to those Native mushers with their sled dogs out there, I would feel different, but irondog/snowmobile. Just a fancy “jetski” used to get around in the snow. Necessary, but athletic?
I was not impressed. And of course she had to bring it back around about her…
“sensationalized distraction” Ummm, wasn’t she in the news twice this week? “Leave my kids alone.” she’s beginning to sound like that Britney guy on youtube “leave Britney alone” Yea, he had his 15 mins too…..
Anon Blogger—yes, it’s true. They are those red open-toe heels, with the heart on the soles.
@ womanwithsardinecan
“I fantasize about a magic polar bear ridden by a savior wolf bearing magic arrows that will render sarah speechless and then dead”
That places in my head a lovely picture – although just to render her speechless would be fine with me. She almost kills me with that voice not to mention how she “forges the river” (besides – dumbshit gov – the rivers are frozen in AK mostly at this time of year – stupid analogy from an Alaskan).
If she were speechless (technically – she is already heh heh) she would be done and we could move on to the next problem, OR… have a life! The Stupid Sarah watch gets to me sometimes when I look at my dogs, and their big brown eyes telling me how much they want to go for a walk or a hike.
Womanwithasardinecan:
Mostly I fantasize about a magic polar bear ridden by a savior wolf bearing magic arrows that will render sarah speechless and then dead (sorry, but she is really taking up useful cosmic space. I can’t help myself anymore). I truly hate that useless person masquerading as your governor.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That would be Alaska’s “Aslan” rescuing Alaska from the White witch!!!!
Shoes. If it benefitted a family member would that snare SP in another ethics violation?
In a few years, I wonder if all the monies given to Trans Canada will prove beneficial. Especially with all the new technology…for example, this one…and there are more out there…
Slow-moving ocean and river currents could be a new, reliable and affordable alternative energy source. A University of Michigan engineer has made a machine that works like a fish to turn potentially destructive vibrations in fluid flows into clean, renewable power. The machine is called VIVACE and it is the first known device that could harness energy from most of the water currents around the globe because it works in flows moving slower than 2 knots (about 2 miles per hour.) Most of the Earth’s currents are slower than 3 knots. Turbines and water mills need an average of 5 or 6 knots to operate efficiently.
If we could harness 0.1 percent of the energy in the ocean, we could support the energy needs of 15 billion people.
The researchers recently completed a feasibility study that found the device could draw power from the Detroit River. They are working to deploy one for a pilot project there within the 18 months.
This work has been supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, the Office of Naval Research, the National Science Foundation, the Detroit/Wayne County Port Autrhority, the DTE Energy Foundation, Michigan Universities Commercialization Initiative, and the Link Foundation. The technology is being commercialized through Bernitsas’ company, Vortex Hydro Energy.
And if I am correct, it will not harm marine life.
Anon BloggerNo Gravatar (19:13:12) :VIVANCE!
Wow! That’s sounds great, why haven’t we heard anyone talking about it?
Doesn’t harm the ocean environment! I think you should drop a line to PO!
Now that sounds like clean energy!
I know we have a windmill farm here in cali, the only thing is it is placed on the migrating bird path and many birds/birds of prey are getting killed b/c they can’t see the windmills…
I remember years ago in the 70′s there was a McDonald’s here that had a windmill for its power! I thought that was pretty good. The McDonald’s is still there but not the windmill
@ trish in SW FL & @maji
I think there is a minimum bid that has not been met! Wonder how much that autograph is worth? LOL!!!
Great post as usual AKM!
I think the gig with the sill corsage, if you look at the “State Officials Travel to Emmonak” showing the swearing in of the legislature, each and everyone was wearing a yellow rose boutonniere. So the Gov & they could “match” just like any prom. Just whose PR idea was that silliness anyway? The cost of sending yellow roses to AK might have bought a bit of flour & crisco in some village.
opps! sill = SILLY
Comparing last year’s and this year’s speeches issue by issue, as Andrew Halcro did, is eye-opening. She actually sounded fairly rational last year. I keep feeling like she played us — I really didn’t expect her to be this bad.
