So Long, Sarah! Anchorage Bids Farewell to the Governor.
Well, today was the second-to-last stop on the Quitter Tour. It was Abdication Eve here in Alaska. Today at 2pm Alaska time, the governor will officially hand over the state, and all it’s unresolved problems to Lt. Governor Sean Parnell. He’s known to us here as Caribou Ken, The Empty Suit, Sean Who? and Captain Zero. What is he going to be like? We’ll find out.
I arrived at the Governor’s Picnic in what I thought would be plenty of time. Boy was I wrong. All available parking spaces were taken for what felt like miles around. I found a lucky empty spot about a half a mile from the festivities, and did a half-walk half-run all the way there. I got to the stage area only about 10 minutes before the governor arrived.
As I found a spot with a good view of the stage, I was very fortunate to hear Hobo Jim, a true Alaskan legend.
Then Palin took the stage. I braced myself for the word salad… for some kind of closure, or a 10 minute talk about the miliatary, or Alaskans, or our freedoms, or Sean Parnell… But all there was was a strange kind of “all that stands between you and food is us talking, so we’ll be brief.” And she was. Very.
After the non-speech, Palin was hustled over to the food service area surrounded by a phalanx of security. A friend of mine was working security at the event, and I figured I’d have no problem meeting up with him, but it was so packed, I never even saw him.
As soon as Palin left the stage area, the crowd and the media dispersed, leaving soon-to-be-governor Sean Parnell and whoever spoke after him, addressing a crowd of the back of people’s heads as they charged over to get food from Palin.
I managed to worm my way through the crowd and get close, sandwiched between ABC News and Dennis Zaki, but security was way too hopped up to allow a good vantage point. I was glad I had my big lens. “People need to get to the condiments!” they barked as tourists with cameras pressed up against the orange tape. “The food line must go through!”
I watched as people came up to the front of the area, and people snapped pictures. Some of them were actually mopping their eyes as they walked away, overcome with emotion and looking at the tiny screens on their cameras to make sure they had gotten a good shot. “Nobody at home is going to believe this!” an elderly man gushed. A woman to my left proudly showed off three 8×10 glossy photos of the governor’s official portrait, autographed in metallic gold Sharpie. She explained in a thick southern accent, “I’m makin’ scrapbooks for the grand kids,….so they’ll remember.” Reverent emphasis was placed on that last word, like remembering the Moon landing. “We’ll remember, but they won’tremember. This’ll help ’em.” For a second, I felt like saying, “A lot of us would really rather forget!” and I went to elbow Dennis Zaki who had been standing to my right, but he’d vanished to another vantage point. Fortunately nobody had taken his spot or I would have elbowed some enamored tourist in the ribs while they were trying to capture an iconic photograph. To remember.
I found another spot right near some official professional photographers and got to hang out there for a while until security came back. “OK, that’sit! EVERYONE OUT! This is not a “media area” this is a food line!” Of course nobody was obstructing anyone’s access to the aluminum containers of white lettuce, and sliced onions, but those security folks slept last night, knowing that nothing even came close to coming between those crazed Sarah Palin fans and their burger toppings.
She wasn’t the only one on the food line. Commissioner Joe Schmidt was there too; Palin’s High School buddy, and head of the Dept. of Corrections. He has a strange vibe.
He’s the one that we thought was #3 in line for the governorship, who would step up and fill the Lt. Governor’s slot when Parnell becomes governor. But apparently there’s some kind of back story there that nobody knows about because Palin announced to us all that the Lt. Governor would instead be Craig Campbell, thus causing a constitutional crisis due to his lack of confirmation by the legislature… But this is a picnic, so we’ll try to keep politics out of it.
And, of course, there was our governor-in-waiting, looking pretty darn pleased about the whole thing. He and his wife were quite on Cloud 9.
Finally I’d gotten my fill of Sarah handing out burgers. This was right around the same time as the second wave of condiment police hit the scene. “Clear the area!”
I remembered, looking at her, how charming she can be on a superficial level. I don’t know whether anyone on the line told her to give the defense fund money back, or asked her about Western Alaska, or Medicare, or wildlife management, or Troopergate. She just kept saying, “Ohhhh! Thank you for comeen!” And the wide-eyed tourist would walk zombie-like, down the condiment line. Alaskans are definitely more down-to-Earth about the whole thing. Even the ones that really like her don’t have that feeling of “rock star” that everyone else does.
While out of state fans were all swoony, coveting pictures and trying just to get a glimpse of her, the Alaskan fans wee more of a … homegrown variety.
They got talked to by the press, a lot.
As I backed, away, I realized how long the line had gotten. I remembered Palin’s mini-speech and thought “The only thing standing between people and their food is a thousand other people!” The numbers willing to wait in line for free food from Sarah Palin made a line that stretched two full city blocks long. Yes, I was hungry. No, there was no way…
The other odd presence at the picnic was a very “out there” second amendment crowd. Nothing says fun family picnic more than a bunch of people sporting firearms, and all wearing the same shirt covered wtih … firearms. 
Add to the mix all the security people of various stripes, a bunch of military stuff, and the FBI riot gear booth, and the event had a weird feeling.
I ran into Shannyn Moore and we speculated what this guy must be texting. “I….am…..na…tion..al….media… Get… me… out of here!!”
And just to add to the mood, Mrs. Alaska was there, teetering on high heels in the grass, with a young future pageant girl in training.
I was stricken at one point by a bad case of lens-envy…
There was definitely not much of a “counter presence” this time. I ran in to a few people who said they had left their signs in the car. The mood was strange and there were so many people, the usual plan of “I’ll see you there” didn’t happen. But there were a few souls who did sport signs. One said “Palin’ Failin’!” over by the food line, but it had disappeared by the time I got there. And Mudflatter SH sported this snazzy backpack!
I did stand in line for about 3 minutes to get my free Sarah Palin bookmarks, official state portrait, and a poster with a collage of Sarah Palin images on it. While I was waiting on line, I snapped this picture of the crowd. 
The people in front of me said, “We saw Sarah in Florida, and we came up here all the way just for this!” I really wanted them to be kidding. I finally got my goods from another young pageant participant I’d seen hanging around at other Republican events. I had fun the rest of the day tracking down progressive bloggers, and unrolling the picture of Palin in front of their face and making a horror movie scream.
Further down the way, a smaller but more important crowd was gathering at a rally to support health care reform. As I walked past the hundreds and hundreds of people still on line after the governor left, I thought how strange that was. People were willing to do so much, just to get a hamburger on a Wonder bread roll from Sarah Palin. How many of them were going to take 3 minutes to email, or call their Senators or Congresspeople about the most important issue of our day?
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Great coverage. Anyone know who the tall, pretty blonde is in so many pics, who seems to be joined at the hip with Palin? My guess is a former high school basketball teammate/buddy along for the ride to fame and fortune…. mostly fortune.
I was told she is Track Palin’s girlfriend. AKM
Those of us who could not be there thank you. LOL It must have been sort of surreal looking on.
SP’s quittin’ has made it to Australian TV news – they ran Tina Fey footage alongside SP for our added enjoyment.
We don’t know whether or not to hope for her to run in 2012, but shall certainly keep checking in here for the next exciting developments.
Thanks for eye rollery tom foolery.
LOL, Lens envy. Bwaaaahaaaaa
Closing Time. …
lotsa red shirts… but parnel and the new first lady was wearing blue.
maybe that is a sign of the future.
soooo, like… Mr. Palin is no longer The First Dud, eh?
Whoops! Sorry for the double-ish post. The first one went to a page with an error message and I watched the video before writing the second one…
ProChoiceGrandma Says:
Wish I knew sign language to see if the interpreter was signing “She’s so full of sh*t”.
—————-
Tempting, I’m sure, but no!
I’m an interpreter and have always had tremendous sympathy for any fellow interpreter who tries to make sense of her blather. Actually, the interpreter did a great job making what Palin said as clear as possible. It was such a short speech and did make more sense than usual so the woman lucked out!
