start!
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Monday, December 8, 2008
Saturday, December 6, 2008
808s & Heartbreak - re-posted
If you were to look into my iTunes, you would see that I own every Kanye West album.
If you were to look at the play count on those albums, you would see that I've listened to "Jesus Walks" a TON. It's one of the 100 best songs I've ever heard. Ever. Also, you'd see some playage on some of his other singles, but I gotta be truthful here-- I've never made it all the way through one of his albums. I skip tracks and therefore, no Kanye album has been listened to 100% by moi.
Until now.
On a whim, I picked up 808s&Heartbreak, after hearing one too many of my non-musician friends use the word "Auto-Tune" in a sentence... ...and... ...its killing me. What the fuck has Kanye just gone and done?! I think this is a game-changer. He has always been on the fringe of hip-hop, in that he has been willing to break rules and simply be himself. That formula has always worked for him, too, and I hope this record doesn't change that trend.
Mr. West has just bridged the gap between indie-electronica and hiphop-- and its breathtaking. Some listeners might be put off by the constant vocal manipulations, but in my ears, they only add to the absolute beauty of this album. Listening to this album is like intersecting with Kanye's mind, his heart, his 808.
If you like hard core rap, maybe this isn't a record for you. But for wussy indie rock loving types like myself who like to flirt with hip/hop, this music is un.believe.able.
You've got my attention, Mr. West. If I can stop listening to this record, maybe now I will revisit your other work.
M83 in the Britney Documentary? Really?!
Forgot to note my COMPLETE AND UTTER SHOCK at hearing M83's totally mind blowing song "Lower Your Eyelids to Die With the Sun" at the end of "Britney: On the Record."
It just replayed on MTV, so I watched a smidge. I guess none of Britney's songs are really POIGNANT enough to capture what they were going for at the end-- which is making you feel awful for her. I mean, I really feel like she's in too deep to really emotionally comprehend what she is going through... like she is going to be a kid forever, her emotional growth stunted at adolescence. I'm not trying to bag on Brit, that's so de-rigeur that it's passe-- I'm just saying shebreaks my heart with how utterly LOST she seems. The good news is that I think she has plenty of time to turn her ship around, and I hope she does.
Meanwhile,
VIVA M83!!!
Get up and get-get-get down, VH1 is a joke in your town!
It's Saturday. I slept in. Woke up, pill'd Harley the Cat, made some coffee, sat down and turned on Vh1, knowing full well that Saturday morning is one of 2 times when they actually play any Video Hits. Specifically, it's the top 20 countdown. Honestly, its a pay-to-play video show... I can't believe that they can even determine what videos are IN the Top 20 because VH1 doesn't fucking PLAY videos! So who the hell is watching and who the hell is 'tallying' the 'top' videos? Its a fucking joke.
I guess videos are extinct now, unless you are Rihanna or have an American Idol 'pedigree'-- in which case, your record label will pay to have your video rotated on VH1 during the hours of 6am and 9am.
What's strangest about all this is how sad I feel that videos are no longer relevant. I mean, they were always just a means to market records-- but they were also another chance to put something creative into the world. Some artists took their videos as seriously as they did their music, and why shouldn't they?! Even simple performance videos gave you a way to connect with the performer. That said-- I miss having that extra dimension that added so much to so many songs.
Videos no longer help sell records because no one is buying records. Thanks to this magical thing that I am typing this on, I have access to everything I could ever want-- for free (but for the record, I still BUY my music-- I want my karma to remain unfucked). How will artists make a living now? Well, if you're Madonna-- you go on tour and break records for nearly grossing $290 million for 3 months of work. And if you're not Madonna, I hope you like your day job.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Blog Shopping.
I guess I've settled, somewhat, on blogger/blogspot. Even though I love the look of my 2-week trial typepad account... I can't promise that I will blog enough to make it worth it, even though mobile blogging to typepad is easy as pie, and so far, mobile blogging to google blogger doesn't seem to be THAT easy.
Is it worth a couple bucks a month to have a nice picture up top? Some podcast uploading abilities? I'm not even sure I'll have the time or inclination. Nothing beats free, at least in this day and age. So even though I love the idea of blogging several topics/categories on my main blog, maybe I will just have to upkeep several blogs to make up for it.
What will happen to my precious typepad url?! Lost forever, it will be.
Is it worth a couple bucks a month to have a nice picture up top? Some podcast uploading abilities? I'm not even sure I'll have the time or inclination. Nothing beats free, at least in this day and age. So even though I love the idea of blogging several topics/categories on my main blog, maybe I will just have to upkeep several blogs to make up for it.
