TWN and JAW

Twelfth Night has Viola in a disguise, underplaying her natural actions, thoughts, and emotions to everyone in Ilyria. Ray is veiled in the same way. He binds himself in the beginning of the movie with his lack of enthusiasm and apathetic tone. Viola cannot reveal who she is because she must stay in the dukes graces as his male companion, even though she is in love with him. Ray and Viola both have something more going on in their heads that each character keeps hidden at first; their love desires. Both characters experience change in their environment and directly cause the people around them to change. Viola causes love triangles and rectangles when she makes Olivia fall in love with her by mistake. Once she shows who she is (a woman) the result is the entire cast coupling off except for Malvolio. In Trona, Ray finds inner peace and outer success whe he gets the girl and saves his hometown. Both stories exhibit insanity with a conjured return to normality.

Carlin

George Carlin is not concerned. He's not fumingly angry, hes just a little oissed about the tree huggers. Phaelen is talking about evolution here on Earth, and both authors mention change. While Carlin says it will all be forgotten, Phaelen says humanity is self-extincting. Technology is actually going to be our downfall because maybe we are not going through evolution anymore- we have become lazy and are making technology do it for us. Its true, take it from me I'm in astronomy; as Carlin says, the Earth in the long run will not be directly effected by us because like us, it too will come to its end. Yes, there are black holes in every solar system, and although the Milky Ways seems to be inactive right now- our sun will eventually supernova, swalowing us. So in a sense nothing really matters. but if we as human beings took this general attitude we would not better ourselves but actually sacrifice ourselves. As Carlin stresses, it is the people that are messed up, not the planet.

Phaelen Predicament

Ok, I can see how when the earleist human life forms were around that evolution was prosperous. I mean monkeys to caveman, Darwinism has been easily integrated into most school biology classes. In the present, however I have a slight problem believing that humans today are actually evolving themselves. I think we have become lazy. I think we are letting technology become our outward form of being and mind, and it has nothing to do with our natural human construction. Robot vacumes, Genius playlists on iPods, and various inventions have acredited to much of our knowledge and easy-going life today. Come on, our cars can parallel park for us now and you can even watch TV in them! This concept leads my mind to beleive that we have actually slowed down evolution by creating so many technological items that do anything and everything for us.

The Effects of Climate Change

I remember the first time I heard the word global warming. I was in middle school, sitting in Mr. Whaleys class trying to learn about the Earth. Global warming was explained to me as the result of too many Styrofoam cups and hairspray invading our ozone layer, so all of the ice caps are beginning to melt. I pictured little bits of cups and hairspray shooting up towards the sky and then bursting through the atmosphere allowing the hot sun to penetrate the North and South pole and polar bears falling into the water because all of their icebergs were gone. This isn't exactly how John Broome is thinking. He is straight to the point, and confident that the economy will lead the world to a greener path on the subject of harmful gases and emissions into the environment. Climate change is our responsibility, stresses Broome; and according to him most of the responsibility rests on the shoulders of the rich. I guess one could suppose that the richer person has a bigger house, therefore using more oil to heat it. The person may also have a huge gas guzzling Range Rover but at the same time that Range Rover may be the only nice possession a poor person has. It seems easy to lump people into different groups like that but in the end all people, rich or poor, are responsible for this planet and the only way to make a difference is to come together to make changes that will aid earthly preservation. Give a man a fish, feed him for a day; teach a man to fish, feed him for life. You can give the poor money to make themselves eco friendly, but the only real way to achieve results is to educate everyone as a whole on more eco friendly habits.

The Writing Center

I walked in there with a couple ideas. Sat down at the desk and came up with a plethora of information and some great insights on how I was supposed to connect all those themes in the Twelfth Night/Sonnet/Strand paper. All I kept thinking to myself is, ok this job pays really well. I could probably do this, or at least I would like to try. I think the reason I thought this is because honestly the WC person is really only there to guide you, they don't tell you what to say or how to write it. You say something they'll say half of a sentence and you're expected to finish it. This is a productive way of constructing an essay because I didn't feel lost when I got home to my laptop. I had already started turning the mental gears in my brain and the essay cranked itself out right through my finger tips. A+ writing center, A+.

