last day of class

well, that's the end i suppose. i'd like to say that i will continue this even though class is over, but i don't want to kid myself. it was good while it lasted and i have to say, i don't think i will ever have a class quite like this again. peace out wsc 2. it's been nice.

whenever there are discussions of tiny little organisms, i always think of the same thing. what if we were actually really tiny and something else thinks of us as tiny little microscopic things. people say that we would know if there was some living thing so much larger than us, but do the little pond scum creatures know about us? it reminds me of seussical the musical, where there is a whole tiny world on a speck of dust and they never knew until they were blown away one day. well, if we were a speck of dust, we could all think like george carlin. basically our whole universe could literally be in the hands of someone, or something else, and if they decide to squish us like the bug we may look like to them, reducing greenhouse gas emissions isn't really going to matter.

what's the same?

twelfth night and just add water are the same in that both stories deal with crazy people who can't help themselves. just add water: lazy neighbors who just sit around and wait for something to happen. twelfth night: duke orsino, who sends messengers everywhere instead talking to people himself. this is the normal for these people, and everyone around them. but something bad has to happen, the society has to hit a low, and the urge to make a change is awoken in someone, the do a bunch of crazy things, and then everyone is functional and everything ends up better than it was to begin with.

phelan v. carlin

phelan comments that humanity is self extincting. how does carlin's routine reinforce this notion?

i don't think carlin's routine at all reinforces the idea of self extinction. according to him, it's the planet killing us off, which is compeletely different to phelan who thinks that one day we will be able to have some technology that will let us change our own nature, by altering our genes. i like carlin's theory; we are going to go extinct and there is nothing we can do about it. it takes all the blame off us humans, making us feel better about throwing plastic bottles on the ground, because that's the way the earth wants it.

what image best exemplifies the film

when i think of just add water i think of the turtle, sitting in front of ray's house, just eating bright green lettuce. first of all, the turtle is eating better than the people. i just had to mention that because i thought of it whenever ray went into the rite valu and all the produce, if any was not looking too good. the turtle kinda reminded me of ray's neighbor. they have a lot in common. both just sitting around, both kind of helpless in their own way, but they seem content with how their lives are going. they pretty much represent the essence of trona.

deoxyribonucleic acid

after the first few sentences, I knew I was going to have a problem with this article. almost every one we have read so far is so factual with fancy italicized words like Australopithecus and blaming humans for all the problems with the earth, and not that the blame isn't correctly pointed, but what are these authors doing about fixing these problems besides writing 10 plus page pieces about saving the planet that are being printed in books, half of which will probably never be read, on paper...made from TREES. talk about waste.

so, i basically just skimmed through the rest of the article looking for interesting words to pop out at me. i think HapMap was my favorite, even though i still don't really know what it is, other than it has to do with the study done by former "fossil guy" Hawks. and ok, why Swedes and Asian Americans the two that get to lack the mutation? I mean, its not like they share ancestors or anything. oh and then my favorite....Darwin; the evolution god of natural selection. i really like the idea of it even though i think it's a total cop out to get out of saying that we really don't know everything about DNA, which for me just brought back thoughts of writing out the different strands in 10th grade biology. really, i think when we begin to talk about DNA and genes, we forget that it's actually stuff happening inside of us, humans, and not just some experimental test subject. it's pretty personal.

reverse outline for ethics of climate control

what we should be doing to help save the environment is also doing something that is ethical

how much should we care about future generations?

the benefits that would result from reducing greenhouse gas emissions outweigh the cost of the process

connections between broome's article and outside media:

the hanes commercial is very literal in the point that they want to make about doing something today that will help tomorrow. i would be just as angry as those kids if i had realized all the bad that was being done to the environment by people who don't care what it is going to look like when they are gone. it's one of the most selfish things, to destroy the home of someone else, before they are even born into it. especially if like broome mentions, it will destroy their chance of even existing.

ray's bum neighbor is an example of people who could make a difference, but aren't even close o helping out others when they have no drive to help themselves. the scene where they, well really just him, are reminiscing about old football glory days, when he was actually an equal to ray in the role of being functional in society, is him living in the past. he has no concept of the future because for him it will be just another day sitting on his front lawn. no change is coming for him. one of the most obvious ironic points that i noticed was when ray tells him to pay his rent, and he just kind of pushes it away, and we see that he has a beer in his hand. how can he still afford to drink but ray has to remind him to pay his rent? its also like when one of the neighbors in the middle of the debate about what to do to dirk suggests that they should all just not pay their rent. ray automatically knows that this will not solve anything in the long run. he is looking to the future.

need to know:

1. why does ray have so much patience and optimism?

