Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
A little dose of Pogo...
I hope this makes you smile too... :)
Upular
Pogo is an emerging electronic music artist in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his work recording small sounds from a single film or scene and sequencing them to form a new piece of music.
His most notable track "Alice" is a composition of sounds from the Disney film Alice In Wonderland. Alice has received much success gaining over 4 million views on Youtube as of December 2009. Pogo has since produced tracks from films like Mary Poppins, Harry Potter, The Sword In The Stone, Hook, and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.
For more of Pogo's mixes check him out @
http://www.youtube.com/user/Fagottron
and
http://www.pogomix.net/
Upular
Pogo is an emerging electronic music artist in Perth, Western Australia. He is known for his work recording small sounds from a single film or scene and sequencing them to form a new piece of music.
His most notable track "Alice" is a composition of sounds from the Disney film Alice In Wonderland. Alice has received much success gaining over 4 million views on Youtube as of December 2009. Pogo has since produced tracks from films like Mary Poppins, Harry Potter, The Sword In The Stone, Hook, and Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory.
For more of Pogo's mixes check him out @
http://www.youtube.com/user/Fagottron
and
http://www.pogomix.net/
Is monogamy realistic?
It troubles me how cheaters have busted out left and right in the
headlines over the past year. Celebrities such as Tiger Woods and David
Letterman, and our esteemed (ahem) political leaders such as John
Edwards, Mark Sanford and Eliot Spitzer have challenged and ultimately
broadened my view of fidelity and human nature. Have we become a society
of people who more than ever wallow in instant gratification,
shallowness, self-indulgence and self-absorption? Or am I naive to think
that humanity hasn't always been so lacking in boundaries?
When it comes to relationships, what are the realities of modern life?
In an age of hookups, friends with benefits, online dating, and growing life expectancy is it still reasonable to expect people to pair up and stay monogamous until death do us part? I think it's within the realm of human potential, but it seems to be an easier practice for some than others. I often wonder if serial monogamy may be more pragmatic... a situation in which people move from one committed long-term relationship to another and choose partners for different reasons at different stages of life. For some though, even serial monogamy seems to be too restrictive.
The expectation that one person should be our everything might be unrealistic given our day and age. The 1970s introduced the concept of "open marriage" in which couples stayed married but were free to date other people. More recently, polyamory-- the practice of having romantic relationships with multiple people at the same time with the full knowledge and consent of all involved --has been getting a lot of attention.
I’ve heard polyamory described as 'poly-agony' because of all the work you have to do to maintain things. I know a lot of people who have a real problem with seeing their significant other carry-on an intimate and romantic relationship with another person, but some say they don’t. It’s been explained to me that the ultimate goal in polyamory is for everyone in the polyamorous group to live together, that it isn't about having affairs, that it's really about the ability to be open and loving. I’ve read that researchers studying polyamory estimate there are more than half a million polyamorous families in the United States. On the other hand, people seeking shorter, more secretive dalliances these days have more opportunities than ever, especially when there is involvement via the Internet.
It’s no wonder many people believe monogamy is completely on its way out. I wonder about the depth and frequency of monogamy not being honored in practice... I wonder about the real statistics. I wonder if monogamy will soon vanish even as a social convention or ideal; an ideal that may depend upon ones culture, religion and geography.
I’ve seen it reported that Americans have a harsher view of infidelity than people residing in practically any other country… that Americans are too surprised by infidelity when it happens and that we enter into marriage with unrealistic, high expectations about human nature. Whereas the French by contrast are as hopeful about staying faithful as Americans when they get married, but if one of the spouses has an affair, they are able to accept it as something that can happen over the course of a long marriage.
Generally, Americans think if an affair happens, it's the end of the story, the fairy tale has been completely shattered, the person isn't the person we thought they were. The knee-jerk reaction is to get a divorce or split up. Other cultures may possess less of a sense that the person who cheats is a terrible human being or that cheating is a marker of a person's whole character.
Power, wealth and fame are also well-known aphrodisiacs that attract lots of potentially new sexual partners, an issue with which typical couples may not have to grapple. The famous and powerful may look outside their marriage with a sense of entitlement or with an urge to continue the consistent adrenaline rush that their fame brings them. They may need the attention, passion and excitement in their relationships and may have more of an inclination, opportunity and resources to stray.
