Track Palin plead not guilty today, by phone.

Courtesy of the WaPo:

Sarah Palin’s oldest son pleaded not guilty Monday to a felony charge in the case accusing him of assaulting his father at the family’s Alaska home last month. 

Track Palin’s lawyer entered the plea to a burglary charge on his behalf at his arraignment. The 28-year-old did not attend the hearing in person, but participated by phone. His parents also did not attend. 

During the brief proceeding, Palin said only, “Yes, ma’am,” when the judge asked if he was on the telephone line.

I think this one burglary charge is kind of a stretch, because I don't think that Track took anything, except for Todd Palin's pride of course.

Breaking and entering would seem like a reasonable charge, as does the assault, but I am not sure that burglary will fly.

By the way Dennis Zaki and I had planned to drive out to Palmer for this hearing today, but we learned that a number of media outlets were planing to cover the trial and realized that Track was too much of a pansy to face them by showing up in person.

And that of course also meant that Todd and Sarah would certainly not make an appearance either, so why waste our time?

Track also has a pretrial court date on February 2nd, and his actual trial is scheduled for February 26th.

I do think he has to definitely show up in person to that last one.

P.S. By the way Track is now using Dakota Meyer's old attorney, Kimberlee Colbo, in his battle with Jordan Loewe over her attempts to change the child custody arrangement.

My question is who the hell is paying THOSE attorney fees?

Track Palin succeeds in having his assault case moved to the Veteran's Court in Anchorage.

According to Court View tomorrow's court date in Palmer has been vacated, and Track's case has now moved to Anchorage.:

3PA-16-00145CR Crim Dist Ct Misd (3PA) 01/19/2016 

Palin, Track Defendant 06/13/2016 

Unopposed Motion for: 

Unopposed Motion for Transfer of Case File 
Attorney: Fitzgerald, Kevin T (8711085) 
Filing Party: Palin, Track 
Case Motion #2 

06/14/2016 

Order Granting Motion Order Granting Motion 
Case Motion #2: Unopposed Motion for Transfer of Case File 

06/15/2016 Temporary Transfer of Case to: 

Temporary Transfer of Case to: Anchorage

My assumption is that this is called a "temporary transfer" just in case Track does not show up or does not agree to the treatment that the court will insist upon in exchange for less jail time.

So another Palin finds a way to circumvent justice in Alaska.

Same old story that I have been telling for over eight years now.

(H/T to the Anonymous IM commenter who sent me this information. Thanks.)

Video of Track Palin's pre-trial conference.

So as you can see it appears that both Track and his attorney essentially blew this hearing off, and did not bother to participate.

It also sounds as if the prosecutor needs more time to pick up additional discovery from the district attorney, and so asked to reschedule the pre-trial conference for March 14th at 8:30.

The trial call, which is the first time that Track can get a pleas deal, is set for March 24, 2016.

One actually good news that we learn from this video, is that there is going to be video.

That means that even if we cannot attend the proceedings, we will still see what is happening in the courtroom, and THAT is exactly the kind of thing that the Palins desperately do not want to us to see.

By the way let me give a shout out to whoever sent me all of these links in the comments.

You did most of the work for me this morning and I really appreciate it.

Gee I wonder if Track Palin's mommy will go to court with him?

Track Palin and his punching bag.

Courtesy of Radar Online: 

RadarOnline.com has learned that Track Palin will soon have to face the court to answer for his recent arrest for assault and possession of a weapon while intoxicated. 

The army vet, who pled not guilty to the charges, must attend a pre-trial conference on Feb. 19 at the Palmer Courthouse. 

If Palin does not settle his case at the pre-trial conference, the courts have set a trial call for March 24. 

I am hoping against hope that Track stubbornly refuses to plead guilty to these charges, and that we get to watch this whole thing play out in the media.

I am already trying to get somebody to cover my work responsibilities so that I can hang out in the Palmer courthouse.

I will convince Dennis Zaki to come back too, and film them entering and leaving the courthouse.

So I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this idiot will not listen to reason.

And why would he? After all he's a Palin.

Ho-Ho-Holy crap are we done with this Christmas thing yet?

Merry Christmas and peace on Earth from my family to yours. pic.twitter.com/TYhmJAoTFi

— LOLGOP (@LOLGOP) December 25, 2015

(Just a family celebrating the conservative tradition of the showing of the firearms to ward off bad spirits and Democrats.)

