FFW

In II.iii.170, Maria calls her manipulation of Malvolio "sport royal..." What do you make of this?

Maria wants to get back at Malvolio for ruining ther fun. Maria sees that Malvolio's biggest weakness is his ego. She thinks that the best way to play a trick on him is to exploit that weakness. She plans to leave letters around faked to be from Olivia so that Malvolio will think she doesn't love him. Everyone thinks her plan is brilliant. I think its kind of extreme but he shouldnt be such a party pooper.

Inkshedding: Shakespeare Quote

There is no woman’s sides
Can bide the beating of so strong a passion
As love doth give my heart; no woman’s heart
So big, to hold so much. They lack retention.
Alas, their love may be called appetite, 
No motion of the liver, but the palate,
That suffer surfeit, cloyment, and revolt.
But mine is all as hungry as the sea,
And can digest as much. Make no compare
Between that love a woman can bear me
And that I owe Olivia. 
         -Duke  (II.iv.91–101)

Orsino is talking about his love for Olivia. He says that his love for her is much stronger than her love could be for him. He says that the way a man loves a women is much more real than how women love men. He says that his love is deep, while a woman can only love superficially, and that women can easily change how they feel. He thinks his emotions are the most important and Olivia's are trivial. I think this is interesting because we have seen that it is in fact Orsino who falls in love easily and and superficially and often changes who he loves. This quote shows how he is selfish and has very little knowledge about the actual nature of love between men and women. His beliefs are proven wrong throughout the play.

Reaction to Paper 1

To start writing this paper, I chose an object that is a very big part of my life and also of my peers. GPS systems are one type of technology that has become prevalent in most people's lives. It seemed obvious to me that these are so popular. They make it possible to drive, walk, or use public transportation anywhere you could want to go. They are easy to use and understand, even for people who consider themselves completely unable to use modern technology. I love my GPS system and don't go anywhere without it. 

I also found it easy to see the drawbacks of this useful device. Since mine was stolen, I noticed exactly how dependent I had become on using it to get around. Places I had previously gone to several times now seemed impossible to get to. Luckily, I do remember most of the important places that I need to get to such as Hofstra, my house, some friends' homes, doctors etc. But I can no longer take impromptu road trips to visit old friends or family or even my old school Union College. My mom can get anywhere without a GPS. Not only in New York, but nearly all of the tri-state area. She can write turn-by-turn directions, with reference points, to anywhere I have ever needed to go. This is a skill that I, and many others like me, will never have.

Overall, I think that portable GPS systems are great. They can keep you from getting lost, take you home, and are safer than reading a map or written directions. I think that the negative effects that this technology has on us, dependency, is consistent with the effects of all useful technology. Overusing these GPS systems will make us dependent on them but using them in moderation can let you have a lot of new experiences that can only come from traveling.

Small Object, Large Subject: Portable GPS Systems

I. The Lost Student           

 

            Tomorrow after this class, I am meeting my mother for lunch. When we spoke yesterday, I told her that she needed to choose a place that I have been to before. This is because last week my car was broken into and my portable GPS system was stolen. People were specifically targeting cars parked on the street with these gadgets. My window was broken and my car was looted. Now I am only able to go places that I have memorized how to get to. Since my loss, I have been restricted from finding new places to eat, visiting friends at colleges out of state, and partying. Before this incident, I was a fearless and constant traveler. One weekend I would be five and a half hours away in Concord, Massachusetts and the next I would be in Syracuse or Buffalo. Now I feel debilitated. Reluctant to spend hundreds of dollars on a new GPS system I go only to familiar places, mainly within the boundaries of Long Island and Manhattan. I miss having the ability to type any address into my GPS and be on the way to my destination within minutes, whether I have a clue where I am going or not. For someone with a self admitted poor sense of direction, the limited amount of places I can access by memory is more obvious. I need my kind and gentle Lola to announce street names to me and tell me to make a right turn in 0.2 miles. She is also the only one who doesn’t get mad when I undoubtedly make multiple wrong turns in a row and confuse my right and left. For now I remain stranded between places that I can locate by memory. The loss of my dear navigation system has left me feeling helpless, trapped and dependent. Why can’t I just use Mapquest? Why can’t I read a regular map? I suppose I could, if I weren’t too lazy. Like most consumers of portable GPS systems, I don’t want to think about where I am going. I guess I will have to wait to travel again until I can get a new one or borrow from a friend.