2. why is nora still in trona? what's her deal?

3. what is in the tin that ray keeps looking in?

4. what's going to happen when dirk finds out about the fake money, if he ever does?

5. what's going to happen to grandma? i feel like there is still some importance in her story.

6. is he really going to make charlene leave?

Just Add Water

Observe:

"Don't forget to take a mint."

desert/deserted areas

ruined high school football field

son's non-chalance about Grandma's "comma"

relationship between Ray and Nora

drug deal, landlord Dirk ("knife"), gold chain

just add water.

basically it is the simplest way to do something. usually things that only require one to just add are products for those who are wannabes-but just don't have time to really get into what they are doing. but how true are these products to the deal thing? is it worth taking out all the steps to make it easier if you lose some of the quality of the final product?

what is a writer? are you a writer?

a writer is someone who really cares about what they are writing. they are able to take their thoughts and form them in a way that lets others understand them, but still makes the words interesting. writers write because enjoy to write and feel that words are the best way to make their point to the world. i am definitely not a writer.

how i feel about blogging.

at first, i was pretty hesitant about this whole blog thing. but i have to say, i think i'm hooked. especially since i'm getting graded for basically ranting, one of my favorite hobbies. usually, when there is an assigned reading for homework, i feel like i'm restrained into making some intelligent observations and inferences and blahdiblahblah. here, it's like a no judgment zone. i can say whatever i want, even go off on some unrelated tangent if i feel like it. and proper grammar is optional. i don't even have to capitalize my i's if i don't want to, although i will use apostrophes because i hate when they are left out of my name.

"Faustian Economics"

As a college student who just signed over any paycheck i might be getting for about the next 30 years, i constantly am thinking about how much waste people make, and the amounts of excess people seem to hoard. it shocks me that some people can spend the amount of money it could cost to pay for my four plus years of school on a single car..and why? because they can "sing". this part is just annoying, but not the real serious problem. how about driving those 10 cars down the block, where it is impossible to walk apparently. and i'm not just complaining for my sake. there are people who are far worse off with bigger problems than a couple of student loans. we just keep taking and taking, even though we know about those little annoying crazy people telling us to go green. but no one seems to care. i mean, they are more concerned about how much it is going to cost them in fuel prices, rather than thinking about whether the fuel almost all gone. i know i am in constant debate of whether or not i should bother driving back for my afternoon class, not just because it is calculus, but because i don't want to end up stranded on the southern state, after ignoring that dumb blinking light telling me i should have gone to the gas station 3 days ago. that's really the only time i think about how much fuel we waste, driving back and forth to school. i guess it's this mentality that we all have, that forces us to think about this waste. we all know in the back of our minds that someday everything is going to run out, and i suppose that we are all just trying to grab as much as we can before it does.

Language is a slippery vehicle...

there is no font called sarcasm. you have to be able to tell when the writer is being literal or not. it is also hard for the writer to really portray what they mean, because it can mean something in their head and then the reader translates it completely different. also knowing your audience shapes the style one writes. some type of language may be appropriate for one piece, like a poem or anything creative, while other words are more scientific and used for stating facts. but i still think the most dangerous part of language is whether or not the other person will understand what you mean. it is easy to go off on a tangent. and if you dig yourself too deep, no one will know that you mean.

Deception in Twelfth Night

Deception, lies, disguises; all of these words are themes of Shakespeare’s play, The Twelfth Night. Many of the characters have shady personalities, which can be described by those terms, although they seem to be normal in their own little world of chaos. Possibly the most intricate strand of this theme however is self-deception, and not following the wise words “to thine own self be true”.

