nantoka's science etc. page

The Welle Dressed Eele: A story fragment by Suzy Nees

2009-07-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

Edward the Eel arrived promptly at work every day, 9 am sharp, right on the button. Mr. McMurphy was his boss.

Edward worked in a gentleman’s clothing shop known as The Welle Dressed Eele.

Good morning, Mr. McMurphy, Edward said one morning. Lovely weather we are having today, isn’t it?

Splendid indeed, said Mr. McMurphy. That top hat suits you perfectly, by the way.

You are too kind, Mr. McMurphy, replied Edward.

Edward took great pride in his appearance, and he had come to own quite a nice collection of top hats in the course of his career at The Welle Dressed Eele. Customers were often struck with envy to see the perfectly attired young eel on the sales floor. And so many times they would buy not one hat, but two, in the hopes that they, too, could look as elegant as Edward.

Later that day the shop telephone rang, and Edward picked it up.

Thank you for calling the Welle Dressed Eele, said Edward. How may I assist you?

Good afternoon, said the voice on the other end of the line. Do you sell top hats?

We certainly do, replied Edward pleasantly.

There was a long pause on the other end of the line. Finally, the caller spoke.

Why?

Edward was perplexed. Nothing like this had ever happened to him before. Why would anyone ask something so strange?

I-I-I don’t know what you mean, Edward finally managed to say, but the caller had already hung up.

Eel pondered this strange call all day long, but by evening he managed to put it out of his mind.

The next day, when he arrived at work to open the shop, he found a small sticker stuck to the shop window. Edward took a closer look at the sticker and found that it said EELS DO NOT NEED TOP HATS.

Of course eels need top hats, thought Edward angrily, peeling off the sticker. Everyone knows that eels look ridiculous without top hats. Thank goodness I found this sticker before anyone else did!

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Info on the benefits of sprouted grains

2009-07-05T05:45:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Hope you are having a beautiful day
Here is some info on sprouted grains.
More to come soon. Hope this info is helpful to you.

-Suzy

7-4 Smoke-in news

2009-07-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone
Here is some info on NORML's 40th annual smoke-in, happening today at the White house.
Have a beautiful day! -Suzy

Study: Brain cancer cells may self-digest after exposure to THC

2009-05-17T17:59:00.000-07:00

Link

Virginia's biggest polluter is Radford Arsenal, says Roanoke Times

2009-04-02T05:34:00.000-07:00

link

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2009-03-24T03:29:00.000-07:00

New Floyd toy store has Tibetan influence

From the Roanoke Times.

ideapark.org > Detsanunli

2009-02-19T10:52:00.000-08:00

- Detsanunli news for Thursday, February 19 2009 -

Folks who will be in Boone, NC this evening are advised that country music legend Willie Nelson will be taking the stage in this town at 8 pm, with doors opening at the Holmes Center at 7 pm. Tickets to this event begin at just $22. After playing in Boone, Mr. Nelson and his production team will travel to Durham, NC, where they will set up for a show that begins at 7:30.

This weekend in Floyd, VA, several dance & music performances offer visitors a glimpse of the area's rich and eclectic talent base. Sam Bell, Gyroscopic, and the Black Twig Pickers are just a few of the highly skilled artists and artisans who will be presenting work in downtown Floyd over the next few days. John Howard Wenger and his son Wesley will have paintings, sculpture, and prints on display at Gallery One Eleven, and Darcie Luster will have her jewelry on display at the Bell Gallery.

Guests at at Oddfella's Cantina this evening will have the opportunity to see elegant choreography by Gyroscopic and some of their bellydancing colleagues, and Sam Bell will present his musical work at the same venue this Sunday during the Cantina's brunch hours.

Those who are looking to enjoy music by the Black Twig Pickers are encouraged to visit the Country Store this Friday, where the Twigs will play for a Country Dance.

Artists performing in Blacksburg, VA over the next few days include Old Man Kelly, who will offer visitors at Gillie's Restaurant a seafaring voyage in sing-along form tonight, and the Hackensaw boys, who will take the stage at the Lantern tomorrow at 9 pm.

Canines & felines who are not service creatures should probably fill out their dance cards this weekend at venues other than the ones listed above...but if you know someone who wants to dance and watch music in the company of their four-footed friends you are warmly invited to stay tuned to the detsanunli at ideapark.org, where news about interspecies dance & music opportunities will be posted by editors as time and resources permit.

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White phosphorus attacks in Gaza a war crime, says Amnesty International

2009-01-25T02:54:00.000-08:00

link

A police violence report from Galveston, TX

2008-12-18T14:58:00.000-08:00

link

New artists' alliance takes aim at CIA torture techniques

2008-12-12T05:14:00.000-08:00

link

An introduction to the Rastafari movement

2008-12-05T05:43:00.000-08:00

link

"Earthly Delights" article from Express India

2008-11-30T09:23:00.000-08:00

Link

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2008-11-27T04:07:00.000-08:00

farmaid.org

The Tragedy of Fritz Haber

2008-09-21T06:20:00.000-07:00

Link

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2008-09-06T07:12:00.001-07:00

an introduction to Camp Coldwater

2008-09-05T15:09:00.000-07:00

Link

Amy Goodman speaks on her recent arrest

2008-09-04T14:40:00.000-07:00

link

"Crying Helicopters" stock continues to soar in the wake of Gustav & RNC protest site brutality

2008-09-01T12:43:00.000-07:00

Hello readers, hope this has been a wonderful day for you.

I hope you have not been tear gassed, shot with rubber bullets, body snatched or otherwise abused on this fine 9-1-08 and in the event that you have, well, this is just going to qualify you for more Crying Helicopters Wedding loot so I hope that is some consolation.

If you are unsure as of yet just what a Crying Helicopters Wedding is, or how Crying Helicopters loot can be spent, or if you wish to know a bit more about who is getting married, and why, please feel free to read on. I cannot offer a guarantee as to whether all your questions will be answered, since that is not how the Katuahnet operates, but I do hope that you will feel amply compensated for taking the trouble to finish reading this post. (You certainly will be, if you already own Crying Helicopters shares, since they have probably already doubled since you started reading this paragraph.)

Now some of you may be thinking, Aunti Nantoka, is the Crying Helicopters wedding for you? And are you having a wedding because someone has put you in the Family Way? If so, who did it? Was it Pirate R? Or Ninja Schoolteacher W? What kind of cake are you going to have at the wedding? Am I invited? Do I have to wear fancy clothes?

Some of these questions are too nosey and cannot be answered, or even addressed, in the format we are making use of here, although I can tell you that yes I am indeed in the Family Way but I am in the Shouseki Family Way which simply means that I have a gigantic multiethnic family which should be left the Eff alone by agent provocateurs, food additive salespersons, and persons who forget to smile when they say the word "Gypsy".

Tiny pirates, or tiny ninjas, who might be taking up space in the Aunti N. host organism are none of the beeswax of any of the Internets, although any individual or organization is welcome to purchase our web empire if your concern about the repercussions of such an occurance has reached some sort of fever pitch.

Now in answer to the last two questions: Probably, and probably not. It all depends on how much A. Jackson artwork we can trade for the web empire. As far as the cake goes, this will also depend. It will depend on who shows up to eat it, and it will also depend on who does not show up to eat it. A well-made Crying Helicopters Wedding cake can taste like espresso to one person while tasting like crow to another.

