Open Thread
Our virtual flight from Houston to Anchorage now has us somewhere over either British Columbia or the Alaska panhandle. These mountains were absolutely unbelievable. There were little vignettes like this all over the place. No snow but still breathtaking. They look like a row of perfect teeth. Actually that whole group of mountains looks remarkably like the chewing surface of a mastadon tooth.
Another stunning pic. You really got some wonderful shots!
Heather has this video – How Hate Talk Radicalized the American Right – posted on C&L. It features David Neiwert talking about his book The Eliminationists. It’s a very insightful depiction of how the right wingers have been led to where they are today.
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/interview-david-neiwert-how-hate-talk-radi
Well, I guess the U.S. arguments re: health insurance reform have become comedy in Britain, some of this was rather witty IMO.
MockTheWeekNHS
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QfKDkb0-1k
“Mock The Week” takes on Republican lies about Britain’s National Health Service and Obama’s health care plan
This was pretty freaky, IMO, Liz sure seems determined to protect her papa:
Sam Donaldson Takes On Liz Cheney Over CIA Torture Investigation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fldR5NdSG9U
ABC’s Sam Donaldson Spars With Liz Cheney Over CIA Torture Investigation – 08/30/09
John McCain….when will this man get the kudos he deserves.
He could’ve have been the POTUS but in the most selfless act of statesmanship since Gorbachev let the wall come down he resisted the temptation to fight the psychopathic Neo-Cons from within.
He knew the best thing for America was for the Republicans to lose power, and as much as possible, to help distance the psychopathic Neo-Cons.
In a humbling act of patriotism he willingly humiliated himself on the national stage and destroyed his chance to be POTUS by choosing Psycho Sarah.
He knew there weren’t enough crazy people to put Psycho Sarah within arms reach of the button when any sane person would electrify the fence so she couldn’t even get near the building.
After the election a lesser stastesman woud’ve come clean to save his name and reputation, but showing incredible devotion to his country he continues to talk of Pyscho Sarah as if she is some kind of legitimate voice and intellect on the national stage. Keeping her in the mind’s eye of Republicans and the media, knowing the longer she stays there the longer the the Repubs and the pyschopathic Neo-Cons will be out of power.
That kind of selfless courage hasn’t been seen since Jesus was a boy.
Reading that back its wierd enough to be true. bwaaahhahahaah
Hello to all you mudrevellers. This is my first post here or anywhere, the last year late at night here in Oz, while I’m working I’ve often taken 5 mins to check the Mudflats for quality info and entertainment. My compliments to you all.
Kath the Scrappy #3.
That mock of the week was hilarious. Thank you.
Good Morning, Pups!
One of the things I really love to do when traveling is get with the locals and really talk. Not about the weather, but about current events, their views of the USA, things like that.
While I’m gone this week, I’m going to try and find out what the Greeks think about their own health care system, how it works, and whether it is effective and agreeable. It will be nice to get the perspective right from the horse’s mouth.
From http://www.expatforum.com/articles/health/health-care-in-greece.html
Many Greeks have been clamouring for reform in their country’s health care system. Still, it was ranked by the World Health Organization as one of the best health care system in the world. Health care cost is the lowest among the European Union member countries.
snip
Public health system in Greece provides free or low cost health care service to residents contributing to the social security system including their families. Other benefits include free laboratory services, maternity care, medical-related appliances or gadgets, and transportation. Other European Union nationals can also avail of the free health care benefits provided they have with them their E111 forms.
Specialists can be consulted directly, but public hospital residents usually have long waiting list. In urgent situations, but not an emergency case, the patient may opt to see a private specialist and reimburse up to a maximum of 85% of the fee later to Idrima Kinonikon Asfalisseon (IKA). IKA is a government body operating Greece’s National Health Care System.
Dental and eye treatment is also free but non-essential medicines and health-related accessories such as dentures, dental crowns, and spectacles are substantially charged.
Oftentimes, with the limited facilities of some hospitals, they often refer certain cases to other hospitals. However, waitlist lines are also long for non-urgent operations.
Pharmacies and medications are of good quality with highly trained pharmacist. Medicines are also highly subsidized since only 25% of the actual cost of the prescriptions is charged.
Emergency care is provided free of charge in public hospitals to anyone regardless of nationality. There are also smaller outpatient clinic in rural areas attached to bigger public hospitals. These facilities provide faster emergency treatment than in bigger public hospitals.
Why are we not anxious to emulate this?
If you look very closely at the photo, I think you can see Dudley Do-Right.
Samper, our special interests are interested in keeping the status quo. But the Wall St types that could get TB or some such communicable disease from the uninsured person cleaning the office who takes public transportation, they have insurance and can just as easily get MRSA from being in the hospital as the next guy. When wealthy people can get just as sick as the next guy, maybe a leveling of the field will take place, and we’ll get more sensible health care for all. Maybe it starts this fall as their kids get the swine flu.
