Palin: What a crowded nation she must rule in her mind

Sarah Palin walked out on her job over the weekend, and now plans, as she says, "with this decision, now I will be able to fight even harder for you, for what is right and for truth.”

You betch’ya.

The, per her usual suspect style, went on to take a swipe at the media for attacking her and said they should be nice to new Alaskan Governor Sean Parnell (cause the “new governor has a very nice family, too, so leave his kids alone"), “So how about in honor of the American soldier, you quit making up things.”

Which is ironic, considering the conservative side of politics has cornered the market on making things up. But, to be fair, so has the liberal side. But the conservatives seem to think making things up (an old Ronald Regan chestnut, where if he said something untruthful three times, it some how became truth), to scare Americans with ludicrous threats that the gays are recruiting your children, that President Obama is not an American, that said president is tilting the world into Socialism (something I’m convinced Palin does not know the meaning of without looking it up on Wikipedia) is the only way to regain the power they let slip away from them.

And even if you believe that politics is merely a pendulum, swinging from conservative to liberal every few years, it does not erase the fact that making up lies is what conservatives are truly about.

Palin’s departure, and her rambling three-day Palin-lollapalooza goodbye tour, proves anything is that the women is at odds with reality. In the crowded nation she rules in her mind, she believes she is doing the right thing - abandoning her state in the middle of a term. That she now has some “higher purpose” to move forward with, because, well being a governor of Alaska did not feed her all consuming narcissistic nature.

And, perhaps not surprisingly, she still has mind-altered fans: "I will tell you one thing -- if we get a woman president, let it be her. She is a real woman. She knows what a woman is supposed to be. She is pro-life. She is pro-family. She is pro-woman," said Jon Eric Thompson, who attended the Sunday picnic in Fairbanks.

Seeing through her fog of reality is me. I have no issues with her being a woman, or a mother or what ever the Right will through at the nay sayers. I may call her crazy (and I do believe that), but she’s dumber than a box of hair. Crazy and dumb is a potent mix that her supporters seem to embrace. Screw being smart, screw even being an intellectual. All she thinks she needs, it appears, is a bunch of people as crazy as she is to think she could be our President.

Jebus in a pita pocket.

Books: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan

Much like the Series of Unfortunate Events, the third book in the Percy Jackson series breaks little ground, as it follows the near same story structure as book 1. Still, the book is filled its silly humor, and fast paced, by-the-seat-of-your-pants action that kept kids and adults reading.

This volume heightens the parent-child issues a bit more, making the readers feel that any relationship between their Olympian god parents and the half-bloods are very difficult and often uncomfortable.

Still, while its comparisons to the Harry Potter franchise continue, its an enjoyable romp and makes me want to continue to the end.

Movie: Pornography (2009)

In some respects, writer/director David Kittredge got what he wanted with his film, Pornography; days after the Saturday night viewing, I’m still think about it. Still, pondering this turgid tale that slides a hybrid ghost story that would remind anyone of The Ring, mashed with a reporter working on a book about the gay porn industry, only to stumble upon the mysterious disappearance of gay porn star fourteen years earlier has made me feel more disappointed with the film, especially for the way too many WTF moments Kittredge threw into the film, it seems, for the hell of it.

One of my favorite lines in Jurassic Park is when Ian Malcolm tells John Hammond that just because they can create dinosaurs means they should. So is with Pornography, Kittredge thought he should create an opaque film, leaving questions for the audience, and not spoon feeding them (as he told us audience members here at Outfest) the plot line in any sort of linear fashion so that they would debate the gist of the film at a later date. So, he’s succeed in that. Still, as one of my friends pointed out who saw the film with me, you should not be forced to sit through a film three or four times to get its meaning.

The film is split into three segments or acts, with a 25 minute opening set in 1995, a 40 minute sequence set in the present, and a fifty minute sequence that seems to be set in the present, but also a possible parallel universe. Only the middle segment seems the most interesting -and is the most linear of the three. And by this third act, as it were, Kittredge’s attempt to tie the three sections together loses its creepy credibility with a single phone call. One could not help but think of works of David Lynch, who has made a career of playing with his audiences heads.

After the film, Kittredge tried to hem-and-haw his way about explaining the meaning of the film (and trying to poo-poo the Lynchian feelings the film evoked) and what all the disjointed flashed and mysterious images appeared on the screen. He said, while editing the film, that he had three film names posted above him, Psycho, Rosemary’s Baby and The Exorcist. And I can see where he picked the bones of these great directors, Alfred Hitchcock, Roman Polanski and William Friedkin. But I’m not turned off by that, as all three have great virtues. Still, this film fails to even match their worst efforts. Even David Lynch probably would say it’s so 1990's David Lynch.

