Damn.
I never would have thought it.
I have finally found out my true identity.
I can come out of the closet!
LDW
An old Marine Pilot sat down at the Starbucks, still wearing his old USMC flight suit and leather jacket and ordered a cup of coffee.
As he sat sipping his coffee, a young woman sat down next to him. She turned to the pilot and asked, 'Are you a real pilot?'
He replied, 'Well, I've spent my whole life flying planes, first Stearmans, then the early Grummans... flew a Wildcat and Corsair in WWII, and later in the Korean conflict, Banshees and Cougars. I've taught more than 60 people to fly and given rides to hundreds, so I guess I am a pilot, and you, what are you?
She said, 'I'm a lesbian. I spend my whole day thinking about naked women. As soon as I get up in the morning, I think about naked women. When I shower, I think about naked women. When I watch TV, I think about naked women. It seems everything makes me think of naked women.'
The two sat sipping in silence.
A little while later, a young man sat down on the other side of the old pilot and asked: "are you a real pilot?"
He replied, 'I always thought I was, but I just found out I'm a lesbian.'
Sphere: Related Content
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Parnell catches up
These are interesting times for Alaska politics. Even though, we have a governor who is about as colorless as his snowman alter-ego. I named the snowman pictured here Gov. Sean Parnell as he is the same bland visage as the governor.
Gov. Parnell has been moving things forward a bit, to try to give his administration substance and an identity of its own in the aftermath of the Palin resignation.
Parnell has put forth a program to fund higher education scholarships for Alaska’s high school students who maintain a B average. Gov. Parnell has recognized that not all go to college, so the program will include technical or vocational school scholarships as well as collage scholarships. What was not made clear was whether or not the collage scholarships will be focused on the University of Alaska, or will allow a student to go to Outside institutions. The former head of U of A had a similar program. It looks like Parnell decided to expand upon it.
This is a good move on Parnell’s part, as it demonstrates a desire to provide a trained workforce and management potential for Alaska resource and business development. Unfortunately, it is also a fact that most of the students will probably not return to Alaska, once they graduate from an Outside institution. That aspect was not addressed in his education initiative. What was not made clear, was whether or not this program is part of a genuine Parnell agenda or something left over from the Palin administration, and Sean is just finishing Sarah’s desires.
The Governor’s recent commitment to address the State’s unfunded maintenance of buildings and transportation infrastructure is a welcome attempt to fix something that vexes a lot of Alaskans. Parnell wants $100,000,000 set aside for this purpose.
With the Prudhoe revenue largess over the years, the focus went from maintaining what the State was responsible for in terms of our schools, roads, harbors, and airports, to a “we can afford to let it go and completely replace” philosophy. This attitude was reflected in the requirements for a community to completely replace all fire engines every 5 years, which has now changed to every 10 years due to the costs. Schools maintenance went by the wayside, except what was required to keep the building functional. Roofs and other costly repair items were ignored, as the attitude was “we will just build a new school”. Yet, maintenance was included in the >$7,000 per student that the State funds every year. Those monies allocated for maintaining the schools were allowed to be spent for other than maintenance by the school districts.
For example, the Matanuska Susitna Borough School District turns back to the Borough every year $1,000,000-$1,500,000 in contingency funds appropriated every school year as part of the district’s budget. This is money that could go to the maintenance of the district’s schools, instead of letting a roof become a hazard requiring emergency funding from the State to fix. After all, the money that goes back to the borough came from the State appropriations for education to begin with.
Governor Parnell finally confirmed BG Thomas Katkus as the new Commissioner and Adjutant General of the Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). Katkus was Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell’s pick for that post and his former no. 2. Katkus is a retired Anchorage Police Officer and a life-long resident of Wasilla. Given that DMVA is a rat’s nest of musical chairs for retired brigadier generals, hopefully the next administration will have the courage to conduct a thorough review of DMVA policies along with a legislative audit to bring to light how DMVA spends its money. I doubt Parnell will have the political courage to address DMVA anytime soon.
