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    I remember reading a book about Fredrick Douglas in highschool. And frankly, I think it is a brave story and it is important, but I am tired of reading about him.  The passage we read gives a detailed look into his life and the things he never got to experience, the knowledge of his own birthday, respect, freedom… And also the Southern way of living, in slavery, being the property of someone and considered to be something.

    I appreciate the story and the struggle, but I have learned alot from this story already.  There are many others whose story has not been heard, and rather than moving on to discover their untold or unheard stories, we dwell in his.  It is time to move on.  We have read, disected, explained and questioned the life of Fredrick Douglas. It is time to take what we have learned to either help problems today or better understand or criticize other unread works similar to this.

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    Love Letters by Megan Foss is the story of a heroin addicted prostitute (megan, also mickey) turned writer and teacher.  The womans journey through the hardship of her beloved and inseperabe Daryl going to jail and the agony of seperation.  In response to her devestation she channels her tourment through writing. And her seemingly crazy acts (to those in aquaintance with her) of writing letter after letter and never mailing them provide her with a friend, in a nonphysical sense.  Her mind.  An escape from her life and the loss of Daryl.  Although the question of her sanity was a constant lingering thought, to her, “writing was logical” (Floss, 6).

    She writes so many letters and doesn’t send them, convincing others the reason was having no stamps or envelopes, even though it had a lot to do with the fear of facing society.  Walking into a grocery store to get stamps, and the fear of rejection and being invisible was too much.  “And after a while I stopped making excuses to myself” (Floss, 7).  The question is wether she was talking about the stamps or her life?

    In reality, it came down to matter of importance, using her energy for a fix, or hustle was top priority.  When she went to jail she started to send the letters, paper and stamps provided for her.  And although she no longer had such a terrific attatchment to him, Daryl was the only one, according to her, that she knew had a place to receive the letters, so that is who she wrote to. 

No matter where she was in her life, writing has always been her backbone, it is the one thing that she could always count on.  Writing became Megans only friends, her source of therapy and love.  She writes what is true to her heart and doesn’t sugar coat anything, she has no one to impress and her story is her own. Lying in her story is lying to herself.  The reader connects with her throughout most of the story, wether we feel compassion, or simply an understanding of how she is explaining her life.  This story has a sense of something left ot be desired.  It almost seems like the reader has the ability at times where there are questions to insert their views and leads.  This story also seems to try to diminish the prejudgements about people.  For example, that hookers and druggies are unintelligent and uneducated.  She is a bright and wonderful writer, how many other hookers are like her?

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Statistics:

More than 26 million people are living with the AIDS virus in sub-Sarahan African alone.

2.3 million deaths a year from AIDS related illnesses.

Despite the medical advances and large percentage of WEsterners using them, only 11% of the African population is getting treatment becuase it is too expensive.

  We seem to be so ignorant to growing pandemic od the aids virus, especially in Africa.  And we ourselves do not seem to be concerned with the fact that millions are dying from an incurable diseaase, and dropping like flies, suffering horrible illnesses and terrible deaths with no hope of a cure or even treatment.

  There have been many advances in the treatmen of HIV and AIDS, and it has may the light at the end of the tunnel a little brighter for those infected, but has not quenched the fear of the disease and the death that it will ultimately bring.

  Africa is the biggest area affected with the pandemic.  Many who try to capture the devestation of the spread of AIDS in Africa cannot do justice with a simple story of photograph.  These days the first hand accounts of those affected with AIDS and the inhabitants of such affected areas such as Africa and stories of these people are being told and being given attention.  Reporters, missionaries etc. not only take photographic refferences, but now bring recorders to capture their true stories.

  Now the new advances in medecine and new drugs, most sponsored by the Nelson Mandella Foundation, are a great leap to help the treatment of AIDS, but are not a cure.  And the even bigger problem is the expense of the drugs is too high.  Where the biggest problem with AIDS exists, Africa, is the least available economic resources to get the drug.  It cannot be afforded.

