Open Thread – Trees
White spruce trees in Turnagain Pass between Anchorage and Kenai.
December 18, 2024
Thursday, August 3, 2023
The Quitter Returns! -Monday, March 21, 2022
Putting the goober in gubernatorial -Friday, January 28, 2022
White spruce trees in Turnagain Pass between Anchorage and Kenai.
After the President spoke in Tucson (the wonderful talk wherein he said ‘Gabby opened her eyes’) Diana Butler Bass wrote this reflection. I posted it back then but it was at the end of a dead thread – (maybe this one isn’t dead yet?)
Gabby Opened Her Eyes and We Should Too
“Gabby opened her eyes.”
When President Obama uttered these simple words, the crowd at the Tucson memorial service cheered wildly. “Gabby opened her eyes.”
Four simple words. Four very spiritual words.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diana-butler-bass/gabby-opened-her-eyes-and_b_809198.html
[I always come to read, but seldom have time to post. I’m the former InExile (SC version) – I needed a name change. Since I’m a Webfoot who is stuck (in exile!) in SC, I’d like to become just Webfoot. Please let me know if someone else already has this name.] 🙂
Uh oh! There is some serious dissension in the ranks. Apparently, folks all over the right have their knickers in a knot about Crazy Shely Bachman’s plan to broadcast her own rebuttal to the State of the Union Speech tonight.
The Republicans, with Pretty Boy Paul Ryan in the lead, are ticked that she’s taking some of the spotlight away from the ‘official’ Republican response. “Mommmmm, tell her to stop…it’s not her turn!!!”
At the same time, her Tea Party buddies are bellyaching that she has the nerve to appoint herself as their representative, since they’re a ‘grass roots’ group (yeah, right!) and no one person should represent them (other than the Koch brothers, of course). Sorry folks, you wanted her and now you’re stuck with her!
Dontcha just love when you can just sit back and watch the RWNJs slap each other silly? 😉
http://thinkprogress.org/2011/01/25/bachmann-speech-criticized/
Greg Sargent looks at the real numbers for health reform instead of the fraudulent claims made by the GOP:
Support for repeal is vastly overstated, part 973
By Greg Sargent
You’re probably sick of hearing me argue that simplistic polling exaggerates the support for repeal, while more detailed polling causes support for repeal to plummet, but this latest survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation is particularly interesting:
When it comes to what lawmakers should do next on health reform, Americans’ views are all over the map: 28 percent want to expand the law, 19 percent leave it as is, 23 percent repeal it and replace it with a Republican-sponsored alternative, and 20 percent repeal it and not replace it.
More favor expanding the law (28 percent) than favor “repeal and replace” (23 percent). Note that the poll doesn’t specify what the law would be replaced with beyond a “Republican-sponsored alternative.” But support is still relatively low, suggesting public skepticism about what that alternative might be, or at least an unwillingness to have faith that it would be a good one.
Meanwhile, only 20 percent favor doing away with the law entirely. That is very much in sync with what other similarly fine-grained polls have found.
The totals are also interesting: 47 percent favor either expanding the law or keeping it as is, versus 43 percent who favor either “repeal and replace” or total repeal.
Also striking: When asked what they want done with the law if repeal fails, only 33 percent of Americans support cutting off funding to gut the law, versus 62 percent who disapprove of this course of action.
As always, this doesn’t prove that health reform is popular. In fact, the poll finds that the number of Americans who hold an unfavorable view of the law has gone up, and now stands at 50-41. But drill down into public attitudes and there’s no sign that this translates directly into support for getting rid of the law. When you offer folks a range of options, support for repeal suddenly drops rather dramatically.
This supports the argument that the case for repeal gets tougher and tougher to make once you begin to talk specifics — and also stands as yet another sign that health reform is here to stay.
I thought Greg Sargent was on Fake Noise payroll. This doesn’t sound anything like a Fake Noise report.
