Reports that Sarah Palin has earned $12 million since July 2009, mostly through speaking fees, has drawn fresh attention to Palin's lucrative new career. So when students at California State University discovered a copy of her speaking contract in a trash bin, critics were eager to pick out the many odd provision. The list of requirements, called a hospitality rider, is similar to those of music acts. Van Halen's famously demands a bowl of M&Ms with the brown candies removed. Here are the four strangest--or most outrageous--provisions in Palin's.

• (1) The Lear Jet  A.P.'s Robin Hindery reports, "Among other perks, Palin will fly first class - if she flies commercial. If not, 'the private aircraft MUST BE a Lear 60 or larger ...,' the contract specifies."

• (2) The Bendy Straws  Politico's Glenn Thrush pithily summarizes, "Palin demands first class, bendable straws." Wherever she speaks, bendable straws must await her at the lectern.

• (3) All Questions & Guests Pre-Screened  Hotline pulls out the big news-worthy detail: Palin "requires that any questions she gets from the audience be pre-screened. In fact, even questions from a moderator are to be pre-screened, according to the document." Additionally, "Any guests at private receptions must be pre-screened."

• (4) The Three Hotel Rooms  The rider stipulates, "Customer agrees to provide the Speaker and party with accommodations of a pre-registered one-bedroom suite and two single rooms in a deluxe hotel." What constitutes a "deluxe hotel" is not clear.

• Shows She'll Never Run For President?  Liberal blogger Duncan "Atrios" Black sighs at the thought of her massive salary and cushy job, "I guess I'm being part of the problem here, but one day I do hope our media stops obsessing about reality TV star Palin, who will never hold elected office again."

• ...If She Did, This Proves She'd Fail  Balloon Juice's DougJ shakes his head. "Lazy, spoiled divas do not do well in presidential elections, no matter how much airtime they get."

• So Much For Representing 'Real America'  Media Matters' Oliver Willis quips, "She’s just like regular people. Not." Markos Moulitsas laughs, "It's so folksy to demand Lear Jets to $100K paid speaking gigs!"

Want to add to this story? Let us know in comments or send an email to the author at mfisher at theatlantic dot com. You can share ideas for stories on the Open Wire.