One may use Malvolio as an example. In the beginning of the play, this man personified all that is appropriate, and tried to maintain order while appearing to stay calm, cool and collected. But under the surface, there was a mad, lovesick and unstable mortal who was beginning to crack through, just like all of the other players.

In the beginning of the play, Malvolio plays the loyal-steward-who-actually-thinks-he-is-better-than-the-noblemen-of-the-house. He can also be described as straitlaced and does not look up to those who create fun through drunken singing and shenanigans. Unlike Sir Toby Belch, he takes so enjoyment out of the Fool’s riddles and fooling. In Act 1 Scene 5 line 75, he argues “…look you now, he’s out of his guard already…unless you laugh and minister occasion to him, he is gagged.” And then he continues on to insult the kinsman of his Lady Olivia, pronouncing, “ I protest I take these wise men that crow so at these set kind of fools no better than the fools’ zanies.” This “act” he puts on leads many of his peers to believe that he has a powerful wish to live above his current social class.

What makes Malvolio like all the others is his deep dark secret, to become the lord to Olivia’s lady. His plan to spoil all the fun can be translated into a grumpiness that he is taking out on everyone else because he can’t have his way. However, in Act 2 Scene 5, all of his dreams seem to be coming true when he finds a letter from his beloved. What he does not know, or refuses to believe, is that the letter was not from Olivia, but forged by her maid, Maria, as part of a scheme between her and the subject of Malvolio’s disgust, Sir Toby. This is where the real depth of his self-deception is plainly and obviously visible. At first Malvolio thinks that he recognizes Olivia’s handwriting, that “…these be here very C’s, her U’s and her T’s…” (line 78). However, the letter never directly mentions to whom this lady’s love is directed. The only clue is the letters “M.O.A.I”, which he makes out to believe is meant to symbolize the letters of his name- “M – Malvolio. M – why, that begins my name.” (line 115). And then, even when there are flaws in his dream come true, that the letters of his name are not in the order that is written in the letter, he goes to manipulate the paper to help deceive himself into believing he sees what is not there. Line 125, “M.O.A.I., this simulation is not as the former, and yet to crush this a little, it would bow to me, for every one of these letters are him my name.”, just goes to show that if one tries hard enough, they can trick their own mind into believing even the most obvious of disguises.

This is a very similar story as one of Shakespeare’s sonnets, which could even been seen as being said by Malvolio himself in the very scene described above. Sonnet CXXXVIII opens with the lines “When my love swears that she is made of truth; I do believe her, though I know she lies, that she think me some untutor’d youth, unlearned in the world's false subtleties.” This is for the most part completely describing the relationship Malvolio has with Olivia, that even when he knows the words from her are a lie, such as the bogus letter, he still believes them, hoping that she will think him to be someone he is not, like a young man naïve to the world’s cruel tricks. He fools himself into accept the lies as truth, even though deep down he must know that they are false. What the sonnet further explores is the potential relationship between Olivia and him, making it believable that he might at some point say this. It may just be coincidence that Malvolio is older in the play than Olivia, but it is convenient that Shakespeare, through the sonnet discusses “although she knows my days are past the best, simply I credit her false speaking tongue; on both sides thus is simple truth suppressed.” meaning that he is willing to look past all of her lies and deceit if she can accept that he wishes to think himself young, and believes that he is still in his prime years. Basically, they both accept each other’s faults so that “I lie with her, and she with me, and in our faults by lies we flattered be”.

synonyms

green:

fresh, new, unworn, rookie, clean, pure, ecological, untainted, envy, emerald, inexperienced, iguanas, nausea, jealousy

society:

neighborhood, culture, people, generation, group, whole, suite, club, gathering, community, class, family, order, following

Concordance Data

thematic strand: disguise, veil, secrets, lies

Act 2, Scene 4

Clown Now, the melancholy god protect thee; and the tailor make thy doublet of changeable taffeta, for thy mind is a very opal. I would have men of such constancy put to sea, that their business might be every thing and their intent every where; for that's it that always makes a good voyage of nothing. Farewell.