I was kinda surprised to see her in red, though. As a rule, light-skinned interpreters wear solid dark colors for good contrast with their hands. However, red is a real problem for anyone with Usher Syndrome (causes hearing and vision loss), so most interpreters I know who do platform work don’t wear it. It was also odd to see her on the ground instead of the stage because it really limits how many people can see her. Wonder if that’s a SP thing to not want to share the stage…anyone notice this before???
I’ve interpreted at ceremonies several times for a former boss (a political appointee who was probably even nuttier than Palin, hard to believe I know!) where I was sooo tempted to sign “Lie! Lie! Lie!” We try to always be professional but sometimes it’s REALLLY hard!!!
Dubya was in my town a few years ago and they were looking for an interpreter to cover his speech. A friend of mine worked at the school where he was speaking at and nearly called me to do the job. As much as it would have been cool to interpret for a POTUS, I just could NOT have accurately interpreted what he was saying without my feelings showing all over my face!
ProChoiceGrandma Says:
I especially enjoyed watching the curly-haired interpreter for the deaf for Sarah’s Anchorage speech (video by Gryphen & Awesome Daughter). I guess that job would make your hair curl interpreting Sarah’s word salad! Wish I knew sign language to see if the interpreter was signing “She’s so full of sh*t”.
—————-
I am an interpreter and have had tremendous sympathy for any interpreter who tries to make sense of her blather. My computer is allergic to Gryphen’s site but I’ll try to pull up the video and check out what she’s signing, poor woman!
I’ve interpreted at ceremonies several times for a former boss (a political appointee who was probably even nuttier than Palin, hard to believe I know!) where I was sooo tempted to sign “Lie! Lie! Lie!” We try to always be professional but sometimes it’s REALLLY hard!!!
OMG…is anyone else listening to this media slam by palin during her speech? The woman is shameless…and whether she realizes it or not…she is hurting herself more and more, What a classless woman.
AKM, thanks. That was really a great narrative, I guess, of the event. Really, sincerely, I felt like I was there at times. Here in just a few minutes now, that woman will step down. I just watched her spiritual adviser again on video; I was showing it to visiting company. That person was speechless when I said SP belongs to a religious group that has been conspiring to take away my religious freedom. Well, the kids are seated, any minute now.
187 Jackie Says:
Some of the Republicans are getting it finally:
“’I’ve been a supporter of Sarah Palin — at times,” Castellanos said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. “She gave the McCain campaign its best two weeks. But, you know, if we’re going to be critical of Democrats when they shirk their responsibilities, we have do the same within our own house. She abandoned her state in the middle of a term.”
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
———
from that same article:Also on State of the Union Sunday, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell suggested Palin has a bright future within the Republican Party.
“Boy, I don’t think we’ve seen the last of Sarah Palin,” McConnell told King, “She excites an awful lot of members of my party. They’re anxious to see what she’s going to do next and so am I.”
In my unexplainable mind, when I read this part, I envisioned a sweaty crowd of drunk male patrons (her stalking followers with tongues hanging perhaps), in some seedy joint with dollar bills in their hands, yelling at palin up on the stage…her next venture? her audience? her fund contributors?
Beth @ 142
I especially enjoyed watching the curly-haired interpreter for the deaf for Sarah’s Anchorage speech (video by Gryphen & Awesome Daughter). I guess that job would make your hair curl interpreting Sarah’s word salad! Wish I knew sign language to see if the interpreter was signing “She’s so full of sh*t”.
How is Buffalo Gal feeling now? Hope you can hear SP’s farewell.
Well, CNN is having a countdown, they ask Mr. Axelrod for comment, he brushed them off about his views on Sarah, said he’s more concerned about immediate issues. I think the media tries really hard to make her sound like a serious contender for (something), and it’s funny how little passion they get from people’s answers about her.
New post!
Ooooh, Don Lemon just said “but is it a farewell?” before cutting to commercial. I just didn’t like the sound of that….)o:
Hope Rubber Room is there and doing okay. Hopefully hooked up with some like minded people (o:
I’m sure glad she no longer has a gubernatorial bully pulpit but, oh brother,
now she heads to the lower 48 to do her thing. How many years are we going to have to endure this strange being and her clueless adoring fans. They sure are an odd bunch.
Some of the Republicans are getting it finally:
“’I’ve been a supporter of Sarah Palin — at times,” Castellanos said Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. “She gave the McCain campaign its best two weeks. But, you know, if we’re going to be critical of Democrats when they shirk their responsibilities, we have do the same within our own house. She abandoned her state in the middle of a term.”
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/
michigander Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 1:56 PM
crystalwolf – it’s on TV
~~~~~~~~~~~
Thanks!!! 🙂
Late to this party… has anyone else noticed that she must be wearing the big bumpit?
crystalwolf – it’s on TV
michigander Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 1:50 PM
CNN covering it now with Chris Welsh. Live speech in about 55 min.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Online or TV/link? please
Welsh said there were some blogger dissenters w/signs. No pics from Fairbanks yet. Now guests just talking about her.
Here is a little cartoon that was posted on HuffPo.
Along the same line as Gryphens today.
http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/H/q/2/palin-nixon-quitter.jpg
As an Alaskan, I think that this whole weekend has a kind of wierd vibe to it.
First there was a sense of elation, a dancing in the streets, jumping up and down for joy.
That is followed by a sense of relief (kind of like coming down off an adreniline high).
Then there is a sense of frustration because there are so many issues and things that need to be addressed and everyone is just fawning over SP. Hearing so many people buy into the “poor me, everyone was so mean to me” meme. To say nothing of the fact that Captain Zero is planning to just continue in her footsteps. And 3 days is just waaaay to long to party.
Now I have a bit of sadness mixed in because our state has been so badly misrepresented. What mother on earth would allow their child behind that machine gun??? How many more toothless, gun-toting, hairslicked back men need to be photographed when there are plenty of hard-working,”normal” people here. Some may fish and hunt, some may even carry guns, etc. But we are not all ignorant, mean spirited lemmings. Some of us are highly educated and live here because it is beautiful and just walking on the beach or hiking in the mountains or running dogs in front of a sled under a full moon at -20 degrees is our little piece of heaven.
I would not have gone into the belly of the beast even if I lived in Anchorage. I do not want her free food. I do not want to see her. I do not want to hear people who love her. I applaud those who go to report back to us on how it was.
AKM-do not feel that we are not out here because we were under-represented at such a function. It might have been a missed opportunity to push back but the bottom line is she is quitting her post. For some of us that is almost good enough.
Now we must wait and watch to see what will happen next. I wish she would just go home and take care of her family and stay out of the limelight. I know that that is not going to happen. I sincerely hope that something becomes of the AFT that shows to everyone what a fraud she has been (and still is). Unfortunately many are blinded.
As I have said before, if she tries anything on the national political stage I will be fight back tooth and nail.
For now, I want to pay attention to the people in this state who need us. I want to fervently work to protect the land and animals that are under constant fire up here. I want to support the administration of this country that is trying so hard to fix huge inequalities that exist in this country.
I find it very sad that the health care rally was undersupported but perhaps some people just didn’t want to deal with the crowds.
I come to mudflats for the humor and the support of like-minded individuals because I am often surrounded by either Palinbots or just a lot of people who are un-involved, under-informed or just don’t care.
I hope that we Alaskans can heal from the damage that SP has inflicted upon us. I cannot forgive her but I want to let her go.
By the way–If I had a camera, my lense would be thiiiiiiiiiiiiis big!
Shouldn’t she be wearing a hairnet to handle food for the public?
Shouldn’t she be wearing a hairnet to handle food for the public?
CNN covering it now with Chris Welsh. Live speech in about 55 min.
Schmidt looks like a bone thug.
#169 How did you do PP, hike up, drive up or the cog? Did you check out Manitou? My home , sweet home….Cog station is down the hill from my house. We moved here when my daughter was one, first full sentence was “all aboard!”
