Please shut up 1/14/2009

After the recent foray into the world of the main street media, raising the level of the State of Alaska's embaressment to previously unexplored levels, i think a redefinition is in order:

Whats the differance between a hockey mom, and a pit bull?

THE MUZZEL

The Thrill of Victory and the agony of Ticrit November 13, 2008

One of my favorite lines from the movies has been 'I love the smell of napalm in the morning, it smells like victory to me" from Apocalypse Now. That and " I'm sorry I started a fight at your black panther party" from Forest Gump!" But in reality, victory smells like blood, and burned flesh, and shit. It smells of despair and hopelessness. And if I hear we have won a voctory in Iraq one more time in going to fly to NYC, go to the offending network, and go all Hunter Thompson on the idiot that says it.
Tuesday, at a veteran's day ceremony, Dick, the man who put hole in Jackson Hole, Cheney once again gave his patented spiel about our victory in Iraq, and how the battle against terrorism has not taken place on our shores. Safe since 9-11. The resounding applause made me realize once again, that a large percentage of the American public still believes this rhetoric. And why wouldn't they. On all major news outlets, victory in Iraq seems to be undisputed. The major stories are Sarah Palin, hairless non allergenic dogs, Sarah Palin, our "economic downturn", Sarah Palin, Wall street buy outs, and Sarah Palin. The polls just before election showed that only 6% of the voting public considered the war in Iraq to be the most important issue we are currently facing. SIX PERCENT!!! Ninty four percent are more concerned about the cost of a share of General Motors stock.
There have been two major compilations of the true math involved in the war in Iraq. One was done in the States and one was completed in great Britain. Both came to almost identical figures on most of the topics, so I suspect the figures that they arrived at are as close to real numbers as the situation allows. The following figures are apparently what smells like victory to the Bush administration. 4.5 million displaced Iraqis, many now living in refugee camps in Jordan and Syria. 4 million people in need of immediate emergency aid. That aid being drinking water, shelter and medical aid. 1.3 million dead. 1.3 million men, woman and children that are in large innocent civilian's. Without adding any figures for the countless permanently injured and maimed, the total is roughly a third of the entire population of the country! Or more to the point, what had been a country. A staggering sum of human tragedy that we all must count one person at a time. One mother witnessing the death of her child. One petrified little girl with no one left to care for her. A father living with the horror of not having been able to protect his family. A grandmother consumed with hunger to the point of insanity. A young taxi driver tortured to death simply for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. For what, in gods name. For victory? What makes it possible for a human being to except this? What have we allowed ourselves to become? This has nothing to do with victory in any sense of the word. This is about unbearable sadness and loss.

Calfornia Dreamin November 6, 2008

It took a little while, but the results of the controversial ballot measure in California are in. The entire nation watched as both sides of this hot button issue struggled to get their message across to the people of California. Outside money flowed in from all over the country as battle lines were drawn, and the blood flowed. This was clearly positioned to be a land mark vote, with the results highly anticipated from coast to coast. The question ... are we to be a moral people driven by the clear intentions of God, or are we to be rudderless, lost in an everlasting sea of despair, debauchery and fear. The choice was well defined, and Californians made their decision with a clear, and strong voice. The nation listened.
Tonight, with the storm passed and a loving and forgiving God in their hearts, the majority of people in California, indeed the whole country, will sleep a little sounder. Tomorrow morning they will walk with an extra bounce in their step to the breakfast table, knowing the eggs sitting on their plates were laid by chickens no longer forced to live in crowded conditions. Chickens that have finally been given back the personal space and autonomy that God gave them at birth. With the passing of the animal protection ballot measure, baning the overcrowded cages currently in use to house egg laying chickens, California leads the country, and the world, in making us a more compassionate and understanding community, and I for one rejoice at the vote.

Oh yeah... California, Arizona, and Florida also voted to make same sex marriage a crime punishable by fines and or prison time......
Apparently there's just too much love in this world.

