Read about the ridiculous fees the State of Alaska (under former half-Gov. Sarah Palin and now) requires citizens to pay for public information!
REGISTERING ON THIS BLOG WILL ALWAYS BE FREE. Soapblox charges Blue Oasis a monthly fee for the blog platform as well as the yearly charge for the website domain. There are also occasional fees for records gathering activities (CDs of meeting minutes and copying fees for letters and other documents from APOC). If you can support the blog and all of our work towards justice for ALL Alaskans and to hold ex-Governor Palin accountable, please visit the drop- down list above. Any contribution is much-appreciated!
Thank you!
Though many of us suffer from Palin Factor Fatigue, it is irrefutable that there is a nagging curiosity to have the question answered, ?How in the world did Sarah Palin become so popular and why do we still need to hear about her?? My book answers these questions in detail and urges us all to be vigilant. She is one of a small pool of ?rising stars in the republican party? as John McCain stated as recently as January 25, 2009 on Fox News Sunday.
As unbelievable as her meteoric rise was we cannot delude ourselves, turning our backs once again, into thinking that she and those like her are going away. This woman is joined by millions of loyalists whose perception is that she was persecuted in the media, stifled by McCain, and mocked by liberals - and now the theocratic conservatives are regrouping with a vengeance!
"Blue Oasis" began in 2005 in its Blogger format (now an archive) and became possibly the first Alaska Blog on Progressive Politics. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis was honored to represent Alaska as the state blog.
Transition--Community Blog
In September 2008, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis moved to a Soapblox Community Blog format. Readers can become full participants by registering on the blog to comment and write "diaries." Diary titles appear on the right sidebar for folks to read and provide comments. Blog editors may choose to move some of these diaries to the front page.
While this Community was formed specifically with Alaska in mind, all "friends of Alaska" are welcome as members!
**Note about registering** Scroll down the right side until you find the link to register. Then, just follow the instructions!
**Note about comments** To comment on a story, click on the heading and then look for the "comment bar" at the bottom (it's light grey, I can't seem to change it). I believe the font color NOW permits you to see the "post comment" text.
YOUR BLOGMISTRESS
My name is Linda Kellen Biegel and I am a former 15-year Federal employee. Thirteen of those years were spent working for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I am also semi-retired from the Alaska music scene (singer, sound tech, stage manager, logistics).
When the blog was chosen to represent Alaska in the DNCC State Blogger Pool at the Denver Convention, I attended with the help of Alaska Real blogmistress, Writing Raven and my daughter Morrigan. On August 29th, one day after Barack Obama's inspiring speech at Invesco Field , my life took another turn as it did for all Alaska bloggers when Gov. Sarah Palin was chosen to be John McCain's VP running mate. Since then, I've either assisted or have been interviewed by media from the UK, Italy, Australia and Germany as well as national media outlets such as Wall Street Journal, NY Times, ABC Good Morning America's Kate Snow, National Journal, Dallas Morning News, LA Times, and NPR.
Presently, I work as a freelance writer, PR, event coordinator, community organizer, wife to computer programmer Josh and mother to 11-year-old Morrigan. Our family especially enjoys our summers in Alaska where we get to subsistence set-net fish Sockeye salmon as well as halibut fish/whalewatch in the family's homemade aluminum boat, "The Neverdone" (when it's working). We reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
Origin of "Celtic Diva"
I've used "Celtic Diva" as a screen name since the early 1990's on Web TV.
"Folks have asked about my Celtic heritage, especially in light of my name. What they don't realize is that I'm adopted. I was born Valerie Morehead of the Clan Muirhead. I was adopted at three-months-old by the Kellens. I always "knew" I was Celt even before really knew. I was drawn to all things Scottish, especially music. That's why my parents eventually told me at age 16."
"Linda is well-known in Alaska & beyond as the prominent progressive political blogger Celtic Diva of Celtic Diva?s Blue Oasis. But back in the day, the early 1990s, I knew her as Linda Kellen, a member of the local folk/rock band Sky is Blu, which amongst other things performed in at least a couple or so of the annual women?s show Celebration of Change, in which I also performed. And if you don?t already know, let me tell you: Linda is one fine damn singer."
I went on after the break-up of "Sky is Blu" to perform with various Alaska musicians and work with national folks like Bo Diddly, Coco Montoya, Debbie Davies, Taj Mahal, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bad Company, Creedence Clearwater, Carny Wilson, etc...
A bee on Dragon Tongue Stonecrop in my rock garden
August 2010
(Scroll down to find posts.)
(Please register to participate in diaries and comments! We'd love for you to join our Community!)
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So the Palin Administration hasn't had a very good couple of weeks.
--Andree McLeod filed two ethics complaints, one against her Press Secretary Bill McAllister and one on Palin's closest aide, Kris Perry.
--CNN has been doing regular broadcasts of Dennis Zaki's videos from his trip to Rural Alaska...a trip the Governor has yet to make...causing questions about the Governor's inaction to go national. Dennis's trip was a result of grass-roots fundraising by bloggers and "community organizers."
--The Alaska Legislature reminded the 10 folks subpeonaed during the Branchflower Investigation that they were in contempt when they decided not to show up. However, they put much of the blame on Attorney General Talis Colberg in advising them that they had the option not to show up, so the Legislature decided not to punish them. (I heard from sources over the weekend that the Legislature "may not be done" with Colberg.)
Governor Palin is claiming that Talis "resigned" because it's a "harsh political environment." Even the Daily News headline states that "Colberg resigns amid legislative pressure over 'Troopergate'"
Let's all be clear about where that "pressure" has come from.
When Alaska Governor Sarah Palin gave her innaugural speech in 2006, she made many promises of "protecting and defending the Alaska Constitution," supporting "free market and competition" and yes, this is the part where she asks us all to "hold her accountable." However, she also says this (at 7:50 on the video):
I'll insist on ethics in your government. **applause**
That all changed after she became a VP candidate and the McCain/Palin campaign decided not to cooperate with the investigation AND to smear and attack Walt Monegan and anyone who dared asked questions:
The Repubublicans also declared war on "Community Organizers."
Since no one else seemed to be standing up against the McCain Campaign people who were taking over the Alaska Government, in rode the community organizers:
-- Alaskans for Truth pushed a "Call to Action" called "Countdown to Truth" where for 10 days, everyone was encouraged to repeatedly contact the members of the Legislative Council, pushing for them to release the Branchflower Report. 2000 emails were sent out and the voice mail and email boxes of the legislators were flooded.
-- Alaskans for Truth had another major "Call to Action" leading up to the legislative session where hundreds of supporters contacted members of the Legislature through the holidays demanding that action be taken against Talis Colberg, the folks who ignored the subpeonas and that the results of the Branchflower Report not be forgotten. Before the "call" there were a number of legislators who had already stated they were "over" Troopergate. After a few weeks of emails, several legislator responses changed from less favorable to more favorable towards action on the Branchflower Investigation.
So, thanks to community organizers, Alaskan bloggers (wearing pajamas or not), and most of all, the passionate public out there who has supported the efforts, two of the things Alaskans for Truth wanted to get done were finished this week.
I encourage Governor Palin to continue to insult, laugh-at and try to discredit bloggers, community organizers, and civic-minded constituents. Believe me, it just makes us all more determined. And it appears that the Palin Administration really can't afford for us to get any more "determined" than we already are.
