Sarah Palin's Accent

Tina Fey on Saturday Night Live

In case you haven't noticed, the GOP Vice-presidential candidate sounds as if she stepped right off the screen, or at least one particular movie screen. Anyone else notice that she sounds like a character in the movie Fargo? I couldn't understand it. She's not from around here, thank God, so why does she sounds like she's from Wilmar or Moorhead or Sauk Center?

There has been lots of speculation about why she sounds the way she does. It's been called an Idaho accent, an Alaska accent, an eastern accent (wow) and almost everything else. And linguists and folks specializing in American dialects weighed in on the topic. But the most sensible explanation appeared in the Star Tribune a few days ago.

Here's what appeared in the Strib (apparently borrowed from Slate magazine), front page but below the fold: a number of Minnesotans were relocated to Sarah's neck of the woods during the depression. The governor-to-be grew up amidst the children and grandchildren of these displaced Minnesotans, who were sent to Alaska because they were used to harsh climates. Apparently in the isolation of their new home, they clung to the long o, the strong s and the tendency to say things that are easily parodied by the likes of Tina Fey, such as ''you betcha" and "ya know" and "darn right".

Sarah now has a much-needed excuse for her uber-folksiness. She can't help herself. But at this point I suspect that Tina Fey would be just as good a vice-president, at least based on her mastery of this distinctive accent.

Presidential debates: history doesn't always matter

CBS News Photo

We are a modern family. OLGS and I have offices across the hall from each other. Today, we each sit at our PCs, reading the polls, the post-mortem debate analysis and scanning the election district maps for any additional signs of solidification. We call out comments to each other. The conventional wisdom apears to be that Barack won simply by not losing, going up against a congressional veteran successfully. I agree--and given the setup, that's about as good as he could expect.

Clearly, he was much more relaxed than McCain, for all the Arizona senator's vaunted experience. He could pronounce difficult names of leaders in far-off countries. He was very good at framing the economy as a national security issue--McCain finds it difficult to resist the temptation to frame national security as an ideological matter, rather than a practical one with real consequences for real people. And then there's the Eisenhower reference. Poor ol' John made this lovely speech about Eisenhower, a president I barely remember, and I was actually alive. And to make matters worse, the speech was not in reference to the general's years in the White House, but to his leadership in WWII--and the number of people who remember the famous invasion is dwindling very rapidly. The people who resonate to that reference are probably already supporting Senator McCain. And those--the vast majority--who didn't, are just going to see Mac as old, out of touch and someone who, as BO says, just doesn't get it.

And then, he referenced Henry Kissinger and Ronald Reagan--I'm not going to do the stats, but I suspect that there is a significant number of voters who weren't alive during the Reagan years, and if they were not going to vote for BO before, they might now, feeling the need to throw their lot in with someone who has a similar frame of reference. I feel sorry for John. He's trying, but I think his time has passed. As a historian, I'm quite comfortable in saying that historical references are useful only in certain times and places. Last night was not one of those. And OLGS, based on his grunts and cackles from across the hall, agrees with me.

Economic depression, 21st century style

My resolution--not to get down in the mud with the Republicans--has gone south, so to speak. McCain and the Bushies have used the probably manufactured financial crisis to sandbag the Democrats. This may be a tad conspiratorial, but boy, did these guys get religion fast. Quicker than you can say "I believe", the guys who brought you unfettered capitalism for the last eight years have had an epiphany--the times cry out for government intervention, according to the president and his minions.

This is pretty remarkable. First of all, the notion that there will be absolutely no mortages or car loans--the stick used by the president this evening--is absurd. There will be fewer car loans and mortgages, because people will be hurting and folks who can't pay their mortgages anyway probably won't be borrowing more . However, banks do need to make money, and the way they make money is by lending it--in times like these to folks and businesses with gold-plated credit ratings. And the people with the impossible mortgages won't be doing their part to keep this consumer-based economy afloat.

