small object of "Just add water"

In the film "Just Add Water" Nora represents the symbol of hope. When Ray found out about his wife's affair with his brother, when his car was on fire or Edward losing his virginity, Ray always looks at the tin box. The tin box has pictures and memorabilia of Nora. Ray goes to the Rite Value supermarket because she gives him hope. He forgets about the problems that is happening in Trona and in his life.

Animalcules and Other Little Subjects--Mark Smith

In the journal article "Animalcules and Other Little Subjects" by Mark Smith, reminds of the small object, LARGE object essay. Like a scientist or someone who is a forensic science major, we have to look in the bigger picture, the underlying theme, the meaning behind something. Forensic scientists have to look into the crime scene deeper. They have ask themselves questions and build possible scenarios. Smith talks about using a microscope, it makes the obvious not what it seems.
When you think about it, in the film "Just Add Water" why do you need technology to fix our problems when we can think of something on our own that does not hurt the environment.

George Carlin- Saving the Planet

When George Carlin does his comedic acts, he is humorous in a logical way. He reminds me of the John Daily show that makes fun of politics or what is going on in the world. He explains how the people are saving the planet for ourselves. The earth is approximately 4.6 billion years old and us humans have been on this planet for about two thousand years. Without the environment, we don't have to worry about anything. He basically believes that since the earth has gone through incredible changes and that it will always survive. As people, we might be extinct

What are the similarities in Twelfth Night and Just Add Water?

In the comedic play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare and in the film "Just Add Water" has several similarities. When I compare the two sources, the connections do not click in my head automatically.
In the film "Just Add Water", there is alot of craziness going on all at once. First we have the drug dealers who run a meth lab and the town that eventually is ganged up on by the people who live in Trona. There are two love triangles in the film. The first one is between Nora and Ray who is married. We also learn that Charlene and Ray's brother Mike had an affair twenty years before Edward was born.
In the play Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare there is alot of craziness going on all at once. The town Illyria is just pure crazy and delusion. They drink wine and listen to alot of music. Maria fooled Malivio by sending him a forge letter written by Olivia. The real trouble maker is actually Maria because she made it seem like Malivio was crazy.

How We Evolve

In the journal article "How We Evolve" Benjamin Pelan talks about how humans only care about themselves. He believes that we all become extinct and not able to adapt to the change of the environment that is constantly is changing. We are doing our best to live a happy, joyous life while it lasts. We evolved mentally and physically. We became more knowledgeable about our surroundings and how we should treat others. There are scientists and researchers who study evolution. Some believe it was G-d who put us in this planet Earth. Others believe the science behind evolution. Scientists question evolution because there is lack of evidence.
The article also discusses how we can fix the Earth environmentally. Our society only cares about ourselves and not realize that we can be hurting the lives and well being of future generations. We are used to natural disasters but there are catastrophes everyday. We need to know when to be ready when something we are not familiar too happens.

