The Mudflats

Tiptoeing Through the Muck of Alaskan Politics

Open Thread

Oops!  Forgot the open thread last night…

Rushing out the door this frosty morning!

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Date
October 17th, 2009

Author
AKMuckraker

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64 to “Open Thread”


  1. 1
    pvazwindyNo Gravatar says:

    Posted: October 17th, 2009 01:09 PM ET

    Johnston’s latest gig is with Playgirl magazine.
    How does Levi Johnston keep to the high-protein diet he needs to prepare for a Playgirl photo shoot?

    With a rifle.

    “Moose meat is very good for you, high in protein and very lean,” his trainer, Marvin Jones, tells PEOPLE. “He’s an avid hunter, so he has his own.”

    The 19-year-old father of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin’s grandchild has adopted a 3,500-calorie low-carb diet as part of a grueling regimen to ready him for next month’s photo shoot
    ********************************************************************************

    What are Levi’s handlers thinking? Who wants to see his Alaska lily white ass.

  2. 2
    EDNo Gravatar says:

    Maybe Sarah is letting him borrow the tanning bed.

  3. 3
    SirenoftitanNo Gravatar says:

    for slipstream and pearl :)

    http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_west/8309660.stm

    Definitely not the naughty chair.

  4. 4
    CGinWINo Gravatar says:

    This is totally OT (well, I know this is an open thread, but it has nothing to do with anything remotely AK related), but it just made me smile.

    http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/04/08/DDG27BCFLG1.DTL

    CGinWI now a/k/a Sibling Bootknife of Reasonable Discussion

  5. 5
    honestyinGovNo Gravatar says:

    For those wondering about this New Pac or ” Grifter Fund ” that $arah has set up Lazerhat who writes on OMFGALASKA has a fairly detailed post about it.
    Goes into details with the problems with her old one and why this new one had to be set up. Pretty good explanation.

    And I still say that if the ADN ( or someone in authority ) does not ask questions ( NOW) and get answers about that Quarterly Report on the AFT, which was due July 22nd, that Kristan Cole will deliver/transfer those funds to the New account.
    She can deny that there never was that much money in the AFT.Can’t prove otherwise
    If you don’t know how much was it it originally…. you can’t say Kristan ‘ moved ‘ it later. I’m guessing she is ‘ stalling ‘ till after the New Pac is set up.
    It has worked with the emails so far…. and no authorities have called them on it yet. Andree or someone needs to make a big stink so it gets in the Press.

  6. 6
    justafarmerNo Gravatar says:

    Siren @3:
    I assume that means you managed to get into the treehouse after all?
    :)

  7. 7
    PepperzMom (GA)No Gravatar says:

    Here in the NW Atlanta area, it went down to 39 last night! I have one of those indoor/outdoor weather stations that locks in info on the high and low temperatures.

    Weather.com shows low likely to be around 35 tonight…heck NYC is gonna be warmer than here!

  8. 8
    PepperzMom (GA)No Gravatar says:

    honestyinGov Says: October 17th, 2009 at 10:16 AM

    Kristan Cole will deliver/transfer those funds to the New account.

    Hmmm, a trust has a specific purpose, defined in the agreement, and those $$$collected under trust “A’s” purpose cannot be transferred over to trust “B”, the new trust, unless the purposes are identical.

    Having said that, that doesn’t mean the trust can’t try to use the money and report it as an expense tied into the new endeavor’s purpose. The trust agreement has clauses that would indicate “appropriate” use (ie: spending) of the funds received.

    Trusts are very tricky things. That’s why they are (supposed) to be set up to perform a specific function. I’ve been dealing for almost 2 years on my mother’s trust, set up as a living trust while she was alive, with specific instructions on use of the assets in the agreement, both pre- and post- death.

    The IRS undoubtedly has any/all SP related financial operations on its radar, so I would find it very stupid by Cole to try anything with the trust receipts.

    But then again, we are talking about SP’s BFF and the lousy attorneys who created them, so…anything goes!

  9. 9
    justafarmerNo Gravatar says:

    PepperzMom: same thing here in eastern Kentucky. We have a freeze watch tonight. Sunday night’s low is forecast to be 29!!!

