Is Sarah Palin the mother of Trig?

Sarah Palin, the Republican vice-presidential nominee, gave birth to her fifth child, Trig, earlier this year. Or did she? There is speculation that Trig is not Sarah’s son, but instead is the son of Sarah’s daughter Bristol.

According to Paul Tosone on iReport:

1. Bristol Palin left school for an extended period of time, due to mononucleosis according to her family for the last 4-5 months of Trig’s pregnancy. Some classmates claimed later that they had seen Bristol Palin pregnant.

2. Sarah Palin did not reveal to anyone outside her family that she was pregnant until 8 months into her pregnancy. Even then, she showed no signs of pregnancy. Alaskan news outlets commented on this, but did not go further. There are pictures of her at Super Tuesday (just a month before the baby was born) at <http://www.adn.com/politics/story/339576.html>.

Here is the picture in question:

Sarah Palin during Super Tuesday (on right)

This does not look to me like the picture of a seven month pregnant woman.

3. There are supposed photos showing Bristol Palin having gained weight, possibly significantly so in the abdomen.

4. Sarah Palin went into labor in Dallas just before she was due to deliver a keynote address at the Republican Governors’ Energy Conference, and flew to Seattle, then Alaska while still in labor.

http://www.newsminer.com/news/2008/apr/22/palins-flight-labor-falls-under-scrutiny/

Supposedly, she was in labor during the 8 hour flight, and the crew and attendants did not know.

(Quote from the Article Above):

“”Governor Palin was extremely pleasant to flight attendants and her
stage of pregnancy was not apparent by observation as she didn’t show
any signs of distress,” Boren said.”

This is extremely risky behavior, and you are advised by doctors, traditionally, not to fly once you are past 7 months pregnant. If airlines are made aware, sometimes they will prevent you from flying. Sarah Palin did not inform the flight.

Indeed I would be surprised if an airline would let her fly in the late stages of prgnancy, let alone while in labour. If Trig is indeed Sarah’s child (which must be the most likely possiblity in the absence of evidence to the contrary) then her behaviour was foolhardy and bizarre.

5. Sarah has had four children before, and a prolonged labor that lasted a flight from Dallas to Alaska is extremely unlikely, as labor times usually decrease with the number of births.

Here’s a picture of the Palin family the Anchorage Daily News, taken six weeks before Trig’s birth on March 9th:

Palin Family taken 6 weeks before Trig's birth

Bristol is on the right of this picture, with Sarah next to her. Of the two, which one looks more like she’s pregnant?

One factor in favour of Sarah being Trig’s mother is that Trig has Downs Syndrome, a medical condition that is much more common in infants with an older mother. Another factor is that the Republican Party would no doubt have checked her background before offering her the VP position.

One final comment: in Britain, all births have to be registered, and it is illegal to put false information on a birth certificate. Is this also the case in America?

UPDATE: This story is also being covered at:

BlueBloggin — which says it matters because “Sarah Palin is pro-life” and a “proponent of abstinence only education”.

Daily Kos — which accuses the Alaska Governor’s website of removing pictures of Sarah taken while she was pregnant.

James Lee has a blog — who says that whether Trig is or isn’t Sarah’s, it reflects badly on her either way.

Reveries of a Solitary Walker — who is sure the baby isn’t Sarah’s.

Will in the World isn’t sure the rumours are true, and isn’t convinvced they matter either.

Jesurgislac makes a point about Downs Syndrome:

Downs syndrome babies may be in need of immediate medical attention at birth if they are to survive. Most urgently, an echocardiogram needs to be performed — DS babies can have congenital heart disease. A complete blood count needs to be done as soon as possible — a DS fetus may have leukemia. (There are other tests, but none quite so urgent.) A DS baby needs to be born in hospital if at all possible, and one with the best possible pediatrics department.

It was perhaps unwise of Governor Palin to fly to Texas, eight months pregnant, but it was downright maniacally irresponsible of her to decide to fly back when she knew she was in labour. And I cannot believe that the physician she says she spoke to in Texas would have okayed her flying back, while in early labour, when if she gave birth to Trig on the plane, there was a small but not miniscule chance that Trig would never have left the plane alive – and certainly, it would have been safer to stay in Texas, check into a hospital there, and give birth.