Human beings may not be wired to stay faithful to one partner for a lifetime, but we can make a conscious decision to do so; a choice that still comes with powerful emotional, biological and economic benefits. I believe there are definite rewards to a monogamous relationship. A committed, monogamous relationship affords us the important ability to count on our partner, taking comfort that they are by our side and a stable constant in our life as we are in theirs.
We all need a safe harbor. Being devoted to one person and sharing a special loving relationship with them is what it's all about. I think that we would be better off to avoid living our lives like an episode of The Wild Kingdom and make choices in a different way than other mammals. We can think through the consequences, because the consequences of infidelity and lack of commitment to one person can be huge.
Click here for additional reading:
Monogamy Unnatural for Our Sexy Species by: Christopher Ryan
When it comes to relationships, what are the realities of modern life?
In an age of hookups, friends with benefits, online dating, and growing life expectancy is it still reasonable to expect people to pair up and stay monogamous until death do us part? I think it's within the realm of human potential, but it seems to be an easier practice for some than others. I often wonder if serial monogamy may be more pragmatic... a situation in which people move from one committed long-term relationship to another and choose partners for different reasons at different stages of life. For some though, even serial monogamy seems to be too restrictive.
The expectation that one person should be our everything might be unrealistic given our day and age. The 1970s introduced the concept of "open marriage" in which couples stayed married but were free to date other people. More recently, polyamory-- the practice of having romantic relationships with multiple people at the same time with the full knowledge and consent of all involved --has been getting a lot of attention.
I’ve heard polyamory described as 'poly-agony' because of all the work you have to do to maintain things. I know a lot of people who have a real problem with seeing their significant other carry-on an intimate and romantic relationship with another person, but some say they don’t. It’s been explained to me that the ultimate goal in polyamory is for everyone in the polyamorous group to live together, that it isn't about having affairs, that it's really about the ability to be open and loving. I’ve read that researchers studying polyamory estimate there are more than half a million polyamorous families in the United States. On the other hand, people seeking shorter, more secretive dalliances these days have more opportunities than ever, especially when there is involvement via the Internet.
It’s no wonder many people believe monogamy is completely on its way out. I wonder about the depth and frequency of monogamy not being honored in practice... I wonder about the real statistics. I wonder if monogamy will soon vanish even as a social convention or ideal; an ideal that may depend upon ones culture, religion and geography.
I’ve seen it reported that Americans have a harsher view of infidelity than people residing in practically any other country… that Americans are too surprised by infidelity when it happens and that we enter into marriage with unrealistic, high expectations about human nature. Whereas the French by contrast are as hopeful about staying faithful as Americans when they get married, but if one of the spouses has an affair, they are able to accept it as something that can happen over the course of a long marriage.
Generally, Americans think if an affair happens, it's the end of the story, the fairy tale has been completely shattered, the person isn't the person we thought they were. The knee-jerk reaction is to get a divorce or split up. Other cultures may possess less of a sense that the person who cheats is a terrible human being or that cheating is a marker of a person's whole character.
Power, wealth and fame are also well-known aphrodisiacs that attract lots of potentially new sexual partners, an issue with which typical couples may not have to grapple. The famous and powerful may look outside their marriage with a sense of entitlement or with an urge to continue the consistent adrenaline rush that their fame brings them. They may need the attention, passion and excitement in their relationships and may have more of an inclination, opportunity and resources to stray.
Human beings may not be wired to stay faithful to one partner for a lifetime, but we can make a conscious decision to do so; a choice that still comes with powerful emotional, biological and economic benefits. I believe there are definite rewards to a monogamous relationship. A committed, monogamous relationship affords us the important ability to count on our partner, taking comfort that they are by our side and a stable constant in our life as we are in theirs.
We all need a safe harbor. Being devoted to one person and sharing a special loving relationship with them is what it's all about. I think that we would be better off to avoid living our lives like an episode of The Wild Kingdom and make choices in a different way than other mammals. We can think through the consequences, because the consequences of infidelity and lack of commitment to one person can be huge.
Click here for additional reading:
Monogamy Unnatural for Our Sexy Species by: Christopher Ryan
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Word
Most of us who carry on an online existence are aware of Internet pitfalls in the form of hacking, spamming, snarking and stalking, but have we really contemplated the impact of our tech empowered words?