  10. 10
    nswfm CANo Gravatar says:

    For samper and the people who helped her on the trip to Greece:
    http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/oct/16/lost-greek-city-atlantis-myth

  11. 11
    PaulaNo Gravatar says:

    #1 said What are Levi’s handlers thinking? Who wants to see his Alaska lily white ass.

    Uh, from what I hear, a whole lot of gay dudes are hot, hot, hot for Levi. And we all know who Playgirls biggest readers are, right? I think it’s hysterical, conservative Palins grandbaby daddy is the poster boy for gay men. Yeah, I support his Alaskan lily white ass on the walls of gay men everywhere. I may even buy the issue for sh-ts and giggles ;-0

  12. 13
    AKPetMomNo Gravatar says:

    I’m a woman and I really enjoy photos of in shape buff naked men. Bring it on Levi….saw him at the store the other day and he looks great.

    He’s a real cutie but while I’d love to look at naked photos of him, I probably don’t want to sit down and have an in depth conversation with him about world affairs.

    He should milk this for all it’s worth and then get back to being an electrician, which he says he loves being. As far as him writing a book, well, he certainly wouldn’t write it but perhaps on day he will want to share his stories with someone that could put them down on paper. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing wrong with baring his buff bod for dollars either!

    It is rather interesting that Levi has matured a bit in that his handlers are black men and I don’t believe that many redneck boys here in Wasilla are really down with black people.

    Kudos to Levi for expanding his horizons. He may have expanded his horizons enough to not be concerned that gay men like to look at Playgirl.

    Good for him. He seems to have more tolerance for those of different races or sexual preference than his baby mommas momma does that’s for certain.

  13. 14
    terpsichoreNo Gravatar says:

    Frosty? We can’t even open the windows or turn off the air conditioner yet! Without enduring heat and humidity levels that would literally make your hair either curl or flatten (depending on which you would want, the weather will cause the opposite to happen).

    Supposedly a little cool front is coming into Florida … right now. It will be very welcome.

    Very off topic, if any of you saw the movie “Marley and Me”, a lot of it was filmed here in Hollywood, Florida, There’s a scene where the J. Aniston character was having lunch with her husband at an outdoor place on the water with wooden rails and foliage around…

    Well, Mr. Terps and I are going there for lunch Monday, because it’s a) Monday (theatre day off), and 2) supposed to be a cooler day here. The place has no actual “indoor” seating, hence, no air conditioning.

    The name of the place is “Le Tub” and it has a great big hamburger/cheeseburger and THE BEST steak fries (I call them the “Steak Fries of the Gods”). The service is relaxed but the ambience, right on the Intracoastal waterway, pretty much can’t be beat, even at more expensive locations.

    In my book, it’s a “Must Do” if you visit this area and want to get away from commercial/chain restaurants/big business/corporations … and are not vegan (they have good fish and vegetables too).

  14. 15
    pvazwindyNo Gravatar says:

    AK@13-A little AC/DC, is a good thing, huh.

  15. 16
    AKPetMomNo Gravatar says:

    #15…I hate heavy metal music!!!

    Okay, that was just a funny. As far as human sexuality goes, well, anything goes as far as I’m concerned. If someone wanted to pay me to take my clothes off and get photographed, well, I’d be all over it! PetDad would disagree but I’d have to question why anyone would want to see a 43 year old woman with no surgical assistance show her body to the world.

    It takes all kinds and I’d jump on the bandwagon in a heartbeat! (i’m in a silly mood today….take me with a grain of salt, please :-)

  16. 17
    pvazwindyNo Gravatar says:

    Has Sarahpac, met the Sept 30, deadline, for reporting income and expenditures Anybody????????

  17. 18
    IrishgirlNo Gravatar says:

    Take care AKM. I don’t now how you do it.

  18. 19
    DuckDriverNo Gravatar says:

    Did any of you watch Letterman last night? He had a Palin slam during his
    monolog. It was something like “The new movie ‘Where the Wild Things Are’
    debuted today. By the end of the movie Sarah Palin had hunted down and killed all of them.”