Here is a bit of advice to help you (and the Shouseki Family) have Maximum Fun when the Big Day comes: Those who are skilled in prayer should PRAY today, and those who are skilled in the management of info should stay in the Katuahnet loop, and keep adding threads to the loop, so that the Shouseki Nation does not have to do any extra work in keeping the folks in our wedding party from getting shot, raided, tear gassed, illegally detained, politically imprisoned and so forth.

See you at the party!

Much love,
Nantoka

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2008-08-11T05:22:00.000-07:00

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2008-08-11T03:46:00.001-07:00

hi everyone

here is a PDF link which includes statements from the Bank of America on their community impact as users and borrowers of financial and natural resources. It is well worth a read if you are looking to help secure our library a Gigantic Mortgage via this particular lending institution.

Resource extraction non-enthusiasts should read this corporate literature with a grain of salt, as Bank of America funds numerous ugly coal mining scenarios.

namaste
Suzy

Angels of Assisi in Roanoke

2008-08-07T06:05:00.000-07:00

hi all,

here is a great link for folks in the Big Lick region who are passionate about the compassionate treatment of cats, dogs, and other domesticated creatures

the Angels of Assisi in Roanoke are wonderful folks who operate a clinic just down the street from the Roanoke City Courthouse. I visited the clinic as a volunteer walker for the first time just after my trial on July 30, 2008, in which I presented my defense against the Freedom First Credit Union.

I cannot recommend this site highly enough to people who are searching for evidence that The Man is nothing but a hungry ghost in a whore suit with a 0% chance of long-term success. It took just one tail-wag from my charge, Chuck, to completely wipe away all my illusions about the validity of the lending industry's control over Turtle Island. Imagine how great Chuck and I felt after our tour of the city!

Namaste
Suzy

Chinese empire out of Tibet (and Katuah)

2008-03-23T03:49:00.000-07:00

a clip from Yahoo headlines on violence in Tibet

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...The official Xinhua New Agency, meanwhile, published a commentary bashing Pelosi, a fierce critic of China who on Friday visited the Dalai Lama at his headquarters in India, where she called China's crackdown "a challenge to the conscience of the world."

Xinhua accused Pelosi of ignoring the violence caused by the Tibetan rioters. "'Human rights police' like Pelosi are habitually bad tempered and ungenerous when it comes to China, refusing to check their facts and find out the truth of the case," it said.

"Her views are like so many other politicians and western media. Beneath the double standards lies their intention to serve the interest groups behind them, who want to contain or smear China."

Reports of how many people died in the violence have varied and been impossible to independently verify. China raised its death toll to 22, with Xinhua reporting Saturday that the charred remains of an 8-month-old boy and four adults were pulled from a garage burned down in Lhasa last Sunday — two days after the city erupted in anti-Chinese rioting. The Dalai Lama's exiled government says 99 Tibetans have been killed, 80 in Lhasa, 19 in Gansu province.

The Chinese government has sought to portray itself and Chinese businesses as the victims....

link

the GDP, and how it measures life

2008-03-19T18:19:00.000-07:00

link

"Dead Man Walking" author to speak in the Roanoke Valley

2008-03-10T06:50:00.000-07:00

link

Voluntary foreclosure article

2008-02-20T07:06:00.001-08:00

link

Dublin strike support article

2008-02-19T04:35:00.001-08:00

link

Big Bat info

2008-02-18T06:01:00.001-08:00

link

Operation Backfire info

2008-01-22T04:12:00.000-08:00

link

Kiza Park info

2008-01-21T05:25:00.000-08:00

link

Massey fined $20 million for water pollution

2008-01-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

link

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2008-01-13T12:06:00.000-08:00

Bush quips he might stay in power (Threat level plays along)

via Wired

Urgent call for help from BMIS

2007-12-25T03:44:00.000-08:00

via Intercontinental Cry

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Black Mesa Indigenous Support has sent out an urgent call for people to help protect Yucca Mountain.

Located 80 miles northwest of Las Vegas, the Mountain range is located on Shoshone territory as defined in the 1863 Treaty of Ruby Valley. The US government however refuses to acknowledge the treaty and is currently planning to make the Mountain range into a major nuclear waste repository.

The Shoshone and numerous other Indigenous Nations, all of whom hold Yucca Mountain sacred, have been actively opposed to the plan from the beginning. There are a wide array of cultural, social, physical, and religious dangers (pdf) implicit in this project which have not been adequately addressed.

There are also a great number of serious environmental concerns, such as the fact that there are several local fault lines and nearby a volcano, making it more than likely the mountain will fracture the repository, resulting in the nearby aquifer becoming contaminated.

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info on Washington, DC from the Lakota Mall

2007-12-23T07:31:00.000-08:00

"In the 1975 excavation on the White House lawn for the presidential swimming pool, builders found Indian relics that pointed to the commercial prosperity of a former Indian group. Only a few blocks away from the White House, the Indians had operated one of the largest Indian quarries for steatite or soapstone. Numerous manufacturing sites surrounded it where Indian craftsmen made dishes, pipes, and implements from the soft stone."

Read more...

Title forecast calls for clouds

2007-12-22T14:24:00.000-08:00

via YubaNet.com

"Property ownership in the five state area of Lakota now takes center stage. Parts of North and South Dakota, Nebraska, Wyoming and Montana have been illegally homesteaded for years despite knowledge of Lakota as predecessor sovereign [historic owner]. Lakota representatives say if the United States does not enter into immediate diplomatic negotiations, liens will be filed on real estate transactions in the five state region, clouding title over literally thousands of square miles of land and property."

read more...

15 nifty ways to celebrate the Gift Economy this Winter

2007-12-13T05:07:00.000-08:00

1. Make a magic owl care awareness candle.
2. Make a magic bat care awareness candle.
3. Give thanks for the sunlight.
4. Fail to curse the dearth of it.
5. Treasure the New.
5. Treasure the Nunnehi.
6. Write them both a letter of gratitude.
7. Conduct independent research on the life-giving potential of bat feces.
8. Do something amazing with that knowledge.
9. Visit a public park and make it better somehow.
10. Visit a public library and make it better somehow.
11. Develop a permaculture alternative to government-issued infrastructure.
12. Keep a notebook for purposes of eroding imperialistic greed.
13. Disturb a capitalist ghost from inside the shamanic realm that is Katuah.
14. Laugh.
15. Fail to cooperate with nitrogen mining activities at your homestead.

Yippy, skippy...

2007-12-13T04:49:00.000-08:00

...glow-in-the-dark cats. I just love the future so much, don't you?

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2007-12-08T05:04:00.000-08:00

2007-2008 Winter giving season

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craft ideas > How to make & enjoy a Magic Bat Care Awareness Candle

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Step 1.

Obtain, or make, a Bat Care Awareness Candle, using materials and instructions below. If a Bat Care Awareness Candle has already been donated or given to you by a 2007 Winter Giving Season participant, skip to step 2.

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Materials

Candle (any size or type)
Enhancement supplies

Using enhancement supplies, decorate candle with one or more bat and label it “Magic Bat Care Awareness Candle”. If possible, use Tsalagi to do this.

If your candle turned out well, consider giving it to friend or relation as a sign of love or to express sympathy for their loss of contact with the Earth’s natural systems.

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Step 2.

Contemplate your Magic Bat Care Awareness Candle. If it has a fragrance, contemplate the fragrance and recall past mosquito-free experiences which left you in a pleasant mood. If you have access to fire making materials, light the Magic Bat Care candle and fail to curse the cards you, and the planet, have been dealt. Conduct independent research on the rate at which our humble friend The Bat consumes mosquitoes. Do something amazing with that knowledge.

