Dakota

Stunting Solar

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The New York Times reports that the federal government has, once again, put its head where the sun don't shine (forgive teh reference):

Faced with a surge in the number of proposed solar power plants, the federal government has placed a moratorium on new solar projects on public land until it studies their environmental impact, which is expected to take about two years.

The Bureau of Land Management says an extensive environmental study is needed to determine how large solar plants might affect millions of acres it oversees in six Western states — Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah.

But the decision to freeze new solar proposals temporarily, reached late last month, has caused widespread concern in the alternative-energy industry, as fledgling solar companies must wait to see if they can realize their hopes of harnessing power from swaths of sun-baked public land, just as the demand for viable alternative energy is accelerating.

“It doesn’t make any sense,” said Holly Gordon, vice president for legislative and regulatory affairs for Ausra, a solar thermal energy company in Palo Alto, Calif. “The Bureau of Land Management land has some of the best solar resources in the world. This could completely stunt the growth of the industry.”

Ah, but it makes perfect sense if you want to deed the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to your oily friends before you leave office. The last time Bush worried about an environmental impact was when he fell off his bike in '04.

We aren't the only ones to smell something repugnant

CleanBeta has discovered an internal study conducted by the Bureau of Land Management in 2003 that describes the enormous potential for concentrated and photovoltaic solar energy production on BLM lands in the same six states where it froze today’s projects. The study (attached below) recommends that BLM rapidly increase the number of solar energy projects on these public lands. In fact, this is what BLM did. In the five years since the document appeared, the Bureau began recruiting solar energy projects to select sites on federal lands, which led to the dramatic increase they are now using as an excuse to shut the project down. The document raises serious questions about the Bureau’s reasons for freezing the solar energy projects located on federal lands. Please read the document — Bureau of Land-Management-Solar Energy on Federal Lands Assessment

If you're not disheartened enough take a look at this

On a cheerier alternative energy note, the Boston Globe staff held their first annual Prius rally. The winner rolled into the final stop at the Humvee dealership registering a whopping 63 miles per gallon. We have, with maximum concentration, and many irritated drivers lining up behind us, managed 45 miles per gallon in the silver bullet . Practice makes perfect.

Photo note: All the solar energy panels you're going to see for awhile.

Dairy and Other Issues

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Since all of us here at Dakota spent precious blogging time composing a complaint letter to the town engineer concerning a foot high asphalt obstacle that appeared across the entire front of the cot by the sea, increasing the possibility of broken bones sustained on the property by 90%, we have little steam left for other important governmental commentary today. We suspect the town engineer is avoiding us, since he hasn't returned even one of the twenty phone calls we have placed since Monday at 7AM. The first nineteen were scrupulously polite

We were so upset that we would have sought solace in food, if it weren't so shockingly expensive. Instead, we had to make do with the food videos, "Yogurt" and "Mayo"

To be honest, we did have a miniscule scoop of raspberry Cyclops Frozen Yogurt (highly recommended, available at Whole Foods, made in New Zealand from Greek yogurt) even though it has a price tag as large as it's carbon footprint. Since it's probiotic, we felt it would it serve a medicinal purpose.

Photo note: In keeping with the theme, organic eggs, a mere $5.00 a dozen from Natural Way Farm where the chickens eat blueberries and are treated like queens. Natural Way is a horizontal, rather than a vertical farm

Ah Shucks

No photo note, just a simple thanks to those who initiated this idea, you know who you are. You may send your checks in any amount to campaign headquarters

Dear Nancy

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So that bitch Nancy had the nerve to send a fund raising letter on the very day she screwed all of us..

Since I took my bloggish time to chastise her, I am including our correspondence for your perusal.

Dear Dakota F,

I hope you had a chance to read the email that was sent from Senator Barack Obama. His message is critical for all of us who want to take our country in a New Direction. As Speaker, I can tell you that we need a Democrat in the White House and a strong Democratic majority in Congress to drive change forward. Our June 30th FEC deadline is vital to our success in November. All eyes will be on Democrats' fundraising totals as a measure of our party's unity and strength. I ask that you please help to show our commitment to across-the-board victories this November by making a contribution of $35, $50 or more at www.dccc.org/unitedforchange today.