I know I said earlier today that I love Christmas, and I do. Up to a point.

But right now I am all Jingle Belled the fuck out.

Sure it was fun at first. Visiting the family, opening the presents, bringing up embarrassing stories about my brother's past just to humiliate him.

All good.

But now I'm over it.

For one thing I had to drive all the way out to Palmer, where my mother and brother now live, which meant no holiday beverages. (Uncle Gryphen cannot afford a DUI on his spotless record.)

I'm not saying that drinking alcohol makes every thing better, because everybody already knows that drinking alcohol makes everything better. (Except child rearing of course, not that my father did not give it the old college try.)

Anyhow before I go all Grinch that stole Christmas and harsh everybody's mellow, let me just say that I had a lot of fun today. (You know as much fun as you can have without a drop of alcohol and your brother telling everybody that story about how you used to sing out loud to Bee Gees songs. By the way Too Much Heaven is a classic!)

I got a lot of nice gifts, gave more expensive ones to others so that I looked cool, and enjoyed my visit with my family.

Now I am back home contemplating the upcoming year.

And while I have literally no idea what is in store, I know that it will undoubtedly be a wild ride and I could not imagine a better group of people to share that experience with than all of you.

Happy Holidays! (That's right Fox News I said "Happy Holidays," bite me!)

A nostalgic look back at "Life's a Tripp." Or as it is now known, evidence for the defense.

Wow, such a delightful person is she not?

So many of you sent me this clip recently that I thought I better put it on the blog., along with the news that Bristol is now allowing Levi to have Tripp every other weekend until the hearing at the end of July.

As you may remember I predicted that Bristol would be cooperative up until the hearing so as to convince the judge that she was a reasonable person.

Of course all the judge has to do is pay attention to the number of times that Bristol refused to let Levi see his son, took Tripp out of state for a number of flimsy reasons, and of course episodes of her crappy reality show, to determine that such is not the case.

If I were Bristol, and had all of this video evidence working against me, I would settled this thing quickly and agree to whatever terms Levi and Sunny set. Especially before there is any real digging into what Bristol has been doing with her time while she is out of state supposedly living as a struggling single mother.

But as a potential witness to the proceedings, I kind of hope she doesn't.

A little update on the Tripp Johnston custody case.

Older picture of Levi and Tripp courtesy of Facebook

So according to Court View the evidentiary hearings are set for July 30th and 31st in Palmer.

My plan is to attend both of these hearings and report back on what transpires.

Just in case Palin reads this let me state for the record that I have NO plans to disrupt or attempt to confront or interview her or Bristol during my attendance.

All I want to do is make sure that there is nothing underhanded going on, and to provide coverage of the proceedings.

I will also state for the record that if I am denied access to the courtroom, that it will certainly be written about here and receive far more notice from other media outlets than if I am allowed to attend.

And besides that I will make sure to have a back up plan just in case Palin pulls her usual crap with me.

Once again I think that it is important for people get a factual account of how the Palins treat people with whom they have a legal conflict.

Guess who's coming to Alaska.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:

Duck Dynasty stars coming to Alaska State Fair: Get ready, Alaska. The Alaska State Fair announced Wednesday that the stars of Duck Dynasty, the hit A&E channel show, will be hosting "An Evening with the Robertsons." That includes revered matriarch, Miss Kay, blue-cup-holding, story-telling Uncle Si and brothers Jep and Alan, as they "share insights into their family life, booming business and the filming of A&E’s most-watched series." Also included is Phil, the "Duck Commander" himself, who weathered controversy last year after making homophobic remarks in an interview with GQ. The evening is scheduled for Aug. 30. Tickets go on sale May 2.

As if we don't already have enough racist rednecks up here. 

Well you know that the Lunatic from Lake Lucille will certainly not let this opportunity pass without trying to take advantage of it in some way.

However there is some question as to whether the Robertson clan would welcome her participation in anything they would do up here, or whether she would be willing to show her face in Palmer which is only a hop, skip, and a drunken stumble away from Wasilla. (I can guarantee she would be greeted with boo's.)

Well I haven't decided if I am going to the State Fair this year or not, but I can assure you that I will not be there on May 2nd.

Alaska's not so secret shame, and how it is happening at an alarming rate right in Sarah Palin's backyard.