Step 3.

Sit back and wait for the Bat Care Awareness Candle to do its magic!

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Backyard wildlife habitat repair link

2007-12-07T04:07:00.000-08:00

America's Backyard

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2007-12-06T04:48:00.000-08:00

hi everyone
hope you are well
here is a site that might interest you...it was put up by web designer who is hoping to get a chance to speak with Jeffrey Meldrum about a Sasquatch sighting.
bye, have a wonderful day. -Suzy

Cherokee Nation timeline > 1738

2007-11-25T03:58:00.000-08:00

"In 1738 or 1739 the smallpox, brought to Carolina by slave ships, broke out among the Cherokee with such terrible effect that, according to Adair, nearly half the tribe was swept away within a year."

Source: James Mooney's Myths of the Cherokee (1900)

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2007-11-23T03:20:00.000-08:00

"The Cherokee were the mountaineers of the South, holding the entire Allegheny region from the interlocking head-streams of the Kanawha and the Tennessee southward almost to the site of Atlanta, and from the Blue ridge on the east to the Cumberland range on the west, a territory comprising about 40,000 square miles, now included in the states of Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Alabama. Their principal towns were upon the headwaters of the Savannah, Hiwassee, and Tuckasegee, and along the whole length of the Little Tennessee to its junction with the main stream. Itsati, or Echota, on the south bank of the Little Tennessee, a few miles above the mouth of Tellico river, in Tennessee, was commonly considered the capital of the Nation."

an excerpts from Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney
Originally published in 1900

p. 14 from the Dover Publications, Inc. paperback
ISBN 0-486-28907-9

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2007-11-18T09:51:00.000-08:00

miss-landmine.org > Miss Cuando Cubango

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2007-11-17T15:14:00.000-08:00

benevolent Ninja game info

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2007-11-12T06:33:00.000-08:00

http://www.we-make-money-not-art.com/archives/009806.php

Housing market article via Yahoo news

2007-11-11T07:58:00.000-08:00

http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/071110/wall_main.html?.v=2

blackmesais.org > news > October 6, 2007

2007-11-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

http://www.blackmesais.org/anniversary.htm

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2007-10-30T10:40:00.001-07:00

Dover Books
Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney
p. 242

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Long years ago, soon after the world was made, a hunter and his wife lived at Pilot knob with their only child, a little boy. The father’s name was Kana’ti (The Lucky Hunter), and his wife was called Selu (Corn). No matter when Kana’ti went into the wood, he never failed to bring back a load of game, which his wife would cut up and prepare, washing off the blood from the meat in the river near the house. The little boy used to play down by the river every day, and one morning the old people thought they heard laughing and talking in the bushes as though there were two children there. When the boy came home at night his parents asked him who he had been playing with him all day. “He comes out of the water,” said the boy, “and he calls himself my elder brother. He says his mother was cruel to him and threw him into the river.” Then they knew that the strange boy had sprung from the blood of the game which Selu had washed off at the river’s edge.

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....chotto yon-de-mi....

2007-10-06T07:17:00.000-07:00

Horse Latitudes of Resistance

Vote for Larry!

2007-10-05T07:59:00.000-07:00

hi everyone

hope you all are well

check it out, CNN is having an online voting thingy featuring four environmental stewards.
Larry Gibson is one of the folks who was nominated.

SVP make your old Nantoka O-ba chan happy and go cast your vote...

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2007/cnn.heroes

also, if you are interested in acquiring any of the paintings below please ask Margaret at the Homebody for details, as she is helping to auction them (and many others) to raise money to keep Wal-Mart from moving in beside the Margaret Beeks school in Blacksburg.

bye, have a great day, thanks for reading. -Suzy

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Sample items from the October 2007 auction in Blacksburg, VA to raise money for sustainable development

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Roma ancestor
Sumi ink painting on paper
artist - Suzy Nees
2007

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The friendly O-bake person on the other side of the brush
Sumi ink painting on paper
artist - Suzy Nees
2005

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A few music & art events coming up this October

2007-10-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

hi everyone

hope you are doing well
I am working on some press releases related to some cool events coming up this weekend in the coming month...below is a little overview of what I have so far.

bye, have a good day. thanks for reading. -Suzy

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Oct. 6 - Rally in downtown Blacksburg for sustainable development (for example, no Wal-Mart beside an elementary school.) A free event. Live music & guest speakers. 2 to 4 pm.

Visitors at this event can learn more about the spectacular gala (complete with ballroom dancing and an art auction) that locals are organizing to support sustainable development in Montgomery County.

Oct. 6 - Southern Mountain Square Dance in Blacksburg

Oct. 6 - Alliens & Sol Creech at Winter Sun in Floyd

Oct. 20 - Prayers at Kayford Mountain

Oct. 20 - Meet NRV author Krisha Chachra in Blacksburg

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from the desk of the Black Twig Pickers

2007-10-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

Hello, all: Black Twig Pickers are on tap for 2 shows Saturday, Oct. 6 --

First is noon to 2 p.m. or thereabouts at Wasena Park in Roanoke, where the Twigs have the mission of adding some string-and-board whatsis to the great river cleanup celebration;

and second is the 6:15 p.m. dancing slot at the Roanoke Fiddle & Banjo Club's monthly shindig at Mount Pleasant Elementary School. Directions are pasted at the bottom of this email. See http://www.roanokefiddleandbanjoclub.org/Home.html for more details, but note that the Twigs switched to an earlier slot -- looks like a music-packed evening with a bill that includes Baker & Honeycutt, the Old Dominion Cloggers, Deep South, Floyd & Friends and Just Us.

And mark your calendars for Oct. 26-28, when old-timey country blues shouter (and ace songwriter) Charlie Parr returns to play a few shows with the Black Twigs in Roanoke, Blacksburg and Charlottesville. If you haven't caught Charlie's few appearances in the Southeast before, be prepared -- this is strong stuff: excellent singing and fingerpicking on National steel, 12-string and banjo in an exceptional mix of traditional and tradionally-based original material. See www.charlieparr.com for more info, or check the NPR interview he did about his new album "Jubilee" that we've posted at www.klang.org. We think Charlie's one of the best people still living who plays this sort of material.

Word at press time is that washboardist/percussionist Lane Prekker will be riding with Charlie on this swing, so expect plenty of clatter as Nathan and Lane continue the double washboard conversation they began last spring when the Twigs accompanied Charlie to Kentucky, Georgia and Richmond. Also expect plenty of Charlie + Twigs ensemble action.

Here's how the show lineup is looking:

On Friday, Oct. 26, Charlie and the Twigs will be at Blue 5 in Roanoke;
Saturday, Oct. 27, is scheduled to be a couple party-type appearances in Blacksburg, details TBA;
and Sunday, Oct. 28, is a Charlie, Black Twig Pickers and another band bill at Outback Lodge in Charlottesville.

Expect more emails closer to the shows, or check the shows listing at www.klang.org for more details.

And last, here are directions to the fiddle & banjo club throwdown this Saturday, taken from the club's website:

From Franklin County: Take Rt.116 north from Burnt Chimney across Windy Gap mountain to Mount Pleasant. Turn Right onto Mount Pleasant Blvd. Go about a quarter of a mile the school is on the left. You cant miss it. If the parking lot is full you can park across the road at the church on the right.

From Roanoke: From Elm Ave. take either 9th street or 13th street in SE Roanoke to Riverland Road (aka: Rt.116). Turn left onto Rt.116 and go about 1.5 to 2.5 miles from the intersection with 13th street. Turn left onto Mount Pleasant Blvd. Go about a quarter of a mile the school is on the left. You cant miss it. If the parking lot is full you can park across the
road at the church.