(Quoth) The Native. By Sarah Palin
Once upon a winter dreary, while I pondered riches cheery
Over many a quaint and curious volume of discarded law,
While I entertained with clapping, suddenly there came a tapping
Like someone was gently rapping, rapping at my office door
“Some damn Native” I muttered, banging on my office door
Only that and nothing more
Also, I recall it that my tendency to maul it
Leaving dying English pop-lit strewn across my office floor
Also I was creamin’ from a pork pile that was steamin’
From my mirror was I leanin’ and my image was no more
From my beauty I am parted and my image is no more
Porkless here for evermore
And the biggest thing I’m sure of that there also would be more of
Pricked me – tricked me with me dumb terror of the lib’rul media spoor
Also now, to still the fluttering of my heart I stood a-muttering
“Bloody native seeking entrance at my bloody office door
Just a native seeking entrance at my bloody office door
Also that and nothing more”
My courage soon grew stronger, waiting never any longer
“Your cheek in coming here is something Queen Snowflake deplores
But the fact that I was clapping, now your face I will be slapping
For the gall that you came tapping, tapping at my office door
I’ll pretend I never heard you and open not the door”
Native there, and nothing more
Deep into the darkness searing, long I stood there never peering
Also, dreaming dreams a dream queen never dared to dream before
But the silence was unfounded and the darkness was unbounded
And the only thing that counted was my disdain of the poor
The only thing that counted was my disdain of the poor.
Merely this and nothing more.
Back into my office reeling, all my soul within me peeling
Also then I heard a rapping also louder than before
“Gotchya!” said me, “that there is a Native with a bugbear
To your problems I say shmoblems I’m unwilling to explore
Let my heart defrost a moment ‘cause your problems I abhor.”
‘Tis hunger and nothing more.
”I’m gubernator Palin, and my patience now is failing”
But in stepped a portly native, which surprised me to the core
He didn’t bow to show me how much greatness here he knows me
But with not a by or leave he stood below my office door
Perched upon my minky rug he stood below my office door
Perched and stood, and nothing more.
This native started smiling at my porky barrel piling
But a grave expression crept up and the smile it was no more
“Though your attitude is craven, know that some of us are slaving
Day and night we have been toiling but yet still we are so poor
Hungry, cold and hurting on Alaska’s northern shore.”
Quoth the native “Nevermore!”
Though the native was unsightly, I made sure to treat him lightly
Even though he had the nerve to stand below my office door
I could not help but seeing to the centre of his being
That his life had little meaning and he really was a bore
This dreary stubborn native standing in my office door
Quoth the native “Nevermore”
But the native standing lonely on my seal rug, then spoke only
That one phrase, as if his life in that one phrase he did outpour
‘Til I scarcely more than stuttered then, the words that he had uttered when
The native’s eyelids shuttered “Other people flew before”
“You sit here warm and well fed while your people are so poor”
Then the native said “Nevermore!”
And the native never blinking, in response to my mad winking
On the grizzly bear rug lying just below my office door
And his eyes have all the glaring of the madly screaming staring
And soon he moved his bearing, then he threw me to the floor
No soul shall leave my body that lies dying on the floor.
Quoth the native “Nevermore!”
She really looks at least 10 years older than she did on the campaign ! Is it just the lack of stylist ,or is it the Alaskan winter taking its toll ? Maybe she is up late with Trig at night ? She actually looks like a grandmother now.You can even see the heavily applied white concealer under her eyes,really stands out with those racing stripe cheeks. The hair looks like she rolled some hot rollers
into dirty hair,unrolled and gave up.
Bardette
WIOWWWWWWW!
Bardette
I have enjoyed all your poetry, but this is my fave!
