Connection between Twelfth Night and Just Add Water

The connection between Twelth Night and Just Add Water is that they are both comedy's that involve characters that seem to have a certain personality and then suddenly their other side is shown.  Everything seems to be normal sort of in the begining until you realize that things are not what the seem.  The town of Trona although was not really that normal when compared to other towns, but it was normal for the townspeople for so many years and the characters all were set in their ways.  Characters changing direction is what causes both storys to make huge impact on their endings.

The wee ones...

While reading Mark Smith's “Animacules and Other Little Subjects” the words "wee ones" popped into my mind.  I also thought about Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and the characters called the Oompa Loompas.  The animalcules as were named in 1674 are the little living things that are seen while looking under the microscope.  Animalcules may be microsopic but their size can be disceiving, most are little powerhouses and truly hold there own.  Compared to the Oompa Loompas which were also small in size but very important and vital to Mr. Wonka's chocolate factory.  The Animacules are important to the natural course of life, they serve an important role in the food chain.  I believe what attracts Smith to observe them in his spare time is the absolutely amazing way the smallest of organisms can play should important roles and simply exist and thrive.  I have looked at pond water under a microscope and it truly is a small universe living in just one drop of water, which reminds me of Orions Belt in the movie Men In Black.  A cat in the movie wore a collar and hanging on the collar was a small glass sphere that contain an entire galaxy, with all it's living organisms and creatures.

Smith uses many metaphors and very descriptive words to help the reader truly  visualize the actual organisms he sees in the microscope. Smith finds the smallest of objects to be as interesting to study as a scientist who may study any of animals on this planet.  I believe that the author's fascination with the microscope as a kid was the catalyst for his eventually fascination with the orgranisms that he could seeing while using one.  It truly is remarkable that the tiniest of living organisms can have the same systems that humans have such as a heart, and brain.  Smith sums up the one thing all the animalcules have in common is that they all eat, they eat all the time. I laughed at that, because even though they are the tiniest of organisms they can still woof it and chow down. 

Trip to Citifield...reflections of Shea Stadium...crack of the bats...

I did it, I signed up and got one of the lucky 23 tickets that Hofstra was giving away for all Undergraduate students to attend a NY Mets game at Citifield for FREE!  It was going to be a game against the Atlanta Braves the team that Chipper Jones butters his bread for. Not a fan of Chipper Jones so I wanted to see the NY Mets sweep them under the rug.  I was really excited I got one, thought it would be a mad house and I will admit I was a bit nervous as I didn't want anyone to think that I was going to be a chaperone. I hurried from my class that day to get across campus to get on line as early as possible. I wondered it I wouldn't be able to go well, honestly because I am as old as Shea Stadium was I thought they may want me to give it up to a younger student.  Alas none of the fears nor concerns came to be, I was third online and the students in front of me actually didn't give me the stare down and I actually had a great conversation with some male students about the manager Jerry Mannual and his lack of energy!  Funny, that when I mentioned that I would like to have seen Bud Harrelson as the manager of the team, the three of them looked completely puzzled and perplexed.  Oh yeah, that is because I am over twice their age and they would have no idea who Bud Harrelson was even though he was the LI Ducks manager for a few years! Oh yeah again, some of them are not from Long Island, oh this was all going to be quite interesting to say the least.  I would have to curb the old timer stuff and stick to the more current past and present players, ha, ha this will be fun!  I realized that morning on my way to Hofstra to meet the other lucky students, that it is hard to talk about the newer players without bringing back the past. The "great ones" as I call them, I was looking forward to seeing the Hall of Fame Museum for sure and for once would have to miss an inning to go and view it. I am the type of fan that gets to the game early, makes sure all the necessites are taken care before finding my seats, tips the seat checker guy/gal if you get one and then sits back enjoys the game and waits for the hot dogs, peanuts, soda, pretzels sellers to come to me. Unless you were at Shea and had the nose bleed seats up in the upper atomsphere where they never sold anything, I don't wander around, or even go to get refreshments, I don't like to miss a thing! 