Radical sustainability workshop this evening in Blacksburg, VA

2007-10-03T04:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Hope you are doing well and enjoying your October.
A Rhizome Collective workshop on radical sustainability will take place in McBryde hall on the VT campus tonight...memos on this event can be found at the Oasis & Eats shopping mart in Blacksburg.

bye, thanks for reading, have a wonderful day. -Suzy

New extreme democracy technique birthed in NZ

2007-09-29T06:57:00.000-07:00

http://www.stuff.co.nz/4215797a10.html

Satellite images confirm reports of violence & forced relocation in Myanmar

2007-09-28T15:31:00.000-07:00

http://www.reuters.com/article/asiaCrisis/idUSN28447581

Coal & unsafe seafood go hand in hand...

2007-09-18T09:13:00.000-07:00

hi folks

here is a link to an article about new scientific proof which links coal-fired power plants to the contamination of edible fishes with mercury

Mercury-contaminated fish article

Supply run for Big Mountain relocation resisters

2007-08-26T02:20:00.000-07:00

hello there
hope you are having a nice day

I am looking for info on this year's supply run to help folks at Big Mountain get ready for winter

this is a yearly event that happens around Thanksgiving time. if you are curious to learn more please visit blackmesais.org or stay tuned.

bye, have a great day & thanks for reading. -Suzy

billy miller's site relocation info

2007-08-25T14:55:00.000-07:00

hi everyone, hope you are doing well.

just a quick note to let you know how things are going with the traces website reconfiguration project.

billy miller's sites are being shifted now and can be accessed by visiting his archive in the Traces artist directory at stonesculpture.ws > traces > miller

bye, thanks for reading. -Suzy

traces library news

2007-08-23T05:52:00.001-07:00

hi everyone

this is Suzy letting you know that the the Traces library is still very much alive and kicking, although its digital counterpart is currently undergoing a relocation from its long-time address at traces.ws.

please visit ideapark.org > traces or waterfrontontheweb.com/traces to find the Traces digital archives.

Please keep in mind that the non-virtual Traces collection is currently being installed at various locations in the Virginias, including sites in Pilot, Check, Floyd, and Hiwassee. Please stay tuned for details on exhibit venues, celebration dates, artist information and so forth.

namaste, be well, thanks for reading. -Suzy

Mountain Keepers Music Festival

2007-06-22T17:37:00.000-07:00

ideapark.org news for June 22, 2007 - The Mountain Keepers Music Festival will take place at the Stanley Heirs Park on Kayford Mountain on July 30 & August 1, 2007. This event will feature storytelling as well as bluegrass, gospel, and old-time music by Elizabeth and Sandy Laprelle, The Hillkeepers, Jim Savarino, Brenda Pyne, and many others. A variety of children’s games and activities will be offered, and potluck meals will be shared.

Admission and on-site camping is free at the Mountain Keepers Music Festival. Please, no alcohol on the premises.

The Stanley Heirs Park is located about 35 minutes south of Charleston off I-64. To learn more about the Mountain Keepers Music Festival, please follow this link.

KFTC Rally scheduled in KY on Monday

2007-06-15T16:36:00.000-07:00

Kentuckians for the Commonwealth rally

Upcoming events at the Explore Park in Roanoke

2007-05-29T04:01:00.000-07:00

Please visit explorepark.org for more information on the events listed below.

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Sunday Afternoon Program: “Drovers”
Jamestown's June Theme: Transportation
Before the days of big tractor trailers, how did the people of the past move large numbers of animals to get them to market? You might be amazed! Location: TBD. Regular admission rates apply.

Young Explorers Youth Camp (ages 5-10)
Kids ages 5 to 10 will love exploring nature and history at Young Explorers. We’ll visit the 1671 Totero Native American Village, the 1757 Frontier Fort, and the 1850 Valley Community to see what life was life before modern-day conveniences. We’ll also take time to explore some of nature’s cycles while hiking along the Roanoke River and within the woods of Explore Park. Campers can bring a boxed lunch from home or order lunch from the Brugh Tavern for a fee.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Jamestown's July Theme: Liberty
Learn about the impact of slavery on various facets of local development. Location: 19th Century Valley Community. Regular admission rates apply.

Independence Day Celebration
Celebrate the fourth at Virginia's Explore Park! Stories, activities, and the good ol’ American spirit throughout the Park. And don't forget to pick up your Four Chores Scavenger Hunt! Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Conflict and Quarrel: Warfare Through the Centuries”
Jamestown's July Theme: Liberty
Learn about the tactics, technology, and reasons for warfare throughout the three centuries. Location: 17th Century Totero Native American Village, 18th Century Frontier Fort, 19th Century Valley Community's Slone's Grist Mill. Regular admission rates apply.

Blast from the Past Youth Camp (ages 8-13)
We’ll step back in time to play games with at the 1671 Totero Native American Village, do some chores with the 1757 Frontiersman, and attend a lesson in an 1850 one-room school. Discover the people who lived here before us, and how they made the Roanoke Valley the place it is today! Campers can bring a boxed lunch from home or order lunch from the Brugh Tavern for a fee.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Law Through the Centuries”
Jamestown's July Theme: Liberty
Were there hunting laws in the time period from 1671 to 1850? Were there any laws governing doctors and dentists? Could women own property? Sometimes modern day folks tend to think that there were not many laws governing everyday living in the past. Come and learn the answers to these questions and many other interesting laws from three hundred years of history. Location: All sites. Regular admission rates apply.

Cyclin' Through Nature Youth Camp (ages 8-13)
From the air we breathe to the water we drink and the food we eat, nature is all about cycles! We will investigate how we are a part of these cycles with activities, games, hikes, and a canoe trip down the Roanoke River. Campers can bring a boxed lunch from home or order lunch from the Brugh Tavern for a fee.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Old Glory”
Jamestown's July Theme: Liberty
Have you ever wondered about he true origins of the American flag? Why don’t we say the Pledge of Allegiance at the Kemp’s Ford School? Separate myth from fact in this entertaining and informative session about Old Glory. Location: 1850 Kemp's Ford School. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “French and Indian War”
Jamestown's July Theme: Liberty
Learn about the causes, effects and outcome of this war. Location: 18th Century Frontier Fort. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms”
Jamestown's August Theme: Free Enterprise and Industry
Learn about the roles that these three items played in the history of our country. Location: All sites. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Oh Deer!”
Jamestown's August Theme: Free Enterprise and Industry
Let’s look at Virginia’s lucrative deer hide trade during the 1750s. Location: 18th Century Frontier Fort. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Trails to Rails”
Jamestown's August Theme: Free Enterprise and Industry
Learn about land transportation through the centuries. From buffalo trails to iron rails, see how people and goods were moved overland. Location: All sites. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “And the Wheel Goes Round and Round”
Jamestown's August Theme: Free Enterprise and Industry
Visit Slone’s Grist Mill and discover 19th century mills and their importance in everyday life. Location: 19th Century Valley Community's Slone's Grist Mill. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Fare Game”
Jamestown's September Theme: Agriculture and Harvest
Learn about the use of wild foods through the centuries. Location: All sites. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Fine Swine and Bovine”
Jamestown's September Theme: Agriculture and Harvest
Learn about the important historical uses of hogs and cattle. Location: 18th Century Frontier Fort and 19th Century Valley Community. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Rolling on the River”
Jamestown's September Theme: Agriculture and Harvest
Learn how farmers got their crops to the market and how they obtained agricultural supplies and foods they could not produce themselves. Location: 19th Century Valley Community's Virginia River Culture site. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Squirrel Soup, Saratoga Potatoes, & Soup with Green Frogs: Are You Hungry Yet?”
Jamestown's September Theme: Agriculture and Harvest
Learn about the foodways of the people in 1671, 1757, and 1850. Location: All sites. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Preserving the Harvest”
Jamestown's September Theme: Agriculture and Harvest
Discover how people preserve their food to last through the winter. Location: All sites. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Building A Village”
Jamestown's October Theme: Archaeology and Native American History
Archaeology has played a great role in the reconstruction and furnishing of this site. Discover the process by visiting the 17th century Totero Village. Location: 17th Century Totero Village. Regular admission rates apply.