Grandma68, it’s jail. Bad guys. Prison. Nobody cares.
CG Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 1:38 PM
According to someone who was just released, in the Matsu prisons, they have isolation cells for the guys who need ’solitary confinement’ for infractions and disciplinary stuff.
The cells are used to quarantine prisoners with infectious diseases – staph, boils, hepatitis, tuberculosis. The cells are intentionally contaminated, filthy, and left with feces and body substances on the walls, floors and bedding. Corrections staff won’t enter these cells if they don’t have to and when they do, they wear full biohazard suits.
These are the solitary confinement cells. It’s a deterrence method to keeping order and discipline in the prison. Prisoners are threatened with being “assigned” to one of these cells for several days.
Apparently, it’s very effective. The worst bad-guy offender in there is terrified of the cells.
Well done, Joe.
~~~~~~~~~~
Him and sar-rah…two peas in a pod!
Until Alaskan’s “do” something about the Joe’s, Sar-rah’s, etc it will be biz as usual. Maybe Joe wanted to stay in corrections all of a sudden in case a friend gets thrown in the prison system, she can get the Paris hilton treatment?
JMO/Sue ME!
Several of us in chat – bring popcorn, we got the beverages
We are live blogging the EVENT on chat!
Come join us!
Lee323
I agree. Is this an Alaskan tradition to carry guns at a public picknick. Show off or threat ?
The pic showing the little girl and that death machine : Is this an armored truck/helicopter or whatever on exhibition ? Next to Piper’s trampolino ?
Seriously, what do the stats show for gun “accidents” in Alaska ?
cg, how in hell do the cells pass health inspection laws? This really does sound like a case for the Feds.
Wow,
Just got back from doing Pikes Peak and Royal Gorge, and have been in the Rockies for the last 4 days. The first 4 days in a long time I didn’t give a wit for the Twitter Twit.
Glad she has left- but am sure we will see her in the news at least 3 times a weeks as seems to be her M.O.
According to someone who was just released, in the Matsu prisons, they have isolation cells for the guys who need ‘solitary confinement’ for infractions and disciplinary stuff.
The cells are used to quarantine prisoners with infectious diseases – staph, boils, hepatitis, tuberculosis. The cells are intentionally contaminated, filthy, and left with feces and body substances on the walls, floors and bedding. Corrections staff won’t enter these cells if they don’t have to and when they do, they wear full biohazard suits.
These are the solitary confinement cells. It’s a deterrence method to keeping order and discipline in the prison. Prisoners are threatened with being “assigned” to one of these cells for several days.
Apparently, it’s very effective. The worst bad-guy offender in there is terrified of the cells.
Well done, Joe.
@160
“weiner”=wiener
weiner=whiner
whiner=Sarah
If the prison is as bad as described, even though it’s a state prison, can’t the Feds do an investigation on the complaint of a prisoner, a relative, or even a State official (although there’s probably not one of those that would)? Seems that when a state or locality is into maltreatment of prisoners, even jails here in the lower 48 have been investigated by the Feds.
If the ACLU has filed something, people need to push it. It sounds like a very dangerous place. Perhaps Mr. Schmidt should be investigated for malfeasance as well, a made man by Palin…
Hobo Jim, eh? Not a bit of Woody Guthrie blood in him?
The guy in the “Bitter Clinger” shirt set me back a bit, too. Bible in one hand, pistol in the other. I have a really great close-up of this guy. (Thank goodness for long lenses. 🙂 )
Dr. Chill :wicked: 😆
LOL….Dr. Chill! “buggering up….and pissing off home”
Break out the coconuts…
116 Chaim Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 12:11 PM
… they’re not getting a hot dog, they’re receiving the sacrament. There can’t be two lines when there’s only one priestess.
* ** * ** * ** * ** * ** * ** *
I’m still lol-ing over that one. It wasn’t exactly where I was trying to lead but it’s apt and bittersweet in its funniness because it is too close to the truth.
I’m underwhelmed at the progressives’ representation at this shindig.
Of course, the Palin fans packing guns might have been a tad off-putting.
What’s the point of packing weapons at a picnic? Wild bears storming the place to get the tourists’ weiners?
Hmmm…. so is free speech protected by guns as Palin claims? Or is free speech hampered by guns?
Quit the Quitnic’s. Enough already quittypants. Get a job Buttercup and pay your own bills mooch.
#146 YWC2 Says: “I think this is in reference to Pres. Obama’s saying during the campaign something about disenfranchised folks clinging to their guns and bibles. he caught a lot of flack for it.
BTW – I have only recently found this blog but am now completely addicted. Thanks!”
Ooooooohhhhh, now I get it. Thanks for the clarification, YWC2. And welcome to the ‘flats!
Todays ADN, July 26, front page has clear photo of Queen Sarah with NO wedding ring..haven’t noticed her wear one in a long time…very strange.
Schmidt just needs tattoos all over his arms and would be good candidate for cable TV docu “Locked Up”
Palin reminds me of this Monty Python Song.
Brave Sir Robin ran away.
Bravely ran away, away!
When danger reared its ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled.
Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
And gallantly he chickened out.
Bravely taking to his feet
He beat a very brave retreat,
Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin!
And later, as Sir Robin rejoins his sovereign king:
He is packing it in and packing it up
And sneaking away and buggering up
And chickening out and pissing off home,
Yes, bravely he is throwing in the sponge…
jc in co Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 11:11 AM
Does the guy holding the sign that has some sort of garbage like “Sarah, you’re as great as Alakska” only have like 2-3 teeth or is it a bad picture? If so, kind of indicative of her greatest fans & base in general.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
Like a sign that says “Sarah your my idle” 😉
—
Anyone a fan of Monty Python ? The irony of Palin’s (Sarah) Not-a-quitter/quitting resignation speech reminds me of the Minstral’s song in “The holy Grail”
Brave Sir Robin ran away.
Bravely ran away, away!
When danger reared its ugly head,
He bravely turned his tail and fled.
Yes, brave Sir Robin turned about
And gallantly he chickened out.
Bravely taking to his feet
He beat a very brave retreat,
Bravest of the brave, Sir Robin!
And later, as Sir Robin rejoins his sovereign king:
He is packing it in and packing it up
And sneaking away and buggering up
And chickening out and pissing off home,
Yes, bravely he is throwing in the sponge…
🙂
Thousands of people show up for an “I Quit!!!” celebration? She’s a great role model for all of those current and soon to be high school drop outs. When the going gets tough, quit, just look what it did for Sarah.
Gawd, I miss Hunter Thompson!!!
Celia Harrison Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 12:47 PM
Joe Schmidt looks as evil as he is. You have to have a pretty dark soul to run a prison system where people are denied heath care while you tell the public they are getting it.
~~~~~~~~~~
Celia,
Regina has a whole write up about Prisongate on her “palingates” She has it all documented and the MRSA infection in his prison too.
http://palingates.blogspot.com/search/label/prisongate
It will curl your hair!
Seattlefan, it is getting hot!
Buffalogal, I hope you feel better soon!
Irish, I had the same feeling about the little girl and the gun.
136 TBNTJudy Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 12:38 PM
Grandma68, I saw that, too. I’ve been wondering what a Bitter Clinger is. The picture looks like a Bible in one hand and a gun in another.
I think this is in reference to Pres. Obama’s saying during the campaign something about disenfranchised folks clinging to their guns and bibles. he caught a lot of flack for it.
BTW – I have only recently found this blog but am now completely addicted. Thanks!
Did anyone else notice how Joe Schmidt bears a resemblance to Todd?
@Celia, I wish you would tell me that this is not true, but I’m sure you cannot. Shows just what kinds of people SP pals around with. This guy is a domestic terrorist in my book. These people are SICK beyond belief.
Photo of Queen Palin serving hot dogs with blue gloves??
Did she just come from surgery?? Sure looks like she has a
NEW FACE. Her facial expression is very plastic looking. Something
like the Nancy Polosi look. Hmm!!