Sarah Palin, helping to destroy women's progress in this country with every appearance.

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:  

An ongoing study by the University of Alaska Justice Center has once again shown us what for years no one wanted to talk about openly: that violence visited upon women in Alaska far more often than we may realize or want to accept. 

The latest results from the Alaska Victimization Survey show that one in two women living in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough have experienced intimate partner violence, sexual violence, or both. In the last year alone, 2,687 women in this populous region north of Anchorage experienced it. Of the some 30,000 women that live there, 16,033 have been subjected to it in their lifetime. The numbers show that more than six women per day in the Mat-Su experience intimate partner violence, while more than two per day experience sexual violence, according to the survey. 

“Just one victim is one too many. As a community we are concerned,” Mat-Su Borough Manager John Moosey said. “We want a liveable, safe community, especially for women.” 

The statistics, released Tuesday by the Justice Center, are an interesting contrast to a different study measuring people's perception about the Mat-Su. Each year, the Justice Center and the Mat-Su Borough conduct a community survey, and awareness about sexual assaults and rape is one of the questions. For 2011, of the 1,159 people that participated in the survey, less than two percent replied that a rape or sexual assault had taken place in their neighborhood in the last six months. 

But this difficult task – reconciling perceptions with personal experiences – may cause Alaskans to confront an uncomfortable reality. For the 1,159 people in the Mat-Su who were generally unaware of sexual violence in their neighborhood, another 1,190 – the number polled for the victimization survey – revealed a different story. 

“There is a tremendous amount of stigma associated with disclosing domestic and sexual violence. As a result, few people disclose, even to their closest friends and family members. As a result, few people are aware of how common these forms of violence are,” explained Dr. Andre Rosay, Director of the Justice Center at the University of Alaska-Anchorage, the group that conducted the survey. “While people don't perceive that domestic and sexual violence are severe problems in our communities, our survey results show that many women have experienced these forms of violence and many are suffering in silence.”

You know every once in awhile I get into pensive mood and I take a moment to reflect on the the Governor Sarah Palin who could have been.

As the very first female Governor in the state's history she could have been an incredibly powerful and inspiring voice against sexual and physical assault. She could have brought women together from all over the state, and they would finally have felt they had a powerful champion to stand up for them and a person who they could trust to understand their pain and shame.

Instead they got a self serving, overly ambitious social climber who could no more relate to the suffering of other women in her state, than she could to the suffering of any other group who she felt could not help her career.

There was an amazing opportunity for a real female leader in Alaska. An opportunity and a challenge that still remains to this day.

But until we find somebody willing to tackle this incredibly tough issue in an honest and aggressive manner, I fear the number of women hiding black eyes behind their sunglasses or bruises under their clothing will remain unchanged.

Here is an Alaskan "moment of zen" to send you off to dreamland.

Backyard Moose in Palmer, Alaska from Dennis Zaki on Vimeo.
My friend Dennis Zaki recorded this out of his back window in Palmer the other day.

They are pretty majestic alright.

Key figure in "Dairygate" receives six indictments. Ahh, the noose is tightening!

Courtesy of Alaska Dispatch:

Kyle Beus, co-founder and co-owner of Valley Dairy, which does business as Matanuska Creamery, is facing accusations he steered money meant for the dairy operation into his own hands. A six-count indictment filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Anchorage charges Beus with wire fraud and false statements used to obtain grant disbursements from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. 

He's accused of pocketing at least $120,000 for his own "personal and discretionary use unrelated to the construction and management of the dairy processing facility," but details enumerated in the indictment suggest the amount may be tens of thousands of dollars higher. 

The government alleges Beus abused his status and relationships with several interrelated companies to facilitate the fraud scheme. Simplified, as a dairy manager with the authority to oversee disbursement of federal grants, prosecutors say Beus used grant-awards and contracted companies as a conduit by which to draw and request cash that was never applied toward the dairy's operations. In some cases, none of the money went toward the dairy's operations. In others, some, but not all of the money drawn was properly used. 

In the indictment, Beus is accused of carrying out the scheme by sending false or inflated invoices in support of his funding requests. 

