Final Paper: The Meringue Recipe

When we first encounter Ray, the main character of “Just Add Water”, he is sitting in the toll booth where he works. He is repeating the phrase: “would you like a receipt? Don’t forget to take a mint!” over and over to his customers. For most of us, a repetitive, mindless, and boring job like this would be bad enough. We then learn that he lives in Trona, California, a dilapidated and nearly abandoned town in the desert. We see his situation as being unbearable and wonder how he continues to wake up every day to this situation. However, for Ray, its not as bad as it looks. Ray is an eternal optimist. His positive affect means that he can take his situation and make the best out of it. This is unlike many of the other residents of Trona, many of whom became addicted to crystal meth and have no hope that things will improve. In Ray’s case, his point of view creates his own more positive reality despite how outsiders would see it.
As the film continues, we see that Rays situation is even worse than we could’ve imagined. His home life is a mess. His wife is despondent and refuses to leave the home, and his son is a delinquent with anger issues and a tendency towards crime. In addition, his town is run by the local drug dealer, who restricts electricity when anyone on the block misses rent. Yet, Ray remains hopeful. In his mind, this will all pass, Trona will return to its former glory, and all will be well. Ray even proceeds to pick up litter around the city. Of course, things do not immediately get better. In fact, Ray discovers that his wife has been cheating on him with his brother since the beginning of their marriage, and that his son is actually his nephew. Still, Ray maintains his positve outlook. It is easy to see how this attitude of optimism has led him to the path he is on. His neighbors have not fared so well. They have given up on any hope they had of having a better life, and have turned to drugs and alcohol instead of trying to better themselves and remain positive.
One reason that Ray has managed to remain hopeful for the future is his love for the local Rite Value clerk named Nora. Ray and Nora have been friends since childhood and have been secretly hiding their love for each other all of these years. Through small acts of kindness towards each other, they have maintained a platonic but still flirtatious relationship with each other. Ray always leaves her his change despite his own problems and Nora often hides certain foods in special places in the store just for Ray. We also discover that Ray has been carrying around photos of Nora in a tin box for years. He remains hopeful that one day they can be together. While Ray is unable to act on these feelings while he is married, we see the relationship between Ray and Nora evolve shortly after his wife leaves him.
After Ray’s wife and son/nephew leave him, Ray decides that it is time to make his own reality the reality for the whole town. He sees his son/nephew employed by the drug dealer and knows that the city needs a change. He believes that he can make Trona the tourist destination it had once been and restore the town to what is once was. After finally gaining the courage to ask out Nora, he devises an elaborate plan to run the town drug dealer out of town. Ray gathers up all of the residents and friends of Trona and together they get the drug dealer out of town and into jail, and to get the drug addicted residents into rehab. Miraculously, the rain that has eluded the town for years returns. The film then fast forwards to nine months later. Nora and Ray are expecting, as well as are many of the other residents. Also, Trona is no longer the run down abandoned city that it once was. It has been returned to its roots as a tourist destination and Ray and Nora have opened a successful restaurant. Through this, we see that an individual can change things for the better. For years, Ray’s positive outlook only affected his own reality, but when he made the choice to actively resist the negative path his town was taking, he was able to improve the lives of everyone around him. Ray was able to create his own reality by maintaining his values and opinions about the world around him despite difficult situations.
In Joshua Roebke’s article, “The Reality Tests”, Roebke argues that we create what we observe through the act of our observations. Scientifically, he explains how every time we measure or observe something, we are changing it. Roebke also explains how every action affects other particles. Just as we change the properties of objects by scientifically examining them, we have a social impact on the things we observe every day. Even before Ray made the decision to actively resist the downfall of the city of Trona, his small observations and decisions had a positive impact on the world around him. Choosing to stay positive in his situation created a more stable environment for his son/nephew as well as inspired others, such as Nora, to maintain her positive outlook. Had Ray chosen to give up on his dream of a better life, his son or himself may have become drug users, or may have just never had an opportunity to change the community for the better. Looking at Ray’s situation, many of us think that his life would have been unbearable, and that we would have left Trona altogether. Ray also could have done this, which would have led him to be in an even more different situation. Instead, he stood by his dreams, especially with regards to courting Nora, and was able to help others. His positive attitude inspired even the most far gone residents of Trona. His determination and positive outlook affected the entire city, and together they could work to create their own reality. Both Roebke’s article and the film “Just Add Water emphasize how an individual can change his surroundings just by looking at them in a certain way. This is true in both physics and in our everyday life, as demonstrated by Ray’s ability to save the city of Trona, California.
In Wendell Berry’s article “Faustian Economics”, Berry also thinks that the way we view the world has led to the current global situation. He believes that our desire for personal advancement and power has created many of the environmental and social problems that exist today. Unlike Ray, he says that most of us are greedy and not concerned with conservation and global improvement. He believes that the only way that we can reverse the damage done to the planet is to change our entire way of thinking. Imagine if Ray, instead of working to repair his situation, simply abandoned the city of Trona and went on to bigger and better things. This would have negtively impacted everyone living there, and probably would have prevented the city from ever being saved. In the same way, he says that instead of constantly striving to be better than others, we need to band together to reinvent our reality. Our current social values such as greed and the desire for endless knowledge about the world has made us into the wasteful society that we are today. While I do not necessarily agree with Berry’s proposed solutions and his use of biblical references, I do believe that the current situation of the planet is a direct result of how we view our role on earth. We have created our own current reality because we view things in this way. Like Ray, Berry is an optimist. He believes that we can all change how we think about the world and can actively make changes that have a large positive impact on both the environment and the way we interact with each other.
I believe that it is accurate to say that we create what we observe through the act of our observations. This is true in our own individual lives, such as with Ray, in science, as in Roebke’s article, and also globally, as stated by Berry. From all of these medias, we can understand the importance that our individual views and choices affect the world around us. No though or action is completely independent of another. This means that we have the power to make drastic changes just by altering the way we perceive things. Whether we want to save a town, prove quantum mechanics, or save the environment, it all begins with a willingness to acknowledge the power of our individual thoughts. Ray should serve as an inspiration to those who feel trapped in a situation. We should use his positive outlook and hope for the future, as well as the decision to actively work to make improvements, to change situations in our everyday lives. By realizing the power that we have when we make observations, we can all be more aware of our impact on the world around us.