A reader writing to Andrew Sullivan’s blog
———————————–
The Market For Palin Hate? Ctd
25 Jan 2011 10:54 am
by Patrick Appel
A reader writes:
I’m getting fed up with the Douthats of this world and the entire Republican party’s attempts to blame the insidious Palin presence on the liberals coverage of her. (I’m an Independent by the way.) Its strictly Rove 101: Accuse the other side of doing what your yourself are guilty of.
For if he accuses the other side of “pandering to the millions of Americans for whom she’s become a hate figure, and who are always eager to be confirmed in that hatred.” he might spare us the smug and keep in mind this little fact: She is there because the Republicans pandered to millions of Americans in inflicting this hateful figure on the country and were always eager to have her confirmed as a serious political figure by thrusting her into America’s face every chance they had.
Now they own her. Because she’s not going away. Which is what is at the root of this. She’s become embarrassing, and she threatens to embarrass them still further. They want her ignored and they want to blame the other side for not ignoring her. Which is something they should not do. Because charlatans like Palin do their best work in the shadows. In speaking engagement with no press coverage. In giving dog whistles from a toy studio broadcast over a fake news channel. In ghost written missives from behind the curtain of Facebook. And every time she did it the Republicans were more than happy to use her interference in our discourse and even in our national policy. But now they want her to go away. They don’t want to people to watch her.
Well I want her watched like a hawk. I want every silly, sordid moment that is the career and persona of Palin covered. I don’t want to miss a thing.
She’s here because the Republicans put her here. And kept her here. So let’s look at her. Let’s look very closely.
:
Please tell me if you can if Juneau woman Anne Josphson who has been given a 90 day sentence for darrying a “Taser” in her purse had a real Taser International gun or just an ordinary stun device
http://www.fdlreporter.com/article/20110125/FON0101/101250363/Woman-found-guilty-of-carrying-Taser-weapon
A link to the court case would be good. I’m collecting taser data which may turn into a book if I’m up to it, and I’m trying to discover how the “women’s tasers”- the pink ones- are working out. You would expect lots of succes stories about how muggers squealed, but its crickets, even though they claim cictzen sales are 6% of their income.
nice picture but those are white spruce not blue spruce. leave it to an old forester to nitpick such things. other than that you’re perfect
Doh! Thank you. I can be a nitpicker too… (don’t tell anyone)
Corrected!
Well, if the photo was taken on a Monday, they were blue spruce. Everybody’s blue on Mondays.
America’s most wanted
http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/lists/whos-to-blame-12-politicians-and-execs-blocking-progress-on-global-warming-20110119
Space pictures. No, these aren’t of the interior of Palin’s head. Or SP2.0’s. Or the Sullivan twins (separated at birth. Too scary to keep together). Or Joe MIller.
http://www.csmonitor.com/CSM-Photo-Galleries/In-Pictures/Space-Photos-of-the-Day/Space-photos-of-the-day-Massive-Storms
A breakthrough! Democrats don’t have cooties!
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/01/25/murkowski-dems-dont-have-cooties/#more-144341
Bachmann (the other Palin) gets called out on reinventing history by Anderson Cooper:
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2011/01/anderson-cooper-wallops-bachmann-for-flunking-history-with-diversity-comments-video.php
From reading about it seems like the Anchoragesay they can’t do anything because the can’t prove who typed the threat.Would the same apply is the same threat was sent to the palins???????
Nonsense, since they can track the computer then the owner has to take “personal responsibility” for who uses the computer.
People who makes threats need to understand that it is not OK and be called for the behavior. This is being a bully. The way to deal with a bully is to call them on it.
