What is the same about "Twelfth Night" and "Just Add Water"?

To be honest, a connection between “Twelfth Night” and “Just Add Water” is not something that pops immediately into my head. One of the only things I can possibly think of connecting is all the craziness that takes place in each story. I mean nothing is close to normal. In “Just Add Water” we have: meth-dealing teenagers in charge of the town, no fresh food, no grass, crazy wives and illiterate children. Then in “Twelfth Night” we have: girls dressing up as boys, love triangle that turns into a love square, a devious Maria making Malvolio appear crazy, a madman running around in yellow tights, and people marrying people they’ve never met before! I mean what’s happening in these stories are certainly not things we see everyday.

"Animalcules and Other Little Subjects"

In life sometimes it is better to look at something small then the big picture. Maybe a “little subject” holds the larger image. Didn’t we learn that the very first week of this semester in our “small object, BIG SUBJECT” discussion? Mark Smith has interests in something so small it could fit under our fingernails. His interest in Animalcules is not something many enjoy but learning about these bacteria’s is not the sole purpose of his article. The reason for Smith’s satisfaction is simply because he doesn’t need something big, expensive and showing to please him. He is a simple guy who enjoys the smaller things in his life. “For some reason I often feel calm and reassured afterward, perhaps because I realize how much room remains for more.” (Smith, 260) That is exactly it! Everyday while he is exploring these microscopic worlds, he knows that he has yet to discovered everything. I mean how could someone get board of a new excitement everyday! I mean of course Animalcules isn’t for everyone and I know I would be rather board with the topic, but for someone like Mark Smith it is amazing.

I laughed at the thought of his wife’s, nieces and nephew’s reaction because I know that would have probably been the same as mine. However, all of us who aren’t interested in something microscopic are missing the picture as well. “Life fills and overfills the world from puddle to ocean, from dirt clod to mountaintop.” (Smith, 272) Think of it in the sense of “Just Add Water” and “food miles.” Why fill your life with technology and these big electronic toys when something so magical is right under your nose. Little do you know that every time you look down there is a tiny atmosphere and another organism’s world?

George Carlin

Hmm… well that’s a different way to look at it! George Carlin proposes an interesting view on climate change. He suggests that us humans have no competition with the planet. “We have NO control!” Would you verse a football team who has played together since their 2 years old for the super bowl trophy? I mean so what they were little when they started, what could that possibly mean? It means they’ve grown and experienced changes together, they learned and memorized each other’s techniques inside and out. Hell no I wouldn’t verse them! They have no new glitches and new players to decode. They have it ALL figured out. Well that team called “Planet Earth” has been around for billions of years and our team “The Human Race” just started practicing together about 2,000 years ago. Carlin suggests that wee have no shot at that super bowl trophy. He basically believes that since the earth has gone through incredible changes that it will always survive. The problem is, WE might not be able to survive it. That trophy is our survival. Our race is trying to change the earth so that we can be able to remain alive, however, Carlin proposes the idea that maybe we are the fleas the planet needs to get rid of for his own well-being. This is very interesting because I think that he may be right. As I mentioned in my blog about Phelan I also said “we have no control of our planet.” However, I meant that we have no control over what is happening and we should attempt a more aggressive change. Carlin believes that it is basically useless and has no hope that we have a chance at survival. Looking at history, Earth has gotten rid of species before, why not do it again?

"small object" of "just add water"

In “Just Add Water” Nora represents a symbol of hope. Every time Ray has a rough moment in his day he looks at his tin, which holds pictures of Nora. The thought of her makes Ray keep pushing forward. Day by day he tries to cope with all the negative changes around him. When he visits the supermarket where she works, he smiles for those 5 minutes. I mean after all, she is the sole purpose that he never left miserable Trona. Nora gave him faith that Trona still had a bright side and not all of Trona was negative. When they get together he finally realizes that the way their community is living is not acceptable. They should not settle for something terrible when they can push for a better life. For me, the picnic with Nora is one of the turning points. When she makes Ray homemade food he is in awe. She tells him, “You can’t eat canned food your whole life”. Ray questions where she even got the food from and Nora explains how she drove to a different town because a home cooked meal is more important to her. This whole scene symbolizes how Nora does not settle for the worst. She tries to make her day better by using her own effort. Her effort for a better life shows Ray how change needs to happen in Trona. Nora helps push him in that direction.

"How We Evolve"

Our species really does not realize what we are doing to our environment, our world and ourselves! Phelan’s fear that humans are self-inflicting extinction is a fear that all humans should be aware of. Thinking about “Just Add Water”, other articles we have read and now this one, I have come to the conclusion that everything such as pollution, climate change and evolution starts off slow but once it ignites going its hard to put out the fire. Throughout this article Phelan talks about how evolution and genes have changed blah, blah, blah. That really isn’t the important part. When I got to Ehrlich’s quote on the last page that’s when I realized “Woah, now this is important!” “The fate of our civilization, and maybe our species, may be determined by the next five generations. So I don’t really give a shit what’s happening to our genetic evolution.” (202)

In combining Erlich’s and Phelan’s ideas, I understand where I want this article to take me. Over the past few days, I have realized that we have no control over what is going on in our planet. Everyday all of us are destroying it more and more. The ozone layer started to disappear slowly from human abuse throughout thousands of years but the more we pollute the air the faster our ozone layer is going to decay. That is where we can compare evolution. Evolution started very slowly then took off which Phelan believes eventually led us to the human race. Our genes mutate themselves in regards to our change in environment. For example, people that live in colder climates may grow more hair because their body recognizes that they need more warmth. Erlich doesn’t “give a shit” about this though because he believes that our change in our environment is happening to fast for our genes to even grasp and then eventually mutate for our well-being. I agree. We don’t have enough time for our body to take control and save us from this world we are destroying. If we physically don’t do something about it the future generations are… well, screwed. We need to be like Ray! Although our environment has changed so fast around us that we haven’t had time to accept or realize what took place, we need to now be like Ray and realize! In my mind think in 3 R’s. Be like Ray, Realize, Reconstruct!