"Just Add Water"

In the focused free write we did before watching the movie, the phrase "Just Add Water" made me think of instant pudding or some other instant food item. After seeing the movie I see the phrase as meaning that one person can make a difference if they have the motivation and desire. 

Observations:

repeating "would you like a reciept? take a mint...", Ray works in a toll booth, Ray drives an old car, narrator-Danny DeVito, takes place in Trona, California: very hot, dilapidated town-used to be fishing resort, Ray is strapped for cash, Same routine every day, work, store, home, neighbor yelling, Wife has "issues", wont leave house, disheveled appearance. Son Edward- has anger issues, Nora works at store, Dirk, drug dealer-asks for rent, Rays mother in hospital

Inferences:

i think there is going to be a big change for Ray, i think there will be a change in Trona, maybe people/water will return, Ray is eternal optimist, his wife is nuts, maybe he will get rid of her or maybe hes too nice, Edward will get into trouble, relationship with Nora will continue and get more serious

Observations:

Edward takes dentures at hospital, Rays brother is upset, Wife gives icicle as dessert to Edward, Betsey- madame- Edwards graduation present- he ends up with a date with R'Chl'le, Photocopies $5's for rent- Dirk shuts off power on block when one person misses rent, Wife is sleeping with his brother, Edward not his son, wife and brother move out w/ Edward, Danny DeVito- opening the Chevron, Rays sister and mom kill each other in the hospital over recipe- buried together, Edward is working for Dirk, Ray tells him to stop, Dirk resists, Nora offers ray homecooked meal, eventually he asks her out and they do, Chevron opens, Ray stands up to Dirk, Dirk blows up Chevron and Rays car, Nora buys Ray a couch to "chat and things", Dirk turns off water and A/C again, Ray has a plan to get rid of Dirk- neighbors and Danny DeVito help and they save the town

it rains, Ray and Nora finally kiss, 9 months later- everyone is pregnant, opened a restaurant, serve merengue.