I have been thinking of Nixon’s “I’m not a crook”. With Sarah, it’s more like “Yeah, I am a crook, but until the courts tell me I’m a crook, you can’t touch me”.
Well, maybe she should not be sticking out her tongue just yet.
See comments #24 & #25 at http://palingates.blogspot.com/2009/07/looking-at-arah-palins-legal-fund-from.html
Celia Harrison – Good grief, I knew that there were problems in that prison, especially with bacteria etc., but had no idea things were that bad. Outrageous.
Beth – Quite agree, that did seem stupid.
Reminds me of a Christening I attended recently. The family of the child have problems, at least 8 of them are deaf. 2 in wheelchairs and 1 blind.
One of the family was signing for them whilst the priest did his thing.
He did that whole “Jesus made the blind see, the lame to walk and the deaf to hear” thing.
Clueless wonder had no idea why the whole lot of us were laughing so hard we had tears running down our faces.
That Mrs. Alaska is Erika Bennett, Mrs. Alaska America, not Mrs. Alaska United States. Mrs. Alaska United States is the one who protested equal rights in her perky sash.
Rita Corwin, the director of Mrs. Alaska America, would not object to her queens protesting anything as a private person, but given the number of queens who make the pageants float, she was NOT happy with Mrs. AK US wearing her sash and tiara in a tight shirt protesting as she did. Erika is an amazing lady, too– she is a small plane pilot who has bases in Anchorage and Talkeetna. Whereas Mrs. AK US is a pitpuppy in training with lipstick and lifts in her bra, Erika is truly impressive in her accomplish. (I’d be biased if this weren’t true.)
Where’s Willow, Bristol and Todd? I haven’t seen them since before Palin’s quittin’ speech. Well, at least, not the girls. Is someone pregnant again?
Odd that Todd wasn’t standing by his woman like he normally does.
I guess I am just still surprised that people are still supportive of Palin…even after she quit. I would think that those who liked and supported her would be upset that she abandoned them and Alaska. Odd.
I have to *seriously* wonder about the ‘planning’ that went into having an interpreter for the deaf [sign-language person] there for the speeches.
Seems to me [and this might just be me, now] that having a person standing in front of the stage at *ground-level* and signing so the deaf could ‘hear’ the speeches was extremely odd, to say the least. She -as cute as her little blonde self in her bright red shirt was- was signing to a crowd that was ALSO STANDING at *ground-level*.
Rather defeated the purpose of her signing in the first place, no? Unless the folks she was signing for/to were right in front of her and/or had a totally unobstructed view (highly unlikely in that sea of people), they were flat out of luck. She *should* have been on the stage *with* the speakers…that way, there would’ve been a *chance* the deaf in the audience could ‘hear’ what the speakers were saying over the heads of the *standing* crowd.
Then again, considering the usual word-salad that SP tossed out, maybe NOT ‘hearing’ her was a good thing. A very good thing. beth.
[Yup, paying ‘lip service’ to ADA laws is one of my pet peeves; to me, the spirit and the intent of the law must *also* be met… Gal standing at at ground-level and signing to a ground-level-standing crowd? FAIL!]
Joe Schmidt looks as evil as he is. You have to have a pretty dark soul to run a prison system where people are denied heath care while you tell the public they are getting it. You have to be pretty heartless to run a system where people are chained to the floor, where an inmate is put in a cell with a violent psychotic inmate in the hope that inmate will be harmed, deny chemical dependency treatment to almost all who need it, allow corrections officers to torture people, allow inmates to be denied basic personal hygiene. He also is as uneducated as he looks. You don’t have to have a Phd in microbiology to figure out if inmates are denied soap there is going to be a problem with resistant bacteria. You have to be pretty arrogant to run a prison system which denies inmates their 8th amendment rights left and right. You have to be pretty sure you will be protected by the powers that be in Alaska if you destroy grievances filed by inmates illegally. Or perhaps…I have it backwards and he is just doing what he’s told by the powers that be. A report on the Alaska prison system is coming from the ACLU. They don’t sound like they will file a civil suit however. The ACLU in AK is useless due to lack of funds and testicular fortitude.
Grandma68, I saw that, too. I’ve been wondering what a Bitter Clinger is. The picture looks like a Bible in one hand and a gun in another.
LOL, Martha!
🙂
Go Sarah Go. Or just go away Sarah. I just love that t-shirt, it’s very inspiring.
Found this on H.P……..cracked ME up!…..
fedupinfla
Sarah’s latest twitter:
C’mon over to myspace so I can twitter your yahoo ’til you google all over my facebook.
I thought Greta and SP were on the “outs” about something????
samper Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 12:17 PM
The other dude wearing shades, surprisingly, is a gun toter tuff guy!
And the other one is bitter…
In chat for those interested
Suchanut: The kid in TN who got into the Yahoo account and posted emails has a court date on Monday.
Interesting timing, eh?
We hear that CNN will be doing LIVE Coverage later this afternoon.
Has anyone heard any tips or rumors about Fox doing some sort of an exclusive interview with $arah…. later on. It seems like it would be a natural… if they have a crew up there. Some new talking point.
Haven’t checked on Faux cable to see if Greta went up there or anything. Was there anything on Gretawire or anything.
The shorts remark harkens back to the get up she was allowed to wear in public at the NYC functions.
Bristol and Dud were both at the Wasilla Quitnic, as photographed by our Boots On The Ground correspondent.
Where is WILLOW? She is like NOWHERE these days! Maybe she didn’t have any shorts to wear that would cover her butt?
An hour and 19 minutes and there will be cheering all over AK, I’d bet…
aha – why can’t Levi wait until Tuesday?
aha, I think anadventurer got a picture of Todd at yesterday’s picnic. Bristol was definitely at the first one; I don’t know about yesterday.
Great pics and narrative!
“Lens envy” Lol! Too funny.
Ok – it’s 4: 30pm here in Buffalo. I want to continue but I just can’t. Whatever this is , well it’s kickin my butt.
My fond hellos and regards go out to those I’ve been happily chatting and sharing with this weekend.
I’m looking forward to reading the threads tomorrow and catching up. I’m going to stop by the chat line before I head to bed with advils and a bagel.
Goodnight to all and Happy Sarah Be Gone Day to everyone
UK Lady, no worries; I already saw your answer. 🙂
=======================
Irishgirl said: “Shmidt (the dark guy), if he is going to have a moustache and beard, please let it go all the way to his ears. I hate that half-done look.”
Half-done look. Irishgirl, you crack me up! 🙂
Some questions…and greetings from NC.
Were some of those people there for the third time? Was that a pajama top $arah was wearing? Was the food the real attraction? Todd and Bristol still MIA? And an observation: Piper STILL didn’t look happy, poor little thing.
One final question: Are the Murdoch yacht and plane still around? Maybe to whisk $arah off for [monkey] business? Am I just being too snarky? : )
The other dude wearing shades, surprisingly, is a gun toter tuff guy!
I read somewhere that Parnell will continue to live in his house in Anchorage UNLESS AND UNTIL he is elected. In that case, he will move to Juneau.
How come that creepy Schmidt dude is the ONLY one wearing sunglasses on this CLOUDY day? I think, out of ALL the other folks above, only one other has on sunglasses.
Classic sign of trying to hide something! If it’s not sunny, that is! 🙂
Terpsichore got it — they’re not getting a hot dog, they’re receiving the sacrament. There can’t be two lines when there’s only one priestess.
I agree with everyone else who found the picture of the little girl with that modern-day Gatling gun unnerving. I’m no pacifist, nor anti-military, but the purpose of those things is to kill large numbers of people in a short amount of time by sending metal ripping through their bodies. They aren’t toys, or part of family fun. Very effective picture, AKM.
Two or three thoughts.
I mistakenly thought that it was a camera the little girl was behind…not a machine gun.
Piper looks p****d off.
Shmidt (the dark guy), if he is going to have a moustache and beard, please let it go all the way to his ears. I hate that half-done look.
