Anchorage Daily News

ALREADY CREATING JOBS ... The following ad ran on Craig's list Wednesday: "We need Sarah Palin look alike for adult themed video production. Location: Atlanta. Compensation: Per episode basis. This is a contract job. Principals only."

SNIPS & SNIPES . . . From the new center of the universe, where Queen Sarah reigns:

• Randy Ruedrich and Sarah Palin embraced at the Republican National Convention. Yes, they actually touched in front of God and everyone.

• Parachuting in: Every politician, every media outlet, just about every Alaskan whose name ever appeared in a political story, got visited or called by an Outside reporter, editor or producer last week. Mike Doogan, former columnist, current politician, was so in demand he burned out by Wednesday. At Your Favorite Good Morning Newspaper, we finally had to tell colleagues at ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN and a dozen other organizations from New York or D.C. that we were just too busy to help them.

Was it more intense than coverage of the Exxon Valdez? It certainly seemed so. For one thing, the blogosphere didn't exist in 1989.

Here's one factoid to illustrate the insanity: The following showed up at Tailgaters in Wasilla on Wednesday night to watch real-life Valley people watch Sarah's speech on television: CNN, Time Magazine, People, El Mondo (Spain), NBC, CBS, L'Ex Press (Paris), London Times, London Telegraph, Entertainment Tonight, New York Times, Stern Magazine (Germany). And, oh yes, most of the Alaska media.

SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE ... Sources close to the stove at Marx Bros. Cafe say a reporter from the Boston Globe called to ask chef Jack Amon what he would feed Sarah if she came to dine.

"I have no idea," he replied. "She's never been in my restaurant. I could tell you what Harrison Ford had." When pressed as to what he thought Sarah might like, Amon refused to bite. Marx Bros is apparently "a bit too ritzy for our hockey mom," he sniffed, and suggested the reporter call The Windbreak in Wasilla

• Erica Marcus, a food writer at Newsday in New York, e-mailed the following request for information to a Daily News reporter: Did Sarah hire back a chef at the governor's mansion when the legislative session began, as she said she would when she canned the chef after becoming governor? (Ear doesn't know the answer).

"I like the fact that someone in the race will know the difference between farmed salmon and wild salmon," Marcus enthused.

VERBATIM . . . CNN cameras spotted this delegate's button at the RNC Thursday: "Hoosiers for the hot chick." (Ear believes Hoosiers are still people from Indiana).

SUCH A DEAL ... The Adventure Wedding chapel in Las Vegas is offering Bristol and Levi a free wedding.

"We look forward to assisting in every way in the planning of this wedding," the offer reads, "including formal wear, hair and makeup and a beautiful wedding ceremony in a wedding chapel with fabulous customer service and the making of a meaningful, special wedding ceremony with the owners on hand to assist in all plans!"

SOME QUESTIONS . . . Are the "McCalin" handlers making Sarah wear all those subdued outfits -- black, tan, grey? Ugh. Not her usual wardrobe at all. Ear guesses her marching orders were to not outshine Cindy McCain, which would be difficult in any case. A report by Vanity Fair says the orange dress, pearl necklace and diamond earrings outfit Ms. McCain wore in her appearance with Laura Bush on Tuesday night set someone back an estimated $313,000. The link is at the top of the right column above.

• When did the First Boyfriend get that "Bristol" tattooed on his ring finger? A close-up photo of Levi Johnston's hand clearly shows the inked-on "ring."

• Whatever happened to the woman who beat Sarah in the 1984 Miss Alaska contest, the one where Sarah finished second? Her name is Maryline Blackburn and she's a singer. That link is in the right hand column too.

AN ANSWER . . . That song played at the RNC on Thursday night after McCain's acceptance speech, when Sarah joined John to wave at the crowd, was "Barracuda," by Heart. Google the lyrics. They don't seem that relevant, but Ear liked the verse that goes:

"You lying so low in the weeds

I bet you gonna ambush me

You'd have me down down down down on my knees

Now wouldn't you, barracuda? Ohhh."

On Friday, Ann and Nancy Wilson, the frontwomen of Heart, demanded the campaign stop using the song as Sarah's theme. But apparently the musicians don't have the final say, assuming the campaign remembered to get the usual license allowing them to play any ASCAP song they want. Or so says Slate.com.

ON THE MOVE . . . Former Palin press aide Meghan Stapleton is showing up here and there, apparently working for the McCain campaign in Alaska. Meghan is a former ACS vice president.

JUST TALK . . . Comedian Robin Williams apparently doesn't recognize an Alaska accent. He described Sarah's as "Tina Fey meets Fargo."

He also doesn't quite know what a snowmachine is. Figured Todd drives a Zamboni.

Alors d'Ears, it's going to be a long 58 days.

WHO KNEW . . . The biography of Sarah by Kaylene Johnson, titled "Sarah: How a Hockey Mom Turned Alaska's Political Establishment on Its Ear," was No. 12 on the Amazon.com best seller list Friday. Didn't Alaska reporter and blogger Amanda Coyne have the original contract with Epicenter Press to do the book, and bow out? So how bummed is she now?

And btw, available as of Thursday on Amazon.com: "SARAH PALIN: In Her Own Words -- Recent Speeches, Interviews and Official Biography (includes Republican Convention Speech)." It's an electronic book, but still, how could they do it that fast?

JUST WONDERING . . . The airspace around the homes of presidents and vice presidents is routinely restricted. Ear is told it's a five-mile restriction. Adios Wasilla Airport?

AND FINALLY . . . If there was any doubt, forget it. Here are Ivan Moore's latest poll numbers for Sarah: Back on Aug. 9-12, she was at 80 percent positive and 13 percent negative. In a poll done Aug. 30-Sept. 2, her numbers were 82 percent positive, 13 percent negative. (They don't add up to 100 because of the neutral or no-opinions).

That makes her positives over four polls since mid July: 76, 78, 80 and 82 percent.

The "damning" tape of the Frank Bailey phone call to trooper Dial was released Aug. 18.

So much for Troopergate.

Compiled by Sheila Toomey. Find Ear online at dn.com/ear. Contact Sheila Toomey at stoomey@adn.com or 257-4341.

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