I may get yelled at for doing this…
from wonkette.com ( a snarky, fun, “in the know” blog in DC)
—
Sarah Palin’s Clothes Are In Trash Bags
Garbage queen Sarah Palin outraged all of America with her extravagant purchases of royal garments during her short, embarrassing reign as a vice presidential candidate. OK to be fair Sarah Palin did not actually buy the clothes; that was the fault of the evil Republican National Committee, who wanted to make her look like a spendy fashion whore who delighted in wasting people’s campaign contributions on fancy designer suits she never wore while jabbering endlessly about old-fashioned American values. The point is, all these clothes are now sitting in trash bags at RNC headquarters in Washington, which is a National Shame.
So apparently Sarah Palin did return the clothes after all, albeit in TRASH BAGS and not on, oh say HANGERS like a civilized person would do. She probably didn’t even bother dry cleaning the ones she wore.
And the RNC is even more evil for not returning these clothes, like they said they would, or donating them to charity or whatever. The garments are being held in perpetuity until Joe the Plumber comes back from Israel and runs for vice president, in drag.
Palin’s “Donated” Clothes Stashed in Trash Bags at RNC [NewMajority.com]
###
For Alaskans who want to write a POM (Public Opinion Message) to the Legislature:
http://www.legis.state.ak.us/poms/message.asp
It is limited to 50 words so it’s not the medium for the eloquent requests but the expedient ones. I just asked for investigation into SP and the dipshit AG’s lack of cooperation in Troopergate. Send one, send many!
OT – Someone is auctioning Sarah Palin’s shoes from the campaign on Ebay – currently being bid at over $1000. Guess the RNC didn’t get everything back.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Sarah-Palins-Red-Naughty-Monkey-Heels_W0QQitemZ270333037673QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUS_Women_s_Shoes?hash=item270333037673&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A570%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50
oops, I meant to thank Celtic Diva for that POM link!
http://www.divasblueoasis.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=423
uh hum….
sorry…sent before i finished.
uh hum….just where are you people seeing pics of sp looking tired/old/decrepid?
fawnskin, good to see you in the land of the living
Is the food poisoning over with? You poor muddie
@
texasbrian:
I too peep in on the insanity of Greta’s site from time to time to see the inarticulate ramblings of the fans of Palin and Greta. They never fail to amaze me with their dribble. I accidently stumbled upon Greta’s site during the campaign and would argue with those illiterates concerning Hillary, McCain and President Obama to no avail. Those people on that site are truly micro mental midgets. It was when the race came down to McCain and President Obama and McCain chose Palin to run as his VP, that I found Mudflats and found sanity, intelligence, compassion, information, friendship and much more.
@Bardette:
*clap*clap*clap* Bravo!
Hey, fawnskin (waving madly)- nice to see you!
ok. ot for those of you who have followed akm’s story of my story in d.c. i didn’t find a place to post the following on the blog…i did however post on the forum:
“i’ve hesitated to post these past few days of my experiences on inauguration day in d.c.
you see, my dear hubby and i were survivors of the purple people eating tunnel.
i’ve found myself quite surprised by the feelings of melancholy and depression that followed me home to california from that rather traumatic event.
but after reading this huffington post account of the happenings on tuesday, i realize that what i feel today are minor symptoms of a sort of post traumatic syndrome.
this posting is not meant to be a downer for our celebrations of this wonderous moment in history. but it is the story that i lived on that day:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/23/purple-ticket-turmoil-wha_n_160150.html“
I can’t decide if my favorite example of word salad is the cure for all our health issue is to get outside, or we need to row together in our boat…I have this mental image of Alaskans in a rubber river raft, all madly padding so the raft rotates around and around in a circle, drifting toward the rapids…
Tighten your life jackets and prepare to jump- wait- toss The Captain out of the raft and paddle straight for safety:-)
fawnskin mudpuppy (21:12:25) :
WOW! That is unbelievable- did you ever get in? I’ll wander over to the forum to see if I can find the rest of the story…be right back…
How many times is Governor Victim going to compare herself to a grizzly bear?