What will happen to my precious typepad url?! Lost forever, it will be.
Re-Published From a Dying Blog
Killing the Killers.
A banner night for me on iTunes. First, an EP for "Miles Away" which I was so excited to get-- I didn't notice that iTunes sells extended mixes of each of those tracks individually. SO-- I bought every fucking song TWICE. A short version. A long version. Hope that buys Lourdes some shoes, Madge. Since I love Stuart Price, I bought the Killers' Day & Age. I will have to save my thoughts on the Killers for another time-- I can only liken them to Splenda... or crack. They are lucky they had Stuart on this record or they never would have pried $10 out of my clenched fist. A Coldplay EP? Sure! Why not?! And then a small treasure to discover a new Longwave album, Secrets Are Sinister.
I had to cut myself off at that point, because-- well, I need to buy myself some shoes.
Stay tuned for my thoughts on these songs.
Re-Published From a Dying Blog
Looking Good!
Can't figure out why Typepad wont let me make this HUGE, but all you need to know is that its Madonna looking amazing. (ETA: moving back to Blogger helped!)
Which is nice to see after seeing her in the Britney documentary, looking somewhat chiseled out of hardened Botox and cheek implants.
Re-Published From a Dying Blog
November 30, 2008
Poor Fucking Musicians.
No, really-- I really mean it. I just feel sick inside when I think of the shit that celebrities have to put up with. Don't misunderstand me-- I feel sick when I think of the shit that normal everyday people have to put up with, too. We're all putting up with a lot of shit, so allow me to defend the famous for one moment here...
I just came across an article on how lots of touring acts are skipping Australia right now-- and yes, you guessed right-- I was reading this article because of Madonna. Irrelevant, but I'll keep her in the story. The last time she played in Oz was in '93. So last century, right? So some Aussie fans are pissed-- specifically some of the Aussie fans on Madonna's message board. Apparently, the Madonna camp was ready to seal the deal when the financial world [and OZ Dollar] came crashing down-- therefore, it's a no-go. Backstory = covered.
So I ask: do people have a right to be pissed at that? Do people have a right to expect things from artists? If I've been a fan of someone for thirty years, does that entitle me to something? Why do we feel we can expect things from celebrities? Do we realize that we give them their status? They aren't rich and famous because they won the lottery-- they are rich and famous because WE GAVE THEM OUR MONEY! It's practically a charity all its own-- all those rock stars and actors would be out on the streets if we didn't support their nasty artistic habits!
I'm super-irritated by those who feel that they somehow deserve something to happen to them, especially in the course of being a music fan. When I am priviledged enough to witness my favorite musicians playing live, it is a religious experience and I am so thankful for every second. I don't demand that my favorite bands and singers come to me-- but when they do, I raise my arms and rock out. I try to thank them by giving back in that moment-- completing the circuit between performer and audience. In my world, the artist has done enough by simply putting the music out where I can hear it.
I try not to ask for more. And when I get more, I savor every fucking moment.
Confession: That doesn't mean that, in my heart, I don't feel I COMPLETELY deserve to own Madonna's guitar rig from this most recent tour. Since she's not going to OZ, she won't need it after December anyway... right? Right. I'm off to start an Exectuve Email Bomb Campaign in her general DI-rection.
Re-Published From a Dying Blog
Figure with Heart : Art in the Sky
The Coolest Thing I've Ever Seen Up High in the Sky.
Keith's dream come true-- a balloon in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. Not in his dream, but probably amusing to him as much as it was to me-- was the moment when Figure with Heart bumped into the Today show crow's nest and scared Meredith Vieira, who shrieked.
I cried seeing this balloon flying down the streets of NYC-- so happy to see his work revisited and especially to see this sort of living graffitti, several stories high. So happy. So alive.
Monday, November 3, 2008
The Longest Post, the Raddest Show--
I've been asked by more than one person for an in depth review of this weekend, one of my favorites on record. Like a good performer, I intend to tease you with details you could care less about, stringing you along gingerly until you can't stand it any more and then and only then (insert almost ANY hand-gesture here) : GIVE IT 2 YOU.
I left PDX in the rain and I arrived into Oakland into the fucking POURING ASS RAIN. I take for granted that I can walk down the street in Portland while its raining and not really get 'wet'-- more like, damp... unlike this stunning downpour in Oakland, which --for anyone who was on the wildly successful Charm-Garcia 2008 Tour Stop in Nashville can attest--was the kind of precipitation that soaks right into your skeleton.