It amazes the heck out of me how fast information travels these days with the aid of the Internet and social networks. Combine the Internet with television, radio, and attached at the nip cell phones, and by golly, the power of communication is overwhelming. The Internet exhibits lawlessness rivaled only by the wild, Wild West with its "anything goes" society and culture.
After reading today's deluge of articles about republican congressman Joe Wilson's grand misstep last night during President O'bama's congressional healthcare address, it really hit home just how potent the Internet and social networking has become.
I'm continually fascinated by the basic power that web sites such as Facebook, Myspace and Blogger wield... but sites such as iReport and Twitter have really stepped up the sharing process to a whole new level; a level yet to be completely realized. The sheer speed of response parlayed straightaway over Wilson's heckled "You lie!" is astounding. It's disturbing that 2 words can immediately make someone an Internet sensation. Come morning, one never knows what you’ll wake up to online after a few Z’s.
Not to defend Wilson's rude and disrespectful outburst, but its serious when user generated web sites such as Wikipedia are forced to restrict the defamatory remarks posted about him. Justified or not, it's scary when sites like joewilsonisyourpreexistingcondition.com can be quickly constructed and open for business with the sole purpose of poking fun at Joe Wilson's expense… Or conversely, on the heels of his apology to President O'bama, Joe Wilson's speedy solicitation of cash to fend off attacks from political opponents on his web page today, geared toward those who are now holding him up as some kind of folk hero. And what about the efficiency of the Democratic Party and the 2010 democratic contender for Joe Wilson's job, raking in overnight, hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions, no doubt accomplished through Internet means?
Now that's power... power at every persons fingertips... power of communication and condemnation... power to influence, to shape opinions and to excite the masses... power that plays on emotions and emotional reactions... power that is pretty much unchecked. Power that signifies just how easy people can be stirred up, much like lighting a fuse to a powder keg that ignites a wild fire.
We don't really know what's to become of all this instant sharing we do. Seems to me that it's not too far of a stretch for any emotional online frenzy to jump track and be taken to the streets.
Brings to mind just how responsible we all need to be with what we post online and how unqualified most of us are to sport such freedom of speech. It's not just about relaying the truth and being heard. It's about looking at the big picture, and keeping in mind the strength of our words and what they might instigate and generate.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
TP Roll Sculptures
Since childhood, Haiti-born French artist Junior Fritz Jacquet has been fascinated by paper. He explores and experiments with different techniques to fold and crumple, creating new forms and poetic objects that decorate his life.
Talk about art from scrap... I don't think I'll ever look at an empty toilet paper roll the same way again. :) Take a gander...
Talk about art from scrap... I don't think I'll ever look at an empty toilet paper roll the same way again. :) Take a gander...
Chocolate Heaven
If you are a chocolate lover, this is the absolute best chocolate cookie EVER… promise. They can be described as a brownie on the outside and a chocolate truffle on the inside. Rich to be sure, but why bother with anything less than pure confectionery decadence?
Chocolate Truffle Cookies
Ingredients:
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
6 tbsp. butter
2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Method:
Heat oven to 250 degrees.
Chop unsweetened chocolate and cut butter into pieces. Place the chopped unsweetened chocolate, cut butter and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips in an oven safe, preferably non-stick pan. Melt all 3 ingredients in the oven, stirring occasionally. Cool.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Stir in melted chocolate mixture, then flour mixture and finally the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.
Cover cookie dough mixture with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Shape chilled cookie dough into approximately 1 inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until cookies puff up... about 10 minutes.
Note: As with any cookie, the longer you bake them, the crispier they become. So for a chewy, gooey cookie, keep an eye on them and don’t over-bake.
Tips: Baking is all about precision, so for the best tasting cookies, use exact measurements (no pinch of this or that) and use premium ingredients… real butter, pure vanilla extract (no imitation), high quality cocoa powder and chocolate. Also, bring eggs to room temperature prior to mixing. To prevent ruining the mixture, it’s a good idea to break eggs into a separate bowl before adding them to the other ingredients, just in case you get a bad egg. And, for the best results when baking, hang or position a portable oven thermometer inside the oven to insure correct temperature since most household ovens are not calibrated correctly.