(Please don’t forget to bring me back an Adonis, a real one, as we discussed! I saw that you packed light enough, lol.)
Have fun on your trip!
When I went to sleep last night, they were saying 2 hrs until the all the transmission towers on Mt Wilson were likely to be over run by fire in 2 hrs. As of right now, they haven’t, but are being threatened by the National Forest fire on two sides.
Please think good thoughts and send gentle rain this way. We’re likely to get hammered by El Nino this winter, and so much forest and brush fires have hit us during this drought of way too many years.
Just was over at Anonymous bloggers and reading the comments. Reminded me on how Mudpups help each other without thinking twice and how Ann jumped right in and did a huge amount of work last winter for others. Now in her hour of need immediate family and extended (mudpups and more) are there for her. It´s going to be a hard winter and I´m glad I had the chance to send her not only wishes, but some badly needed funds. I just wish I could do more. Rural Alaska is so expensive! When I send money to India I know it goes a long way and that is good. But I send the same to Alaska and I get depressed, because I know it is such a teensy drop on the hot stone.
Sending rain to CA in my thoughts. Didn´t we have this same conversations last year ? Take very good care and don´t wait to the last minute if you have to leave your house. Please.
Dear Samper, enjoy your trip to Greece. Do you speak the language? I always enjoy listening into a new language and trying to figure out bits and pieces, usually with hilarious results (I end up buying a dual dictionary every time).
Just read that Palin will be Hong Kong bound late September: http://news.moneycentral.msn.com/provider/providerarticle.aspx?feed=AP&date=20090831&id=10348947
As a former investment banker I was appalled and wrote to the CLSA to express my opinion. Why should this woman be paid (a lot of money) by the organization to present her thoughts on anything. She is not an expert on finance, international trade, international relations, US domestic politics, investments, or even oil and gas. She’s not an expert on anything. What’s next, Britney Spears? What an insult to the men and women who are going to be in attendance; men and women who are indeed experts in their fields. What sage words of wisdom can this woman possible give them?
Bill Clinton was paid $250,000 to speak at their conference, so I would expect that Mrs. Palin will not cancel on this one.
Great pic. It looks like Grenville Channel and the Kitimat Ranges.
http://encarta.msn.com/map_701571709/grenville_channel.html
OMG, Britney Spears at least has made money from her work and has traveled. Go to Palingates. Who knows, it might be a hoax.
#9, yes we did, but that was in Santa Barbara County. It has been dry for a long time. Last time we had a lot of rain was in 2005; we got nearly 30 inches in a year in LA. I remember one June in NYC where we got that in a month. We would be good with 15 inches in a year, but don’t even get that most years.
OMG @ 10: “Why should this woman be paid (a lot of money) by the organization to present her thoughts on anything.”
Hey, even the Hong Kongese need a good chuckle every now and then. Why should we hoard all the Palin humor? Let her go… just cancel her passport before she can get back in.
nwsfm CA: Your Adonis is on the list, but he’s going to have to pay his own airfare!
Thanks for the good wishes. I leave in less than 48 hours!
letters: No, sadly I can’t speak the language. Even worse is all those goofy characters that I can’t figure out! I have a phoenetic list of phrases that will help. The first one? BATHROOM! LOL! I have found that locals love my charades, so I’ll employ that as well. I had a maid in the Caribbean in stitches as I tried to tell her that she had locked our bathroom door while cleaning! It’s amazing… most of us don’t bother to learn another language (although I took 4 years of HS French), but the EU is well versed in English. My hotel contacts (via email) have all been in English without a problem.
nwsfm: Also, too… I agree… wait until their kids come home with swine flu and see how they feel about the OTHER kids’ families getting insurance at that point.
Wishing for rain and safety for all of our friends and firefighters in CA. I read this morning 2 firefighters have perished. God bless them and their work as well as their families.
https://www.clsa.com/about-clsa/media-centre/2009-Media-releases/CLSA-to-host-sarah-palin-at-16th-clsa-if.php
CLSA Chairman and CEO Jonathan Slone said: “As the first female governor of Alaska and the youngest person ever elected governor of that state, Palin has broken new ground in US politics and we are delighted that she will make her first visit to Asia to present at the CLSA Investors’ Forum
PffffTT! – The only new ground Palin has broken is being the biggest political joke ever. Am writing them to tell them they are turning their forum into a joke.
Hope she has to answer complex questions – that should be funny.
kraut: Can we DO that? Cancel her passport? Who do I call on that?
I can not even imagine the confusion the fine folks of Hong Kong will have after listening to her slang and word salad!
UK Lady: Hope there’s a video of this appearance (if she doesn’t cancel!). It would be HILARIOUS to see her have to go off script to answer real questions!!!!
MSNBC is reporting on the communication towers in jeopardy. 42,000 acres charred. 35 homes destroyed.