It's a new twist in a long saga that began with the demise of the state-subsidized and now defunct Matanuska Maid Creamery. Under the watch of then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the dairy was dissolved, a highly controversial move, and its assets disposed of. Beus was able to pick up the old equipment at a deep discount to launch his fledgling Klondike Creamery and Candy. By 2008, Valley Dairy was born – a joint effort between Beus, Robert Wells and Karen Olson. 

The Rural Development Agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture was authorized to appropriate $5 million over years 2003-2007 to expand Alaska's dairy industry. Later, an extension was given by Congress to keep $650,000 available until expended. 

In summer 2007, Beus received $168,000 of that money for his cheese and ice cream making facility. A month or two later, an unnamed corporation in Alaska received $475,000 to support a milk manufacturing facility. According to the federal indictment, it is from these two grant awards that Beus fraudulently sought and received disbursements meant for the dairy operation. 

 Ooh you know the milk is curdling in a certain Wasilla Refrigerator now!

Here is my favorite part of the article.

Prosecutors say the investigation is ongoing.

Palin is the one that helped orchestrate the sale of Mat Maid to Beus, even though he had defaulted on a previous loan and was under investigation. Essentially Palin's prints are all over this thing, and I have a hard time imagining how she will walk away unscathed.

For those who want to connect the dots here is TPM's post from August 2008, Halcro's post from February 2009, and Regina's post from March 2010.

Sometimes Alaska blows.

So as some of you realize we have been dealing with some very serious windstorms up here in the Great Land.

Two weeks ago I lost my electricity for almost two days, and last night I lost power repeatedly.

The wind has been blowing so hard that it has blown away everything not nailed down.

For instance here is my neighbor's tree.

And here is a copse of trees we saw along the bike path which were completely uprooted.

The entire group was laying across another neighbor's fence.

And another one just down the street.

However the wind has not simply been blowing the hell out of Anchorage, it has also extended out to Palmer. This is video that my friend Dennis Zaki took about two hours ago out in Palmer, which is about forty three miles away.

Did you hear that wind? That is what it has been like outside of my window for weeks now.

That giant tree you see laying across the ground is just one of the many trees that Dennis has had crash down on his property, and there are a number of other giant trees uncomfortably close to his rather tiny cabin.

Anyhow that is what it has been like up here for the last three weeks, off and on. So if I suddenly disappear from the internet for several hours at some point in the near future you will probably have some understanding as to why.

I love Alaska, I just love it better when it is not picking shit up and throwing it at my house.

Palin propaganda film "The Undefeated" to play in Alaska, only fifteen minutes away from Palin's house, but the Mama Grizzly refuses to come out of hibernation to make an appearance.

Courtesy of the Frontiersman:

Folks in Alaska have their first opportunity to see the movie “The Undefeated” on the big screen Monday. 

Sponsored by the Valley Republican Women’s Club, the Alaska screening also includes a meet-and-greet event with the movie’s creator and producer, Stephen Bannon, from 4 to 6 p.m., Sunday at Colony Inn in Palmer. Tickets are $50 each or $75 per couple and include a light meal and a chance to speak one-on-one with Bannon. 

“I’m looking forward to coming to Alaska,” he said Thursday by phone from Washington, D.C. He said this trip to Alaska will be a relatively quick since he is planning to spend Thanksgiving at Fort Campbell, Ky., with his daughter, a recent West Point graduate. 

Bannon said when the movie was originally released, the theatrically company that distributed the film didn’t have any screens in Alaska. “We’ve been actually trying to do this since August,” Bannon said. 

Well this ought to be a great opportunity for Bannon to see first hand how the people of Alaska REALLY feel about Klondike Kardashian, because surely she will attend a premiere that is only a hop, skip, and a jump from her font door?

Won't she?


Bannon said he plans to speak before the film and draw parallels between what happened in Alaska and what is happening in the country. 

What the hell? You mean Palin will not appear at the premiere of a film that is all about HER? What would make an attention whore like Palin skip this?

When the two-hour movie begins, he said Palin is working on a commercial fishing boat. 

“She’s out of the loop in a place that’s out of the loop,” Bannon said.

Now I have read this a few times, trying to make sense of it.

At first I thought that Bannon was saying that when the film begins, it begins with Palin on a commercial fishing boat which I knew to be wrong, because according to this review it actually begins with a bunch of Hollywood types expressing their 1st Amendment right to Freedom of Speech by telling the world what a loser they think she is while using rather colorful language, and then going directly into her childhood.

