Ecology of a Cracker Childhood

Blog 7 ECC

Ecology of a Cracker Childhood was quite a work of environmental and historical art. The double meaning inside of this novel is very alluring as it strives to reach out to two sets of audiences. The southern stories seem to reach out to the general public and touch anybody, while the environmental meaning behind the novel is targeted more towards environmentalists and ecologists. Never before have I read such a novel with a double meaning that somehow ties the whole story together, and I think Ray does a great job of doing so.
The stories Ray tells about her life are extremely interesting in that, it is hard to find similar ones elsewhere in the world of literature. Growing up in the south for Ray was a truly distinct and different experience especially with her poverty and junkyard ridden life. It seems that Ray's childhood was highlighted by the explorations of the junkyard and a truly imaginative mind. These imaginations as a child really help set a precedent for her life of love demonstrated to where she grew up, and the environment. No where else can you find such humor, and at the same time love for a person's life. Being a southern cracker and living off the land and what she could get, there are humorous stories like the pretending to drive to Canada in an old car that strike particular humor in me. At the same time, when I hear stories like that of Ray struggling to fit in at college, or stories about her childhood, it strikes a certain love and compassion in me which reserves a soft spot in my heart.
Ray's writing style is truly distinct from any other style I have ever come across. Almost every other chapter strays from the main story of the novel to include a quick or elaborate excerpt on the deforestation and destruction of wildlife in the forested areas of southern Georgia. Ray strives to catch two audiences', one to hear the story of her childhood, and the other to learn more about the destruction of the Georgia wildlife habitat. The fact that Ray writes this way really makes people who aren’t particularly looking for an environmental meaning in the novel to be forced to think about this environmental aspect in a truly serious manner. For example, when Ray talks about the Gopher Tortoise, it tells a story of her childhood, while at the same time making the reader aware of the danger the animal is in. This truly highlights the example of how Ray incorporates her two audiences into one story, this does not happen very commonly in the novel.
Ecology of a Cracker Childhood is a novel that is one of a kind, and nowhere else have I ever read such a novel. I have not read for two audiences in one before, so it was a little confusing for me, but at the same time insightful as I got a lot out of this novel especially because of my own knack for environmental love in my heart.

Blog #6 Bordo

Peter Markano
Responding to Bordo


When reading Bordo's essay I had a variety of reactions to her material. At fist I thought it was pretty vulgar and weird to be discussing penises and whatnot, but as I continued to read it turn out to be quite informing on the way men are perceived and perceive themselves. I didn’t mind Bordo's tone too much because I admired her honesty about her personal desires and experiences. I think Bordo was straightforward and had a lot of good points to back up her theories about male identity. I think she was correct about how males are always being portrayed as "nonchalantly looking good", because it does always appear that in ads men are always working or not trying to look attractive at all. Somehow in these ads when the men are "working" women seem to find them very attractive. It may just be the simple fact that women enjoy to view men as being hardworking and masculine and able to handle whatever gets thrown at them, including women. I also enjoyed the timeline of fashion that Bordo put together how men's fashion went from very flashy in the old times to progressively more and more bland. I would like to inquire more information as to why that is the case, what could be the catalyst that made men become more and more plain in their attire?
When it comes to the media, I believe that pretty much all the youth are influenced by the biased impressions. I think that the "leaners" and "rocks" that the media creates out of models is just a way to emphasize sexuality. I believe and have believed for a long time that we are a very sexual based society with shows like, Sex In the City, and Desperate Housewives it seems like all the programs are about is who is sleeping with who, and I truly think people enjoy this and the media knows it. In my life, the media is hardly a factor; I tend to stray away from magazines full of perfume ads and all those bogus MTV shows. I like talking about sex with my friends and how smoking a girl is, but it’s a little weird when people put their bodies on display in front of people that could be perverts or stalkers.
The clips from Saturday Night Fever I thought were hilarious. The line Bordo uses about his hair made me laugh really hard. I definitely get her point when she talks about how Travolta, like other men, seem to care about nothing but how they look and how sexy they are. I honestly favor natural beauty over everything else I hate it when people cake on makeup and perfume. I think its up to you to decide how you look, but to make a point, babies don’t wear perfume and makeup, but people still think they are cute! Its just one of my beliefs and natural beauty is true beauty in my opinion.