 

II. Where To Next?

 

            The features of the newest portable GPS systems are extensive. The most basic feature is road directions, where you enter your destinations and the GPS guides you there using voice commands and written turn-by-turn directions. This allows you to access any destination in the United States that you have an address for. You don’t need to know a single thing, it warns you ahead of time of upcoming turns and street names. Another feature is some of the GPS systems is live traffic updates. You can adjust your current route to avoid traffic delays and maximize your driving time. In addition, many of the GPS systems have Bluetooth wireless capabilities. My favorite feature of my GPS system was its ability to locate nearby places of interest such as gas stations, hospitals, shopping, and places to eat. This allows you to locate the nearest facility to where you are, something especially helpful in emergencies and low food level situations. The other features are even more specialized. Some systems such as the newer Garmin system have “eco-route” a program that calculates the most fuel-efficient way to get to your destination. The “City Explorer” has directions for pedestrians, cyclists, and mass-transit users that allow users or every mode of transportation to find this product useful. This small, portable navigation system is easily used by anybody in a multitude of traveling situations. Apparently aware of the targeted theft of their products, some companies have anti-theft software for their portable GPS systems. Maybe if I had known that before looking up information for this paper I would have saved myself some hardship. Overall the simple to use and highly effective GPS systems have become a household product. The makers of theses systems have capitalized on peoples desires to travel as well as our affinity for life-simplifying technology. Marketing GPS systems as safety products has also led them to increase in popularity. Adding these specialized features allows the product to appeal to more people with different needs and interests.

 

III. Limitations of Unlimited Mobility

 

            Personally, I consider the portable GPS system a godsend. I can go wherever I want, anytime I want to. I feel that I have been able to be more independent in that I have been able to single-handedly navigate my way to various places across the country. I can visit my friends much more often than I previously could. It has definitely helped me stay close to my friends from Union College, where I transferred from, and other out-of-state friends. If I make a wrong turn it’s not a problem. There is no need to retrace my steps, know which way is north, or even have a general idea of where I am going. I know my mom is a lot less fearful of me traveling alone in unfamiliar places. However, constantly relying on my GPS to get me places has made me unsure of how to get to even the most routine places without the aid of my GPS system. Instead of learning how to get to the various places that I frequent, I follow my GPS and pay little attention to where I am actually going. I don’t remember where I turned so that I can find my way back, I just look at what turn is coming up next and how many streets away it is. The more I use my GPS the more dependent I become on it. This has become a more noticeable problem when the GPS looses satellite service in an unfamiliar area. At this point, the driver who was relying exclusively on the GPS system for direction is now staring at a useless piece of equipment. Without a backup set of written directions or a map, this can, as I have personally discovered, leave you completely lost in the middle of nowhere. The feature that I mentioned to be my favorite is the one that tells you the closest place to eat, or get gas, or receive emergency care. While this can definitely be helpful in some situations, the limited number of sites and business listed on the GPS means that you are missing most of the locations your traveling through. While it is nice to know how many McDonalds are located within a five mile radius, it is no way to explore a new place. Experienced travelers will tell you that the best way to get to know a new place is to explore it for yourself, certainly not by hopping from one fast food chain to the next. People have come to rely more and more on this and other technology. What is often missed is how once helpful products can be overused. In this case, people feel that they have the power to go anywhere. In fact, we are more limited than ever in our knowledge of where we live and the places around us.