One of the interesting items is the recent resignation of Pipeline Czar Harry Noah. Noah has championed the idea of a bullet line from the North Slope to Pt. McKenzie on Cook Inlet, just north of Anchorage. This route was heavily favored by Valley legislators Sen. Charlie Huggins, Rep. Bill Stoltze, and Rep. Mark Neuman.
Now, another supporter of this route, Lt. Gov. hopeful Rep. Jay Ramras of Fairbanks, is calling for an investigation by the Governor over Noah’s resignation. Ramras is a supporter of the Enstar bullet line that Noah championed.
The association of the aforementioned Valley legislators and Ramras in their favoring a monopoly by Enstar for any natural gas delivered to south central is something that should be questioned by the Parnell Administration.
The competing line to the North Slope Enstar bullet line was the ANGDA spur line off of any big pipe to be built under AGIA or another competing pipeline proposal.
Gov. Sean Parnell may be a lackluster guy, but he is finally doing something. Whether his “somethings” are an expression of his desires or Sarah’s have yet to be made clear to Alaskans.
As the coming year quickly approaches, will this governor distance himself from Sarah in time to meet the challenges from Republicans Rep. John Harris and Bill Walters for his job?
Who knows, only the raven knows for sure, and he/she (I did not look that closely) ain’t saying, er rather, squawking. . . . Sphere: Related Content
Gov. Parnell has been moving things forward a bit, to try to give his administration substance and an identity of its own in the aftermath of the Palin resignation.
Parnell has put forth a program to fund higher education scholarships for Alaska’s high school students who maintain a B average. Gov. Parnell has recognized that not all go to college, so the program will include technical or vocational school scholarships as well as collage scholarships. What was not made clear was whether or not the collage scholarships will be focused on the University of Alaska, or will allow a student to go to Outside institutions. The former head of U of A had a similar program. It looks like Parnell decided to expand upon it.
This is a good move on Parnell’s part, as it demonstrates a desire to provide a trained workforce and management potential for Alaska resource and business development. Unfortunately, it is also a fact that most of the students will probably not return to Alaska, once they graduate from an Outside institution. That aspect was not addressed in his education initiative. What was not made clear, was whether or not this program is part of a genuine Parnell agenda or something left over from the Palin administration, and Sean is just finishing Sarah’s desires.
The Governor’s recent commitment to address the State’s unfunded maintenance of buildings and transportation infrastructure is a welcome attempt to fix something that vexes a lot of Alaskans. Parnell wants $100,000,000 set aside for this purpose.
With the Prudhoe revenue largess over the years, the focus went from maintaining what the State was responsible for in terms of our schools, roads, harbors, and airports, to a “we can afford to let it go and completely replace” philosophy. This attitude was reflected in the requirements for a community to completely replace all fire engines every 5 years, which has now changed to every 10 years due to the costs. Schools maintenance went by the wayside, except what was required to keep the building functional. Roofs and other costly repair items were ignored, as the attitude was “we will just build a new school”. Yet, maintenance was included in the >$7,000 per student that the State funds every year. Those monies allocated for maintaining the schools were allowed to be spent for other than maintenance by the school districts.
For example, the Matanuska Susitna Borough School District turns back to the Borough every year $1,000,000-$1,500,000 in contingency funds appropriated every school year as part of the district’s budget. This is money that could go to the maintenance of the district’s schools, instead of letting a roof become a hazard requiring emergency funding from the State to fix. After all, the money that goes back to the borough came from the State appropriations for education to begin with.
Governor Parnell finally confirmed BG Thomas Katkus as the new Commissioner and Adjutant General of the Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs (DMVA). Katkus was Lt. Gov. Craig Campbell’s pick for that post and his former no. 2. Katkus is a retired Anchorage Police Officer and a life-long resident of Wasilla. Given that DMVA is a rat’s nest of musical chairs for retired brigadier generals, hopefully the next administration will have the courage to conduct a thorough review of DMVA policies along with a legislative audit to bring to light how DMVA spends its money. I doubt Parnell will have the political courage to address DMVA anytime soon.