"The Effects of Climate Change"

Have you ever thought about how you are personally effecting the climate change? How about, how your negative contribution to the climate change causes deaths of other civilians? Are the people in our “wasteful, limitlessness, creative destructive” society responsible for those deaths because we didn’t take a stand to change our environment for the better? I honestly have never felt so guilty. In John Broome’s article, he proposes ethical questions regarding climate control. Some believe that we should focus on today and worry only about now, while others argue that future lives are important and that we need to take a stand now to save them. Recently, this past year I have been bothered by all the natural disasters that have taken place and killed hundreds. The earthquakes, hurricanes, storms, blizzards have all been extreme. I don’t know if I am just becoming more aware of them because I am getting older or are they happening more frequently? Many people argue that these natural disasters cannot be controlled because it is Mother Nature and that’s why they are called “natural”. However, after reading this article my mind is thinking how much are these disasters really “natural”, has our society and past generations destroyed the climate so much that all this is happening now, and if we don’t do anything to slow down the climate change is it just going to get worse? I know all the questions I am suggesting have nothing to do with the money market piece of this article. However, after Broome’s article this is all my mind can think of.

In regards to the money market, I have come to the conclusion that our generation is selfish. I personally do not think people in today’s world would give up the luxuries of their lives in order to prevent something that may or may not happen. I don’t think people’s ethical judgments are intentionally negative, however, that is the way it looks. John Broome answered that for us in his fourth paragraph. “Sometimes you cannot avoid harming someone, and sometimes you may do it accidentally without realizing it.” (12) But now if I don’t do something to change my personal contribution to greenhouse gases I have this thought in my mind that I am responsible for a death of another person in the future because of my selfishness. Maybe Broome is right; maybe we just don’t truly believe that we are harming our world THAT bad. If economists did something without the people’s consent regarding money percentages, I think that would be the only way change would happen. I personally don’t think our materialistic society would be willing to just give up things they’ve had every day. Maybe it just needs to be snatched out from under us.

For me, blogging is a writing experience that I feel...

For me, blogging is a writing experience that I feel double sided about. One day I won’t mind it and then other days I despise it. Is there a need to constantly re-write every little thing so other people can read it. I actually hated blogging at first because I was afraid for other classmates to read my writing. But then I got kind of used to it and I enjoy the comments from others. When the comments are personal it takes away the whole “school” mindset and blogging becomes more enjoyable. I despise answering questions and writing Abstracts about the readings. However, it does help keep your memory about what you just read and it also helps to read other peers blogs so you can get their intake on the readings. In a way they are beneficial so I guess that’s why sometimes I don’t mind them. But the times I despise them it is because there just time consuming and inconvenient. My feelings about blogs are very double sided. I am not sure why some days I really just hate them. Right now I am feeling the hatred.

"Big Foot"

What ever happened to the times when families would grow their own crops and make their own food? I mean yes, there are still farms out there in today’s world and yes some families still have a vegetable garden in their backyards. But what about when EVERYONE needed to grow their own food and have a farm to keep a healthy and stable living. I can tell you what happened…technology happened. After technology came into our lives it made everything much easier. We no longer have to make our own crops in our backyard; we can just go to the grocery store that gets the processed, chemical infested vegetables from some plane and delivery truck. Of course this is much easier for us Americans to do but haven’t we realized that the easier things got the worse it was for the environment. In regard’s to Specter’s claim about “food miles” it made me think of the old days when there was no such thing. As technology grew our world became more efficient and fast paced. However, as the good qualities increased so did the bad. All those big 18-wheelers that travel all over the countries send a ridiculous amount of pollution into the air. We Americans have become so dependent on the fast technology and fast society that we haven’t even stopped and really made an effort to stop our destroying of our earth.

I agree with John Elkington’s claim that, “we are in an era of creative destruction”. While I was reading this article I was constantly thinking of Berry’s argument of limitlessness. I don’t think our society really thinks that our ozone layer is diminishing. Yes there is proof, but what I mean is you don’t see everyone running around worrying about how they can change our earth for the better. To be honest I am guilty of contributing to global warming. I always am on the argument how it is terrible no one does anything but I find myself falling short as well. I recently started recyclying though so I guess that’s a start but I still do my everyday activities without thinking twice about how it is effecting our earth.

Just Add Water

Observations:

California, hot, dry, deserted, strange town, crazy neighbors, wife afraid to leave the house, supermarket low on supplies, Norah, angry son, Ray, kids collecting rent (Dirk), smoking cig, in control, ray's sister not upset about coma mother, tension between Ray's brother and brother's wife, dirtbags run the town, mother in love with her son, Ray takes son to see hookers, Ray seems bothered, tin, Ray-fake money, Rays brother and wife have been having an affair, Eddy not Ray's kid

Infer:

lack of life in Trona, Ray's wife is unstable...something is wrong, Ray and Norah have a connection... they seem like the only sane people in town, son is no longer optimistic, Ray shows optimism, drug dealers have control over the town, tension might be because of affair, more instability on Charlene is seen through her son and the affair, Ray thinks he's doing the right thing but seems uncomfortable, Ray's smart, his life can't get any worse!