 

IV. A Nomadic People

 

            The effect that our GPS systems have on us is that we depend on them to go practically everywhere. This dumbing-down of Americans is consistent with the effects of technology on us overall. We take a product that was meant to simplify certain aspects of our life and we become completely reliant on them. The ability to choose where we go without limitation and without much work is not only limited to physical traveling. Navigating the internet and finding information has been simplified and modeled to be fast and easy. We don’t realize how much we are actually missing by relying on others to do our work. Limiting sources to only the books that appear in full text on Google Books will guarantee that whatever research is being done is incomplete. Fast Food restaurants are the same way. They are convenient and useful in moderation but no one wants to eat Burger King for the rest of their life. It is great that we have all of these products and services that make tasks a lot simpler, but people would learn more from doing things on their own sometimes. The people who make these products are aware of how the public will use them. It is easy to see that Americans are constantly searching for ways to make their lives easier. Electronics producers, food service industries, and department stores have perfected this model. Smartfones and digital books put all of our information and communications in one small package. Just as navigation systems lead us to all choose the same route and common destinations, other technologies standardize how and what we consume. By purchasing all of these products and using them until dependency we create a society that is, in effect, completely helpless. Where will these GPS systems expand next? Maybe we will soon be able to watch DVDs or surf the internet while reading road directions. Then perhaps the dangers of such easily accessible technologies be more apparent.

 

Source:

http://www.garmin.com/garmin/cms/site/us

Twelfth Night: Six Questions

1. Is Orsino really upset about being rejected by Olivia? He seems to like the dramatic aspect of falling in and out of love more than actually being in love. (I.i.35)

2. Is Orsino a homosexual? He seems very attracted to Viola/Cesario even though he believes him to be a boy. (I.iv.30)

3. Why doesnt Olivia get mad at the clown when he jokes about her brother being in hell? She has rejected men for saying much less offensive things. (I.v.67)

4. If Olivia doesn't like or get along with Malvolio, why does she keep him around? (I.v.90)

5. Does Olivia really believe Cesario is a man or is she playing along? It seems like you would recognize a woman in any disguise considering they didn't have the modern makeup techniques we do today. (I.v.165)

6. If everybody feels that love is so dangerous, why are they all trying so hard to find it? (Act One)

"To Take the Wilderness in Hand" Abstract

CLAIM: Climate change is a reality that is affecting many species including the Torreya taxifolia. While it is debated what is the best course of action, people agree that something needs to be done to prevent the disapearance of these species.

STATEMENT OF CLAIM: "Torreya taxifolia was once a common sight along the Apalachicola, plentiful enough to be cut for Christmas trees, its rot-resistant wood perfect for fence posts. But at some point in the middle of the last century—no one is quite sure when—the trees began to die. Beset by a mysterious disease, overabundant deer, feral hogs, drought, and perhaps a stressful climate, the adult trees were reduced to a handful of mossy trunks, rotting in riverside ravines."

SUBCLAIMS

Controlled fires can be used to maintain the enviornments of these species

Assisted migration could allow these species to thrive in enviornments that are able to support them

We can restore and preserve the orginal homes of these species and help them to live in their natural habitat

SUPPORT

“'If I can get fire across the landscape acting in its natural role, I’ve done my job; I’m home,” says Printiss as he drives the soft, sandy roads on the flat preserve uplands. “I’m not saying fire is the answer, but I suspect it’s a large part of the answer.” Restoring fire to the uplands, he says, thins out the overgrown hardwood trees, makes room for the restoration of longleaf pine stands and native grasslands, and brings some filtered sunlight back to the steep ravines where the Florida torreya once grew."

"Look, we need to start thinking about transplanting organisms around these barriers of agricultural land or urban land, and getting them to the next possible suitable habitat as the climate changes"

"With enough space, money, and knowledge, we can protect natural places and, in many cases, restore them by stitching them back together."

WARRANTS:

People care enough about trees to spend money on any of these ideas or to read this article in the first place

People know about the general effects of moving plants to locations to which they are not indigenous

People know about the effects of climate change

"Virtual Iraq" Abstract

CLAIM: Virtual Iraq, a computer simulated enviornment, can be used to help patients work through combat trauma faster than regular therapy

STATEMENT OF CLAIM: "If virtual-reality exposure therapy proves to be clinically validated... it may be more than another tool in the therapists' kit; it may encourage those in need t seek help."