To back up for a moment (and delay the gratification just a tad bit more)-- allow me to inform you that my flight was on time, which is all I can really ask for these days. We DID encounter turbulence and I did get a little edgy about it-- the captain ordered everyone to sit down and shut down beverage service, which may have been a bit premature and/or dramatic, but all the same I was happy to not have to wrangle a cup of ice during turbulence. Note to my physician: I would be happy to accept any anti-anxiety meds via legal prescription, especially ones that will help relieve the pressure in my ears. I don't know what will keep me from flying first-- my growing irrational phobia, or my never-ending about-to-burst ear pressure problems.
For those of you not already in the know, I am staying with my friend RaLon, the oldest friend I gots! We've been friends for (taking moment of silence to do the math in my head) Twenty.Three.Years. She's got about 5 extra years of Madonna-obsession on me, though, cuz I was busy wallpapering my walls with posters of Jon Bon Jovi and Tommy Lee. So she has me beat on that one thing. :)
Also (God this is great, how I keep thinking of things to distract me from telling you what you want to know!) - I should mention that coming to the Bay Area really fucks me up emotionally. I've never lived here, but my parents did and my extended family is sprinkled all around here. I've spent many a vacation in and out of SF, Berkeley, Santa Clara, San Mateo, San Jose, Tiburon, Alameda, and yep-- Oakland. Keep in mind that being here puts me in a unique, familar, sentimental mood-- and get ready for me to extoll the virtues of one Madonna Ciccone. I'm not sure how to review this show without delving needlessly into my own psychotic feelings regarding the subject, but I'll do my damndest to keep it together. Stick with me...
Did you know that it is common knowledge in Madonna-land that Madonna does NOT start on time? I know that no one does, typically-- but in the trenches we all are aware of the fact that it is not unusual for our lady M to start around an hour late, so many of us were surprised when the show started somewhat on early at a whopping 840pm! Shocking to none would be the news that when the lights went down, the place went fucking NUTS! I had seen some footage of the tour and knew the basics of what I was about to experience, but had no idea how much fun it would be.
The show was essentially divided into four parts-- pimp, old school, gypsy, and rave. That sounds hella generic, but it helps me keep the sections straight in my mind. I won't go through the entire show song by song, I mean-- unless you really, REALLY want me to... (or you can just wait for the dvd).
Come to think of it, I can't really figure out how to review the show, except to tell you that the lady works her fucking ass off for two hours straight, she *seems* to be having fun doing the show, she *seems* to love the fact that we all had fun, her dancers are jaw-dropping, her band is toight like toiger! The theme of this show seems to be ... Be Present. Oh, and shake your fucking ass! The pimp section was all flashy, glam, upbeat-- and had the coolest version of "Vogue" I've ever heard. Get thee to ye olde youtube and check it out.
The old school section made me so happy, because it was essentially the Keith Haring section of the show (some of you dear readers know I am a huge fan of his)-- all the backdrops featured Haring-inspired animation, and seriously-- how can you not look at a Haring piece and feel more alive than you ever have before?!!! Not to mention--- JUMP ROPE! The H.B.I.C. did freaking double dutch! Highlights: Madonna strapping on a sparkly Gibson SG to rock out on "Borderline" AND... this (it gets going at the end!)...I mean, the lady can crawl on her hands and knees like NO OTHER.
GYPSY section was the "mellowest" section of the show, and all you need to really know is that she sang a song from "Evita" called "You Must Love Me" (semi-funny, huh, for a woman with a self-described huge ego!)-- and it may have been her best vocal performance ever. So simple, straighforward-- she's officially a singer now, not just an entertainer.
The RAVE section was chock full of highlights!
- the already-controversial political video interlude "Get Stupid"
- "Like a Prayer" as I've never heard it before - electrotrancetastic!
- Madonna playing "Hung Up" on guitar... IN DROP D TUNING (that tidbit is for the guitarists reading!)
- "Give It 2 Me" - the best track off the Hard Candy album to finish us all off...
The second night, I was about 6 people away from the catwalk. It... it, uh, changed me fundamentally.
What else am I supposed to write? Who knows! My mind is spinning after seeing the shows, SO MUCH FUN and good for you, too! All I know is my laptop battery is about to kick it, and you're bored as hell! Too bad you're not at a Madonna show...
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Who You Callin Sarah Barracuda?!
Interesting opinion on Sarah Palin:
Dear friends,
So many people have asked me about what I know about Sarah Palin in
the last two days that I decided to write something up . .