Chocolate Truffle Cookies
Ingredients:
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
6 tbsp. butter
2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup flour
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Method:
Heat oven to 250 degrees.
Chop unsweetened chocolate and cut butter into pieces. Place the chopped unsweetened chocolate, cut butter and 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips in an oven safe, preferably non-stick pan. Melt all 3 ingredients in the oven, stirring occasionally. Cool.
Sift together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar and eggs about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla. Stir in melted chocolate mixture, then flour mixture and finally the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips.
Cover cookie dough mixture with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator until firm, at least 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Shape chilled cookie dough into approximately 1 inch balls. Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Bake until cookies puff up... about 10 minutes.
Note: As with any cookie, the longer you bake them, the crispier they become. So for a chewy, gooey cookie, keep an eye on them and don’t over-bake.
Tips: Baking is all about precision, so for the best tasting cookies, use exact measurements (no pinch of this or that) and use premium ingredients… real butter, pure vanilla extract (no imitation), high quality cocoa powder and chocolate. Also, bring eggs to room temperature prior to mixing. To prevent ruining the mixture, it’s a good idea to break eggs into a separate bowl before adding them to the other ingredients, just in case you get a bad egg. And, for the best results when baking, hang or position a portable oven thermometer inside the oven to insure correct temperature since most household ovens are not calibrated correctly.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Cheeming Boey: Coffee Cup Art
I saw an interesting article published in the OC Register about artist Cheeming Boey...
check it out here ~
MORNING READ: Cheeming Boey's art draws crowds at Laguna Beach Art Walk.
I found that Boey does some pretty creative things with a Sharpie and a standard issue foam cup.
"Red Kimono"
"April in December"
.jpg)
"Blossom"
"Coffee Cup Speed Draw"
(Music: Midnight in a Perfect World by DJ Shadow)
For more Boey: Flickr ~ iamboey.com
check it out here ~
MORNING READ: Cheeming Boey's art draws crowds at Laguna Beach Art Walk.
I found that Boey does some pretty creative things with a Sharpie and a standard issue foam cup.
"Red Kimono"
"April in December"
.jpg)
"Blossom"
"Coffee Cup Speed Draw"
(Music: Midnight in a Perfect World by DJ Shadow)
For more Boey: Flickr ~ iamboey.com
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Cribbin' It AT-AT Style
I was cruising Topless Robot today and came across the greatest bed that ever stomped on a rebel. It's so spectacular, I just had to kype-the-post.
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
Palinauseous
SarahPalin Announces Resignation as Governor,
Part 1
Sarah Palin Announces Resignation as Governor,
Part 2
"Um, by the way, sure wish folks could ever, ever understand that we ALL could learn so much from someone like Trig - I know he needs me, but I need him even more... what a child can offer to set priorities RIGHT - that time is precious... the world needs more "Trigs", not fewer." ~ Governor Sarah Palin
… say what?
Well, I suppose by now anyone who is up on current events has seen all the hullabaloo that yet again has been stirred up by Sarah Palin; this time by way of her vacant, uncomfortable, high speed resignation speech on July 3. She said a lot of nothing really, just her standard vague comments, innuendo and abused campaign rhetoric, all punctuated by deep gasps of breath and nervous energy. Amazing how she can spin and spin and barely say anything of consequence. I wonder if I’m the only one who gets distracted from her words by her presence and delivery. I get caught up in her weird granny-like intonations and facial gestures… Bugs.
So anyway… What in tarnation is going on? What new direction is she taking? As we all can deduce, she didn’t specify what it is she plans on doing after resigning as Governor, which beckons the question, “How is it acceptable that she resign a year and a half shy of her full term of office and not fulfill her job commitment?” Doing so sounds unreliable to me. If she loves Alaska as dearly as she repeatedly says she does, what’s the real reason for abandoning her post and not seeing her full term through to the end? She speaks of not being a dead fish and going with the flow, and of not taking the easy way out because that’s what quitter’s do, but she’s giving mixed signals. Her words sound disingenuous and her resignation comes across as the definition of a quitter. She isn’t the straight shooter she’d like us to think she is.
