A Sarah Palin Thought Experiment – The Cat Lives!
One of the most famous “thought experiments” in physics involves “Schroedinger’s cat“. It’s kind of a bizarre scenario in which quantum mechanics poses certain questions about subatomic particles, and what might happen if you could apply these principles to a living entity, and that it would result in this entity (a cat) being both alive and dead at the same time due to the mixing of quantum states. But that’s a post for another day (and another blog). However, in the spirit of Schroedinger, I would like to propose my own thought experiment involving a cat. It’s a political thought experiment, however, as I am utterly unqualified to discuss quantum mechanics.
Ready for today’s thought experiment? OK…..clear your mind.
Let’s say you’re the governor. And let’s say that you’ve had an ethics complaint filed against you. Oh. Right. You’ve had twelve ethics complaints filed against you, but we’ll just pick one for the purposes of our little exercise.
The one I want you to recall is the one we refer to as “Cat Gate”. That’s where Todd Palin allegedly gets a pile of cash, discounts and goodies from Arctic Cat to sponsor his snowmachine team in the Iron Dog race, where his wife, the governor officially starts the race decked out head to toe in…Arctic Cat gear, complete with “Sarah” embroidered on the jacket. Conflict of interest perhaps? We wait eagerly to hear what the investigation determines, because it’s still ongoing.
But let’s not talk about whether we agree or disagree if this complaint is valid. It’s not really relevant to this experiment, so let’s just suspend that part of the discussion. OK, so you’re the governor. You’ve had this ethics complaint filed. You’ve talked on and on about it, and the media has been all over you like stink on a monkey. The blogosphere’s on fire, you issue a press release calling the complaint “bogus”, and there’s lots of media coverage. To put it mildly, it’s a sore subject and its gotten lots of attention.
Fast forward a few weeks.
As governor, you’re ready to go participate in yet another beloved Alaskan outdoor event – the end of season spring carnival at the Alyeska Ski Resort known as “The Slush Cup”. It’s a fun time, and people head to Girdwood en masse to watch people dress up like Santa, or Richard Nixon in a G-string, or whatever silly thing they can think up, and ski across a big expanse of slushy water until they sink. It’s Alaska, what can I say? So there you stand in front of your closet full of outerwear, deciding what you are going to wear in front of the crowd and the TV cameras that are sure to be watching your every move …. Hmmm.
Here’s the question: What do you choose?
Do you
a) choose anything, I mean anything as long as it doesn’t have the dreaded Arctic Cat logo because you certainly don’t need any more pictures of you in that thing floating around and giving bloggers stuff to write about, or raising questions about where you got it and did you pay for it, and did you declare it as a gift….ugh. (The cat is dead)
or
b) choose an Arctic Cat jacket. (The cat is alive)
Schroedinger’s experiment is tricky. It’s hard to tell whether the cat is dead or alive, or both. This one isn’t. If you chose a, you’d be sensible, prudent and judicious. If you chose b, you’d be Sarah Palin.
Yes folks, she wore the jacket.
Might this rack up additional money for consultations with her legal team, you ask? Might this somehow be additional material for an ethics complaint? Wouldn’t she have to ask about that? And what about all those legal expenses piling up? She’s complained an awful lot about that… I mean surely she owns another jacket. Why take the chance? Wouldn’t she be a little more careful and wear something else?
One would think so. But then again, remember that she’ll no longer be paying for those legal fees herself. Joe and Jill Sixpack from around the nation are breaking open their piggy banks to give to her new legal expense fund. Phew! Now, unfettered by that burden, the governor is free to be thoughtless and imprudent at will, while others pay for it. Gone is the ‘distraction’ of worrying about what might add to those legal bills! Just put it on her tab.
What else will she do with this newfound freedom? A state gmail account perhaps? Buying back some of those snazzy campaign duds that are still sitting in garbage bags at the RNC headquarters? Todd for State Senate Diestrict B? And surely there must be someone else to fire for something….
While we speculate, enjoy some of the antics from the 2009 Slush Cup. [h/t Celtic Diva for the clip]
UPDATE: Ruh-roh…. That Legal Expense Fund may not be able to gallop to the rescue after all! Yes, we’ve got ethics complaint #13, and it alleges that Alaska Fund Trust may actually be an IL-legal expense fund. Stay tuned…
here kitty kitty kitty
is there a photo?
