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THE BLOG--HISTORY
"Blue Oasis" began in 2005 in its Blogger format (now an archive) and became possibly the first Alaska Blog on Progressive Politics. At the 2008 Democratic National Convention, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis was honored to represent Alaska as the state blog.
Transition--Community Blog
In September 2008, Celtic Diva's Blue Oasis moved to a Soapblox Community Blog format. Readers can become full participants by registering on the blog to comment and write "diaries." Diary titles appear on the right sidebar for folks to read and provide comments. Blog editors may choose to move some of these diaries to the front page.
While this Community was formed specifically with Alaska in mind, all "friends of Alaska" are welcome as members!
**Note about registering** Scroll down the right side until you find the link to register. Then, just follow the instructions!
**Note about comments** To comment on a story, click on the heading and then look for the "comment bar" at the bottom (it's light grey, I can't seem to change it). I believe the font color NOW permits you to see the "post comment" text.
YOUR BLOGMISTRESS
My name is Linda Kellen Biegel and I am a former 15-year Federal employee. Thirteen of those years were spent working for the US Army Corps of Engineers. I am also semi-retired from the Alaska music scene (singer, sound tech, stage manager, logistics).
When the blog was chosen to represent Alaska in the DNCC State Blogger Pool at the Denver Convention, I attended with the help of Alaska Real blogmistress, Writing Raven and my daughter Morrigan. On August 29th, one day after Barack Obama's inspiring speech at Invesco Field , my life took another turn as it did for all Alaska bloggers when Gov. Sarah Palin was chosen to be John McCain's VP running mate. Since then, I've either assisted or have been interviewed by media from the UK, Italy, Australia and Germany as well as national media outlets such as Wall Street Journal, NY Times, ABC Good Morning America's Kate Snow, National Journal, Dallas Morning News, LA Times, and NPR.
Presently, I work as a freelance writer, PR, event coordinator, community organizer, wife to computer programmer Josh and mother to 11-year-old Morrigan. Our family especially enjoys our summers in Alaska where we get to subsistence set-net fish Sockeye salmon as well as halibut fish/whalewatch in the family's homemade aluminum boat, "The Neverdone" (when it's working). We reside in Anchorage, Alaska.
Origin of "Celtic Diva"
I've used "Celtic Diva" as a screen name since the early 1990's on Web TV.
"Celtic"
"Folks have asked about my Celtic heritage, especially in light of my name. What they don't realize is that I'm adopted. I was born Valerie Morehead of the Clan Muirhead. I was adopted at three-months-old by the Kellens. I always "knew" I was Celt even before really knew. I was drawn to all things Scottish, especially music. That's why my parents eventually told me at age 16."
"Diva"
"Linda is well-known in Alaska & beyond as the prominent progressive political blogger Celtic Diva of Celtic Diva?s Blue Oasis. But back in the day, the early 1990s, I knew her as Linda Kellen, a member of the local folk/rock band Sky is Blu, which amongst other things performed in at least a couple or so of the annual women?s show Celebration of Change, in which I also performed. And if you don?t already know, let me tell you: Linda is one fine damn singer."
I went on after the break-up of "Sky is Blu" to perform with various Alaska musicians and work with national folks like Bo Diddly, Coco Montoya, Debbie Davies, Taj Mahal, The Fabulous Thunderbirds, Bad Company, Creedence Clearwater, Carny Wilson, etc...
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For the Alaska Community and beyond...
A bee on Dragon Tongue Stonecrop in my rock garden
August 2010
(Scroll down to find posts.)
(Please register to participate in diaries and comments! We'd love for you to join our Community!)
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Mon Feb 02, 2009 at 11:47:56 AM AKST
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(Photo courtesy of AlaskaReport.com)
No, the title does not mean that I plan on having regular "cow news" from now on. It just so happens that, strangely enough, there is more than one piece of "cow news" from Alaska today.
The first comes from former candidate for Governor, blogger and radio-guy Andrew Halcro, who did an explosive piece on the alleged fraudulent activity permeating the Valley Dairy. In a post titled "Got Fraud?" Andrew traces the history of the Dairy's formation and the multiple loans provided by the State of Alaska to a business of questionable sustainability:
On August 19, 2007, the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman, the hometown paper of Governor Sarah Palin blew the victory horn for the governor firing what was an independent oversight board and replacing them with a collection of her high school friends and Valley neighbors.
"Two months ago, the state-owned dairy was hemorrhaging money and on the verge of closure. Gov. Sarah Palin stepped in, dismissed the entire state Board of Agriculture and Conservation and charged its all-Mat-Su Valley replacement with finding a way to save the 71-year-old company," the editorial trumpeted.
Today, with Matanuska Maid out of business, its assets taken and put to work in the new private Valley Dairy, Palin's "all Mat-Su Valley replacements" have been busy keeping their Valley Dairy friends afloat and attempting to cover their tracks with fraudulently obtained taxpayer loans for what is one giant Ponzi scheme.
Welcome to the Bernie Madeoff's of the milk world.
This is a story that every Alaskan should follow closely.
The second piece of news was something I received through a friend on Facebook. She talked about the fact that an eagle killed one of their newborn calves this morning and she hoped that the plan to stop eagle feeding on the Homer Spit is serious.
The thought of eagles eating a calf blew me away and I made a comment about it. Her response highlighted an issue on which we have mutual agreement.
Note: I edited out some of the more "descriptive" passages.
One of my hereford cows calved. The eagles killed the baby while it was being born...
...The cow couldn't spin around fast enough to get away from the eagles while she was delivering the calf at the same time...
...Since Jean Keen started feeding eagles on the Spit, the predation of newborn calves and lambs in the Homer area has skyrocketed. We loved Jeannie. We also love our livestock, especially the babies. And the economic losses are trashing us.
Many times people don't understand that the simple act of feeding wild animals can have unforseen consequences. I loved Jeanne the "Eagle Lady" just like everyone else did, however the farmers in Homer have had to pay the price for artificially increasing and maintaining the local Eagle population.
My understanding is that after this winter, an ordinance banning the feeding of eagles on the Homer Spit goes into effect and that the feedings are to be "tapered off." This can only be a good thing in that it will bring the Homer eagle population back to naturally sustainable levels.
OK...in retrospect, this was "cow and eagle" news. |
| Celtic Diva :: Alaska "Cow News" for Monday, February 2nd |
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