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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!
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| About |
THE BLOG--HISTORY
"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.
"Celtic"
"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."
"Diva"
"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...
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| Archive Search by Topic (Prior to September 9th) |
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For the Alaska Community and beyond...
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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VFA 
Mon Oct 20, 2008 at 16:46:11 PM AKDT
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(Back on October 15th, I posted a diary about the shameful way Governor Palin through her administration treated the study on Alaska's National Guard by Veterans for America.
Today, I am honored to have Bobby Muller submit a diary to Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis. He is a legend in the veterans community, having founded Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) in 1978 and Vietnam Veterans of America Foundation (later renamed Veterans for America) in 1980. His achievements are too extensive to list here, but can be read on his bio at the VFA website. - promoted by Celtic Diva)
Veterans For America has long been focused on issues surrounding our National Guard soldiers and assessing the problems that they face when returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq. Through VFA's nonpartisan National Guard efforts, the group has conducted reports and examined National Guard units on a state-by-state basis to determine their needs and analyze the issues they face.
On Wednesday, VFA released its most recent report that takes a look at the Alaska Army National Guard. The report has garnered plenty of media attention and The Minnesota Independent provided its own look at the report:
The latest iteration of this formula comes to us by way of Lt. Gen. Craig Campbell, commissioner of the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs, who groaned yesterday that a Veterans for America report constitutes a political "ambush" of the governor. Campbell described the preliminary report - which focuses largely on post-deployment problems, especially vets' insufficient access to health care - as "poorly written, lacking substantiation of allegations and basically filled with plain incorrect information." Veterans for America points out that it had begun its review of Alaska's National Guard more than a year ago, long before Palin became a national figure.
As indicated by The Minnesota Independent, this review was started over a year ago - long before most of America outside of Alaska knew who Sarah Palin was. The goal of this report isn't political. The goal of this report isn't to target a now-prominent political figure. The goal of this report was to address the needs of the Alaska National Guard and determine what is required to address those needs.
Gov. Palin doesn't deserve a pass. Palin has touted since her entry into the presidential race that she headed the Alaskan National Guard. If that is what she wishes to tout, then she should be able to answer questions and address the problems facing her state's National Guard soldiers.
But the issues with the Alaska National Guard are bigger than one person. These issues impact many soldiers returning home from deployments (and, at times, multiple deployments). Troops that are deployed face many obstacles in post-deployment life. Right now, the programs and systems aren't in place to address these obstacles. VFA concluded in the report that the United States should not deploy National Guard soldiers from Alaska any longer until these problems are remedied.
With Alaska at the forefront thanks to Gov. Palin's notoriety, this is a time where we can really address how we are letting our National Guard fall through the cracks. Trying to pass off a sincere attempt to address the urgent needs of our soldiers returning home from multiple deployments as politics is a great disservice to our troops and veterans who face post-deployment obstacles upon their return and lack the necessary programs and systems to deal with these issues.
I'd rather see the needs our National Guard met, even if it means suffering accusations of 'playing politics', than to not see them met at all. Again, these issues are bigger than Gov. Palin. This affects many National Guard troops and their families. These issues must be addressed before Alaska fails to provide the necessary services to those who have honorably and bravely served their country.
Veterans of America is proud to sponsor the Our Troops Newsladder, a new tool to find the top news and articles in the progressive community by, about and for our troops.
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Thu Oct 02, 2008 at 10:58:40 AM AKDT
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(Welcome, Jason, and I hope this is the beginning of many diaries from you! - promoted by Celtic Diva)
National Guard units struggle nationwide, but the post-deployment challenges facing the Alaska National Guard are more daunting and widespread than any other I've seen as a Director of Veterans for America's National Guard Program.
As we have done in more than 12 other states, members of Veterans for America's National Guard Program recently completed an assessment of the needs of the Alaska National Guard, culminating with a week-long trip to Alaska, visiting a cross-section of the state to assess the needs of the Alaska National Guard. Despite the dedicated and relentless work many in Alaska, VFA's findings indicate that the post-deployment needs of Alaska National Guard members and their families remain largely unmet.
The greatest challenge facing Alaska National Guard members is access to care. Guard members living in urban centers like Anchorage and Juneau have limited access to Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare and Tricare (i.e., Department of Defense-sponsored military health care). When Guard members are deployed, their families are forced to switch to a very limited Tricare network, and often lose their health care.
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