Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Cece Bell & Sock Monkey at the library tonight

hi everyone,
I just learned that Cece Bell, author of "Sock Monkey Goes to Hollywood", will be at the Jessie Peterman memorial library tonight with Sock Monkey...this will begin at 7 pm.
bye, have a great day. -Suzy

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tags for this post - floyd virginia kids activities

Monday, November 27, 2006

Peace on Earth parade date correction

hi everyone - I just learned that the Peace on Earth parade in downtown Floyd will take happen on Sunday, December 3 and NOT on Saturday. sorry about that!
Suzy

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tags for this post - floyd virginia town parade

a memo from the Jacksonville Center

Dear Artists, Members, and Friends of The Jacksonville Center

ONLY A FEW DAYS UNTIL WINTERFEST 2006.

The Annual Winterfest Holiday Celebration is this weekend!
Don't Miss it!

Saturday, December 2 10am to 5pm
Sunday, December 3 12noon to 5pm

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MUSIC WILL BE PROVIDED
by some great local musicians who are donating their time to
entertain Winterfest visitors to the Jacksonville Center.
Here they are in order of appearance:

Saturday: Nico Woodruff, Three Old Guys, David Simpkins,
Joel Venditti, Bob Grubel, Wildfire Trio

Sunday: Bob Grubel, Billy Miller, Bill Adams, Lee Pinkerton

Please show your appreciation for their efforts! Buy their CDs!
Hire them to entertain at your next function!
Support these local musicians!

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THESE ARTISANS WILL BE DISPLAYING THEIR WARES
They have perfect gifts for holiday giving.

COMMUNITY ROOM
Michelle Bankey, Gabriella Underhill, Elisha Siegle &
Aaron Staengl, Tom Barnhardt, Joanna Huff, Fred Quesenberry,
Pat Sharkey & Dave Brown, Tara Orlando, Penny Lane, Debbie Smith,
Kirsten Vest, Malcom & Jimmie Black

HAYLOFT GALLERY
Chris Youngblood, Billy Miller & Sue Nees, Ann Anderson,
Terrill, Laura Byler, Terri Walters, Jo Gaia, Karen Gimbell,
Ann Vaughn

FIRST FLOOR STUDIOS
David Hedges, Sarah McCarthy, Linda Osborne, Doug Thompson,
McCabe Coolidge & Karen Day, George Lipson

POTTERY STUDIO
Tom Phelps

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THERE WILL BE FUN FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY!
Children's arts and crafts activities!
Santa will be visiting Winterfest too!

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FOOD AND REFRESHMENTS
will be available in the food court at the South end
of the first floor hallway

Hope to see you there!

misc. thank you's

hi everyone
hope you are well
the show is up at Cafe del Sol, which is a huge relief
thanks Frank & Sally!!

YOU SHOULD GO BUY FANCY COFFEES ETC. FROM THEM
THEY ARE NICE TO ARTISTS

Speaking of nice to artists here is someone worth a mention for sure: Ian & Lucinda.
Not only were they ultra nice to us when we visited Charlottesville, they are fierce champions in general for the rights of the Geijutsuka People.

Ian uses lots of swear words and graphic descriptors when he talks about the status quo in the music industry, much to my amusement and delight.

Ian Day and Lucinda Ewell are a husband & wife team who are helping to make an incredibly compelling, incredibly American collection of music come alive as the executive producers of the American Dumpster band.

They made sure that we got fed and well rested when Billy played at Fellini's the other day, which was very much appreciated. Thanks Ian & Lucinda! and a huge thank you to everyone who made last Friday such a perfect evening.

Billy is going to be a guest performer with American Dumpster in Roanoke on December 2, this will be at the Coffee Pot. I think this will be very fun, I can't wait.

Guess what there is a great new paper out now called Pan Appalachian Defender.
I found it next to the Homebody store in downtown Blacksburg and will be typing in some excerpts as time permits

Here is one bit of news: A space called Mountain Links has just opened in Appalachia, Virginia (this is in Wise County). I wish I could remember more details but I will type them in soon...