The Reality Tests

"Do we create what we observe through the act of our observations?" says Joshua Roebke. There are certain laws and properties that define our world. We live in a world that requires us to use our observations to explain it. Without any observation there would be no mental thought process. No outstanding comment or belief. When human beings make an observation they are conciously connecting something to something else, or recording it to remember something for later. This is the creation of observation. The human body posses a tremendous quality to interpret information. Quantum theories are the direct reasoning behind our logic because it is the scientifical explanation for our world.
When I was in Astronomy last week, my professor stated that you only feel the force of gravity when you fight it. I had never thought of it that way, gravity is a constant pull, its not as though we are going to float away from the Earth. The force of it, however it does not actually grab us until we try to fly, jump, or catapult ourselves into the world. Without experience and conclusion we woul not believe anything we are told as human beings.

Big Foot

Michael Specter concluded that "food miles" are just another wasteful solution that is being used for the people, but is directly destroying the people because of the harm done on the environment. How many trucks do you see everyday when you drive on the freeway? How many of those are food trucks: think about it. There is already pollution from the factories that produce this food. "We are in an era of creative destruction" says John Elkington. We just keep creating "bigger and BETTER!" ideas without even the slightest thought to anything but our own profit, as in money. What should be considered is the profit from our natural resources rather than making up new ones that only cause damage from chemicals and production waste. One topic discussed in this essay was the development of more energy efficient potato chip bags. The other day I was at Dutch Treats and my friend picked up a bag of Lays potato chips. When he grabbed the bag he was startled at the loud crinkle that came from the space-blanket-like material used as a replacement to the normal plastic which does less harm in the long run. It's true; companies with large markets are trying extremely hard to make their products healtheir so that their consumers will continue to purchase and not be effected by greenhouse gas criticisms.
Personally, I feel responsible because my most favorite activity in the world is driving my car. Although it is a little 95 Ford Escort Station wagon, with not automatic features except seat belts, I don't feel as though I am at a huge fault since I dont drive an SUV. I could definitely drive less though. We all need to think about our energy consumption because it went unconsidered by anyone for so long. Now, stresses Specter, it will be almost impossible for our society to switch over to more efficient energy use. Like todays societal addiction to ciggarettes, we are a world addicted to fuel, and most have no attention of slowing down soon.

Just Add Water Questions

Why doesn't Ray seem to express emotion?
Why is this family so extremely disfunctional?
What is the son doing with his life?
Why would Ray ever succumb to paying money to the biker dude?
What does this title mean?
How long until Ray explodes and finally stands up for himself?

Thank God the Limitless Animals Are Still Driving

When Wendell Berry claims that Americans have become limitless animals, I had to agree. The national problem of Earlthy good has surfaced in upmost importance in an attempt to salvage some of the damage that has already been done, and Berry uses specific examples to reinstate his conclusions about wastefullness in the US. In his article Faustian Economics, Berry can not help but tell the down and dirty truth about American culture of consumption, although he alludes to religous themes that are culturally relevant in his argument.
Where did it all begin? How did America go from Native American appreciation of the land to slashing down forests without the blink of an eye? The Industrialization period, according to Berry, is responsible because we suddenly obtained exploitable resources. In the begininng there was no thought as to when the source would run out or just how much it could possibly impact society in the future. Over exertion of these precious valuables has led to an irreversable travesty, one that is surely leading humans off the path of rightoesness according to Barry.
It is necessary to include Berrys allusions to biblical refrences such as Paradise Lost as examples of the ways humans have come to be the ravenous creatures that we are. Immortality seems to be on the tip of his toungue, as if humans have forgotten their responsibility to the Earth, therefore jeopordizing their futures because of the harm being done on the environment.

Greed/ Wastefulness

Human beings are lost in a mayhem snow globe of dropping problems, encased in themselves. As if each particle of plastic is slowly accumulating to a summation of Earthly problems. This planet is going to hell; literally considering the amount of people and the burning waste being produced. Nature is natural, that is the root meaning of the word afterall. Consistently, this society has neglected and diminished the imnportance of obtaining our extremely comfortable home her on Earth. An excessive comfort level, because the population is scrutinized for the lengthy and horrendous long-term effects that become predetermined once harmful pollution and the destruction of resources ensues. People have a history of acting upon their inventions or products without taking an instant to consider just how negatively the environment is being effected. The slimy, grimy, dirty, polluted waste that sits on our mountains, arades our skylines, burns our atmosphere, and suffocates our oceans is an issue and should be where mankind mans its battle stations.