Again, I’m making the plea! Please don’t ignore your evacuation orders, if they come to your area. Stay safe!
PS: Doubt that hurricane heading for Baja will prove useful in the fires.
Sarah Palin………………luminary………..?
“Our keynote speakers are notable luminaries who often address topics that go beyond traditional finance such as geopolitics,” company spokeswoman Simone Wheeler said in a statement.
The Sept. 23 address will mark Palin’s first commercial speaking engagement, according to CLSA. Her speaking fees were not disclosed.
It will be closed to the media, and the topic has not yet been confirmed.
She received her first passport in 2007 to visit Alaska National Guard members serving in Kuwait and Germany.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/31/sarah-palin-asia-trip-pla_n_272493.html
Kath the Scrappy @ 3 – Thanks for hilarious youtube – missed the programme here.
samper – Have a lovely, wonderful time.
notable luminaries?????
So, a governer who quit her job is among notable luminaries? Wow.
That is really disgusting.
Thanks, UK Lady! Brian is just beside himself and can’t wait to see an Olive Tree!
Luminary? Really? SP?
Are they KIDDING us?
“CLSA consistently sets the benchmark for original and thought-provoking content”
Ha!!!!
Really – for those who haven’t seen it, go to http://www.palingates.blogspot.com
Someone over on Palingates asked if maybe they thought they were booking the entertainment for the event and they think they’re getting Tina Fey.
oh yeah – this one is absolutely killing me. too, too funny. I’m sure the chidlins over at “the sea” are peeing their pants with pride. HA!!!!!
Martha Says:
August 31st, 2009 at 4:57 AM
Sarah Palin………………luminary………..?
_____
luminary??? Only in the sense that there is light shining between her ears where her brain should be.
And WHY are all the speeches, that she eventually bails on, “closed to the media”????
I think this one’s going to backfire on her bigtime. The BEST she can hope for is to successfully read the teleprompter. The minute any of those financiers engages her in conversation, she’s toast. If they hide her away and only trot her out for the speech, she’ll be a laughing stock.
Bea: She is obviously terrified of having her speeches forever preserved on tape. It always seems to bite her in the butt when she’s recorded.
How do I get tix to this event? I’ll record it on my cell phone! LOL!
i think the very idea that CLSA wanted palin to speak says volumes about their ability to discern intelligent discourse from narcissitic temper tantrums…they don’t seem to have her scheduled for entertainment value only.
after reading several articles on this topic – it appears the original impetuts for choosing palin as a speaker is that she was the youngest person to be elected governor of alaska.
maybe those ex-pat investor journalists at CLSA ought to read some alaskan blogs in the next 30 days…….just sayin’
great picture
samper you have a blast a nd no sp for the whole trip….
everybody take a moment and remember princess diana
she was a luminary she broke new ground she was a hero and a champion for women and people who had no voice. she used her gifts for good and she changed the perception people had about aids victims. she was an amazing human being and it was a sad day when we lost this amazing princess.
the peoples princess…….we will never forget
they name scarah as a speaker and there stock market plummets 7%
coincidece?????????
maybe not…….
Another Veterans group strikes back on “death books” claim:
http://www.military.com/news/article/August-2009/vets-groups-slam-death-book-claims.html?ESRC=eb.nl
@ Samper
Could you bring me back a “gyro” sandwich with extra feta?
Lynnrockets, lol surely you could find such a meal here!
@ nswfm Ca #33
Sure, but I would like to have an authentic that I can bronze and display in my office.
“”Honestly? This isn’t a hoax?” asked the managing director of a Hong Kong business chain. “It’s entertaining perhaps, in a road accident sort of way! Now I’ve seen everything.”
Palin has never been noted to have much expertise in economics or finance. Said an independent investor: “Sarah Palin is a real expert on money-making. I wonder if it will be her (to arrive in Hong Kong) or Tina Fey,” a reference to a devastating send-up of Palin by the comedienne Fey on Saturday Night Live, an American comedy show.
[...]
Nonetheless, her selection as speaker for the CLSA convention had Hong Kong’s investment community scratching their heads although one independent broker said the selection was “a good idea. It will guarantee a wide attendance.”
Another investor, however, called it “typical of CLSA’s decline since the death of Gary Coull,” CLSA’s co-founder, who died in 2006. “Or it might be a way of way of ingratiating with Beijing by making America look ridiculous,” he fumed.
CLSA has become a powerhouse in Asia for its offbeat approach to investing, for instance publishing a whimsical annual feng-shui prediction report on the regional markets over the coming year. Annual forums have included mid-week parties with ageing pop stars and sessions with such political stars as Clinton, Gore and Greenspan.
http://asiasentinel.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2030&Itemid=32
Bonus: They use my fav daffy $P pic!
Lord have mercy. I hope sarah gets some lessons on Asian culture before she goes.
#35, I think that photo is funny, but there’s one on lynnrockets that has her with the word Wooosssh going though her head that might be more appropriate.