So then I realized that what he was saying was that Palin herself will be on a commercial fishing boat this Monday when the movie premieres.

Except, no she won't.

Number one I don't believe that Palin actually EVER goes commercial fishing unless it is for the cameras or for political reasons, and number two there is NO commercial fishing happening in November on Bristol Bay, and almost none happening any place else in Alaska either. (See this chart to confirm that for yourself.) It may sound like a ready made Alaska excuse, but it is very likely also a lie.

What I really think is going on is that Palin is terrified to be in the same room with a bunch of Alaskans who KNOW the truth about her past, and her political career in Alaska, while this mythological moosecrap splatters across the screen.

Could you imagine what would happen if Sister Sarah were confronted in front of her pet propagandist with the truth, by real Alaskans who could back it up with eyewitness accounts? Now that would be something to see!

No, Palin won't be there because she is afraid of being humiliated. As we all know Palin is only tough when hiding in the safety of her Fox News studio on Lake Lucille, where she feels free to spew hatred toward our President, the media, and anybody who dares disagree with her. Beyond that she is a coward.

Hey, do you know what? I just checked my schedule and as it turns out I am completely free on Sunday evening around 4:00 p.m..  Hmm whatever will I DO with myself?

Palin finally found somebody dumb enough to believe her jury duty story.

Really? Palin starts jury duty tomorrow? How is that possible when there are no jury trials scheduled for tomorrow?

Oops.  Did I let the cat out of the bag Sarah?

"Dad I have an idea." Uh oh!

Way back in September of last year I wrote about my daughter's arrival, and how it upended my world. In a good way of course. (Well mostly.)

What I did not share with you at the time was that my daughter arrived in Anchorage with a very specific goal in mind.

Inspired by the tax credits approved for studios making films in Alaska, my daughter decided to come up here and open a film studio.  You heard me, OPEN A FILM STUDIO!

Not only that, but she wanted it to be a "green" film studio.  You know, a film studio that would have the least impact on the environment as humanly possible.  One that would be powered by renewable energy and use several energy saving techniques to keep costs low and pollution at a minimum.

And she wanted to do this at only 23 years of age!

Now it took me awhile to decide what my role in all of this would be. 

Do I endorse her ideas wholeheartedly, and prepare to provide emotional support when the harsh sting of reality ripped jagged holes in her dreams?  Do I try to talk her out of wasting her time on such fantasies and suggest more attainable goals?  Or do I ridicule her for shooting for the moon when she has not yet learned to navigate successfully around THIS planet?

Well I was one of those fathers who always told his child she could do ANYTHING. 

You all know how much I hate being a hypocrite, so really what choice did I have?  I supported her of course. In fact I even suggested some ideas, such as scouting locations for the studio in Palmer instead of trying to buy an overpriced lot here in Anchorage.

I also took her to the bank and sat beside her only to witness her crestfallen face when she was turned down for the loan she needed as seed money.

I went along with her to see a musk ox farm that she thought would be perfect, if she could only talk the owner into FIRST letting her turn it into a studio, and THEN start buying it from him in installments when the money started rolling in. (He did not go for it, but you would be surprised how long  it took him to finally say no to my daughter's hopeful face.)

I helped her to buy a new Apple computer so that she could better communicate with potential investors and build websites.

And I tried to be the voice of reason when she over extended herself, and her own personal cheerleader when she became frustrated, or felt the harsh sting of defeat.

But of course you know how all of this was destined to turn out don't you?  I mean she is ONLY twenty three years old.

Yes, but she is also MY daughter.

Let me introduce you to Glenn Studios.

Situated on a 10-acre site, Glenn Studios Campus is comprised of 4 multi-purpose sound stage areas, eight (8) production offices, and assorted ancillary spaces. In addition Glenn Studios will also feature an on-site gym, cafeteria, indoor parking and a certified(subject for approval) Helipad.

Glenn Studios™ location is 40-45 minutes North of Anchorage on the Glenn Hwy next to the state fair grounds. Hence the name "Glenn Studios".

This location works for just about any scale film that comes to Alaska. This structure has a great deal of appeal as a sound stage. Glenn Studios is also the perfect location as a "base camp" for so many production that film in Palmer/Wasilla area.

Yep, that's her studio alright, and right now there are currently thirty five films that have received the "green light" to start filming in Alaska and Glenn Studios is the ONLY studio that is positioned right now to meet their needs.

