Sport Royal

Well, I'm sure there are many interpretations of Maria's use of the term "sport royal" to describe her manipulation of Malvolio. In my opinion, it seems she is referring to simply put, a royal sport. Rich people are known for using hunting as a great form of entertainment. If Malvolio is used in Maria's sport, then he is given the image of freedom and free will, yet is still controlled deep down by Maria. She is only playing this game because she knows she will win in the end. Malvolio gets chased just as long as Maria sees fit, then she'll take her final step, the kill in this hunt. Roar!

After Act 1...

Not sure if I was supposed to blog this or not, but it's in my notes so...

After reading Act 1 of Twelfth Night, I can't stop thinking about the way people interpret plays and novels, or actually any story in general. I've sat through so many classes over the years, each one focusing on a discussion of the character's inner most thoughts and motivations. For instance, in this class we'll probably discuss something like "why Olivia is mourning and swearing off men for seven years" and we may discuss her past and her opinions on life. Yet, she has none. She is not real. She is a character made up by a playwright hundreds of years ago. I understand why we do this though, it can be a good thought exercise and whatnot. Yet, I can't help thinking about the absurdity of it all. Maybe it makes more sense to discuss how actions and emotions in the play reflect society of that time period, or Shakespeare (a real person)'s life itself. So I guess what I'm saying is that what I can't get off my mind is the way thinking and discussing plays differs for all individuals.

Reflection on Essay 1

Well, I'm not really sure what to write about. I guess I'm supposed to be looking back on the first essay of WSC2. It definitely was not a hard essay to write since it was mostly opinion and theory based instead of factually centered. Yet, I probably should have put more time into it. I didn't plan or outline anything, which I usually do for my papers, so I'm sure it was a little scattered. Also, I probably should have proofread it a little better. I have a bad habit of not proofreading my writing (for instance, I am definitely not going to proofread this blog post, that's just the way it goes). So, I guess it's not bad if I know what I need to work on for papers. Or is it worse that I know what's wrong but am too lazy to fix it? Not sure, really could be either. All in all, I think that paper was pretty good though. I had some valid points and I feel that I backed them up enough to make a solid argument. Funny story, I was actually telling my friend about writing this paper and we ended up have a thirty minute discussion about gift cards and modern society. It was interesting but a bit annoying since I had just spend an hour or two writing the paper. At least it's a subject that I enjoy and have opinions about, so I had that going for me as well. Well, I'm not too sure what else I need to include in this particular blog post, so I'll just end it now. Paper #1: success (in my opinion).

Inkshedding

Fool: "I did impeticos thy gratillity, for Malvolios nose is no whipstock, my lady has a white hand and the Myrmidons are no bottle-ale houses. (II.iii.27-29)

In this quote, the Fool is asking for his tip for entertaining. Then he continues to poke more fun at various characters by speaking truths. By stating the Malviolio's big nose is unlikely to cause any trouble with suspicions, the Fool is keeping Andrew and Toby at ease. He is also saying that his lady, Olivia, has a white hand (symbolizing status and innocence). All in all he is doing what a fool should do, keeping everyone calm and happy, no matter what the situation.

Twelfth Night - Act 1

1) What significance does the title Twelfth Night have so far in the story, if any?

2) Is Viola's disguise meant to represent something beyond her physical appearance?

3) Why does Olivia choose seven years to be in mourning? Does it have some significance to the way her brother died?

4) Is Toby's drunkenness simply for a humor factor, or is it to reiterate the idea of Olivia being detached from any men in her life?

5) What makes this play so easily adaptable to film and modern culture (i.e. She's the Man)?

6) Is Viola's brother really dead, or did the Captain's questions about him foreshadow his return?

To Take Wildness in Hand Abstract

Claim: Assisted migration may be a more effective alternative way to help plants and animals that are currently living in an unsuitable habitat.


Statement of Claim: "But climate change calls all this into question. If rising temperatures and changing weather patterns make restoration difficult or impossible, new brands of meddling may sometimes be the only alternative to extinction."


Subclaims: Although steps are being taken to relieve the stress on the environment which creates the unfavorable living situations for many plants an animals, it is currently not enough.

Assisted migration, which sounds good to many (yet disastrous to some), does not always use favorable allocation of many of the related resources. It also comes dangerously close to crossing the line of too much human involvement and control in nature.


Support: "Conservationists, in response, have offered more ambitious versions of familiar strategies. Bigger nature reserves. More protected corridors for wildlife migration and movement. More regulations, incentives, and ingenuity in service of greenhouse-gas reductions. But even the most expedient tactics could leave some species—especially those as tightly circumscribed as the Florida torreya—marooned in habitat too hot, dry, wet, or stormy."

"Yet the suggestion of assisted migration, of planting Torreya taxifolia trees outside these Panhandle steepheads, makes Printiss’s face tighten. Such efforts, he says, threaten to take attention and funding away from the work in the preserve, and make an already bad situation even worse."

"But while we’re welcome to restore, redesign is frowned upon; that sort of tinkering crosses an invisible line between humans and capital-N Nature, and risks making things much worse."

"Perhaps the most disturbing implication of assisted migration is that the traditional conservation notion—call it an illusion if you like—of a place to get back to will disappear for good. Yet with or without assisted migration, that pristine place is already slipping out of reach."