Any Monty Python fans out there? It occurred to me – the irony of Palin’s quitting / I’m not a quitter resignation reminded me of the minstral singing about – Brave Sir Robin
” When danger reared its ugly head, he bravely turned his tail and fled..”
🙂
Ok, maybe someone already addressed this question, but WHERE IS THE FIRST DUD?
He’s been ”supporting” her at every event…but not recently? And, she’s minus the ring for how long, now? Couple weeks?
Hmmmm, do I smell Divorce Gate?
looks like she has a hairpiece or something, top back of her head, maybe covering a bald spot…baddd
I wonder how many die hard Palinistas were there?
79 TBNTJudy Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 11:19 AM
Lainey, do you mean Juneau? That is the capital.
————
oops, yes.
#42@July 26th, 2009 at 10:41 AM, Karin in CT Says:
And I have to say, those Parnells really look like the lives of the party! What a couple of duds. They look too much alike for my liking and his smile gives me the woolies.
***************************************************************************
tha’s Mr Parnell’s fake smile when he’s totally had enough but is trying to carry on.
I think he is probably a good guy and will do his best but I am disturbed that he intends to maintain $P’s cabinet. I think he should choose his own, based on education and experience, not because of a childhood association in ‘Silla.
I am most upset that he intends to install Campbell today. Unconfirmed. Bad for Alaska. NOT elected.
I really am upset about this. Installing Campbell as Lt Gov is JUST Wrong.
By the way, you can tell the toothless guy made the typical misspelling of “you’re” by writing “your” first and then adding an apostrophe and an “e” as an after-thought!
It’s also a testament to our country’s current health care system!
Great pictures!!
Joe Schmidt…….the plot thickens. Looks like a gangsta. …very dark & mysterious. If you want to try to figure out what’s happening in that wild & crazy Palin Family all you need to do is see a picture of Piper. She looks very sad & very world weary again. Is it just me or does this long goodbye seem a bit maudlin?
Buffalo Gal: Ask and you SHALL receive!
You were fine…. UNTIL….
Someone had just been crying over SP’s abdication.
While cleaning up the tears, sweat, spit and snot with their hands, they got “presentable” to go in the store.
They took the grocery cart and went about their way, checked out and left.
You arrive at the grocery store and use THAT VERY SAME CART, germs and all!
Turns out the idiot had what you have and transmitted it while bawling over SP via the grocery cart.
A few degrees of separation, but it should still work if you want to link your physical misery to SP somehow!
Get well soon! 🙂
That schmidt dude looks like an inmate. So, Levi, said he can’t wait for Tuesday. Wonder if he’ll give us a shoutout?
Crystalwolf – I totally agree, there will be some shady story behind Shmidt not taking the job, you could take it to the bank.
#41 @July 26th, 2009 at 10:40 AM
Martha N.A.I.L.E.D it!!!!!
Martha Says:
Good Bye Sarah Palin……………
Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone…
Roy Clark’s Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone…
Bastardized by Martha
Aargh! TBNTJudy – answered you on open thread by mistake, don’t want to repost.
AKM another great article and fabulous pictures.The gun toter’s for sure are trying to show how manly they are ,surprised they are not also wearing red.For picnics with as many people as seemed to be at both events so far there should have been more than one place to be served,just common sense.Sorry to say I would not wait in that long of a line and for that long of time for any amount of food.I have walked out of -places that had less people waiting to be seated or served.
The toothless guy – with the ‘great guv’ sign – isn’t he one of the plaintiffs of the three pending lawsuits against $P, Ben Latham?
Oh, Wow – Hobo Jim!! I knew him in Homer, and got to see him again in FBKS in 2000. Don’t pass up an opportunity to see and hear him if you can. He was voted the state’s official Balladeer by the AK Legislature, and writes and sings about all things Alaskan:
The Iditerod, The Alaskan RR, The Canneries, Logging – you name it. Please, AKM, don’t tell me he sang a song in praise of Sarah!!
Wonderful coverage, AKM.
I must say, that Sarah is a busy girl. I just earlier caught up with the business about the “trust” fund.
Palin’s treatment of Parnell (walking off before he spoke) speaks volumes about her political cluelessness. And let me guess — Palin bypassed the healthcare discussion.
With Palin and Sanford and Ensign and Vitter and Foley and the entire Bush Administration given a free pass, it’s hard for me to understand why I should honor unpleasant obligations in my own life.
Bill Clinton got a blowjob. That makes wrongdoing by any Republican off limits.
MnWisAk Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 11:35 AM
Oh goodness, I was once at a meeting where rural legislators and Joe Schmidt were discussing the Dept. of Corrections treatment of Alaska Native prisoners. JS has a very wierd vibe, kind of slimy. All I wanted to do when I left that meeting was go home and use a salt scrub under very hot water.
~~~~~~~~~~
His vibe is very creepy and slimy! But that is who “SHE” rolls with!
One has to wonder why he didn’t take the Lt. gov. position?
Why???
I bet that has a interesting story behind it.
#76, Lainey Says:, July 26th, 2009 at 11:16 AM
Is Parnell going to live in governor’s designated Anchorage residence or is he going to work out of his home elsewhere too? also too
*****************************************************
I think Parnell lives in Anchorage. The alternate Anchorage location is just an office, not a residence.
I fully expect Parnell to move into the Governor’s House in Juneau.
justafarmer Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 11:15 AM
BuffaloGal,
DH just came in the house to clean up blood on his arm (nothing serious) and he read your post while looking over my shoulder.
He says hope you feel better soon and he’s with you in spirit and is fixing an old time remedy for himself
————-
Glad to hear it’s nothing serious and I’ll also add that the old time remedies might just well be the best!
A bit of bourbon/brandy , a cup of chicken stock with lots of garlic and herbs and some good conversation that keeps your mind working MUST be better for us than the drugs created in labs that have warning labels about liver failure, hallucinations, muscle weakness and the possibility of buying into Palin’s schtuff. ( the hallucinations , I could handle )
EVERYONE who got a “First Peoples” poster: left side middle, old Eskimo woman with her middle finger towards the camera. I spoke to her Niece, this was an accident and poor choice of the graphic designer. This is an old religious woman who does not even know what that gesture means. Just wanted folks to know. Please pass it along, she would be terribly upset if Alaskans thought it was on purpose.
Oh goodness, I was once at a meeting where rural legislators and Joe Schmidt were discussing the Dept. of Corrections treatment of Alaska Native prisoners. JS has a very wierd vibe, kind of slimy. All I wanted to do when I left that meeting was go home and use a salt scrub under very hot water.
(p.s. AKM disbursed=dispersed)
Maybe you were thinking of a disbursement, like the AFT money to charity?
lol 😉
You know, why is there so much security around her? Someone posted that when she was in Fairbanks a couple of weeks ago, security just about outnumbered the regular folks. Wonder why? It is not as if the liberuls (sic) are violent.
Sunshine, I suspect dumping truck loads of roses at her feet would be so effing expensive. Roses are pricey in the lower 48, so I can’t even guess what they would be in AK. Huge waste of money too.
zyggy, you could be right; mayo is probably cheaper than brill cream, and greasy keeps it in place 😉
Great job AKM! All those guns and armaments at a “picnic” would creep me out a bit, not to mention the attendance of the fawning minions of Buttercup.
Forgive me if someone has mentioned this before, but where were the thousand roses that haraSmaeT has been ceaselessly emailing me for donations to? They were supposed to be presented “in a public way” so I was expecting one of the three picnics to have a dump truck filled with roses backed up to the stage and unloaded at the appropriate moment.
Oh… LOVE LOVE LOVE the ankle tattoo on Mrs. AK. The crown and pumps go really well with the Quitnic atmosphere!
And who is that poor little thing she’s dragging along with her? Shouldn’t she be in jeans and (guessing, based on photos) a nice sweatshirt, and sneakers? Perhaps playing with the other kids?
