s is in the close approximation of several thousands of dollars per pole. If living in a rural subdivision isn't your style, Central Vermont Solar and Wind say they can fix you up, with 19 years of experience "living off the grid." I can't vouch for them but it's an intriguing idea with cellular and broadband via satellite becoming more of a reality.
With a couple of solar panels I really could become Hermit Blogger! Live from my cave in the hills! Except that we all saw what living in a shack in the woods did to Ted Kaczinski's head. I think I'll stay here in town where folks can toss a net over me before I get nearly that bull-goose loony.
There are good environmental arguments to be made for going 'off the grid,' even where the economic argument doesn't apply. An isolated house with on-site solar and wind electric generation, and perhaps propane for heat and hot water, would be less of a visual intrusion on the landscape than the miles of power line that have been strung in the past to serve REA's rural customers. I understand that there are govmint subsidies available in Wyoming for installing these renewables in rural settings, although we here at Coyote Headquarters don't like to encourage such munificence with the taxpayer's dollars.
These certainly are isolated (no pun intended) circumstances (Ok, I intended it) and not about to become the norm until Butt Weasel Browne gets elected, divvies up the western public estate, we all get our 1.2 acres, and we're ordered to move there to disperse the threat from WMDs, since Bush II has so cravenly allowed OBL to win the war in Afghanistan.
If the date line on this was April 1st, I'd have thought it was a bad joke.
Many at the Department of the Interior are still off the internet and this is still causing wide-spread problems. Among those problems, many in Indian Country have still only received one check since early December from the Individual Indian Trust.
Glen Loveland, a spokesman for Rep. Tom Udall, D-N.M., one of the lawmakers upset over the disconnection, said Monday that the department's promise to speed interim payments to Indians who live off their trust accounts "is still a mess."
"Many, many of our constituents have received only one check," Loveland said. That's despite promises from Interior officials that more than 7,100 payments were in the mail to thousands of Indians who depend on the accounts.
It's definitely spring. 65°F yesterday, and it's now 15° with an inch of fresh snow. We don't every really get 'spring' here. It battles back and forth between winter and summer until finally summer wins. The skirmishes regularly extend into June. Then they have a re-match in the fall.
It does keep things interesting. I've left home in 80° weather and been trapped by a blizzard more than once. I've also started the day in long underwear and finished up in shorts. I like those days better.
And come to think of it, I've started the day in shorts, switched to long underwear and then back to shorts a few times too..
Those folks you see in Wyoming that look like street people? They're just natives who've given up trying to figure out what the weather's going to be like this afternoon and wear a winter coat all year-round.
Via Indianz.com comes the first knock-off on the Fightin' Whities, from John Potter of the Billings Gazette:
".. have you heard about this team I'm putting together?
It's open to Indians and non-Indians alike, and our goal will be to blot out racism and other forms of stupidity. I'm having T-shirts made, which I'm sure will DRAW some criticism, but who cares!
All hail, "The Combative Cartoonists!"
The pen is mightier than the mascot!"
His logo does have the Whities beat, although I note that the Whities jerseys now say "Fightin' Whites," an improvement over the original design.
Monday, April 01, 2002- - -
What a strange sensation. The sight of the Norwegian flag with hammer and sickle made my hair - or what's left of it - literally stand on end for a few seconds. Like goose bumps on the head.
George Will (not yet online) agrees with Bill Quick and me