What is interesting is that the sense of the country seems to be--so what? We probably wouldn't have gotten a loan anyway. So while the Dems may have been thown a curve, the notion that we are giving Bush and his friends a blank check doesn't seem to sit well with even the so-called conservative base.

And here's the delicious thing: I heard Newt Gingrich on the radio the other day. He was saying, "Wait a minute" in that professorial way of his. And, he made sense. I never thought I'd see that day. And the other cheery thing--we haven't heard from the Gov. of Alaska for a few hours. Every cloud does have a silver lining.

Joe College and the SAT

Can't keep my own resolutions to talk exclusively about Sarah Palin, but there's nothing much to say. And pollsters agree with me--the bounce that Mac received by selecting her as the Veep candidate seems to have evaporated. So let's talk about college admissions instead.

Joe High School figured out that his GPA matters. Surprise, surprise. He also acknowledged that even though he is smart, there might be kids out there just as smart and that taking a look at the SAT prep book could help. So MIT and Cal Tech are probably out of reach for him, but I don't think he's terribly disappointed. What does seem improbable and kind of discouraging is that all the lesser (slightly) schools report that 95% of their students are in the top 5% of their classes and have combined SATs of over 2200. That's scary, and, I trust, not true. Otherwise, they would have no students. We'll see.

Lies by Sarah Palin

Domestic Tranquility is going to stop talking about young adult men and middle age. By comparison to the threat we face, these are piddling concerns. And I love my boys, and I embrace middle age. So, folks, let's instead talk about Sarah Palin.

We're not going to analyze why Mac picked her for the Veep position. We're not going to hash over why he passed over numerous other Republican women who would not shame us or him. Instead, we're going to focus on the facts as I see 'em:

-Fact: Gov. Palin is a woman.
That does not mean that fans of Hilary Clinton should vote for McCain because of Palin's presence on the GOP ticket as the VP candidate. Their shared chromosomes are the only similarity.

-Fact: Gov. Palin has been nominated for vice president.
People should not vote for McCain just because of Sarah Palin. Her chances of becomming president, despite Mac's age and health, are pretty slim. McCain is running for and wants to be president. Sarah Palin is a cute sleight of hand trick to distract you from McCain's failings as a candidate.

-Fact: Gov. Palin says she opposes earmark spending and during her acceptance speech proclaimed that she was an advocate of ending abuses of earmarks.
People who hope to end earmark spending should not vote for McCain because of Gov. Palin's assertions--as late as this year she requested $197 in earmarks from the earmark king, Alaska GOP Sen. Ted Stevens.

-Fact: Gov. Palin says that Barack Obama never authored a major piece of legislation. "Not even in the state senate" quoth the gov.
Don't vote for McCain just because the governor says that the Democrat has not authored any legislation. She's asking us to ignore the Lugar-Obama bill on non-proliferation, or the ethics reform package or the Illinois campaign finance bill, lobbying reform bill and federal campaign finance reform bills.

Although it's tempting to make fun of the governor of Alaska, this is serious stuff. The GOP is trying out their version of the big lie. We know that it works (remember Germany during the 1930s). Don't be fooled into believing something just because it's repeated early and often.

St. Paul--more of the same at the RNC

The Huffington Post has a piece on third world police tactics in St. Paul--busting down doors, arresting people for no reason and generally violating constitutional protections that the Bushies follow only when politically expedient. Here's the thing: why should we be surprised?

These guys have been violating the law and the Constitution since the 2000 election. They have established all types of illegal procedures that are supposed to keep America safe, and then whipped up our fears to make us look away from their illegalities. They manufacture the crisis, create fear, and then propose the illegal solution that we don't scrutinize too much because we are scared. And those few who do are labeled as unpatriotic and worse.

We've been here before. Anyone heard of Joe McCarthy, the senator from Wisconsin? Old Joe was very successful at creating a crisis--Commies under the bed--and then coming up with a solution--put 'em away using manufactured evidence and secret tribunals. Although folks were getting tired of him, as they are of Bush, Cheney and the gang, it took a government lawyer, Joe Welch, to put an end to his tactics and restore sanity, however briefly.