The Ethics of Climate Change- John Broome

In the journal article "The Ethics of Climate Change" by John Broome, he discusses how our society today needs to take responsibility for tomorrow. We know about the causes and effects of climate change, but it is much more difficult to figure out what we should do about it now and how ethically we need to think and react. It is our responsibility to start to change our ways for the well being of future generations.
There has been a slow increase in natural disasters. Major earthquakes have rocked the planet, it seems that after the first one they have continued because of changes in the Earth’s crust. Recently, a volcano in Iceland erupted which caused havoc for travelers. The increase in global temperatures is responsible for glaciers melting, unusual floods and dangerous weather such as tornadoes and hurricanes. Global warming is very much responsible for climate change and we are seeing these obvious concerns.
When Broome talks about the money market, he is talking about how people have a surplus of goods. “In going about our daily lives, each of us causes greenhouse gases to be emitted. Driving a car, using electric power, buying anything whose manufacture or transport consumes energy- all those activities generate greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change” (Broome, 12). As a society, we indulge ourselves with things we do not need and we don’t think twice whether or not we are hurting our planet. It is time to just say no.
Broome talks about the ethical economics of our generations to reduce greenhouse gases. The wealthy should consider the excess use of fancy cars and things but can we just blame the rich or should we all do our part? Some think that the cost to be more efficient with our energy is too expensive, changing light bulbs, insulating our homes, driving hybrid cars, eating less meat and using less paper. If it is done now it will save money for the future. The problem is that people do not care about the people of the far away future. They only care for the people in the present or their grandchildren. Why should I deny myself now for things that may happen one hundred years from now?
In the film “Just Add Water”, the fictitious town of Trona is taken over by drug dealers. All the water in the town dries up and nothing can grow. When the people decide to take control and get rid of the drug dealers, it miraculously rains. Even though this film is not about climate change, it’s symbolic of the will of people and how change can be achieved.
As a society, we need to start to care about the future. In the Hanes commercial, two guys are walking in the mall wearing a sweatshirt, shirt, pants and socks. One guy is wearing Hanes brand that is ecologically earth-friendly. The other guy is presumably wearing “American Apparel-like” brand, which is not environmentally friendly. The children are making sad faces and dirty looks at the guy not wearing Hanes. He becomes uncomfortable. The children recognize which brands are safe for the environment. Our children have learned to be responsible from their parents, it is time for us to ethically do the right thing and act on what we know is right for generations one hundred years from now.

Creative destruction

In the journal article "Big Foot" by Michael Specter, he puts in John Elkington's claim that “We are in an era of creative destruction." I agree with this claim. We are advancing technology everyday because our society is fast paced and wants to be in the "latest fashion." Our society does not care or realize that our planes are polluting the air, our cars are hurting the environment. All that matters to them is that they work.
As a consumer, I feel like it is our fault that global warming exists. Our society only cares about themselves and not recognize that we are hurting the future generation. Yes, companies are improving and making natural products that are saving our environment and planet Earth.

Blogging

For me, blogging is like a personal diary that can be about anything. People comment about what you wrote about and they give suggestions or feedback about it. It is free writing place where the English grammar doesn't have to be perfect. All that matters in blogs are opinions and your ideas.

Just Add Water

Observations- Dry grass. Rundown town. Unstable Wife. Horrible neighbors. Plain. Drug dealers. trailer parks. Woman working at grocery store. Ray working in a tollbooth in a parking garage.Unfulfilling life. Repeats "don't forget a mint". Turtle eating bright green lettuce. "American Dream". Edward wants to lose his virginity desperately. Ray leaves his wife

Inferences- Ray repeats "don't forget a mint" could mean improve your day. Drug dealers have power and control everyone. Green lettuce means "life". Nora is thin, unstable and cannot go out outside. Edward wants to be a man. Nora confesses that Edward is not his son.

QUESTIONS
1) Where is the police force?
2) What did the town Trona look like before?
3)What power do the drug dealers have over this town?
4) Is Ray and the young woman going to hook up?
5) Is Edward going to tell his father the truth or continue lying to him about not losing his virginity to the prostitute?
6) What is going to happen next ??

What is a writer?

A writer is a ordinary person who is filled with ideas and thoughts that are written down. It is a form of therapy for these writers because they need to get the past behind them in order to move on to the future. Writers write with such emotion and enthusiasm to get the reader interested in their books. In English class, as writers students have to pull in the reader by making the paragraphs interested in their work. Writers can be anyone, they are just ordinary people living their life like everyone else.
I think i am a writer. When we are blogging or writing a rough draft essay, we are writing. I may not be a English major does not mean I don't know how to write. The writing center helps me with my writing.

Water

What will happen to the water in oceans, lakes. streams, rivers when there is a drought? Should we blame global warming or the overuse of water? We use water to help mix ingredients. Without water, plants will wilt. Is there water in the desert? If there isnt, how do the animals survive in the extreme heat? Without water, the grass dries up.We will get thirsty and dehydrated. Water is used to loosen tough ingredients when we are mixing something.

