Protesting Not In Vain

Uncle Scam and Ed, whose daughter made the best sign...school, meet sludge impoundment. (You'll get to see the fate of Uncle Scam a little later...)

• Check out this great article about the protest.
• Unrelated info: Big Volcano Go Boom and the Hole in the Sky...

First off, big thanks to Jen O. for staying true to her heart's course and also informing me about the upcoming events this summer to educate people about MTR mining. Check it!

After a long night of glam-rock sanity, I hopped a ride south to participate in a protest against mountaintop removal coal mining at Marsh Fork Elementary School, the site that you see in my previous post. Thanks to my late night we were a bit bit late for the music and arrived to hear the many local and national speakers. Massey Energy Co., the coal company that has been under fire for its devastating practice of MTR "mining" and building a coal sludge impoundment right next to said school.

As long as trees are cut down to blow up mounatintops, their will be no going home...

The protest was a mix of anti-MTR folks and Massey workers and their families (a really, really nice bunch, that one). Some big names were there: Dr. James Hansen (also mentioned in an earlier post), actress Daryl Hannah (Kill Bill....), and Ken Hechler, a former WV Congressman (elected eight (8) times!) who, ironically, was hugely influential in making mining safer for miners (he was also the only Congressman to march with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.). Those and some thirty (30) others were arrested at the gates of Massey...taunted the whole time by hugely duped peon miners. One fellow from the Rainforest Action Network said it best...to paraphrase: People got arrested for the civil rights movement, people went to jail to give women the right to vote, people protested so that they could have the weekends off from work.... Things change, and these protests are proving it!

Here is a short video clip of Ms. Hannah being taken to the slammer!

The Hot Spot at Massey, a good gamble, for once.

Daryl got to ride up front!

Uncle Scam cuffed and awaiting the gentle arm of the law.

Despite being a bit boring, this pic stuck out....

SWAT studs made everybody feel safe...

This is only the beginning of the wave. Time to spread the word, write your representatives, get informed (about people like the new EPA Chief Lisa Jackson), and take steps to live wiser!

Viva Las Montañas!

Stuff...

Triple Cobra is going to rock the family-fun Purple Fiddle on Monday...be there or be scared. Here is their title track video.

Today is the release date of Journey Up Coal River, "an interactive mapping project that combines music, audio, photography and the written word to tell the story of the Coal River Valley, W.Va." The site is packed with stories of local residents that have been affected by MTR mining, as well as a neat interactive map that shows the best locations for wind farms on the mountians that MTR would destroy. Check it!

Marsh Fork Elementary School, the hot spot on Tuesday

Having just completed the most informative, necessary and intense class of my WVU undergraduate venture with Dr. Hanham, called Climate and Atmosphere (basically getting the low down on facts and figures regarding the evolution of climate change and global warming...two different and huge issues), I am excited to go south to protest the destruction of Mountain Top Removal coal mining. Thanks to Jen for keeping me tuned in on the details!

• Dr. James Hansen, a leading climatologist and outspoken critic of our blind-eye government and mega-manipulative media, was a vital part of the class with (rebel) Hanham. He will be coming to Marsh Fork Elementary to start a fresh phase of activism, as well as actress and activist Daryl Hannah. It ought to be a powerful event!

• Check out Dr. Hansen's writing: Obstruction of Justice. Hansen says "Don’t expect the young people to give up. But they shouldn’t be standing alone. They didn’t even create the mess. They are just inheriting it." Well said...passing on the dilemmas. Seems more people are getting riled up about these problems....Democracy Now has been covering the news surrounding the protests and activism.

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In other less....ummm, worldy news? Charlie Williams has been working tirelessly, repeat tirelessly, on his 665th completion (minus one missing piece) of his antique Masters of the Universe puzzle. I crafted some stylish multi-colored glasses to better help his task, complete with reused Hypno coffee cup holders for the temples.

Upon having his first quad shot of espresso, this was the face...

Highland Prospects had a grand (re)opening today...rainy at first, windy mostly, but a seemingly awesome turnout and much support and faith put in by the local community. Big ups to them young lads and lassies for staying up late to get everything feng shuied just right...it looks great!

The boyz at Highland Prospects are doing it the good ol' way and moving into their new place with foot power! Which side of the road do you think that they should use....