The new Citifield does make it easier to not miss anything if you should decide to get up and get that tap beer you see everyone carrying and don't want to pay the extra money for the beer guy to come around, crack a cold one open pour it into that squishy plastic cup.  I am not a beer drinker but I have past a few beers in my life time down the row of fans without spilling a drop! I always found that truly neighborly, the only place you can pass someone food and then their payment and everyone has a good time doing it, so why do people get so quick to not to lend a hand to their fellow neighbor outside the stadium?  It must be something about the atomsphere or maybe it is the aroma of hotdogs and pretzels that makes people love one another even when your team is losing. I was looking forward to going back to Citifield for my 6th time, first one this year though. I got to see 4 NY Met games and the highlight of the agnauratly year was seeing Paul McCartney from the top center row for Citifields first ever concert.  That concert is another blog for sure, I had goosebumps for a record 5 hours, it was amazing!

Thinking back I remember at Shea Stadium if you were on line waiting and you heard the crowd cheering you would run off the line and to the nearest exit down the long narrow lanes that would lead you out to the seats, they were like entrances to the Roman Coliseum, very high walls on either side and slightly sloped upward so you couldn't just look down to see the field, you would be looking at the sky.  They were now flat panel plasma screens back then in the consention areas, the crowd was your sound byte.  Citifield is far more open and I would love to see the budget for the amount of screens/monitors that were purchased and installed around the entire stadium.  I can't say for sure, but they may even be one in the bathroom, but I didn't look around as I just want to get in and get out and not waste a second.  I remember watching Citifield being built behind Shea Stadium 2 years ago, thinking to myself it is so small and how will ever get everyone in there?  Well it is better than I thought but it is lower than Shea Stadium, the nose bleed section is really not bad, in fact it is really good, you don't get that feeling that you are going to fall flat on your face if you stand up and a slight wind blows behind you.  I remember the last game at Shea that I took my two year old granddaughter Isabelle to the last season until it would be ripped down and sold off, we got seats up in the nosebleed section, well let me tell you, that kid sat on my lap the whole time and I didn't let her out of my grip, I didn't even let her stand up behind the seats in front of us, it was so steep I feared she would fly across the stadium, walking up those stairs and then back down with her, was the scariest moment I ever had with her...I don't miss those seats, Citifield doesn't go as high it is so much better.

To be continued....

Shakespeare's Fools?

As suggested by my English professor I am posting my second essay from her class. Thanks Professor Lay!

Shakespeare’s Fools?


Shakespeare’s Sonnet XV could have been said by the fool Feste, who is witty and seems to have a funny insight to all of the characters in Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night. Feste is a representative of the theme of the play and adds the comedy and humor to help understand the dynamics of Shakespeare’s characters. Shakespeare wants the reader to seem that the characters are pure and have virtue, but during the story the other side of the characters comes forward. Feste is a fool but has extraordinary cleverness and intellect and he conveys that situations are not what there are portrayed to be. One of Shakespeare’s themes throughout the play is a tangling of pure, fair, honest characters with their alter egos, tainted, vulgar and dirty. Feste himself a jester but yet talented and knowledgeable, actually does not come across a fool or jester, whereas Sir Andrew who is a noble and should act gallant turns out to be the foolish one. Shakespeare tricks the reader into thinking one way about a character, but actually sneaks up and grabs the reader into the opposite direction. Feste also splits himself between Olivia’s and Orsino houses so it is interesting to see him play both sides and use the knowledge while in the other’s house. Feste the fool himself is pure but circumstances cause him to be sarcastic playing both sides and cunning among the characters. Feste has a good heart and means well but playing the role of the fool becomes an actor with a mission and it is by this role that he makes his living.