Get the paper as soon as you can (or become a supporting advertiser) if you are a mountaintop removal hater like me...it is very, very, very good to see a paper like this and I wish everyone involved all the best and a very sincere thank you...

I need to go now but I hope you have a wonderful day. Thanks very much for reading and thank you for supporting independent art and music.

-Suzy Nees

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suggested queries for this post - stop mountaintop removal

Saturday, November 25, 2006

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Press release
For immediate release - November 25, 2006
Contact: info@ideapark.org

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You are invited

Please join us
for a Winter celebration in Floyd, Virginia
on Saturday, December 2, and Sunday, December 3, 2006

Celebration locations include…

Winterfest at The Jacksonville Center - Winterfest is a free, family-friendly event which will be taking place all day at the Jacksonville Center in Floyd this coming Saturday and Sunday. Exquisite ceramic work by Sarah McCarthy and many other talented Floyd artists will be offered for sale, along with a wide assortment of locally created artwork, music, and craft items.

Please phone the Jacksonville Center to learn more about the exciting music lineup for Winterfest this year!

Café del Sol - A public reception for Suzy Nees’ 2006-2007 Winter exhibit will take place on Saturday at Café del Sol from 5 to 7 pm. This collection includes work on oil, canvas, cloth, and stone. Figure studies in oil paint and sumi ink are being featured. Billy Miller will play music from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm.

This is a free event, and all are welcome!

South Locust Street - a “Peace on Earth” parade will take place in downtown Floyd on Saturday afternoon. Don’t miss the Pet Welfare advocates on parade!

Paper note cards, music samples, and other items from the Traces library will be distributed to the public at these and other venues on this day in celebration of the 2006-2007 Winter Giving Season.

Hope to see you there!

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About Traces

The Traces Library is a public art project and ambient library with roots in Floyd, Virginia, USA. It has been installed on the Internet since Y2K.

About Café del Sol

Café del Sol serves coffee, snacks, etc., and is located in downtown Floyd. To reach Café del Sol, please call 745-ACUP.

About the Jacksonville Center

The Jacksonville Center is a community arts facility located on Rt. 8 in Floyd. To speak to a volunteer or staff member at the Jacksonville Center, please call 745-2784.


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suggested queries for this page - floyd virginia art music

Friday, November 24, 2006

a clip from the Roanoke Times

excerpt from an article published on roanoke.com.
via the Sludge Safety Project

this clip refers to a recent trip to Kayford Mountain, home of Larry Gibson & kin...

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About 60 students visited Gibson the weekend after Cooper and Blevins visited Radford. A third of those students came from Radford University.

Julia Hasty, a member of the school’s Green Team, was among them.

"This weekend woke me up," she wrote in an e-mail the day after returning. "It was definitely an emotional experience. On Saturday night we all gathered around a fire and talked about what all we had seen and felt. … It was really sad when we left. It was sad to me that I was going back to a coal-dependant university that was paid for by the blood and children of the people that I had met and befriended in the Appalachian mountains in West Virginia.

"I swear I’ll make a change. I just need help."

Read more...

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tags for this page - mountaintop removal

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Namaste & happy Thanksgiving


















hi everyone
hope you are having a wonderful day and a very happy Thanksgiving
things here are fine, Cleo says hi

the show at Rays was incredibly great
thanks so much to everyone who made this such a perfect evening

really, honestly, I cannot remember the last time I have met so many incredibly creative yet kind and genuine people

man we partied our socks off.

when I get time I will post a photo or two more, although none of the pictures came out really well I have to say.

If you are in Floyd today keep in mind that Ray's will be serving Thanksgiving dinner...