OCT 19, 2008: SP said; “They’re my kids. The mama grizzly bear in me comes out makes me want to rear up on my hind legs and say, ‘Wait a minute.”
http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/provoking-palins-inner-bear/
That HIND LEG comment is funny; someone – an artist perhaps – should do a funny picture. But really, does she not advocate the killing of bears – even the Mamma Bears? Maybe she checks to see if clubs are being protected before she shoots?
@ CO almost native
You cracked me up! She says that nonsense now because she’s avoiding being called a liberal socialist if she actually INVOLVES herself (AK Government) in the solution.
From andrewhalcro.com:
2008 Healthcare
“We’re addressing another big challenge: the availability and cost of health care..”
This year:
“Protecting good health is largely a matter of personal responsibility, but government policy can help..”
Notice how she says policy only? And does not address the fact that no one without employer health insurance can afford the cost of health care, and what about the availability to the villages?
What a twit!
mommom (19:59:44) : You really should write comedy!
WHEW! Your comments had me laffin’ over here in CA, did you hear me? I don’t want get on your bad side…LOL
on ebay now, for your shopping pleasure:
Authentic Naughty Monkey Shoes worn by Sarah Palin
Item number: 270333037673
The seller signed up for his/her ebay account on 1/19/09 and has zero past transactions. Hmm. Bidding is currently at $1148.00 — it’s probably two guys who both have shoe fetishes and the hots for Herself bidding against each other.
Family members aren’t allowed to auction off the property of the RNC, are they?
—
So what’s an autograph worth? I have a doozy. I’ve been thinking that it might turn out to be my very own economic stimulus package : )
@Fawnskin: I am truly sorry you guys had to go through that. It sounds awful.
Fawnskin-
Sending lots of warm hugs your way, sounds like you need them.
Martha Unalaska Yard Sign (21:26:59) :
Don’t forget your paddle (heh heh)…
@ CO almost native
Is it gonna help me FORGE the river? Arrrrrggggghhh, get that woman outta here!
So I wonder how many other articles of clothing that were “returned” wink wink will pop up on Ebay to make money for family members ?
Anyone think it odd that the RN is reporting garbage bags of clothes in their warehouse the same day shoes show up on Ebay?
Under the politics blog, ADN put an article about the Emmonak situation. There’s an interview that Kyle Hopkins did with that Jollie woman. Boy is she a ditz. Not much new there w/the state helping out and no info really being discussed as to what there going to do about the situation.
@ Fawnskin
What a trip! I think the purple-people-eating-tunnel story is a great one to take away from this, but you poor mudpuppy.
Okay, I can’t keep up. It takes me forever to write a post and you guys have blown by me in the meantime.
@ fawnskin mudpuppy — OMG. You got stuck in the Purple Tunnel of Doom after enjoying food poisoning? Jeeze Louise. PTSD is to be expected. What a horrible disappointment. I’ve been reading the accounts on HuffPo. It sounds like things really weren’t run well. Hugs, darlin.’
It is really astounding when you see the number of negative comments any time Palin is mentioned in news or social blogs – in Alaska, the nation and around the world. They run at least 100 to 1 against Palin – nearly all mentioning her lack of intelligence and depth, inability to speak in complete sentences, lack of honesty and the way she always places blame elsewhere.
Now EgoGov has hired one of the same ‘media elites’ she criticzed during her VP spectacle to write and peddle ‘her story’ for $11 million.
If Palin tried to write a book, it would have to be a coloring book full of musk ox circling to ‘protect their future’ and grizzly bear mamas and dead wolves shot from planes and dying polar bears and washed up beluga whales.