Act 1, Scene 2

VIOLA There is a fair behavior in thee, captain; And though that nature with a beauteous wall Doth oft close in pollution, yet of thee I will believe thou hast a mind that suits With this thy fair and outward character. I prithee, and I'll pay thee bounteously, Conceal me what I am, and be my aid For such disguise as haply shall become The form of my intent. I'll serve this duke: Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him: It may be worth thy pains; for I can sing And speak to him in many sorts of music That will allow me very worth his service. What else may hap to time I will commit; Only shape thou thy silence to my wit.

Act 2, Scene 2

VIOLA I left no ring with her: what means this lady? Fortune forbid my outside have not charm'd her! She made good view of me; indeed, so much, That sure methought her eyes had lost her tongue, For she did speak in starts distractedly. She loves me, sure; the cunning of her passion Invites me in this churlish messenger. None of my lord's ring! why, he sent her none. I am the man: if it be so, as 'tis, Poor lady, she were better love a dream. Disguise, I see, thou art a wickedness, Wherein the pregnant enemy does much. How easy is it for the proper-false In women's waxen hearts to set their forms! Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we! For such as we are made of, such we be. How will this fadge? my master loves her dearly; And I, poor monster, fond as much on him; And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me. What will become of this? As I am man, My state is desperate for my master's love; As I am woman,--now alas the day!-- What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe! O time! thou must untangle this, not I; It is too hard a knot for me to untie!

Act 1, Scene 3

SIR ANDREW And I think I have the back-trick simply as strong as any man in Illyria.

Act 2, Scene 5

MALVOLIO M, O, A, I; this simulation is not as the former: and yet, to crush this a little, it would bow to me, for every one of these letters are in my name. Soft! here follows prose. [Reads] 'If this fall into thy hand, revolve. In my stars I am above thee; but be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon 'em. Thy Fates open their hands; let thy blood and spirit embrace them; and, to inure thyself to what thou art like to be, cast thy humble slough and appear fresh. Be opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants; let thy tongue tang arguments of state; put thyself into the trick of singularity: she thus advises thee that sighs for thee. Remember who commended thy yellow stockings, and wished to see thee ever cross-gartered: I say, remember. Go to, thou art made, if thou desirest to be so; if not, let me see thee a steward still, the fellow of servants, and not worthy to touch Fortune's fingers. Farewell. She that would alter services with thee,

Act 3, Scene 4

MALVOLIO O, ho! do you come near me now? no worse man than Sir Toby to look to me! This concurs directly with the letter: she sends him on purpose, that I may appear stubborn to him; for she incites me to that in the letter. 'Cast thy humble slough,' says she; 'be opposite with a kinsman, surly with servants; let thy tongue tang with arguments of state; put thyself into the trick of singularity;' and consequently sets down the manner how; as, a sad face, a reverend carriage, a slow tongue, in the habit of some sir of note, and so forth. I have limed her; but it is Jove's doing, and Jove make me thankful! And when she went away now, 'Let this fellow be looked to:' fellow! not Malvolio, nor after my degree, but fellow. Why, every thing adheres together, that no dram of a scruple, no scruple of a scruple, no obstacle, no incredulous or unsafe circumstance--What can be said? Nothing that can be can come between me and the full prospect of my hopes. Well, Jove, not I, is the doer of this, and he is to be thanked.

Act 1, Scene 2

VIOLA There is a fair behavior in thee, captain; And though that nature with a beauteous wall Doth oft close in pollution, yet of thee I will believe thou hast a mind that suits With this thy fair and outward character. I prithee, and I'll pay thee bounteously, Conceal me what I am, and be my aid For such disguise as haply shall become The form of my intent. I'll serve this duke: Thou shall present me as an eunuch to him: It may be worth thy pains; for I can sing And speak to him in many sorts of music That will allow me very worth his service. What else may hap to time I will commit; Only shape thou thy silence to my wit.