Infer:

Nora and Ray have been waiting for each other but Ray was too nice to leave his wife

Recalls:

This story is familiar because it is like a cliched fairytale, but i had no specific recalls. Danny DeVito makes me thing of "It's always Sunny in Philidelphia" <3,

The way I feel about blogging is...

As much as I have complained to my friends about having to blog for one of my classes, I really don't find it that bad. Personally, I like writing things out by hand and being able to look at hard copies of my work. I know that everything is on the computer now but I like to keep my school work in a tangible form. Also, I hate when classes make me do nightly homework or assignments. I do things on my own time and usually end up losing grade points for not doing smaller assignments on time. I did like that the blogging was more interactive than other forms of homework but I am looking forward to returning to using my notebook for classes.

Focused Free Write- Are you a writer? Why or why not?

A writer is someone who chooses to write something and usually intends for others to read it. I do not consider myself a writer. I only write things when I am required to for class. I usually dont put a lot of effort into my writing and don't usually enjoy doing it. I dislike obscure paper guidelines and strict formatting rules. I would say, however, that I am a pretty decent writer. I can usually earn a good grade with minimal effort and I write quickly and effectively. I think papers are an easy way to get a good grade in a class. I do like to read, but haven't had much time for any books of my own choice because of all of my work for classes. Maybe this summer...

I dont know anthing about Quantum Mechanics

In Joshua Roebke's article "The Reality Tests", Roebke asks the question: do we create what we observe through the act of our observations? I dont have any background knowledge on Quantum Mechanics. From the article I was able to understand two things that quantum mechanics called into question. First, that the world is local/has no distant influences, and second, that the world is real/has preexisting properties. The next thing I got from the article is that recent experiments make this theory seem true, such as that every measuring device affects what it is used to observe. But as for the question do we create what we observe through the act of our observations, I can only think of this in a non-physics related way. I think that people create their own reality with their attitude and behavior, as well as perceptions about the world. Anyone with a tight knit group of friends knows that the individual presence of each member of the group affects everything from the mood, the conversation, and the activities of the group. Also, biased opinions can make a situation have a different reality for you and someone else. Everybody experiences the world differently. 

One weakness in Roebke's article is that the averge person can not understand what he is saying well enough to form an educated opinion of their own regarding the legitimacy of Quantum Mechanics. Clearly this article was intended for people with more knowledge than I have. I have no idea if this is what I was supposed to do with this article, I have purposely never taken physics.

"Big Foot" - Michael Specter

In his article, Michael Specter talks about the problem of global warning and different ways we can address this problem. Everybody has a carbon footprint, or an amount that they contribute to global warming. Many companies and individuals are looking for ways to reduce their carbon footprint. Many people consider "food miles" as a factor when purchasing food items. "Food miles" refers to the distance a product travels from the farm to your home. Food from supermarkets have an average of 27 times more food miles than food bought in local markets. Specter says that this is not an accurate way to measure how much emissions were produced because it doesn't take in certain factors such as land use, type of transportation, weather and the season. Specter examines different peoples ideas on how to reduce emissions. John Elkington, founder of an enviornmental consulting firm, says that "we are in an era of creative destruction". By this he means that the problem of global warming is so massive that soon people will be to overwhelmed and feel to helpless to address it. He says that this will have drastic effects on many of the institutions we rely on such as our political system. I think that while this is kind of an extreme viewpoint, it is not that unlikely. Our society has a lot of problems and carbon emissions is only one of them. I think that the energy crisis will put further strain on our already burdened government.

While I am aware that individual people can actively work to reduce their impact on the environment, I do not personally feel responsible for global warming. No one person is individually responsible for global warming, but no one is exempt from the obligation to try to reduce their impact when possible. It is not very difficult to find ways to reduce your impact without really having to make any major changes in your lifestyle. However, even these changes wont reverse the damage that has already been done. In addition to reducing carbon emissions we also need to find a substitute for fuel. Personally I cant do anything about this problem so I don't feel like I should feel bad about it. 