Basically, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton have only two things in
common: their gender and their good looks. :)
You have my permission to forward this to your friends/email contacts
with my name and email address attached, but please do not post it on
any websites, as there are too many kooks out there . . .
Thanks,
Anne XXXXXXX
ABOUT SARAH PALIN
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992.
Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a
first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her
father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a
first-name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more
City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the
residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she's like the most popular
girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and
won't vote for her can't quit smiling when talking about her because
she is a "babe."
It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She
kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents
for seven months.
She is "pro-life." She recently gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby.
There is no cover-up involved here; Trig is her baby.
She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.
She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just "puts things out
there" and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.
Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a
champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin's kind of job is highly sought-
after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work
schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in
summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major
source of income. Nor has her lifestyle ever been anything like that
of native Alaskans.
Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.
She's smart.
Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000
(at the time), and less than two years as governor of a state with
about 670,000 residents.
During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running
this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been
pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had
gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had
given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative." During her six
years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over
33%. During those same six years the amount of taxes collected by the
City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-
2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a
regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she
promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they
benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration
weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list, though, so
borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt,
but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor
Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the
infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant
that the city lacked? Or a new library? No. $1 million for a park. $15
million-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she
rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't
even have clear title to, and that was still in litigation seven years
later -- to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex
itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not
the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds
for $5.5 million for road projects that could have been done in 5 to 7
years without any borrowing.
While mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office
redecorated more than once.
These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.
As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus
in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will
make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she
proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she
recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while
she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's
surplus, borrow for needs.
She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas
or compromise. As mayor, she fought ideas that weren't generated by
her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the
basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly
respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider
removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City
residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against
Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and
withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust
the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for
mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys." Palin
fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as
Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people,
creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally
grateful and fiercely loyal -- loyal to the point of abusing their
power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened
in the case of pressuring the state's top cop (see below).
As mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's police chief because he "intimidated"
her, she told the press. As governor, her recent firing of Alaska's
top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her
pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty
clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because
he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a state trooper. Under
investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than
two dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the
person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-
law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew
had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public
furor, she withdrew her support.
She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in
help. The city councilperson who personally escorted her around town
introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council
became one of her first targets when she was later elected mayor. She
abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn't
like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything
publicly about her.
When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah
got the best, chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission:
one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no
background in oil and gas issues. Within months of scoring this great
job which paid $122,400/year, she was complaining in the press about
the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the
structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this
commission (who was also the state chair of the Republican Party) had
engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some
undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all
her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and
garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as
a gutsy fighter against the "old boys' club" when she dramatically
quit, exposing this man's ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from
Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel
politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the "bridge to
nowhere" after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.
As governor, she gave the legislature no direction and budget
guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing
projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative
action restored most of these projects -- which had been vetoed simply
because she was not aware of their importance -- but with the
unobservant she had gained a reputation as "anti-pork."
She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The state party
leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated
them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a
fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah.
They call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of her unbridled ambition and
predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly
stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made
point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah's mother-in-
law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced
manager, ran for mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of
package of legislation known as "AGIA" that forced the oil companies
to march to the beat of her drum.
Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked
to global warming. She campaigned "as a private citizen" against a
state initiative that would have either a) protected salmon streams
from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in
the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the state's
lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list polar
bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for president; Sarah will be a
heartbeat away from being president.
There have to be literally millions of Americans who are more
knowledgeable and experienced than she.
However, there are a lot of people who have underestimated her and are
regretting it.
CLAIM vs. FACT
* "Hockey mom": True for a few years
* "PTA mom": True years ago when her first-born was in elementary
school, not since
* "NRA supporter": Absolutely true
* Social conservative: Mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill
that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships
(said she did this because it was unconstitutional).
* pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to
promote it.
* "Pro-life": mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby
BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life
legislation
* "Experienced": Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has
residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska.
No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on
supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city
administrator to run town of about 5,000.
* Political maverick: Not at all
* Gutsy: Absolutely!
* Open and transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at
explaining actions.
* Has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
* A "Greenie": no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores
and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling offshore and in ANWR.
* Fiscal conservative: Not by my definition!
* Pro infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city
without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built
streets to early 20th century standards.
* Pro tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden
on residents
* Pro small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city
government in Wasilla's history.