Thank you for your support.

Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House

Dear Nancy -

Thanks for your email. I will give to Barack's campaign, though I'm pretty disappointed by him at the moment. I want you to know that since you sold my civil liberties down the drain for the next six years today for some unfathomable political gain by not fighting against telecom immunity, I will never give to anything that has your name on it. You have "compromised " my privacy and I hold you personally responsible for not doing everything in your power, which is considerable, to protect the Constitution of the United States, and my rights thereunder. This is your job. And while I'm on the subject, you have failed me and the people of the United States by emboldening the criminals of the Bush administration with your preemptive assurance that impeachment is out of the question no matter what crimes are committed, and they are testing the limits on a daily basis. Why didn't you just keep your mouth shut. As their last epic gesture our criminal leaders are ready to start yet another illegal war with Iran and you, personally, have given them carte blanche to do so.

You have never offered a rational explanation for all this "compromising". I have come to think that Like all Democrats, your phone has been tapped, and you are being blackmailed with information they have gathered..

You will probably never read this email. Unfortunately anyone else in the government who wants to read it will have full access. I am glad to have your email address, since only California residents can write to you on your website.

Sincerely,
Dakota Feinstein

Nancy's email address, just in case you wanna keep it on hand is: speakerpelosi@dccc.org

Here's your reward for reading a rant and clicking on the dry clickies, Ten of the most shocking American political sex scandals They saved the best til last.

Photo note: The American flag twisted, with a skirt

Addendum: Glenn Greenwald on the subject

The Hook

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Recently, we were the reluctant recipient of an adorable email entitled "Dog Sense" which featured facts about dogs such as "Do you know that dogs can detect cancer and other serious illnesses and danger of fire?" and ended with a captivating photo of an English pointer lifting his leg on an Obama 2008 lawn sign. We were not amused.

Which is not to say that we haven't been amused. Take for instance, Christopher Beam's piece in Salon Rumors Obama Shouldn't Try to Correct in which he suggests that Obama start his own rumors like "Barack Obama is a DEVOUT CHRISTIAN. His favorite book is the BIBLE, which he has memorized. His name means HE WHO LOVES JESUS in the ancient language of Aramaic. He is PROUD that Jesus was an American." We also found the satirical offerings of the Public Service Administration amusing, as well as Jon Stewart's direct confrontation of the issues.

In the interest of balanced reporting of what has amused us, we offer this fact check video about Cindy McCain as well as "He Said It First" another Public Service Administration's offering, which you may not want to play on in front of granny or the boss.

Tee hee as they say in polite circles.

Photo note: The hook

Addendum: Take a quiz

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Nancy Pelosi's ongoing, vehement resistance to presidential impeachment seems to have issued every criminal in this administration a challenge to see just how far he or she can go without getting his or her testicles tied off. So far so good.

What. pray tell, is the rationale for Nancy's policy? She has failed to elucidate it in any way. Maybe she's being blackmailed by the neocons. Perhaps her phone (like that of every Democrat in this nation) has been tapped, revealing that she is being screwed by a someone other than the Bush Administration, and she doesn't want the scandal to erupt lest she disappoint her grandchildren.

In spite of imperial orders, Dennis Kuchinich is doing his very best to initiate an impeachment hearing, and as Gore Vidal our most articulate senior patriot, notes, it hasn't even been covered in the press..

Our hero, Dan Froomkin of the Washington Post, has written a disturbing series for Neiman Watchdog's "Ask This" - a suggestion box manned by Neiman Fellows, stuffed full of questions the American press should be investigating right now.

Part 1: Do we really expect the Bushies to go quietly?

Part 2: Midnight rule making, last minute hires and executive fiats

Part 3: The time for a national conversation on pardons is before they're granted, not after

Part 4: What's the Vice President up to these days?