One of the interesting items is the recent resignation of Pipeline Czar Harry Noah. Noah has championed the idea of a bullet line from the North Slope to Pt. McKenzie on Cook Inlet, just north of Anchorage. This route was heavily favored by Valley legislators Sen. Charlie Huggins, Rep. Bill Stoltze, and Rep. Mark Neuman.
Now, another supporter of this route, Lt. Gov. hopeful Rep. Jay Ramras of Fairbanks, is calling for an investigation by the Governor over Noah’s resignation. Ramras is a supporter of the Enstar bullet line that Noah championed.
The association of the aforementioned Valley legislators and Ramras in their favoring a monopoly by Enstar for any natural gas delivered to south central is something that should be questioned by the Parnell Administration.
The competing line to the North Slope Enstar bullet line was the ANGDA spur line off of any big pipe to be built under AGIA or another competing pipeline proposal.
Gov. Sean Parnell may be a lackluster guy, but he is finally doing something. Whether his “somethings” are an expression of his desires or Sarah’s have yet to be made clear to Alaskans.
As the coming year quickly approaches, will this governor distance himself from Sarah in time to meet the challenges from Republicans Rep. John Harris and Bill Walters for his job?
Who knows, only the raven knows for sure, and he/she (I did not look that closely) ain’t saying, er rather, squawking. . . . Sphere: Related Content
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Sarah Palin is a Trojan Horse
The book Sarah should have written--graphic by Larry Wood, all rights reserved.
Former Governor Sarah Palin says that she wants to be major player in national politics . . . if the people will have her. Given the mewling supplication on the part of Limbaugh, Hannity, even Dennis Prager, that support is definitely there amongst the national talk show pundits.
Sarah has been given a platform that she herself lauded in her gubernatorial campaign. A platform of family first, prolife, staunch fiscal conservative, and smaller government is better. All of which her record as governor denies. Sarah is also lauded as some sort of oil and gas expert, a standing AGIA has demonstrated is false.
The Republican Party has an opportunity to recoup congressional seats in the 2010 elections. The Republican Party may be able to reclaim power in Congress and the Presidency in 2012. However, the Republican Party will certainly fail in both opportunities if the pundits keep up the rant that Palin is the Joan of Arc of conservative politics. If they continue to sell this failed politician as something she is not: a conservative.
An intensely ambitious opportunist, yes . . . a conservative, no.
Palin is not Joan of Arc, heroic in her campaign to rid the nation of the socialist big government is best agenda. Palin is the Trojan Horse that will bring down conservatism. She is a false façade or the hollow woman. Tough and glitzy on the outside, but lacking substance on the inside.
There are those pundits and her biographers, such as Confetti, who will claim that a trip to Hong Kong to speak to a bunch of investment bankers give her gravitas and “foreign policy” experience. That this experience gives her authority in foreign affairs and makes her eligible for the Presidency.
Those who were in her government, who had to deal with her, disagree with the pundits. They have seen Sarah Palin. Sarah Palin is everything she was criticized for during the gubernatorial campaign. She is merely a place holder, who contributes nothing to the conversation, and makes no decisions. She does not lead; she sits and lets others establish policy, and then rails against those who undermine her policies.
I horror to think of the soap opera this failed governor would bring the office of President of the United States, given the incredible silliness of her focus on absolutely specious ethics complaints. That she spent $500,000 defending herself from such specious partisan interdiction to her governance, and the incredible impact that such had upon her governance should be enough to remove Sarah Palin from anything other than a mouthpiece for the Republican Party.
Sarah had a mandate from the people of Alaska to make an Alaska government that was smaller, more efficient, more responsive, open and transparent, and conservative. She promised much, and did nothing towards those goals. She is a RINO, not a conservative.
Look at her record as Governor of Alaska, short as it was. It speaks for itself.