* Pro labor/pro union. No. Just because her husband works union
doesn't make her pro labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim
that she is pro labor/pro union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed
voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting
programs in the schools. If you Google my name (Anne XXXXXXX +
Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local
government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Second, I've always operated in the belief that "Bad things happen
when good people stay silent." Few people know as much as I do because
few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don't have a job she can bump me out
of. I don't belong to any organization that she can hurt. But I am no
fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will
cost me somehow in the future: that's life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100
or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah's
attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to
say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in
spending and taxation two years ago (when Palin was running for
governor) from information supplied to me by the finance director of
the City of Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted for:
did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is
impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall --
they are swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for
the population of Wasilla, ranging from my "about 5,000" up to 9,000.
The day Palin's selection was announced a city official told me that
the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count
was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was mayor from 1996
to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90's.
A.K.
"New Jersey--the most American of all states. It has everything from
wilderness to the Mafia. All the great things and all the worst; for
example, Route 22."
--Jean Shepherd
Dear friends,
So many people have asked me about what I know about Sarah Palin in
the last two days that I decided to write something up . .
Basically, Sarah Palin and Hillary Clinton have only two things in
common: their gender and their good looks. :)
You have my permission to forward this to your friends/email contacts
with my name and email address attached, but please do not post it on
any websites, as there are too many kooks out there . . .
Thanks,
Anne XXXXXXX
ABOUT SARAH PALIN
I am a resident of Wasilla, Alaska. I have known Sarah since 1992.
Everyone here knows Sarah, so it is nothing special to say we are on a
first-name basis. Our children have attended the same schools. Her
father was my child's favorite substitute teacher. I also am on a
first-name basis with her parents and mother-in-law. I attended more
City Council meetings during her administration than about 99% of the
residents of the city.
She is enormously popular; in every way she's like the most popular
girl in middle school. Even men who think she is a poor choice and
won't vote for her can't quit smiling when talking about her because
she is a "babe."
It is astonishing and almost scary how well she can keep a secret. She
kept her most recent pregnancy a secret from her children and parents
for seven months.
She is "pro-life." She recently gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby.
There is no cover-up involved here; Trig is her baby.
She is energetic and hardworking. She regularly worked out at the gym.
She is savvy. She doesn't take positions; she just "puts things out
there" and if they prove to be popular, then she takes credit.
Her husband works a union job on the North Slope for BP and is a
champion snowmobile racer. Todd Palin's kind of job is highly sought-
after because of the schedule and high pay. He arranges his work
schedule so he can fish for salmon in Bristol Bay for a month or so in
summer, but by no stretch of the imagination is fishing their major
source of income. Nor has her lifestyle ever been anything like that
of native Alaskans.
Sarah and her whole family are avid hunters.
She's smart.
Her experience is as mayor of a city with a population of about 5,000
(at the time), and less than two years as governor of a state with
about 670,000 residents.
During her mayoral administration most of the actual work of running
this small city was turned over to an administrator. She had been
pushed to hire this administrator by party power-brokers after she had
gotten herself into some trouble over precipitous firings which had
given rise to a recall campaign.
Sarah campaigned in Wasilla as a "fiscal conservative." During her six
years as Mayor, she increased general government expenditures by over
33%. During those same six years the amount of taxes collected by the
City increased by 38%. This was during a period of low inflation (1996-
2002). She reduced progressive property taxes and increased a
regressive sales tax which taxed even food. The tax cuts that she
promoted benefited large corporate property owners way more than they
benefited residents.
The huge increases in tax revenues during her mayoral administration
weren't enough to fund everything on her wish list, though, so
borrowed money was needed, too. She inherited a city with zero debt,
but left it with indebtedness of over $22 million. What did Mayor
Palin encourage the voters to borrow money for? Was it the
infrastructure that she said she supported? The sewage treatment plant
that the city lacked? Or a new library? No. $1 million for a park. $15
million-plus for construction of a multi-use sports complex which she
rushed through to build on a piece of property that the City didn't
even have clear title to, and that was still in litigation seven years
later -- to the delight of the lawyers involved! The sports complex
itself is a nice addition to the community but a huge money pit, not
the profit-generator she claimed it would be. She also supported bonds
for $5.5 million for road projects that could have been done in 5 to 7
years without any borrowing.
While mayor, City Hall was extensively remodeled and her office
redecorated more than once.
These are small numbers, but Wasilla is a very small city.
As an oil producer, the high price of oil has created a budget surplus
in Alaska. Rather than invest this surplus in technology that will
make us energy independent and increase efficiency, as Governor she
proposed distribution of this surplus to every individual in the state.