As noted, only the middle segment has any life to it, if you can excuse the phrase. Matthew Montgomery, as reporter Michael, does wonders with what little is given to him and breathes life into a film in desperate need of it. His search for a lost porn star tumbles him and his boyfriend into a bazaar universe where plot lines from the original Japanese film, Ringu, were tossed out. The first and last segments seem only confuse what Kittredge was trying to say in this middle segment as well.

In many ways, I felt I stumbled into a film already forty-five minutes in and trying to figure out the plot based on the last one-hundred minutes with flash cards in a dark room.

Still, the film has merits, with its lush photography that belies its independent film status, a fairly interesting musical score that is both un-nerving and exciting. But ultimately, it fails to deliver on its premise, and Kittredge leaves many unanswered questions, including what is exactly haunting former porn star Mark (Jared Grey) in 1995 and then to reporter Michael (Montgomery) in 2009 and current porn star Matt (Pete Scherer) in some real/parallel 2009.

I get the ending, somewhat, but again, it took me a few hours of conversations with my friend to come to that conclusion. But while I give merit to Kittredge to produce a potentially interesting ghost story with gay characters, his over indulgence on keeping the plot as thick as maple syrup just out of the cold outdoors, just speaks volumes of his pretentiousness that he gave off at the screening (I mean, sure, the film has sold out at the gay fests its played in, but submit a film called Pornograpghy to a gay film festival, are you not surprised it’s sold out?).

Update

So a quick update here:

Yesterday was the 41 st anniversary of the death of my father from cancer. He would've been 74 this year, had he lived. Each year reminds me how odd it is that he's been gone that long.

An HF Production fan, who has now become a good friend, flew in from St. Louis to spend time with his new family of friends. He's staying at my place for two days before I send him off to a hotel for the remainder of his time here! Today we have no set plans, but probably heading to Santa Monica. Tomorrow we head to Disneyland to celebrate his 21st birthday -he gets in free!!!

Saw HP6 last night, as well. However, I got a major headache and could barely keep my eyes open to watch the whole thing. It's certainly different from the previous five, much darker and very adultish -despite the kids growing up antics. I will be seeing it again.

Also, on Saturday I went to Outfest with JayTee and Carlos to see the thriller Pornography that stars Star Trek: Odyssey star Matt Montgomery. A full review will follow in a few days, but all I can say now about it is I should not have to see a film three or four times to understand it.

Oh, and the pics are the first released on the filming of Doctor Who season five, with new Doctor Matt Smith and companion Karen Gillan, playing Amy.

Campy Pride and Prejudice and Zombies spawns another mash-up

In typical media fashion, as soon as a new idea hits big, sequels are always down the line.

This past spring, Quirk Books - known for The Worst-Case Scenario Survival books, which has spawned sequels, as well as a TBS television series and a board game - hit big with the campy mash-up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies by Seth Grahame-Smith. Now, to further the genre they created, next month sees the release of Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters. In this update, the Dashwood sisters are evicted from their childhood home by their conniving stepmother, only to land on a mysterious island full of man-eating sea creatures, instead of a nearby, downgraded, English cottage.

This new take however, will differ from P&P&Z, where Grahame-Smith used about 80% of Austen's text. S&S&SM has a 60-40 ratio of Austen material to new material. According to Quirk Books editor Jason Rekulak, using sea monsters allowed him and author Ben H. Winters to draw from a wide range of pop-culture sources, including Jules Verne, the TV series Lost and even Spongebob Squarepants.

Meanwhile, Seth Grahame-Smith has signed a deal with Grand Central to release Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter next year. See what happens when a little publishing house takes a risk and releases something that no one would expect?

Still, Quirk seems to be aware of the limited shelf life too many of these smash-ups on the market, but is willing to see how the market fairs when Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters is released. He told Publishers Weekly that "it may be that the appeal had solely to do with the zombies but, if people are intrigued with the idea of desecrating or mashing up classics, then there’s a lot we can do.”

Things that bother me

Like escalators and moving walk-ways.

I was a Disneyland last night, and JayTee and I are leaving the park. We get back to the parking structure and a group of teens runs toward the empty escalator. Now, I'm thinking that they want to walk up and get to their cars. But no, they get on and stand still.