American Dumpster will play at Fellinis (sp?) in Charlottesville on Friday
Billy will be there saxaphonin'

I hope to be there too but am not sure I will have time, I am a busy and important snack vending mogul now

hahahahaha

guess what Carbon Culture will be at Whiskers on Saturday. just $3 and it is a smoke free night there that night!

bye, have a beautiful day, please drive very very very safely, or not at all

take care & thanks for reading.

-Suzy

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image - Christian Breeden & American Dumpster (with guest Billy Miller) on November 21, 2006 at Ray's restaurant in Floyd

suggested queries for this page - floyd virginia music

Sunday, November 19, 2006

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hi everyone
the blue ridge muse blog has some nice photos of the party last night
also, this news - Ray's restaurant will be serving dinner on Thanksgiving.
bye, thanks for reading. -Suzy

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hi everyone
hope you are having a nice morning

it is a frosty day here

the party last night at Whiskers was extremely great, the Allen boys played as a trio, and with Scott Perry, and later with Billy. Chris and Bernie played downstairs at the same time so I cannot offer a firsthand report on this but I am sure it was great.

many thanks to everyone who made this such a perfect evening.

later days,
Suzy

ps. don't forget about the American Dumpster show at Ray's on Tuesday.

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Saturday, November 18, 2006

Carbon Culture, Bernie & Chris at Whiskers in Floyd tonight

hi everyone
there is a party at Whiskers tonight, Chris and Bernie will play and also 3/4 of Carbon Culture
I am told that Carbon Culture will play sometime between 8 & midnight
For more info please call Whiskers at 745-5001

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tags for this post - floyd virginia music

news from the Front Porch blog

*FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, November 10, 2006, Baltimore, MD—
*Catherine Pancake, West Virginia native and Baltimore, MD resident has received the prestigious Paul Robeson Fund for Independent Media award for her documentary film, “Black Diamonds: Mountaintop Removal and the Fight For Coalfield Justice.” www.blackdiamondsmovie.com.

The film is the first of its kind to offer a wholly comprehensive survey of Surface mining and mountaintop removal practices (removing the tops of mountains to expose coal seams) in West Virginia. The Paul Robeson Fund awards grants to documentary films that critically address social issues and whose distribution is used for progressive social justice organizing.

Read More...

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via Appalachian Voices.
suggested queries for this post - black diamonds

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

ideapark.org music etc. news for November 15

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ideapark.org music etc. news for Wednesday, November 15, 2006

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The American Dumpster band will play at Ray's in Floyd on the evening of Tuesday, November 21. Ray's Restaurant is located at 1041 Floyd Highway North (Highway 221). For more information on this event, please call Ray's at 745-2501.

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The Traces library for creative literacy will be installed at Sweetwater Market headquarters in Floyd, Virginia during the winter of 2006-2007. A public reception for this exhibit is planned for mid-December as part of a Winter Giving Season celebration being hosted by Sweetwater Market. This celebration will feature multicultural and interactive music & art activities as well as delicious snack samples for vegans and non-vegans. For more information, please call 745-5000 or visit sweetwatermarket.net.

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Third Thursday Celtic Night at the Cellar will happen tomorrow, November 16, at the Cellar Restaurant in Blacksburg. Music will begin at 9 pm. For more information, please call 953-0651.

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This evening in Blacksburg, the Montgomery County League of Women Voters will be hosting a presentation in the Blacksburg Town Council Chambers called Electronic Voting: Democracy in Peril? This event will begin at 7:30 pm on Wednesday, November 15, and will feature a Princeton University video demonstrating simulated election fraud on a Diebold voting machine.

Invited speakers are Anne Sterling, the Virginia State Legislative Coordinator for the League of Women Voters, and David Evans, a professor of computer science at UVA and a citizen member of a joint committee on electronic voting of the Virginia State Legislature. Blacksburg Town Council Chambers are located at 300 South Main Street in Blacksburg. For more information, please call 552-2717.