BuffaloGal, you are not a true believer, and somehow those mountains sussed it out 😉 Get well, girlfriend!
and I thought Joe was putting mayo on his hair for a deep conditioning. Why else would it be that greasy? =)
crystalwolf aka caligrl Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 11:18 AM
TBNTJudy Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 11:17 AM
crystalwolf, does this mean you aren’t longing to run your fingers through his hair?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ugh…NO! hehe…I’ll let sar-rah do that… 😉
————-
ok – that tickled me while also giving me the willies
Joe Smitten:
“He’s the one that we thought was #3 in line for the governorship, who would step up and fill the Lt. Governor’s slot when Parnell becomes governor.”
The back story is he won’t rescind his contract posing with Just For Men, the hair coloring I use for root’s touch-up.
UK Lady, check out the comb over/comb around in photo #9. Pitiful, just pitiful. 🙂
@56 SmallSteps – We’ve had the same 4-8 week thing going on here. I always think I’m protected a bit because I have a home business and I tend to stay put but, lordy – something got thru my weak home-based barrier , it seems. (and if i could find a reasonable avenue – I’d blame Sarah!)
bubbles – I love that I got to see you in the Brian / NYC photos! I was saying last night in the emergency chat room that Snoskred set up that it’s so wild to see the 3D images of Mudflat folk. Yours looked like such a fun night.
TBNTJudy – I thought the 7 mountains were supposed to SAVE me , not kill me!!
#16 @ July 26th, 2009 at 10:12 AM Lainey:
Also, too, I’m sure you have Real Journalists in the Lower 48 that can keep the balance. Sigh. What can I say? We didn’t know anything, via our MSM, about the Real$P, BQT, until she flew into McCain’s swooning arms.
Lainey, do you mean Juneau? That is the capital.
TBNTJudy Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 11:17 AM
crystalwolf, does this mean you aren’t longing to run your fingers through his hair?
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ugh…NO! hehe…I’ll let sar-rah do that… 😉
crystalwolf, does this mean you aren’t longing to run your fingers through his hair?
Is Parnell going to live in governor’s designated Anchorage residence or is he going to work out of his home elsewhere too? also too
BuffaloGal,
DH just came in the house to clean up blood on his arm (nothing serious) and he read your post while looking over my shoulder.
He says hope you feel better soon and he’s with you in spirit and is fixing an old time remedy for himself right now because he just might not feel good tomorrow.
Preventive medicine, doncha know…
Buffalo Gal – I second bubbles – go to bed hon, or at least wrap up on the sofa, take some paracetamol and drink plenty of fluids. Don’t worry your head about $P, we got it.
Lori i LA 😆
from her red monkey heels up to the bumpit atop her empty little head. God help us.
So…
The Pee’ers have this big thing about Obama acting/thinking/whatever like a Rock Star.
Palin actually SETS UP A TABLE/BOOTH/WHATEVER to hand out posters, bookmarks and her “state portrait” in anticipation of the drooling throng of supporters.
Egomaniac much?
Ironic, much?
What would the Pee’ers have to say about this over the top anticipatory adulation, which is the EXACT SAME THING they would despise from our President?
Wouldn’t the CLASSY thing to do be to wear gloves on BOTH hands while serving food AND to leave the self-promotion to the absolute bare nothing (rather than bare MINIMUM)?
Babies playing with machine guns. NICE!
Sportin’ ammo and totin’ guns to a FAMILY QUITNIC. NICE!
I think these morons drag their guns around just to show how “tuff” they are. They certainly didn’t NEED them at a Quitnic. There was over the top SECURITY there as well (like SP is going to need protection from the nasty bloggers who wouldn’t even THINK of inciting violence) in case of disturbance. No need for the citizen militia to step in in order to keep the condiment line moving.
Poor little Piper looks like she’d rather be ANYWHERE else!
Barf. And Double Blecccchhhh!
TBNTJudy Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 11:01 AM
crystalwolf said: “What’s up with Joe “Good hair”? Does he have a ponytail? It must take a long time to get hair that perfect.”
Lots of brill cream. 🙂 It almost looks as if he has a modified mullet going on. I think I can see a tiny bit of flipped hair sticking out from the back.
~~~~~~~~~~
Oh that’s what it is! Ewwww! Mullet like Dawg the bounty hunter!
I thought it might be a ponytail.
Brill cream, ewwwww!
ds55
I noticed that too. That’s definitely some kind of “class,” all right.
buffalogal
Head for the couch, nurse your remedy along, you have 2 1/2 hrs until you gotta (if you wanna) turn the tv on. For me, it’s not so much I want to see SP, but that I want to see with mine own eyes that she is GONE. So long, farewell, Seeing Nellie home and the Fat lady singing and all that. Shoot, I may even go get a ceegar to smoke afterwards (shades of Independence Day)
Yes, Sarah date Joe in high school. Piper loves her Mommy to the ends of the earth. I predict she will actually run for President in 30-some years.
A Fan From Chicago Said: “You’re right. She had the loaves and fishes thing going. For years the picnic goers will tell the tale of Sarah who came with six salmon burgers and a dozen wieners and fed a thousand.
I’ll bet a couple of lepers were cured in the process also, too.”
ROFL! Good one!
+++++++++++++++++++++
BuffaloGal, get well soon. Sounds as if your overexposure to the 7 mountains wore down your immunity 🙁
Does the guy holding the sign that has some sort of garbage like “Sarah, you’re as great as Alakska” only have like 2-3 teeth or is it a bad picture? If so, kind of indicative of her greatest fans & base in general.
#56 @July 26th, 2009 at 11:03 AM SmallSteps:
Chloroseptic spray to sooth the throat, or,
Yogi Tea’s *Throat Coat with slippery elm.
If all else fails, a cup of tea, with honey and lemon and at least a shot of whiskey.
irishgirl“check forum
Can someone please post a link for a live stream?
KTUU says they will live stream from 2:45pm AK time, but someone said cnn is going to be on 2pm (?)time. Can’t find any link for cnn.
And Buffalo gal say MSNBC live? What time please…AK time?
Buffalo gal sound like you need a hot toddy, honey, lemon and whisky made like a tea!
Hope you get to feelin’ better soon 🙂
smallsteps“`jeepers. please take care..b
I heard there was a Navy vet at the Quitter picnic w/ a sign that said how the troops “can’t quit over bad press.”
I believe her quitting when the going got tough and it ‘just wasn’t fun anymore’ is going to backfire on Palin with The Troops.
Serves her right, Palin the Panderer.
buffalo gal. please go to bed. rest. this flu is dangerous. several mudpups are down with this thing. don’t worry about sarah we got our beady little eyes on her
My favorite pic above is Mrs. Alaska with her ankle tattoo – classy!
Does anybody else think that Sean’s wife looks like Ellen DeGeneres? Was Toad at yesterdays happening? Didn’t Sarah and that Joe guy used to be an item in High School? I always feel sorry for poor Piper, it’s like she’s the only one sarah can still totally manipulate and force to be her friend and constant companion….
That gddm Govenor’s First Tesoro advertisement, I mean First Todd ad, is still on the State website:
http://www.gov.state.ak.us/bio_firstgent.php
Trailer-Trash Wasillabillies M.I.L.K.I.N.G. it ’til the last drop.
Absolutely no shame.
# 50 overthemoon
You’re right. She had the loaves and fishes thing going. For years the picnic goers will tell the tale of Sarah who came with six salmon burgers and a dozen wieners and fed a thousand.
I’ll bet a couple of lepers were cured in the process also, too.
assuming no-one showed in PYJAMAS since there are no pics of such… boo-hoo
BuffaloGal – hope you feel better soon. I am entering week 2 of what seems to be an 8 + week bout with a wicked cough. Some of spouses coworkers with this cough have been diagnosed with Whooping Cough. Our Doc hesitates to diagnose it that way, but son and spouse have had it for 6 & 8 weeks respectively. I hope you don’t get anything like it. I feel like a truck ran me over, backed up and did it again. My throat burns and has a constant painful tickle way in the back beyond gargling range. Every few minutes it wells up and causes a breath-grasping racking fit of coughs that doubles me over and leaves me gasping for air. I’ve had the round of Zithromax that is prescribed for Whooping Cough. Now I just get to enjoy the rest of stage 2 (lasts 1-6 weeks). Just listened to the cough audio from this website, we do have Pertussis. ugh… http://www.doitforyourbaby.com/adult_symptoms.html
crystalwolf said: “What’s up with Joe “Good hair”? Does he have a ponytail? It must take a long time to get hair that perfect.”
