Birthday

Not to be presumptuous, but Sat is my B-day. If anyone reading this were going to get me a gift (& I do not by any means expect you to) I ask you to consider donating 10 or 20 dollars to Mountain Justice Summer rather than getting me anything. They're the ones out there doing work I believe in while I lay my wars away in books. Check out their website to see some of the actions they're engaged in. This is a quick list of their goals.

-Raise world-wide awareness of Mountain Top Removal mining and its effects.
-Escalate resistance to Mountain Top Removal from a regional to a national level.
-Build our support base for the campaign.
-Unify and strengthen regional groups fighting Mountain Top Removal.
-Mobilize coordinated days of action using tactics ranging from public outreach to civil resistance.
-Maintain safety as a high priority throughout the summer.
-Debunk the myth of "clean coal" and "jobs versus the environment".
-Encourage conservation, efficiency, solar and wind energy as alternatives to Mountain Top Removal and all forms of surface mining..

These are their methods

-Listening Projects in the c oal communities to learn from the local residents.
-Water & vegetation testing surveys
-Public outreach & education about MTR mining
-Monitoring coal mining permits, requesting & attending hearings & legal follow-up
-Monitor mining practices & legal violations & do legal follow-up
-Lobby & educate public officials
-Support community members impacted by MTR mining
-Train grassroots organizers
-Support local groups working to halt MTR coal mining
-Raise national attention to the effects of MTR coal mining
-Draw attention to companies engaged in MTR coal mining & to buyers of MTR coal
-Participate, organize & enjoy music, theatre, & art for the mountains
-Participate & organize Public Rallies, Nonviolent Direct Actions &/or Nonviolent Civil Disobedience