–post lost in the aether…I’m reposting with words ‘modified’ to see if it’ll pass the filter. If if shows up twice, my apologies in advance–
Did anyone see this in _Mother Jones_ about ‘our’ Andree McLeod? She’s been specifically targetted by a Palinbot. The police are involved. Spooky, spooky stuff! beth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
De@th Thre@t for a Palin Critic — http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/death-threat-palin-critic
Mon Jan. 24, 2011 3:00 AM PST
[snip] McLeod has accused the administrations of Palin and her former lieutenant governor and now successor, Sean Parnell, of abuse of power “with these delay tactics.”
“Who does Sean Parnell protect and defend by keeping these official e-mail documents secret?” McLeod wrote to Sullivan, objecting to the proposed 14th delay. “Who does he serve? Ex-governor Sarah Palin, or the people of Alaska?”
Two days later, an anonymous person posted a de@th thre@t targeting McLeod in the “Rants & Raves” section of the Anchorage Craigslist. The posting, which echoed an email sent to the Anchorage Daily News, read in full:
I find it very offensive that Andre Mclead [sic] is asking the state for every e-mail written or received in ANY account maintained by Palin and her husband. Where does this b**ch get off thinking the public should shell out for her revenge for the Palin family. I’ve heard enough from this, and I would like to use stronger words to express my feeling for Andre. Well…I think Andre has used up to [sic] much oxygen. So I have my scope cross hair on her head! She better watch out, the request may have been her last!
I know you won’t publish this. ADN relish in bashing the Palin’s too!
Let’s clean up the political garbage. [/snip]
–full article at above link. b.–
I hope the police find that person and acquaint him/her with the local jail. For quite some time.
Wait, do threats made over the internet count as threats made over the phone? If so, doesn’t that become a federal crime?
Regardless, someone needs to become well-acquainted with the criminal justice system.
Let’s just remind everyone of who was using crosshairs that weren’t surveyor’s marks! Just where do you think a Palin follower got this imagery? Not that nut cases can’t come up with their own, but I don’t think that likely in this case. Do you?
While this was reported to the Police, they have told Andee that there is nothing they can do. Apparently not even go talk to the woman who made the threat. Sure hope the FBI can do something since the Internet is under Federal regulation.
Well, that’s just ducky. Someone threatens your life and they won’t/can’t do anything to protect you? The biggest problem here is that Andree has no way of finding out who the person is – s/he could walk up to her on the street and she wouldn’t even know it. That is scary, indeed.
–post lost in the aether…I’m reposting. If if shows up twice, my apologies in advance. b.–
Did anyone see this about ‘our’ Andree McLeod in _Mother Jones_? She’s been specifically targetted by a Palinbot. The police are involved. Spooky, spooky stuff! beth.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Death Threat for a Palin Critic — http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/death-threat-palin-critic
Mon Jan. 24, 2011 3:00 AM PST
[snip] McLeod has accused the administrations of Palin and her former lieutenant governor and now successor, Sean Parnell, of abuse of power “with these delay tactics.”
“Who does Sean Parnell protect and defend by keeping these official e-mail documents secret?” McLeod wrote to Sullivan, objecting to the proposed 14th delay. “Who does he serve? Ex-governor Sarah Palin, or the people of Alaska?”
Two days later, an anonymous person posted a death threat targeting McLeod in the “Rants & Raves” section of the Anchorage Craigslist. The posting, which echoed an email sent to the Anchorage Daily News, read in full:
I find it very offensive that Andre Mclead [sic] is asking the state for every e-mail written or received in ANY account maintained by Palin and her husband. Where does this bitch get off thinking the public should shell out for her revenge for the Palin family. I’ve heard enough from this, and I would like to use stronger words to express my feeling for Andre. Well…I think Andre has used up to [sic] much oxygen. So I have my scope cross hair on her head! She better watch out, the request may have been her last!
I know you won’t publish this. ADN relish in bashing the Palin’s too!
