Iran, Alaska, It's an easy mistake to make

sarah, palin, hong kong, cavier, alaska, stupid,

I often mistake Iran for Alaska, and vice versa. They have so much in common: climate, language, culture- they're virtually indistinguishable.

That's why I forgive Sarah Palin for making the following mistake during her speech in Hong Kong:

And – here was a reference to the Alaska fish and caviar consumed in this "beautiful", "magnificent" and "libertarian" part of China – "some of the fruits of our labour, mine and Todd's, ended up on tables here". The caviar at the Hyatt, it should be added, comes from Iran.

I did find it a little strange that she seems to now support gay marriage. Or something.

"I have a husband," she said. "I think I could have used a wife. He's awesome." This really floored the Chinese. Poor Todd.

Um, yeah.

Palin: Running Away from 254 Dead People?

palin, alaska, medicaid, scandal,
Still wondering why Palin suddenly bailed 2 1/2 years (remember that number) into her term as governor of Alaska? You may not have to wonder anymore. (Hat tip to Scarecrow!)

Alaskan Medicaid Scandal:

State programs intended to help disabled and elderly Alaskans with daily life -- taking a bath, eating dinner, getting to the bathroom -- are so poorly managed, the state cannot assure the health and well-being of the people they are supposed to serve, a new federal review found.

The situation is so bad the federal government has forbidden the state to sign up new people until the state makes necessary improvements.

No other state in the nation is under such a moratorium, according to a spokeswoman for the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

. . .

A particularly alarming finding concerns deaths of adults in the programs. In one 2 1/2 year (did you remember that number?) stretch, 227 adults already getting services died while waiting for a nurse to reassess their needs. Another 27 died waiting for their initial assessment, to see if they qualified for help.

So, it's entirely possible that while Palin was setting herself up for a 2012 run at President, 254 Alaskans died for no good reason. You know, Palin's starting to make me wish I did believe in hell.