And will someone tell Sub-Parnell to put his fawning tongue back in his pie hole?
if i were them i would be selling the shoes and everything else they could get their hands on, before sarah’s rapid fall makes the stuff worthless [i wonder if wal*mike ever got his $1,500 for the frisbee?]. likewise for the book deal. i think they’re only going to get one shot at it!
seriously, though — it’s old news by now but mike doogan’s indifference to troopergate is still sticking with me. i’m thinking of writing my legislators, wielechowski and gruenberg about what i think ought to be done to follow up, but having a little trouble organizing my thoughts. palin gives me a weird contact high.
From Palin’s speech, (she’s referring to her campaign for VP):
“I learned more about fighting the good fight, facing long odds, the need to protect family – my own and our Alaska family – and putting Country First even when voters put you second. ”
As usual, quintessential Palin…. self-righteous, revisionary tripe!
1) “fighting the good fight”….No, the hallmarks of her campaign were race-baiting, xenophobia, and fear/hate mongering…..with a liberal dose of hypocrisy ( eg. “family values;” and approx. $300,000 of clothes, hair, makeup styling) thrown in for good measure.
2) “facing long odds”…..True. She made the odds even longer with her ridiculous performance in the few interviews she actually did….and even longer by her actions in #1.
3) “the need to protect family-my own…”…..Just how did she protect her family? She threw them out on the public stage every chance she had: including trumpeting her unwed daughter’s pregancy to the national/ international media as a kick-off for her own nomination as VP.
4) “the need to protect family….our Alaska family”…..Who? The white anglo-saxon evangelicals in Wasilla and other voting-bloc cities? Certainly, there’s little evidence of protecting the “First Alaskans” in their rural villages..
5) “putting “Country First” even when voters put you second.”…..Snort! See #1 for her unpatriotic and divisive methods of sabotaging an election that should have been civil and issue-oriented. Not my idea of “Country First” behavior. Furthermore, the implication that the 53% (also known as the majority of the electorate) who voted for Obama/ Biden were putting the country “second’ because they didn’t vote for McCain/ Palin is just a reworking of the “Real America” hate-language she used in the campaign.
When is Palin going to stop reliving her pathetic “glory days” (read “gory days”) of a failed and embarrassing campaign? She does herself no favor hearkening repeatedly back to her miserable performances.
why doesnt palin get that assisting states in repairing and improving infrastructure is not in of itself, pork
but building a bridge in an area that is not cost effective or practical, just to create jobs for your buddies…is
i am sure that part of obama’s jobs programs will go to alaska…for those very things
but they will be all bid jobs and will serve a purpose
i dont have a problem with alaska keeping the money that was sent for the bridge to nowhere…my prob is, the state take much more than it gives
while my state (california) gives much more than it takes…and we are flat broke
I’m not sure who annoyed me more; Sarah Palin or Captain Zero (aka Sean Parnell).
@ Uncle Joe:
We give you seafood, oil, timber, zinc, and a place to get the f*** away from the crowded suburbs you live in (tourism). You give us lettuce from Salinas and Mac computers from Cupertino (thank you!). What else did you have in mind?
The Great State of Alaska has 40,000 fewer people than San Francisco, but our land mass is equal to 20% of the entire Lower 48. The federales took 65% of the land in Alaska — locked it up into National Parks, National Forests, wildlife refuges, etc. They took all of the land that has the richest resources. They’re pissed that we own some of the land on the North Slope that has oil & gas under it. (The State of Alaska is pissed because the Inupiat [locals] own some of the land on the North Slope that the state and the feds didn’t know had oil & gas reserves.)
We send you oil, seafood, gold, timber, zinc and give you a place to go on vacation to get away from the teaming crowds in your suburbs and cities.
You send us Mac computers (thank you), lettuce from Salinas, garlic from Gilroy, chocolate from Ghiradelli Square and Disney cartoons.
What was your question?
@323: I couldnt have said it better. She’s “duh” on interviews, horrrendous Mom, racist, hate monger and completely gory. You hit the “barbie doll” on the head.