This is what bothers me most about our world/country today.  Money is valued so much, and at times more than human life.  Where our money goes, we don’t know half of the time.  Its one thing to eliminate social security so when our parents retire or we retire we are void of any backup, or to have overcrowded schools.  But when there are over 2 million deaths a year and so many starving and poverty stricken people in the world and in our own country, that our money does not reach them at all, it makes you wonder who gets it all and what kind of world we exist in that allows so many deaths and not a hand to help.

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    Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich is a true story about a womans quest to experience a life foreign to what she knows.  She starts with explaining her plan to the reader and then goes on her journey of a new life.  The story is about “…(Not) getting by in America.  Barbara Ehrenreich starts her journey in Key West.  Not one of the most economically sparce places she could have picked to start her journey, but as she says, it was mostly because of laziness.  She soon came to the reality that, “it’s not easy to go from being a consumer, thoughtlessly throwing money around in exchange for groceries and movies and gas, to being a worker in the very same place” (Ehrenreich 12).  Perhaps she had this idea in her head that it would be a “fun” experiment.

    This book explores the details and hardships of poverty.  Not so much the poverty often seen (or not seen) in third world countries, but the poverty right here in our own country.  It is a chance for the reader to see sort of first hand the life of poverty.  Although this account is not truly first hand, it still gives the idea of the life or hardship.

    There are many things that bother me about this book. Most of them are with the way Barbara Ehrenreich carries out this “mission”.  She seems to forgo some things in her planning.  For one, she starts off with some money, something most people in the position she is trying to mimic do not have.  Secondly, she is only supporting herself, and only has to worry about hselter, and food for herself.  This is contrary to reality because most economically depressed people have not only themselves to worry about, but families, and children to care making their lives more difficult.  Another thing that bugs me is the fact that Ehrenreich is going into this journey as an experiment.  She is not turning her entire life to this lifestyle and struggle of support.  Throughout the entire book, despite any fears she may have, she always has in the back of her mind the security of her real life.  Knowing that when this experiment is over and done with, she has the safety of her life and moeny and support system to return to.  People who are really in the position she is posing as do not have this choice of security.  Their fear is real.

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This essay, “Hunger as Ideology,” by Susan Bordo has several parts.  All of these parts deal with the same concept.  And that is, image and perception.  The first part of the essay deals with women and the portrait of perfection they are supposed to fit into, as well as the size zero jeans.  The rest of the essay explores the role of women in the gender fight of equality and the difference between the image of women compared to men.  Susan also talks about the relationship between an eating disorder and the “disordi”.  It is also thought about briefly, the perceptual difference of female disorders compared to male disorders.

   The first part of the essay discusses the perfect image of a woman and uses some examples which rightly portray the picture.  Susan says, “mass imagery has an unprecedented power to instruct.” What does this mean? It means that the ability to spread influence to a “mass” yields predictable results, results which propose the right way, the only way, which is really the most commonly influenced way.  “Women with their eating disorders bring photos of ultra-thin models to their therapists…”  This is the “perfect” explaination of mass produced ideas of ideology.  Even in today’s world, the idea of using magazine photos of the ultra thin models as motivators for happiness is not that far over the rainbow.  The example given about the two little french girls drooling over the uber thin mother and her eating not so much habits and fibre-thin secret portrays what is being taught and passed on as a way of tradition rather than parenting choice or accident.

    The idea of the “Virginia Slim woman is a fantasy figure” and her relationship with food being nothing more than an obsession with perfection and pressure to be perfect is the wallpaper print of every decade since its discovery.  “Hunger is represented as a insistent, powerful force with a life of its own.”  This force driving every constant thought that enters a mind, male or female.  It is the sub thought to every non related idea present.  The idea that women MUST eat not so much where as men are shown not to be manly unless they dive hungerly into “Campbells Chunky” or the Hungry man, is simply reverting the world back to the 1920′s where women were trained to cross and uncross their legs.  Don’t see the relationship? The relationship is that women are trained to act a certain way according to the image of a women, being poised and dainty.  Whereas men are “trained” as well to show their macho attitudes and their muscles by bulking up and devouring what women don’t.