The Making Of Knowledge

How does one begin to take on the task of explaining knowledge? Is it individual knowledge? A biased fact developed by a certain group of people concurred to be accurate? Who decides what the knowledge will be about or just how far in depth the knowledge will extend. Knowledge is all of these things, according to Kevin A. Bruffee who decides based upon his knowledge, that knowledge can only be spread with a combination of viewpoints and ideas. Communication and resurrection of the spoken word is one of the important way we, as human beings, are able to explain an enjoy the world and all of the information it has to offer.
First, the individual must interpret the piece on his or her own, absorbing each morsel of info possible. Afterwards he or she is able to make opinions and create new thoughts relating to what has just been learned. The creation extracted from the piece becomes what is shared to further understand and obtain as much as desired by hungry minds. Bruffee considers group discussion a vital part to the interpreting process because it allows each member to exchange personal insights to invent more ideas pertaining to the subject on the burner.
Knowledge is a craft, shaped, changed, judged, excepted, declined, and renewed so long as people keep the words and their meanings alive. Speech is written down to become concrete observations and messages passed to the public of knowledge itself; it is meant to be talked about. Questioning oneself, and others, about a piece of writing ensures that tiny seeds will be embedded inside brains, stemming into trees of possibilities that are forever considered and decoded for a completion of understanding.

Language Alive

Interpretation by the reader is the heart of understanding language. As a result, language is a slippery slope because every person will develop his or her own thesis about the particular work in question. When writing a poem, one must be specific enough to produce something that instigates memory or knowledgeable concepts of a reader or audience. Comparing language to a tree as Hass did, or wading in the water as Jones considered plausible, reserves the power of the words and makes it possible to come back again and again to read and experience and develop different thoughts connecting the the poem at ones different stages of life. Both poets touch upon the importance of considering other meanings others may find hidden in the theme of a poem. Symbolism must be used to create images that all people ritually understand.

The Strength in the Spoken Word

Derrida questions his ability to write about anything without limit. At the end of the day he is ablse to seriously ask himself weather or not his writings are legitimate criticisms and ideas that can be presented to the world for understanding. His subconcious is a mediator in his mind, playing devils advocate to whatever he has produced during the day. The power of the written word is incomparable in terms of the possibilities in which the piece is injecte throughout the world. The reciever of the idea or information is the true judge, and that is why there are so many writers and authors in the world. Writing is used to connect people in terms of their feelings and common beliefs. Every human being has their own individual voice, so why not write it down, it is even more useful that way because there is a record of the collection of thoughts. I do not experience such anxiety because I believe in what I write, therefore there is no one who can tell me my mind is wrong in my point of view. Of course, my work can be criticized and disagreed with, but that is constructive an tolerant; spreading even more knowledge.

Twelfth Night Hofstra Style

Hofstra's production of Twelfth Night allowed me to have the first experience of seeing Twelfth Night on stage. What I saw surprised me, allowed me to hear the music, and experience the livelihood of interaction between the characters. The director chose to set the play in the post civil war south. The set itself was fantastic, very soft lighting that created Olivia's house stage right and the dukes room stage left. Trees stand tall in the middle of the stage allowing space for the garden. Almost all of the characters took on an accent, though it was the total downfall of the play making it even harder to understand and cognitive dissonance was broken whenever the character changed the nationality or broke the fluency, using a different accent completely.
The lead women, Olivia and Viola, were not as strong as I had hoped they would be. Olivia seemed ditsy, rather than opinionated and determined. She floated around the stage humming her lines without a care, and appeared extremely daintily clingy rather than devoted to Cesario, or any other she showed affection towards. Viola always looked scared rather than certain of her role as a man, and would have been unconvincing to me as anyone because she always had a scared look in her eye.
One character who did acclaim himself with language was Feste, the fool. Playing a guitar, accompanied by his natural singing voice, he captivated any ones attention. He was perfect for the part, playful with the other characters and his sarcasm towards the others created enjoyable entertainment because he was able to communicate with the audience, something the other characters seemed to lack. The comedy definitely took over the show because it was the most relatable aspect. Sir Andrew and Sir Toby, of course, added to the humor with farcical actions. The entire mood of the play was energized and lifted by the three male characters who reside in the heart of the play to engage chaos and humor.
My favorite part of this piece were the songs Feste sang, because it made the entire theater tranqui when playing a beautiful song, and merry with the little diddys. I believe the downfall of the play was its setting and the characters choices it then determined for the entire prouction. I could not say that I thouroughly enjoyed this production but it always interesting to see how modern directors adapt to Shakepearian themes and scripts because the scenes may take play in any variety of places in order for the audience to be more succeptable to connect.