@Edgar Allen Bardette (19:54:57) :
—————————————-
I’m beginning to think that you have too much free time, but that was awfully good.
I remember taking the time to watch the Gov speak last year, and it was on 2 channels we got in our area. I remember thinking-and wondering-How did she get into office. Besides the obvious, that there are more men then women there, and alot of them may have been more drawn to her “looks” but I thought, geez, who would ever take us serious? But while watching it, I got the sense that she was all in it for herself and her family. And, I wondered if she was better than our small town politics. Then, comes Aug 29th, even my brother who never paid attention to politics , emailed me and said, are you going to campaign for them now. HA! I told him, NO WAY< IM voting for Obama.
Whats sad, is now that she gained national attention, we have come to realize that she was never fit to lead as gov to begin with. After watching the second time, it is true, her words are overshadowed by her actions. How can she claim she worked hard for Alaska, when we have pictures of her drinking wine (maybe it wasnt whine?) and relaxing along side the pool.
the only change is she somewhat acknowledged that the state is worse off a year later.
@grewingk, I agree with you in part except for the part about the feds “taking the land.” The land hasn’t gone anywhere, it is all still there. And as far as the feds are concerned we all part of the fed, yes the lower 48 and the other 2 states as near as I know are part of the Federal government. Which means we are all still trying to decide how best to use federal land.
Living in ID where a good part of it is as you say locked up by the Feds, I find that rather reassuring that my great grand kids might have some of those natural places left when they want to go to the great frontier, although the open land is getting less and less here and you have much more of it, but then as you say there is only about 600,000 of you and you are a much younger state so you haven’t had to fight off the masses just yet, well except for when you get caught in the purple tunnels down here.
I don’t live in a big city because I don’t like big crowds much anymore, and like going to the wild lands much more, but I do like to visit the masses in the cities from time to time. I thank goodness that there is still something in America for every body and we still have lots of time to figure out how best to use it.
grewingk (23:52:56) :
————————————
We also send you (I suspect) rice, cell phones, other electronics, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, refined petroleum products, airplanes, boats, wood stoves, vegetables in the winter, pork, beef, wine, movies from Hollywood (sorry), clothing, paper products, salt (okay, I’m guessing here), and exotic scientific knowledge, Also (also), and perhaps more to the point, a very large number of US dollars, which are not “original wealth” in the sense of being a tangible item, but which do allow Alaska to maintain a fairly robust government without the annoyance of a state income tax.
Cheers.
“I did not have sex in those clothes…”
grewingk (23:52:56) :
——————————
BTW, the federal government controls 45% of the land in Cali.
@ grewingk (23:52:56) :
Uncle Joe was merely stating the obvious. California is broke, but that doesn’t mean they get a holiday from the federal government taking taxes from them to subsidize other states like Alaska.
I would guess that Alaska’s subsidized days are over. Now the rest of the country knows that Alaska is Mississippi with snow. It lives on Federal and oil subsidies and doesn’t take care of its own. It’s just like all the other places that think they can maintain a standard of living without paying taxes.
Palin is simply spewing the empty verbiage of the Reagan era. She’s the end play of empty and dead ideas.
i was over at andrew halcrow’s looking at his side-by-side of la palin’s 2008 and 2009 SOS addresses. i’d leave a comment over there but i can’t be bothered to figure out if i’m already registered (i think i am, maybe, likely, perhaps) because i’m going out to get some nice baked goods in a few minutes, but …
doesn’t SOS stand for “state of the state”? is not the purpose of the address to update everyone on how the agenda last year worked out and what the goals are for the coming year?
in 2009 she left out many of the issues she spoke about in 2008, she made perfunctory remarks about others and completely skipped the issues of rural alaskans, the Permanent Fund, Constitutional Budget Reserve, the Education Fund and PERS/TRS debt relief (how’s that all going with the stock market below 9,000?), child abuse, domestic violence.