  It is one of the biggest fights today.  The fight between image and truth and the acceptance of truth will continue until the world combusts.  The endless struggle with food and the image of perfection fighting against the feminist movement which tries to break from the portrait of the fibre-thin woman will continue forever and no winners to be declared.  From the every woman wanting to be so thin to too thin models not allowed in fashion shows in Paris, the image drives the worlds view.  And as long as their exists the ability to be influenced, their exists no hope for the disorder of image, eating, perfection and the loosing fight for acceptance of individuality.

  After reading Class Identity and the Politics of Dissent: The Culture of Argument in a Chicago Neighborhood Bar by Julie Lindquist I am left contemplating the meaning of class culture, propriety, and argument.  If you haven’t read this piece of literature yet, let me fill you in a bit.  From what I perceived about the piece, it is a quest for the discovery of class culture and the meaning or existence of it in different settings.  The author of the piece poses as a bartender at a neighborhood bar.  As she plays the bartending role, she observes the customers at the bar.  It is soon noticed that there is a certain argumentative environment in the bar.  She observes the different uses that a bar have for many people.  As well as the different topics of conversation that arises.

       My opinions on the reading are somewhat unsure.  Alot of the text confused me, but I think I got the main jist of the piece.  The author seems to explore the context of the conversations and environment in the bar.  Her role seems to be the judgement.  My first issue of concern, is that her role is very badly initiated and executed.  the role of a bartender is a neutral, but challenging element to the bar setting.  A bartender is a role which should be filled with comfort, sensuality, approachability, complexity, and the ability to blend to the environment.  The author uses this role to observe and judge those she serves and the customers who come into the bar.

   She discusses the usual customers and their rankings in the bar.  One of the main topics in this piece is class culture and one thing I want to talk about in this response is the existence of calss culture in a “classless society”.  I use the words “classless society” because it refers to the assumption that lower class or more relaxed places such as a neighborhood bar are judged as classless.  I feel that class is described in many different ways and there is no such thing as lack of class of classless.  Those who deem others and things as this show their judgment on things they feel are inferior to themselves.  And for this reason, we have so many misunderstandings and misjudgments in the world.

  A bar is a setting of comfort to most people.  It may be the home away from home, or perhaps just the place to go to get away from the stress and hectic life poeple are used to.  Just because some use a bar to unwind, does not make it a classless place.  This is expressed in the piece at the point it says, “the place where social structures and material conditions meet…”  This is paraphrased of course, but I believe that it explains quite well the conflict of society.  The strict rules of a social structure taken and thrown into uncomfortable material environments causes reason for conversation.  It forces us to evaluate the proper ways in what may be seen as improper environments.

    When on the topic of class culture, we should talk about if there really is such a thing.  As the piece says, “a phenomenon as “class culture” is way to evaluated.  We do live in a society of class structure and social distinctions, but they were not always here.  They were created by the people and from judgements.  A setting such as a bar may be deemed classless by those who are unfamiliar to the environment.  It is never those in a certain setting that will judge it badly, but the irony is, it is those UNFAMILIAR to a setting that will judge it.  Does this make any sense? I don’t think so.  There will always continue to be judgements as far as class culture and social status because it is easier for us to place pedestals on some and cruch others rather than learning from the world around us.

Pez Dispenser Guide!

As I was searching through numerous categories on ebay in boredom, I came upon pez dispensers.  To most people, this would be no real interest, but it caught my eye because my roomate loves pex dispensers.  It was to my shock that ebay actually has search help.  Meaning, there is a whole other part of the website that is completely devoted to narrowing down your search and helping you sort out the categories of what it is you are searching for.