Sunday Afternoon Program: “Moving Original Buildings”
Jamestown's October Theme: Archaeology and Native American History
How did Explore Park move the original buildings that are currently on display? What role did archaeological work play in the process? Learn the answers by visiting the 19th Century Area. Regular admission rates apply.

Upcoming events at the Booker T. Washington birthplace in Hardy

2007-05-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

For Future Generations: Preserving the Burroughs Plantation
May 16 – 7:00 p.m. Historic Preservation Month Celebration
Discuss the protecting and preserving Washington’s birthplace.

Food, Fiber and Flowers
May 27 – 2:00 p.m. Garden Tour
Learn about gardening techniques and cultivated plant varieties of the 1850's.

Juneteenth Gospel Music Celebration
June 16 - 11:00 a.m. Special Event
Enjoy the food, fun and fellowship as the community celebrates freedom.

Freedom Train: The Story of Harriett Tubman
June 23 - 10:00 a.m. Young Reader's Book Club

To Be a Ranger
June 30 - 10:00 a.m. Junior Ranger Summer Program
Explore the duties of a NPS Park Ranger.

Tears of Freedom
July 7 - 11:00 a.m.
Experience the emotions felt on the Burroughs Plantation during emancipation.

Blockades & Stockades: Shortages
July 8 - 2:00 p.m.
Discover how life changed dramatically for people on the southern home front during the American Civil War.

Trouble Don't Last
July 14 - 10:00 a.m. Young Reader's Club

To Be a Leader
July 21 - 10:00 a.m. Junior Ranger Summer Program
Develop leadership skills like Dr. Washington.

What is the Price of Freedom?
August 4 - 2:00 p.m.
Explore Washington's vision of the National Negro Business League.

Sojourner Truth: Voice of Freedom
August 11 - 10:00 a.m. Young Reader's Book Club

To Be a Naturalist
August 18 - 10:00 a.m. Junior Ranger Summer Program
Study plants and animals like a naturalist.

Nez Perce carbon crop article

2007-05-09T13:07:00.001-07:00

http://www.ecoearth.info/shared/reader/welcome.aspx?linkid=74511

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2007-04-14T13:44:00.000-07:00

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Highlands Action Program news

2007-04-14T09:33:00.000-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 12, 2007

GOVERNORS RENDELL, KAINE, MANCHIN, O’MALLEY SIGN ‘HIGHLANDS ACTION PROGRAM’ CHARTER
Accord Seeks to Enhance, Protect Economy, Ecology of Appalachian Highlands

HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, Virginia Governor Timothy M. Kaine, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin III and Maryland Governor Martin J. O’Malley today announced the signing of the Highlands Action Program charter, a regional partnership that seeks to preserve the ecological and cultural resources of the Mid-Atlantic Appalachian Highlands.

“The mid-Atlantic region offers an array of recreational opportunities and thousands of acres of public lands that draw visitors from throughout the world, yet also supports robust timber, agriculture and mining industries that have been the mainstay of our economy since colonial times,” Governor Rendell said. “Our challenge is to seek common ground and develop policies that will manage the many demands on this land while preserving the natural beauty and heritage of the Appalachian Mountains.”

In 2001, Congress directed the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to implement the Highlands Action Program. At the urging of Rep. Alan B. Mollohan (D-WV), the Environmental Protection Agency, in consultation with the states, created the Highlands Action Program to work with community-based programs to revitalize the region's ecosystem, create long-term employment opportunities and improve the quality of life for people who live in and visit the multi-state region.

“The Appalachian Highlands region is a unique area, both from a cultural and ecological standpoint. It has species and landscapes found nowhere else in the world,” Governor Kaine said. “I am pleased to join with these Appalachian region governors to support efforts to restore ecologically damaged areas, and to work together to improve the region’s economic viability.”

“In the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia, people have always had a direct connection to the natural resources around them,” Governor Manchin said. “We understand that job creation and long-term economic stability go hand-in-hand with improving and maintaining our rich natural and cultural resources. West Virginia is pleased to partner with other Highlands states on restoration initiatives to improve natural resources and build a more diverse economic base for the region.”

“In Maryland, we welcome the creation of a program that is community-based and connects the economic and environmental future of the Highlands. This effort is especially important since the region's natural resources were crucial to the establishment of our great nation,” said Governor O'Malley.

Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia have committed to help link communities, non-governmental organizations, local, state, and federal governments, and businesses to:

Highlight places of ecological and cultural importance;
Revitalize damaged ecosystems;
Empower citizens and communities to strengthen linkages among cultural heritage, economic viability, and the environment;
Enhance restoration industry opportunities providing lasting employment for highland residents; and
Leverage existing funds.

States will focus on enhancing “green infrastructure” as a basis for targeting restoration and protection. Green infrastructure refers to the network of hubs and corridors that are essential to maintaining the health of natural ecosystems and resource-based working lands.

In Pennsylvania, the Blue Mountain/ Kittatinny Ridge Conservation Project is guiding the conservation efforts of 24 partner agencies and organizations to establish a comprehensive corridor of protected lands for the ridge through Pennsylvania, a globally-important migration flyway for hawks and eagles.

Also, the Appalachian Trail Protection Initiative is helping the Appalachian Trail Conference with its effort to focus public attention on the Appalachian Trail through Pennsylvania, and to identify ways to increase protection measures on lands adjacent to the trail.

In Virginia, the Highlands Action Program is working with partners on Blacks Run, a degraded stream in Harrisonburg. In West Virginia, initial efforts have focused on Abram’s Creek and the Coal River. In Pennsylvania, emphasis has been place on preserving and restoring Kittatinny Ridge. And in Maryland, a Highlands Environmental Leadership Program for high school students has been created, along with a state park ‘greening’ project and a fish passage project on Cash Valley Run in La Vale.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: A Highlands Action Program region map is attached.

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2007-03-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

article 27 from the UN universal declaration of human rights

1. Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
2. Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.