Recall:

I have not been able to connect any of these things to our in class assignments. Hopefully as we continue the movie it will tie together!

Just Add Water- Questions

1. Why has Trona become a run down, deserted town?

2. Why would a man like Ray, who seems to be the only person with his head on straight, take his son to a whore? I know he promised for his birthday but I can't believe he would actually consider going through with it. It just doesn't seem right.

3. Why isn't Ray's sister upset about their mother in a coma? On that note, Ray's son and wife aren't really concerned either. Why? Has something happened with her that has made her not that important to them and their lives?

4. What is in the tin that Ray keeps opening?

5. How hasn't Ray noticed that his own brother has been sleeping with his wife? Also, how hasn't he realized that he is not even Eddy's real father?

6. What is wrong with Charlene? She seems cracked out, yet is aware of everything. She seems as if she's creepy in love with her son and is clearly aware of what she is doing with Ray's brother. So what is wrong with her? Did something traumatic happen to her? Was she always like this?

What is a writer? Are YOU a writer?

A few days ago my answer to this question would have been no. I previously have thought of a writer as a professional author, someone who REALLY knows his or her stuff. However, after reading my blog comments and conversing with other peers, I am proud to admit that I too am a writer. Whether you write something that is terrible or brilliant you are still considered a writer in my eyes. A writer is someone who has ideas in their minds and then projects those ideas on paper or even a computer. In my opinion, anyone can be a writer!

Writing Center

When we received our second writing assignment I was immediately confused on what I was going to be writing in my paper. Several times I sat down to start writing but I could not get anything out. I wasn’t sure what direction I wanted to take or even what topic I could pick and elaborate most on. I was hoping that when I went to the writing center I would be able to grasp a better idea and be able to at least come up with a thesis. However, I felt like my conversation at the writing center just left me more confused. I went in there with the two topic ideas of lust and sport. When I left I felt like my two topics were mashed together and I just had a big mess. On the other hand, I did take some notes of our discussion that at least gave me enough push to be able to complete my paper. Overall, after my paper was over I was not extremely happy with my outcome and I don’t feel like the writing center was worth my time. It was hard discussing a paper with someone who could barely remember the book Twelfth Night. I feel like I would have been more successful talking more with Professor Lay and a fellow student rather then a trained tutor. I personally don’t like tutors for that reason. They are never certain on exactly what’s happening and class and in my experiences tutors have always just made things more complicated.

"The Reality Tests"

“Do we create what we observe through the act of our observations?” (Roebke, 230) When thinking about Roebke’s query I think about everyday life. Ever since I was a young girl I was constantly told, “don’t judge a book by its cover.” Many people go through life observing and only believing what they see. As Roebke has showed us, in regards to physics there is much more to an atom then what is observed. “There was an inherent distinction between atoms unseen and their collective motion, which we witness with out eyes.” (Roebke, 233) This same thought can be applied to writing and everyday life. When a person reads an essay he should keep an open mind. Not only should he take into account the physical words he is reading but he should also take into consideration the meaning behind those words. Many times in literature and music there is a deeper meaning behind the spoken/written words. Not everything on our planet is physical and many times we need to look outside the box at the more abstract and deeper meanings. In regards to Roebke’s query I think that we do create everything based upon our direct and physical oberservations. However, I do not think we should live like that. Behind the cover of that book many pages lie.

Throughout Roebke’s article it was hard for me to follow his thesis mostly because of all the examples and scientists brought up. My mind was not focused on one specific thing but on the many different obstacles he included. Personally, when a article is filled with dates, many examples, and different theories it is hard for me to stay focused. I was also confused on his thesis because in the beginning of his article I interpreted that there is more information to be learned besides from what is observed. However, by the end of the article Roebke states, “To repeat a famous dictum, ‘All information is physical.’” Is he arguing that this statement is true or false?

Greed and Waste Metaphor

When I think of a greedy person I picture an old grumpy man in the park who is sitting on the bench about to eat a sandwich while a poor and starving child in the sandbox cries of hunger. Instead of splitting the sandwich and sharing half of it with the poor child, the grumpy old man eats it and keeps it all to himself. People who are greedy sometimes do not even realize how greedy they actually are. A greedy person like this may not only keep the sandwich to himself but also then throw out what’s left over. Once again being selfish and thinking of nothing but himself. Why waste the sandwich when you could hand it to a starving child?

"Faustian Economics"

In "Faustian Economics" Wendell Berry brings about the issue of human wastefulness. Berry believes that for generations humans have been so wasteful due to greed and limitlessness. “We will keep on consuming, spending, wasting, and driving, as before, at any cost to anything and everybody but ourselves.” (Berry, 1) Since humans have believed that there is no limit to anything, we constantly waste away the resources we have in order to produce “necessities”. For example, instead of using other resources besides fuel, we continue to waste away all our fuel in belief that we will “always” find a way to produce it. Of course people KNOW that fuel will run out but do humans actually believe it? I personally think no and I think Berry would agree.

