Little Big Horn

June 25 is the anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn, which according to one participant, took "as long as it takes a hungry man to eat a meal."

The Little Bighorn is in Montana, of course, but Custer set out from his post at Ft. Lincoln, N.D.

Don't Be Gently Mocking Toward North Dakota

Humorist Dave Barry discusses making fun of the "Dakota" name change idea and having a sewage lift station in Grand Forks named for him. Plus, a follow-up from a part-time GF resident.

(That stupid "Dakota" ... No one even liked the plan yet people around the country still remember it. What a terrible proposal.)

More Kent

Washington Post: Conrad has some explaining to do
Kent (via Bloomberg): It was serendipity
Politico.com: Conrad and Chris Dodd answer a few questions

Democracy, Inaction

Pillsbury (which allegedly shares a namesake with a certain doughboy) tries to elect a mayor, no one bothers to vote.

Kent's Beach House of Pain

(This is a little late.)

Kent Conrad's VIP deal with Countrywide Financial Corp., mass purveyor of sub-prime mortgages, may have been sub-ethical.

The story broke last week, but has grown some legs since then.

Also implicated is former Clinton cabinet member Donna Shalala, whose sister is a school principal in Wolford, making for a second North Dakota connection.

Come See the Vacant Spaces

The empty parts of the Great Plains are attracting tourists looking to get up close to bison, birds, buttes and the related empty prairie-type things.

NY Times: Back to Nature and Ready for Guests in the Great Plains

Twenty years after shouting down Frank and Deborah Popper, are we ready to embrace the Buffalo Commons?

Nuclear Fallout

The Pentagon cleaned house in the top ranks of the Air Force following investigation of the accidental transfer of nukes from Minot to Louisiana and some other scary bumbling. The secretary and the chief of staff both got the boot.

Washington Post: Two Top Air Force Officials Ousted

Saudi Dakotia

Bloomberg News provides a detailed article on the potential of the Bakken formation, holding 413 billion barrels of oil, according to one estimate. (The world's biggest, the Ghawar field in Saudia Arabia, has produced 55 billion barrels and has around 70 billion left.) Much of the article concentrates on the scramble to lock up drilling rights to the underground wealth.

Dakota Oil Fields of Saudi-Sized Reserves Make Farmers Drillers

Naturally, this means that we can go back to driving giant vehicles again and never, ever having to think about conserving resources again. Ever. (Not even a little.)

Le Fargo

From Graeme's blog, a web site with people in Fargo, speaking French.