UK Lady;PffffTT! – The only new ground Palin has broken is being the biggest political joke ever. Am writing them to tell them they are turning their forum into a joke.
I just sent off my letter also.What a joke.
http://anonymousbloggers.wordpress.com/2009/08/30/ann-strongheart-discovering-the-new-me-and-grieving-for-the-old/
Ann Strongheart has a touching post on Anon. Bloggers
And in this corner, wearing the red Naughty Monkeys, let us introduce the “Alaska Disaster”, the “Gorilla from Wasilla”, ladies and gentlemen… Sarah Palin the “Hong Kong Ding Dong”
#40 glad I didn’t have any coffee around when I read that. Maybe we can shame Credit Lyonais into withdrawing the invite like Nancy Reagan did.
BTW, I wasn’t planning on bronzing my authentic Adonis, but you gave me an idea….
Sarah Palin speaking in Asia??? This must be a joke. I believe that deep, deep, deep, down SP realizes that she’s a fake and a farce, and has to rely on the winky-wink to distract people from her overwhelming inadequacies. I’m not a gambler but I think it’s a sure bet that Miss Quittypants will chicken out before she has to face an international audience. The only question is, which excuse will it be? “We never confirmed” or “we never received the invitation”?
Lexky: It’ll be difficult, but I’ll try not to have access to anything SP while gone (however, Brian WILL want to check in with you guys at least once just to make sure he’s not missing something phenomenal).
Lynnrockets: Gyros don’t travel well… it would be all soggy with tzaditki by the time it got back to the U.S. Sorry!
But I agree… getting a souvlaki from whence (where’s justafarmer?) it originates is a dream come true! Did I use “whence” correctly? From “wherest”???
nwsfm CA: Ummm… don’t you think Adonis would be more useful to you UN-bronzed?
GA Peach: There isn’t enough time. SP is going to embarrass herself AND the USA by making an egregious social faux pas. I guarantee it. A diplomat she is not. A quick study she is not. A person who actually CARES about insulting the customs and people of another land she is NOT. No wonder the media isn’t invited.
26
Bea Says:
August 31st, 2009 at 5:09 AM
Martha Says:
August 31st, 2009 at 4:57 AM
Sarah Palin………………luminary………..?
_____
luminary??? Only in the sense that there is light shining between her ears where her brain should be.
______________
Light may be on but no one is home.
I spelled “tzadziki” wrong. And it’s probably spelled wrong here, also too. It’s the yogurt/cucumber/garlic sauce they put on souvlaki.
YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMY!!!!!!!
laprofesora: Well, MSNBC just announced the gig, so it must be “real”. However, I would put a dollar down to say she chokes and rescinds her acceptance.
Even she can’t think she is qualified for this type of engagement.
C. Rock
Here’s mine
‘simone.wheeler@clsa.com’
Dear Ms. Wheeler,
Perhaps your organisation hasn’t done any vetting, similar to John McCain when he picked this woman for his running mate.
You should know that the only ground Sarah Palin has broken is as the most derided, disliked, political joke in US history.
She may be able to give a pre written speech, but I can guarantee that she would not be able to take any complex questions.
Just giving you a ‘heads up’, in case you wanted to try and save the reputation of your organisation.
Yours sincerely,
Wouldn’t you know SP will be out of the country on Sept 24Th when her Sarah PAC thing is due.
Also, too… Let’s not forget that Mother Theresa died the same week as Princess Diana. A greater humanitarian there never was.
Palin will do just fine…She doesn’t speak “Asian” , and they don’t speak “Word Salad”….
Samper, I definitely do think you are right and would certainly not waste your precious gift, but was thinking of a marketing idea. But that’s top secret. And there are also multiple meanings for bronze, also, too.
UK Lady
Great letter. Iam going to write another one to the address you used. We all need to do our part and warn them. What an embarrassment to the USA.
Samper, I hope you have the trip you have dreamed of and more!
(by the way, you aren’t bronzing MY Adonis, are you?)
The problem child…I just read the article you referenced (in the Asia Sentinel). Excellent! Palin is a laughing stock in much of the world so I would imagine that most people are indeed shocked at her invitation to be the keynote speaker. I’m sure people will attend; most will be curiosity seekers who want to see for themselves how truly inept she is. Sadly, if she hires an expert speech writer she may come across as knowledgeable…about something…so I’m hoping for a lively question and answer period where her total lack of substance will shine through.
And for those who think she’ll cancel, I might add that I’m not one of them. Speakers at CLSA command high fees (Bill Clinton received $250,000) and I don’t think Mrs. Palin will walk away from $$$$$$.
For anyone who would like to register their shock and disgust at Mrs. Palin’s selection as speaker they can send a quick email to CLSA:
https://www.clsa.com/contact-us.php
They’ve already heard from many in the investment community but the more the merrier!