The Reality Tests

“Do we create what we observe through the act of our observations?” (Roebke, 230). My parents always told me "don't judge a book by it's cover." Just because you do not see something does not mean it does not exist. For example, we only see the moon at night but it is invisible during the day because the sun and moon are overlapping. It is like questioning whether or not the Earth is "flat". I did not take physics, but I do know there are scientific or historical reasoning behind how something is created or observed by scientists. When we read a book, we cannot just read the surface of the book, we have to interpret or find the meaning behind the meaning. It is like finding the underlining theme of Twelfth Night in each sonnet. We need to pick important key words that may mean something because it could be relevant to why we think the way we do.

Filthy Rich Fat people--Greed and Waste

Whats the point of living in this world if you only care about yourself? Everyday people waste money on things they do not need or spend money on expensive cars, clothes, jewelry and much more. They don't care about the homeless and do not give money to non profit charities. Celebrities are positive example of greed by giving money to the poor or to help raise money for non profit organizations and show how generous they are.
The morbidly obese people is an example of greed because they stuff their mouths with luxurious amounts of food. It is like a Thanksgiving dinner where everyone is stuffing food in their mouths and forgetting about those who cannot afford these extravagant dinners or those who cannot afford anything at all.
Greed brings out the selfishness out of everyone. It is a disease that cannot be cured. Greed brings the devil out of a person. Greed is a waste of time and is not helpful to our society because the economy is getting worse. "The rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer"

Twelfth Night Essay

When I began writing this essay, i was having difficulty at first because I had some difficulty understanding William Shakespeare's language. I got alot of help from sparknotes.com on "No Fear Shakespeare " because it had the modern text and i was able to understand it much better. When I needed to choose a Shakespeare sonnet, i had to look up online the meaning and the theme of each one. I chose sonnet 138 because it was about deception which is one of the main themes in William Shakespeare's play Twelfth Night. I needed help on how to setup the format of the essay because i was having trouble. After I left my PAL instructor, I went to the Writing Center to start my essay. I went to the Writing Center again to revise and it was very helpful. This essay took alot of time and hardwork.

The Problem of Describing Trees

In the poem "The Problem of Describing Trees" by Rodney Jones and Robert Hass, has several slippery slopes of language. The way a person describes an object or a person with metaphors or other literary elements can mean have several interpretations. Rodney is using the power of language to expose how the elements on Earth are multi-demonsional

What's you definition of Knowledge ?

Knowledge is defined as the body of truth, information, and principles acquired by human kind. Knowledge is important because we remember what we have learned in the past for the future. It's like a box full of memories or important facts. People uses different sources to find information about certain things. There are multiple levels of knowledge such as extreme knowledge for those who are very smart or moderate knowledge for those who are average. If we did not have knowledge, we would not know how to educate ourselves when we learn something new for a job or learning in school.
We need knowledge to understand ourselves. Knowledge has been used for centuries from scholars, psychologists and more. They tried to interpret where knowledge comes from. They did experiments and learned that knowledge comes from a certain part of the brain. It interprets what to remember and what to forget. When we write an essay, we need to know how to write a introduction that includes a topic sentence and a thesis. We also need to know how to write body paragraphs that have great detail with quotes. Finally, writing a conclusion that wraps up your essay.

Media Project

The media projects helped me see the meanings of each concordance of Shakespeare visually. I was able to see the sonnets in pictures rather than reading it straight from the book. I was able to understand the deeper meaning of what the characters in Twelfth Night by William Shakespeare means

Act 2 and Act 3 Inkshedding

Viola: "I am the man" (Act 2 Scene 2, 25)
Viola is trying to reason with Olivia about the ring and how flirty she is with men. Viola feels like she is part of an awkward love triangle.

Malvolio: "...and yet to crush it a little, it would bow to me.." (Act 2, Scene 5, 143-145)
Malvolio is misinterpreting the fake letter that and gets over excited that Olivia is truly in love with him. Malivio gets excited when he sees that several letters are the same letters in his name. He starts to act irrational and infatuated with what Olivia wrote in the letter.