    DD

  19. 20
    IrishgirlNo Gravatar says:

    know

  20. 21
    PepperzMom (GA)No Gravatar says:

    9 justafarmer Says: October 17th, 2009 at 11:13 AM

    PepperzMom: same thing here in eastern Kentucky. We have a freeze watch tonight. Sunday night’s low is forecast to be 29!!!

    Got an e-mail from a friend in International Falls, MN: they have significant snow (am guessing 3″ or more) for the middle of October.

    Have sent an e-mail to relatives in Detroit (Beverly Hills/Birmingham area) asking if they’ve seen any unidentified flying white objects yet!

  21. 22
    PepperzMom (GA)No Gravatar says:

    14 terpsichore Says: October 17th, 2009 at 12:01 PM

    Frosty? We can’t even open the windows or turn off the air conditioner yet! Without enduring heat and humidity levels that would literally make your hair either curl or flatten (depending on which you would want, the weather will cause the opposite to happen).

    Supposedly a little cool front is coming into Florida … right now. It will be very welcome.

    Terp,

    My sister is in New Port Richey (north of Tampa) and she’s been beechin’ a bit about her electric bill for AC over the past few weeks. Now, she’s beechin’ cause it will be in the 40′s tonight and she’ll need the heat on!

    Can’t win for losing, eh?

  22. 23
    pvazwindyNo Gravatar says:

    Palin’s book, now $8.99.
    **********************************************************************************

    Wal-Mart Stores Inc. launched a brash price war against Amazon.com Inc. on Thursday, saying it would sell 10 hotly anticipated new books for just $10 apiece through its online site, Walmart.com.

    That was just the beginning.

    .Hours later, Amazon matched the $10 price, squaring off in a battle for low-price and e-commerce leadership heading into the crucial holiday shopping season. Wal-Mart soon fired back with a promise to drop its prices to $9 by Friday morning — and made good on that vow by early evening Thursday.

    Wal-Mart said the splashy move to discount pre-orders of popular books such as Stephen King’s “Under the Dome” and Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue” was part of a larger strategy to establish Walmart.com as the biggest and cheapest online retailer.
    ***********************************Oh dear, whats one to do.

  23. 24
    PepperzMom (GA)No Gravatar says:

    pvazwindy Says: re: Amazon/Walmart.com price war – Oh dear, whats one to do.

    1) not buy it at any price;
    2) chuckle at the knuckleheads who do buy it at any price
    3) wait for the madness/mayhem/merriment of the reviews to come in.

    :)

  24. 25
    AKPetMomNo Gravatar says:

    Hmmm, I went to WalMart once here in Wasilla and I have trouble believing that books are a big seller at WalMart.

  25. 26
    PaulaNo Gravatar says:

    We had plowable snow this week in PA. Crazy. Been burning wood for days now. Without it you freeze, with it you need to open the windows… so it’s in the 30′s, wood is cooking and I’m wearing a tanktop. Go figure.

  26. 27
    PaulaNo Gravatar says:

    LOL on the walmart discount. There goes SPs 5 % profit… bwaaaaaaa

  27. 28
    boodogNo Gravatar says:

    AKPetmom, you are so funny… :)

  28. 29
    CrabbyPattyNo Gravatar says:

    I’ve been wondering what happens to Palin’s royalties when the book price keeps on getting lower and lower? She’s probably only getting a few bucks per book – at the $28.95 list price – so if the book is selling under $10 – wow, that’s pocket change. Also, some royalty contact stipulate that the author doesn’t get royalties for books sold under a certain price (like remaindered books). That means she’ll have to sell an awful lot of books to even cover her hefty advance, and may even had to forego receiving the last payment.

    Maybe adding onto the Palin Complex isn’t such a good idea right now ……

  29. 30
    MonaLisa IS FIRED UP, READY TO GO!!No Gravatar says:

    But how’s she gonna keep Tahd happy occupied if there’s no contractor buddies to keep him sane productive?

