Maybe it's because we live near Canada, but my family adores a whole bunch of live action films made in the north land from about 1997-2002 called "Air Bud." There are a number of variations such as "Air Bud- Seventh Inning Fetch" and they all star a young Kevin "Air America" Zengers and a group of somewhat recognizable American and Canadian actors. Just caught Gregory Harrison in one the other night. The basic premise of each film is that the darling dog of the family shows outstanding talent in a sport and gets on the team, helping the youngsters win the big game. There is always a villian or two who want to steal the talented dog and put him in a circus or in a research lab. Really good fun. I particularly like the soccer one. The same film company also made a group of films about a talented monkey called "MVP" or "Most Valuable Primate" with similar themes. We've watched these films over and over on video and DVD. There is something weirdly satisfying about their perfect small towns, warm families and cute animals.

I've lived in Alaska for two decades...my family for five generations...and am just counting the days until the rest of the country finds out what we know about Sarah Palin...that she is a narrow minded, poorly educated control freak who fires people she disagrees with (check out her record in Wasilla with the city librarian and the police chief not to mention her recent troopergate drama), likes to censor library books and control information(on record in Wasilla), won't travel around the state or show up at events at which she is scheduled, lies about wanting to move the state capitol to Greater Wasilla, and refuses to have her family live in Juneau, population 30,000 because it is too "fast." Word from the Capitol is that she lets her staff do all the work and just calls it in. I went to the movies last night with a group of professional women and we are all just horrified that this woman is representing our gender and our state. Yes, she speaks to a certain ultra conservative strain in our state, but most of us would like to see our daughters go to college, have a career and contribute to society. Most of us are also parents and cannot imagine dragging a special needs baby on a campaign or running for national office knowing our teenager needs our time and attention. A little honestly from Ms. Palin would be refreshing...but none of this is hard for our little candidate because she does not show up and DO THE WORK! She's a figurehead, a barbie doll, and she is being used by the GOP. She has sold herself and her family to the higgest bidder.

It's just a matter of time before the full story of the librarian Sarah fired comes to light. She is still a respected figure in Alaskan libraries, only now she lives in Fairbanks and libraries around the state have been getting calls from the national press. There's not a librarian in Alaska who was around in 1997 who will vote for Palin. Libraries aside, the woman is a hypocrite of the first order, a questionable mother, and a very poor administrator who depends upon her staff to do all the work. Just spoke to a teacher friend in Juneau who said the Palin kids missed school on a weekly basis, were poorly informed, behind other kids in their grade academically, and not socially adjusted. It's pretty clear that education is not a priority in the Palin household, sex ed or otherwise, and it hasn't been in the Palin government.

Hey y'all, I live in Alaska and all I can say is thank god someone is asking questions because our Governor is not ready for prime time. She got in office on a three way split at a time when the state would have voted in a goat with a GOP ticket. Outside of Wasilla, Palin is not popular here, even with the GOP outside of her home stomping grounds. She has alienated everyone in the Legislature with her petty micromanagement and her line item vetos which take away from every community except Wasilla and every Borough except Mat-Su. Follow the money, folks, follow the money. And she took the bridge money and spent it on a freeway interchange in, guess where, Wasilla. It's also pretty telling that in our small gossipy state we can't find ANYONE the McCain people actually spoke to. Believe me, a bunch of guys in suits hit the state and we would notice. This is one big small town. Palin isn't worried about being VP because in both Wasilla and Juneau, she has been inacessible to the public, lashes out and fires anyone who disagrees with her, and has her staff do all the work. This woman is our worst nightmare of a politician.

I live just down the proverbial pike from Juneau, Alaska and the word on the street in our neck of the woods is that young Track had a choice...go to jail or go to Iraq for dealing drugs in the state capital. I've got eyewitnesses (teenagers, don't ya love em?) to some serious partying in the Palin family. These kinds of stories have a way of being true in our gossipy state. And I say this only because I am so (*&^%^% angry at having Palin try to make herself out to be some Mother of Year saint. She is a very, very ambitious woman who will step over anyone, including her own children, to get what she wants. Hypocrisy, indeed. There's not a woman I've spoken to in Alaska (and lord knows we have been TALKING about this) who understands why a mother with young children would take on the VP job. Sarah was barely handing the Governorship.