Lots of brill cream. 🙂 It almost looks as if he has a modified mullet going on. I think I can see a tiny bit of flipped hair sticking out from the back.
CO almost native Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 10:38 AM
Get well soon, BuffaloGal
————————–
CO – I’m staying right here until I can’t stay noes mo’. They’ll have to pry this keyboard from my cold , dead hands!! ( or, more realistically, I’ll just eventually start whining and plod over to the couch)
But for now, here I stay. (can’t believe MSNBC is gonna cover it live. how bizarre)
Overthemoon – ” This is my moose you eat” ha!
The number of red shirts surrounding Palin really pissed me off.
Joe Schmidt and the hair – All I could think of was the movie, “Good Fellas”
Martha and everyone else being all creative with lyrics and poetry today – Thanks to you all. I feel like our 3 day cyber picnic beats the crap out of the QuitNics going on in 3D.
Ok – I think it’s time to start dealing with this fever and flu thing with some sort of “old time remedy” that has a proof percentage on the label.
Off I go.
Isn’t purple the sign of royalty? I bet Sarah knows.
Let’s see if she wears her wedding ring today.
the one thing that would make that disturbing machinegun picture really creepy would be if that little girl was wearing a pageant dress and tiara.
Terpsichore:
To have separate food lines wouldn’t work…the food has to be touched and given out by the saintly Palin who says “Thanks for comeeen, bless you, this is my moose you eat”
Separate lines and it would just be hamburgers.
25 lizzy Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 10:25 AM
I found it interesting that the Governors quit-nic staff wore RED T-Shirts
I was struck by that too, Lizzy. If any colors are associated with AK it’s blue and gold like our flag.
I doubt that anyone was standing in line for the food itself, so I’m not too concerned about people going hungry while waiting in line.
Does anyone else really like that purple jacket, but think it looks somehow inappropriate for the occasion? Still, one plus for it is that she really does stand out in the crowd, so it was good for anyone taking souvenir snapshots. Also it distracts away from her face and hair, and really, she isn’t looking in top form this weekend. But I suspect what really happened is that Piper picked it out for her because it looks “princessy.”
And, just for the record, a bun would actually have been appropriate for serving food (if not a hairnet). Ack!
If the only way to get a hot dog was to wait in a long line to get it from GINO, well…..that’s just darn cruel!
Joe Schmidt is the reason for the “eye rollery” tag.
The guy in the suit was texting “beam me up, Scotty”.
Anybody else been noticing the catagories/tags AKM has on the posts just after the comments/number line? Tomfoolery, wackjobbery, eye rollery, head bangery. Damn, that’s good stuff.
This is really turning into The Long Goodby. Time to exit stage left. Take your weenies and run. How can we miss you if you won’t go away. Turn out the lights, the party’s over.
Wow. Thanks, AKM!
Going by the photos from Quitter Picnic #2, you sure have more than your fair share of odd looking people up the in AK. Joe Schmidt takes the cake (as he was serving it) for the creepiest Taahd look-alike award.
And I have to say, those Parnells really look like the lives of the party! What a couple of duds. They look too much alike for my liking and his smile gives me the woolies.
Good Bye Sarah Palin……………
You’ve made some political capitol and you squandered it all
You shamed us till we feel about one inch tall
But we thought we loved you and we hoped you would change
So we gritted our teeth, then began to complain.
Now you come to us with a simple goodbye
You tell us you’re leaving but you won’t tell us why
Now we’re here at the station and you’re getting on
And all we can think of is thank God and Greyhound you’re gone.
Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone
We didn’t know how much longer we could go on
Watching you take the respect out of us
Watching you make a total wreck out of us
That big diesel motor is a-playing our song
Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone.
Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone
We didn’t know how much longer we could go on
Watching you take the respect out of us
Watching you make a total wreck out of us
That big diesel motor is a playing our song
Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone.
Oh, thank God and Greyhound you’re gone
That load on our mind got lighter when you got on
That shiny old bus is a beautiful sight
With the black smoke a rolling up around the tail lights
You are so cruel, but we weren’t silent too long
Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone.
Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone…
Roy Clark’s Thank God and Greyhound you’re gone…
Bastardized by Martha
Hillbilly Fever Days, in the notfamous at all town of Beavertown, PA brings in that many people. Alaska… must be odd to live somewhere where “everyone knows your name” because there are only 200 other people. I would have to wear shades 24/7/365. UGH.
Grandma, what was the most useful thing you did when you were governor?
Don’t really remember, child. Seemed to remember handing out lots of cookies and burgers, though!
What a wonderful legacy of her time in office…
(p.s. AKM disbursed=dispersed)
Doh! AKM
Get well soon, BuffaloGal–warm hugs your way. Stay in bed and drink lots of liquids…best cure for the flu (or Palin. maybe. not)
My new favorite picture of Sarah: the one above with the blue glove and hot dog tongs. A dozen or so photoshop iconic desecration possibilities are already forming in my mind…
What a strange, and disturbing collection of images. Nothing like the anti-$arah protests, where everyone was focussed, but smiling.
I’m waitin’ to see a hot dog or mooseburger show up on ebay, lol!
What’s up with Joe “Good hair”? Does he have a ponytail? It must take a long time to get hair that perfect.
I wonder if he’s friends with the dude?
It’s the oddest thing to be having such strong feelings about this day. She’s not my governor but somehow I’ve felt more actively aware of and concerned about Alaska these past months than New York. I know other lower 48ers are feeling the same.
I’ve been trying to develop theories about it but since noon I’ve noticed that what I thought was just a sore throat is something more. A fever’s set in and I feel like I’ve been hit by a truck. I also feel like I’m being cheated of my chance to watch her hand things over and walk away. I just really, really , really want to watch her walk away.
For some reason I landed on a Wiki page describing the office of the Governor for Mass. There was a section that talked about traditions of office and when a governor leaves office there is a practice:
**** The departing governor then leaves on the “Lone Walk” (also called the “Long” or “Lonesome” Walk). Historical accounts indicate that Increase Sumner was the first governor to begin this tradition in 1799. The departing governor, after leaving office, walks alone down the Grand Staircase, through the House of Flags, into Doric Hall, out the central doors and down the steps of the State House ****
I thought it sounded like a fine and dignified tradition. I’m afraid Palin would turn that into a pageant walk of sorts.
The photo of the baby girl behind the machine gun hurt my heart. I wonder if Sarah would have thought it was precious and called her ” a little future warrior”.
Good luck to you The Rubber Room Hotel. I don’t envy you entering the belly of beast. Send back word that you survived.
I must say, that seeing the weaponry at a picnic in Alaska doesn’t surprise me at all. If that picnic had been here in Northern VA, tho, then I’d be surprised. Alaskans just do things a little bit differently. 🙂 I noticed many were wearing jackets and long pants – lots of tourists! Any termination dust yet? Would love to see picsof fireweed in full bloom. Miss that. It is 90, humid and lots of tremendous afternoon thunder storms here in Northern VA. Gorgeous lightening last night, wished I had my camera.
$arah truly is a pretty woman, very photogenic too. And if she actually had a working brain, she could go along way. She has gotten this far because of her looks, but looks are not going to take her anywhere with her lack of brain power.
In Alaska, Qiviters Never Win
by WILLIAM L. IGGIAGRUK HENSLEY
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/opinion/25hensley.html?_r=1&scp=5&sq=willie%20hensley&st=cse
So I guess the extra security was needed to keep people from congregating around the condiment table!!!!!
Was there really only one condiment table? Was there really only one food serving line?