Something is amiss. I’m suspicious of her all the way around. Briefly, I pondered the idea that perhaps the shit’s about to hit the fan in regard to rumored criminal activity. This inkling isn’t too far fetched considering she’s had 19 allegations (so far) based upon ethics violations and what not. Her broad stroke admission that she is personally facing a half-million dollars in legal fees to settle unnamed matters, doesn’t speak well of her on any terms. Hard to say… I get the distinct feeling that by quitting, she is somehow putting herself first and in a more advantageous position. I can only guess what she has up her sleeve. As Lou Dobbs asked today, “Political suicide or political savant?”
She states that she has made herself clear, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. For example, what does resigning free her up to do precisely? Her excuse is weak, suggesting that too much legislative time and money is being spent on her personal issues… Well then, stop creating issues. She took an oath of office and a tax funded pay check. I think the people of Alaska deserve a viable explanation, as do we all if she plans on running for president in 2012. Now there's a real doomsday scenario. Let’s hope she’s not hitting the campaign trail early. (ughh… just kill me now)
For the life of me, I cannot believe so many people buy what she is selling. I'm completely dumbfounded and irritated to no end by the phenomenon that is Sarah Palin. “No more politics as usual” is right. At this point in time Maverick, Jr. does not have what it takes. She had chance after chance to prove herself during the last presidential campaign, but what will be remembered is her dirty laundry and coming up way short when asked fundamental questions that any worthy elected official should know the answers to. (See below for links to transcripts of Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin.)
She's plainly not knowledgeable enough, nor savvy enough to handle the highest office in the land. I highly doubt her overall intelligence and wherewithal. I cannot in my wildest imaginings ever see her on par with foreign dignitaries of which she is no peer. I mean, please… this is the woman who publicly dueled with David Letterman for 10 days fueling a blown-out-of-proportion issue over an off color joke he made about her daughter Bristol… Who I’m sorry to say became fair game as fodder for late night TV opening monologues through her own doing and by her mother’s public standing, nudging her entire family into the spotlight. Sure, defend your daughter, but don’t drag the incident through the media for days making it appear as though remaining in the public eye is the constant primary goal.
If she truly cares about Alaskans and our country, Palin will forfeit center stage and the spotlight for a more behind-the-scenes approach to her coveted Do-gooder role. The last thing we need in the Oval Office is someone who more closely resembles a ditz rather than a political wunderkind… a celebutard of sorts whom I’m sick of hearing about and hearing from, who contributes very little and who I wholeheartedly wish would just quietly go away.
Frankly, instead of running around serving her own ambition and misguided intent, I would respect Palin if she settled down and made her 5 children her primary focus, all of whom have "special needs". I would admire her if while earnestly getting herself up to speed on important issues, she stepped back and away from media attention and public affirmation. I would admire her if she supported the endeavors of President O'bama in a productive manner and refrained from publicly squawking criticism that is devoid of any and all constructiveness. Her anti-productive complaints are almost anti-American in nature as she constantly pops up like a wound up Jack-in-the-Box disrupting federal attempts at improvement and progress. Pop goes the weasel indeed.
Most of all, I would have respected her had she been more forthcoming in her resignation speech leaving no room for the speculation that is guaranteed to plague our news sources for some time to come. You can be sure that wherever Sarah Palin goes, drama is sure to follow.
*Palin on Foreign Policy
**Palin on the Economy
(Huffington Post: Click here for text of speech)
“Kaa-Pow!”... After writing this blog I came upon an article written by Washington Post reporter, Sally Quinn who says it best…
Palin's Peculiar Family Values
I did not understand one word of what Sarah Palin said in her 18-minute resignation speech the other day. I really tried. What I got out of it is that she wants to spend more time on the issues she cares about, energy independence and national security. It wasn't until the end of her incoherent explanation that she mentioned that her children were all in favor of her stepping down. One of the reasons, she said, was because they were upset that their 14-month-old brother Trig, who has Down Syndrome, was "mocked and ridiculed by some pretty mean spirited adults."
I'd like to know the names of those mean-spirited adults who mocked and ridiculed her special needs child. I don't believe it for a second. I think what she is talking about is that she was criticized for the way she dealt with her pregnancy with Trig and her caregiving of him after his birth.