Viola: "Then think you right..I am not what I am."
Olivia: "I would you were as I would have you be"
(Act 3, Scene 1, 148-149)
Viola is trying to convince Olivia that she cannot love her. Olivia is in love with Cesario because she will love any one she sees.

small object to LARGE object essay thoughts

When I was thinking several ideas for the small object to LARGE object essay, several ideas came to mind such botox, junk food and caffeinated drinks. The first two, both seemed like good topics to write about but they were too broad which is why i wrote about caffeinated drinks. I used sources to prove my points about how caffeinated beverages affect society, college students and athletes. When i say caffeinated beverages, i mean Redbull, Monster Energy and other energy drinks out there. Organizing this essay was pretty difficult because that is not my strongest point. When I went to the Writing Center, the tutor helped me alot with organization, grammar and making the essay flow. I will definitely go to the Writing Center in the future because they helped and taught me a lot. GO TO THE WRITING CENTERRR

Act 2 Inkshedding

Fabian "If I lose a scruple of this sport, let me be boiled to death with melancholy" (2.5, pg. 75)

Sir Toby, Maria and Andrew thought it would be funny to play a joke on Malvolio by forging a letter written by Olivia for him to find. Being a fool or prankster, Fabian thought it would be funny to be part of the drama associated with the joke. They thought it was funny to pull a joke on Malvolio for a good laugh. The fool says if he misses part of the joke, he will be boiled to death.

Reenacting Shakespeare of Act 2

In class today, we reenacted William Shakespeare’s play The Twelfth Night of Act Two. It was interesting and funny to listen to my classmates trying to imitate the characters and use the language of Shakespeare. It was easier to understand what was going on because the dialogue was filled with body language to make the story alive. Those who were observing were somewhat like the audience of a modern day Shakespearean play because we were laughing and giggling. Two male classmates played the two main female characters, Olivia and Viola, which was interesting because in Shakespeare’s time, men played as female roles.

Act 2 of Twelfth Night

1. Is Antonio interested in a homosexual way towards Sebastian?
2. Does Sebastian know that his twin sister is alive? Does Olivia know that his brother is alive?
3. Is Sir Tony in love with Mary?
4. Who is Mary?
5. In the Fool's riddles, does he give hints that Viola is actually disguising as a man (Cesario)?
6 Who is Antonio ?

In search of multiple interpretations of Act One in The Twelfth Night

1) Is Olivia afraid to find love after what happened with her first lover?

2) Is commiting suicide the only way of escaping a marriage?

3) Is Olivia afraid that the suitors just want her because of social class and not her personality?

4) Did William Shakespeare fictionalize how love should be?

5)Is there a time in the book, that the suitors realize that it is not just about the social class but the personality and character of a woman?

6) Do you think that Olivia will fall in love?

The day of being an editor..

When I first get the essay assignment, I look at what goals are needed. I go home and try to put down ideas about several topics I would like to write about that can last till about five or more pages. When I am typing my very first draft, I constantly re read each sentence making sure it sounds somewhat perfect and that it is in the proper place in the paragraph. When I print out the draft, I get a blue pen and make corrections that I did not see when typing. I am somewhat of an architect who cuts out and rebuilds it with better meaning and understanding so the reader can be interested in reading my paper. I guess I can also be a surgeon because I like to experiment with different things and I try to fit in what is necessary in the sentence. I am not a perfect writer but I receive the necessary help from my teachers.

Virtual Iraq

Is Virtual Iraq sustainable to help soldiers overcome a traumatic deployment? This form of therapy will allow soldiers to see a more visual effect using a computer stimulated combat trauma. This might help soldiers to hopefully be able to release some hidden emotion and feel more accepted and normal. Should we as a society try to help these soldiers or just leave them alone to deal with their problems?
In normal therapy, you can be distracted with other areas of your life such as family issues, self-esteem, death in the family and financial problems. Virtual Iraq is focusing on one thing that may help soldiers overcome Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D). After being deployed from war, the last thing soldiers’ need is to talk to a therapist that they feel does not understand them or that cannot relate to their experience. Most soldiers would feel uncomfortable expressing their feelings like that.
Travis Boyd is a typical soldier who experienced major episodes of PTSD. It was apparent that he was unable to live a normal life after combat in Iraq. He returned home with enormous amounts of stress and anxiety that hindered his everyday life. Soldiers are dealing with the horrific experiences of seeing friends and family members die during the war and no one can prepare them for how these feelings will affect them.
As a society we have to understand what the soldiers have been through after fighting for our country. Approximately twenty percent of soldiers suffer from PTSD or major depression. The Virtual Iraq computer game may help because it can lure soldiers to playing a game. They grew up in the video game generation. This video game may not treat all their psychological wounds but it may help them to talk to their family, react to their feelings and live a somewhat normal life.