See, I think if you're getting on a escalator or a moving walk-way (which are usually located in airports) you should walk up them and walk on them. We're a fat society and apparently walking up stairs -even ones that move - is too much.

But then again, I even like walking up the stairs at Universal Studios, and those things are steep.

Same goes with those moving walk-ways in airports. They're designed to get you through the place quicker, not for just standing on them because you life is so difficult.

One more thing, what is it with people who lean on shopping carts while walking through stores. Is you life, your day that tough you have lean on them like you fall down if you just pushed them?

I'm a curmudgeonly old man, it seems. Oh. My. Gosh.

Of co

Candy Everybody Wants

Books: Percy Jackson and The Olympians: The Sea Monsters by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson's seventh-grade year has been surprisingly quiet. Not a single monster has set foot on his New York prep-school campus. But when an innocent game of dodgeball among Percy and his classmates turns into a death match against an ugly gang of cannibal giants, things get . . . well, ugly. And the unexpected arrival of Percy's friend Annabeth brings more bad news: the magical borders that protect Camp Half-Blood have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and unless a cure is found, the only safe haven for demigods will be destroyed.

The second book in the series is better, and just as original and funny as The Lightning Thief. Once again, Riordan updates the Greek Myths with a wink, but is no longer bogged down by its set up, which helps us get into the action much quicker.

I'm beginning to suspect, however, that Riordan is setting things up for its later conclusion, in the sense, that I think I know where this is going. Still, much like the Harry Potter series, these stories are about friendship and trust, and dealing with an ever increasing idea that the Greek Gods are as dysfunctional as humans -especially when Percy confronts his family heritage.

How did Sci Fi Channel come up with its new name?

Back in March, I talked about how the cable channel Sci Fi was changing its name to SyFy, in some obvious attempt to brand itself to make money -after all sci-fi is a generic term to describe a genre. Hard to charge anyone a fee for using it.

Michael Hinman, who created and ran his own sci fi web site called Sy Fy Portal for a decade was paid by NBC/U (who own the Sci Fi Channel) so use that name. Hinman relaunched his site as Airlock Alpha.

After Michael Engleman, President of NBC/U, proclaimed he came up with the term, Hinman has really broken his silence. And while many -like me - were aware of this change (and Hinman has made several references to the name change), it seems Engleman (in typical Hollywood fashion) is ignoring the fact that while he (and most likely his team at NBC/U) worked out a new name, he forgets to mention that the company had to buy that name from someone else.

Here's his latest post on it:

Dear Michael Engleman:

Congratulations on your move to NBC Universal after what I'm sure was some hard work you did at CMT.

There, you took a network called "Country Music Television" and rebranded it "CMT." If it sounds like something you just doodled on a piece of paper after five minutes thinking about it, then we haven't heard about your most famous creation.

Let's hear what you told Fortune magazine writer Nadira A. Hira in a story that published July 7.

"I knew how important our roots are, and knew where we wanted to go in the future, and I asked myself a simple question," Engleman said. "What if we could change the name without ever changing the name? Five minutes later, with a ballpoint pen and a piece of scrap paper, Syfy was born."

Except it really wasn't born, was it? Not unless it's a born again brand. And maybe it is. Maybe the Syfy brand went up to some marketing altar somewhere and declared itself reborn. Because now it would be the name of a network, and not just some science-fiction entertainment Web site that people like me and our great staff of writers spent years busting our tails over.

But who cares that I had actually created the "Syfy" name more than 10 years before Engleman created it. I mean, who the hell am I?

Last year, NBCU made $16.9 billion. Our little SyFy Portal operation? About $40,000 and some change. Let's spell that out ... $16,900,000,000 versus $40,000.

NBCU and the people at Sci Fi Channel/Syfy claim they adore the fans, and listen to the fans. Yet, they don't even hesitate to stomp all over a site founded by fans, and operated by fans, who pretty much work next to nothing to get the news out to other fans.

To make matters worse, NBCU didn't even have the balls to approach us themselves. They used a shell company called New Fizz Corp. to buy the SyFy Portal domain name, as well as all of our branding that uses "SyFy" or even "Sy" (or even SFY). That allowed them to buy the brand for $250,000.

That's right. That is what they paid us to sell our domain name and our brand. A quarter million dollars. How much of a budget hit was that to NBCU? Let's spell it out again: $16,900,000,000 versus $250,000. That is 0.0014 percent of NBCU's overall revenue for a brand that they are now using on a major property.