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suggested queries for this post - yappari

The Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

2006-11-24T05:31:00.000-08:00

A document which was completed by Thomas Jefferson in 1786

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Whereas Almighty God hath created the mind free; that all attempts to influence it by temporal punishments or burthens, or by civil incapacitations, tend only to beget habits of hypocrisy and meanness, and are a departure from the plan of the Holy author of our religion, who being Lord both of body and mind, yet chose not to propagate it by coercions on either, as it was in his Almighty power to do; that the impious presumption of legislators and rulers, civil as well as ecclesiastical, who being themselves but fallible and uninspired men, have assumed dominion over the faith of others, setting up their own opinions and modes of thinking as the only true and infallible, and as such endeavouring to impose them on others, hath established and maintained false religions over the greatest part of the world, and through all time; that to compel a man to furnish contributions of money for the propagation of opinions which he disbelieves, is sinful and tyrannical; that even the forcing him to support this or that teacher of his own religious persuasion, is depriving him of the comfortable liberty of giving his contributions to the particular pastor, whose morals he would make his pattern, and whose powers he feels most persuasive to righteousness, and is withdrawing from the ministry those temporary rewards, which proceeding from an approbation of their personal conduct, are an additional incitement to earnest and unremitting labours for the instruction of mankind; that our civil rights have no dependence on our religious opinions, any more than our opinions in physics or geometry; that therefore the proscribing any citizen as unworthy the public confidence by laying upon him an incapacity of being called to offices of trust and emolument, unless he profess or renounce this or that religious opinion, is depriving him injuriously of those privileges and advantages to which in common with his fellow-citizens he has a natural right; that it tends only to corrupt the principles of that religion it is meant to encourage, by bribing with a monopoly of worldly honours and emoluments, those who will externally profess and conform to it; that though indeed these are criminal who do not withstand such temptation, yet neither are those innocent who lay the bait in their way; that to suffer the civil magistrate to intrude his powers into the field of opinion, and to restrain the profession or propagation of principles on supposition of their ill tendency, is a dangerous fallacy, which at once destroys all religious liberty, because he being of course judge of that tendency will make his opinions the rule of judgment, and approve or condemn the sentiments of others only as they shall square with or differ from his own; that it is time enough for the rightful purposes of civil government, for its officers to interfere when principles break out into overt acts against peace and good order; and finally, that truth is great and will prevail if left to herself, that she is the proper and sufficient antagonist to error, and has nothing to fear from the conflict, unless by human interposition disarmed of her natural weapons, free argument and debate, errors ceasing to be dangerous when it is permitted freely to contradict them:

Be it enacted by the General Assembly, That no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship, place, or ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burthened in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief; but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain, their opinion in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise diminish enlarge, or affect their civil capacities.

And though we well know that this assembly elected by the people for the ordinary purposes of legislation only, have no power to restrain the acts of succeeding assemblies, constituted with powers equal to our own, and that therefore to declare this act to be irrevocable would be of no effect in law; yet we are free to declare, and do declare, that the rights hereby asserted are of the natural rights of mankind, and that if any act shall be hereafter passed to repeal the present, or to narrow its operation, such act shall be an infringement of natural right.

Source: W.W. Hening, ed., Statutes at Large of Virginia, vol. 12 (1823): 84-86.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama - upcoming speaking engagements in the United States

2006-11-17T18:31:00.000-08:00

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Teaching in San Francisco, California, U.S.A. on April 27 & 28: His Holiness will give a teaching on Je Tsongkhapa's In Praise of Dependent Origination (tendrel toepa) at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium organized by the Gyuto Vajrayana Center in San Jose, California. Website: www.dalailamabay2007.com

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Public Talk in San Francisco, California, U.S.A. on April 29: His Holiness will give a public talk (topic and venue yet to be decided). Website: www.dalailamabay2007.com

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Teaching in Madison, Wisconsin, USA on May 3 & 4: His Holiness will give teachings on tokchod donlekma and lamrim dudon and also confer the Green Tara Empowerment (doljang jenang) at the request of Geshe Lhundup Sopa of Deer Park Center. Contact Website: www.deerparkcenter.org

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via dalailama.com

May We Help You Shop?

2006-11-13T12:00:00.000-08:00

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Image: A group of Help You Shop sales associates in Floyd, Virginia.

Help You Shop team members like these are speaking out in increasing numbers against "Unsustainable Bad Santa" and his evil colleagues, who are decimating the planet's resources in a very non-fictional way.

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ideapark.org press release

for immediate release - november 13, 2006

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Salespersons and associates at the ideapark.org happiness mill are looking to help the public shop for some affordable, low-stress, Earth-friendly ways to generate more happiness and enjoyment during the 2006-2007 Winter Giving Season.

These employees and friends of Sweetwater Market and Blue Mountain Organics are just a few of the folks who would like wish you a joyous harvest and winter season, along with a few cautionary words about the importance of sustainable resource use during the holidays.

If your church, school, or social organization would like to learn more about creating a customized paper-free catalogue to combat "Unsustainable Bad Santa" and his evil colleagues, please stay tuned to the ideapark.org news loop for news and announcements about this nefarious character.

Thank you for visiting the ideapark.org news loop, and thank you in advance for your stewardship.

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related links

www.traces.ws/sweetwater
www.sweetwatermarket.net
ideapark.org > sweetwater

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suggested queries for this post - sustainable consumption

Huntington music news

2006-11-09T06:37:00.000-08:00

November 10 , 2006: 8 p.m. OVEC's 17th Annual Treehuggers' Ball at Holderby's Landing, 1360 Harris Park Drive, on the Ohio River! at 11th St., Huntington, WV. Have fun and help save the mountains!

Music! Jam Sessions!

Aristotle and the Excellent Lovers
Mother Tucker Trio
Big Rock & the CandyAss Mountain Boys
Bud Carroll, Former American Minor Guitarist
Bassist for Steve Himes Chris Allen
And Special Guests!
DJ Jason 1L's Late Night House Music Dance Party

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via ohvec.org

learn Japanese

2006-11-09T03:31:00.000-08:00

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jama - in the way.

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An open letter to Jim Webb

2006-11-08T08:54:00.000-08:00

Dear Jim Webb,

Thank you for declaring victory over George Allen in the early hours of the day today.

Your declaration is a victory for all of us in the state of Virginia who are appalled by Allen's blatant racism and other unacceptable behaviors.

Sincerely,

Suzy Nees
editor
ideapark.org

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- - - - - ----...- - - - - v o t e - - --...- - ->

2006-11-07T12:37:00.000-08:00

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/trouble_voting
a resource for voters who run into problems at the polling place

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Having a problem with a machine? Don't understand the ballot? Need help in pulling a cumbersome lever? Ask a poll worker.

They are ostensibly trained to operate all equipment, and to help a citizen vote. That means pulling the lever, or marking the ballot of anyone too frail or in need of assistance. But sometimes even the poll workers don't know how to operate the newest machines, and sometimes they don't show up to work on time, as was seen Baltimore in the September primary.

Still, it is best to ask a poll worker rather than one of the partisan poll watchers who have descended on precincts in recent elections to monitor voters — sometimes injecting themselves into questions that arise at polling places, according to election officials.

"In a lot of cases, they're interpreting it the way they want to interpret it," Lewis said. "And they're wrong." Also, voters sometimes are just too shy about holding up the line, or appearing uneducated, to ask a poll worker for help.

"People get there, and they think 'I'm a bad citizen. I shouldn't ask a question, I should know this,'" said Doug Chapin of the nonpartisan group electionline.org. "It's not unusual for things not to go 100 percent right during an election and it's perfectly OK to ask for help. That's what poll workers are there for."