Even though we watch plants and animals go extinct, humans never stop to worry about resources. Yes there are global warming programs and save the environment organizations but if humans really believed there was a limit to resources then EVERYONE on the planet would try and make a change.

This goes into Berry’s idea that humans are greedy. “—the real names of global warming are Waste and Greed—and by now it is manifestly foolish.” (Berry, 1) For how many years have our scientists and culture begun to question global warming? Yet, there is still this fear of it worsening. If the human species weren’t so greedy in giving up things they love, desire and “need” then maybe our environment wouldn’t be withering away. But oh yes I forgot about Berry’s point of limitlessness. No worries because things are never going to run out for REAL, right?

“We are, in short, coming under pressure to understand ourselves as limited creatures in a limited world.” (Berry) Sooner or later or species will realize that our world is truly limited and our resources will diminish to nothing. By that time it will be too late for any significant change and we will end up in an unlivable world. (Like the Pixar film WALL-E!) How many clues will people need to see before there are no more? Eventually, “Where there is no more, our one choice is to make the most and best of what we have.” (Berry, 10)

"Conversation of Mankind"

In “Collaborative Learning and the ‘Conversation of Mankind’”, Kenneth A. Bruffee discusses the relationship between thought and conversation. Bruffee believes that in order for a thought to be considered something that is learned, it needs to be discussed with another person. In my opinion this is a valid statement because discussion brings out not only an individuals thoughts but also responses and others thoughts, which eventually allows the original individual to start thinking again. For example, when Bruffee brings up the medical research of M. L. J. Abercrombie, he discusses how “the result of her research was to suggest that diagnosis, the art of medical judgment and the key element in successful medical practice, is better learned in small groups of students arriving at diagnoses collaboratively than it is learned by students working individually.” This type of discussion makes the most sense because it allows all the ideas of all the doctors to come together and form a more intelligent decision.

When I am sitting in a lecture hall listening to my teachers voice the entire class, I receive hardly any knowledge. I find it extremely boring and it causes my mind to wander in different directions rather then causing a thought inside my own head. However, when a teacher proposes questions to their students my mind stirs and my thoughts open up. It is not until the teacher then opens that question up for a class discussion that my mind is in full motion. While listening to other students it allows me to receive different points of views and helps me reflect on my own ideas. My WSC 1 class, fairytale literature class and my History class have all been my favorite classes because they were strictly discussion based. It’s kind of funny to think about that in these three classes we always sat in a circle and the teacher was basically there to help push and direct the discussion but the discussion of the students was the main basis of the class. I have learned that I receive the most knowledge in a discussion-based setting. My mind remains focused and I am so concentrated on listening to what other people are saying in order to gain the most knowledge I can for future purposes and to help me better understand. In these class settings I also always found it interesting that when discussing the teacher will sometimes say, “wow, I never thought of it that way.” Discussion allows new knowledge to constantly take place.

Bruffee also discusses how peer tutoring and peer criticism exercises are seen as a successful way of collaborative learning. I agree with this statement as well because in regards to my own experience it is much easier to discuss with a peer who is on your level then a teacher who exceeds your knowledge. For example, in our WSC 2 class, during our ink shedding exercises I receive the most knowledge because all of our classmates are correcting and learning from one another. I love receiving a card that has so many responses and notes on it because it is the easiest to comprehend. Something that I would have never understood before is now so easy to understand thanks to our peer discussion groups. I always find myself turning to my peers and asking them questions regarding assignments because I want to see their thoughts and compare it to my own. I don’t think I’ve ever done a paper without asking someone in my class, “What are you writing about and what do you think of this?” Using peer groups and peer criticism’s helps me gain different ideas and concepts and add them to my own. Bruffee’s ideas on collaborative learning are ideal and in my opinion the most successful way to learn.

The Fear of Writing

In Derrida's interview he expresses his feelings on the power of writing. He talks about how when he is thinking about what he is going to write he becomes scared and believes he is a crazy man for thinking what he is thinking. If you think about writing as a whole, people use it to express their ultimate feelings. When a person says “put it in writing” it is usually referring to the idea that the word of mouth is not trust worthy but if that person writes it down then it cannot be changed. Even on all the police and detective shows they use writing as a way of truth. When someone pleads guilty they immediately need to make the criminal write it down. This makes writing extremely powerful because it is believed to hold the truth in words. People can easily tell a lie by changing what they heard or what they say, but when something is written it is too difficult to change. When writing is changed or there is forgery it is considered a crime. Students can get kicked out of schools for forgery! Changing of writing is no joke. While students are on topic, lets take into account papers. When a college student is discussing events in class it is easy to recite what someone else has said or believes. When speaking you do not have to cite yourself and say, “Billy said this last Tuesday”. However, when writing a term paper it is a MUST to cite your work other wise you are cheating! I agree with Derrida’s fear of writing because once words are written down I feel like it is set and stone and what’s said is said. I know for me I encounter this fear because I am not that good of a writer. I find it difficult to search for the right words to describe exactly what I’m trying to say in my head. It is much easier to speak and change your words then write a paper and have to decide right then and there what words you’re going to hand in. Are they good enough or does it sound like a three year old just wrote it? Derrida’s fear of writing is very common in most of my days. Writing has been turned into this ultimate power of words and truth. If you take texting into consideration, sometimes it is easier for a person to text you and express your feelings because they are writing it rather then saying it. But I know once I send that text I go “Oh no” and get that nervous feeling in my stomach. Written words can be saved forever and always be brought back for proof. Spoken language cannot. Spoken words can be twisted but writing cannot. That itself is a very intense feeling that causes a feeling of anxiety. Derrida expresses this power in his interview especially when he talks about what he writes is done. There is no going back to change what he said. For Derrida and many people that could be terrifying!