First 8 Weeks of College

Now that I am halfway through the semester, my overall college experience has been very good so far. I have been able to have the opportunity to engage and be involved in many of the different organizations and programs JMU has to offer. For example, I am now pledging for Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, and it's been great. It’s a lot managing my time between fraternity activities, and schoolwork but I am somehow finding a way to do it. I am doing pretty well in most of my classes with the exception of a particular business that which is very difficult and demanding, but I must put in more hours if I want to succeed in it. I really enjoy my English class; its probably top on my list, then comes my geography and health classes. I thought coming into college I would be a business major, but it turns out that I am enjoying writing a lot, and I think next year I am going to try and take some journalism classes.
The transition of home life to college life is a significant one. Its so much different being on my own because my time management skills are up to me. I don’t have my mom around to cook me dinner or do my laundry its different. I must say I like being on my own, but with being on my own comes great responsibility. It’s a crazy feeling knowing that my parents aren’t a stairwell away. I must say that I miss home cooking and sleeping in my own bed, however, its for the better, I am growing up and its time for me to step up to the challenge of life. Responsibility and being on time is now crucial to my success here at JMU. I truly cannot believe how much I have learned about myself since I have been at college, its enlightening. I look forward to thanksgiving and seeing my friends, but I know that once I am home ill want to be back at school very soon. Indeed I miss my friends from home, but we are all out at different colleges and universities gaining various experiences, its crazy. I love it here, and being in a fraternity gives me a true sense of belonging I wouldn’t have otherwise. I have made good friends here who are always looking out for me and vice versa. Its fun, its really fun I just need to study more!

Blog #4 Favorite Band or Song

Blog #4: Favorite Band or song

When the question is asked of me, "What is your favorite band or song" into my head pops thousands of ideas. I have a list of band whose discography I know like the back of my hand, such as The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Slightly Stoopid, Tea Leaf Green, and a really cool electronic artist innovator by the name of Pretty Lights. I feel that all of these bands inspire me depending on my mood; there is a time and a place for all of these bands. There are, however, few songs that I can truly listen to at any point and time in my life where it will be appropriate.
This band for me is Perpetual Groove, a jam band based out of Athens, Georgia and one song in particular if I hear it has the ability to soothe my mind and open up my soul. The name of this song hints at its ability, "Sweet Oblivious Antidote" it’s a beautiful yet inspiring name with the ability to calm one down. Its truly amazing how much power this song has on me I love it. I first discovered this song when I was a sophomore in high school, it’s a song that I would say binds my friends and I together on one common cause of feeling good. There are only 8 lines of lyrics to "Sweet Oblivious Antidote", but its obvious that the instrumentals speak more than the words do. The guitar, base, and drum combination for me is like listening to angels give a speech (if that makes any sense). I truly do love this song.
The basis of this song in my mind is relaxation and feeling good over any feeling of melancholy. This song reminds me of my home on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, a beautiful place I have so much more appreciation for after being away from home for almost two months. Its amazing how much a song can remind you of you friends, your hometown, your roots, and everything that defines you. I listen to this song every time a yearn to be back on the shore out on a boat with my friends just cruising around wasting the summer away, without a care in the world. The beauty and landscape of the shore pops into my head every time I listen to this song as well. There is a much deeper meaning to "Sweet Oblivious Antidote" than most would think, because it truly is my sweet oblivious antidote whenever I am in need of an antidote to cleanse my soul and refresh what gives me solace and makes me feel good. This song basically defines who I am in a way…….The lyrics to the song are as follows:

I said let it ride then
Burn up so bright that no one can see
Maybe just hide then
A good place could be right in front of me
Cause I'm busy searching
Searchin' for what...I'm not really sure
Maybe an answer
Maybe some sweet oblivious cure

Rodriguez Blog

Peter Markano
Rodriguez Blog

When personally relating to Rodriguez, I found it extremely difficult to find certain levels where I can recount instances that pertain to me. I think Rodriguez was closed minded and spoiled, and didn’t appreciate his parent's sacrifices for him. If I was to pick a favorite quotation it would be the following, "the scholarship boy must move between environments, his home and the classroom, which are at cultural extremes, opposed" (Rodriguez 3). This quotation accurately describes a scholarship boy, someone who has parental neglect when it comes to scholastic effort, but somehow succeeds academically. I think that Rodriguez exaggerates, however, when he calls the home and classroom cultural extremes, because with me there was an integration of my parents and my school. My general response to Rodriguez is that he needs to sack up a little bit and get over himself; I am not a big fan of his. I disagree with Rodriguez, and I don’t like his position on education. In no way can I relate to Rodriguez, and I believe that if I had foreign parents I wouldn’t consider them stupid or try to hurt them. I don’t think that Rodriguez takes into account the sacrifices his parents made for him especially financially. I think that some people are just not grateful, and think they are underprivileged for no reason. I cant relate, and I will in no way attempt to try because I feel as though we are opposites.