Not to be nit-picky, but I don’t think it was the exact same jacket. I’ve seen the pictures posted on the Team Sarah site and this looks like an altogether different Arctic Cat Jacket.
Now, onto the post itself. I personally would never wear that jacket or any other arctic cat jacket again while governor because I would be worried that it would cause another problem for me. Actually I would not have worn it in the first place because I do grasp the concepts of “conflict of interest” and “ethics”, but then again that is just me.
Yep, on Celtic Diva’s site there is a pic and video. Is this Palin character really stupid or what?
What can you say, she’s definitely sick in the head.
And if you like literature more than science, Ursula K. LeGuin has laid out the entire “Schroedinger’s Cat” thought experiment in her wonderful short story of the same name.
I saw it on Celtic Diva. It is a different, less flashy, jackt. Still…
Here’s some pix for ya: http://www.teamsarah.org/photo/photo/show?id=2330231%3APhoto%3A1270273
AKM, you have to look at my friend’s child’s book, “Pat Schroedinger’s Kitty.” It’s based on “Pat the Bunny.” LOL
http://www.tiffanyard.com/babybook.htm#
She is feeling pretty smug isn’t she.
I wish Polaris, or Yamaha or Bombardier would file charges.
Ski-doo too, also.
I just knew it wouldn’t be a slow Monday!
I want a new category: “Flat Learning Curve”
I can just hear Sarah now …. “Wadda ya mean we can’t use the legal defense fund to pay for the defense against the ethics complaint that the legal defense fund isn’t legal??!!”
Oh, it’s definitely gonna be a BAD night at the Palin’s!
wired differently… LOL!
this is not an event sponsored by artic cat (unlike the Iron Dog event which sponsored todd), right? GINO’s name does not seem to be embroidered on the jacket either. I am wondering if this is a non-issue – other than the common sense that could be shown by NOT reminding people of the artic cat episode that DOES reek, I see nothing wrong with it. But I DO agree that it is unwise to remind people of the actual event that WAS fishy. I say she is doing it on purpose to confuse people, or to justify her “It was cold” statement – as in,
‘see? I DO wear artic cat when it is cold outside and it has nothing to do with getting freebies and sponsorship money.’ -not an actual quote, just an attempt to read the mind of the mindless.
Wooo hooo for Kim Chapman!
Next thing you’ll know, they’ll use the defense fund proceeds to help pay for the GED test… or breakfast.
Why do I get the feeling she is sticking out her tongue, with thumbs in ears wiggling her fingers in an attempt to flip off all the pj clad anon. bloggers.
And finishing off with “I’m not going to stop till a JUDGE tells me to”
Wow…just Wow! GINO never does what anybody expects her to. She cracks me up with her craziness. It’s like she’s not a real person anymore. More like a soap opera character. I stopped watching the Bold & The Beautiful because GINO is just waayyy more interesting than The Forrester and Logan Family’s. Can I get a Whup Whup!!!
Is there a single brain cell left in Sarah’s head? I guess they all got worn out trying to keep all her lies straight, and they just gave up.
Move along, folks, nothing left to see…Sarah’s brain has left the building.
How bout a “yup, yup?”
This woman is just unbelievable.
@17 Enjay in Eastern MT Says:
April 27th, 2009 at 7:15 PM
Why do I get the feeling she is sticking out her tongue, with thumbs in ears wiggling her fingers in an attempt to flip off all the pj clad anon. bloggers.
And finishing off with “I’m not going to stop till a JUDGE tells me to”
________________________________________________________________________
I can’t remember who it was but after the shannyon Moore radio, some stayed behind to listen to the show after her. IF I recall correctly, a poster said that a caller called in and said that when she was mayor in Wasilla, when someone came in to see her and when they left that Gino would make faces and stick her toungue out at them when they turned their backs to leave. So, there, how’s that for word-salad?
Ahhh — Huff Post has it written by Mark Thiessen
“The complaint filed Monday with the Alaska attorney general’s office seeks an investigation by the Alaska Personnel Board. Complainant Kim Chatman claims Palin is misusing her official position for political gain and receiving improper gifts.”
read more @ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/27/palin-legal-fund-challeng_n_192044.html
Be sure to read the comments – another laugh for the day
kay salad salad
whatever will pee will pee
the future’s not sarah’s to see
que sarah sarah. …
Oh, come on! The Alaska Fund Trust is IL-legal? No way! Gosh, I was all set to send a check for one cent.