Remember, Sarah Palin is a right-wing, evangelical Christian for whom "family values" and the role of the mother are paramount. Many right-wing Christians don't believe women should work outside the home. Yet here was Sarah Palin, resigning as the governor of Alaska, for political reasons.
This is not putting your family first. We should not be surprised.
This is a woman who hid her pregnancy until the last two months, and who was so ambivalent about having a Down syndrome child that she admittedly contemplated aborting her child (wasn't it nice that she had the choice to do that?). This is a woman who took off in an airplane from Arizona to Alaska after her water broke and barely made it to the hospital to deliver Trig. This is a woman who accepted the nomination for vice president with a three-months-old special needs child (all studies show that the mother's role in infancy, especially for these children, is crucial) and an unwed 17-year-old daughter pregnant by another high-schooler.
This is a woman who took her children to the convention and paraded them on the stage, including Trig, (not in bed until late hours) and pregnant Bristol and her soon to be announced fiancé ("whatever"). This is a woman who then spent two months on the road, relentlessly campaigning, dragging the baby around with her (or not with her).
This is a woman who continued to exploit her children while she was running, and afterward, whenever she was criticized or they made a good photo op. After the election, she continued to travel, doing television, speaking and partying, making sure she stayed in the limelight. When her extended dysfunctional family, including the father of her daughter's baby, began to surface, she blew that up into a major media event instead of keeping her silence. She then encouraged Bristol to sign up with the Candie's foundation to go on a promotional tour with her baby to promote teen abstinence. By doing so Bristol became an adult public figure, making her a legitimate target for public criticism.
Yet when David Letterman made his remark about her daughter being knocked up, Palin blew it up into a national media fest which lasted for a week. Letterman rightly apologized, and acknowledged that he was not referring to her younger daughter but to Bristol. Palin knew that Letterman was making a joke about Bristol, but she still dragged poor Willow into the mud as well.
Now Palin has resigned as governor. Why? Who knows? She gave so many excuses that one was left reeling. The clearest one was that it was good for the state of Alaska. Again she created another needless media storm, with another photo op surrounded by her children, including Trig, her Down syndrome child. She has been roundly criticized but also has managed to keep the spotlight on herself for nearly a week. She has signed a lucrative book contract, in which I'm sure she will discuss faith and family values. Her ghost writer is a senior writer at the Christian conservative magazine "World". And there will be a special edition by the bible publishing house Zondervan.
I don't know what Palin has in mind. Maybe she'll run for President, maybe she won't. I couldn't care less. What I do feel sad about is her missed opportunity.
She could have stood up in front of her family and said one thing that everyone would have understood and everyone would have applauded. It would be the greatest cliché of all time and for once it could have been true. She could have said, simply, "I'm leaving so that I can spend more time with my family." And she could have elaborated. She could have said that from now on she would use her immense celebrity, her power, her charisma, her popularity among a huge base of Christian conservatives to educate people and advocate for children with special needs.
It might seem exploitative of Trig to some who are so cynical about her that they believe everything she does is for self-aggrandizement. So what? But if she really did it she could change the our culture and the way our world views those with disabilities. She would not only be helping millions of people around the world, but her own child as well.
Leaving her job because it's better for "the state" or to pursue her interest in energy or national security is laughable.
Sarah Palin should live up to her self-proclaimed Christian "family values" and do what she says is the moral thing to do: put her family first and help those who cannot help themselves.
By Sally Quinn | July 8, 2009; 12:39 PM ET
Part 1
Sarah Palin Announces Resignation as Governor,
Part 2
"Um, by the way, sure wish folks could ever, ever understand that we ALL could learn so much from someone like Trig - I know he needs me, but I need him even more... what a child can offer to set priorities RIGHT - that time is precious... the world needs more "Trigs", not fewer." ~ Governor Sarah Palin
… say what?
Well, I suppose by now anyone who is up on current events has seen all the hullabaloo that yet again has been stirred up by Sarah Palin; this time by way of her vacant, uncomfortable, high speed resignation speech on July 3. She said a lot of nothing really, just her standard vague comments, innuendo and abused campaign rhetoric, all punctuated by deep gasps of breath and nervous energy. Amazing how she can spin and spin and barely say anything of consequence. I wonder if I’m the only one who gets distracted from her words by her presence and delivery. I get caught up in her weird granny-like intonations and facial gestures… Bugs.