If they had come to us as NBCU, they know that we would've looked at the $16,900,000,000 in revenue, and likely would've wanted to move the decimal point in the percentage of revenue to the right a few places. Even then, even if we had asked for $2.5 million for the brand and the domain name that we put so much of ourselves into, that would be just 0.014 percent of NBCU's overall revenue for the year.

Seems like a good deal, right? If you're NBC. They took a name that I had developed in 1998 and had effectively branded over a number of different projects like SyFy Radio, The SyUniverse Group, SyPod, the SyFy Genre Awards even SyFriday, and convinced us they were a company that made no more than a couple hundred thousand dollars, that prevented us from receiving the full value that such a name could command for the use they had planned.

But yeah, NBCU loves the fans, don't they?

Syfy was a great name for them. We had shown NBCU over and over again how it could be used to brand and separate yourself from everyone else. We stopped using "SyFy Portal" more than five months ago, yet you plug that into Google, and you still get 24,000 results.

So you're telling me that you, Mr. Engleman, who is described as a branding genius, didn't know that while you were trying to find a way to rebrand SciFi Channel, that you didn't look to see how other sci-fi related brands were working?

And even if you believe this hogwash that you somehow came up with the name independently, why is it so hard for your bosses at NBCU to simply acknowledge that while they may have come up with "Syfy" independently, it was used by its original creator -- me -- over the last decade.

I have used this example a lot in the past few months, and it still works. If Bill Gates decided that he wanted to buy the Ford Motor Co., he can't turn around and claimed he invented the assembly line and the Model T. Just because you're the owner of something doesn't mean you created it.

Variety credited you for "coining" the term "Syfy." You didn't coin it anymore than I could put an engine on a set of four wheels and claim I invented the automobile. Sure, I may have created it independently of any car manufacturer, but that still doesn't mean I can take the credit for its invention.

Does it?

Several years back, when we were trying to come up with a name for our new horror site, I had come up with the name "Screamscape." I loved it, and was dancing all over the place that we had such an awesome name!

I mean, I had sat at my desk, thought about it for 10 minutes, and wrote it down.

Then I Googled "Screamscape" and found out that it was already in use by a rollercoaster enthusiast site. Does that mean I created the name? Or do I have to buy out Screamscape before I can claim that I "coined" the term?

Maybe we should use this newfound "wealth" NBCU provided us and buy the "SciFi Channel" branding, and then we can claim that we coined the term. As long as we own it, right?

I know you might see this as an unfair attack, Mr. Engleman, and I don't mean for this to be personal in any way. I don't really know you, I've never met you, and you're probably a great guy. I know you work hard, and maybe you really believe that you created the name.

But it has been proven over and over again that you didn't create the name. Not in the least. You may or may not have been aware of SyFy Portal when you came up with it, as I'm sure you know how to use Google like the rest of us. But the fact is, when it's all said and done, the name you either "created" or "coined," based on whatever legend you have mustered up, was in use for a long time.

It was in use by fans who have worked hard to not just watch your network, but to support it through stories and coverage. By a site that was on the forefront of pushing SciFi Channel to turn "Battlestar Galactica" into a series (a claim that I don't make, but others involved in the early fandom movement following the success of the miniseries in 2003). By a site that wrote what it could about shows we didn't even care for. By a site that even defended the inclusion of wrestling, because we felt any additional money made there could go toward stronger television shows and movies.

And we are big fans of what SciFi Channel and now Syfy does. We like "Warehouse 13." We like "Caprica." We can't wait for "Stargate: Universe." We like Syfy president Dave Howe, who I had a chance to talk on the phone with quite extensively and enjoyed his professionalism and intelligence. We like Craig Engler, who is using the "Syfy" name quite effectively on Twitter. And to be honest, we even like you for taking the chance with such a different name, and weathering the short-lived, if not heavy, typhoon of criticism that hit you.

But what we don't like is when you try to drown out the fans. When you try to stomp us out. When you take from us for next to nothing, and then do what you can to make sure we can't even get our voices heard above the media machine you have created. How are fans supposed to take that?

So enjoy the new name. You turned a brand that was used for a $40,000 operation to one that is now on a $425 million operation. That's a value boost of what, 1,062,400 percent (I'm not kidding on that). And all you paid was $250,000.

That's an instant value return of $1,700 for every single dollar spent. From the corporate perspective, that's considered an amazing investment (hell, a return of $100 for every dollar invested is considered extraordinary to many).