Shortly, after the notable luminary Palin, was announced as the featured speaker, at the CLSA meeting, The U.S. and Asian mkt tanked.********************************************************
US stocks fall after sell-off in Asia
By Sara Lepro, AP Business Writer
U.S. stocks fell Monday after China’s main index plunged 6.7%, adding to a nearly 3% drop on Friday. The sell-offs in Chinese shares have…
When you right to CLSA, be sure to refence the quote from the spouse in The Manchurian Candidate about thinking:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056218/
Oops…I hadn’t see that others had also written letters to the CLSA before my last post. I have a feeling the CLSA is being bombarded with incredulous emails!
Oops right= write
Send links to the blogs, too. Someone was smoking dope when they made the decision.
i wrote to those idiots at clsa. here was my message:
i must express my amazement at the inclusion of sarah palin as a speaker at your investment forum.
this woman is without education, experience, philosophy or personal integrity. she is a divisive force in the united states and one who advocates dominitionist religious extremism.
her lack of intellectual curiousity is an embarassment even in the political circus that is american politics.
surely palin is not representative of your business model.
@#54 – I also sent a letter to the CLSA and included some links (including Mudflats) and suggested that their committee might want to do a little more research and vetting than McCain ever did!
I love this website! Although I no longer live in Alaska, it has a special place in my heart and it saddens me to see what Palin has done to its image, to say nothing of damage to the people, environment, etc.
It is so good to see that many are becoming actively involved in whatever small ways we can, that will hopefully make a difference. If just one person is helped, or one law is changed, we can sleep better knowing we’ve done something to help.
I am going to email them again and link Kath the Scrappy’s youtube clip @ 3 to show them how Palin is mocked in the UK.
nwsfrm CA: Your Adonis will be bronzed by the sun upon arrival… will that do?
booboo: Yours as well!
My note to CLSA:
The United States is grateful to be included in your Investment Forum in Hong Kong, scheduled for September 2009.
We have many stellar and well educated, respected, and hard working professionals in the field of investment issues.
Sarah Palin is not one of them. She has even bragged about failing Economics courses.
I urge you to rethink your invitation to Ms. Palin and to instead include a colleague from the United States who is representative of the high caliber organization you are known to be.
====
PS: Palin is no Clinton. She couldn’t come NEAR demanding $250K for a speech!
can you imagine the cramming that they (whoever they are) are doing with palin.
money or no…i can’t imagine her actually doing this gig.
Not a luminary, nor even a damp paper bag luminaria. A piniata, maybe.
Fawnskin, glad you are OK. Actually, better than OK!
Thanks for the link to the CLSA. I am just stunned that they invited Palin and called her a luminary. Are they kidding?
She quit her job and walked out on her responsibilities to the people of Alaska…and and she is a luminary?
She failed economics, she doesn’t value education (are her kids back in school or are they on the lamb too) and she barely got a BA degree. What could she possibly have to offer this group of people? It’s really sick.
definition of luminary: a person of prominence or brilliant achievement .
Let’s see….she quit in the middle of her first term as governor, so she is unemployed. That’s what this group calls “brilliant achievement”?
If they are going for prominence, Brittney Spears would have been a better choice.
Thank you, Samper, that will more than do. Your are truly generous.
I know polls are mostly worthless but, for those that don’t mind taking a quick one, wouldya wander over and answer this one question poll.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4802-Indianapolis-TV-Examiner~y2009m8d30-Sarah-Palins-Greatest-TV-Hits-Video-Link-and-Poll
Thankee
I certainly hope they have
1) Translator from American to Chinese
2) Translator from Pit-Bull Hockey Mom word Salad to American
bet she shops till she drops too
If Clinton got $250,000 I guess that means Palin should be worth:
25 cents.
WOW, Who was asleep at the wheel when they made this decision!?
CLSA – just flushed their credibility down the toilet big time – expect inner divisiveness
Politico states that Queen Quitter is 85% finished with her book. Wow…..she is so smart she has that much written in less than a month? It should be a doozie!
the problem child @35:
Thanks for that link. Palin’s fans are starting to show up posting comments about how she will most likely be the next President of the United States and has a huge fan base,etc.
I posted a comment there saying she is an ignoramus and her fan base isn’t HUGE. Just a small band of crazies.
Recipe for Tzatziki – yum!
http://kalynskitchen.blogspot.com/2007/07/worlds-best-tzatziki-sauce-recipe-greek.html
I wonder if this will mean that Huntsman will have to go in and clean up the mess that Palin creates. I just hope she doesn’t start a world incident. Remember when she claimed that Russia was flying into US airspace and said, “When Putin rears his head”. Holy crappola.
You don’t claim that Russia is flying into US airspace….when they aren’t.
She is a loose canon and says inflamatory statements like that without thinking of the consequences. She doesn’t get it because she is a divider and will say anything to divide.
This reminds me about a trip to China where we were having a conversation in a university setting, talking about film, opera, etc.