___

On the Net:

http://www.electionline.org/

http://www.canivote.org/

http://www.electionprotection/

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suggested queries for this page - verified voting

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2006-10-29T10:30:00.000-08:00

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image - handcarved bowl from Floyd, Virginia.

related sites - sweetwatermarket.com
suggested queries for this page - floyd virginia art music food

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2006-10-18T12:27:00.000-07:00

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suggested queries for this page - friends of Mali in Virginia

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2006-10-17T19:58:00.000-07:00

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A memo to residents of Blacksburg, Virginia:

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Our community has asked the Blacksburg Town Council to sign on to the Cool Cities initiative, which is a flexible plan for cities and towns to sign on to the Kyoto accords to curb greenhouse gases. The town council will be meeting in November to decide the issue and we need as many signatures as possible to urge the council to do the right thing. To sign the petition, go to this link:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/930702183

For more information on cool cities go to: http://www.coolcities.us

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2006-04-18T09:25:00.000-07:00

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sago news from the Yahoo headlines

2006-03-30T09:26:00.000-08:00

article by VICKI SMITH, Associated Press Writer

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The sole survivor of the Sago Mine disaster thanked friends, family and strangers Thursday for their "thoughts and prayers" upon his release from the hospital almost three months after he was trapped underground in a mine filled with toxic fumes for more than 40 hours. more...

tags for this post: coal, sago, McCloy

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2006-03-09T14:00:00.000-08:00

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ideapark.org news for March 9, 2006 - the Sustainable Living Education Center in Floyd, Virginia will be hosting an open house on Saturday, April 22 to celebrate Earth Day. all are welcome. for details on this event, please call (540) 745 -2784.

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image tags: spring, flower, coltsfoot

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2006-02-24T23:28:00.000-08:00

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2005-12-30T22:13:00.000-08:00

image tags - coal mining heritage, anthracite, McCoy

mountaintop removal sites a new destination for eco-tourists

2005-12-28T20:10:00.000-08:00

---...---ideapark.org loop news for december 28, 2005 - ...---...- a boom in reverse ecotourism is bringing mountaintop removal mining into the public eye, according to this CNN article from December 27 - ...---...---tags: strip mining - surface mining - industrial tourism - eco-tour - Appalachia - coal - energy - mountain - tour - mountaintop removal - ...---

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2005-12-09T09:56:00.000-08:00

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loop news for december 9, 2005 - - via yahoo headlines - ...---...- - magnetic north is on the move, according to scientists cited in a recent AP article by Alicia Chang. It appears that the Earth's magnetic pole is moving away from North America and toward Siberia so quickly that the Northern Lights might disappear from Alaska before 2060. more...

tags - Earth science

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loop news for december 8 - 2005 - glaciers retreating, say scientists - via yahoo headlines 10:13 am -

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december 7 2005 - habitat for humanity village planned for displaced NOLA musicians - -...--- via yahoo headlines -...---...--- tags - affordable housing - music - katrina - ---...---

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snippets for dec. 3 2005 11:24 pm

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Documents Show Katrina's Political Storm

via yahoo headlines - By CONNIE MABIN, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 7 minutes ago -
NEW ORLEANS - As Hurricane Katrina roared ashore and thousands of people waited days amid the floodwater for rescue, a series of letters passed between the governor and the White House that reveal delays, claims that requests for federal help weren't received, and concerns on both sides about public relations. more...

- tags - Katrina, nola - big easy - big easier - -...---

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ideapark.org loop news for Friday, December 2 - --...--- articles ---...--- - EPA needs to take care of Katrina soil cleanup, say environmentalists - via yahoo headlines - ...---..--- - tags - soil science - soil failure - shore failure - levee - arsenic - phytoremediation- -Chinese Brake Fern - ...---...---

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---...--- ---..--- articles from the traces archives - -...---...- - military wants to use a sacred valley on Oahu to train soldiers - story via Yahoo - ...---...---...--- --...--- Army seeking to resume training on Oahu - ...---By JAYMES SONG, Associated Press Writer - ---...---HONOLULU - The Army wants to resume live-fire exercises in a valley on the island of Oahu that Native Hawaiians consider sacred, despite a settlement agreement prohibiting such training. --...-more - --...----...---...

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ideapark.org local news - The Sustainable Living Education Center has opened its new display space at the Jacksonville Center in Floyd, Virginia. All are welcome to view the current exhibit materials, and to participate in ongoing discussions and projects related to sustainable living.

SLEC organizers would like to warmly thank you to everyone who has helped make the SLEC exhibit space a reality.

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link queue for new articles in the Traces library

fuel up with banana peels (wired)
let data speak to data (nature)

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ideapark.org featured tags for dec. 2, 2005 - opium crop alternatives

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ideapark.org loop news for Monday, November 28 - the military has found a new use for arrows recently. Apparently, they work pretty well as a tool for cleaning up minefields, if you modify them a bit....

from new scientist -

The modern military is borrowing an idea from Robin Hood to deal with unexploded landmines. Patents filed by US defence contractor Raytheon concede that current landmine clearance is ineffective, especially if mines are in sand or under water. But the company has developed a shell containing hundreds of steel "arrows" – 155 millimetres long and 15 mm in diameter – that can trigger landmines with a single shot.

more...

tags: land mine, land mine eradication, demining, bioremediation, landmine awareness

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2005-11-19T19:50:00.000-08:00

hi folks

here are some scenes from today's straw bale work day at the Jacksonville Center in Floyd

this is a straw bale structure project which is being led by Leon Davis from Virginia Tech

excerpt from the whole earth catalog

2005-11-18T08:31:00.000-08:00

WE ARE AS GODS and might as well get good at it. So far remotely done power and glory - as via government, big business, formal education, church - has succeeded to the point where gross defects obscure actual gains. In response to this dilemma and to these gains, a realm of intimate, personal power is developing - the power of individuals to conduct their own education, find their own inspiration, shape their own environment, and share the adventure with whoever is interested. Tools that aid this process are sought and promoted by the Essential Whole Earth Catalog.

--excerpt from a 1986 edition of the Whole Earth Catalog

tags: sustainability, reading, literacy, fuzzy searching

straw bale work day at the Jacksonville Center

2005-11-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

A memo from the Jacksonville Center to friends & members -

The Association of Energy Conservation Professionals (AECP) has rented our building next to the barn as an incubator tenant and has done much improvement to the building and property. In partnership with The Jacksonville Center, they have been developing a Sustainable Living Education Center (SLEC) and now have small solar and wind power demonstration systems in the building. They are steadily preparing for interactions with the community and plan to have an Open House during our Winterfest event on Dec. 3 & 4. We will partner with SLEC for future educational events and opportunities for the community.

With SLEC's support, an architecture student from Virginia Tech, Leon Davis, is building a straw bale structure on the Jacksonville Center property as his thesis project. He has been quite dedicated and the building is coming along well. When complete, the 360 sq. ft. structure will belong to the Jacksonville Center to utilize as a space for classes in additional art/craft mediums.

Leon is working this Saturday, Nov. 19, on the straw bale building. He will be putting up the straw bale walls and could use volunteers. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone interested in alternative building to come this Saturday and work with Leon. Both skilled and non-skilled folks are welcome. Work will commence around 8:30 or 9am.

If you are interested, contact Wayne at the Jacksonville Center at (540) 745-2784 for more information. There will be more opportunities to work on this project in the future.

tags: green building, green design, virginia, Floyd, volunteer opportunities, ecology, sustainability

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2005-11-10T06:10:00.000-08:00

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2005-11-08T15:38:00.000-08:00

image tags: Appalachian Power, energy, leaves, autumn, photosynthesis, color science, bioremediation, land reclamation, mine, coal, Hoge

bird-friendly wind power?

2005-11-08T12:23:00.000-08:00

via slashdot.