Peter Markano

Peter Markano

Blog #2 “Pedagogy of the oppressed”

“Pedagogy of the Oppressed”

“His task is to “fill” the students with the contents of his narration-contents which are detached from reality, disconnected from the totality that engendered them and could give them significance. Words are emptied of their concreteness and become a hollow, alienated, and alienating verbosity” (Freire 3).

In this quotation Freire is discussing the general concept of “banking” education. Freire shares his ideas of how “banking” education makes the students more like containers that are to be “filled” with knowledge rather than receiving a “real” education through teacher student interaction. “His” (the teacher) style of teaching is inadequate as well as disconnected from the reality of a true learning experience. When Friere states that, “Words are emptied of their concreteness…” (Friere 3) he is basically conveying that the teacher is not fully explaining and elaborating the information students are to obtain in a correct fashion. With “alienated” and “hollow” vocabulary, the students as well as the teachers are unable to learn the true meaning and express their ideas of the particular subject hey are studying. Basically, the concept of banking education prevents true understanding and learning of a subject.

I think that Paulo Freire’s outlook on the topic of “banking” education is very intellectual. Through my own experiences with very good teachers as well as not so good teachers, I can connect on a personal level with Freire. I enjoy in engaging in discussions that convey my ideas and all of those around me (including the teacher) because it brings out a plethora of new outlooks and ideas towards the subject we may be talking about. I disagree in a sense with Friera’s idea that students must take arms so to speak against the teacher. In Friere’s article “Pedagogy of the Oppressed” he states, “To resolve the teacher-student contradiction, to exchange the role of depositor, prescriber, domesticator, for the role of student among students would be to undermine the power of oppression and serve the cause of liberation” (Friere 5) as a way of showing that the learning process between students and teachers should be mutual. I completely agree with Friere’s position that the student-teacher learning process should be mutual, however, I believe Friere is being slightly radical in calling the teacher an oppressor, and domesticator. I believe that there still needs to be a sense of authority in the teacher’s teaching process, for students need to learn to adapt to authoritative figures as they will be encountering them their whole life. Freire has a completely valid position on preventing the concept of “Banking” education, I would most definitely promote the concept of “Problem solving” education any day. I would, however, not take this concept to the extremes of calling the teacher an oppressor, or describe them as necrophilic.

DNA Age, blog one, analyzation-Peter Markano

DNA mapping seems to be quite a prevalent subject of debate as of late. In recent years it seems that the more scientists learn about DNA science the more society either agrees of disagrees with the tampering of genetic profiles. Like abortion, DNA mapping is a subject of hot debate among all people. Everyone has a personal opinion and takes a stand at some end of the DNA debate spectrum. Personally, I would be delighted to know my own personal DNA makeup. I think it would be very interesting to obtain knowledge about my ancestors or be informed of any type of diseases i may be prone to. I feel that as technology is advancing, i want to take any part I can in it's advances, especially the promotion of medical research to cure diseases and human defects that could be otherwise be prevented. Personally, I feel it would be a bit drastic to go the extreme measures of getting a double mastectomy or something of the sort when the cancer isn’t even present yet. I think for some people like Deborah Linder getting a double mastectomy before being infected with cancer seems like a good investment for their health, but that’s not for me. I think that close monitoring of my health, monthly checkups, and cancer diagnostic tests would be the way to go for me. If I were ever to be diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, there would be a plethora of activities I would like to engage in before I die. First of all, I would like to spend all of my money on traveling the world, meeting and engaging in different cultures. I would like to meet as many people as possible, and experience as many things as I could, in essence I would be living according to a bucket list I would create. My top destinations for traveling the world are as follows, Bora Bora, Japan, Australia, and the Sahara Desert. I would bring my family with me everywhere I go, they are most important to me, and all that would matter before I die. I think anyone would agree, when it comes down to life and death in a situation like that, family is superior to all other things. The fact that DNA testing has the ability to reveal defects in people brings about the interesting topic of prejudice. It’s obvious that the rest of “normal” society would look those with the defects upon differently. Its believable that if DNA revealed everyone’s genetic mapping, those with the defects would be looked upon as unattractive, diseased, and possibly quarantined from the rest of society. It would be a shame if a prejudice were to arouse against those whose DNA map was found to be “different” like the autistic population. I think if society would prejudice against “different” people, there would surely be yet another prejudice battle this world would be faced to deal with.