Torreya Taxifolia

Should assisted migration be allowed, is it right to move some species to a better location because of climate change? Global warming has caused increased climate temperatures that are affecting our ecology. However, assisted migration is also very controversial, as conservationists do not believe it is the right thing to do. Will assisted migration help or actually cause more environmental problems?
Connie Barlow, a writer and naturalist, is concerned about a tree species called Torreya taxifolia located in the hot, dry climate of Florida. Due to the increase of global temperature, this particular species is dying out. There are many Torreya trees further north on the Apalachiola River that are thriving where it is darker and wetter. Jack Johnston grew trees from seeds that did well in Northern Georgia and North Carolina. Moving trees is very expensive but in nature things do move around. In 2004, a public case said that it would not be expensive but easy and that because of highways and changes in the environment the Torreya needed help to be moved. Assisted migration might be a realistic idea.
Conservationists are coming up with new strategies to save the species but no matter what they do they cannot change the fact that temperatures are rising and their ideas may no longer work. They are against assisted migration and think endangered trees can be preserved and restored. The conservationists are afraid if they move a tree to a new environment, it can cause problems and disturb the balance with other species. They do not know what the future will hold in their new environment.
Global warming is not going away and we as a society have to accept that. Should we let habitats go through their natural course of selection and do not get involved? Have humans done enough damage on the environment; haven’t we learned not to change things? If assisted migration does work with the Torreya taxifolia species and it is able to thrive on its own without any problems, maybe we can slowly move other tree species in the future.

High-Tech Trash article

What should we do with our old technology, our e-waste? We should learn how to recycle it in the United States but we don’t. It is expensive to recycle and get rid of. Instead it is shipped to poor countries where they can take it apart and sell the valuable materials at a risk of being poisoned from the chemicals. Is this the right thing to do, they are poor and uneducated but they need the money?
In our country dumping of e-waste in landfills is not allowed because of the toxic chemicals put into the ground so it is shipped overseas as recycling. Poor countries burn our obsolete trash to sell the parts and take out valuable metals like gold and silver. Toxic chemicals are polluting the air with carcinogens and other toxins. Is it worth the money they get selling the parts? Even when we think we are recycling to good places it gets to brokers who ship overseas where environment control is bad. The Basel Ban forbids hazardous waste shipments to poor countries, but it is not enforced or even in effect. It is an illegal business overseas to pollute the air with e-waste but it is done anyway and the results show disease and disabilities are increasing. The toxins exist in the air and when its too much parts are then exported to another country so money is still being made. Even charities think they are helping poor countries like Ghana but they are helping to poison them. Some recycling has started in Tampa and Europe but it is very expensive.
Instead of exporting our electronic garbage to third world countries, we should try to lower the cost of recycling here in our country. It will take a lot of working together to make that happen. We as a society cannot close our eyes and think that we are helping poorer countries feed themselves and help their children’s lives by shipping our e-waste overseas. The truth is it is a hazard to their health and that is more important. Just like when we throw garbage out of our car, our car is clean but the environment is not. We know just what we did. Educating about the hazards and taking care of our own junk is a beginning to solve the problems.