Part 5: How far will Bush loyalists go to help McCain win

So you can see that the creeps probably have many more subversive tricks up their sleeves. Let's do the dirty deed now before they have a chance to implement them.

Photo note: The metaphorophoto: A distorted structure built on the flimsy premise of patriotism ----or ---bunting reflected on the hood of an SUV at the marina

Tata Tim

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Ready for yet another state funeral? Will we have a coffin pulled by horses, another corpse at the Rotunda. or simply in the lobby of the NBC News Building? All of us here at Dakota feel that we should speak the truth about the dead. and if the truth turns out to be ugly, so be it. The truth is pretty hard to find among the hysterical media mourners at the moment.

Here it is, unbridled, from Dana Milbank's Washington Post column January 26,2007:

Memo to Tim Russert: Dick Cheney thinks he controls you.

This delicious morsel about the "Meet the Press" host and the vice president was part of the extensive dish Cathie Martin served up yesterday when the former Cheney communications director took the stand in the perjury trial of former Cheney chief of staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby.

Flashed on the courtroom computer screens were her notes from 2004 about how Cheney could respond to allegations that the Bush administration had played fast and loose with evidence of Iraq's nuclear ambitions. Option 1: "MTP-VP," she wrote, then listed the pros and cons of a vice presidential appearance on the Sunday show. Under "pro," she wrote: "control message."

"I suggested we put the vice president on 'Meet the Press,' which was a tactic we often used," Martin testified. "It's our best format."

Thirsting for more? Read Joe Raymond or Digby on the subject.

Photo note: Bloodless clay feet peeking out from shroud - a thin, but effective metaphorophoto

A Ladies Man Of Sorts

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All of us here at Dakota, being old time feministas of a certain demographic, would have been enthusiastic Hillary supporters had she not allowed her blind ambition and narcissistic entitlement to weaken her grasp on reality. We didn't feel we needed another one of those at the helm. We did however find her Saturday concession speech quite satisfying, if belated.

In any case, we thought we'd gather a few facts together for those members of our cohort who are in such a kerfuffel that they are threatening to vote for John McCain. The man is a real lady killer.

Here's a quick, but damning, summary if you're pressed for time. If not, NARAL has compiled a three page fact sheet about his reproductive policies. It's in PDF for some bizarre reason., so you'll have to do a little clicking to get it, or perhaps you'd rather watch the movie. He also voted against stronger legislation to prevent domestic terrorism against women at abortion clinics

We're not crazy about the fact that he doesn't think women deserve equal pay for equal work, that he doesn't have a clue about what the initials LGBT stand for, not to mention understanding what their issues might be, and that he excused buddy after buddy for their bad behavior during an interview with PBS about the Tailhook.

Frankly, it's how he treats his wives that we find most disturbing. There is, of course, wife number one, Carol who still adores him, whom he dumped precipitously for wife number two, Cindy, the recovered percocet/vicodin addict, and recipient of the famous "cunt" expletive.

What's more, the guy doesn't know how to use a computer, but you really don't have to know if you have a good secretary.

Photo note: Ruffled feathers and knobby (cypress) knees

Addendum: Just arrived via email a new Planned Parenthood video

Yipee

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all of us
here at dakota
are imagining
what it will
be like to
have an American president
with a moral compass
ethical standards
a high IQ
coherent speech and
thought processes
empathy for others

son of an altruisic mother
married to an equal
who will
keep him grounded
among sychophants

a man who can apologize
when he errs
and learns from his mistakes
who listens to others
and seeks wisdom
who reads books
about genocide
for instance
and understands
what he reads

who keeps
his hands
(and those of his friends)
out of the treasury
and doesn't seek to fill
his own coffers

who aims
to deepen
democratic ideals
through example
not war

Photo note: American flag with light shining through and double triangles

A Star Is Born

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Harriet Christian
speaking
for Hillary
supporters

reminds us all
to moderate
our passions
lest our
unmitigated
expression
appear on
YouTube
to be
perused by
eight hundred
thousand
horrified
viewers

Photo note: A Star with patriotic leanings