Is Linda Kellen Biegel a "Democratic Operative"?
No, I am not. The Democratic National Convention Committee selected 56 blogs as "State Blogs" to represent their states (and territories, and ex-patriots) at the Democratic National Convention in August 2008. That was it!
Other info: I'm a wife, mother of a beautiful daughter and a disabled person myself. Any other biographical information can be found on the left-hand column of the blog.
What exactly is the story behind how the "photoshopped" picture came to be?
I was doing a fundraiser to gather the exorbitant monies needed for the release of public records from the Governor's Office ($5,552.64) -- a State of Alaska Record's Request. Some of these emails involve Palin-worshipping talk-show-host Eddie Burke and Anchorage Daily News Gossip Columnist and Editor Sheila Toomey.
I had already started so I really couldn't use any of the "thermometer" programs out there (tracks donations and creates a graph) because I had no idea how to make it count the money already in the Paypal account. So, one of my readers offered to photoshop "thermometers" each day for me so the donors could have a visual of how we were doing. He came up with a nice version of the State of Alaska for the second day (we skipped the first...I just put the total up without a thermometer). I wanted to "take that image back" because Conservatives4Palin, a completely non-Alaskan blog, used it for their web-a-thon. On the third day, he sent me the same graphic with the updated percentage, which I put on the blog. Later, he sent the one in question which showed in a humorous way (we thought) the relationship between Palin and Burke. He thought I should have a different one for every day. I didn't have a chance to use it then (I already had the other one up and was away from home) but I told him to do it again for the new percentage tomorrow. He did and, well, you know the rest.
Here are all of the "thermometers" (click each one to enlarge):
    
We were both absolutely floored that anyone would take it for anything than what it was...poking fun at the Governor and Eddie Burke. We also realized that because of my "digging" and writing about the questionable activities of Governor Palin, they were just looking for anything they could twist to try and discredit me.
Why did you take the image down Wednesday night? Was it because of pressure?
Absolutely not! Dr. Chill (the reader in question) was sending me a new "thermometer image" each night after I sent him the total for the day. So, there was no way that image was going to be up beyond Wednesday night anyway because it had the wrong percentage on it. We weren't going to use that same image again, especially when Dr. Chill got the idea to use Burke in his controversial red t-shirt. Besides, there really wasn't any pressure on Wednesday...it was just faux-outrage whining from a bunch of Palin-worshipping bloggers. It didn't really get interesting until Meg Stapleton put her foot in it on Thursday.
Have you apologized to anyone? Do you intend to apologize?
We have nothing to apologize for...it's Conservatives4Palin, Meg Stapleton and the Governor who should be apologizing. Blue Oasis is an Alaska blog with a mostly Alaska audience. (It fluctuates but it's usually about 65% as I've periodically tracked it. That may have changed after this week.) Alaskans "got it" completely because that's who we were targeting. It was the faux outrage and the lies about the posting generated by Conservatives4Palin (run and read by mostly outsiders) and then kicked into the national media by Meg "the mouth" Stapleton at the behest of the Governor. Any misunderstandings were the result of their collective thirst for tabloid fame and desire to twist any truth to discredit a critic. Those who may have been offended were people who NEVER would have seen the picture otherwise and who were not the intended audience.
Was part of your response to Meg Stapleton really "You fail at life?"
NO...ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!! I was NEVER asked for a response to Stapleton's diatribe nor did I post one on the blog. The national media took a quote from an angry article posted 24 HOURS BEFORE STAPLETON'S STATEMENT WAS EVEN RELEASED that was completely directed at Conservatives4Palin and their frenzied smear campaign!!! (The proof...look at the post date.) It was blogger-to-blogger! No matter how much I may disagree with Governor Palin or Stapleton, that would never be part of any response to them.
Will your blog continue to feature satire and satirical images?
You betcha!
The caption writes itself...
**************************************UPDATE******************************
I'm adding my hands-down choice for best photoshop EVER!
This was from our friend Lazarhat over at OMFGAlaska (and who is also a diarist at Blue Oasis). The disclaimer/caption is the best part:
(this image is intended as PARODY and as such is covered under US copyright fair use laws -- since it is PARODY, nothing PERSONAL is intended or implied. The opinion above is socio-political commentary and as such is covered by the US First Amendment right to free speech. And besides, I just think it's a cute image. Meg wooks sweepy)
|