The Sonnet XV begins “When I consider everything that grows…” (Shakespeare, Sonnet XV), because this speaker attempts to address all creation, he is much like Feste in The Twelfth Night. Feste is an overseer in the play and crosses paths with all the characters thus giving him special insight and in turn helps him to consider all that surrounds him: “That this huge stage presenteth nought but shows; whereon the stars in secret influence comment” (Sonnet XV) meaning that the huge stage that in front of you, this earth, will show the stars through their hidden power and thus show their illusions. Feste again watches all the scenes and the characters that show their true colors through their veils. The speaker of Sonnet XV reacts to this sort of disguise, commenting: “Sets you most rich in youth before my sight” (Sonnet XV) Feste sees the characters in their youth and at their peak in time: Likewise “As he takes from you, I engraft you new” (Sonnet XV) as the time takes it all away, Feste will make it new again, by song and humor. Feste, the fool, can give all the advice he wishes to and get away with it, whereas other characters would not be given the freedom and flexibility to convey it in such a way. In Twelfth Night Viola realizes how astute Feste is: “This fellow’s wise enough to play the fool” (III.i.61). Her recognition suggests he is not as pure as she thought.

In Twelfth Night Shakespeare threads the strand of purity and fairness in the characters but when push comes to shove they begin to stretch their wings and the true colors of their feathers come out. Viola from the first few lines of the play seems to be a pure innocent lady that is now lost and helpless, but immediately she comes up with a plan to conceal herself as a woman and go to Orsino as a man and ask her hero to keep it a secret “Conceal me what I am, and be my aid for such disguise as haply shall become the form of my intent.” (I.ii.56). In my visual media project I used the photo of the sink facet with clear, pure water pouring forth from it and in the next slide used a photo of a pipe coming out of the earth and flowing from it, dirty, nasty tainted water. This shows that what appeared to be pure at one end was transformed into just the opposite on the other side or end when situations and reasons are added.

Similarly, Olivia mourns the loss of her brother and vows to see no one but ends up quickly falling in love completely going opposite of what the audience was just meant to believe was her will. Olivia reveals: “Methinks I feel this youth’s perfections with an invisible and subtle stealth to creep in at mine eyes. Well, let it be.-“(I.v.302-305). Olivia is thinking that she is falling in love with Cesario and makes up a story that Orsino leaves behind a ring only to use as a pawn to bring Cesario back to her house. She has Malvolio go and bring it back to Cesario: “Run after that same peevish messenger…” (I.v.307). This act misleads Malvolio into thinking she doesn’t think much of Cesario, but the readers know that Olivia is concealing her lust for Cesario. A photo of a fair maiden most likely virtuous and then transitioned into a photo of a sexy Snow White wearing a leather garter was used during my Visual project to help depict this transformation. How quickly Olivia goes from a mourning fair lady to vixen looking for love in all the wrong places.

Aside from Olivia, Malvolio is character that Shakespeare uses as the character you love to hate. Malvolio is full of his own love and thinks himself above everyone and treats everyone with contempt. After the trick is played on him and he is led to believe that Olivia loves him secretly and is forced to be treated as if he is insane Malvolio transforms into a guiltless character and you feel sorry for him. In my visual project again using a photograph I choose a single white rose in its fair form. I chose a rose not only for its purity, and beauty but also because of its thorns. I had the photo transpose into a floral arrangement set upon a coffin to depict the fact that so quickly can a rose in its own beauty along with thorns can then be displayed with other flowers and be used for something so poignant and humbled, Olivia reveals to Malvolio “Oh, you are sick of self-love, Malvolio, and taste with a distempered appetite…Nor no railing in a known discreet man, though the do nothing but reprove.” (I.v.87-88). Shakespeare uses Malvolio as the hated character only to have him turn him inside out and in the end show his humbleness and weakness. Malvolio perceives himself to be a puritan, pure, one to be admired and looked up to above his contemporaries, he is perceived by the reader to be snobbish, obnoxious and haughty. After the deceitful trick played upon him by Maria, Sir Toby, Sir Andrew and Feste, the reader then feels sorry and gives pity to Malvolio as well as a change of heart and empathy as he falls victim to his own perception and gets a taste of his own medicine.

Shakespeare throughout the Twelfth Night quickly transforms what you think the characters are all about into the opposite by the end of the play. Shakespeare uses what the readers believe would be pure and fair to show that even the purest and fairest has a dark side and it will come out when it presents itself. Human nature tends to want to see the good in everything first and thus Shakespeare uses our natural instincts to the fullest. Feste the fool throughout the play sees the characters both sides and loves to poke fun at them and use his insight against them even when they don’t get it. Olivia’s quick infatuation from her state of mourning and Viola’s fair innocence quickly using a disguise to manipulate as well as Malvolio’s snobby attitude and then into a begging humble person are all examples of Shakespeare’s method into what human nature wants to see, but yet what we really enjoy seeing deep down inside. Using visual photos to portrait these thematic schemes and music using violins and soft and low notes is what I wanted to convey of what our perception of what we believe we see but what is really happening in the background.