  30. 31
    MonaLisa IS FIRED UP, READY TO GO!!No Gravatar says:

    Ok, so I haven’t figured the strikeout code thingy…

  31. 32
    Wolf PackNo Gravatar says:

    A bank robber buries the stolen money in a dirt hole in his backyard. He is indicted. He claims he is innocent because he doesn’t have the money. The Alaska Fund Trust unloading it’s illegally begotten money into another Palin Trust Fund, doesn’t make it legal.

  32. 33
    MarnieNo Gravatar says:

    Robert Seheer has an excellent article discussing the virtual absence of al Queda in Afganistan
    A War of Absurdity
    http://www.truthout.org/1014094

    Increasingly, voices are being raised to point out the lack or purpose, the hunt for bin Ladin and al Queda, of our being in Afganistan.
    Of course if we pull out then our access to Pakistan will be much more difficult.

  33. 34
    tlgeiger62 (GA)No Gravatar says:

    PepperzMom (GA) … it sure is cold up here in N. GA! I also have family in NY and was comparing notes on how cold it was where.

    As for Palin’s book … wait until it ends up on Half.com and buy it used. Don’t think it gets recorded as a sale and she gets none of the profit.

  34. 35
    PatterNo Gravatar says:

    Can those that pre ordered “Going Rogue” at full price cancel their order and buy them at walmart for $9.00?
    Just asking.

  35. 36
    Wolf PackNo Gravatar says:

    Why pay $9, when it’s be 99 cents after Thanksgiving?

  36. 37
    PepperzMom (GA)No Gravatar says:

    test for Mona:

    I need my strijkeout ability!

  37. 38
    PepperzMom (GA)No Gravatar says:

    Oh well, test = FAIL!

  38. 39
    benlomond2No Gravatar says:

    weather… cruzing in shorts and t-shirt…a little humid as we dry out from the storm on Tuesday (10+inches her in Ben Lomond)…won’t get chilly until Halloween…snow RARELY happens here, but available about 2 hrs away if ya want to get cold fingers and toes !! One winter in Chicago and frozen moustache breaking off cured me of the glamor of snow scenery!!

  39. 40
    MarnieNo Gravatar says:

    12 Paula Says:
    October 17th, 2009 at 11:54 AM
    Holy crud, Jesus quits being Christian!

    First let me say – I’m an old fashioned Episcopal Methodist Church South, variety of Methodist brought up on Bible Belt guilt and the four Gospels of the New Testament.

    One of my bad habits is I just like to watch people’s faces when I say certain things.

    Christ wasn’t a Christian.
    And he probably wouldn’t recognize a lot of what has been done in his name.

    Jesus was Jewish and never forsook his Jewishness or his Jewish faith. Jesus was called Rabbi by his followers, and was literate enough in Jewish teachings to argue with the Rabbis.

    Christianity was born after Christ’s death, originally, based on his teachings.
    Teachings like the Sermon on the Mount, healing the sick, the parable of the Good Samaritan.
    Not teachings of the Christian Churches like those that lead to the Crusades, and witch burnings.

  40. 41
    AlaskanNo Gravatar says:

    I wonder if Sarah has read all the way through “Going Rogue” yet?

  41. 42
    MarnieNo Gravatar says:

    25 AKPetMom Says:
    October 17th, 2009 at 1:08 PM
    Hmmm, I went to WalMart once here in Wasilla and I have trouble believing that books are a big seller at WalMart.

    When I went back to college in 2002 to get an applied science degree to add to my academic science degree, I ended up buying my science texts from Walmart (I hate Walmart, but got good service and fast delivery. Plus it was my first day on the internet ((had to go there to get the books)) and the site is easy to use ) because they were the only site that carried all of them.
    They actually do have a big on line book store.

    Who knew???

  42. 43
    MarnieNo Gravatar says:

    29 CrabbyPatty Says:
    October 17th, 2009 at 2:26 PM
    I’ve been wondering what happens to Palin’s royalties when the book price keeps on getting lower and lower?

    Remember though that WalMart, Amazon, and the RNC etc. paid the full wholesale price for their, pre release, bulk buy. Discounted for bulk but not discounted for disinterest.