Act 2, Scene 2

VIOLA I left no ring with her: what means this lady? Fortune forbid my outside have not charm'd her! She made good view of me; indeed, so much, That sure methought her eyes had lost her tongue, For she did speak in starts distractedly. She loves me, sure; the cunning of her passion Invites me in this churlish messenger. None of my lord's ring! why, he sent her none. I am the man: if it be so, as 'tis, Poor lady, she were better love a dream. Disguise, I see, thou art a wickedness, Wherein the pregnant enemy does much. How easy is it for the proper-false In women's waxen hearts to set their forms! Alas, our frailty is the cause, not we! For such as we are made of, such we be. How will this fadge? my master loves her dearly; And I, poor monster, fond as much on him; And she, mistaken, seems to dote on me. What will become of this? As I am man, My state is desperate for my master's love; As I am woman,--now alas the day!-- What thriftless sighs shall poor Olivia breathe! O time! thou must untangle this, not I; It is too hard a knot for me to untie!

act II scene 3 line 179

maria calls her scheme to manipulate and embarrass malvolio "sport royal...."

well any plan to manipulate and embarrass someone isn't really "sport", in the sense that "sport" takes the meaning to be fair. like being a good sport. and a scheme nonetheless is never usually a good thing. but because malvolio is an evil grump, and has plenty of his own schemes to embarras and manipulate others, possibly even maria herself at some time, to get back at him is sort of evening the score.

Twelfth Night Act II Quotes

Act II scene ii line 25

Viola : I am the man.

Viola has realized that Olivia has fallen for Cesario. Her disguise in all its “wickedness” has given the character of cesario more life than viola probably ever wanted. She has become “the man” in the situation, for she is the one not blinded by the love.

Act II v. 143-145

Malvolio: ....and yet to crush it a little, it would bow to me...

malviolio is trying to manipulate something (the letters on the envelope) so that the are more like his name. he is just talking himself through seeing something that isn;t really there. he wishes it was really his name on the letter but it is really just letters that are from his name, not even in the same order

Act III scene i line 148

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

Olivia: I would you were as I would have you be.

viola is trying to make olivia realize that she is not the "man" she should love. olivia still persists that she will not let "cesario" get away. this line "i am not what i am" is basically the story of viola's life, or at least throughout the play. the whole messed up love triangle thing going on between viola, the duke and olivia also adds to the comedic theme of the play.

