Though not totally gone, West Virginia coal mining operations have been greatly diminished over the past twenty years leaving behind a lasting legacy, not to mention a labyrinth of mines just below the surface. Though considered a danger to most, the abandon mines have lately become a source of water for aquaculture operations such as fish farms.

Deep in the heart of the Appalachians, a growing number of "fish farmers" are raising trout, catfish, and even salmon using water runoff from deserted mines. Though many mines contain a toxic mix of heavy metals, some remain unpolluted and, in some cases, the water runoff is able to be piped directly to fish farms without requiring any treatment. Tests performed by independent experts have verified the cleanliness of the water and, in many cases, have found that the water is not only safe but cleaner than water used in conventional farming operations.

"The focus is less the mine water-we know it works, we know the fish are safe-and more of marketing," said Ken Semmens, a West Virginia University aquaculture researcher who is promoting the mine-water operations.

Even once toxic runoff is able to be used for similar operations due to forward thinking legislation which requires coal companies build treatment facilities to purify the water to a potable condition. Such sources of water are abundant and growing in number as the region's coal mining operations are decommissioned. It is estimated that a dozen potential mine sites could supply water for large-scale fish farming. The water sourced from those mines alone are enough to produce approximately 45 tons of fish per year. In addition, Semmens has identified and is currently assessing several hundred smaller sources for recreational fishing purposes.

Aside from repurposing a once ignored resource, the use of the mine runoff has several side benefits. For example, the water temperature remains a nearly constant 56 degrees (Fahrenheit) year round. Constant temperatures increase production and decrease the potential for disease. They also benefit from the fact that the water source is isolated from exterior pollutants reducing the need for antibiotics to ward of waterborne pathogens. Also, due to the fact that the farms are placed downhill from the source, the water does not need to be pumped or diverted, therby conserving energy.

"We plan to put a new farm online every year or two years. We see 10 years down the road between 1 and 2 million pounds of production. The water supply is that good in the state of West Virginia," said Tom Ort, manager of Mountaineer Trout Farm in Princewick, WV.

In the hope of attracting investors, West Virginia University researchers are operating demonstration farms as well. One farm captures water that flows from a treatment facility reservoir. A second has converted a former treatment plant into a fishing park. The fish farms provide a beacon of hope by offering new opportunities for an area left depressed when the coal mines ceased operation. Many supporters envision these farms providing a new source of income in a state where 16.9 percent of people live below the poverty line, the second highest poverty rate in the United States.

"As long as rain falls on the state, the water will be there," Hankins said. "If we manage it properly, a lot of the former mined area...makes for a sustainable business opportunity."

By briansrapier

[via Worldwatch]

I'm 80s skanking! The tune and the video gets a gun finger. Big!

After the misfire of theaudience, Soph was fortunate to meet 12-foot DJ Spiller who helped her find her niche immediately. It’s beyond question that Janet Ellis’s willowy, prim and stunning daughter was born to be a dance-pop queen of some stature – all icy style and no weighty substance – and ‘Groovejet’ sealed the deal. That she attempted to go all Swing Out Sister with solo debut proper ‘Take Me Home’ was a damp squib of a miscalculation, but ‘Murder On The Dancefloor’ was swift to claw back the ground.

It’s an odd single – on the face of it, it’s bloody ridiculous, but if you squint just a little and swallow the haughty “real Posh Spice” shtick whole, then you can pretend it’s a glossy sliver of genius. We’re concentrating hard.

¿Saben? Mis queridos y bienamados lectores y lectoras, desde hace un chingo de años, yo: na'mas no encontraba mi lugar en este mundo, soy medio mamona, pero no encajo con los fresas, me gusta leer, pero los "literatos" y los bibliomanos pos como que no nos llevamos mucho,  soy blogger, pero no encajo en el standart, si es que existe.

Soy clubber, pero clubbber mucho más vieja que algunos "djs" o se más que la mayoría de los de mi especie.

Soy medio dark, pero no'mas no me entra en mis oidos eso del metal, el rock o lo que tenga que ver con guitarras.

Soy, soy... diferente y punto.  Claro que eso provocó que me alejara de muchas personas, y que me quedara en un circulo muy reducido, que de alguna manera me llevo al lugar en dónde estoy.  Como ya dije, los cinco años de +Mas-Nescafé, me tienen un mood entre el pasado que amé y el presente que me sorprende. Son demasiadas cosas como para que mis dos neuronas y mi corazón lo asimilen rápido.

Después de toda una vida en dónde no encontraba mi lugar en este, cochino mundo, finalmente me siento en casa. Dónde mis compañeritos de oficina son mis amigos,  o bien me conocen desde hace un chingo y dos montones. En casa, así me siento.

Da igual que mi puta úlcera este chingando la madre, que mi cuerpo diga "chale contigo, vez que estamos jodidos y ahi estas chingando", valen madres los reclamos de mis progenitores por llegar tarde... nada importa.

Ahora si aplica la de last nigth a dj saved my life como bien dicen los de Indeep

No me pregunten por qué, ustedes na'más creanme.