In this time of record state revenues and budget surpluses, she
recommended that the state borrow/bond for road projects, even while
she proposed distribution of surplus state revenues: spend today's
surplus, borrow for needs.
She's not very tolerant of divergent opinions or open to outside ideas
or compromise. As mayor, she fought ideas that weren't generated by
her or her staff. Ideas weren't evaluated on their merits, but on the
basis of who proposed them.
While Sarah was mayor of Wasilla she tried to fire our highly
respected City Librarian because the Librarian refused to consider
removing from the library some books that Sarah wanted removed. City
residents rallied to the defense of the City Librarian and against
Palin's attempt at out-and-out censorship, so Palin backed down and
withdrew her termination letter. People who fought her attempt to oust
the Librarian are on her enemies list to this day.
Sarah complained about the "old boy's club" when she first ran for
mayor, so what did she bring Wasilla? A new set of "old boys." Palin
fired most of the experienced staff she inherited. At the City and as
Governor she hired or elevated new, inexperienced, obscure people,
creating a staff totally dependent on her for their jobs and eternally
grateful and fiercely loyal -- loyal to the point of abusing their
power to further her personal agenda, as she has acknowledged happened
in the case of pressuring the state's top cop (see below).
As mayor, Sarah fired Wasilla's police chief because he "intimidated"
her, she told the press. As governor, her recent firing of Alaska's
top cop has the ring of familiarity about it. He served at her
pleasure and she had every legal right to fire him, but it's pretty
clear that an important factor in her decision to fire him was because
he wouldn't fire her sister's ex-husband, a state trooper. Under
investigation for abuse of power, she has had to admit that more than
two dozen contacts were made between her staff and family to the
person that she later fired, pressuring him to fire her ex-brother-in-
law. She tried to replace the man she fired with a man who she knew
had been reprimanded for sexual harassment; when this caused a public
furor, she withdrew her support.
She has bitten the hand of every person who extended theirs to her in
help. The city councilperson who personally escorted her around town
introducing her to voters when she first ran for Wasilla City Council
became one of her first targets when she was later elected mayor. She
abruptly fired her loyal City Administrator; even people who didn't
like the guy were stunned by this ruthlessness.
Fear of retribution has kept all of these people from saying anything
publicly about her.
When then-Governor Murkowski was handing out political plums, Sarah
got the best, chair of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission:
one of the few jobs not in Juneau and one of the best paid. She had no
background in oil and gas issues. Within months of scoring this great
job which paid $122,400/year, she was complaining in the press about
the high salary. I was told that she hated that job: the commute, the
structured hours, the work. Sarah became aware that a member of this
commission (who was also the state chair of the Republican Party) had
engaged in unethical behavior on the job. In a gutsy move which some
undoubtedly cautioned her could be political suicide, Sarah solved all
her problems in one fell swoop: got out of the job she hated and
garnered gobs of media attention as the patron saint of ethics and as
a gutsy fighter against the "old boys' club" when she dramatically
quit, exposing this man's ethics violations (for which he was fined).
As mayor, she had her hand stuck out as far as anyone for pork from
Senator Ted Stevens. Lately, she has castigated his pork-barrel
politics and publicly humiliated him. She only opposed the "bridge to
nowhere" after it became clear that it would be unwise not to.
As governor, she gave the legislature no direction and budget
guidelines, then made a big grandstand display of line-item vetoing
projects, calling them pork. Public outcry and further legislative
action restored most of these projects -- which had been vetoed simply
because she was not aware of their importance -- but with the
unobservant she had gained a reputation as "anti-pork."
She is solidly Republican: no political maverick. The state party
leaders hate her because she has bit them in the back and humiliated
them. Other members of the party object to her self-description as a
fiscal conservative.
Around Wasilla there are people who went to high school with Sarah.
They call her "Sarah Barracuda" because of her unbridled ambition and
predatory ruthlessness. Before she became so powerful, very ugly
stories circulated around town about shenanigans she pulled to be made
point guard on the high school basketball team. When Sarah's mother-in-
law, a highly respected member of the community and experienced
manager, ran for mayor, Sarah refused to endorse her.
As governor, she stepped outside of the box and put together of
package of legislation known as "AGIA" that forced the oil companies
to march to the beat of her drum.
Like most Alaskans, she favors drilling in the Arctic National
Wildlife Refuge. She has questioned if the loss of sea ice is linked
to global warming. She campaigned "as a private citizen" against a
state initiative that would have either a) protected salmon streams
from pollution from mines, or b) tied up in the courts all mining in
the state (depending on who you listen to). She has pushed the state's
lawsuit against the Dept. of the Interior's decision to list polar
bears as threatened species.