Language is a slippery vehicle...

At times, language cannot be used to describe something. Everyday people fish around to find the "perfect" words to illustrate a special moment. It is not always an easy task to find those words and at times words can simply not recapture what one would like it too. Many believe that words hold the truth and stand as the basis and evidence for actions; however, there are times when words do no justice. In the poem "The Problem of Describing Trees", the author Robert Hass searches for the right words to describe the gorgeous and memorable moments of the trees. However, he runs into difficulty in describing exactly what he saw. Several times Hass stops himself and says, "No". "There are limits to saying, in language, what the tree did." (Hass) This author believes that this special moment cannot only be described by just words. Even though he yearns to tell us of his encounter it cannot be done. For Rodney Jones in his poem “Hubris at Zunzal” this is not the case. Jones experiences the opposite feeling and believes that words describe everything. For him there is “No image like the image of language.” Jones writes his poem with descriptive details of his day on the beach in 1984. This allows us as the readers to be able to close our eyes and envision exactly what he was seeing at that specific moment. For Jones it was easy to find the correct words for his description. Both authors have opposite views of language. While one believes that language is the key to remembering everything, the other believes that at times words are not enough. This whole concept is what makes language such a slippery vehicle.

New Media Project

In the beginning of this project I was very frustrated on confused on what to do. Picking a thematic strand did not come as easy for me. Right from the beginning I was wondering what thematic strand I would be able to elaborate on in a paper. After realizing that my first choice "love" was too broad I talked with classmates Candyce and Glenn and decided to convert over to their choice "sport". We figured that Love and Sport could be tied together because a lot of the play is based on the "Game of Love." However, after doing our new media project we learned that in regard to "Sport" it is not always about "Love". When Maria tricks Malolvio with the letter it is for the mere purpose of mocking him. Mocking him is their game and it actually has nothing to do with love at all. Since we interpreted sport a little different in our media project I was then confused on what to write about in my paper. Elaborating on sport would just make me more perplexed since there are more then 1 aspect about it. So I tried looking at the Sonnets and decided to try "Lust." I am still a little confused and trying to figure out exactly what to write about in my paper. Lust also has a lot of different aspects about it so I am still trying to think about how I would attack it in a paper. I am not sure if I should stick with my new thematic strand or change it again. All I know is that I need to figure this out soon! Does anyone have any hints or ideas to help me out?

Sport Royal

Maria: Sport royal, I warrant you. (II, iii, 170)

Maria states this while she is discussing the plot against Malvolio with Sir Andrew and Sir Toby. When she says, "sport royal" she is basically saying lets play! Maria, convinced that she will trick Malvolio with this letter is going to set Andrew, Toby and the Fool in the place where she is planting the letter in order to observe Malvolio's reaction. The three of them are going to watch to see if Malvolio has fallen for this deception. This is all part of being spectators in the game of love. Maria has stirred up a pot full of this game to trick Malvolio. When Maria is discussing this plan Sir Andrew and Toby seem excited for what is about to come. Almost as if there excited to watch a Super Bowl! The line before Maria’s above statement, Andrew excitedly states, “O, ‘twill be admirable!” This helps demonstrate that to them this is all a sport. Malvolio who was not originally involved in the game of love is now being tricked into it. He too will be tangled in loves mess and will be the center of the show for Maria, Andrew and Toby. Maria’s letter will ultimately lead Malvolio into being the loser of his own game.

Shakespeare Concordance

In our group we have chosen to look up words regarding Sport. The word sport was found mostly in Act II and Act IV. However, it seems that every time sport is mentioned it all goes back to the foundation that the sport is the game of love. Therefore, our group decided to connect the two ideas and focus on the thematic strand that includes the words: Sport…lose…play…passion…adore…desire…affection… care…fond…fight…love…true…hunt. In Twelfth Night, Love is portrayed to be a game. There is either a winner or a loser. To the characters love is an infatuation. They are competing against each other in order to win over someone else’s affection. Shakespeare is not using sport as what you usually think when you hear sports. When he uses the word sport he is not speaking of a physical duel or physical competitions. He is using figuration by taking out the physical aspects and making it all about the emotions inside each character. The fight of emotions and others fondness is indeed the Sport Shakespeare keeps referring to.

Viola: Then think you right. I am not what i am...

Viola: Then think you right. I am not what I am.

Olivia: I would you were as I would have you be. (III.i.148-9)

Viola is basically telling Olivia that she could never love her because obviously she is a woman. Olivia clearly does not know this and wishes that Cesario would love her that way she wants. Olivia is so head over heals for Cesario that she is not even listening to what Viola is saying. Olivia is not used to taking no for an answer and certainly does not want to from Cesario. Olivia is being so blind sighted by love that she is not taking in that Cesario said he will never and could never love her. We know that Viola is saying this because since she is a woman and she loves men. But even if Olivia doesn’t know that she should still listen to Cesario because the same thing is happening to her. Orsino keeps sending her messengers who tell her how much he loves her and Olivia keeps telling them that she does not love him and does not want to love him. Every time she gets a new message from him she gets annoyed that he won’t take no for an answer. Now that it is happening to her she does not even realize. Cesario even went farther to say that no woman has his love and no one will ever. Olivia obviously does not catch on. She continues to fantasize over him and beg for him to return. Viola is just getting annoyed now that Olivia does not understand what she is saying. She needs to wake up and realize that someone is saying NO to her and accept that. Unfortunately, no one wants to hear the word “No” when it comes to love. Therefore, they hang on to people and hope that one day they will eventually change their mind. That is precisely what Olivia and Orsino are doing.