When will someone ask, as Welch did, "Have you no decency...?" And even if someone did ask, would we listen? Let's see if the Dems can make us pay attention and put aside our fear.

Good luck, St. Paul

Update on Goose Poop--RNC, Listen Up!

Received a comment on this August 8 post with hints on deterring geese. Apparently someone else read these suggestions, as the geese disappeared within days. Now if we could only try the same techniques on the RNC...

Police state in Minnesota

RNC is coming to town. Even if I didn't listen to the radio, read the paper or surf the web, I would know that something's up. Last evening while we were trying to enjoy our patio, the flowers and the waning summer, there were dozens of helicopters overhead, scoping out downtown St. Paul and all roads leading to it. There probably weren't dozens, but plenty. And some were black.

Apparently, the St. Paul PD has really cleaned up. The RNC has given them $50 million to buy new equipment, gas masks, bomb-sniffing dogs, and storm trooper boots. Probably a couple of helicopters, too, which it can use later on to track down those who dare litter the spiffed-up streets of St. Paul. Wouldn't it be nice if we could devote just a fraction of this time, effort and money to solving homelessness or improving the rapidly fading St. Paul public schools? Think what $50 million could do in either case.

There are protests scheduled, and OLGS and Joe College plan to attend, although Joe C. insists he will stay on the periphery, as he has an aversion to tear gas. I'm sure the SPPD is using their $50 million to refresh their cannisters.

Goose poop

Across the road from my place of employment is a field with a small pond. About four weeks ago, I noticed a small gaggle of geese--six adults and four extremly cute little goslings. This has morphed into a flock of 50 adults. The babies have either grown up or gone to greener pastures or larger bodies of water. The geese strut in the road, cruise the parking lot, and leave goose manure everywhere. They were cute; now they're a nuisance, although watching 20 or so honking avians coming in for a landing in the tiny pond is amazing. They circle lower and lower, finally gliding in at water level.

Watch where you step.

Open Windows in the Twin Cities

Empire Builder at rest at the St. Paul Amtrak Station

I live in a urban pocket, where you can smell the paper mill, Summit Brewery and the french fry factory when the wind is right. This is a reminder of the reality of modern living: food, drink and toilet paper do not just magically appear on your grocer's shelves. They are manufactured somewhere, and for some of these commodities, that somewhere is St. Paul, MN. It's a smelly reminder of the great 19th century city we once were.

I technically live in Minneapolis, but on the far eastern edge. This morning, in the sticky cool of summer, in addition to smelling the odors of commerce, I heard the Empire Builder pull in, on time for once, bearing its cargo of passengers and mail from Seattle. It's a long train, and it honks and rings and toots as it pulls in, seemingly for about two miles. It gives those of us who live within hearing distance another opportunity for nostalgia.

Why can't I believe?

The price of high test gas to fill up our fancy German car has declined to 3.89 a gallon. I should be thrilled, and grateful to George and Co. for his tenacity in driving down oil prices. I'm being silly, but don't you think that come October, the party of God will be taking credit for this, should it last?

And, to be even more cynical, don't you think it's possible that this whole thing has been manipulated and that in October gas prices will be even lower so that we will have exactly the response I just described? Because we have such a short collective memory, we won't remember why they were so high in the first place and will make poor ol' John McCain a winner on the strength of it.

Nah, you think. That couldn't happen. But wait, cast your mind back eight years to get a whiff of the amazing ability of the Bushies and their kind to manipulate not just an election, but the zeitgeist.

Final Exam

by OLGS, guest blogger—

I completed my two weeks of Magyarul language camp and the Summer Program invited me to take the final exam for the intensive course. The test was a mixture of multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and short essays. I used the full two hours allotted, even as my younger classmates decamped after half an hour or forty-five minutes. Maybe it was easy for them, but not for me. The main thing in Hungarian is to make sure verb, noun, adjective, and adverbs have the correct matching suffixes. That means every word in a sentence has to be checked against every other word for harmony.