Sterling D. Allan writes "After 10 years of prototyping, wind tunnel testing, patenting, and tweaking, Ron Taylor of Cheyenne (windy) Wyoming is ready to take his vertical axis wind turbine into commercial production. Design creates pull on the back side contributing to 40%+ wind conversion efficiencies. Because it spins at wind speed, it doesn't kill birds, and it runs more quietly. It also doesn't need to be installed as high, and it can withstand significantly higher winds (can generate in winds up to 70 mph, compared to ~54 mph tops for propeller designs). Generating costs estimated at 2.5 cents per kilowatt-hour, putting it in the lead pocket-book-wise not just of wind and solar, but of conventional power as well. Production prototype completion expected in 5-7 months." more...

tags: alternative energy, wildlife protection, wind energy, ecology, bird, migration, conservation, habitat loss, wildlife

Mississippi lawmaker focuses on Katrina recovery

2005-11-08T11:55:00.000-08:00

via Yahoo headlines.

Rep. Gene Taylor (news, bio, voting record) represents some of Hurricane Katrina's hardest-hit victims. Nearly 70% of the houses in his southeast Mississippi district, including his own home in Bay St. Louis, were destroyed or made uninhabitable. more...

tags: Hurricane relief, Katrina, Mississippi

from the mountainkeeper.org website

2005-11-06T10:13:00.000-08:00

Larry Gibson and Kayford Mountain

Larry Gibson's family has lived on or near Kayford Mountain since the late 1700's. More than 300 relatives are buried in the cemetery on Kayford Mountain. Larry and his family used to live on the lowest lying part of the mountain, and looked "up" to the mountain peaks that surrounded them. Since 1986, the slow motion destruction of Kayford Mountain has been continuous -- 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Eighteen years after the "mountain top removal" project began, Larry Gibson now occupies the highest point of land around; he is enveloped by a 12,000 acre pancake in what was previously a mountain range....

Camp Kayford. The 50 acre tract Larry occupies atop Kayford Mountain includes a natural "bowl" that begs to be hammered into an open air amphitheater. KOTM wants to design and build that theatre and make it a center for the display and celebration of mountain culture. Our ambition is to inspire a "band of brothers and sisters" to come camp on the mountain, hopefully this summer, and contribute the sweat, muscle and imagination to make this idea a reality....

from mountainkeeper.org

tags: green design, bioremediation

Chinese "eco-cities" planned

2005-11-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

Sat Nov 5, 7:10 PM ET

LONDON (AFP) - British engineers will this week sign a contract with Beijing to design and build a string of so-called 'eco-cities' in China, a newspaper reported. more...

via Yahoo headlines

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2005-10-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

2005-10-24T11:22:00.001-07:00

scenes from the 2005 green living expo in roanoke, virginia

2005-10-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

image tags: elecric car, fuel efficiency, alternative energy, filtration, water quality, Roanoke, New River Valley

exhibit announcement

2005-10-18T20:18:00.000-07:00

Visions of sustainability

An exhibit of art, design, writing and handcrafts related to sustainable living

The Jacksonville Center, Floyd, Virginia

December 2005

What is sustainability? How does our culture shape the environment?

How can we better design our footprint to ensure a better future for generations to come?

This exhibit invites members of the public to share their views on sustainable living and to help define the elements of a sustainable lifestyle.

Visions of Sustainability is being hosted by the Sustainable Living Education Center at the Jacksonville Center in Floyd during the month of December, and will include artwork, design, writing and craft items by persons of all ages.

Who can participate?

Anyone who is interested in sustainable living is encouraged to submit materials for this exhibit. Members of the Floyd and New River Valley communities are especially encouraged to participate.

What will be on display?

Possible exhibit items include:

Printed materials, including letters, essays, and photos

Examples of fair trade and handcrafted products

Agricultural art & artifacts

Environmental art and green design exhibits

Displays related to the conservation of culture & resources

Items related to sustainable consumption, voluntary simplicity, and conflict resolution

Music and books

Children’s art

Materials which celebrate Appalachian culture

How can I submit materials?

If you wish to submit printed materials which do not need to be returned, or if you would like to donate a book or music CD to the SLEC audiovisual library, please mail items directly to the Jacksonville Center using the contact information below.

For information on exhibiting artwork, handcrafts, antiques, books or fair trade products, please contact Jeri Dewey or Wayne Bradburn at (540) 745-2784.

All exhibit materials must be received no later than November 23, 2005.

Please mail printed items or library donations to:

Sustainable Living Exhibit

The Jacksonville Center

220 Parkway Lane South

Suite 1

Floyd, Virginia

About the Sustainable Living Education Center

The Sustainable Living Education Center (SLEC) is a partnership between The Association of Energy Conservation Professionals (AECP), the Jacksonville Center, and Architectural Alternatives.

The purpose of SLEC is to provide interactive demonstrations, displays, and exhibits to the general public that highlight the value and importance of living a more sustainable life.

These exhibits include a wide variety of sustainable issues, concepts, and technologies including energy conservation and efficiency, renewable energy, green building, water conservation, recycling, sustainable agriculture and forestry, transportation, home energy performance, and much more.

SLEC operates on the premise that interactive, hands-on involvement is the best form of education and that effective education is the key to a more sustainable society.

2005-10-14T15:38:00.000-07:00

computer maps in use to find underserved communities

2005-10-14T05:32:00.000-07:00

By Thomas Ulrich, Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor Wed Oct 12, 4:00 AM ET

SAN JOSE, CALIF. - This winter, residents from some of the poorest areas of this city will canvass their communities with pocket PCs, GPS receivers, and digital cameras. The goal: to survey some of San Jose's most neglected neighborhoods and build a map of 19 underserved communities. more...

distance planet imaging project gets more funding

2005-10-12T15:50:00.000-07:00

distant planet imaging project gets more funding
from the slashdot headlines today

tags: geology, imaging, Dogs on Trucks vs. Unicorns.

Green living & energy expo in Roanoke, Virginia

2005-10-07T12:42:00.000-07:00

AECP’s Sixth Annual Green Living & Energy Expo
Roanoke Civic Center
October 21 and 22, 2005
10 – 6 on Friday, Oct. 21 and 10 – 4 on Saturday, Oct. 22

Contact: Billy Weitzenfeld, Executive Director, AECP – 540-745-2838, aecp@swva.net

The Association of Energy Conservation Professionals (AECP) is having its sixth annual Green Living and Energy Expo at the Roanoke Civic Center on October 21 and 22, 2005.

Admission to the event is free. The purpose of the Expo is to provide educational opportunities to the general public that highlight why it is important to save energy and then show people how this can be done in their home and/or business.

This is accomplished through several exhibits, demonstrations, and workshops that showcase energy conservation, energy efficiency, green building, renewable energy and sustainability.

Exhibits include water conservation, natural resource management, weatherization, solar energy, wind power, alternative fueled vehicles, geothermal heating and cooling, indoor air quality, energy efficient products and services, building science, energy efficient mortgages, green building, green products, sustainable forestry, Energy Star, land conservation, energy efficient lighting, and much more.

AECP is a non-profit energy education and advocacy organization that believes a better- educated general population is the solution to a more secure, independent, clean, and healthy energy future. People have the power to make better decisions and smarter choices in their home, business, and lifestyle that will save money, save energy, save on our natural resources, and help to preserve the environment.

Fuel prices are rising steadily, the environment continues to be at risk from unnecessary energy production and use, and the threat of global warming is increasing daily. The Green Living and Energy Expo is an opportunity for professionals, homeowners, consumers, and students to be inspired, informed and enabled about important issues that can change their lives and the lives of others.

The Green Living and Energy Expo is a non-profit, educational event whose intent is to benefit the public. Please help us promote this important educational opportunity. Thanks.