Let’s clean up the political garbage. [/snip]
–full article at above link. b.–
letter to the editor on Pebble mine from Father Oleksa:
…”The Orthodox Diocese of Alaska passed a unanimous resolution at its annual assembly in 2009, invoking God’s blessing on any development that would improve the quality of life of our people in rural Alaska but withholding that approval and blessing from any development that threatened to poison, pollute or ruin the waters and land on which Native Alaskans have depended for 12,000 years. The resolution also demanded that any project prove itself capable of operating without destroying the ecosystem by doing so somewhere else on Earth.
Before the Pebble mine could possibly receive approval and blessing from the church, it would have to demonstrate that the corporation had successfully mined copper and gold elsewhere on the planet without destroying the environment. There is no such place, no such mine.”
Dr. Michael J. Oleksa
good one Scout.
I may have missed this being posted yesterday or earlier today…
If its not been posted here yet, though, its a Mother Jones article about a specific death threat ‘our’ Andree McLeod received for her ‘activist work’ from a Palin’bot. The police are investigating. Spooky, spooky stuff! beth.
“““““““““““““““““““““““
Death Threat for a Palin Critic — http://motherjones.com/politics/2011/01/death-threat-palin-critic
Mon Jan. 24, 2011 3:00 AM PST
snip] McLeod has accused the administrations of Palin and her former lieutenant governor and now successor, Sean Parnell, of abuse of power “with these delay tactics.”
“Who does Sean Parnell protect and defend by keeping these official e-mail documents secret?” McLeod wrote to Sullivan, objecting to the proposed 14th delay. “Who does he serve? Ex-governor Sarah Palin, or the people of Alaska?”
Two days later, an anonymous person posted a death threat targeting McLeod in the “Rants & Raves” section of the Anchorage Craigslist. The posting, which echoed an email sent to the Anchorage Daily News, read in full:
I find it very offensive that Andre Mclead [sic] is asking the state for every e-mail written or received in ANY account maintained by Palin and her husband. Where does this bitch get off thinking the public should shell out for her revenge for the Palin family. I’ve heard enough from this, and I would like to use stronger words to express my feeling for Andre. Well…I think Andre has used up to [sic] much oxygen. So I have my scope cross hair on her head! She better watch out, the request may have been her last!
I know you won’t publish this. ADN relish in bashing the Palin’s too!
Let’s clean up the political garbage. [/snip]
–full article at above link. b.–
Down in Arizona, it appears Bristol may have a new job as a rad-did-eo announcer:
http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/valleyfever/2011/01/bristol_palin_calls_radio_stat.php
Mix 96.9 – All Teatards all the Time
Wonkette has this one covered. Fave comment there so far says that radio is the perfect media outlet for her dancing.
*spews coffee*
Mops keyboard
Next time–give an alert! ♪♫
Turnagain Pass looks lovely. What a photo! Lots of work to do today, so {{{{{{ jimzmum & mom }}}}}}}, thanks, OMG, for the great links, and everyone, have a great day. Back later. Health and peace.
amazing polar bear:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/earth/hi/earth_news/newsid_9369000/9369317.stm
i am hoping the polar bears will survive some how. some way.
i wonder if it were possible to erect temporary ‘icebergs’ so they can hunt the seals.
A reader writes to Sullivan about the right’s ownership of Palin:
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2011/01/the-market-for-palin-hate-ctd.html
Tnx, OMG.
Somehow I doubt the Palin-Free-Month is gonna work.
thanks OMG. i want her watched too. i am suspicious of this boycott Palin for a month meme going around. of course the right wants us to forget about her for a bit as they try to rehabilitate her/their image. as long as ignorant maniacs refuse to sit down and STFU. as long as they continue their push to take over local, state and federal government positions i hope we will not stop fighting for the future of our country. let us continue to rail against them all. Palin, Angle, Bachman, Buchanan, O’Reilly, Hannity, Van Susteren, Beck, Limbaugh and all the rest. we may be like the people of Whoville. who are so small that it is difficult to hear them. for those who pay attention though the Who people of Whoville speak loud and clear. we must make noise in order to be heard above the cacophony of a media who refuse to do their jobs and who are owned by the very corporations who are more and more revealing themselves as the true owners of this nation.
you don’t want to talk about Palin? fine. but don’t get mad at me for refusing to take my eye away from her and her supporters. believe me they are not taking time off.