i think the country is safe from alaska. when she was lauded so heartily by the republicans this past fall, she was still really an unknown — she had not been governor long enough to see the effects of her governance (that the disaster she inflicted on wasilla was overlooked and/or dismissed is somewhat surprising to me but i think that has more to do with the compressed time of her introduction — the people vetting her were never concerned with good governance so it never occurred to them to even look at her record).
it is my prediction that by this time next year sarah palin will be lucky if she can get a job as a “personality” at fox. i’m not sure she would even have any such job for long, if she did get one. she is incapable of original thought on any subject — because she is stone cold ignorant on pretty much everything but the rapture. and her ability to recite talking points is extraordinarily limited — her world view excludes 75% of the actual world. maybe “fox & friends.”
sarah palin has her fingers in her ears and says “la-la-la-la-la” just like george bush. maybe they could take it on the road as a duo of stoopid.
good luck, alaskans, good luck.
oh, yes — please vet your state-wide politicians a little better so the lower-48 are not inflicted with future stoopid! kthnxbai!
Bardette(19:54:57) :
(Quoth) The Native. By Sarah Palin
~~~~~~~~~
Hehe, your poems/songs
Cool bunny boot at the end of the article. Now!!! someone needs to put one on and kick her royal butt out of office. What a joke she is. I listened to her little show and tell and was not impressed at all. All mouth, winks, etc. no substance.
Look up sociopath and see if it reminds you of anyone?
Sounds like SP is auditioning for a spin-off of South Park… what a dope.
ot
thanks, all, for the support.
have i mentioned recently that i love you pups?
and i would jump in the middle of a mudflats crowd anyday.
Re: the conversation between strangelet and grewingk (and others), I think one of the outcomes of the economic meltdown, this recent election and the ‘outing’ of Alaska to the rest of the country will be much closer scrutiny of how federal dollars, collected from US taxpayers, are distributed. Alaskans are aware that their ability to live that rugged individual frontier lifestyle comes, to a significant extent, thanks to Uncle Ted, Yon Doung, and the other providers of federal bacon. Which is why, even when it is revealed that they’ve been naughty boys, it’s hard to let go. (And hence the jubilation that Lisa has landed herself a seat on the Appropriations Committee.)
In my own state, Washington, the rugged individualists east of the Cascades are always bitching about the radlibs in Seattle and their domination of the state’s politics. But wait! The tax money ponied up by the population west of the mountains pays for the communications and transportation infrastructures, agricultural subsidies and other goodies that allow those good folk to live in their rural America bubble.
I’m not saying that people shouldn’t be able to live in outlying areas (such as the entire state of Alaska) or receive the same kinds of services that are easier and cheaper to deliver to higher density population areas. I am saying that we need to be aware of how much we all benefit from the federal coffers, whether we’re CEOs of large banks, ranchers in Eastern Washington, defense contractors, or people who smugly think moving from the Yukon Delta to Wasilla solves the sustainable lifestyle problem.
The inequity of distribution of federal money is something the general public is just beginning to care about, as we find ourselves in dire economic times, due partly to the squandering of our hard-earned money by those in the government to whom we have entrusted it (and their rapacious private sector buddies). As the only slightly huffy exchange in these comments indicates, there’s a potential for great unpleasantness in the discussion of this issue. Who pays more versus who gets more arguments will inevitably happen, but once we get that off our chests we will work together to see to it that we find better ways of making it possible for all Americans to live decent, healthy lives, wherever they choose to live, whoever they choose to love.
Yes we can.
Dear Alaskans,
I believe I speak for many in the “lower 48″.
Vote her out of office, and let us know what we can do to help.
I’m not sure I understand this.
Doesn’t the governor have to live and work from the Gov.’s mansion 365 days/year?
Doesn’t she have to put in a 40 hour work week to be paid?
