PALIN GETS 5 MILLION UP-FRONT FOR BOOK

Thoughts from a high altitude -- from about 14,500 feet, on the way to Pike's Peak.

Oh, my! Can you picture, in your wildest imaginings, that Sarah Palin would be guaranteed five million buckeroos for writing a book?
by Charlie Leck

Oh my! Am I going absolutely batty? The world is topsy-turvy! The inmates are truly in charge of the asylum! There is no balance left in the universe. Sarah Palin is paid five million dollars for writing a book about herself. And, there are Rush Limbaugh type idiots who are going to run to the bookstore to pick up copies at full retail price. Have you seen the video reports showing long, long lines of people waiting to meet Sarah and buy her book? These are people, I guaranty you, who have never read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book, A Team of Rivals, or Gore Vidal’s book, United States: Essays 1952-1992. And, I know for sure that they’ve never read Doris Lessing or Tim O’Brien.

Going Rogue is the title Palin, or some clever marketing person, gave the new book. Who out there believe’s Palin really wrote this book? Oh, my!

Give me a break! In a Palin world, the inmates really would be running the asylum.

Have you listened to any of these recent interviews of Sarah Palin about her book and about her future in politics? Have you? If you have, don’t they frighten you? How about Glenn Beck as Vice President of the United States of America?

Give me a break.

Thanks to all those who wanted to know if everything is okay because I missed TWO days of blogging. I was traveling in Colorado and couldn’t get to a place civilized enough to allow me on line to write my blog. For instance, I had no blogging connections up there at 14,000 feet – only part way up to the top of Pike’s Peak. Oh my, what a lovely place!

Oh my! On a clear day you can see forever!


My buddy, Fred, warms up at the bar before heading to a table with his son, Adam,
and me. Fred, a native of Denver, introduced me to Luca d'Italia.

Had dinner in a marvelous Denver restaurant while out there visiting… I’d give it four and one-half stars. Oh my, what a wonderful place – called Luca d'Italia. The next time I visit Denver, this restaurant will be on my must “go back to” list. The same owner runs Mizuna, a French restaurant right around the corner, and I want to try that place as well. Everyone I talked to called Mizuna Denver’s best restaurant. At Luca D’Italia, I ordered the Pan Roasted Duck Breast with pumpkin risotto, fegato emulsion and cranberry conserva and, oh my, it was so wonderful. My host, Fred, had the Meyer Hanger Steak with short rib cannelloni, a saffron carrot puree and cipolini marmalata. The service was perfect and the setting was “nice enough.”


At Luca d'Italia, my pan roasted duck with pumpkin risotto,
figato emulsion and cranberry conserva

Visitors to Denver won’t have problems finding wonderful places to eat. Oh my, the town if filled with great dining spots. On a day when you aren’t prepared to doll yourself up and you just want to eat wildly, go over to Greek Town and try some of Pete’s establishments. Oh, my!

Just need to add that I also visited the Air Force Academy while in Denver. I was impressed. It doesn’t impress you the way West Point does, with old and deeply ingrained tradition, but it is still a spectacular place in a breath-taking setting. It’s worth the visit.


The spectacular Air Force Academy chapel in Colorado Springs.

Fred, my host in Denver, made sure he took a photograph of me entering the Barry Goldwater Air Force Academy Visitors’ Center. Nothing needs to be said about why Fred thought that was so funny.

I'm trying to ignore my real subject today -- Sarah Palin has written a book. Really, a whole book with words and sentences and paragraphs and all. Roll out the typewriters and set the monkeys down to work… My fair lady! Oh, my!