Malvolio: ... and yet to crush it a little, it would bow to me... (II.v.143-145)

Malvolio states this while he has discovered the letter written by Olivia. In actuality, the letter is not specifically addressed to anyone. However, while reading what is written Malvolio has decided that it was written for him. When he says “…and yet to crush it a little, it would bow to me…” he is basically saying that if you just twist the words around it will sound like it is directed for him. This is something that everyone does when they want to believe something. If you want something to be true you can always make it seem that way. Malvolio obviously wants to believe that Olivia wrote this letter for him so in order to make it appear true he looks deep into the words and convinces himself that “M.O.A.I.” are all apart of his name so it must be for him! This is no real justification that the letter is addressed for him, but to make Malvolio feel that it is he searches for something that actually isn’t there. When someone knows something could never be true and they want it to be they search for clues and make it appear that way so they don’t seem completely crazy. This reminds me of my friend that whenever she gets a text from this guy she analyzes it so much that I don’t understand where she gets these ideas. The text could say, “hey what’s up!” and because it has an exclamation point she will think that it means hey I’m so excited to talk to you because I am deeply in love with you. This is exactly what Malvolio is doing. He loves the idea that Olivia could be in love with someone like him so he looks at the words in a one way type of mind set and makes it appear that the letter is ultimately for him.

Viola: I am the man ( II.ii.25)

This line takes place right after Malvolio hands Viola the ring from Olivia. Viola is in confusion because she knows she did not bring her a ring from Orsino so why has Olivia given her this ring? Viola has realized that her outside appearance as a man has made Olivia fall in love. When she says, “I am the man” it is ironic because as we all know, Viola is no man. However, when she says this she is meaning that her disguise as Cesario is the man that Olivia loves. Viola discusses with herself that maybe this disguise is actually evil. While she did this to be safe it has ultimately led to problems. Viola is in love with Orsino but cannot tell him because she is supposed to be a male, Olivia is now in love with Cesario but he will never love her back because unfortunately he is a she, and now Viola is upset because now Orsino who she ultimately cares about is going to be hurt that Olivia will not love him in return. Overall, this has just led to a crazy love circle and has people head over heals for someone they don’t really know. This is all part of the lunacy taking place in Illyria. We have Orsino who only loves Olivia for her outside appearance and the idea of her, Olivia who loves Cesario for his honesty but does not know who he really is, and why Viola loves Orsino, who knows?

Act II - Inkshedding

Toby: "Farewell, dear heart, since I must needs be gone.” (II, iii, 102)

Before Sir Toby sings this line, Malvolio informed him that Olivia only watches out for him just because they are family. Malvolio reprimands Toby for being an obnoxious drunk and tells him that if he cannot act more mature than Olivia will have no problem kicking him out. Since Malvolio does not care for Sir Toby he would not mind this at all. Toby who has clearly been up drinking for quite a while comes back singing the line above. The way Sir Toby does this comes off as sarcastic. Instead of being the mature man Olivia wants him to be he sings a quote from “Corydon’s farewell to Phyllis” that seems to match what is going on. Sir Toby mocks Malvolio and basically says, “Oh well than, since I am acting ‘foolish’ I guess I’ll have to leave.” Sir Toby is not serious when he says that it is time for him to go. He does not agree with Malvolio at all and he seems pretty confident that Olivia would never do such a thing because after all they are family. Because of his confidence he responds with his sarcastic drunk comment and in the end just irritates Malvolio.

“For me, writing the small object, LARGE SUBJECT essay was …”

For me, writing the small object, LARGE SUBJECT essay was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be. When we first got the assignment I was torn about what object to pick. Everyone seemed to be picking iPod’s because it was something they used everyday. However, I never even use mine so I had no idea what I would write about. I starred at the other objects clueless. Then my boyfriend and his addiction to his iPod popped into my head. How annoying and distracting it is! Suddenly the first assignment became a whole lot easier. After we got the second assignment for our 5 page paper I thought, “no worries, this should be a breeze.” However, the paper was much more than a breeze; more like a category three hurricane. When I sat down to expand my first draft I was doing fine but realized it was only about 2 pages long. All I kept thinking was, “how am I supposed to make this 3 more pages long without blabbing.” I hate when all your thoughts are written down and you still need more! It’s so difficult. I feel like it just makes your paper worse because you start repeating yourself and all your trying to do is fill pages. When there is no more meaning in my writing my papers come out like President Bush’s speeches, “Uhhhhh?” So I turned too other people for help. I started to research what other people thought about iPods effect on society. I came across this really interesting website that was also created for a college course. The girl who created the website caught my eye even more! Her name was Krystle Song. Not only did we have the same first name but also how appropriate is her last name for this topic! Song, I mean did she make that up or is this for real? I started getting really involved in her website. She had a good point of view about the iPod effect so I decided her words of wisdom would be used in my essay. By the end of the paper I actually felt proud of my completed work. “Struggled but in the end proud.”