Works Cited

Shakespeare, William. "Twelfth Night." Shakespeare, William. Twelfth Night. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks, n.d.

Shakespeare, William. "XV Sonnet." n.d.

George Carlin speaks for the planet...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5Miv4NHsDo

George Carlins routinue to me said it all. All the essays that I have been reading, all talk about the individual issues and the authors way of solving the problems but in the end it all doesn't matter, the earth will take care of itself.  The human race is at the mercy of the planet, the human race can not beat nature it is all too powerful.  Phelan essay was more or less about how we will kill ourselves off the planet, which inevetiably we will, the method is still the lingering question however. George Carlins idea of the planet creating a virus makes good sense however, he eluded to the AIDS virus but I am thinking that it may be something that is going to be more spreadable then AIDS, more like a super bug of sorts. 

What image did I take from "Just Add Water"

The image that I took from the film "Just Add Water" was an image of tumbleweed.  Tumblewood is a living plant, yet it looks dead.  It exemplifies the town and Ray's life.  The town as well as Ray is not dead but it appears to look that way, but yet it isn't really, it is just camoflaged. The tumbleweed rolls through the town nobody really notices it but it is there, you take it for granted.  Ray's life tumbles in the wind, he doesn't truly ever get his chance to take root and have any control until he steps up and make changes in his life.  The townpeople also never got a chance to take control and grab hold, when they come together they make the change and finally able to make a difference.  Tumbleweed itself has an important role in its enviroment, it acts like barrier and shelter for small animals, like tumblewood the town of Trona is the characters shelter, it protects them from the outside world, the town lives within itself, but as the wind grabs the tumbleweed it released and free, as the townspeople freed themselves when the wind(Ray) steps up to bat and changes take place.

Climate Change an Ethical Dilemma?

John Broome's essay entitled "The Ethics of Climate Change" was long winded essay on what how he believes we should evaluate and apply ecomomics and market values in an attempt to fix the system.  I am not one who completely believes that humans are completely responsible for the climate change, and by that I mean, it is the also the natural course of the planet itself that is also to be held accountable as well.  The earth is billions of years old and throughout that time it has gone through countless changes from the ice age to present time, to having no animals to have dinosaurs only to have them disappear, how this all plays into Broome's logic is lacking to say the least.

I challenge Broome's statement "Many people, some living, others yet to be born, will die from the effects of climate change."  Yes, people die from the heat, but how do you hold the world accountable for that because of greenhouse emissions? How do we not know that would have happened anyway?  "By emiting greenhouse gases, are the rich perpetrating an injustice on the world's poor?"  The question raised by Broome is a real stretch trying to place blame on the rich because they may use the products that emit the greenhouse gases. If the poor suddenly had the products you bet they would use them without a thought the poor still without.   

Broome goes on further and tries to come up with rates and a price tag on greenhouse gases and would have corporations and people held to a financial bill of sorts, involving the ecomonists and the market.  I found that entire section of the essay to be so confusing and completely out there, that I don't know if I can even comment on it.  Since I believe that climate change would be taking place even if we stopped all greenhouse gases emissions how would that all play in the market?, well to me it would be a waste of time since you can't fight and beat nature.

I love to blog....

I am glad that my professor had us create these blogs, firstly because I embrace the technology and love the internet forum but also because it is a user friendly and makes is easy to write whatever it is that you wish to write about. Your readers can then comment and share their thoughts, comments and opinions in a nice way in an easy way.  Blogging to me is sort of like having a conversation with a huge world wide audience.  You can write whatever you want and have people from all areas of your life comment and they can comment on the comments left by others, it is a amazing way to communicate.  I am offically adding to my list of accomplishments that I became a blogger and proud of it. 