Focused Freewrite

In Act II. iii. 179, Maria calls her scheme to manipulate and embarrass Malvolio "Sport royal..." What do you make of this?

Malvolio is the perfect person for the group to pick on. Maria knows he will be easy to fool with the right charms and he is power hungry, they want to play a game with him; mess around and make a joke for sport, or fun. Malvolio is so easily tricked by the wording of Marias letter, he becomes giddy and proclaims cupid struck love for Olivia as he rushes with a ginourmous grin in yellow stickings to her side.

Concordance of Disguise

1. Themetic idea disguise, trick, conceal

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 4, Scene 3

OLIVIA Blame not this haste of mine. If you mean well,
Now go with me and with this holy man
Into the chantry by: there, before him,
And underneath that consecrated roof,
Plight me the full assurance of your faith;
That my most jealous and too doubtful soul
May live at peace. He shall conceal it
Whiles you are willing it shall come to note,
What time we will our celebration keep
According to my birth. What do you say?




2. This is an example of several characters using language of the same thematic strand. Viola disguises herself, therefore tricking others. Malvolia tricks his mind into thinking the letter is meant for him and is fooled when he falls for the trap. Olivia conceals herself away, as does Viola. The two have a simaler paralell plot going on.

3. Shakespeares uses differenttropes to portray certain messages that connect his characters and support the plat. He must create actual figurations for the audience to connect to themselves as they become lost in the play. We see Olivias veil and Violas dress and mustache. The root of the play starts with Violas trickery, and it progressed throughout.

Inkshedding Act II Sc 4

Duke: Then let thy love be younger than thyself, or thy affection cannot hold the bent; for women are as roses whose fair flower being once displayed, doth fall that very hour.

Women are fragile and Cesario has not experienced love yet. Women are delicate and can be vulnerable to love. It could mean that once women fall in love, they fall for good. Viola may be giving Orsino reasons why Olivia is not right for him becasue she is actually in love with him. he is hoping that his acts of love will be enticing to Olvia. Orsino may be saying let love blossom and rise to its fullest potential, but there is also the idea that once women are seen in that light that their appeal decreases.

Small Object, Large Scale Paper Feedbak

This paper gave me ample opportunity to be creative, I enjoyed using clever wording to convey my message about Red Bull. Whats interesting about this paper was taking an everyday object that is prevalent in our society and being able to break down the components of why it is so successful. A couple days after I wrote the paper, some Red Bull girls came into my room with their redbull-can cooler backpacks. Enthusiastically, they inquired if I would like a red bull shot, red bull cola, or just a regular red bull. All options offered in both sugar free and regular. I told them I had written a paper on Red Bull, and they gave me more for free. I wondered to myself if it was a coincidence that they were here at Hofstra the same day that accepted students and their families were visiting. Red bull attracts the typical college student, as do most of the items that the class was asked to research for this paper. We dictate the market, because we are the consumer, and it is just smart to investigate what we are really getting ourselves into.

Lunacy Quotes

When Viola states that she is the man, it is obviously directly the opposite. Viola tries to be bold, uphold her disguise, continue to prove that she is who she appears to be. Viola is fooling everyone close to her, which probably means that when everyone finds out who she is is will cause a commotion. Shakespeare enjoys turning everything upside down, making twists and turns as confusing as possible so that when it is all sorted out in the end it gives for complete closure.

Malvolio is an interesting character in this play, power hungry he grows into a lunatic at the word of Olivias love, which is false. He has to put himself into the letter "olivia" has written to him. He thinks the letters represent the letters in his name, he wants to be the reciever of the letter. He has to "crush" it as if to break the code. Malvolia becomes crazy at this news and ends up locked up for the whole escapade.

"Then think you right. I am not what I am" Viola is saying do not think me anything, get me out of your mind. Olivia responds "I would love you were as I would have you be" puts her love in her eyes, a perfect being, constructing her own fantasy of Cesario. Viola continues to defer her, but Olivia persists. The crazy part of the play originates here because Viola, a woman, has made Olivia fall in love with her unintentionally and without trying AT all.