Twelfth Night- Act I

ACT I

1. Have Orsino and Olivia ever met before? And if not then where does his love fascination for her come from?

2. I know that Maria is Olivia's "waiting-gentle woman" but what exactly is that? A maid/servant type figure?

3.. Is there some sort of connection that Viola's brother has died and so has Olivia's?

4. I am confused as to why Viola disguises herself as a man?

5. Why does Toby want Andrew to be with Olivia so badly?

6. In Scene 5, after Viola leaves I am confused on how the scene finishes and what happened Olivia's and Malvolio's short conversation.

"Taking Wildness in Hand" -Abstract

In "Taking Wildness in Hand: Rescuing Species", Michelle Nijhuis brings up a serious issue that our culture is facing. Many wild species are facing problems of extinction due to a warming climate. Nijhuis claims that, "While scientists debate how to help save species from a warming climate, others aren't willing to wait." After visiting Torreya State Park, Connie Berlow discovered a serious problem regarding the Torreya taxifolia, a tree commonly known in Florida. Berlow's immediate reaction was to take action and debate about finding this tree a new home in a cooler climate. Many scientists are on the fence of weather "assisted migration" is a good idea. Some such as Camille Parmesan realized years ago that something must be done and "getting them (organisms) to the next possible suitable habitat as the climate changes" was something important. Other scientists such as Don Falk find the action of “assisted migration” disturbing and claims that it is not humane to disrupt a habitat. Michelle Nijhuis assumes that many people will agree with Berlow and believe that "assisted migration" has to happen. Although people disagree, Connie Berlow has tried not to waste too much time debating and taking the matters into her own hands. Berlow and several acquaintances have begun planting the Torreya taxifolia in new habits in the Carolinas and they have been growing healthy for five years. Maybe everyone should get over the shock of "disrupting habitats" and focus on moving species before there are none left! Wild preserves, which were once a good idea to saving species, are now not working as efficiently as they used too. With the climate changing overall, these reserves no longer have control in protecting this organisms and moving them is the only option many believe in.

"Virtual Iraq"- Abstract

In "Virtual Iraq", Sue Halpern introduces us to a recent psychological therapy for P.T.S.D (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) patients. This recent clinical trial uses "simulation to treat a new generation of traumatized veterans." Virtual Iraq places a traumatized veteran inside a virtual world that is customized toward their most painful memory. "The program uses sights, sounds, even smells to evoke, and subdue, painful memories." The therapist is in charge and has complete control of how little or how much sounds, smells, pictures and noises to add. Albert "Skip" Rizzo, the creator of Virtual Iraq came up with this idea through a video game "Full Spectrum Warrior" and an old experiment called Virtual Vietnam. Unfortunately, Virtual Vietnam did not work that effectively but Virtual Iraq has seen positive feedbacks. Many therapists were afraid that putting their patients in the experience all over again would be harmful and more traumatic. However, that is why Rizzo stated that it is important to start slow. "You have to know when to ramp up the challenges. Someone comes in and all they can do is sit in the Humvee, maybe with the sound of wind, and may have to spend a session or two just in that position." Sue Halpern, who focused on a specific Iraq veteran Travis Boyd, has gone through Virtual Reality treatment and successfully recovered from P.T.S.D. During his last interview with Halpern he said. “You never really get rid of P.T.S.D., but you learn to live with it. I had pictures of my team leader that I couldn’t look at for three years. They’re up on my wall now.” Halpern assumes that people may think of this therapy as frightening and insane therefore she wrote this article to show us of these success stories. Boyd is not the only success story out there. Though According to Rizzo, psychologist Karen Perlman "has a gift, and so far eight of the nine patients she has treated no longer meet the criteria for P.T.S.D." This creation could be the next big step for all veterans with hope to return to a normal lifestyle after war.

small object, LARGE SUBJECT

Look at what iPod’s have done to our culture. People constantly walking around with stubs in their ears, blocking out the outside world. Frequent iPod users can hardly do any activities without their music. However, what these users crave isn't the music, it's the distraction from whatever activity their obligated to do. Apple has caused people to become so dependent on iPod’s that they simply cannot continue doing activities such as exercising or cleaning without them. People do not want to be concentrated on these kinds of activities so they just hit play and out goes their concentration.

iPod’s are not only the most updated mp3 player, they are also cameras and video cameras. You can play games and even browse the web if you have the highest of them all, “the iPod Touch”. Apple's advertisements show the great quality of their products and are very appealing too many. With the bright colors and funky music it is no question that it will catch your eye. iPod's allow people to be creative and pick and choose songs from different CD's and genres to create their perfect playlist. If you are caught dead with anything other than an iPod people's heads may turn.

I have found it quite interesting that people can't function without their iPod. Everyday I see hundreds of students walking to class with buds in their ears. What ever happened to enjoying your time alone to allow your mind to think? What ever happened to making conversation with people? Instead people just keep to themselves and put themselves in their own little musical world. Even students during class blast their music to drain out a professor’s voice! I mean really how rude can we get? What happened to involvement and socializing?