A Picture of Waste

Immediately when I hear the word waste I dread returning home from class. After getting a puppy on January 2, my entire life revolves around waste, excrement, to be exact. I wake up in the morning and clean up accidents around the house, and my time at home is spent monitoring the activities of my puppy looking for signs he needs to go out. I waste time, cleaning products, and endless amounts of paper towels cleaning up after my puppy. Now, with housebreaking, I find myself constantly thinking about when my puppy last went to the bathroom. Every two hours or sometimes even less I find myself outside hoping he will go. Im happy when he does and stressed when he doesn't. I also happen to be involved in the business of dog-sitting. So, in addition to my puppy, who needs constant supervision to avoid mess in the house, I also need to monitor other dogs to make sure they go out when they need to. Then I get to talk to the owners about their dogs going out schedule and the details of each outing. As of recently, my entire life seems to revolve around waste.

Response to Berry's "Faustian Economics"

Yes, it is true that we are exhausting our natural resources. This is irreversible and we do need to find other sources of energy. We also need to figure out a way to re-stabilize our economy. These problems may be the result of greed and wastefulness, but so is our society as a whole. This is how we have become successful. Our greed and our desire for limitlessness as a society is what made us what we are today. Capitalism, as it exists in America today, may leave a group of people marginalized, but it also provides for the luxuries that we enjoy here that don't exist anywhere else. Even the poorest American citizens have advantages that others could never dream of outside of this country. Our desire to have the most and be the best has made us the most powerful nation on the planet. Twelve million immigrants arrived on the shores of Ellis Island during the 19th century to pursue their own dreams of limitless growth and success. Because of these ideals we have become the wealthy and powerful nation that we are. While it is nice to think that everyone should band together to make the world a better place, that is not how the world works. Berry's use of literary allusion further demonstrates how unrealistic it is to expect people to accept their limitations. Faust had the right idea. Without people who are willing to risk it all to have everything, we would be nowhere.

We don't live in a collectivist society, our society promotes individualism and our right to do as we please. We are given the opportunity to go to school and pursue the career of our choice. Our country has been advanced by those who strove to make the best of themselves and surpass the expectations and perceived limits of others. Because of these people, all of them greedy and unwilling to recognize their own limits, we have made amazing advances in science and technology. When "germ theory" was first proposed it was considered impossible. How can something we can't see be making people sick. Putting limitations on people means that you yourself has limits. Our history is one of mainly wealthy, white, males and their exploits that made America what it is today. We have access to education, food, clean water, and feel safe that we will not be invaded by another nation. Our capitalist economy and sense of limitless has made us this way and we shouldn't allow Berry to make us question these values. 

We may all be selling our souls to the devil by pursuing our own desires to be limitless in knowledge, wealth and power, but it's because of this that I can enjoy the luxuries that I have. The fact that Berry himself has taking the time to write this article in the first place is nothing less than indulgent. For thousands of years mankind has strived to get to the point that people can pursue their interests as they please. If Berry were somewhere else, he wouldn't have the time or opportunity to write because he would have to worry about his day to day survival. Just as Berry thinks that our greed is a problem, people consider obesity a problem. These things are luxuries. It is a privilege that we have the choice to eat ourselves to death. Every society in history has strived to obtain a large food supply and now we are complaining. If Berry wants to go save the rain forests than he can go ahead and do that. He should just know that he can only afford to waste his time there because of the opportunities provided to us by the greedy, wasteful people of the United States who make it possible for all of us to do what we want with our lives and enjoy such a privileged existence.

Rodney Jones' "Hubris at Zunzal" and Robert Hass' "The Problem of Describing Trees"

The poem "Hubris at Zunzal", by Rodney Jones, is a story of a man who pours his drink into the ocean and then wishes to take it back because he wasn't finished with it. His drink is his writing. Once he releases his writing into the world he can't change it. It becomes part of something larger than life. People can read and interpret writing any way they choose and you do not get a second chance to explain yourself. This can be "a slippery slope" because your writing can be read by a lot of people and interpreted in many ways. Before releasing our writing into the world, we have to be careful that our intentions, hypotheses and opinions are clear. Otherwise, people will interpret and use what they read however they please to, even if they are only misunderstanding the author. 