Questions, Questions on the movie Just Add Water

1.  What is in the tin box that Ray keeps looking into?
2.  Why does Ray keep the tin box in his car?
3.  How did Nora keep her relationship with Ray's brother a secret for so long?
4. What happened to the town to cause it to go to hell?
5.  Where is Eddie's friends or does he have any?
6.  What will Ray do about Eddie now that he know he is not his son?

Me? A Writer?

What is a writer? Are you a writer? Interesting questions, it will make for an interesting answers! Anyone and everyone is a writer, whether it is a blog, a novel, a Facebook status or a shopping list.  The content is not what makes a writer, there are those of course those who write novels for a living in a professional forum and those who just jot down some words that are linked together mean something to themselves or perhaps just to make a point.  Am I a writer, well I am. Am I a good writer? I don't feel that I am, but I seem to do ok in my writing classes but then again how do you grade someone's thoughts? It is like grading a piece of artwork, I may love it and someone may hate, but is it not still art?  I don't know if I write as much I conversate on paper. I am not someone who can sit and make up a story, I am better at writing my feelings or opinions or comments!  My Facebook status's are probably my best work and has the biggest audience!! LOL

Carbon footprints, dirty feet

Michael Specter essay "Big Foot" was right on target and he used alot of data to back it all up he also had a significant number of ideas on how to reduce the amount of greenhouse gases around the world. Unfortuntely as interesting and insighful as the essay is, charging taxes, creating carbon labels, and reducing the miles in food products are great ideas that I will not see make really any sort of impact in my time. Yes, we have become aware that there is a problem, but no one is willing to scarfice their money to correct it and that is the bottom line.  It is not profiable to reduce green house gases, it not going to make me rich and afford a early retirement in a gated Florida community.  John Elkington's claim "We are in an era of creative destruction" (292)  is a very stark statement.  We are destroying ourselves but not in what you may consider the old fashion way, we have created a interesting set of ways that mask themselves in harmless way. Consider for a moment the fact that we are as a nation trying to eat healthly food but to what expense?  We have the need for apples, but yet must be forced to import them from a foreign country forcing them to arrive her by jet plane which emits carbon into the air which is slowly killing us.  It is a twisted creative way that we are actually adding to the problems but trying to live better.

You wouldn't be human if you didn't realize that we are all blame and should take responsiblity for global warming. Unless you built your house from trees, dug a well for water, grow your own food, build fires for heat and cooking and own not a single piece of electronics can you not feel some responsiblity as a consumer.  Just blogging this reaction I am responsible for global warming, as I use my laptop that is plugged into the electical outlet, I am adding to the problem.  What can I do about it? That is a question that you can answer, but it will make no difference, you won't change your behavior, you almost can't even if you wanted to. It is not possible unless we all do it at the same time and as one world. 

My Writing Center Experience

I utilized the Hofstra Writing Center two times during the course of this school year.  I was very sceptical and if it was not for the extra credit I don't know if I would have went on my own.  I found it to be indimidating to say the least, I went in as a bashful student, afraid that my work would be ripped to shreds.  I will also admit that knowing I would be tutored by students that were the same age as my daughters would be awkward at best.  With all that said, I can happily say that is was a good experience. I think the tutor that I had looked a bit nervous at first, I think she felt that she was tutoring her mom, but after a few minutes we got down to the business at hand.  The first appointment was to help me revise my first essay paper, I had ideas about how to do it and what direction to go in but I needed that support and advice to make the necessary changes. It was sort of a small pep rally for writing.  I was at that point that I felt very disappointed about my writing, not having written for over 25 years at least not formally but by the time I got to my second appointment I was in a better place about my writing.  My second session was harder as I went there to write my second essay about the Twelfth Night and thematic strands, and didn't have any ideas at all. I was really struggling with that essay, the tutor really had her work cut out for her as I could see it on her face that I wasn't getting it.  I felt bad, it wasn't her, it was me. I felt that I put up a wall and was so afraid of the subject matter that I couldn't absorb was the tutor was trying to convey.

