Class tomorrow

Dear members of Project Green Thumb:

I'm cancelling class tomorrow. I'll be in Knoxville all day for the "Writing Green Conference" sponsored by East Tennessee Society of Professional Journalists. I thought the conference was the last week in April, but I thought wrong! I hope to spread the word about what we're up to here at MTSU (with our Green Roof proposal), and I hope to gather some good ideas and news from other eco-writers. We'll meet on Monday. Over the weekend, I'd like for you to fill out the proposal (to the best of your ability). If you get stumped on a particular section, just move on to the next. Also, be sure to let President Obama know how you feel about the EPA's latest decision and encourage him to keep the pressure on. I noticed last night that the Coal Industry is stepping up their "Clean Coal" campaign with new TV ads. I can only imagine that this is in direct response to the EPA's decision to halt MTR and MTR permitting. If coal companies can attract enough popular support, they'll have more political clout. Keep your eyes open for their ads; you all are fast becoming experts on the coal industry. Let's give these advertisements a close reading and discuss next week. Take care.

New Music from Wes

Dear friends, acquaintances and strangers all,

You're cordially invited to check out the latest musical offering, "Speedballer," by Murfreeboro's most revered compiler of American Tragi-musical crots! The one in question is yet another installment of the Jeannie serial about that bad-eyed, loveless, and karmically depleted composite-girl, who parts the world before her like a Titanic and leaves a tragic wake of chewed-up iceberg innards behind her but miraculously manages to keep on plowing forward, seemingly oblivious but intrinsically aware of the mess (and at times using feigned ignorance as a tool--don't we all?). I haven't let you down. This one has a helping of pot-smoking no-good-doers, a tender touch of sex-for-drugs miscreants, and an ever-so-light basting of honey-smoked regrets. For those of you unfamiliar with the nuances of narco-semiology, "speedballing" refers to a lethal combination of oxycotin (or methadone) and xanax. Not at all a good way to "get your buzz-coat on." I recommend forgoing the narcs and reposing with a Pinot Noir, preferably on your backporch in the spring while your rosy-faced, toe-headed children dig for tiny treasures with tiny spades in your herb garden. Ahh...humans are tragic, but life is good.

Yours truly,

Westerfield

www.myspace.com/wesleyhoup

More

Here's the link. Consider calling President Obama, congratulating him on this bold and long overdue action, and remind him that this is just his first step in a long journey (a journey that many people have been on for a long time) of abolishing this horrendous practice.

http://www.ilovemountains.org/

A Victory in the War Against King Coal!

Hey, folks. As I was kicking back after a full day of gardening last evening, I nearly fell off the couch when Jim Lehrer of PBS Newshour announced that the Obama administration (through the EPA) has halted all Mountaintop Removal Mining Permits for further review. This means that over 200 current and future MTR operations are on hold! Amazing. The potential for "change you can believe in" is palpable; it is within the president's grasp (and our grasp) to put a permanent end to the coal industry's practice of destroying Appalachia for profit. Go to the ilovemountains.org link on my list of links (to the right) for details of this historic, momentous, incredibly promising development. Most major news sources covered the story last night (CBS, MSNBC, PBS to name a few). I'm stoked! When this semester began, I had very little hope that significant changes would be made, particularly after the 4th circuit court overturned a lower courts ruling that MTR mining permits violated the clean water act (back in February). As it turns out, it was the 4th circuit's ruling (misruling!) that has pushed us to this new threshold!

Revision of Wednesday's Activities

I'm going to postpose the second quiz over Reece's book until after spring break. You can also have until Friday to post your two new precis. Tomorrow we're going to start thinking about our third project in addition to satisfying last minute concerns about your second essay. See you in class.

For Monday, March 2

Bring a draft of your essay to class today for a charted reading. We'll be working on organization, cohesion, and transitions.

For Wednesday, March 4

I'd like for you to post two more precis covering new articles that you're using for your arguments. We'll talk it over in class today.