Warrant: Michelle Nijhuis assumes that the readers of her article have at least a minimal grasp of several environmental problems our world is currently facing. She also writes to an audience that cares about natural preserves and may be interested in exploring options on how to fix the problems within them.

Virtual Iraq: An Abstract

Claim: Virtual Iraq and other virtual reality programs are a promising therapy for soldiers suffering from PTSD.

Statement of Claim: The idea [of Virtual Iraq] 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."

Subclaims: PTSD, which has no known common cure, plagues many soldiers after they have served in combat or generally stressful situations. The symptoms affect them on a day-to-day basis.

A new approach, a virtual reality, looks to be a more promising therapy for soldiers than merely sitting down and talking with a third party.

Support: "He couldn’t sleep. His mind raced. He was edgy, guilt-racked, depressed. He could barely do his job"

“'Most P.T.S.D. therapies that we’ve seen don’t seem to be working, so what’s the harm in dedicating some money to R. & D. that might prove valuable?' Paul Rieckhoff, the executive director of Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America, said last November"

"Like Virtual Vietnam, Virtual Iraq is a tool for doing what’s known as prolonged-exposure therapy, which is sometimes called immersion therapy. It is a kind of cognitive-behavioral therapy, derived from Pavlov’s classic work with dogs."

Warrant: Sue Halpern's article is aimed towards people that have a general knowledge of the wars of the US, and how they have affected the lives of soldiers. The people Halpern is writing to have a general idea of what is going on in Iraq, but they are not experts. They also are familiar with virtual reality programs, probably just by being generally technologically savvy.

State of the Art Flashy vs. High-Tech Trashy

I don't mean to start my blog off on a harsh note, but it has to be done. I've been seeing some other blogs that describe the feeling or shock or awe that they're flooded with upon reading this article. I don't normally generalize, but this is the typical American response. Where did you think all of your old TVs and cell phones were going, to the moon? It really bothers me how so many people can not even begin to consider what they've been doing with their old technology. Did you know that although your "old and outdated" Blackberry phone can no longer make a call via sign language or brew you a cup of coffee, it does not mean that it is no longer useful? A program that accepts phones, broken as they may seem, to turn them into emergency devices for the less fortunate is always available (and usually at an arm's reach, although you may not know it). Think about other people for a change, America. As a society we are known worldwide for our horrible vision; we can't see beyond our own doorstep. Carroll's article is directed towards people with this train of thought, the ones who aren't aware. Well, they are aware of the fast paced technological world we live in, but not the consequences.

"It is next to impossible to gauge how much e-waste is still being smuggled into China, diverted to other parts of Asia, or—increasingly—dumped in West African countries like Ghana, Nigeria, and Ivory Coast. At ground level, however, one can pick out single threads from this global toxic tapestry and follow them back to their source."

In Carroll's words, this seems like a tough battle to fight. No matter what kind of regulations are put in place, e-waste will continue to plague third world countries all around the world. It is possible to trace these "threads" as he calls them, but especially due to the fact that most people (even some interviewed in this article) would choose to remain anonymous, it seems we may be scared to speak up. Of course, e-waste wouldn't exist if it didn't benefit someone, and most likely it is a someone you don't want to cross. Big businesses and companies are saving thousands of dollars by being able to simply dump this waste, and usually collect some spare parts. Even smaller parties, like the maintenance man, are taking advantage of this situation to help himself financially. Until there is a force that comes up and takes a real stand against the e-wasters of the world, nothing will change.

I don't claim to be making a real difference myself, this is just my opinion on the subject. I'm also not saying that we should all use our parents' old black and white television sets and rotary dial phones, but we should at least be more conscious of where these products are now.

The Gift Card Economy

Essentially, gift cards are the ultimate safety present. You avoid the risk of a look of disgust you might have caught a glimpse of had you gotten your friend that sweater (not quite her style) at H&M. No one wants to be rejected, and the fact you'll see that same sweater on a homeless woman at Penn Station two days later paints a quick portrait of your friend's opinion on your attempt at a present. Yet, you're also saved the sketchy look that may have been flashed by your friend upon seeing two twenty dollar bills fall out of that corny birthday card thousands of other Target shoppers had purchased the day before as well. "Did you forget?" she'll wonder as she labels you a last minute gifter. Or does she question your friendship? I mean, this is your friend after all, you even say "hi" to her on campus instead of doing the fake text message check (you all know what I'm talking about). Offended at your unoriginal idea, birthday girl begins to question her worth to you. Yet, you at least provide relief to her; she knows exactly what to grace you with on your next birthday. This is where the gift card comes in. Mask your inhibitions in a plastic card that says "Hey, I tried."

Gift cards show that our society is moving towards convenience without completely forgoing personal interaction and attention to emotions and feelings. They're our excuse for a mental roadblock, ill preparation, mismanaging time, or prioritization (obviously not favoring the giftee). Gift cards are for those who care, but are unsure and don't have time to figure it out. The gift card givers of America don't have the time or energy to stand pondering at Roosevelt Field for two hours, and they sure as hell aren't enthused about the idea of wrapping this gift themselves (all that tape and paper, scissors and a bow? You could be getting a latte in that amount of time!). This generation takes the easy way out, using a compromise to reach the same goal as a real gifter, with the convenience of a cash-giver.