Sarah Palin is a quitter, nothing more, nothing less. A failed leader, who was only a leader in her own mind.
She does connect with people and she says all the right things. However, that is all that she does or will do for the Republican Party. She is not a leader.
If the Republican Party is to regain power, the party must find another Ronald Reagan that can play to her rhetoric, but who will do as he or she says. Reagan made us feel good about America, but he acted to make his words reality. Sarah Palin will only mouth the words, she will not do the deeds.
Yes, Sarah Palin is a Trojan Horse. She will bring down the Republican Party’s goals in these coming elections and condemn all of us to a new socialist America that will be but a vestige of what it was before Obama, Pelosi and Reid gained power.
We need conservative leaders who will do more than show a pretty face and mouth words. Let Sarah be a lightening rod to liberals, but understand that is all that she is, and keep her out of office. She will turn the elections into a circus of the absurd if she is allowed to be more than just a talking head. Sphere: Related Content
Monday, November 16, 2009
Rights of our Children
Our children have rights.
They have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
They have the right to be free to imagine, grow, play, learn, and to expect love, protection and compassion from adults.
Instead, we have abortion, we have NAMBLA, we have lesbian recruiting in our high schools and junior highs, we have NEA prosetlyzing the homosexual lifestyle openly in our schools, and we have an anti-family, anti-Christian, anti-American culture being promoted by our liberal politicians and liberal educators through federal edicts tied to federal funds at the very highest levels of government down to our schools.
We are silent when it comes to child sexual abuse.
We are silent when it comes to physical abuse of children—I mean physical abuse, I don’t mean a swat on the butt for being naughty!
We are silent when sex is promoted to our youngest children as being something that they should be engaging in at an early age.
We are silent when Madison Avenue promotes sex to our kids like candy.
We are silent when the clothes our children wear make them look like a $2 whore or gangbanger.
We are silent when a child speaks filth.
We are silent when a child disrespects an adult.
We are silent when our children kill one another, rape one another, and injure one another.
We are silent when we allow our children to be used by others for crime, to commit murder and mayhem.
What are we conservatives doing?
We are letting it happen.
The only battle line is abortion. The only outcry is for or against abortion.
Our pastors in the pulpits are cowards who mouth words, but fail to find out if their flock is healthy, or diseased, part of the problem, or a potential solution.
We let our politicians lie and steal, yet we say and do nothing.
We let our courts ignore the moral law and practice an unequal application of the secular law when it comes to justice for a child harmed by an adult or another child.
We are such cowards and so morally bankrupt that we cannot protect our children.
One nation under God, justice and liberty for all . . . except for our children. Sphere: Related Content
They have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
They have the right to be free to imagine, grow, play, learn, and to expect love, protection and compassion from adults.
Instead, we have abortion, we have NAMBLA, we have lesbian recruiting in our high schools and junior highs, we have NEA prosetlyzing the homosexual lifestyle openly in our schools, and we have an anti-family, anti-Christian, anti-American culture being promoted by our liberal politicians and liberal educators through federal edicts tied to federal funds at the very highest levels of government down to our schools.
We are silent when it comes to child sexual abuse.
We are silent when it comes to physical abuse of children—I mean physical abuse, I don’t mean a swat on the butt for being naughty!
We are silent when sex is promoted to our youngest children as being something that they should be engaging in at an early age.
We are silent when Madison Avenue promotes sex to our kids like candy.
We are silent when the clothes our children wear make them look like a $2 whore or gangbanger.
We are silent when a child speaks filth.
We are silent when a child disrespects an adult.
We are silent when our children kill one another, rape one another, and injure one another.
We are silent when we allow our children to be used by others for crime, to commit murder and mayhem.
What are we conservatives doing?
We are letting it happen.
The only battle line is abortion. The only outcry is for or against abortion.
Our pastors in the pulpits are cowards who mouth words, but fail to find out if their flock is healthy, or diseased, part of the problem, or a potential solution.
We let our politicians lie and steal, yet we say and do nothing.