Pero el soundrack idoneo para toda la pinche cursileria que me acabo de aventar es, sin duda alguna esta.

Yo sé que son re huevones, así que es Take me home de Sophie Ellis Bextor.

~Jake

Almost heaven, West Virginia,
Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River.
Life is old there, older than the trees,
Younger than the mountains, growin’ like a breeze.
Country Roads, take me home,
To the place I belong:
West Virginia, mountain momma,
Take me home, country roads.

All my mem’ries, gather ’round her,
Miner’s lady, stranger to blue water.
Dark and dusty, painted on the sky,
Misty taste of moonshine, teardrop in my eye.

Country Roads, take me home,
To the place I belong:
West Virginia, mountain momma,
Take me home, country roads.

I hear her voice, in the mornin’ hours she calls me,
The radio reminds me of my home far away.
And drivin’ down the road,
I get a feelin’ that I should have been home yesterday,
Yesterday.

Country Roads, take me home,
To the place I belong:
West Virginia, mountain momma,
Take me home, country roads.

Take me home, country roads.
Take me home, down country roads.

And, no, my question right now is not: why is John Edwards such a pussy that the most he can contribute this late in the game is to say that for Hillary it's tough to make the math work, but yet he's still unable to pony up and endorse?  My question is also not: why the hell is everybody so silent about McCain's endorsements by wackos like John Hagee, people that claim that disasters like 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina are caused by our acceptance of gays, while in the meantime we spend countless hours on Wright?  My question is not even: what the f' is Hillary Clinton still doing in the primary race??

My question is to the state of West Virginia.  Polls  show Hillary to be ahead by 43 points.  43 POINTS.  That's huge.  And my question?

Let me set it up...

My wife once wrote a letter to Germany.  Yes, the entire country.  It opened: "Dear Germany..."  She was upset because she thought she was given a ticket on the train unfairly.  She refused to pay the ticket until "Germany" responded to her hand-written letter to the country at large.  Of course, Mr. Germany never responded and now I believe there's a warrant out for her arrest.

I made fun of her.  But, now here I am, essentially about to do the same thing.  Because my question is this:

Dear West Virginia: What the hell are you thinking voting for Hillary?

Your vote for Hillary will not move her any closer to the White House.  Unless Obama steps in front of a bus, her chances are zero.  So, why do it? 

Here are some theories:

1.) West Virginia is in denial.  They are zombies in the cult of Hillary and actually believe her when she says she's staying in the race to take it all the way to the White House.  I imagine they also believe her when she says a gas holiday is a fantastic idea.

2.) West Virginia is voting out of spite.  They're angry that Hillary isn't going to win, so they're just going to vote for her anyway to prove a point.  Not really sure what that point is.  Perhaps it's that a massive amount of people can put the entire nation at risk and into the hands of Bush's 3rd term merely because of a bruised ego. 

3.) West Virginia is dumb.  I'm not a fan of this theory.  It's a little harsh.  However, we've all read the exit polls showing that Hillary garners more support from the uneducated than Obama does.  I'm just sayin'...

4.) West Virginia wants to further divide and crush the Democratic Party.  They want McCain, that's why they'll vote for Hillary.  They are soldiers in Rush Limbaugh's "Operation Chaos."  (Side question: is it just me or is Rush's head getting larger by the second?  Literally.  Like Violet in "Willy Wonka in the Chocolate Factory," only it's not his whole body, just his head.  Crazy.)

5.) West Virginia has been secretly abducted by an alien race involved in a game show where the player wins a million alien dollars everytime someone on Earth utters the word "Hillary," so they want her to be in the public eye as long as possible.  Hillary.  Hillary.  Hillary.  That's 3 mil' right there alone.  You're welcome.

I have no answers today.  Only questions.  I imagine all of the theories are correct to some degree.  Okay, maybe not the fifth one.  I'll give you that.

But, I will tell you this: none of these theories bode well for the integrity of the people of West Virginia.  All of the theories are based on toxic thinking and intentions.  So, I don't really want to believe any of them.  I have more faith in the people of America.  I have more faith in West Virginia... mountain momma... take me home... country roads...

C'mon, West Virginia.  Take us all home.  Please. 

Sincerely,

America

Encoded By : Banks
Type : Xvid
Size : 59 MB
Source : DVD Promo Only

If you don't know of Brother Ali, you're missing out. Dude is one of the BEST live performers I've ever witnessed; top 3 album of the year with the Undisputed Truth. And be sure to go back and get his Shadow on the Sun album. Real dope stuff. Shout out to Conan for having REAL talent on the show.

Evening on a back road in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia…

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for now, i settle for my martini glass collection. the boyfriend was clever enough (as usual) to track down glass shelves for our small windows that now house my collection.

great. now i'm thirsty.

as a side note, this entry further cements my love of the internet (or maybe just youtube). i've told countless people about the limo with the tub and they looked at me like i was nuts. my sanity may indeed be questionable, but it did exist. so there.