I basically got ideas for my second essay and it was the launching platform to get me started, however in my revision for the first essay, we changed the position for some of my sentences. I was encouraged to move some of the ideas around to make the flow better and to create a more even tone throughout the essay.  I also removed a paragraph that we both felt really didn't belong, it went off topic and really didn't have anything to do with the rest of the essay.  I did correct alot of grammatical errors and the tutor helped me to better understand where to place commas and how not to make my sentences to long.

I believe that the writing center is a great resources for anyone who is any English class.  Having said that however you also get out of it, what you put into it. If you go in with a closed mind, like myself, you can not expect miracles.  I also felt that the second time I went, there were more people in the room and it was sort of distracting.  They may benefit by having some dividers to help block the tables without really closing anyone in.  Of course it could have been just me and the younger students may not be distracted by their surroundings like I was.  Overall it was a good experience and I would reccommend it to anyone that may need even just a pep talk about their writing, or any questions they may have.

Reality Tests or just too much thinking?

After reading Joshua Roebke's essay "The Reality Tests" I think I need an asprin or perhaps a very large glass of wine.  I am going to be honest and take the opportunity given to me by my English Professor and not be afraid to write "outside the box".  The essay was the most confusing piece of writing I have ever read. I say this after I reading Shakespeare's Twelfth Night only a couple of weeks ago, which at that time I thought was the roughest writing I had read up until that point, well maybe accept for Einstein's "Theory of Relativity". (no I didn't read that, I could only image and speculate. LOL)  The essay completely went on and on, and the more I went back to re-read what I read the more confusing it got. I am not the sharpest knife in the set, but really I don't think I am that stupid either. I am fustrated too, by the fact that I am an older reader and I feel that maybe I should have some magical insight, but alas it is not the case. I would sum this essay up in these words.  Roebke bascially tells you the story of a bunch of very smart and intelligent scientists who all think they have the answer to why we see things the way we see things. As very smart scientists they cannot possibly agree that maybe we see things the way we see things just because that is what see, plain and simple. They all have this passionate need and complusion to have a explanation for everything and write it down on paper. I noticed as I read that is seems that each set of scientists agrees not to agree, and then agrees partly, but then not all the way. I found it to be almost humorous, although the author of course did not write it to be humorous, but to be very stiff, cut and dry.  I must admit for the first time after reading something, it didn't make me want to think about it, the subject is just to big and overwhelming. It reminds me of the time I tried to understand what infinity looks like or heaven.  I believe that we are not meant to understand everything and everything does not need to be explained, it is, what it is, case closed.  To attempt to answer the question given to us for this blog: Do we create what we observe through the act of our obervations? Hummm it makes me reflect on the old question of: Which came first the chicken or the egg? or How much wood, could a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?  Please pardon the immaturity of my observation but seriously, I don't know how to answer that without smiling and laughing.  I am trying to think of how to best explain, but I feel that I may not be understood.  How do we explain something that is so obviously over your head.  The author uses Quantum mechanics throughout this essay, I felt that I needed a PhD just to see where and why this is all tied together. I feel that I am left with a confused state of observation.

One weakness in Roebke's thesis is, what if you can't answer the question?  What if there is no way to prove or disprove his thesis.  It seems that the greatest scientists were unable to figure it out.  I think his theory and theisis will be argued until the cows come home.  I say forget it and move on...let us not have answers to everything and just believe that what you see is, what you see, and tomorrow is another day. 
I realize that some students will have amazing words of wisdom and totally get this essay.  For me, I won't and that is ok too!  People all have their strengths and weakness's and this high level thinking about ideas that are really out there is not my strength, but if I read an essay about small animals I would totally get it...