Colleen O’Mara 02/12/2010 Small Object, Large Subject WSC 002 - Dr. Ethna Lay One Size Fits All Everyone has had to do this. Last minute gift shopping. You’re running late, have no idea what to buy. Knowing the feeling of procrastination, “why didn’t I do this earlier?”. You can now basically run into any store, go right to the register, and grab a gift card. No needing to know sizes, or what they like. According to Deloitte's Annual Holiday Survey, gift cards have been the most popular presents for six consecutive years, including 2009. Quick, easy, and mostly painless. Pretty much the everyday, average- Joe, American way. I say mostly painless because there is a somewhat evil side to gift cards that many do not realize. Gift cards have become a commonality among holiday gift giving festivities. But is it rude and impersonal? Or is it just part of the blunt truth that people would rather just go buy what they want instead of getting stuck with a lame present that someone went and picked out thinking they would like? We try to avoid any awkwardness at all costs. Not to be a Scrooge, but either way, I say don’t bother. Actually think it’s the opposite of Scrooge. It’s just like giving someone cash, except then going and limiting where they can use it, how they can use it, and then a deadline to use it by. How holiday-spirited is that? Some even have activation, insurance or maintenance fees that deduct money every month the card goes with money left on it. These are the cards usually from banks, the trustworthy institutions that they are. Corporate America. It’s all about tricks with them. Making something seem once way, while really it’s quite the opposite of what you think. At the heart of everything, wasting all that brainpower on schemes to give the consumer a hard time, while simultaneously making their lives easier. And yet, these are the most popular of the gift card genre, for they are widely accepted everywhere. They are literally banking on the fact that whoever receives this card will not use it in entirety. Even if there is a measly 33 cents left on the card, because many of them do not let you go over the limit or let you pay the difference, think of how many cards there are out there, sitting in a drawer somewhere, or like the Barnes and Noble one I just discovered I still have from Christmas, sitting on my dresser, staring at me, with similar meaningless amounts on them. Now that’s a lot of wasted change. (Oh, another benefit of gift cards; they’re light- weight!) Everywhere you go has it’s own specialized “money”. Gift cards can be bought for almost anything, from gas, to groceries, iTunes credits, and of course your Starbucks. And don’t forget; when you are running low on funds, the cards are even re- loadable. Some experts say that gift cards should be given to pay for everyday items, like groceries, morning coffee, the place one frequents for lunch. But are these special enough to be a gift? I mean, I’m sure it is lovely to not worry about paying for part of the weekly grocery-shopping trip, but as a gift? Apparently it is in the top three on the list of things Americans want to receive as gifts during the holidays, or really for any occasion. On top of that, it’s a waste of the gift- giver’s money. May gift cards may have a fee, which means instead of just paying for the monetary value of the card, they are also paying for the odd shaped piece of plastic itself. And that’s even before it’s received. Who is to say that it will even be used? It can’t be put in the bank. It is said that almost ten percent of the value on cards isn’t used. And that money can then be reclaimed buy the same store it was bought from. It’s basically like they are gambling on the consumers. The more gift cards that they can sell in a holiday season; the more likely they are to get their money back, ending up making them $8 billion richer according to Consumer Reports. Americans have been shuttling towards the most convenient and technologically hip venues when it comes to basically anything that costs money. But is it better? Just like basically any other tech-y advancement made, it gets less personal. Now do you not have to go and spend the time to go hand select a sweater (stereotypical holiday drag of a gift), but also get to pretend you avoided the lazy person’s gift of a card stuffed with cash. And you don’t even have to worry about wrapping it! There are different shapes and pictures and glitter and colors and even holograms on these little techno- gifts. There have even been talks of proper gift card- giving etiquette, for everything between baby showers, where as if a gift registry didn’t make life easy enough, to when I received a gift card for coffee from one of my friends for graduation. I don’t even drink coffee. He said I could spend it on him. (One good thing about gift cards is that they are so impersonal, that they make re- gifting easy). Guess where that one ended up. So, basically, what’s the point? Are you trying to buy a gift that inevitably will be a waste? Because there are so many other things the money can be spent on, rather than just another place holder in a wallet or an expensive bookmark. Why even bother going to the store? I know that they say it’s the thought that counts, but this really doesn’t even require any thought. So, save your time. I’ll take the cash.