One for the good guys November 5, 2008

As happy as I was last night, I have to say I wasn't surprised on the outcome of the presidential election. But I found myself surprisingly moved when it became official. During president elect Obama's acceptance speech it suddenly hit me that what started with my generation, a movement of tolerance and love that created a paradigm shift in the collective consciousness of us as a nation, a movement that ended so badly 40 years ago at the same location as the celebration was being held, had finally became real! And it took our children to do what we never came close to doing. Equality, dignity, a quest for peace and compassion just became mainstream in an incredibly significant way last night! When we were last in Chicago, we were young, full of hope and ideals. We tried so hard to change ourselves and our surroundings. And we were completely and totally unaware that we were the minority view in this nation. The bloodbath of 1968 election proved that all to clearly. After that election...we just kind of went on our way. There was still a war to end, still to much injustice to ignore, but the movement died in that same park, outside the democratic convention in the summer of 1968, and in the polls in the Autumn that followed. We carried with us what we could, excepted what we had to, and as every generation before us, just disappeared into life. The shift had happened, but I think it was so subtle, and we were so busy being disillusioned, we may have missed much of it. Looking back I can recognise that we all seemed to treat each other a little differently, hateful words and actions were pushed into side alleys and gravel paths...off the main street that had such a short time before been excepted as the natural order of things. Your flag decal didn't get you into heaven anymore! Intolerance and hatred were just a little less acceptable, and had to be a little more hidden. We did not go forward unchanged.
And last night it dawned on me, that in our collective homes our children were being raised to feel that intolerance is intolerable. They were allowed to flourish in the state they were born in and not taught how to hate, or who to hate. And what so many of us thought dead 40 years ago was delivered to the nation last night on the shoulders of our youth. They worked, and volunteered, and most important came out in record numbers to vote. They delivered the first real chance at the kind of change we believed with all our souls to be possible 40 years ago. I am so proud and inspired by our children today.
There was a part of a song I listened to many years ago, and thought beautiful and profound. But last night I finally understood the real meaning of the verse.

We can teach them nothing-nothing but survival in a desert bare,
But they can teach us how to love, and live and tie bright ribbons in our hair

Thank you children, for the lesson
You didn't have to wait so long!

Ted's Excellent Adventure October 29, 2008

The world according to Ted has taken a strange twist this week. Guilty of seven felony counts! What a LONG strange trip it's been. Look...Ted has been a strong supporter of Alaskan interests since before it was a state. A friend of mine has a daughter that's currently on Ted's staff, and reports that the man is still one of the hardest working members of the Senate, putting in the kind of hours that wear her out. There has long been a love-hate relationship with Senator Stevens in this state. The bottom line with both Stevens and the recently retired senator and Governor Murkowski, as well as Congressman Young has been seniority. With a total of three representatives for the state in Washington..we have conceded the fact that their voices need to be loud.
Ted Stevens is the rare politician that actually has very little money. No family money to speak of. The house that was doubled in size was a modified A frame. A vacation home at best. All of Alaska feels bad about his situation. Not much anger, but a great deal of disappointment. It's almost as if Alaska feels we owed him more financial stability at his advanced age. We owed him the addition to his A frame cabin, the grill, the chair. He should have been able to afford these things after the years of service to the state. But not the way it went down....and particularly not with Bill Allen and Veco. Bill Allen is as crooked as a business man can get. He corrupted, and strong armed his company Veco into the biggest, and dirtiest, oil support company in Alaskan history. After an FBI investigation, and more than a few legislatures and lobbyist ending up in jail over the last couple of years, Veco's ownership of so many Alaskan politicians became painfully clear. With Ted, we may have hoped it to be much about nothing, but make no mistake....these were never "gifts" from an old friend. It was the pathetically low cost of owning a United States Senator. His re-election bid may turn out the biggest surprise of it all. I will not be shocked if he win's reelection. The thought of a democrat in Washington will be a hard pill to swallow for Alaskans. His democratic opponent was 1 point ahead before his conviction, and by all reason it shouldn't even be a contest now.....but stranger things have happened! At the very least the republicans can keep the seat from Beigich, and later when Ted looses the seat, a special election would almost assuredly elect Binkley, the republican who lost to Ted in the primary..
Republican, Democrat, Independent, Alaskan Independent, Green -Gray- and Purple party....no one will be rejoicing over the fall of an old Alaskan.