So anyway… What in tarnation is going on? What new direction is she taking? As we all can deduce, she didn’t specify what it is she plans on doing after resigning as Governor, which beckons the question, “How is it acceptable that she resign a year and a half shy of her full term of office and not fulfill her job commitment?” Doing so sounds unreliable to me. If she loves Alaska as dearly as she repeatedly says she does, what’s the real reason for abandoning her post and not seeing her full term through to the end? She speaks of not being a dead fish and going with the flow, and of not taking the easy way out because that’s what quitter’s do, but she’s giving mixed signals. Her words sound disingenuous and her resignation comes across as the definition of a quitter. She isn’t the straight shooter she’d like us to think she is.
Something is amiss. I’m suspicious of her all the way around. Briefly, I pondered the idea that perhaps the shit’s about to hit the fan in regard to rumored criminal activity. This inkling isn’t too far fetched considering she’s had 19 allegations (so far) based upon ethics violations and what not. Her broad stroke admission that she is personally facing a half-million dollars in legal fees to settle unnamed matters, doesn’t speak well of her on any terms. Hard to say… I get the distinct feeling that by quitting, she is somehow putting herself first and in a more advantageous position. I can only guess what she has up her sleeve. As Lou Dobbs asked today, “Political suicide or political savant?”
She states that she has made herself clear, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. For example, what does resigning free her up to do precisely? Her excuse is weak, suggesting that too much legislative time and money is being spent on her personal issues… Well then, stop creating issues. She took an oath of office and a tax funded pay check. I think the people of Alaska deserve a viable explanation, as do we all if she plans on running for president in 2012. Now there's a real doomsday scenario. Let’s hope she’s not hitting the campaign trail early. (ughh… just kill me now)
For the life of me, I cannot believe so many people buy what she is selling. I'm completely dumbfounded and irritated to no end by the phenomenon that is Sarah Palin. “No more politics as usual” is right. At this point in time Maverick, Jr. does not have what it takes. She had chance after chance to prove herself during the last presidential campaign, but what will be remembered is her dirty laundry and coming up way short when asked fundamental questions that any worthy elected official should know the answers to. (See below for links to transcripts of Katie Couric's interview with Sarah Palin.)
She's plainly not knowledgeable enough, nor savvy enough to handle the highest office in the land. I highly doubt her overall intelligence and wherewithal. I cannot in my wildest imaginings ever see her on par with foreign dignitaries of which she is no peer. I mean, please… this is the woman who publicly dueled with David Letterman for 10 days fueling a blown-out-of-proportion issue over an off color joke he made about her daughter Bristol… Who I’m sorry to say became fair game as fodder for late night TV opening monologues through her own doing and by her mother’s public standing, nudging her entire family into the spotlight. Sure, defend your daughter, but don’t drag the incident through the media for days making it appear as though remaining in the public eye is the constant primary goal.
If she truly cares about Alaskans and our country, Palin will forfeit center stage and the spotlight for a more behind-the-scenes approach to her coveted Do-gooder role. The last thing we need in the Oval Office is someone who more closely resembles a ditz rather than a political wunderkind… a celebutard of sorts whom I’m sick of hearing about and hearing from, who contributes very little and who I wholeheartedly wish would just quietly go away.
Frankly, instead of running around serving her own ambition and misguided intent, I would respect Palin if she settled down and made her 5 children her primary focus, all of whom have "special needs". I would admire her if while earnestly getting herself up to speed on important issues, she stepped back and away from media attention and public affirmation. I would admire her if she supported the endeavors of President O'bama in a productive manner and refrained from publicly squawking criticism that is devoid of any and all constructiveness. Her anti-productive complaints are almost anti-American in nature as she constantly pops up like a wound up Jack-in-the-Box disrupting federal attempts at improvement and progress. Pop goes the weasel indeed.
Most of all, I would have respected her had she been more forthcoming in her resignation speech leaving no room for the speculation that is guaranteed to plague our news sources for some time to come. You can be sure that wherever Sarah Palin goes, drama is sure to follow.