I’ve played at lots of these kinds of events. If you expect a crowd over 1000 in a limited time (2-4 hours as opposed to an all-day event) you put up more than one food serving station. And more than one condiment table!
So, if to get your free food you were forced to wait in line until you were served personally by the governor herself, what does that say?
Please submit your answers, 500 words or less, double-spaced and using three concrete examples. Just kidding.
I betcha some people took two burgers, because they didn’t want to have to stand in line again, then found one was filling enough and threw away the other one. Inefficient food delivery system = waste.
Oh, my understanding is that there was plenty of food, that the planners if anything overbought, rather than underbought (so no prob if some people come back for one, or two more). I hope the extra got sent to the local homeless shelter.
overthemoon Says:
July 26th, 2009 at 10:05 AM
The little girl with a machine gun is a disturbing image.
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Yes in a helicopter no less!
And those idiots with their “guns” hangin’ out? WTF? Around here that would be just askin’ for someone to grab it to use on them or someone else…cops don’t even walk around with their guns hangin’ out like that! Stupid, that must be the vibe….
Go Rubber Room, be the boots on the ground in FBX! Let us all know how it goes….looking forward to your report.
akm: Beautifully done as usual. Once again I marvel at your commitment and dedication to wander into the belly of the beast. It doesn’t sound as bad as the time you almost froze to death but still a commitment well above and beyond the call of duty.
Your observation about the numbers waiting in line for free hamburgers from the grifter soon-to-be-ex-governor vs the numbers attending the health care rally tells a sad, but very familiar story.
I would urge everyone to read a remarkable diary over on the front page of KOS right now. The System at Work
Party on! In Cordova.
I found it interesting that the Governors quit-nic staff wore RED T-Shirts
Thank you AKM for the reporting and the pictures. The little kid behind the machine gun was very unsettling. Maybe it was enhanced by the previous picture of the guy with the freakin’ ammo belt on with his pistol.
I see what you mean by “odd vibe” – maybe it’s a “lame duck walking” vibe?
AKM:
People were willing to do so much, just to get a hamburger on a Wonder bread roll from Sarah Palin. How many of them were going to take 3 minutes to email, or call their Senators or Congresspeople about the most important issue of our day?
*********************
You are so right. Talk about off track and out of sink. I have been working day and night, and I have healthcare. What is wrong with these folks?
akm. all i can say is: thank you.
I noticed when she was in Fairbanks a couple of weeks ago that there were almost more people in her entourage than there were spectators. She was surrounded 2 and 3 people deep by handlers, aides and security.
I have to wonder: Who will be paying for the security detail after today? Murdoch maybe?
Does anyone know if Todd usually wears a wedding band? He is not wearing one in the first picture at Bree Palin’s site taken at the Anchorage quitnic.
http://breepalin.blogspot.com/2009/07/sarah-palins-guide-to-first-family-of_26.html#comment-form
Same question about Sarah – she is not wearing a wedding band in the video on Gryphen’s taken at the Anchorage picnic.
Trouble in Sarahdise?
I’ve never eaten moose. Not sure I’d want to now that Brian feels like such a good friend.
So people couldn’t skip the speech and get food early before the rush? You had to wait for Palin and by that time the lines were so long? Any shorter non-Palin lines just to get people food? No? Now that’s poor planning. Nothing like going to a picnic and leaving hungry.
Thanks AKM for the great post and your prospective of this “event”.
Because I am stuck here in Fairbanks for one more day and my nephew will be in the Red Green Regalia with his boy scout troop on a raft they made. I have decided to brave the crowds and go to the QuitPic, and swearing in ceremony (farce) today. I feel like I will be going into the belly of the beast, and am really not much for crowds.
I will take some pictures and try to send some comments. I am ashamed to admit that I haven’t figured out how to tweet on my phone or I would tweet the “event”.
I will come back to my room and post my impressions later though.
If there are any mudpups out there that are also going to brave this event I will gladly join you.
Thanks for the commentary and photo’s. I’ve been waiting all day to hear what happened as the msm is only covering today’s event.
The pic of the little girl behind the gun, as well as all those 2nd ammenders, was frightening.
Is there an opposing screen door picnic today?
overthemoon – ditto, that little girl at the machine gun was very disturbing. To me, something like that does not belong at a picnic event. Ugh!
2 Lori in Los Angeles Says:
Good morning AKM – in a few more hours, Palin will no longer be your Governor – congrats! Now she our problem, here in the lower 48. We will be treated to her hate-spewing word salad, her inane refrigerator magnet sound bytes – and her hideous wardrobe, from her red monkey heels up to the bumpit atop her empty little head. God help us.
———–
thanks but no thanks, AK. If she becomes “our problem”, there’s more of us down here to fight that fight…she can try to infiltrate, but we’re ready, willing, and able to thwart off her and her “empty little head”!!! If she couldn’t advance with McCain by her side (although I would never have voted for him, I HAD respect for him at one time), then there shouldn’t be too much to worry about…’they’ would have to birth a lot more babies to grow their voting population. I hope there’s nothing to this future career she thinks she has and she’s just a big spewing helium balloon…that eventually fizzles out. Her short-attention-spanned followers will go on to something else…realizing God didn’t want her speaking for Him afterall.
Palin and guns and hot dogs. Strange, indeed. I’ll be at the Dragon Boat Festival when 2 PM AK time rolls around, but I’ll send good vibes and wide grin your way.
Wait– that means she’s headed our way. Yikes.
Thanks AKM, I feel like I was there!!
Except I’m here somewhat misty-eyed that the sparkle-burst phenomenon known as Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin will soon be just a distant dying ember.
All the theater, the word salads, the ethics complaints, Tina Fey, the lipsticked pitbull, the moose-hunting MILF will no longer be part of the serious national political equation.
She has relegated herself to carnival sideshow status, a used-to-be that never really was. She was good for laughs while it lasted, but now we must move on. I’m gonna miss her, I need a hankie. *sniffle, sniffle*
Jinx zyggy! 🙂
Maybe its because it was such a cloudy day – the photos all give me the same ‘strange vibe’ AKM refered to in her comment about Joe Schmidt. It just seems kind of creepy/sureal for some reason.
Great write up and photos. Ah well….not long to go now until she is gone.
Great photos, but even better was your write up. I so admire you writing ablilities.
I would really like to see Sarah Palin co-anchor the Evening News with Katie Couric. That could turn the evening news in to part news part wide world wrestling. Katie and Sarah would be like two cats with their tails tied together.
“Go Sarah Go”
Was that intended irony!?
“How many of them were going to take 3 minutes to email, or call their Senators or Congresspeople about the most important issue of our day?”
None, if my guess is correct.
Most of them only think about health care when something truly horrible happens and they realize they don’t have enough or even any. Then they whine and cry and gnash their teeth.
Most of them don’t even understand their own insurance coverage (Michael Steele for example).
The little girl with a machine gun is a disturbing image.
“We saw Sarah in Florida, and we came up here all the way just for this!” ~ Scary.
As George Carlin used to put it: “Just think about how stupid the average person is, then realize that half of the population are stupider than that!”
What started as a dream — something I thought could end with Alaska being improved through a new way of doing business in the Governor’s office — started to wobble during her first few months in office. The dream — and Sarah — both went south at about the same time. I am so ready for this nightmare to end at 2:00 PM today.
Great writeup, AKM, and great photographs. I have to say, though, that Sarah’s hair not only looks unwashed, but it also seems she is in competition with Donald Trump for the world’s worst comb-over/comb-around.
What’s up with the two tone purple outfit? A leftover from Wasilla’s “Shakespeare in the Park” production?
Good morning AKM – in a few more hours, Palin will no longer be your Governor – congrats! Now she our problem, here in the lower 48. We will be treated to her hate-spewing word salad, her inane refrigerator magnet sound bytes – and her hideous wardrobe, from her red monkey heels up to the bumpit atop her empty little head. God help us.
Oh Happy Day!
🙂