Greed/Waste - after reading Berry's "Faustian Econmics"

Greed/waste America's insatiable appetite for everything bigger, bigger at any cost, any price and a complete lack of concern for any ramifications that may ensue. If you could make an image after reading Berry's essay it would look like a you and me. Greed does not stand out, it is hidden, masked, it is in the mind, it is more like a disease or addiction not something you truly visualize. Americans overload everything, we cannot simply be happy with what we have, we have to supersize it,maximize it, and optimize everything we use. We cannot have a simple, ecomony fuel efficient car, instead we must own the huge fuel consuming 4x4 SUV esalcade although we don't live near the mountains or need to pull a trailer, it just looks hot and cool. No concern for how much fuel it uses, nor the impact it causes on our current oil resources, why do they need to worry about it, "by the time we run out of oil, I will be dead." That is the philosphy and mind set of the America consumer when making important car buying decsions, it is greed and waste pure and simple. It isn't just about car and automobiles that use fuel, but things American's tend to forget about that make a huge impact, is our greed for wasteful packaging of products. We want our products packaged in plastic, indivdualized and resealable. Americans rather then take the time to purchase storage containers, demand for plastic resealable packaging for a small individual one-time use portion. Water products are a good example of waste.  Manufacturing companies create wasteful packaging not only for consumer demand but for their own greed as well. The greed for companies to get their products seen at any cost, no concern for enviromental impact, or need for more oil in its manufactory process. Greed is seen in all levels and across the boards and in all areas, becomes the waste that will ultimetely be our dimise. It is sad that no one stops to look at the end result of greed and see the impact of our future. The "who cares it ain't my problem" attitude is extremely disturbing and selfish. We are a wasteful greed nation and if you want to see an good example just go to your local supermarket and walk down any aisle to see for yourself the number of products that are duplicated and the numbers of products that are packaged in oversized containers just to catch your attention hopefully. We as a nation need to set a new gameplan for the future and our future generations, we need to look at the BIG picture, make a commitment to using less and wanting less. Leave the big flashy gas gusseling huge SUV's and everyone use ecomomic fuel effiecent cars because they want to make a difference in the future rather than impress their neighbors. Waste and greed, what would the pilgrims think of us if they were here today, they would be disappointed in our choices for sure.

Wendell Berry, "Faustian Economics"

After reading Wendel Berry "Faustian Economics" I felt that I had just been slapped around by the author and pointed a finger at. The author's essay was a very direct, harsh critism of America's handling of greed in relation to global warming and America's incessable lust for everything bigger and better at any cost. The author pointed his finger at American's and gave them a good scolding for wanting more and more of everything and looking at things as limitless, but rather ways to use less and use what we have. The author uses a pact with the devil as his thread throughout his essay and uses the American's as the one who have made this pact. Berry believes that we will get what we asked for and we will not be able to correct the mistakes that we have made in regards to energry comsumption.

Berry uses the following data concerning our coal reserves: "The United States has 250 billion tons of recoverable coal reserves - enough to last 100 years even at double the current rate of consumption." to explain that it is good for only 100 years even though humans have been around for many thousands of years, he blames American greed for this. The author further uses data stating that in 1970's farmers leveraged secure acreage by buying more, it turned out not to be a good idea.

The author expresses his concerns for American's need for endless amounts of energy without limitations. Berry feels that his concerns will not be met with great euthansium and will upset people. Berry also states that "we have to give up our idea that we the right to be godlike animals, that we are potentially omniscient and omnipotent, ready to discover "the secret of the universe." We should view things as artists and of the arts that "in the art of living we can only start again with what remains". Berry understands the need to consider alternate energy sources, provided they make sense. The author wraps up with the this "Where there is not more, our one choice is to make the most and the best of what we have"' I believe that the author makes good points however really does set a strong tone in his voice.

Derrida: Fear of Writing

I interpret Derrida's fear of writing, as simply him second guessing what he has written and then coming to terms with justification and getting over it. He says that he only has fear when he is going to sleep, and it seems not to bother him while he is writing so I believe that he feels completely comfortable with his work overall.
I experience some anxiety while I am writing, but I have more while I read through it after I am done. I tend to re-write and fix things, but am not confident if I should leave it alone or if I changed it too much. I also want to make sure that I write what I mean to say and not confuse my reader.
My fear is moviated by my lack of confidence, but as I write more and more for my writing class, I am begining to feel better. I am now have a book that can help with my grammar and punctuation which will help me gain some more confidence.
I believe that Derrida is very confident in his writing and does not ever write things that he doesn't mean to write, he gives his writing a power that he feels can be hurtful if not done properly, he also completely understands and enbraces that power, he takes it very seriously.