But to those of us who are struggling to do the things we do ... it's yet another example of how mega-corporations do whatever it takes to make money, even at the expense of the little guy.

Sincerely,

Michael Hinman
The real creator of the term "Syfy"

So, as the world of big business works, the truth becomes muddle down. For Engleman its just feather in his cap to be used later, when seeking a new job. For Hinman and his team at Airlock Alpha, it just proves that despite creating and using Syfy for decade before NBC/U came a calling, you always, always get screwed.

Books: Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

This novel chronicles the adventures of twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, who discovers he is a demigod, the son of a mortal woman and the Greek god Poseidon. Percy and his friends go on a quest to prevent an apocalyptic war between the Greek gods Zeus, Poseidon and Hades. The story contains a multitude of encounters with characters from Greek mythology still alive in modern times.

In this fast-paced, often funny look at the way Riordan updates the Greek mythology. Percy is sarcastic, often wry and a little bit impetuous. Still, the series has been compared to Harry Potter (and there is a small in-joke towards the end of the novel), but though Riordan borrows much from the historical mythology, the series first book does not get too bogged down in its own mythology, if you can excuse the joke.

I'm a celebrity, get me out of here

Oh, poor Sarah Palin. Since Friday of last week, in what was a nearly confusing, grammatically challenged speech, the Alaskan governor said she was not only not seeking re-election in 2010, she was also resigning at the end of the month.

Reason?

None that was given, except that once she decided not to try again for the governor's mansion, she also thought she would want to avoid being a "lame duck," in 2010, she said. Apparently, she's not that kind of person, one who's not a quitter. So, she said, she had decided to ... quit.

"How sad that Washington and the media will never understand; it’s about country," she said in a message posted on her Facebook page. "And though it's honorable for countless others to leave their positions for a higher calling and without finishing a term, of course we know by now, for some reason a different standard applies for the decisions I make. But every American understands what it takes to make a decision because it’s right for all, including your family."

So, Sarah Plain and Tall, what is this higher calling you spoke about? Just what qualifies as a higher calling to you? Does that mean being a good housewife and staying home to take care of your kids? Does that mean working with your Church 24/7 to make sure the homeless have a place to stay and food in their stomachs? Does that mean becoming sort of Good Will Ambassador to the world?

Or does it mean making more money than what Alaska is paying you by joining FOX News, where you become one more political pundit spouting on and on about the Obama administrations attempts to turn the US in a Socialistic country - and by the way, do you even know what means without being told by some paid sycophant?

Or does it mean running for Senator, in either your home state, or moving like Hillary Clinton did?

Because, to be honest, furthering your political career seem far from a higher calling. Politics is dirty, and at times, one of the most deceitful jobs a person can have, because its about power -who has it and who wants it. You have to lie a lot of the times to get what you want, break promises to one to appease two. Lawyers and politicians are made fun of because some -like you -deserve the criticism steered at you.

But because you are blind to your ambitions, to self-serving vices, you believe any attack on you is because your a woman or because your a conservative or because your a beauty queen or because, well, your about as ready to lead this nation as a box of hair is.

Your ego, thin as it is, is your driving force here to make these claims of a higher calling. And since you refuse to state what are the exact reasons you are resigning, voicing some odd, nebula's reason at that, you mock the press.

Yes, they don't understand. No one understands. And until you clear this up, they'll continue to ask, continue to mock you.

But maybe that's what you want. Since you returned to Alaska, no one cares about you anymore, and that bothers you. You loved the fame that McCain brought you, and like a junkie, once it went away, you needed to get a new fix.

On July third, you found it.

Only thing is, what McCain gave you was free. Now you're going to have to pay to keep the high of celebrity going.

This is what you wanted, just shut up and take it. Or tell the world what your doing and do it.

Either way, you'll still be mocked. But if a higher calling means getting out of politics, well I would take it. It's obvious you cannot live with a mirror in front of you.

Goodbye, my dear sweet Godfather.

Joseph A. Schafer

Joseph A. Schafer, age 94, Vet WW II. Beloved husband of the late Anna, nee Labant; loving father of Carol (Warren Sr.) Toepper and the late Joanne; dear grandfather of Sharon (Michael) Rezak, Warren Jr. (Amy), Kirsten (Lee) Haskell and Elizabeth (David) Williams; great grandfather of Lucas, Alexis, Anna, Abigail, Jack, Emily, Nathan and Jacob; dear brother of the late Edward (late Dorothy), the late Elizabeth (late Fred) Wudke and the late Isabel (late Vince) Betts; fond uncle to many.