The Bear, The Whale and The Wardrobe- October 25, 2008

Yesterday I saw that Sarah was wearing a large Polar bear pin on her lapel. Her history with Polar Bears would not lead someone from here to think it would be her first choice of an accessory. Aerial hunting of wolves is not her only questionable view of protecting Alaska's animal population. Sarah stood against considering Polar Bears as an endangered species. In part because although she does recognize that there are some climate changes, she questions if man has all that much to do with it. You know the rap....ice age...nuclear holocaust...not much difference . Both end up in a long hard winter! Just those silly little phases the earth goes through. But the main reason for her stand on the Polar Bears was based on the conclusion that it would add more environmental pressures against drilling in ANWAR. The fact that they are not substantial inhabitants of that region meant nothing in her stand. The worry of perception drove her decision.
On to the Whale. I just love this one. She has also made a stand against including Beluga whales in the endangered species act. Her reason for that decision was in two parts. The first was her concern that it would hinder any development in Cook Inlet. Especially around the development of the Anchorage Port. Secondly, and my personal favorite, was her concern over the problems it might raise for the construction of.....you ready..... the bridge to nowhere!!! No....not the one to the airport in Ketchikan that was canceled. The on going project for a bridge over Knik Arm that has always been the true bridge to nowhere. Its is true, the bridge would be a short cut from Anchorage to Wasilla, and to property that Congressman Young's family has ties to. But other than that....it truly is the bridge to nowhere. And that project has continued to move forward with the 200+ million the state received for the project. Yes...the same funding that she told congress "thanks but no thanks". The infamous Bridge to Nowhere was ALWAYS about building both bridges. The funding was always about both projects. Congress never stopped the funding. They only took out the wording that forced the State to use the allocation for the two bridge projects, allowing the State to spend the money as they saw fit. The bridge that was never a bridge to "nowhere", but to the states 4th largest city's airport was canceled. The project to build the bridge across Knik Arm that was always a bridge to nowhere, but benefited her main constituents in the rail belt has been well funded and moving along very well. Inside scoop.....if you ever really want to piss off an Alaskan....mention the bridge to nowhere. And now you know the rest of the story
As to the wardrobe....when you show up to the party in sheep's clothing, of course the host is going to loan you a dress!

The Governor needs new clothes Oct. 22,2008

Our Governor seems to be under the gun today, about both her children's travel, and her new wardrobe. I really think these issues are much to do about nothing. First, the fact that new clothes would be required for Sarah should not be a great shock to anybody. She represents the very best of her party (wow) and has to look the part. As difficult as it is for me to get my mind around why it would be considered not appropriate to dress in Carharts, jeans and long johns....for anything....I do realize that it is not an opinion commonly held. I really do think she deserves a break on this one. As to her children's travel, and her collecting per-dium for the 300+ days she was home, I suppose that could be a reasonable issue for discussion. But this time I find myself siding with Sarah once again (gasp).

Alaska has historically had a very different standard of acceptance for our politicians. Because of the size of the state, and the location of the capital (there are no roads connecting Juneau with the rest of the state), all our legislators and their aide's receive per-dium through out session. Even the 3 Juneau representatives receive per-dium in an effort to equalize the pay for everyone. The issue of Sarah Palin collecting per-dium at home is pretty much a non issue when it comes to the money, as far as most Alaskans are concerned. What has some implications is the fact that she spends so little time in Juneau, where the Governors office is located. She has been a very hands off and absent administrator, and even members of her party were seen wearing buttons during the last legislative session that asked "Wheres Sarah" !
We collectively seem to have a very high tolerance for corrupt governors. For example there have been more than a few governors that were completely in big oil's pocket. No attempt to even hide the fact. For the voters here, it seems to be a bigger issue that we know from the start who owns who, or who owes who. The "at least we know from the start" will actually gain a candidate votes. In the case of Walter Hickel, former Secretary of the Interior under Nixon, the fact that big oil owned him lock stock and barrel (no pun intended) probably won him the 3 way election. Alaskans knew what he was about, and that was good enough. And he actually turned out to be a decent governor, with Alaskans welfare his first priority. As a funny side line, during that same election Alaska voted to re criminalize pot (that's a story in itself) Hickel came late into a 3 way election and was elected by a small margin. In between the governors mansion and the governors office is a short walk. On the building next to the governors mansion, a building that Governor Hickel walked by every day, and looked out his window upon every night ,was written in huge letters "Pot got more votes than Hickel". Walter Hickel was not a man of humor, so that building was a point of contention for his entire time in office. Thinking back, Juneau was kind of proud of that sign. If tourists stopped a local in the street to ask directions, they were always sent by the house no matter where they were going!
Anyway....I think in a way, the most anger generated in Alaska over Sarah Palins VP campaign is that we have no idea who she is anymore. She has said so many things, about the bridge to nowhere, lower taxes, taking on the oil company's, pushed a pipe line through, reformer, things that we all know is pure bullshit. As far as the state is concerned, if you have had relations with a chicken, say you had relations with a chicken, but don't make us find out on our own She speaks in the lower 48 as if her state cant hear her. We may have suspected her lack of substance, but are embarrassed that by the time it became so evident, it was in front of a national audience.