The translator was dutifully translating back and forth in subdued BBC style. An American asked what about the difference in Chinese film style vs the NY/gritty reality style of film making vs the CA/Hollywood style of fantasy film. Back and forth goes the translation, and we hear they are more gritty reality.
The follow-up question turns to TV. “What do you in China like to watch on TV? The translator doesn’t even do the translation and blurts out BAYWATCH! The entire English-speaking audience completely lost it. It took about 5 minutes for the laughter to subside.
That is one of my best memories of that 23 days in what is currently China.
Virginia, hope you have the good sense to just say no to this idiot:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/29/AR2009082902434.html?sid=ST2009082902758
Do we really want those folks to drop their luminous speaker? …to disinvite her? What it’ll come down on is the bloggers (rightfully, but still).
We don’t really have any say anyway – the thing is “invitation only” (according to the website), and why shouldn’t she just go and be herself! Sometimes, some folks just need to learn things for themselves.
Sooo, who’s bringing the popcorn?
OH! Ga Peach!
Thank you for that YUMMY recipe!!! I know that when I get back, I will have a craving, so I’ve bookmarked it.
(I would add a little more garlic, though!)
Still, I bet it will be hard to replicate a perfect souvlaki here.
Guess I’ll just have to return to Greece! 
Nan: As Trisha has already said, the chances of an international incident are far too great for us to just sit back and watch! (But how much fun would THAT be!?!?)
I can’t wait to see the coverage! Obviously, there will be SOME coverage of her trip, even if the event itself is “closed” to the media. Someone will take notes and post a piece somewhere about it.
nwsfm: HA HA! LOL!
Frankly, I’m counting on her latest fatal attraction to Glen Beck to catch up to her a little bit more
Beck is America’s latest and greatest gift in showing the world what’s in Palin’s racist pocket!
Good Morning good people. Thanks for all the work you do.
This is good for a chuckle or 2. I wonder if anyone wants to start taking bets?
http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2009/8/31/774743/-Palin-to-stand-up-Hong-Kong-Business-Group
BuffaloGals link from post # 68 (poll) needs more of our input mudpups –
http://www.examiner.com/x-4802-Indianapolis-TV-Examiner~y2009m8d30-Sarah-Palins-Greatest-TV-Hits-Video-Link-and-Poll
It’s no surprise that Beck is a racist. He is a mormon and the book of Mormon states that God cursed evil doers by turning their skin dark. The good and faithful are white, but if you have dark skin…it is a curse from God because you are/were evil.
The church didn’t even allow blacks into their faith until it became a PR issue. I live in Utah…believe me….it is a white white white state. It’s a very racist religion and state. Different from the Southern racists, but racist none the less.
am i the only one who thinks murdoch is behind this little speaking engagement if it is real????????
could they get her any further away and of course the no press allowed…
no, lexky…i ,too, and also, am of the murdoch conspiracy group that believes that everything we see or don’t see of palin is planned/created/orchestrated by murdoch
nswfm ca…
thanks for the thoughts.
if you’re speaking of the fires, we are ok up here but the valley/lake is full of smoke as there are two fires surrounding the general area.
my poor hubby is in smoke hell in century city in a high rise which has a huge intake unit to circulate the air. instead his employees are getting circulated smoke.
keep sending good thoughts to all of the fire personnel who are working so hard. and pray for that rain.
I am going to go out on a limb and say this…I think Palins people thought the invitation was from CLSA (CLINICAL LABORATORY SCIENTIST OF ALASKA)…not CLSA ( CREDIT LYONNAIS SECURITY ASIA)….I’d be willing to bet money on it.
But even then…what were either of them thinking.
If she goes to Hong Kong…the Keynote address will be written for her…no cameras allowed….she will be saying words that/which she has no idea of their meaning. The Q&A session will be questions submitted prior to the date of the address…and the answers will be crafted for her.
This should be fun to watch and there WILL be someone in there with a camera…there is a lot going on in the background…that we will never know about..
I just LOVE visiting Mudflats……
and i voted in the poll at #84 cause i just can’t see palinbots getting away with skewing the darn thing.
TWO things about Palin in Hong Kong.
1. There is surely BIG $$ behind the invite.
2. NO WAY she is writing her own speech. NO WAY.
(2a. no question and answer either. no way.)
BooBooBear….. A page a day, Keeps Sarah Away !!… I’m sure it’s gonna be OVERSIZED print, so they can get more pages in there….
I wonder how many arms were twisted by Murdoch to get this gig for her? Good strategy keeping it out of the country AND the media…
good luck calif mudpups!
silverfox67…I agree…she will hire a speechwriter (the bright spot is that she will have to pay handsomely for the speech, eating into her lucrative fee) and will have coaching to be prepared for submitted questions. I hope, however, that she will be forced to answer questions not previously submitted to show her stuff to the world (which should be a requirement by the CLSA of all their speakers). If that were to happen, how is she going to blame Katie Couric for the disastrous interview?
