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Tuesday, September 26, 2006
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Wall Street Journal: Being able to make life uncomfortable
Andrew Sullivan: "A new euphemism for tying someone to a board, and dunking their head in water repreatedly so that they feel like drowning; and for keeping someone shackled in a room cooled to 50 degrees, pouring cold water over him repeatedly until he gets hypothermia, keeping him awake for 48 out of 55 days, or several of the methods used by the Soviets in the Gulag."
"2008 pres"
6:42:08 PM 
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Best line of the day so far
Best line of the day so far, from Colorado Lib, "Today's Washington Post has an article headlined 'Colo. Governor's Race Looks to Be Tossup.' Which is true, if by 'tossup' they mean 'landslide.'"
"denver 2006"
6:07:28 PM
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Obama, Romney, Bayh or Pataki for president?
According to the Des Moines Register: U.S. Senator Barack Obama, U.S. Senator Evan Bayh, Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and New York Governor George Pataki are planning visits to the corn belt. From the article, "Four political leaders mentioned as potential presidential candidates plan to make their way to Iowa over the next several days, as the early run-up to the 2008 race continues in the lead-off caucus state."
Thanks to The Caucus Cooler for the link.
"2008 pres"
6:03:39 PM
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Rural vote up for grabs?
The Center for Rural Strategies: "The rural vote is up for grabs, according to a poll of rural voters in contested congressional and Senate races released today by the Center for Rural Strategies. And how well the parties do in rural America is likely to determine who controls Congress. The poll of rural voters in 41 contested congressional districts with significant rural populations found Democratic and Republican candidates running a dead heat, with each party receiving 45 percent of the possible votes. In six contested Senate races in states with significant rural populations, rural voters favored Republican candidates 47 to 43 percent, but the gap falls within the poll's margin of error of 4.3 percentage points, making a statistical tie."
Thanks to the Daily Kos for the link.
"2008 pres"
6:29:45 AM
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Vote absentee this fall?
State officials are urging voters to vote absentee in the November 7th election to alleviate concerns about voting equipment, according to the Rocky Mountain News. From the article, "In fact, Denver and Arapahoe counties are urging citizens to vote absentee with mailed paper ballots, simply because November's ballot is so long. A Denver judge ruled Friday that the computerized machines had not been tested sufficiently for security vulnerabilities. With some two dozen decisions to make, 'voters really need to consider absentee and early voting options,' said Denver Election Commission spokesman Alton Dillard. There are 14 state ballot issues, as well as races for Congress, the state legislature, governor, other statewide offices and other contests."
Here's the link to voter registration information for Denver voters. To request an absentee ballot contact the Denver Election Commission at Election.Commission@ci.denver.co.us or 720-913-8683.
"denver 2006"
6:24:56 AM
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Hoover dam retrospective
Here's a retrospective about Hoover Dam from The Rebel Yell. From the article, "...on Sept. 30, 1935, what would become the world's largest hydroelectric dam was dedicated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Located along the Colorado River, 30 miles from Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam currently supplies an annual four billion kilowatt-hours to three major states. Known as the Boulder Dam during the F.D.R. administration, the Hoover Dam is a mass of concrete and steel rising 726 feet above bedrock and supported by a 660-foot-thick base. Today, Hoover Dam is the western hemisphere's highest concrete dam, symbolizing American progress in the 20th century and the might of manpower.
"Although Hoover Dam has become an essential generator of clean, renewable energy, the electrical potential of the Colorado River was not the initial reason for the structure's construction. In the early 20th century, the Colorado River had attained the reputation of being one of the most dangerous and unruly rivers, flooding southern California's agricultural areas and causing millions in damage. The solution would be to build a dam upstream. However. they faced an estimated cost of $165 million, so the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation proposed selling hydroelectric power to pay for the project, with southern California as its main customer. After years of surveying, Bureau engineers chose Black Canyon, lying between the states of Nevada and Arizona, as the site for the new arch-gravity dam.
"According to the USBR Web site, the design chosen for a concrete dam depends heavily on the hydrology and geology of the dam site. Arch dams are narrow in width and curve upstream. Utilizing the force of the water behind it for strength, the arch transmits the pressure to its abutments, keeping the dam in compression. The strength of this structure is often optimal in steep, narrow gorges. The gravity dam, often three-fourths as wide at its base as it is high, relies on its weight for stability. Water upstream pushes horizontally while the weight of the dam pushes downward to counteract the water pressure. Its design is the typical choice for damming wide canyons. The Hoover Dam is a hybrid of the two models, having a thinner structure than a typical gravity dam and arching for additional strength between the relatively narrow volcanic bluffs of Black Canyon."