As soon as my boyfriend gets out of the shower he walks over to his iHome and turns on his music. He can literately not get dressed or put away clothes without music playing. Why? In the end he just ends up dancing and taking double the time to finish what he's doing! It all goes back to DISTRACTION. People love to be distracted. People love to procrastinate. No one wants to run or clean, so why not put on their iPod so they don't have to think about it? This idea is very similar to Nicholas Carr's idea that technology has made us stupid and we cannot even sit still long enough to read an essay. As we have seen, apple and their iPods contribute to that as well. Both technological creations have influenced our attention span in a negative way. iPod creators assume that everyone needs to be distracted and everyone will want to have a iPod so they can constantly have their own little escape in their pockets. I personally never even use my iPod but hey, it's working for everyone else isn't it?

"High-Tech Trash" -Abstract

In "High-Tech Trash", Chris Carroll proposes problems that not people many are aware of. As technology continues to grow, more and more current machines (such as TV's and computers) are being considered "old" and "out dated". From this problem, people are getting rid of their old "electronic gear" but where is it going? Some more responsible people bring their "electronic gear" to recycling centers; however, according to Carroll it "does not guarantee that it will safely be disposed of." Carroll describes how these waste products are being dropped off in trash yards and causing dangerous toxins to enter the earth. However, the earth is not the only thing these toxins are damaging. The dumping of these waste products is also harming people. Two major countries where this e-waste is being dumped are Ghana and China. In Ghana, the poor children search the dumping ground and put themselves in harms way to melt the copper and other materials just to earn some money. What is happening is something Carroll assumes everyone will want to be aware of. But how can we really prevent it? How do we know what recycling center is safe and will take care of everything properly?

Is Google Making Us Stupid?- Abstract

In Nicholas Carr's article, "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Carr proposes the idea that constant Google searching has made us so impatient and “stupid” that we can no longer sit and read anything remotely long. According to Carr, " The deep reading that used to come naturally has become a struggle... I think I know what’s going on. For more than a decade now, I’ve been spending a lot of time online, searching and surfing and sometimes adding to the great databases of the Internet." Carr argues that he is not the only one facing these problems. When talking with friends about the issue, they too share the same occurrence of not being able to sit through tedious readings. Bruce Friedman says that, "the Internet has altered his mental habits. 'I now have almost totally lost the ability to read and absorb a longish article on the web or in print'” Another example of Carr's support is, "a recently published study of online research habits, conducted by scholars from University College London, suggests that we may well be in the midst of a sea change in the way we read and think." For Carr this effect of Google searching has personally affected his life and has realized that it is happening to more and more people everyday. There was no need for Carr to have to explain what Google is and what people are using it for because he assumes that millions of people use the search engine.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

When thinking about what Carr is proposing I am on the fence of whether I agree or disagree. However, I do not think that Google single handedly has made us "stupid". If I were to refocus the question I would say, is technology making us stupid? Then, my answer would be yes. When I was younger I constantly remember my parents telling me that reading makes your more intelligent. The more books, newspapers and articles you read have you constantly learning new words, new concepts and new ideas. Has technology stopped this? Yes, I do think that we no longer find the urge to read because technology has distracted us. I do agree with Carr when he said, " It almost seems that they go online to avoid reading in the traditional sense." Of course we do! When looking for research we now rely on the Internet; we no longer search the library databases and books. It is faster and much more efficient to use our computers instead of wasting time reading through several pages only to discover that that book doesn't have what your looking for. In a way I don't think we are stupid for doing this because in our society today we would be considered stupid for wasting our time in the library when what we need is right in front of us. Maybe it isn't just technologies fault. Maybe it’s the way our society is so dependent on it that it has trained the youth to rely so much on our machines. When thinking about myself I take into consideration not only reading but math. Being that math is my major I am constantly using one particular machine, my calculator. When doing long, paged length calculus problems I don't waste time to stop and think what's 16 x 3. I automatically turn to my fingers and instantly plug in the numbers. It is sad to say that I do rely on my technology. Instead of using my brain for simple mathematical problems I have to turn to technology. Friends constantly make fun of me that I am a calculus wizard but cannot simply solve a multiplication problem in my head. Even something as simple as my spelling has gone out the window! I am probably the worst speller due to the fact that since I am always on the computer I constantly have a spell check to rely on. When writing using an old-fashioned pen and paper, I struggle to spell simple words that I probably knew in my elementary school days. Google has not done this to me; Technology has. Going back to reading however, I too find myself distracted when reading long wordy books or articles. However, I do say that I still enjoy reading my Nicholas Sparks love stories during my leisure time. Teenagers today do not spend most of their time reading or watching TV. As Carr brought up, most of our time is spent on the Internet. An interesting thought popped into my head when I read: “We are not only what we read,” says Maryanne Wolf, "We are how we read.” If you think about the amount of time the youth spends on the Internet, it is not being spent “Googling” research and important information. A majority of today’s youth is addicted to Facebook or Twitter and that is where our Internet time is being spent. Instead of reading or even skimming important information, we are busy gossiping and reading about our friend’s latest news. That type of reading alone is making us lazy. People aren't Twittering about new dictionary words. We aren't learning from reading someone's Facebook status. But when that moment comes and we do need to figure something important out, we type our few words into Google and bam there it is. Easy step... 1, 2, 3. Do I think Google is making us stupid? No. I think it has made us lazy and dependable. Our constant force to rely on technology has made us spoiled and makes us no longer have an urge to do anything on our own when a computer can just do it for us. I wouldn't say we are "stupid" because when researching you still do learn, but maybe not as much as you would have if you were actually reading instead of skimming.