    I know that when finding things like this, it means that either I have way too much time on my hands, or I procrastinate way too much.  But seriously, if you are looking to either fill timeor procrastinate on that paper you are dreading, visit this oh so interesting pex dispenser ebay site.  I learned that the difference between regular or new pez dispensers and “vintage” dispensers is the “feet”.  If there are no feet at the bottom of the pez dispenser, it is considered vintage.

Anyway, these apparently more popular than common belief collectors items sell very successfully, and some are sold for $35 a piece.  To me, this is ridiculous, but it perhaps brings joy and fulfillment to otherwise pathetic and dull lives to others.  Who am I to judge, if someone finds happiness from plastic candy pop gadgets, I wish them the best of luck with making friends.

While on the topic of ebay and along with this incredibly odd and boring blog, I am curious to find out what the oddest thing sold on ebay is.  If anyone reads this, which I am utterly doubtful will happen, I challenge you to have some fun and search to find the oddest thing on ebay.  If you actually do, comment back and let me know.  As for me, I am still searching.

Stevani of the University of São Paulo leans in to collect a sample of bioluminescent fungi from the forests south of São Paulo, Brazil.In addition to helping researchers decipher how and why mushrooms glow, Stevani is studying the bioluminescent fungi’s ability to signal the presence of toxins in the soil. In the lab, his team has developed a procedure that shows that fungi emit less light when exposed to several metals and organic pollutants.

“In a near future we can use it to evaluate the toxicity of environmental samples of soil and sediments,” Stevani said in an email to National Geographic News. The researcher also says that the fungi could serve as a tool for bioremediation (cleanup using living organisms) of contaminated soil.

National Geographic News Photo Gallery: New Glowing Fungi Species Found in Brazil

So let me just say first of all that this is one of the coolest things I have ever seen. I found this while looking at the National Geographic site, and yes I like National Geographic. All the cool kids do! Anyway, there was a discovery in Brazil of glowing mushrooms. As the briefed article above states, there is a possibility that this discovery could be used to help discover the presence of toxins in soil.

I think this will be a very useful tool. However, I have mixed feelings. One the one hand, using the mushrooms to detect toxins in the soil is very good. There are many benefits that can come from it such as healthier crops, food, and land. The crops produced and food grown could be healthier for you and this in return could result in the use of less pesticides and artificial ingredients. But, on the other hand, the use of the mushrooms would mean the removal of them from their natural environment. And thiss comes into the category of the destruction of nature. We have no idea how many species, if multiple species of the mushroom exists. And we also do not know how many other places it exists in. Therefore, how can we think about the potential removal of these plants from their environment for other uses when we can’t even determine damages for future actions. If we do not know how many other plants sucj as these exist, then how do we know they aren’t endangered. There is a possibility this type of mushroom has existed for centuries and is dying out. And it is only in the elderly age of the mushrooms’ lives that we discover it.

So there are consequences to be endured no matter what is done. In the end, my feelings stay firm in that I believe things of nature should stay in their natural environment.

These are my thoughts in response to the reading and class questions and discussions.

    I found the reading boring and hard to finish.  It is well written and although it is interesting, it was not what I was interested in.  However, there were some points in the reading that got me thinking a little further.  I am not saying that his life and the events in it are not important, but I was just not interested in them.  Some points did catch my attention.

    “There is no simple roadways through the heart of the scholarship boy.”

    In this quote, Rodriguez is expressing that he must make decisions for himself.  He does not have to be tied completely to his education and forget his family and culture.  No simple road map through his heart is inferring that there is no single path he must choose.  He can have both his education and family.  It also implies by the word “simple,” that it is not easy to decipher the correct path he should take.  There is no predetermined path or structurally outlined direction he must follow.

    This relates to the piece as a whole because it is about bettering yourself.  He has an advantage to be educated but being “scholarship boy” feels like he owes something.  At the same time, he is closely tied to his family and culture.  To his home he feels like he owes all of his time and skill.  The confusion of which path to take and which path is correct to take may diffues as the two parts merge together.  The pride he sees in the eyes of his parents from his achievements is one of the clues that his seperate lives could be one.

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