The results are now posted: I scored a 76 out of 100 possible points. At the Yale of President Bush’s day, that would have been a “Gentleman’s ‘C’,” but here at the U of Debrecen, the grading curve is such that I earned ‘“honours” for my exam, as you can see on my “Tanúsítávany” above.

New exhibit at the Debrecen “Modém”

by OLGS, guest blogger--

I visited Debrecen’s Museum of Modern Art ( A Modém) to see an exhibit titled “SzocReal,” or Socialist Realism art in Hungary from 1949 through 1956. There were a lot of paintings showing toiling peasants and workers, but always with a smile on their faces as their toil was contributing to the new Hungary. Even the ticket-checker on the tram was smiling and the passengers smiled back.

The crowning achievement of the exhibit was the reconstruction of the Budapest Stalin statue (see above). Originally unveiled in 1950 in central Budapest (see below), the statue was pulled down in October 1956 and the head of the dead dictator served as a support for a traffic sign (see below). Red Army forces collected the broken pieces and in some obscure warehouse the pieces have rusted for the past fifty-two years. Incredibly, the curators of the Modém collected the scattered pieces, welded the ten-meter-high monster back together, polished it to a deep bronze, and now it smiles over the exhibit-goers inside the courtyard of the Modém.

Kossuth Lajos and Debrecen

by OLGS, guest blogger--

Even bigger than the statues of Protestant cattle-herders and theologians is the giant statue in honor of Louis Kossuth (Kossuth Lajos, as the Magyars say it). He helped lead the 1848 “Springtime of Peoples” in Europe against the absolute rule of the Hapsburg Dynasty. For a while, he and his fellow revolutionaries succeeded. At first, they sought Hungarian autonomy within the Hapsburg Empire, but when that was not forthcoming, Kossuth proclaimed Hungary independent of Austria in Debrecen's second St. Andrew’s Church (the first one burned in 1803). The new Hungary claimed its sovereignty extended to the full borders of the historic kingdom of Hungary, that is to say, more than half of the Hapsburg lands.

In response, the Hapsburgs called for help from the Romanovs and soon enough, 350,000 Russian soldiers invaded Magyarorszag and chased Kossuth all the way from Debrecen to New York. Nonetheless, the Hungarians still revere him as a champion of their nation. The picture at the top was taken a few days ago; the one at the bottom with the flag draped over the base of the statute was taken today.

Debrecen’s defiant Protestant past

By OLGS, guest blogger--

I went on a Sunday walk with some other Magyar language students. The town is filled with monuments to Calvinist theologians, and I think the ones not famous enough to merit an eponymouos tram stop still get a marker. Some are statues, some are plaques. Nearly all have a braided and beribboned Hungarian tri-color wreath laying in honor at the base. The statue of Istvan Bocksai (above) commemorates a great Protestant cowboy-rancher-warrior-noble. He and other Debrecen landholders had grown wealthy in supplying livestock to the armies of the Hapsburgs, and if I read this correctly, to the Ottoman Turks. The Hapsburgs did not like this and attempted to put him and his church, St. Andrews, out of business. Bocksai led a raid in 1604 all the way to Vienna and forced the Hapsburgs to recognize his rule in Debrecen and the place of the Calvinist church.

Another statue nearby Bocksai's commemorates some clergy and lay people from St. Andrews who were arrested during the Catholic Reformation that followed the expulsion of the Turks from Hungary later in the 17th century. The Hapsburg rulers seized some Debrecen Calvinists, dragged them to nearby Eperjes(*), and broke them on the wheel as an object lesson to other Protestants. Ouch!

The final memorial I saw was the most interesting, the so-called Calvinist shrub. Also during the Catholic Reformation in Hungary, the Protestants planted a small shrub near St. Andrews. The Catholics mocked this plant and said it would soon die, as would worship at St. Andrews. The Protestants answered that so long as the shrub lived, so would Calvinism. You can see for yourself the results below.

(*) Note: Eperjes, today known as Presov in nearby Slovakia, is the home of the three Joes' paternal great-great-grandmother. She had nothing to do with the Reformation or Counter-Reformation.