Texting Messaging

Why do people text message so much? Is it because people need a sense of security, a social connection or just need a distraction from the real world? I believe that text messaging is a distraction because people feel the need to respond to the text message they get quickly that they do not care about anything else around them. People, especially students, text so much because they want to stay connected with friends and family constantly.
Texting is convenient; it helps us to communicate quickly and easily without having to talk. Maybe our society prefers not to talk, as that might be too personal. Texting avoids the personal part of communication, looking at someone or feeling his or her emotions. In the Journal of Undergraduate Research at Minnesota State University, Mankato, 2009, the study Impact of Text Messaging on Communication, Heidi Hemmer asks students if text messaging displaces face-to-face communication. The “female focus group did admit to avoiding communication sometimes with text messaging, but the text messages did not displace their face-to-face communication.” In the same study the males felt the same way. People are too lazy to have verbal contact with others and would rather text because it is quick and easy. We do not have to use proper English and can avoid long sentences. People still need the security of our friends and family so texting keeps us connected. It gives us instant gratification and security that we are being included. Does this mean we are insecure? It probably means we are socially doing what everyone else is doing. If there were no texting we would talk on the phone. Texting has helped me let my family know where I am quickly and discretely. To keep it simple, text messaging is a fun social tool that keeps family and friends connected and feeling secure.
Texting is a big distraction and there is no argument against that, it is on the minds of all students everywhere. It distracts us from the things going on around us, like saying hi to people or even maybe thinking about stuff we have to do for school. College students need to text back right away, even when they know not to text while driving or in class. It is like an obsession or compulsiveness. I look at my phone before class then immediately text after my class is over. Even I can feel how hard it is to ignore my phone. In the same study, Hemmer asked if texting was an addiction, both females and males thought that it was more of a habit. Either way text messaging distracts us. What did we do before texting? We looked up at people while walking, we meet people to talk, we called people and we did not constantly look at our phones. Texting is a distraction but that is not really why we text.
We text because its technology that is available, its fun, easy and social. Culturally it is what we do and yes texting can be very distracting but so are all the different technologies.

"Is Google Making Us Stupid?" Abstract

In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr, Carr feels like his mind has lost the ability to concentration and go into deep thought when reading blaming it all on the fast way we get information and read on the Internet. I mostly agree with his thinking but I don’t think its all a bad thing. In our society we are more curious and enjoy getting fast answers, like who sings a song we have in our heads, gossip, sports scores or what happened in the news today. Ok but now we need to discuss reading books and getting meaning from what we read. Yes, in that case, I agree it is easier to go to the Internet, but is it making us stupid?
Bruce Friedman says, “The Internet has altered his mental habits.” He thinks quickly getting straight to the point. We tend to skim over materials and search and search without ever really seeing if an article was worth reading until the end. I think it is making us lazy readers. Why do we need to read a whole book when we can get the same idea and knowledge from a shorter version? Sometimes searching online can be tedious and exhausting because there is so much information. There are times we get distracted searching and find something else we are interested in. Yes going to the library could provide more focus as we would only look up what we needed to know for fear that reading entire books would be such a waste of time. For me getting lost in a library is also possible. I remember my mom yelling at my older brother to go to the library for information, then as I got older she began to realize it is easier to just stay home and get the same information.
Maryanne Wolf states, “We are how we read” that the Internet hurts our ability to be deep thinkers and we have become “mere decoders of information.” I agree that if I had a book in my hand I would be more comfortable to relax and get into the book. It doesn’t bother me when a professor insists we go to the library to do a research paper, it is almost a relief to know there is no choice. If given the option I would pick the Internet. When I sit at the computer for long periods of time I kind of lose concentration but I think that comes from a book too. It is just easier and faster to look things up online; the Internet takes you from one place to another without having to figure anything out at the library. You can read what you need and go on.
In today’s world information is everywhere. I do think it is true that the Internet limits our patience and desire to think and read with deep thought. But it doesn’t really make us “stupid” just very lazy.

Is Google Making Us Stupid?

I believe that google is making us stupid because it is a faster version to look up information because students are too lazy to go to the library and read a book for a class. Google is networked with everything you need and it has numerous links that may be necessary for what you are looking up. When I go on google, I get very impatient and click the first link I see because I believe it is the only link that will have all of the information that I need. Some of the websites that are put as links such as Wikipedia are not always truthful. Students will copy word for word of an essay that was already written on Google thinking that the teacher will not recognize that they plagarized.