Sarah Palin and abuse of power

Sarah Palin abused her power as Governor of Alaska to try to get her ex-brother-in-law sacked. According to TPM:

We rely on elected officials not to use the power of their office to pursue personal agendas or vendettas. It’s called an abuse of power. There is ample evidence that Palin used her power as governor to get her ex-brother-in-law fired. When his boss refused to fire him, she fired him. She first denied Monegan’s claims of pressure to fire Wooten and then had to amend her story when evidence proved otherwise. The available evidence now suggests that she 1) tried to have an ex-relative fired from his job for personal reasons, something that was clearly inappropriate, and perhaps illegal, though possibly understandable in human terms, 2) fired a state official for not himself acting inappropriately by firing the relative, 3) lied to the public about what happened and 4) continues to lie about what happened.

But, hey, what’s the point of having power unless you can abuse it, eh, Sarah?

(via Balloon Juice)

Who will God vote for in the US election?

Owen Barder wonders whose side God is on:

First the religious right were asked to pray for rain during the Denver Democratic National Convention:

Stuart Shepard of Focus on the Family, one of America’s leading evangelical groups, was shown in a video filmed at Denver’s Invesco Field, where 75,000 are expected to cheer Mr Obama on Aug 28, asking Christians to pray for “torrential” rain.

Did it rain on Mr Obama’s parade? Did it heck.

But what’s this? Hurricane Gustav has prompted a rethink over the Republican convention. John McCain said:

“But you know it just wouldn’t be appropriate to have a festive occasion while a near-tragedy or a terrible challenge is presented in the form of a natural disaster. So we’re monitoring it from day to day and I’m saying a few prayers too.”

If the Big Guy is sending rain according to which side he’s on, then He seems to be a Democrat.

Tee hee.

As an aside, I wonder if “Focus on the Family” is code for “Focus on our Bigotry”? I suspect it probably is.

Iraqi government versus Sunni Awakening

Further to this previous entry, Al Jazeera English have a report on the incipient clash between Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and the Sunni Arab Awakening Councils (aka “Sons of Iraq”).

(via Informed Comment)

Scottish Roundup

Scottish Roundup is up here.

Next week’s Scottish Roundup will be by Will Patterson, so get your nominations in by emailing scottishround (at) gmail (dot) com.

Is Sarah Palin an “Aunt Tom”?

Is Sarah Palin overly deferential towards men and refusing to stand up for women’s rights (such as the right to bodily autonomy)? Mle292 says:

Is there such a thing as an “Aunt Tom?
This Palin thing is all about what’s horribly wrong with our culture. Women who are stupid, pretty and willing to go along with the idea that women are inferior will excel. Intellectually brilliant women (like Michelle Obama) are to be vilified for not knowing their place.

Y’know what’s going to happen? She’s going to be in a debate with Joe Biden, he’s going to wipe the floor with her and she’s going to be portrayed as the helpless victim.

There may be something in this. After all quite a lot of male voters probably prefer women who are not thick exactly but are intellectually unthreatening.

(via The Yorksher Gob)

OMG, I must be a terrorist!

Do you own a computer? Use a mobile phone (particularly a pay-as-you-go one)? Do you own luggage or travel places? Do you own a vehicle, or hire one? Do you own a camera?

If you answered yes to most or all of these questions, then according to a poster put out by the Metropolitan Police, you’re a terrorist suspect. (I’m surprised they didn’t also ask “Are you a Brazilian electrician?”). I answered yes to all of them, so I guess I must be a terrorist without realising it. Perhaps I should turn myself in.

Here’s the poster, seen in a Tesco in Islington:

Metropolitan Police terrorism poster

The text reads:

TERRORISTS NEED INFORMATION
Observation and surveillance help terrorists plan attacks. Have you seen anyone taking pictures of security arrangements?

TERRORISTS NEED TRANSPORTATION
If you work in vehicle hire or sales, has a sale or rental made you suspicious?

TERRORISTS NEED TO TRAVEL
Meetings, training and planning can take place anywhere. Do you know someone who travels but is vague about where they are going?

TERRORISTS USE COMPUTERS
Do you know someone who visits terrorism-related websites?

TERRORISTS NEED COMMUNICATION
Anonymous, pay-as-you-go and stolen mobiles are typical. Have you seen someone with large quantities of mobiles? Has it made you suspicious?