Ah…victory is so sweet! And it’s all thanks to you AKM
Lori…. The thing is she knows damn well that she will have her picture taken and it will be all over the place….. And guess what more free advertisement for Arctic Cat.
I’M bein’ moderated?!?! Oh NOEZ!!!
2 links too much, huh? Ok…
Here’s the complaint:
http://media.adn.com/smedia/2009/04/27/17/Chatman_complaint.source.prod_affiliate.7.pdf
@15-Lori-When she wears Artic Cat jackets that state Artic Cat Team, it is an issue. Doesn’t matter that Cat didn’t sponsor this event, she definitely was promoting Artic Cat Team.
and isn’t the limit on gifts $150? I went and checked on the cost of this jacket, un-monogrammed, and it retails for $179.95, so definitely should have been reported even if Todd wasn’t sponsored by Arctic Cat.
Lori in Los Angeles said: “I say she is doing it on purpose to confuse people, or to justify her “It was cold” statement – as in,
’see? I DO wear artic cat when it is cold outside and it has nothing to do with getting freebies and sponsorship money.’ -not an actual quote, just an attempt to read the mind of the mindless.”
I agree with this. GINO is trying to muddy the waters.
I also agree with Lori that this particular instance isn’t likely unethical (Toad wasn’t competing for Arctic Cat at the Slush Cup, was he? Was Arctic Cat sponsoring any part of this event?), but it is in poor taste … and she knows it.
Lori-
Arctic Cat still pays the Palin dude to wear the gear (I bet he gets bonuses when GINO dons the apparel in front of a camera) so it would still be a conflict I think.
Problem Child, are you an Ursula LeGuin fan? I love her so so much. I’m re-reading The Telling at the moment, plus I have her excellent collection of essays, Dancing at the Edge of the World, on my nightstand.
Sorry for the OT.
MonaLisa being moderated? Shocking! I’ll vouch for you!
I could be wrong, but I am pretty sure that the words “Sarah Palin” and “thought” shouldn’t be used in the same paragraph, and certainly not in the same sentence.
I give this post a 12 out of 10!!!!!
**wishes she had more thumbs than just two to put up**
Palin is as ARROGANT as they come! I hate how she thumbs her nose at us and I am sick to death of how she thinks she is above the law. And I am offended by the press releases that come out of that offices…the words that is used. ……sickening. She is hopeless. How can we get the recall started…are we all so scared of her?
I guess now we know why she was in a pissy mood as she arrived at Alyeska in the hallway…she must have known this would come. Perhaps she thinks her fund will grow if the number of complaints grows!? Sheesh…….
Just wondering which “hat” SP was wearing at this event. But whether it was “private citizen” hat or “Gov 24/7″ hat, it was really poor judgment, at best. (Nose-thumbing at worst.)
it’s probably a non-issue, but what IS the issue is the unmitigated gall for her to give a big FU to people filing ethics complaints. You can bet that’s the road she’ll take if anyone complains. She’s disgustingly smug, obnoxious, juvenile, unintelligent, snobby… I could go on, but this is putting me in a foul mood.
We should have a contest: which will raise the most $$$ the fastest—The Alaska Fund Trust or the Recall Palin movement?
Boo Boo:
I don’t think Sarah’s nearly as arrogant as she is just plain stupid.
If she can’t have her very own stimulus package, aka Alaska Fund Trust, how is she going to pay all her legal fees? I don’t want to see the peeps of Alaska having to pay for her defense in fighting all the complaints.
But on the brighter side, wtf was she thinking wearing the Arctic Cat jacket? OMG, she’s a silly thing, it’s like everything is a joke to her, she’s a bad apple.
And I so love the idea of #13, she’s on a roll. I’m looking forward to 14, 15 and 16 which I’m sure will show up in the next month or so.
Hint hint Palin, go away, leave running the govt to someone who cares and has a brain. Do you think my hint was subtle enough? =)
AKM, you creatively got to the heart of the new complaint before it was public.