I know right?

So currently my daughter is the Studio Production Coordinator, which essentially means she runs the place. And if that weren't enough she is also working two other jobs to make ends meet until they get their first big check, which is made somewhat easier by the fact that she is living with me rent free. (But really how could I NOT do my part to invest in the future of Alaska film making, while also supporting my daughter's dreams?)

As if that were not enough excitement for one household, I also have my daughter's girlfriend, and my newly "adopted" daughter, performing in the local stage production of Tommy.

Bent Alaska has a great review, as well as show times and ticket prices. So if you are in Anchorage and looking for an evening of great entertainment, you would be hard pressed to find anything comparable to this stunning performance.

So if you are wondering how it feels to be the least talented, and potentially least successful, person living in my house, I have to say it feels pretty damn good. Pretty damn good indeed!

So take heed my fellow parents, because there is always the chance that when you tell your child they can do ANYTHING, that they will actually take that as a challenge!  And someday grow up to blow your freaking mind!

Rep. Carl Gatto, a teabagger from Palmer, Alaska, wants to pass a law to stop Sharia law from overtaking the state. The tiny minority of Alaska Muslims look up to say, "Wait, what are we trying to do?"

From ADN:

Palmer Republican Rep. Carl Gatto has set off a political firestorm with a bill aimed at stopping what he deems as the potential of Islamic religious law -- Sharia -- trumping the U.S. Constitution in Alaska courts.

What in the hell is this guy talking about?  Who could possibly support wasting our Alaska Legislatior's time on this bullshit/

Gatto said he has strong support of Mat-Su area tea party groups...

Oh, now I see it is an idea hatched by the knuckle draggers and paint chip eaters in Wasilla and Palmer.  How could I have NOT seen that coming?

However to be fair to Gatto, which by the way is Italian for "asshole," he is not the only low functioning moron attempting to stop those terrible Muslims from implementing Islamic law in their states. Even though there is NO evidence that any American Muslims are actively attempting to do any such thing.

It's part of a push nationally by conservative state legislators, with similar measures introduced in more than a dozen states.

However just because there are other low functioning political types doing the same thing, it does not provide any cover for Mr. Asshole Gatto.  Somebody once told me that even if a million people do a stupid thing, it is STILL a stupid thing.

By the way exactly how many Muslims do we even HAVE in Alaska?

A member of the Islamic Community Center of Alaska sent an email addressed to Gatto saying 4,000 to 6,000 Muslims live peacefully in Alaska and asking him to "please do not ignite hate and misunderstanding." Another Muslim from Anchorage, Lamin Jobarteh, said Muslims follow U.S. law. There is no Sharia law in Alaska, he said.

"There is nothing like that. We have a harmonious relationship with everybody here," said Jobarteh, who said he's originally from Gambia and has lived in Anchorage for the past 17 years.

"4,000 to 6,000?"  How in the hell is a group that makes up less than 1% of the population in our state supposed to impose ANYTHING on the rest of us? 


You know it seems pretty clear to me that Rep. Gallo is suffering from a pronounced case of xenophobia. And that he clearly fears anything that is unlike him, or that threatens his belief that Christianity is the all time bestest religion in the whole wide world.

However what he is doing could be very harmful to the peace loving Muslims who live in our state.

And what Rep. Gatto fails to understand is that making these accusations about a people who have done him no harm, and who have only professed a desire to live in harmony, can smear their good name and cause them to suffer harassment or threatening behavior by those who take Rep. Gatto at his word.

Now I don't actually know Rep. Gatto. I have only seen him the one time standing outside in his robe while I drove past.  But he seemed quite pleasant and even waved to me.

However I have to believe that deep down inside Rep. Gatto is a decent man, and I implore him to simply drop this ridiculous idea and get back to working on things of substance that really matter to the people of Alaska.  Especially since it appears that even IF, by some miracle, this law were to pass, it would not make one bit of difference to how law is practiced in this state anyhow.

Anchorage Democratic Rep. Max Gruenberg said the bill as written wouldn't apply to criminal law, and asked a lawyer for the state whether she could see a scenario where the bill would make any difference in how the laws are being applied in Alaska.

"I've had difficulty figuring out how it could ever be applied," said Assistant Attorney General Mary Ellen Beardsley.