*Palin on Foreign Policy
**Palin on the Economy
(Huffington Post: Click here for text of speech)
“Kaa-Pow!”... After writing this blog I came upon an article written by Washington Post reporter, Sally Quinn who says it best…
Palin's Peculiar Family Values
I did not understand one word of what Sarah Palin said in her 18-minute resignation speech the other day. I really tried. What I got out of it is that she wants to spend more time on the issues she cares about, energy independence and national security. It wasn't until the end of her incoherent explanation that she mentioned that her children were all in favor of her stepping down. One of the reasons, she said, was because they were upset that their 14-month-old brother Trig, who has Down Syndrome, was "mocked and ridiculed by some pretty mean spirited adults."
I'd like to know the names of those mean-spirited adults who mocked and ridiculed her special needs child. I don't believe it for a second. I think what she is talking about is that she was criticized for the way she dealt with her pregnancy with Trig and her caregiving of him after his birth.
Remember, Sarah Palin is a right-wing, evangelical Christian for whom "family values" and the role of the mother are paramount. Many right-wing Christians don't believe women should work outside the home. Yet here was Sarah Palin, resigning as the governor of Alaska, for political reasons.
This is not putting your family first. We should not be surprised.
This is a woman who hid her pregnancy until the last two months, and who was so ambivalent about having a Down syndrome child that she admittedly contemplated aborting her child (wasn't it nice that she had the choice to do that?). This is a woman who took off in an airplane from Arizona to Alaska after her water broke and barely made it to the hospital to deliver Trig. This is a woman who accepted the nomination for vice president with a three-months-old special needs child (all studies show that the mother's role in infancy, especially for these children, is crucial) and an unwed 17-year-old daughter pregnant by another high-schooler.
This is a woman who took her children to the convention and paraded them on the stage, including Trig, (not in bed until late hours) and pregnant Bristol and her soon to be announced fiancé ("whatever"). This is a woman who then spent two months on the road, relentlessly campaigning, dragging the baby around with her (or not with her).
This is a woman who continued to exploit her children while she was running, and afterward, whenever she was criticized or they made a good photo op. After the election, she continued to travel, doing television, speaking and partying, making sure she stayed in the limelight. When her extended dysfunctional family, including the father of her daughter's baby, began to surface, she blew that up into a major media event instead of keeping her silence. She then encouraged Bristol to sign up with the Candie's foundation to go on a promotional tour with her baby to promote teen abstinence. By doing so Bristol became an adult public figure, making her a legitimate target for public criticism.
Yet when David Letterman made his remark about her daughter being knocked up, Palin blew it up into a national media fest which lasted for a week. Letterman rightly apologized, and acknowledged that he was not referring to her younger daughter but to Bristol. Palin knew that Letterman was making a joke about Bristol, but she still dragged poor Willow into the mud as well.
Now Palin has resigned as governor. Why? Who knows? She gave so many excuses that one was left reeling. The clearest one was that it was good for the state of Alaska. Again she created another needless media storm, with another photo op surrounded by her children, including Trig, her Down syndrome child. She has been roundly criticized but also has managed to keep the spotlight on herself for nearly a week. She has signed a lucrative book contract, in which I'm sure she will discuss faith and family values. Her ghost writer is a senior writer at the Christian conservative magazine "World". And there will be a special edition by the bible publishing house Zondervan.
I don't know what Palin has in mind. Maybe she'll run for President, maybe she won't. I couldn't care less. What I do feel sad about is her missed opportunity.
She could have stood up in front of her family and said one thing that everyone would have understood and everyone would have applauded. It would be the greatest cliché of all time and for once it could have been true. She could have said, simply, "I'm leaving so that I can spend more time with my family." And she could have elaborated. She could have said that from now on she would use her immense celebrity, her power, her charisma, her popularity among a huge base of Christian conservatives to educate people and advocate for children with special needs.
It might seem exploitative of Trig to some who are so cynical about her that they believe everything she does is for self-aggrandizement. So what? But if she really did it she could change the our culture and the way our world views those with disabilities. She would not only be helping millions of people around the world, but her own child as well.
Leaving her job because it's better for "the state" or to pursue her interest in energy or national security is laughable.
Sarah Palin should live up to her self-proclaimed Christian "family values" and do what she says is the moral thing to do: put her family first and help those who cannot help themselves.
By Sally Quinn | July 8, 2009; 12:39 PM ET
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