The best comment I’ve seen on this is:

TERRORISTS NEED TO SHIT: Have you seen someone going to the toilet in private? Did it make you wonder what they were doing?

(via Boing Boing; the photo is by gruntzooki on flikr)

What is to be done about Russia?

Following the South Ossetian War, Edward Lucas re-asks Lenin’s famous question: What is to be done?

He lists some options (indented; with my comments below each one):

1) A “Georgia Solidarity Campaign” to lobby hard for a full troop withdrawal, NATO soldiers in Georgia (see the “Checkpoint Georgia” article by ex-ambassador Donald Maclarin in today’s Telegraph). International brigade of volunteers to help Georgia. Visa free travel to EU and US for Georgian (and Ukrainian) passport-holders.

As well as this, the EU should speed up Georgia’s economic integration with Europe. The objective would be to increase the Georgian standard of living up to something like European standards, while the South Ossetians and Abkazians of course continue to live at Russian standards of wealth and freedom.

The same needs to be done with Ukraine, which should also be offered NATO membership.

2) Sweden and Finland into NATO ASAP

Assuming they want to join, this would be an excellent measure. Both countries have sizable and effective armed forces, and Sweden in particular has a large arms industry. If they don’t want to join NATO, maybe they would want to join some defence organisation that was part of the EU.

3) Big counter-attack on information warfare, expose Kremlin lies, inventions, distortions of history. Hit hard on Katyn, Gulag denial, Stalin nostalgia.

Katyn should be played for what it is worth, however it’s propaganda value isn’t likely to be great since it was some time ago and the Russians have admitted they did it. Pointing to Stalin nostalgia is likely to be much more effective as propaganda.

4) Sue Chekists everywhere–Strasbourg, Hague, any western court (Can’t someone in Spain get Pinochet-style arrest warrant out?) Make them scared to travel.

This is reminiscent of the “smart sanctions” that havew been used against the Zimbabwean elite. Russia’s oligarchs like to visit Europe so make it harder for them. At the same time, why not apply the same measures tio their families, so if their wives want to do a bit of shopping in London or Paris, or their kids want to go to European universities, don’t let them.

Let them know that they are pariahs to all civilised people.

5) Use separatist arguemnt against Chekists Idel-Ural, Tatarstan, Chechnya

If South Ossetia can leave Georgia, Chechnya can leave Russia.

6) Stop talking about “Russia” (except where journalistic convention demands it). These guys aren’t Russia. They are criminal gang of bullies, crooks and murderers who have hijacked Russia.

They are the Russian government, and the Russian government are kleptocrats.

7) Demand Germany and Netherlands pull out of Nord Stream

Agreed. The less dependent we are on Russian gas, the better.

8) Build up NATO presence in Baltic states (Balts provide the buildings, other NATO countries the people)

British Army of the Dvina, anyone?

9) Constant name and shame of Chekist allies and stooges in Europe. What on earth is Cyprus doing? It should feel the deepest sympathy for Georgia…

10) Attack them financially. Raid Raiffeisen Bank, find out who owns Gunvor, RosUkrEnergo. Make all contact with Chekist-run commercial entitities toxic to professional reputations, careers. Without bankers, auditors, lawyers etc they will find life much more difficult.

This would be hard to do without formal sanctions. Lawyers, bankers, etc, are used to dealing with clients who’re a bit dodgy.

A great book for bible studies

An excellent book for studying the bible is Illustrated Stories from the Bible (that they won’t tell you in Sunday School) by Paul Farrell. Here’s an example page retelling the story in 2 Samuel 13:1-19, when David’s son Amnon rapes his sister Tamar:

David's son Amnon rapes his sister Tamar

Apparently God made Amnon do it (whether that was his defence in court, I don’t know).

This is just the sort of book that ought to be used in compulsory religious education lessons in schools.

(via Friendly Atheist)

Lloyds force man to change password

Lloyds TSB forced a man to change his banking password:

A man who chose “Lloyds is pants” as his telephone banking password said he found it had been changed by a member of staff to “no it’s not”.

Steve Jetley, from Shrewsbury, said he chose the password after falling out with Lloyds TSB over insurance that came free with an account. He said he was then banned from changing it back or to another password of “Barclays is better”.

Reminds me of the man who changed his name to Yorkshire Bank PLC Are Fascist Bastards.

(via The Motley Fool discussion boards)