I think a better approach would be, as some have suggested, not treating every tweet or FB post that Palin releases or every speech that she screeches as newsworthy. But many, and I supposed I’m in this category, think that if she does something that is indeed newsworthy then we must draw attention to it.
exactly OMG. i am not interested in what the woman had for breakfast or where her husband finds companionship but when she darkens my airspace in order to come spread her filth in my State i want to know what she says and why the hell she is here. i don’t want New York State troopers guarding her sorry ass. i don’t want her walking around my city; eating, drinking, shopping and enjoying life as long as that baby in Arizona stays dead. i never truly hated that woman and her evangelical colleagues before but i do now. and i will notshut and/or sit down about it. not now not ever.
Bubs, you make a good point. We must watch her supporters, many of whom got elected to Congress and at the local levels last Nov.
In Texas they took over from the bottom up. One school board, each county party, one at a time.
Thanks Fan… just to lighten up for a moment. please understand that my fighting skills are no good. the last time i had a fight was in grade school when i had a disagreement with a boy. he pushed me and pulled my pigtails. i retaliated by punching his lights out. when i knelt down to see if he was dead he opened his eyes and kissed me. kissed me on the lips! i was so scared i ran home to tell my mama that i was pregnant. i thought i could get pregnant if a boy kissed me. mama whipped my behind for fighting boys and getting kissed.
a long time has passed since then and i am too old now to get pregnant so i am in fighting mode again. watch out Beck and company ’cause bubbles is on the warpath:
http://i.imgur.com/1e92g.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/1e92g.jpg
Since I am basically a coward at heart,maybe you should warn an unsuspecting public that you might go postal without warning. Any words or phrases that might trigger a four alarm rampage? I might be pleased to suffer at your hands,but,just to be safe……….
((((Mike!))) you are safe from my war making. never fear dear pup.
I tend to agree – someone should be watching her and recording what she says. But we all can take a break if we need one. As long as someone is paying attention and recording what she is doing and saying, we can all catch up in March.
absolutely. i take frequent breaks because i know that others are watching. no need to be on call all day, every day. and for all who need a month or two off. no harm done.
we all have personal lives. things to do and people to meet. as a matter of fact i got to get moving. got son in law coming in tomorrow night. got cooking and cleaning to do. got jig saw puzzles to put together and books to read. rereading Game Of Thrones by George RR Martin because HBO is going to show it in April.
we got lives to live.
Is that what they call a “tree line?” 🙂
Good one, BD.
Actually, it’s important to pay attention to trees in places like Turnagain Pass.
The absence of trees above this tree line means it’s an avalanche slope above. Every winter an avalanche or five rips through and destroys any seedlings which attempts to grow higher up. Same thing below the tree line — the absence of trees means it’s an avalanche slope below. Those trees are growing on a narrow bench, protected by the terrain from avalanches which rip down the steeper slopes.
On March 21, 1999, six people were buried and killed by a single avalanche nearby. If people could learn to read these signs fewer people would die in avalanches. These lines of trees and the avalanche terrain around them can be seen from a mile away, and knowing a bit about them can keep you out of danger.
http://www.adn.com/2010/11/15/v-printer/1556293/key-dates-in-alaska-mountain-rescue.html
shout out to Slip! i happened to watch a bit of a program the other day about Alaskan dogs. there was quite a bit of info about racing dogs and their owners. very interesting. then my ears perked up because they started talking about Labrador Retrievers and their roll as avalanche rescue dogs. i sat riveted and thought of you and my dear friend in Juneau who breeds Labradors. i have a picture of some of her dogs and they are beauties. Bless you, my dear, for the work you do. you are one of my heroes.