Robert Hass' poem, "The Problem of Describing Trees", talks about the limitations of language and the written word. There are only so many words that can be used to describe things. The same cliches are used constantly and have lost their emotional meaning. There are many more emotions, sensations  and phenomena than we have words for. Some things cannot be described through language because they are too awesome to put into words. In this case, when describing the tree, Hass feels that he cant accurately convey what he is seeing. The reader can read his words but can only get a very basic understanding of what he wants to say. It is important that you realize that people dont know what you mean when they read your writing. The reader only knows what you explicitly say. Language can be dangerous in this way because it can be interpreted differently from how you meant it or not be understood at all. 

Fear of Writing

I think that Derrida's fear of writing is a combination of two things. First, that people will not like what he is saying in his writing, and second, that people will misinterpret what he is trying to say. I think this is a legitimate fear that everyone should have when they write. It is important to understand how other people might interpret and react to your writing. Last semester I was given an assignment where I was required to write a satire of anything. I chose to talk sarcastically about the "War on Drugs" in America, specifically focusing on how many of the laws are specifically directed towards minority groups and people with low socioeconomic status. I was VERY afraid that my teacher would not understand that I was being sarcastic. I was worried he would think I was being racist or insensitive even though the entire purpose of my paper was to criticize our existing policies. I showed the paper to a friend who warned me not to hand it in. I took my chances anyway and he seemed to understand that the entire paper was very sarcastic. I don't know why I was so worried about what he would think about my paper. Besides the fear that I would get a bad grade, I think I was concerned that if he misinterpreted what I was saying, that I could really have offended or hurt him or others. Derrida does entrust the written word with a kind of power. All of us do. We read textbooks and accept them as fact, we judge authors by the themes we recognize in their stories and we make inferences from writing that have no way of being proven. I think everyone needs to recognize the power of their own writing. Choose your words carefully.

Reflections on Collaborative Learning

In his article, Bruffee argues that knowledge is a social construct. What we accept is knowledge is the product of many peoples' work and opinions. When people fail to place knowledge in the context of society they cannot see the full picture. I believe that the most important aspect of life is social interaction. All of what we learn about ourselves and the world comes from observing and communication with others. Everybody has the ability to memorize and recite basic facts. Understanding how these facts fit into the the accepted views held by society is much more difficult, and more important. 

I think that it is impossible to learn anything of significance without interaction. While anybody is able to memorize a fact, to truly understand something you need to discuss it with others. This can help you understand something you were not previously clear on, or allow you to help someone else understand your point of view. By exchanging ideas and opinions regarding things you have learned, you can see that not everyone views things the way you do. This is especially true with writing and literature. A hundred people can read the same thing and get a hundred different things from it. When you read by yourself you are limited to only your own point of view. When other people share what they learned you can see how other people would interpret things. You have a better understanding of the world when you are able to see things through other peoples eyes. Also, things that may have seemed insignificant to you may end up being profound to others. Reading is only one example where you are extremely limited in your ability to learn on an individual basis. You are limited to your own interpretations and opinions about the piece of writing and therefore cannot see its cultural significance. The most knowledgeable people are those who can understand their society and the people who make it up.

When information is introduced into society people react differently based on their past experiences and previously held beliefs. You are limited by your own experiences. The more people you interact and exchange ideas with, the more knowledgeable about the world you become. Though many of us embrace the individualistic nature of our society, it is the people who have the most different opinions than us that can teach us the most. Even when you believe a person is wrong, you can learn how to analyze information for yourself and come up with your own ideas. You can learn to distinguish between biased or unfounded beliefs and theories based on evidence. During conversation you are always learning. Even before reading this article, I have always valued interaction with others as the most important and useful form of learning. Learning to evaluate your own knowledge in the context of society makes you a more aware and educated person and also teaches you the best way to communicate your ideas with others so that they will be understood by different people.