McCain is the oldest person to ever run for president; Sarah will be a
heartbeat away from being president.
There have to be literally millions of Americans who are more
knowledgeable and experienced than she.
However, there are a lot of people who have underestimated her and are
regretting it.
CLAIM vs. FACT
* "Hockey mom": True for a few years
* "PTA mom": True years ago when her first-born was in elementary
school, not since
* "NRA supporter": Absolutely true
* Social conservative: Mixed. Opposes gay marriage, BUT vetoed a bill
that would have denied benefits to employees in same-sex relationships
(said she did this because it was unconstitutional).
* pro-creationism: mixed. Supports it, BUT did nothing as Governor to
promote it.
* "Pro-life": mixed. Knowingly gave birth to a Down's syndrome baby
BUT declined to call a special legislative session on some pro-life
legislation
* "Experienced": Some high schools have more students than Wasilla has
residents. Many cities have more residents than the state of Alaska.
No legislative experience other than City Council. Little hands-on
supervisory or managerial experience; needed help of a city
administrator to run town of about 5,000.
* Political maverick: Not at all
* Gutsy: Absolutely!
* Open and transparent: ??? Good at keeping secrets. Not good at
explaining actions.
* Has a developed philosophy of public policy: no
* A "Greenie": no. Turned Wasilla into a wasteland of big box stores
and disconnected parking lots. Is pro-drilling offshore and in ANWR.
* Fiscal conservative: Not by my definition!
* Pro infrastructure: No. Promoted a sports complex and park in a city
without a sewage treatment plant or storm drainage system. Built
streets to early 20th century standards.
* Pro tax relief: Lowered taxes for businesses, increased tax burden
on residents
* Pro small government: No. Oversaw greatest expansion of city
government in Wasilla's history.
* Pro labor/pro union. No. Just because her husband works union
doesn't make her pro labor. I have seen nothing to support any claim
that she is pro labor/pro union.
WHY AM I WRITING THIS?
First, I have long believed in the importance of being an informed
voter. I am a voter registrar. For 10 years I put on student voting
programs in the schools. If you Google my name (Anne XXXXXXX +
Alaska), you will find references to my participation in local
government, education, and PTA/parent organizations.
Second, I've always operated in the belief that "Bad things happen
when good people stay silent." Few people know as much as I do because
few have gone to as many City Council meetings.
Third, I am just a housewife. I don't have a job she can bump me out
of. I don't belong to any organization that she can hurt. But I am no
fool; she is immensely popular here, and it is likely that this will
cost me somehow in the future: that's life.
Fourth, she has hated me since back in 1996, when I was one of the 100
or so people who rallied to support the City Librarian against Sarah's
attempt at censorship.
Fifth, I looked around and realized that everybody else was afraid to
say anything because they were somehow vulnerable.
CAVEATS
I am not a statistician. I developed the numbers for the increase in
spending and taxation two years ago (when Palin was running for
governor) from information supplied to me by the finance director of
the City of Wasilla, and I can't recall exactly what I adjusted for:
did I adjust for inflation? for population increases? Right now, it is
impossible for a private person to get any info out of City Hall --
they are swamped. So I can't verify my numbers.
You may have noticed that there are various numbers circulating for
the population of Wasilla, ranging from my "about 5,000" up to 9,000.
The day Palin's selection was announced a city official told me that
the current population is about 7,000. The official 2000 census count
was 5,460. I have used about 5,000 because Palin was mayor from 1996
to 2002, and the city was growing rapidly in the mid-90's.
A.K.
"New Jersey--the most American of all states. It has everything from
wilderness to the Mafia. All the great things and all the worst; for
example, Route 22."
--Jean Shepherd
Monday, February 18, 2008
I knew this day would come..
..the day I had a hard time continuing to defend my support of Hillary Clinton. I still support her, because I think outside of all the games she would be the more effective candidate-- like the crappy but sensible boyfriend your mom wants you to date, instead of the dashing and suave Obama. Oh well, I think due to several factors (a few of them out of the control of the Clinton Camp) this thing is pretty much sewn up by the Barack Star. I hope the man knows what he's talking about, cuz he sure *loves* to talk...
... just a little something I guess he has in common with MISTER Clinton.
... just a little something I guess he has in common with MISTER Clinton.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Potomac Primary
I'm writing this to you, dear reader-- which means, I'm just writing it for myself. Like many people, I'm not sure what I think until I see what I say. So here goes...