Questions For Twelfth Night

Why did the duke send "Viola" to talk to Olivia?

Why does the duke trust and bond with "Viola" so quickly?

Why will Olivia "not match above her degree, neither in estate, years, or wit"?

Why would Olivias uncle want her to marry Sir Andrew if he seems so obnoxious?

What is the deal with the Clown, he's wacked?

Why is Olivia so taken with Cesario?

Weakened Wilderness

Global warming, climate change, endangered species, and other various sturggles between humans and nature are on the cusp of everyones mind. The environment must be salvaged, according to Michelle Nijhuis' article about the Torreya Tree in "Taking Wilderness in Hand: Rescuing Species". The Torreya tree, or Torreya taxifolia, is most at home in the Panhandle of Florida. What was once, described in the passage as a "common sight along the Apalachicola, plentiful enough to be cut for Christmas trees". The forest has been affected somehow because the trees began to stop growing last century. Habitats are changing, animals have changed their migration patterns. The same thing is happening to plant life as well, except plants cant be expected to move. The tree species has been settled in Florida for many years, and residents who enjoy its company are willing to go up and above the tallest branches to save them. Assisted migration, to re-plant the trees in new places that have the climate they are used to; has been discussed by many environmental researchers and it is possible that the Torreya and other trees could benefit tremendously. Conservationists disagree over this matter, so the migration remains controversial about how much good it would actually do. The process is also expensive and complicated. In the world today, all living things are precious and necessary vital resources, it is the planet that gives life and in turn all must look to the steady growth of the future.

Virtual Iraq: The Psychology of War

When soldiers return from war, their experiences incorporated with stress and combat with life or death situations cause many to experience symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder or PTSD. Evidently, this is a complicated and necessary disorder to treat. In Sue Halperns Virtual Iraq psychologists begin a new method of coping with PTSD. Prolonged-Exposure therapy; the big idea is this: soldiers need an outlet so real to their experience that they are able to cope with it, come to terms, and be able to live in their trying positions. Virtual stimulation's allow the tragic men and women to flashback to an uncomfortable time, and because of this psychologists require that scenarios be given to the patients before they begin immersion therapy. "We're a video game generation. It's what we grew up on. So maybe we'll respond to it" says Paul Riechoff of the simulator. Although, there are some concerns with the product such as the graphic features that contain explicit images of war. Clinical trails show that this treatment can be proven useful but it will always be impossible to fully eliminate the effects of post traumatic stress disorder. Veterans who are fortunate enough to live should not have to experience such horror when they return home, and Virtual Iraq may help, but full recovery is impossible.

High Tech Trash Problems

Usually at some point during the year, there is a round up of all the electronic devices that one has broken during the year. These items sit around for months, serving no purpose except for dust collection. Just the other day I had to buy a new cell phone, the man asked me if I would like him to dispose of my old phone for me. I replied "No, thank you", seeing as I am the type of person who will need my old phone at some point because of my carelessness. Now, after reading High Tech Trash by Chris Carroll I feel better knowing my Motorola won't end up burning in a fire pit Africa. E-waste is a direct threat not only to the population because of its harmful health related effects, but also effects on the environment. The areas where the "disposals" are become severely damaged over time, the chemicals resulting from burning computers and circuit boards can only pollute the soil and air. The developing world is being compromised thanks to the over zealous inventions created without a thought as to what would happen when the devices no longer worked, or were needed. Dumping electronics in innocent countries is inappropriate and wrong. Obviously I am not shocked that this could be possible, it is just unsettling and bleak to think about how long this has been going on.

Small Object, Large Scale: Red Bull Flys High

As a society run ragged by the pressures of everyday life, what seems only "natural" is for distributors creating a highly caffeinated beverage to keep the American consumer alert, awake, and bopping around with sugar pumping through their veins. Red Bull is replacing the need for sleep with a tasty can of caffeine. Instead of sleeping recommended hours for healthy living, the American society can easily fix exhaustion by chugging a Red Bull. This alternative is known for its fast acting awakening affect, and shows that the American culture values its active time more so than sleep. The society likes being busy, and anything to enhance or minds is greatly appreciated.