Colleen O’Mara 02/12/2010 Small Object, Large Subject WSC 002 - Dr. Ethna Lay One Size Fits All Everyone has had to do some last minute gift shopping. Knowing the feeling of procrastination, “why didn’t I do this earlier?” and having no idea what to buy. But there is a solution! You can now basically run into any store, go right to the register, and grab a gift card. No needing to know sizes, or what they like. According to Deloitte's Annual Holiday Survey, gift cards have been the most popular presents for six consecutive years, including 2009. Quick, easy, and mostly painless. Pretty much the everyday, average- Joe, American way. I say mostly painless because there is a somewhat evil side to gift cards that many do not realize. Gift cards have become a commonality among holiday gift giving festivities. But is it rude and impersonal, like when you just open a birthday card and sign it? Or is it just part of the blunt truth that people would rather just go buy what they want instead of getting stuck with a lame present that someone went and picked out thinking they would like? We try to avoid any awkwardness at all costs. Not to be a Scrooge, but either way, I say don’t bother. I actually think it’s the opposite of Scrooge. Giving cash has some history behind it, and has already been accepted in society and can comfortably be labeled as a cop-out gift. Gift cards are not so simply labeled. It’s just like giving someone cash, except then going and limiting where they can use it, how they can use it, and then a deadline to use it by. How holiday-spirited is that? Some even have activation, insurance or maintenance fees that deduct money every month the card goes with money left on it. These are the cards usually from banks, the trustworthy institutions that they are. Corporate America. It’s all about tricks with them. Making something seem once way, while really it’s quite the opposite of what you think. At the heart of everything, wasting all that brainpower on schemes to give the consumer a hard time, while simultaneously making their lives easier. And yet, these are the most popular of the gift card genre, for they are widely accepted everywhere. They are literally banking on the fact that whoever receives this card will not use it in entirety. Even if there is a measly 33 cents left on the card, because many of them do not let you go over the limit or let you pay the difference, think of how many cards there are out there, sitting in a drawer somewhere, or like the Barnes and Noble one I just discovered I still have from Christmas, sitting on my dresser, staring at me, with similar meaningless amounts on them. Now that’s a lot of wasted change. Everywhere you go has it’s own specialized “money”. Gift cards can be bought for almost anything, from gas, to groceries, iTunes credits, and of course your Starbucks. And don’t forget; when you are running low on funds, the cards are even re- loadable. Some experts say that gift cards should be given to pay for everyday items, like groceries, morning coffee, the place one frequents for lunch. But are these special enough to be a gift? I mean, I’m sure it is lovely to not worry about paying for part of the weekly grocery-shopping trip, but as a gift? Apparently it is in the top three on the list of things Americans want to receive as gifts during the holidays, or really for any occasion. On top of that, it’s a waste of the gift- giver’s money. May gift cards may have a fee, which means instead of just paying for the monetary value of the card, they are also paying for the odd shaped piece of plastic itself. And that’s even before it’s received. Who is to say that it will even be used? It can’t be put in the bank. It is said that almost ten percent of the value on cards isn’t used. And that money can then be reclaimed buy the same store it was bought from. It’s basically like they are gambling on the consumers. The more gift cards that they can sell in a holiday season; the more likely they are to get their money back, ending up making them $8 billion richer according to Consumer Reports. Americans have been shuttling towards the most convenient and technologically hip venues when it comes to basically anything that costs money. But is it better? Just like basically any other tech-y advancement made, it gets less personal. Now do you not have to go and spend the time to go hand select a sweater (stereotypical holiday drag of a gift), but also get to pretend you avoided the lazy person’s gift of a card stuffed with cash. And you don’t even have to worry about wrapping it! There are different shapes and pictures and glitter and colors and even holograms on these little techno- gifts. There have even been talks of proper gift card- giving etiquette, for everything between baby showers, where as if a gift registry didn’t make life easy enough, to when I received a gift card for coffee from one of my friends for graduation. I don’t even drink coffee. He said I could spend it on him. (One good thing about gift cards is that they are so impersonal, that they make re- gifting easy). Guess where that one ended up. So, basically, what’s the point? Are you trying to buy a gift that inevitably will be a waste? Because there are so many other things the money can be spent on, rather than just another placeholder in a wallet or an expensive bookmark. Why even bother going to the store? I know that they say it’s the thought that counts, but this really doesn’t even require any thought. So, save your time. I’ll take the cash. Re-write 2/26/09

Twelfth Night: Act 1

1. What is Olivia's social status? (other than that she is not as high in society as the Duke)

2. How old are Maria and Olivia's uncle, Sir Toby?

3. Was there any seriousness in Sir Toby's and Sir Andrew's discussion about him being a possible suitor for Olivia?

4. What is the point of the "fear no colors" conversation between Feste and Maria?

5. Is there any significance to Viola relating to the theme of ships?

6. What was 'Cesario's' plan in leaving behind the ring?

TO TAKE WILDNESS IN HAND - michelle nijhus

in this article, the author lightly discusses the efforts to save trees, more specifically, the torreya taxifalia. a subject that is usually not taken to seriously, because it always seems that there are bigger fish to fry. but the underlying problem, which nijhus may be sub-consciously trying to make light of by her tone, is really global warming. these trees need to be in a cool environment, and their current floridian home has become too warm. the population has decreased, and they need to be transplanted up to northern regions. by focusing really just on the trees, nijhus completely avoids the topic of global warming. is she just assuming we know that's what she's talking about and doesn't want to waste time promoting the new trendy cause, or is she just trying sneak out of the blame game, not wanting to admit the relationship that we are a tree-murdering society?