I feel kind of sick today, the way you feel sick when your dreams die. The way some men feel when their team loses the championship game. The way you feel when your heart is in something, and your heart gets somehow broken.
But I can't fault Obama for breaking my heart. Instead, I will fault a significant handful of Obama supporters, who are making me feel sick about being registered Democratic instead of Independent. I thought with two incredibly strong candidates on our hands, we'd be a force to be reckoned with.. instead, we are sort of tearing ourselves apart, aren't we?
I feel kind of sick today, the way you feel sick when your dreams die. The way some men feel when their team loses the championship game. The way you feel when your heart is in something, and your heart gets somehow broken.
But I can't fault Obama for breaking my heart. Instead, I will fault a significant handful of Obama supporters, who are making me feel sick about being registered Democratic instead of Independent. I thought with two incredibly strong candidates on our hands, we'd be a force to be reckoned with.. instead, we are sort of tearing ourselves apart, aren't we?
Monday, January 21, 2008
Dems Debate
Yeah, I guess I fancy myself a bigtime commentator. Just finished watching the South Carolina debate and am satisfied AND disgusted. With myself, I mean... these debates are such bullshit, I'm alternately fired up and wanting to take a shower to wash the grime away...
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Pre Super Tuesday Thoughts
Like way before Super Tuesday, but I can't stop thinking about all the political crap and have even CONSIDERED tuning into Air America here or there... which I have to say, I find ultimately as distasteful as neo-con radio, but I think its fitting and fair that both sides have their little radio stations... ...but think it interesting that liberals are busier doing life-enriching things, too busy to listen to political radio. And the neo-cons, I guess they really love those airwaves!
I'm pretty torn up about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both running in THIS election. I like them both. I went through a brief period where I was pissed at Barack for running this soon-- I figured Clinton would be in this round, Obama the next... what a weird place to be in, where I have to make a pretty significant pick. Symbolically, who do you go with? Either candidate, if elected, would be revolutionary, ground-breaking, history-making. It is, as I read in Newsweek, a good problem to have...
Looking forward to South Carolina this weekend, should iron things out with Obama-- since he will probably win it and since he hasn't won a state since the opening scenes of Iowa. Many more scenes to go...
I'm pretty torn up about Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama both running in THIS election. I like them both. I went through a brief period where I was pissed at Barack for running this soon-- I figured Clinton would be in this round, Obama the next... what a weird place to be in, where I have to make a pretty significant pick. Symbolically, who do you go with? Either candidate, if elected, would be revolutionary, ground-breaking, history-making. It is, as I read in Newsweek, a good problem to have...
Looking forward to South Carolina this weekend, should iron things out with Obama-- since he will probably win it and since he hasn't won a state since the opening scenes of Iowa. Many more scenes to go...
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
MEDIA for President, '08!
Watching CNN on the eve of the New Hampshire primary... my thoughts:
1. If all states can't do their caucauses and primaries on the same day, we should at least do them regionally or by time zone. The amount of media coverage and SPIN that goes on in between states' votes fucks with everything. The founding fathers could never have predicted how this would turn out. In the interest of fairness, I think they'd support having a tighter timetable -- we no longer NEED 5 months of primaries and caucauses, except to give reporters something to constantly report about.
What we need are facts.
2. Fact: I like Obama. Fact: When he talks, I feel all fuzzy and warm, like I'm in a dream-- like the opposite kind of dream than the one I've been living in for the last 8 years. Fact: When he stops talking, I realize-- its a different dream, but a dream nonetheless...
3. Dreams... can.. come..true! Like the dream of a Clinton/Obama ticket...
4. I'm pretty sure I'm not clever enough to keep a blog going.
5. Which is good news, since I'm not sure I even want to read it!
1. If all states can't do their caucauses and primaries on the same day, we should at least do them regionally or by time zone. The amount of media coverage and SPIN that goes on in between states' votes fucks with everything. The founding fathers could never have predicted how this would turn out. In the interest of fairness, I think they'd support having a tighter timetable -- we no longer NEED 5 months of primaries and caucauses, except to give reporters something to constantly report about.
What we need are facts.
2. Fact: I like Obama. Fact: When he talks, I feel all fuzzy and warm, like I'm in a dream-- like the opposite kind of dream than the one I've been living in for the last 8 years. Fact: When he stops talking, I realize-- its a different dream, but a dream nonetheless...
3. Dreams... can.. come..true! Like the dream of a Clinton/Obama ticket...
4. I'm pretty sure I'm not clever enough to keep a blog going.
5. Which is good news, since I'm not sure I even want to read it!
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