We let our courts ignore the moral law and practice an unequal application of the secular law when it comes to justice for a child harmed by an adult or another child.
We are such cowards and so morally bankrupt that we cannot protect our children.
One nation under God, justice and liberty for all . . . except for our children. Sphere: Related Content
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Open and Transparent does not exist in Alaska's State Gov't
Alaska’s state government has been heavily criticized over the past few years from all sides for a lack of transparency. Criticisms have been made about meetings of the Legislature and the Executive branches held behind closed doors, along with the penchant for the judiciary to hide the crimes of their own.
It is one thing for a candidate to rail about the lack of transparency of the opposition’s administration, then to take office and repeat the same offenses. Sarah Palin railed against Murkowski’s closed door meetings with the oil companies. When she took office, she did the same, including closed door meetings with the Legislature. Sean Parnell’s Administration continues the practice.
What is hidden from we peons is a practice that is an affront to the idea of a constitutional government and the rule of law that is supposed to protect us all. Worse is the damage to the concept of openness in disclosing the machinations of a regime through public disclosure.
The State’s Freedom of Information Act has been compromised along with the disclosure of any document from any branch for any reason by a practice that is so cynical and so abhorrent in its intent so as to make a mockery of the words “open” and “transparent” when referring to an administration’s conduct.
What am I referring to? I am referring to the requirement of the Department of Law to review investigations and documents requested by FOIA under AS 40.25.100-120 and/or any document requested from a State agency for any reason.
The documents which can be refused are defined under AS 40.25.120. Certain aspects for the basis of refusal are a case of “duh” in terms of the obviousness of the need for discretion. However, the State has taken this need to protect its own to a new low.
Documents so reviewed are subject to being redacted, meaning information is changed at the discretion of the Assistant Attorney General reviewing the documents in question. One has to wonder how that sets with the courts to received documents so redacted?
Further, why would it be necessary to send any documents not meeting the criterion under AS 40.25.120 to the DOL for review? Every agency in the State has a legal department that should be competent to review the documents in question without subjecting them to further review by then DOL. In imposing this added bar to open and transparent government, an administration can selectively filter anything that it does not want to disclose, and who is the wiser? How do we peons know that DOL actually conducted a review of the documents in question?
Even the courts can be circumvented by this malarkey.
How do I know about this impediment to open and transparent?
I have requested the results from two investigations by the Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs into the conduct of a certain appointee of the last two administrations. I am also a subject of those reports and have never been privy to the contents thereof. Yet, DMVA has delayed the disclosure of those reports for months, and when I finally informed them that I wanted to review and then copy as provided for under AS 40.25.100, I was informed that the documents in question would be sent to the DOL for review with respect to AS 40.25.120. How long will this process take? Who knows? It has been months and months for DMVA to disclose the existence of documents that are one year and 4 years old respectively, and still no end in sight as my being able to review a copy of either document.
I had to provide the Director of Administration the author’s name of one of the reports, as this individual indicated that DMVA could not find it. Now, DMVA miraculously found it, and it, with the other report, is allegedly headed to DOL for review, even though DMVA has attorneys on staff.
I firmly believe, and it is a matter of standing precedent, that when one is appointed to a post in an administration by the governor, one is in the public eye. Further, one’s conduct and performance are a matter of public record, and that the results of any investigation are public record. That’s just part of the price for holding one of those well paying political appointee jobs.
In the present case, the subject of the reports was an appointee of both the Murkowski and Palin Administrations and was a good friend of the current Lt. Governor Craig Campbell.
It is too bad that Gov. Sean Parnell cannot see that open and transparent is not withholding lawfully requested documents from one of the subjects of those reports. It sets a dangerous precedent and definitely shows that the Parnell Administration is a mirror of the Palin hypocrisy.
I also discovered this policy also applies to reports made to such agencies as the Office of Children Services that one has made in defense of a minor. If you make a report to OCS in writing, then request a copy of that report at a later date for a court proceeding, you might receive a redacted copy.
