Evangelical Abstinence-Only speaker
Pam Stenzel speaks at George Washington High School in West Virginia. Feeling that Ms. Stenzels rally included a lot of intentional untruths, Student Body Vice President
Katelyn Campbell protested the rally. Principal
George Aulenbacher retaliated, threatening to report Katelyn to the college she had been admitted to as a student of "bad character." The school in question,
Wellesley, responded.
posted by Navelgazer
on Apr 17, 2013 -
73 comments
"At night, [Nicols Fox] wears a shirt woven with silver fibers to reduce her radio frequency exposure, and though her house has electricity, she shuts it off and uses gas lamps whenever possible. During our conversation, her voice would occasionally get cracked and raspy if I got too close with my audio recorder.
In the five years since she’s moved to the Radio Quiet Zone, she hasn't left once."
Despite consternation from locals, sufferers from
electromagnetic hypersensitivity (EHS) have begun moving to the town of Green Bank, West Virginia, to live in the U.S. National Radio Quiet Zone, an area established to minimize interference with radio astronomy.
[more inside]
posted by Countess Elena
on Apr 13, 2013 -
146 comments
Former
romance writer & city girl
Suzanne McMinn blogs at
Chickens in the Road, a non-fancy, non-Martha Stewartish, realistic look into the simple, often vanishing, life of rural America in the country outside one tiny town in the Appalachian foothills. She posts daily, chronicling her
photography,
stories,
recipes,
crafts, and sentimental thoughts on the
history,
people,
life, and
beauty of rural Appalachia. Her stated goal: to connect people with their food again--
hands on,
hands in, the
old-fashioned way.
(And she even managed to get
financial compensation when a photo she took of her goats was
used in a print publication without attribution.)
posted by BlahLaLa
on Feb 2, 2012 -
7 comments
“If you try to do what they do in West Virginia in the Berkshires, the Catskills or the Sierra Nevadas, or in Utah or Colorado, people would just put you in jail. Over the past 10 years, they’ve blown up and leveled an area of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia that is larger than the size of Delaware. They’ve blown up the 500 biggest mountains in West Virginia. They explode everyday 2,500 tons of dynamite, or ammonia nitrate explosives. It’s the equivalent of a Hiroshima bomb once a week.”
In the valleys of Appalachia, a battle is being fought over a mountain. It is a battle with severe consequences that affect every American, regardless of their social status, economic background or where they live. It is a battle that has taken many lives and continues to do so the longer it is waged. This is the story of
The Last Mountain.
posted by tallthinone
on Jun 3, 2011 -
49 comments
Music in the Digital Library of Appalachia provides an unprecedented resource for study of repertoire, technique, lore, and the musical interchanges among the region's traditional musicians. Once you know what you like, it's easy to find the music live with
Blue Ridge Music Trails. Meet musicians who have grown up with that music, visit settings in which Blue Ridge folk music thrives, see traditional dancing, and in many cases, take part in the festivities.
The Crooked Road, Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail, winds through the mountains of Southwest Virginia. Along the trail, the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Traditional Country music is as beautiful and rugged as the landscape itself.
[previous 1, 2]
posted by netbros
on Mar 8, 2009 -
12 comments
You've got just over two weeks to make it to the
John Henry celebration in Leeds, Alabama, where some folks believe the legendary steel driving contest actually took place. Maybe you already made it to
John Henry Days in Talcott, West Virginia (or read a
fictionalized account), where some more folks claim the same. John Garst, Scott Nelson, and other folklorists weigh in
here, supplemented by a wealth of links and resources on the subject. While you think on it let
Mississippi Fred McDowell,
The Boss,
Ralph Stanley,
John Jackson,
Merle Travis, and
Jason Isbell tell their own versions.
John Garst and his research mentioned
previously.
posted by Roman Graves
on Aug 28, 2007 -
17 comments
I promise to try not to smoke, or drink too much, or eat too much, or be lazy. If I fail, you can cut my benefits. Sign here please. West Virginia recently approved a controversial change to its Medicaid program: a
Member Agreement [NB: links to .pdf] that adds several "personal responsibilities" including attempting to avoid smoking, (illegal) drugs, heavy drinking and
sloth (not
sloths). It also includes clauses on compliance with doctors recommendations, keeping appointments, reading the written materials that doctors provide, and minimizing emergency department visits. Patients who don't uphold their end of the bargain will have some benefits
reduced or eliminated (that'll learn them). Lube up the
slippery slope arguments.
Will it work? Is it fair? Want to hear more? And more (from NPR)?.
(Article .pdfs archived here and here. Interview .mp3 archived here if you can't access them through above links).
posted by scblackman
on Aug 25, 2006 -
87 comments
Culture Wars: School buses are riddled with sniper bullets, gas lines are cut, windshields broken, and bomb threats disrupt schools daily. Teachers and custodians must remove nails and broken glass from their school parking lots each morning, and several school buildings have been damaged by early morning firebombs and dynamite. One minister has prayed publicly for the deaths of three board members. 'It was simply overwhelming.' Those who cannot
remember the past are condemned to repeat it.
(via)
posted by Otis
on May 12, 2006 -
27 comments
The Battle of Blair Mountain. Do you know the origin of the phrase "Redneck? In 1921, in West Virginia, after brutally corrupt regional law had employed thug tactics including false imprisonment, seizure of property, and murder (or simply "disappearance") upon the local mine workers to discourage labour Unions from forming, an army of nearly 13,000 workers took to the streets, meeting up with the forces of the murderous sherrif at an area known as Blair Mountain. [More Inside]
posted by jonson
on Jan 26, 2003 -
19 comments