How is her time accounted for for her to be paid?
How much vacation time does she have to do all this self promoting?
Can she do a book while she is gov?
Does anybody know the ans to these questions?
how did previous Gov’s work?
Diane:
InJunea can probably tell you about her living in the mansion vs. Wasilla, but did you know the Legislature just started and next week she off on ANOTHER VACATION!!! Fiscal conservative,LOL! I heard some Palin idiots calling her speech “REaganesque” (sp)LOL! Now she’s off on a vacation to a nice warm spot while people in the State of Alaska are freezing their butts off and can’t feed their children….
Gov. Grifter
AKM, Huffpo has a article on Barbie’s corsages:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/24/sarah-palins-corsages-thr_n_160490.html
and a slightly older one that has a pic of her & dud at their prom WITHOUT corsages!!!
I guess she still making up for the prom?
http://www.huffingtonpost(dot)com/2008/11/17/sarah-palin-brings-back-t_n_144451.html
Hi,
Newly registered to this site after enjoying it for months. I hate to have my first comment be about something so petty, BUT…re: the shoes on ebay. Those are some cheap-ass shoes. That brand is a brand that sells to teenagers, so it’s no surprise to me that Sarah’s niece would end up the recipient of them. There is no way the RNC would have bought those shoes. I think I even remember an article somewhere that pointed out the cheapness of these shoes, which were an example of SP’s style pre-makeover. So for me there isn’t the outrage of SP bilking the RNC, but there is the incredible tackiness of the whole thing. I’m sure there have been politicians who have auctioned personal items for charity (PO, when approached by a charity, auctioned off a doodle he did while senator), but to have a close member of your family do it just to keep the dough for themself? Incredible tackiness. Trashiness runs incredibly deep in their family.
FYI, ChicagoMom:
We sold our Governor a pair of red Double Dare Naughty Monkey shoes a couple of weeks ago. She just wore those shoes as John McCain announced Governor Sarah Palin from Alaska as his vice president running mate. Although not everyone agrees with her politics, everyone can agree that she wears “sexy shoes.”
Sydney Mitchell
Shoefly Inc.
DBA: Shoefly + Hudsons
109 Seward Street
Juneau, AK 99801
crystalwolf a.k.a. caligrl (09:58:31) :
I guess she still making up for the prom?
—————————————————-
She is still making up for not being prom queen.
The holdings hands with officials, the winking, the room full of flowers – did Frank Murkowski ever do that?
It’s a scene from Evita.
That yammering SP does . . . that’s “Speaking in Tongues.”
She’s devolving before our very ears; she’s even more inarticulate this year than last. She’s like Darwin in reverse. It won’t be long before her opposable thumbs disappear.
I just had to share this link from the HuffPost regarding Palin’s corsage history
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/24/sarah-palins-corsages-thr_n_160490.html
Thanks Karen Marie for pointing out what I thought was obvious too…Mrs. Palin didn’t really do a State of the State address. It seemed more like a state of her mind address. She casually slipped in the reality of Sarah’s Alaska when she mentioned that the gas line will benefit the “rail belt” a geographically small corridor up the middle of the state. Not all the way to any of the edges, this is also known as the “replication corridor”…where Alaskans try to live like they’re down south. It won’t help the northern villages or the western towns or the relatively citified areas of southeast Alaska. Thanks again, Mrs. Palin.
She can’t speak in metaphors very well. She tried to sound wise. She sounds silly: Today, when challenges may seem as high as Mt. McKinley, and change as constant as the mighty Yukon flows, and political events send shockwaves through our foundation like the ’64 quake – what do Alaskans do? We climb Denali, we forge the river, we rebuild a stronger foundation on higher ground.
Who writes this crap?
Tina G– I just went to the corsage site. Why is she wearing satin? Pageant princessi know that satin puts 20 pounds on you when the light reflects it. Bad, bad governor!