Cheers!
OT, but here is a hilarious article imagining McCain’s first 100 days. Some gems about our gal in there…
http://www.politicsdaily.com/2009/04/26/just-imagine-the-first-100-days-of-the-mccain-administration/
Holy MOly, Why would Sarah show up at an event w/ a bunch of stoner skier dudes and dudettes. The skier crowd in AK is not really into politics, but of course she was there w/Bob and Mark and unfortunately those dudes and dudettes listen to KWHL and Sarah has made some of her best disparaging political commentary on their show (remember Lyda Green and Bob and Mark and the whole cancer thing and Sarah laughing about it?)
So, at any rate, Sarah can show up at the whole partying pot smoking and drinking party that we call slush cup at Alyeska; she can even be with Bob and Mark, but still she can’t capture the attention of those in attendance except for the fact that everyone was making fun of her sunglasses!
Sarah, you can try to be cool and pander to everyone, but leave the Girdwood crowd alone. As all anyone did was make fun of you. You don’t ski and you don’t do much but run our state into the ground. Just some of what I heard on the ground there at the Slush Cup.
Welcome! Welcome! It is now time for another round of …. (insert best game show voice here) Name That Tune! ….no…wait, wrong game. Welcome to another round of NAME THAT GATE!
Yeah…that’s it.
My nominees for the ethics complaint that is the Alaska Fund Trust:
Beggar-Gate
Broken Bootstrap-Gate
(You’ll remember her belief in just pulling yerself up by the bootstraps vs depending on help)
Because I Can Shill Fund – Gate
I Can See Dollar Signs Coming to My Bank Account – Gate
I Didn’t Read Mudflats, Palingates, Immoral Minority, CD Blue Oasis, Progressive Alaska, Huffpo, Politico, or Cafferty File Comments Before I Launched My Defense Fund – Gate
Carry on Mudpups!
@13 wired differently Says:
“I want a new category: “Flat Learning Curve”
——————
Is it possible we are witnessing a negative learning curve ?
Something along the order of dx/dy = -(dumber than dirt x refusal to admit)
What does the gov have to gain by thumbing her nose at Alaskans…?
It makes no sense…
Of course Sarah is out to show all those hair splitting ethics complainers that this is her standard gear – why she wears this stuff all the time, you know like at the Iron Dog, to family activities, to various events while she’s working so hard progressing Alaska. Surely you didn’t think she meant anything by it?
EyeOnYou Says: April 27th, 2009 at 6:38 PM “Not to be nit-picky, but I don’t think it was the exact same jacket. I’ve seen the pictures posted on the Team Sarah site and this looks like an altogether different Arctic Cat Jacket.”
You aren’t being nit-picky. It IS a different jacket.
Which begs the questions, 1) is Palin wearing Bristol’s Arctic Cat gift jacket because Bristol is still too post-pregnancy plump to get into it? Or…
2) Did Sarah Palin get a whole wardrobe full of Arctic Cat snow gear, one for each day of the week?
3) and BTW, is it TriPP or TriG in that camo mini-sleeping bag Bristol’s holding? Looks big enough to be TriG. Lucky you, Bristol. Mommy takes everything.
So this is grift jacket #2? From a previous year, ‘gifted’ from Arctic Cat? I think we have something here… Palin’s 2 coats – undeclared.
Regarding the press release from Sharon Leighow, the HuffPo quotes didn’t include ‘– as well as the tortured logic they contain –’. Is this an adn ad lib? Figures why I don’t read that rag. Did Loogan write that? HA! LOL.
I thought we were moving away from Palin, after a nice weekend of Alaska 101 and the introduction of the I love The Mudflats site, oh what a reprieve!. Halcro, logical as always, didn’t have anything new.
Palin is quite the disruptive troll, she is defiant and deliberated, by wearing the artic cat logo she is mocking the complaint, demeaning its merit and willfuly promoting her husband’s sponsor, for as long as she is governor. It is a win -win situation in her wicked state of mind. We’ll see how that goes.
She wears the logo in the same way papa Heath says “how can you prove that?”
Ethic complaint #13 –
……. Almost fraud fund gate…
…….Palin & friends fund gate..
……empty your pockets fund gate….
…..Impeached GINO fund gate
….Trick fund gate
…….