I am not an expert on Palin,yet it seems her biggest problems are self-inflicted. People that regularly harm themselves should be locked away from polite society for evaluation and I think Eastern Europe would be a grand place for her,no offense. Those of us that saw crossnairs on political districts did not take their meaning out of context. If one put a red circle around Palin’s name with a line through it,the RWNJ would go ballistic thinking someone threatened the Quitter’ Apparently SP gets to have it both ways. She is not gonna hi-jack Feb. I am older than she is and I was born in Feb, before she was. Feb.is mine.
Happy birthday in advance!
Happy Birthday, Mike – which day? My mother’s birthday was Feb. 28 and my daughter’s is Feb. 25. So I have more interesting things to do in February than worry about SP.
My B-Day falls on the 24th pretty much every year. I will be 46 for the twelth straight year. Thanks for the rergards. Now lets go kick some Rethuglican butts.
The Telegraph weighs in on the Palin boycott with two articles:
http://politico-junkie.blogspot.com/2011/01/uk-loathing-or-loving-sarah-palin.html
Testing to see if I can post. I’ve been trying to reply to jimzmum but something seems to be amiss.
I went through this with my parents. Know that you are a good daughter, doing the best you can in a difficult situation. Your mother appreciates it more than you know, even if she cannot always remember to tell you. Your love surrounds and protects her and will do the same for you as you travel this path with her. Peace and love to you and your family.
oops my #3 comment was meant to be 2.3 for jimzmum
Eugene Robinson takes a look at what the republicans conspire to cut in their attack on government:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/24/AR2011012405023.html?nav=hcmoduletmv
In a nutshell:
“The conservatives want to end funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the Legal Services Corporation, the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Energy Star program, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change . . . you get the picture. Put together, these expenditures would not begin to pay for, say, the $13 billion Marine Corps landing craft that Gates plans to kill because we are no longer fighting World War II.
“You’d think that Rep. Howard P. “Buck” McKeon, the new chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, would have applauded Gates’s frugality. Instead, he described himself as “not happy” and vowed he will “not stand idly by and watch the White House gut defense when Americans are deployed in harm’s way.” “
Oh, how pretty! Brrrrrr, but pretty!
Mother was released from the hospital yesterday. She was so happy to be back in her own house. We will see where this journey leads us this time. Thank goodness for the authors of “The 36-Hour Day” because we are able to take it day by day. She’s going to be assessed this week about her ability to stay in her home, and I am not sure if she’s going to pass this time. I hope she does.
Have a great day, pups!
Prayers to your mom that the best possible solution be revealed and you can all rest easy.
Same goes for me jimzmum. Good luck to both you and you Mom.
My thoughts are with you and your mother.
{{{{{{{Jimzmum and Mama}}}}}}
Love to you, your mom, and your family.
Love, health, and peace to you and your mother. Blessings and hope that the best solution is found.
I second everyone’s best wishes for your situation. Hugs to you!
Jimzmum you are a wonderful daughter to your Mom. Your carrying for her and her welfare will bring you much good karma as you both travel the road of life. It’s a time of transition for both of you and I hope you can find joy and happiness on this road.
My own Mom spent her last 5 years not being able to live independently but as I took over the day to day responsibilities for her she decided to stop “worrying”. She became a new person in a very good way. They were the best years we ever had.
Best to you and your mom jimzmum. My thoughts are with both of you. Will be hoping for the best.
My prayers and thoughts are with your mother and with your family. I don’t think any of us really realized just how important it is to find a workable solution for our parents or how important it is for some people to be able to remain in their own home.
Another great area. I love the Bertha Creek campground just beyond the summit at Turnagain Pass. Taking a bike trip across Johnson Pass (just down the road) in the fall is an awesome experience as well.
You’ve been sharing some of everyday Alaska as opposed to the B.S. that $arah was showing on her reality show. These are the simple pleasures not a several thousand dollar staged event.