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On Saturday, December 2, The Afromotive will play at the Winter Sun music hall in Floyd. Music will begin at 9 pm. For more information, please call 745-7883. A "Peace on Earth" town parade will also be happening in Floyd on December 2, as well as the Winterfest community celebration at the Jacksonville Center. In the early evening hours of December 2 there will also be a reception at Cafe Sol to celebrate a new exhibit of work by Suzy Nees. Music by Billy Miller will be featured. Cafe Sol is located in the Winter Sun building on Main Street in Floyd. To reach the Cafe, please call 745-ACUP or visit floydcoffee.com.

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thank you for reading the ideapark.org news loop, and thank you for supporting independent art and music.

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sugested queries for this post - floyd blacksburg virginia art music democracy

Monday, November 13, 2006

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hi everyone
here is a good link I just got in the mail

http://www.naturalstep.org/com/nyStart

Thanks Elaine

I did not find out yet how to get in touch with Google, Inc. CEO Dr. Eric Schmidt but I am working on it. Dr. Schmidt, one of the 200 richest people in the United States, has just donated $2 million to Virginia Tech.

This really frosted me at first because Virginia Tech wastes money on plastic Hokie Birds and so forth WHEREAS elementary school children at Marsh Fork cannot even drink water out of the taps sometimes because it has become so nasty AND a stack of rocks and about 400 yards is the only thing between these kids and a veritable ocean of toxic sludge. And $2 million is, as I remember, exactly the figure quoted for a brand new school at Marsh Fork.

After thinking about it a while I decide to stop being frosted and start figuring out how to ask Dr. Schmidt to write another check for $2 million.

Since there is no guarantee that any such missive would actually reach a real human if I use the traditional or electronic mail system, my intention is to create an online tool kit for persons who wish to respectfully ping the Google system to help it gain a fuller understanding of the gravity of the situation at Marsh Fork.

If you can think of a reason or two why the Marsh Fork New School project is a great way to spend $2 million, please stay tuned to the ideapark.org news loop. Your help is needed in making this message stick.

Thank you in advance for your stewardship. Have a beautiful day.

-Suzy

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suggested queries for this post - Marsh Fork Elementary

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Google CEO will give $2 million to Virginia Tech

hi everyone
hope you are well

I read something puzzling in the Roanoke Times the other day
first of all, I had no idea about this but Eric Schmidt, the CEO of Google, grew up in Blacksburg, Virginia.

I never, ever would have guessed this.

now here is the puzzling and interesting part. Eric Schmidt is just about to give, or has already given, Virginia Tech a check for $2 million. this is earmarked for the engineering school I think.

$2 million, as I remember, is just the amount of money needed to build a new school for the kids at Marsh Fork elementary.

I know a lot of MTR folks are also ideapark.org readers so if you are interested in sending a WTF? type query to Eric Schmidt I am going to be creating some ping forms which will be customized for this purpose.

below is a crude but functional example of this.

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

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Dear Eric Schmidt of Google, Inc.

WTF?
Virginia Tech has LOTS and LOTS and LOTS of money already.
Please, please, please help us get a new school for the kids at Marsh Fork Elementary.

Thank you in advance for your compassionate consideration.

Sincerely, 'Nantoka' from the Unknown Realm

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suggested queries for this post - fun with ambient findability

Saturday, November 11, 2006

floyd music news for november 11

hi everyone
I have a flyer here for the Afromotive show at the Winter Sun

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A thundering 11 pc ensemble from Asheville NC, the Afromotive is escorting Afrobeat music info the modern age, and taking the dancefloor with them.

The band integrates a four-piece horn section, impassioned vocals from West African native Kevin Meyame, and a driving rhythm section, with tasteful samples and electronic flourishes.

Saturday, December 2, 2006

$10 in advance, $12 the day of show

show starts at 9 pm

call the winter sun for details 745-7880

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Also - important! American Dumpster is going to be playing in Floyd on November 21 but I am not sure of the venue.

If you have some info on this please help to dis-ambiguate whether the show will be at Rays Restaurant on Floyd Highway North or at the restaurant at Tuggles Gap. Thank you.