When Red Bull first became popular, it took a simple illustrated commercial to show the viewer enthusiastically that 'Red Bull gives you wings!' The advertising suggests that Red Bull can be used as a super power, to fly up and away as little wings sprout from the cartoon character after the first gulp. This energy will make the contemporary American surge through our power struggle to continue to take part in our hectic schedules. The association with Red Bull ads are high energy, an online video shows people driving various objects such as water planes and parasails, off of a jump down a long drop into the water. Extreme sports are where Red Bulls major promotions come from, showing the charged effect Red Bull has on its drinkers.



I drank a Red Bull Shot last night to give me a boost to write a previous blog around 12, quite ironic that today I was handed an assignment and instantly chose the Red Bull, even though I do not regularly drink it. Last night I wrote my blog with ease, showered, and still felt alert. Falling asleep was a joke. It's funny that something designed to give us so much energy takes away from the natural way our bodies want the energy. Obviously my decision to consume Red Bull at midnight was not the best idea if I wanted to get a good nights sleep, but I am a contemporary American who struggles between two jobs and school; falling into the "wing" trap wasn't too hard.

Time is the most valuable thing anyone can have, and the human race has very little of it. Companies know that designing a product high in caffeine for those on the go will sell with no problem. Because of the caffeine in Red Bull, the American population will continue to come back to the store fiending for the same energy high. Maximizing our potential is important but at what cost? Red Bull is high in sugar and the effects of the heart-pumping beverage are dangerous to the general populations health. Ultimately the contemporary American will always seek out whatever will get them out of bed in the morning, as well as keep them on high speed for the rest of the day. And without that Red Bull, how else would one get wings? We are a people obsessed with caffeine.

Toulmin Model of Why Google is Making Us Stupid

Is Google Making Us Stupid? by Nicholas Carr is an article on how the internet has increased our knowledge, yet is distracting us from a quest of deep understanding of what we are reading. Carr's claim in his article is that online search engines are allowing us to become lazy with our reading to a point where instead of ones eyes glued to the screen one finds him or herself giving any excuse to stop absorbing letters on a page. The main point coincides with this when Carr states "I'm not thinking the way I used to". Our minds have adapted to our technological advances and why would we want to turn back to endless hours in the library when it would be just as convenient sitting on the comfort of our couches. An example of Carr's support for his opening statement is that "the Net has become a universal medium". Most cultures have embraced Google, it sure saves the day when it takes minutes to discover all the information you could ever want. Evidence Carr introduces is a quote by Scott Karp, an online blogger, who said "he has stopped reading books altogether". Another fact from Carr is stated "When we read online, she says, we tend to become 'mere decoders of information'" of Maryanne Wolf. Another reason is "The mechanical clock" says Carr, we must have a specific way to be able to plan our entire day around a specific time- keeper. Carr later refers to the internet as our "Map" a human instinct to always rush to a computer, so many things can be done on these mesmerizing machines that they become our warrants, the computer appeals to the human brain, just as Google intended it to. For example: "The company has declared that its mission is 'to organize the worlds information... the perfect search engine... the more we can 'access' and the faster we can extract their gist". Google is molding our minds steadily as we get more and more information from the internet. Carr states "people have become so machinelike that the most human character turns out to be a machine" about HAL's dismemberment. I believe he closed with this statement so that can ask ourselves if we have become addicted to the internet in all its glory and vast, yet skim of the surface understanding.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

Google is an excuse for anything and everything. You can find the dumbest things and the smartest information, a range of so many things that relate to every topic ever thought of it almost seems like we would be ignorant to say that Google is making us stupid. When seeking information these days the first thing almost anyone does is google it, it has become a verb. Most of the population would have more difficulty functioning because we have become so dependent and so used to literally having all knowledge right infront of our eyes. Google makes people lazy, it is simple and requires no knowledge or take much time to find so that when we get the information we do not really discover it. Everything is skimmed rather than sifted, making it atrificial knowlegde from what is described by Carr as atrificial intelligence. Computers respond to our patterns. Websites are always completeing themselves as what the search guesses we might type in. Sometimes I think about my Itunes as having artificial intelligence, the same way a search engine on Google would... it knows our brains and while that is convienant, it is a little scary. Carr writes about how our desire to read has diminished and how books are neglected. To me, reading is still mesmorising, but how is it that I can spend 3 hours on the computer without a blink or a realization of the time, yet if I'm reading a book my eyes become tired and while i can concentrate I defnitely cant do it for more than a couple of hours, and i will need to take a little mental break in between. The color the words, the movement, the pictures all capture us into the Web and create a virtual world that many seem to have become lost in.