CYA should not exist in State government. It is time that such self serving conduct ended. Better the AG’s time be spent on prosecuting the law, than hindering the disclosure of conduct on the part of a state official that might turn out to be embarrassing to an administration or two. Sphere: Related Content
It is one thing for a candidate to rail about the lack of transparency of the opposition’s administration, then to take office and repeat the same offenses. Sarah Palin railed against Murkowski’s closed door meetings with the oil companies. When she took office, she did the same, including closed door meetings with the Legislature. Sean Parnell’s Administration continues the practice.
What is hidden from we peons is a practice that is an affront to the idea of a constitutional government and the rule of law that is supposed to protect us all. Worse is the damage to the concept of openness in disclosing the machinations of a regime through public disclosure.
The State’s Freedom of Information Act has been compromised along with the disclosure of any document from any branch for any reason by a practice that is so cynical and so abhorrent in its intent so as to make a mockery of the words “open” and “transparent” when referring to an administration’s conduct.
What am I referring to? I am referring to the requirement of the Department of Law to review investigations and documents requested by FOIA under AS 40.25.100-120 and/or any document requested from a State agency for any reason.
The documents which can be refused are defined under AS 40.25.120. Certain aspects for the basis of refusal are a case of “duh” in terms of the obviousness of the need for discretion. However, the State has taken this need to protect its own to a new low.
Documents so reviewed are subject to being redacted, meaning information is changed at the discretion of the Assistant Attorney General reviewing the documents in question. One has to wonder how that sets with the courts to received documents so redacted?
Further, why would it be necessary to send any documents not meeting the criterion under AS 40.25.120 to the DOL for review? Every agency in the State has a legal department that should be competent to review the documents in question without subjecting them to further review by then DOL. In imposing this added bar to open and transparent government, an administration can selectively filter anything that it does not want to disclose, and who is the wiser? How do we peons know that DOL actually conducted a review of the documents in question?
Even the courts can be circumvented by this malarkey.
How do I know about this impediment to open and transparent?
I have requested the results from two investigations by the Dept. of Military and Veterans Affairs into the conduct of a certain appointee of the last two administrations. I am also a subject of those reports and have never been privy to the contents thereof. Yet, DMVA has delayed the disclosure of those reports for months, and when I finally informed them that I wanted to review and then copy as provided for under AS 40.25.100, I was informed that the documents in question would be sent to the DOL for review with respect to AS 40.25.120. How long will this process take? Who knows? It has been months and months for DMVA to disclose the existence of documents that are one year and 4 years old respectively, and still no end in sight as my being able to review a copy of either document.
I had to provide the Director of Administration the author’s name of one of the reports, as this individual indicated that DMVA could not find it. Now, DMVA miraculously found it, and it, with the other report, is allegedly headed to DOL for review, even though DMVA has attorneys on staff.
I firmly believe, and it is a matter of standing precedent, that when one is appointed to a post in an administration by the governor, one is in the public eye. Further, one’s conduct and performance are a matter of public record, and that the results of any investigation are public record. That’s just part of the price for holding one of those well paying political appointee jobs.
In the present case, the subject of the reports was an appointee of both the Murkowski and Palin Administrations and was a good friend of the current Lt. Governor Craig Campbell.
It is too bad that Gov. Sean Parnell cannot see that open and transparent is not withholding lawfully requested documents from one of the subjects of those reports. It sets a dangerous precedent and definitely shows that the Parnell Administration is a mirror of the Palin hypocrisy.
I also discovered this policy also applies to reports made to such agencies as the Office of Children Services that one has made in defense of a minor. If you make a report to OCS in writing, then request a copy of that report at a later date for a court proceeding, you might receive a redacted copy.
CYA should not exist in State government. It is time that such self serving conduct ended. Better the AG’s time be spent on prosecuting the law, than hindering the disclosure of conduct on the part of a state official that might turn out to be embarrassing to an administration or two. Sphere: Related Content
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