You know if the teabaggers are all so fired up about saving the state some money, perhaps they could start by not spending valuable tax payer money on frivolous bullshit like this!

Just a thought.

Spread the word.

From Moveon.org:

Republicans in Congress are holding the middle class hostage—proposing a federal budget that would would cut 700,000 to 1 million jobs from our communities and slash funding to support preschool and college students, pregnant women, unemployed workers, and much more. This isn't a budget, it's a slap in the face to the public workers, services, and institutions making the American Dream possible. We have until the March 18 budget deadline to push Congress in another direction.

So after work on Tuesday, March 15, we're mobilizing Defend the Dream events in all 50 states at our schools, libraries, fire stations, hospitals, and parks to stand up against Republican attacks. If we can mobilize thousands of people again for a national day of action before the March 18 deadline, we'll give progressive fighters in Congress a better chance to stave off cuts and pass a budget that invests in the Dream. We'll show our support for the public workers, services, and institutions making a difference in our lives—but we'll also make sure that Congress knows we'll hold them accountable for their vote.

Those in Anchorage or the Mat-Su Valley can meet in the following location:

15 Mar 2011, 5:30 PM Speak Up and Speak Out
Train Park in Palmer
30 registered participant(s) (450 maximum)
S. Alaska St and Evergreen Ave
Palmer, AK 99645
Directions: Downtown Palmer near the Train Depot
Hosted by talyne corlyn-belka
Description We must speak up and let others know they are alone in being a progressive. Join us to speak out against taking money from our firefighters, schools and public employees as we circle the block from the library to the borough building and back

Sadly I will not be able to get there today, but if any of my Alaskan friends are able to make it they should certainly do so. If we do not speak up now we will have only ourselves to blame when the American dream is replaced with a national nightmare.

Off to the Fair!

Well my daughter arrived late last night, finally, and immediately upended my world. So clearly nothing has changed.

She told me about her trip from hell (which would make a GREAT blog post by the way), and immediately made herself at home.

Right now we are headed out to make a few stops before making the drive to Palmer and the state fairgrounds, and then I will be indulging in artery clogging foods, and dizzying carnival rides, until my money is all spent.  Sounds like fun.

I will be checking my comments via my I-Phone so you all can treat this as an open thread and I will make sure that your comments are approved.

I have watched a little of Glenn Beck's very confusing "Restoring Honor" rally and have no idea what to make of it right now.  If you have information to share on that topic, or any others, please feel free to post them.

Have a great afternoon.  I know I will.

Namaste my friends.

Like Daughter, Like Father, Chuck Heath Gives Wildly Inappropriate Speech at Colony High Graduation.

From the Opinion section of the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman:

To the editor:

Tuesday night I attended the Colony High School graduation ceremony in Wasilla. I was thrilled that Chuck Heath (father of Sarah Palin) would be the keynote speaker. Both my children had him as a substitute teacher and their days with him were insightful, educational and fun.

Chuck explained how he taught all his children to hunt, track and field dress game. Then, trying to be humorous, he said he was going to teach his daughter how to field dress a donkey this fall.

I was dismayed at the suggestion of evisceration of Democrats — a partisan statement that was supposed to be a nonpartisan night of celebration. Did Chuck hope that by giving a stump speech that mirrored his daughter Sarah’s views that it would increase support for her? What message was he trying to convey to the graduates?

The “speech,” reminiscent of a Christian revival, ended with Chuck demanding the “G-word” be integrated back into public schools and government. A celebration for the senior class turned into a political diatribe and was both disappointing and inappropriate.

I am guessing that Chuck was asked to speak because Willow is a student at Colony High this year.  I would have thought that in the past, considering the rivalry that has existed between Palmer and Wasilla for decades, that he would not be their first choice.  Of course after this he may never get asked by any high school in Alaska again.

What is it that Bill Maher said about Rand Paul last night? "The shit does not fall far from the bat"?  Sounds fairly appropriate in describing Sarah and her dad as well.

Gawker has stumbled upon the Willow vandalism story now as well.

Gawker:

Willow Palin and her high school buddies trashed a vacant house in Alaska. Now it appears residents of the Mat-Su Valley are pissed that Sarah Palin got Willow off the hook. Watch out, Sarah. The small town scene is brutal.

They got some of the facts mixed up but it's focus on the Colony girls is kind of interesting.