I like ‘Shill-baby-shill-gate’
As far as I know, Toad gets his income from Arctic Cat, so anytime she wears logo gear it’s a conflict of interest. She is the Governor! I can wear my spouse’s company gear, and it’s okay, but if I were an elected official, it would NOT be okay. This is a big F— You to the people of Alaska and all those who expect ethical behavior from their elected politicians. She is a disgrace.
Sarah sez it´s the CAT´S FAULT and just leave her and her family alone…bwahhhh, wink, wink…..
Sarah Palin-Tonya Harding 2012!
Wow�just Wow! GINO never does what anybody expects her to. She cracks me up with her craziness. It�s like she�s not a real person anymore. More like a soap opera character
This was done to thumb her nose, muddy the issue, and try to cover her a$$. I bet she will have gone to a retailer and bought several Cat jackets since the ethics complaint, maybe even got said retailer to backdate a receipt or two, just sayin’.
One would think that if you know that you have an ethics complaint filed against you as a Governor for being a walking billboard (free advertisement) for the company that sponsers your husbands racing team, then you would avoid wearing said company’s gear until that complaint was resolved.
So you have to ask, does she not understand conflict of interest and ethics?
Does she just not care about them?
We know from photos that she does indeed have other outerwear to choose from, so this wasn’t some “I didn’t have anything else to choose from” situation.
Sarah has two “big ones,’ the size of basketballs. Under the rules of the game that not only is a technical foul, but should result in being tossed out of the “game!”
If a complaint is without merit, a judge will throw it out. One does not have to defend one’s self against just any complaint.
It’s pretty obvious that Palin thinks she’s Queen of Alaska. She is above the law, can do anything she likes, because she’s Queen Sarah!!! Maybe she can dig out one of her beauty pageant crowns to wear and make it official.
Thank you, kind reader, for the Schroedinger’s Kitty book link! I’ve already ordered it for my physics friends’ babies.
The people attempting to snowboard across the pool made me think: how would Capt. Sullenberger have done? Seems like you have to hit the water just right to avoid flipping, falling over or slowing down too fast and then sinking.
I also felt kind of sorry for the guys that had to keep jumping in and rescue those who sank (I’m the mother of a lifeguard, OK?).
And, apologies, I was trying to think of the correct term for what these crazy Alaskans were doing – trying to water ski across the pool, but they were on snowboards… so would that instead be “water boarding”?
I loved the video….mad Alaskans!
They do that down here at Eaglecrest too, on the second to last day of the season. Crazy Alaskans indeed (and I know one of those people who dons a drysuit to haul out the skiers who don’t make it all the way across the pond).
Yup, Hannah, looks like torture to me. (Not all Canadians like Polar Bear dips — better to adopt one) —->
Are you kidding me?? She wore the jacket??? Wow, she is dumber than a box of rocks…this may actually be a new Sarah Palin low…she’s at the bottom of that pool of slush with this one.
okay — where do you see palin in the video? all i saw was the naked guys went farther than the folks with clothes on…….i must not be concentrating enough. alas.
Heard in the crowd at Slush Cup after the announcer said Palin and her family were there to take ski lessons…”hope he taught her how to turn LEFT!”
“Never attribute to malice what can be explained by stupidity.”
Gino *never* disappoints!
DD
She probably has to wear Artic Cat gear at X number of public events in order to satisfy Toad’s contract with them. The more varied the gear the better! ‘shows their diverse product line. You betcha!
Even Jaybird put his interests in Food Factory and Pike’s Landing/Pike’s Landing Hotel into trust. You NEVER contact him about either holding without getting an email giving you the trust address to contact, and you NEVER see him wearing “logo” gear for any of his concerns. Ditto Scott Kawasaki, or any of our other Interior legislators/public officials.
If you work for the state, wearing ANY kind of “logo” gear at work is a big NO.
So why isn’t it an ethics/conflict of interest for Sarah?
OMG every time I think her cluelessness has reached bottom, she does something worse. Thank God she isn’t one heartbeat away from the presidency.
BTW we’re planning to name our next cat Schroedinger.
Heyyyyy, isnt’t that Uncle Ted’s “chalet” in the background at the Slush Cup? I think recognize the big Lazy Boy chair on the deck.