There is going to be a Peace on Earth parade in Floyd on Dec. 2

Also I will be having an art opening that evening. and that is the day of Winter Fest.

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

Friday, November 10, 2006

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hi everyone
hope you are having a lovely day

it is a beautiful day here and there is also some very exciting news
Billy got an old tenor banjo fixed up and has started to play it.

I hope he will make some recordings of this soon because it sounds so very great and fun

ikigai.org > billy will be the source for these kind of clips.
if you are a banjo player or player please note that a file called ikigai.org > banjo is also being created

Billy and Chris will be playing tonight at Oddfellas

things are going really well at the Sweetwater Market
I am preparing a winter catalogue sort of thing for them to help folks more easily sort through the pages in their online store

bye, thanks for reading, have a great day

-Suzy

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Thursday, November 09, 2006

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hi everyone
hope you are having a beautiful day

many thanks to everyone who voted
I know that there were some trying experiences and in fact the process was a rather painful one for me personally, which I do not offer as a feel-sorry-for-me thing but an instance of voter frustration which I feel obliged to report.

I know that the secrecy of the ballot is sacred and all that but I just want a ballot that says

Clang!

no haters.


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Wednesday, November 08, 2006

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hi everyone

hope you are well
Mark W. if you see this tell your friend Webb do not give up in any case of recounting etc.

I wish nothing more at this moment than to see the Hater leave office. Seriously!

I have an unverified vote and an instance of voter frustration to report and so do many others.

No mofos like this in office. No way. No way no way no way.

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Tuesday, November 07, 2006

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hi everyone
I voted, maybe

a touchpad voting system was used to record my vote

for the record, I strongly disapprove of electronic voting systems like the one I was presented today. Having no wish to lend these systems any credibility by using one to record my vote today, I asked a poll worker this afternoon how to obtain a paper ballot.

I was informed that this was not an option unless I wanted to go back outside.

I asked for a complaint form and was told that this was also not an option.

the person to whom my inquries were directed asked me if I needed to be tutored in using the machine, and I said no and proceeded to use the only voting option presented

this was in Montgomery County, Virginia at approximately 4 pm.

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happy US election day

Hi everyone, hope you are having a happy US election day
if you are qualified to vote in the United States, please do so!
it is time to sweep out the haters so let's get'r done.

Some readers out there may be failing to vote because they figure that the voting system is broken, so why bother?

Don't be a mofo! Go vote anyway.

If you do not have any confidence in the voting tools you are provided today at the polling place, please do not hesitate to notify an election official of this in writing AFTER you vote but BEFORE you leave the polling place.

I have recently heard from a friend that a complaint form exists for this purpose...

On November 15, David Evans and Anne Sterling will speak in Blacksburg on the issue of verified voting.

A video will also be shown to illustrate the ease with which Diebold voting machines can be hacked

This will be on Wednesday, November 15 at 7:30 pm at the Blacksburg Town Hall


I need to go now, have a wonderful day.
-Suzy

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suggested queries for this post - voting tips

Monday, November 06, 2006

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hi everyone
hope you are well

here are a few news items

Iraq For Sale is playing at the public library in Floyd tonight

and tomorrow is election day

if you are a Virginia resident, don't be a mofo! Go vote.
your vote is especially meaningful to the American public, and it will make the ideapark.org preference engine very happy if the N-word and M-word usin' mofo would step down from power.

on November 10 there will be a technology expo at the Virginia Tech Corporate Research Center

vtcrc.com contains details

there is going to be a conference in Chantilly this weekend, this will deal with issues like soil health etc. please follow the loop to learn more. Sweetwater Market will be there with food samples etc.

on November 15 there will be a public meeting in Blacksburg, Virginia designed to raise awareness about voting rights issues related to electronic voting. the meeting will be at 7:30 pm., and will be hosted by the League of Women Voters.

bye, have a great day. -Suzy



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