Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Helen's Post II: The Preconceptioning

Hey all,

I definitely learned a lot last class. Both from the talk and from the game (as you could probably tell by my incorrect answers). I got kind of depressed when Margod talked about how available alternative energy resources are, like the wind resources in the Dakotas or in Massachusetts, but how logistical (power grid) or political (homeowners) difficulties are preventing development. Then I realized, at least they're out there, and people like Margod - and all of us - know about it! That's at least part of the battle...

As for preconceived notions...I guess I have kind of a lot but none of them add up to a complete picture, and I never really thought they did. I've always known Appalachia as the poorest area in the U.S. I think we as a nation have just sort of accepted that as a fact. "Oh Appalachia! Where poor people live." I don't think I had really connected coal mining and appalachia though. I knew that coal was important to that region, but I just never made the leap. I always thought of Appalachia as too rural and that coal was more of an industrial town type thing. Now I know better huh! I've always grown up with jokes about how Virginia is a hill billy state, but I haven't ever really taken the whole - "It's the only state where you can marry your cousin! Haha they're such rednecks!" (which I don't even know if that's true) - thing seriously at all. Well I'm really last minute on this...so I guess I'll see you all in about an hour!

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