And how will $arah be arriving there…?
By way of the ” Orient ‘ Express to NoWhere’ ”
1-way ticket I hope.
imo i really dont think we should be emailing this group about palin speaking. i think it makes us look sound petty like that other sight we dont speak of. she has a right to make money and if they want to throw it away on her thats on them. i love you all and when something needs to be done we are the first ones emailing, signing petitions, donating to a cause. lets save our energy for this healthcare fight. pallin will dig her own grave, and if she doesnt her republican brethren will take care of the rest.
this is just my opinion.
peace
MSNBC is reporting that SP is getting “thousands” of invitations to speak with consideration in the “six digits”.
Really?
I would love to see just TEN organizations come forward to say they have invited her to speak at that amount.
SP is trying to build up her “credibility” with these fake invitations.
AND… if she just plain doesn’t have time to open mail from 2008, how in the world can she know about these invitations? Certainly, she doesn’t have time to open NEW mail when old mail that HAS TO BE ACCOUNTED FOR sits in the garage!
Didn’t they say there were “mountains” of unopened mail and then the big disclosure was like 20 items?
She better call 911. Her pants are ON FIRE!
81 Samper, if you think that’s funny, here’s something about my trip to Greece that others might appreciate as well. It reminds me of $P’s Great Turkey Pardon.
We went to Europe after I graduated from HS. However, when I was 5, I saw a live turkey right before Thanksgiving and got the connection between that freaky animal and food. I wanted to stop eating animals right then and there, but couldn’t figure out how to get my parents to go along with it. So at age 10, my best friend tells me she’s giving up chocolate for Lent. What’s Lent, I ask, thinking this might be helpful. She tells me, I go up the hill to my house and declare I’m giving up meat, fish and poultry for Lent. Why my parents didn’t see through this, I’ll never know, because we weren’t religious. Easter comes along and I declare I’m never eating meat again. Mom says OK, but sometimes you are going to have to cook. A few days later, my sister says she learned about tape worms and she’s going vegetarian, also.
Fast forward 8 years to Greece. I had loved vegetables but had never liked eggplant (grey food not so appealing) or (slimy) okra. So we see eggplant on the menu everywhere and I say to my sister, “They must know how to cook it, it’s on every menu, so I think I’m going to try the eggplant.” My sister says “I think I’m going to try the octopus.” I look at her in disbelief.
If I had known the expression WTF or the one I learned in NYC “Are you sh!tting me?” I would have said it, but I just said “You are going to break 8 years of being a vegetarian by eating OCTOPUS?”
Enjoy all the food, they are great cooks there and know how to have a good time.
97 samper
maybe those were invitations received before the resignaion and the quitter speach.
If you want to get active against Fox, there is an excellent template at 165 on this link:
http://www.themudflats.net/2009/08/28/p-day-sarah-palin-one-year-later/#comment-127315.
Lexky: Yeah, BUT… why should she open THOSE before her mail from 2008 that she is supposed to DECLARE?
nswfm: I remember getting a postcard when my folks went to Greece (they went once a year to Europe, but without us kids – it was “their” time, which was always fine with us). She wrote, “Dad had OCTOPUS last night! YUCKY!”
I can’t imagine life without meat. I am a carnivore through and through. Fish, not so much, which is why I could starve in many eateries of Greece.
In 48 Hours, I’ll be looking for a place to smoke a few at the PHL airport!
Wow!
But for now, I’m off to work my land. So much rain around here, I can’t even find Killer the Kitten in the grass!
A comment from Palin’s website posted multiple times:
“Call Congress- pretend to be from one of the blue dog demo districts, and tell them NO to ObamaCare.
Visist my site: meetup.com/FullMetalConservatives, under FILES, you will find a file with ALL the zipcodes for EVERY blue dog.
Call again and again- use a diff zip each time.”
Maybe I just needed to vent it, but it makes me really angry when people encourage stuff like this. GRRRR
As The Eagles once said, “The Greeks Don’t Want Not Freaks”. So, I guess it is safe to assume that Sarah Palin will not be speaking there any time soon.
Don’t yell at me, I know. But I went to the pee’ers to see if they know if HK is confirmed. Wading thru comments of ‘oh, I am wee weeing with excitement’, I see RAM tell one of her loyal peeps to STFU. No confirmation, but she does start a paragraph with ‘What a pack of whiny dopes we’ve become’, hmmm, ..she’s not happy about something…. sorry…
103
then its fitting samper is going.
“I really believe that the Pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians, … the ACLU, People For the American Way – all of them who have tried to secularize America – I point the finger in their face and say ‘you helped this [terrorist attack] happen.” Jhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Robertson#1988_presidential_biderry Falwell, 700 Club, 2001-SEP-13. 2 Very interesting read and these people claim to be christians
sauerkraut Says: Light may be on but no one is home.