SUBCLAIMS:

Virtual reality to treat PTSD isn't a new idea

This type of therapy- immersion therapy- has a high success rate

Virtual Iraq can be altered to a patients specific needs and traumatic experiences

SUPPORT:

"In 1997, more than twenty years after the Vietnam War ended, researchers in Atlanta unveiled Virtual Vietnam. It dropped viewers into one of two scenarios: a jungle clearing with a “hot” landing zone, or a Huey helicopter, its rotors whirring, its body casting a running shadow over rice paddies, a dense tropical forest, and a river. The graphics were fairly crude, and the therapist had a limited number of sights and sounds to manipulate, but Virtual Vietnam had the effect of putting old soldiers back in the thick of war. Ten combat veterans with long-term P.T.S.D. who had not responded to multiple interventions participated in a clinical trial of Virtual Vietnam, typically lasting a month or two. All of them showed significant signs of improvement, both directly after treatment and in a follow-up half a year later. (P.T.S.D. is assessed on a number of scales, some subjective and others based on the observation of the clinician.)"

"Prolonged-exposure therapy, which falls under the rubric of C.B.T., is at once intuitively obvious and counterintuitive: it requires the patient to revisit and retell the story of the trauma over and over again and, through a psychological process called “habituation,” rid it of its overwhelming power. The idea is to disconnect the memory from the reactions to the memory, so that although the memory of the traumatic event remains, the everyday things that can trigger fear and panic, such as trash blowing across the interstate or a car backfiring—what psychologists refer to as cues—are restored to insignificance. The trauma thus becomes a discrete event, not a constant, self-replicating, encompassing condition."

"When Boyd was finished, the doctor asked him to tell the story again. And, when he was finished that time, to tell it again. As he did, she asked him what he was smelling, and if the enemy was on the roof opposite or on the roof next door, and if there were planes overhead. She wanted to learn the details of his narrative and determine which moments were most troubling to him—she called them “hot spots”—and to figure out how she was going to use the sensory variables embedded in Virtual Iraq."

WARRANTS:

People have basic knowledge of virtual reality/ computer simulation programs

People have a general knowledge of the effects and treatment of PTSD

Small object, large subject

Personally, I have never become a fan of Red Bull energy drink. All of my friends remember this as a distinguishing characteristic of mine. Despite my dislike for Red Bull, I have a case in my house for my friends. Red Bull is the most popular energy drink in the world. In my group of friends, Red Bull is used most often for late night library sessions and long nights of drinking (yes, I am 21 years old). Every gas station, campus bookstore, bar and supermarket stocks up on these popular drinks for teenagers. A friend of mine drinks about five of them daily, and even more if he has homework or drinking to do. Despite health risks concerning the drink, American's need for boundless energy continues to make Red Bull more and more prevalent. 

Red Bull is also available in a Cola form and as an Energy Shot. Red Bull has made is convenient and cool to get up early and stay up late. Red Bull claims on the can the health benefits are: improves performance, especially during times of increased stress or strain, increases endurance, increases concentration and reaction speed, and stimulates the metabolism. The Cola form of Red Bull in some countries has even been found to have traces of Cocaine as of 2009. Red Bull is sold in a huge number of locations, including the Hofstra campus. A recent addition to most bars and resturants is Red Bull, which is often mixed with vodka or Jaegermeister, as in a "Jaeger Bomb". Although Red Bull is an incredibly popular as a mixer for alcohol, it has actually shown to be very dangerous to mix the two. The large amounts of caffiene also make it dangerous to consume large amounts over time, which is the case with my friend. Such large amounts of caffeine can have lead to cardiovascular problems. A full Red Bull recall was issued in Germany for fear of its effects. 

I have also observed that when poured out of the can, Red Bull energy drink appears to me to be some sort of radioactive cat urine. Despite this, my friends told me to buy a large amount of it for my 21st birthday party this past December. I did, and tried not to gag when my friends took shots chased with and mixed with Red Bull for the entire duration of my weekend blowout. Most everyone I know has used Red Bull as a source of energy in the past month. I personally prefer 5 hour energy, especially the mixed berry flavor. I too am not immune to the energy crisis in American youth. 

Obviously, Red Bull is filling a need of many Americans, and of people around the world. With so much information and constant activity, we need extra energy to stay at the top. In class, in the office, or at the nightclub, more energy means more productivity. This need for added energy is also seen in the increasing abuse of prescription drugs by students in order to maintain an edge in the classroom. Red Bull and other energy drinks will continue to profit in our fast-paced society beacuse we need them to keep up with it. Drink up!