  43. 44
    MarnieNo Gravatar says:

    40 Alaskan Says:
    October 17th, 2009 at 3:31 PM
    I wonder if Sarah has read all the way through “Going Rogue” yet?

    Does Sarah realize that part of the Book signing tour usually involves readings from the book, she didn’t write, and discussions of the book she didn’t write?

    Yeah, she better read and memorize.

  44. 45
    AKPetMomNo Gravatar says:

    Marnie, I didn’t know there was WalMart online, really I didn’t until you told me!

  45. 47
    phoebeNo Gravatar says:

    Hate to be a party pooper, but I do wonder about the direction Tank & Rex are taking Levi. He is a 19 year old kid & I can’t help thinkiing they are getting gigs that financially benefit them as well. You see all the drugged out young LA types & it does seem that this has totally changed his whole direction in life. Where is Mercede…she seems to be the brains of the operation. All this using of kids seems a little unsavory to me.

  46. 48
    the problem childNo Gravatar says:

    The Shannyn Moore show is on and the internet stream hasn’t failed yet…

  47. 49
    Upper West SiderNo Gravatar says:

    I don’t think the Amazon Walmart.com book price war affects Palin’s royalties. Amazon and Walmart are probably buying the book at 50% off the list price of $28.99 which means they are losing money when they are selling the book for $8.99 or $9.99 but the publisher isn’t so the royalty isn’t affected.

    Anyway, if the rumors about the advance — 7-11 million — are anywhere near true, Palin will never earn it back and then more anyway. Probably. Hopefully.

  48. 50
    terpsichoreNo Gravatar says:

    46 phoebe Says:
    October 17th, 2009 at 4:12 PM
    Hate to be a party pooper, but I do wonder about the direction Tank & Rex are taking Levi. He is a 19 year old kid & I can’t help thinkiing they are getting gigs that financially benefit them as well. You see all the drugged out young LA types & it does seem that this has totally changed his whole direction in life. Where is Mercede…she seems to be the brains of the operation. All this using of kids seems a little unsavory to me.
    * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
    Phoebe, you skepticism is a good thing to have. But Levi is an adult now, and should understand that lawyers expect to get paid, so, yes, Tank & Rex are not doing this completely out of the goodness of their own hearts, they do indeed see something at the end of the tunnel that will benefit them. I think Levi knows that, really I do. He appears to be willing to trust them and go along with it, for better or worse.

    In the meantime, he has experienced more new things, had more new ideas and options brought before him, seen more of the rest of the country (including the ugly parts) than would ever have happened had those two wildly improbable characters never entered his life.

    Are they using him? Probably, to an extent.

    Will he benefit from it? Almost certainly, and I don’t strictly mean monetarily. Experience counts too in life. We may make the odd bad decision now and then, but we learn from it.

    The way I see it, Levi is getting better advice, and learning more from Tank and Rex than Sarah Palin is from whoever it is she is listening to (which, at the end of the day, is probably the voices in her own head, which explains a lot).

    End sum? Person who learns more ends up winning.

    If we know anything about SP, we know she does not like to ‘lose’. She cannot, apparently, admit any mistakes, any wrongdoings, any missteps, anything she might have said that was misspoken. As long as that behaviour continues, she will never learn.

    And thus, ultimately, she can never win.

    I think Levi is going to be OK. I just have a feeling.

  49. 51
    michiganderNo Gravatar says:

    Alaskan @40 and Marnie @43

    Asking questions about what she reads is unfair, just ask poor Katie Queen of the Universe.

    This will give her a world of sympathy and a great theme for her next book. Smart thinking to not read it, them there gotcha questions will be a big seller. My, my, she is so clever (o:

  50. 52
    Baker's DozenNo Gravatar says:

    She’s not reading Going Rogue; it’s too long. She’s reading Going Rouge instead. More interesting, larger print, more pictures.

  51. 53
    1smartcanericanNo Gravatar says:

    Since this an OT, thought I’d ask about the merchandise that can be purchased via Mudflats. I’m thinking it would be fun to have (1) table flags with either the yellow boots or Brian on it to identify a Mudflats table and (2) a flag that can hung out for the same purpose – ie: party place for local Mudflats :)

    I’d certainly be interested in these items.