Hm, that was a common statement here in the Capital City when we walked by the Mansion!
C/L has a very funny picture of GB posted there…You all need to see it.
Worth the trip …LMAO
This is hilarious. Apparently, 46 sponsors have pulled ads from Glenn Beck’s program. The URL below is purportedly from Fox Security Cameras inside Beck’s office after he heard the news.
http://crooksandliars.com/node/30856
I just heard about this vigil, so am posting the information here. Please pass the word everybody; we all need to get fired up and involved in a positive way.
A VIGIL to help bring about Health Care Reform
New Seward Hwy and Benson
Wednesday, 2 Sep 2009, 7:30 PM
“We Can’t Afford To Wait Vigil. “A gathering of like minded individuals interested in helping our Senators, Representatives and our President get the Health Care Reform bills passed for our Country.
Message from host: Please come with printed Signs seeking support of Health Care Reform; We need our Representatives, Senators, insurance providers and our President seeking what is best for Health Care for all Americans. Our Federal Employees/Retirees and our Congress People have and Congressional Retirees have Excellent Insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefit Plan. It would be great if we can get the Public Option as well as other venues to give the American People Health Care Now! IT IS LONG OVER DUE.
http://pol.moveon.org/healthcare/vigil_story_survey
MoveOn and Acorn are organizing these candlelite vigils all over the country. Ours here in the Phoenix area will be held at Harry Mitchell’s office in Tempe. Mitchell is one of the House Blue Dog Democrats.Everybody check your own areas for similar events. Also check for Marches everywhere, and in Washington D.C. on September 13.
Check out the Democracy for America and Progressive Change Campaign Committee co-sponsored health insurance reform ad to run in Iowa and DC – target: Chuck Grassley.
http://salsa.wiredforchange.com/o/5649/t/4944/content.jsp?content_KEY=2782&tag=poc_e-ia-u1
from their email promotion: “Chuck Grassley, the main Senate Republican negotiator, has taken over $2.9 million from health and insurance interests that oppose reform. He’s also said he won’t support a public option because it would beat private insurance in the marketplace!”
lexky (96)
imo i really dont think we should be emailing this group about palin speaking. i think it makes us look sound petty like that other sight we dont speak of. she has a right to make money and if they want to throw it away on her thats on them. i love you all and when something needs to be done we are the first ones emailing, signing petitions, donating to a cause. lets save our energy for this healthcare fight. pallin will dig her own grave, and if she doesnt her republican brethren will take care of the rest.
this is just my opinion.
peace
_____________________
lexky,
Exactly!!
You said it so much better than I did. Good job.
Nan
I had posted AKM’s post about the State Fair bumper sticker on a few Huffpo threads last night. I did a Google search to see it here were some Nat’l blogs like Daily Kos who may have commented or if it got any attention and a buzz.
Google found a comment here.
http://www.osborneink.com/2009/08/racist-anti-obama-bumper-sticker.html
I retried the Google search with a different word search.
“Crooks & Liars” did a story posting today. They said they got the tip from Shannyn Moore. Lots of comments.
http://crooksandliars.com/david-neiwert/alaska-state-fair-bigotry-bumper-cro
Nan
I am sure many people have money in retirement funds that could be affected by decisions made by this company. I for one would not want to have funds invested in a company who shows such poor judgement,so I will be checking our retirement funds to morrow. Letting the company know that potential or current investors see this move as poor judgement seems to me to be a necessary thing.
Mommom
You make a very good point. And if I had a portfolio, I’d be checking it too!
The thing is, writing to those that signed her up as “keynote speaker” aren’t likely to publicize any negative response, if they even admit there was any. And it could result in their being more resolute in having SP as speaker. Sort of like forbidding a teenaged daughter to see the local biker kid makes him all the more tempting to said teen.
By now, anyone with any sense has learned just what she is. Others simply refuse to see what’s in front of their eyes, and there’s no dealing with that. It seems that this bunch is one that chooses to disregard what is so bleedin’ obvious to the rest of us.
I figure ya just can’t fix obstinate.
A neat article about the Obama team that went to the villages, even if it was a too-quick visit. Very hopeful! Their response was reminiscent of Bobby Kennedy in Tennessee etc back when.
http://www.thetundradrums.com/news/story/6908
@samper: Octopus is chewy. Greece == lamb, yes? Also, it’s the darn Med, try some fish — rascasse, conger eel, their version of sea bass.
And I’m waiting with bated breath for your first reaction to retsina.
Have a hell of a trip.
@lexky, nan : Co-sign. Conferences hire speakers for a lot of reasons: one big one is relevance, but another big one is topicality (or celebrity). Quittypoo can make pretty big bucks if she wants to do the conference circuit, and there’s really no point in trying to oppose it. These guys aren’t expecting any revolutionary insights from any of their keynote speakers.
Frankly, if QP proves to be happy to get rich on the international celeb speech circuit, I’ll be happy.