Books: The Terror by Dan Simmons

In The Terror, author Dan Simmons takes a true, historical story of the famed Franklin Expedition to find the Northwest Passage and wraps a it into a thriller worthy of Stephen King.

The crewmen of the Terror, and its sister ship, the Erebus, have been trapped in Arctic ice for two years without a thaw when the novel begins. Shortly, we are told how the expedition began its voyage, with great detail, and how eventually they end up trapped in the Arctic. As the story moves forward, we learn that the real threat to their existence is not the ever changing, ever shifting arctic landscape, the victuals that are poisonous even before they’re opened, or even the slow destruction of the two ship caught in the grips of unforgiven able ice. The real threat comes from the darkness of the winter nights, from a supernatural creature that is stalking the crews one by one or whole groups, leaving bodies mangled or just plain missing.

Simmons takes his time setting up the story, going into great detail about both ships and its crew. And I suppose, killing off 146 people takes time and many pages (the mass market edition clocks in at 955 pages). As the horror of their adventure unwinds, I was often reminded of The Bridge Over the River Kwai and the role of Colonel Nicholson (played by Alec Guinness). Insomuch, I guess, as the Colonel plays by the rules of British military and dislikes anyone who questions his orders, especially lowly officers below his status. Colonel Nicholson, despite being a POW and forced to build a bridge, deplores sabotage and other deliberate attempts to delay its progress -after all, that is what the rules of his war states. So does the captain of the Terror, in essence. Despite being trapped in the ice, and with everything going down hill quickly, he decides to stay longer than they should’ve, thus dooming him and his crew to fate of the arctic and whatever is stalking them.

The characters featured in The Terror are almost all actual members of Franklin's crew, whose unexplained disappearance has warranted a great deal of speculation. The main characters in the novel include Sir John Franklin, commander of the expedition and captain of Erebus, Captain Francis Crozier, captain of Terror, Dr. Harry D.S Goodsir, and Captain James Fitzjames.

The book, maybe, is a bit over long, but it’s a damn fine adventure, horror story and thriller. The characters are well developed, but it was hard for me (anyways) to keep them all straight. And, perhaps, my only criticism lies in one gay character who becomes the leader of mutinous group and who kills at leisure and eventually goes mad. Now, I realize this is set at a time (1846 to 1848) when such men were hanged for being gay, but still (and there are two other gay men who are portrayed in more brighter light).

As for the monster that is stalking the men, Simmons reveals little of what it actually is, though he spends the last few chapters exploring Eskimo mythology. But in the end, whether the bear-monster is an actual mythological creature or something else is left unexplained.

Palin resigns; how soon will she join Faux News?

If this is a strategic move by her to spend a few years boning up on how to become president in 2012, I’m confused by it. To me, it seems almost counterproductive. Staying in office would give her justifiable experience to say she should be the Commander and Chief. Moving out now seems to indicate -to me- that there is something going on, and by playing the smoke and mirror card a day before America celebrates its birthday to get (maybe what she hopes) is a boost in her jingoistic, extremely conservative fan base, seems nothing short of a pathetic attempt to hide her real reasons for this resignation. Many can cite those pesky ethic issues that have dogged her since she returned to Alaska (and granted, most have been dismissed) and can say she backpedaled on her decision to reject federal stimulus funds, but it doesn’t take a Columbo to sense all is not right in the private life of one Sarah Palin.

I believe that is where lies the truth (though I would still not dismiss political wrong doings on her part). But the truth is nothing politicians can ever tell, for fear of alienating their contingency. It takes a bold person, with no fear, no worry to tell the honest truth.

She wants to be president.

I get that.

More power to her.

But unless she spends the next year or so getting a brain upgrade from the folks at Wolfram & Hart, I don’t see her succeeding. Plainly, the more center right conservatives will not vote for her (though they may shill for her). And even if President Obama’s plans only half succeed, Palin and her far right fan base still have to deal with the fact that they are seen as out of date, way too rich old white guys who legislate not for the people, but for themselves. And Black America will not vote for her.

So, what’s the real deal, Ms Palin? What has moved you to resign? What hides in the dark corner of your soul that might’ve come out had you stayed governor until you announce your presidency in 2010? Are you hoping that by doing this, by the time 2010 comes around, people will be convinced its more important to elect a fear-mongering Christian than the right person for the job?

One last thing: How soon before she joins Faux News to bitch about the presidents lack of progress in getting the US out of this recession?