    Also, I didn’t see any of Brian’s family for purchase on the site – is he, or his clones, available for trips with other Mudpups? I’m thinking for the local Mudstocks that people are putting together.

    Just remembered that Shannyn is on – listening in now.

    Moose are available at the Mudflats Amazon Shop – http://astore.amazon.com/mudflats-20/detail/B000CDRIX2 Singles and six-packs! AKM

  52. 54

    There are a lot of gaps in science in this country it is overwhelming. There are a lot of people scrambling to get research going at full speed.

  53. 55

    Thanks to the staff and management at KBYR for getting the streaming up to the high power of Shannyn Moore’s fans. It is working great.

  54. 56
    KateinCanadaNo Gravatar says:

    A while back some pups were wishing for fast internet- here’s an article about plans in Finland. http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/10/15/finland.internet.rights/index.html

  55. 57

    The best scientists are often kept out of government because they won’t manipulate the facts. They are the very people we need out in the front because they will tell use the truth. They are blocked. Like Ivor van Heerden the professor who told them the levees in New Orleans was not going told hold and exactly why several years before it happened. They fired him.

  56. 58

    Haber had the little boy who couldn’t see the emperor’s new clothing syndrome. I know what that is like.

  57. 59
    mlaiuppaNo Gravatar says:

    Did we miss this?

    http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/news/2009/09/full_text_of_newsmax_column_suggesting_military_co.php

    Is there a reason John L. Perry isn’t arrested or at the very least under investigation for sedition? How long are we going to let these whackjobs undermine this nation? If a liberal had printed this about Bush he’d have their head on a platter first and investigate later.

  58. 60
    teutonic13No Gravatar says:

    This less than erudite moron has the nerve to genuflect and suggest any sort of camaraderie as if SP and Margaret Thatcher have anything in common aside from being carbon based units?

    As if they were personal friends or acquaintances?

    This was posted on Sarah Palin’s facebook- and is she kidding?

    Why didn’t she call Margaret when she first discovered her clitoris or had her first period?

    Birthday Wishes to Margaret Thatcher

    Tuesday, October 13, 2009 at 12:59pm
    I would like to extend warm birthday wishes to Margaret Thatcher today. Baroness Thatcher continues to remain a role model to many people, particularly women, around the world. Her career is a collection of “firsts.” She was the youngest female Conservative Party member to stand for election in history, she was the first woman to hold the title Leader of the Opposition, and she was the first woman to become Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.

    As Prime Minister, she took an active role in defending economic freedom and democratic ideals. Her push to privatize British industry and lower tax rates led to a substantial economic expansion in the United Kingdom. She was just as influential in foreign policy. Along with President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II, Prime Minister Thatcher recognized the evil of Communism and worked tirelessly to erode the power and influence of the Soviet Union.

    Her life and career serve as a blueprint for overcoming the odds and challenging the “status quo.” She started life as a grocer’s daughter from Grantham and rose to become Prime Minister – all by her own merit and hard work. I cherish the accomplishments of Margaret Thatcher and will always count her as one of my role models.

    - Sarah Palin

  59. 61
    Cynamen WinterNo Gravatar says:

    Just ‘cross-posting’ that drivel gives her too much credibility….imho.

  60. 62
    sallyNo Gravatar says:

    Why is the queen missing in action, you might ask? Well, my belief is she is working on self. The best guess is she’s a little more into: me, mine, and give me and not so much into you.
    ******************************************
    http://rsmccain.blogspot.com/2009/10/ny23-update-why-is-sarah-mia.html

  61. 63
    pearl89No Gravatar says:

    #3 Sirenoftitan…loved the picture of the chair and the story of how it is rewarded. Hope I can find out more about the bard’s festival on line. Would love to read some of the poetry.

    Plus I really enjoyed chatting with you last night.

    Thanks for the link…

  62. 64
    terpsichoreNo Gravatar says:

    52 Baker’s Dozen Says:
    October 17th, 2009 at 5:10 PM
    She’s not reading Going Rogue; it’s too long. She’s reading Going Rouge instead. More interesting, larger print, more pictures.
    * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
    Nay, she’s just waiting until the pop-up version comes out …