"colorado water"
6:03:58 AM
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Union Park Reservoir really dead this time?
One thing you can say for Dave Miller is that he is obsessed with building the Union Park reservoir. He is now asking the state Supreme Court to review last month's ruling that everyone thought killed the project for good, according to the Summit Daily News. From the article, "A water developer whose proposal to pipe billions of gallons of Western Slope water to the Front Range was rejected in a Colorado Supreme Court ruling earlier this month said Monday he has asked the court to reconsider. Attorneys for Dave Miller, the head of Natural Energy Resources Co., said in a filing Friday that the court made several mistakes in its 6-0 Sept. 11 decision.
"Opponents of the proposal have said the ruling was the 'final nail in the coffin' of Miller's proposal to build a reservoir near Crested Butte to store up to 1.2 million acre-feet from the headwaters of the Gunnison River to be piped to fast-growing Arapahoe County and to generate power to add to the Western electrical grid."
More Coyote Gulch coverage here.
"colorado water"
5:54:28 AM
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Solar plant for the San Luis valley
Electricity from solar panels is being woven into the fabric of sustainability out here on the rooftop of America. Here's an article, about a new proposed solar farm in the San Luis valley from the Pueblo Chieftain. They write, "Xcel announced Monday that it has selected an affiliate of SunEdison, LLC, North America's leading solar energy service provider, to build, own and operate the 8-megawatt central solar power plant about 2 miles northwest of this small unincorporated community lying along Colorado 17, about 13 miles north of Alamosa...
"The plant will be capable of powering more than 2,600 homes along the Front Range and other parts of Colorado...
"The power plant will house two solar technologies: concentrating photovoltaic and advanced flat-plate solar panel units. Both the flat-plate solar panel segment of the plant and the concentrating solar segment will be the largest of their type in the United States. About 1.2 megawatts will come from concentrating photovoltaic units. The remaining estimated 6.8 megawatts of generation will be advanced flat-plate solar panel units. The plant is expected to be on line by the end of 2007. Henley said construction is expected to begin within 90 days. Public Service Co. of Colorado will purchase the power and the Renewable Energy Credits associated with the plant...
"Concentrating photovoltaic units squeeze sunlight into a beam of light 500 times greater than normal light. That beam is then focused on a photovoltaic cell that converts the highly concentrated light into electricity more efficiently than non-concentrated cells. The solar electricity is converted from direct current to alternating current then sent to a power substation and fed into the power grid...
"Generating electricity from solar power will allow Xcel Energy to provide energy in an environmentally friendly way. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, by using just 2 kilowatts of photovoltaic capacity, a person can reduce carbon dioxide emissions equal to driving 6,200 miles in a car."
"2008 pres"
5:44:21 AM
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Whitewater park east of Palisade?
Potential bidders for the contract to build a fish ladder and whitewater park on the Colorado River in DeBeque canyon will have an additional month for planning and engineering, according to the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel. From the article, "The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation extended until Nov. 21 the deadline for contractors to respond to the proposal for a fish passage or combined fish passage and whitewater park below the Price-Stubb Dam at the mouth of De Beque Canyon. Backers of the whitewater park also hope to boost their ability to pay for the park by asking the Mesa County Commission for $200,000 to help build it. Palisade Town Administrator Tim Sarmo, who persuaded the Grand Junction City Council to kick in $100,000 for the project, said the commission has a stake in the whitewater park. Sarmo said he was stressing that the park would be a regional asset that would require a regional coalition to succeed...
"Engineers with the Bureau of Reclamation and the town have worked together on ways for both projects to be built. The bureau can build only a fish passage and water park supporters hope to piggy-back on that effort to build an area for kayakers that would draw national interest. The bureau, however, has said the additional costs for the park could run into millions of dollars. Sarmo said he hoped the town, bureau and contractor could work together to make the dual project affordable. Bids originally were due on Oct. 28. By extending that date a month, bureau officials hope contractors will take extra time to consider the dual project, said Justyn Hock of the bureau's Grand Junction office. The bureau is under pressure to complete the fish passage as its congressional authorization is running out. Price-Stubb is the last dam preventing two endangered fish, the Colorado pikeminnow and the razorback sucker, from returning to their historical range as far upstream as Rifle."
"colorado water"
5:33:31 AM
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© Copyright 2009 John Orr.
Last update: 3/14/09; 8:36:11 PM.
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