Virtual Iraq

I have great respect for those people who make the choice to dedicate their lives to the serving our country. it must take a lot of guts to decide to make that choice, especially at at age like this. i can't even pick a major, never mind find myself ready to sign up for the army. pretty much everyone knows of someone who is or was in the army, but it always seemed like something that "just was". it wasn't until last semester that it became real, how big of a decision it is, when someone my own age, was today sitting in my math class, but in a few short years would be off defending our country. i almost felt privileged to have been in a class with them.
one great factor that makes the idea of this choice so uneasy for me is the huge amount of uncertainty that comes along with it. the article, Virtual Iraq, by Sue Halpern, discusses PTSD, posttramatic stress disorder, a very unfortunate side effect of traumatic events, like war. having to deal with something like this anxiety could take over someone's life. it isn't fair. although there have been no real cures for these horrible flashbacks, new technological therapies have been proposed. simulation games are hoping to ease the stress of veterans who suffer from the disorder by allowing them to relive the trauma in a controlled setting. like Paul Rieckhoff said "we're a video game generation. it's what we grew up on. so maybe we'll respond to it".

High Tech Trash - Chris Carroll

who ever though that recycling would have extended beyond paper and plastic? i guess that with all the new technological advances, there had to be some consequences. unfortunately, the U.S. takes these problems, and ships them somewhere else, for someone else to deal with. e-waste, such as the 30-40 million computers that go out of service throughout the U.S. is not only damaging our earth, by piling up wherever we have banished it to, but is also toxic to mankind. the harsh chemicals that are contained within these machines that were once used to help our everyday functions are now finally getting their revenge.

Twelfth Night Reaction Free Write

after reading act 1, I can't stop thinking about the inevitable ending when they all find out that Viola is not really Cesario, or a man. everyone knows that it is coming, and starting off in teh first act already starts to build up the anticipation, was to early i might add. now all i can think about everytime a problem or quarrel arises is "uh oh...here is comes..". i aleady was worried when the duke started to talk about how cesario should be the one to talk to olivia because "he" has many unmanly qualities.

the toulmin model- "is google making us stupid?"

nicolas carr's article "is google making us stupid", is arguing the claim that because google, or all information really, is so easily accessible and takes no effort at all to find the answer to a question, ha reworked our brains into being action-less blobs. from once being able to sit and do research for hours on end from library books, he claims that simple tasks such as reading an entire article that can be found in seconds on the internet, has become impossible. this regression of the human mind ("I'm not thinking the way i used to think") is part of how carr supports his claim.

as humans now feed their knowledge through link "hopping", as carr calls it, there is the argument about which way is more filling; seeing a massive amount of info on multiple topics, but only little snippets of it, (as billy collins refers to it, "zipping along the surface like a guy on a jet ski") or really diving into on certain area, a "sea of words", and really understanding what is being read. after all, many say this is the age of specialization. but it's also the age of instant gratification, and is it worth it to spend time doing something the "scholarly" way, when it is more efficient to just use the internet? this is one of the big holes in carr's argument. the warrant that everyone as access to google or the internet. what about those who don't? are we to say that the will be the only ones whose brains will not be transformed? is stupidity contagious?

IS GOOGLE MAKING US STUPID?

Possibly. But I think it is one of those things that it depends on how you use it. Basically it's kind of there to help you find the answer to something you don't know, which in turn adds to your knowledge of random facts once you find it. I mean who knows what the capital of Chez Republic is right off the top of their head? Don't know? Google it. (that actually brings up the point that will new technology comes new words, especially in the form of verbs.) Come to think of it, I actually can't think of a con of google at the moment. At first it is easy to agree with the title of the article, and the reasons Carr lists, such as the professors inability to read for along period of time. But i don't think that's google's fault. It's just the evolution (or some might want to say regression) of humans. The world has become so fast paced and it's all about instant gratification. The only way to keep up with the crowd is to join in. So I say, if it's there, you might as well use it.