Connections Made Between TWN and Just Add Water

TWN and Just Add Water both begin at a less than average state of normal. Illyria and Trona are both crazed places where the individuals are not very aware of others around them, nor the fact that life exists outside of their small civilization. A large emphasis can be put on disguise and the masking of individuals in both TWN and Just Add Water. Viola pretends to be a man throughout TWN. Ray and Nora mask their own insecurities and qualms with the town by going about their days with smiles on their faces. In both of these comedies, the individuals have to reach an all time low in order to be inspired to make a change. This relates to most of the articles we've read on climate change as well because society does not feel the need to be green until it faces "self-inflicted extinction." In TWN, the low point comes when Olivia marries Sebastian because there end up being two Cesarios according to Olivia, which causes havoc. Ray reaches a low point when he loses the adherence of his family. He catches his wife cheating and witnesses his son dealing drugs. Ray doesn't feel the need to change (similar to today's society and Viola in TWN) until his world comes crashing down.

Mark Smith's Animacules and Other Little Subjects

After reading his text, it is certain that Smith has a passion for life. Life on a microscopic level, pets, creatures that lurk in the water, or even humans: give Smith life and he'll ramble on for paragraphs about how much that various life form interests him. Although he cannot justify his fascination with the animalcules, I shall take a shot. I think part if his interest stems from the fact that nature itself is one of the cheapest, most intellectually stimulating, and available forms of entertainment out there in the world today. I think Smith likes to take advantage of nature for this reason because he knows it'll benefit him in the long-run. I think Smith's interest in animalcules mainly stems from his interest in the interconnectedness of natural beings and their environment. I share this interest with Smith. I am a sociology major and love studying how people are connected through groups and how they interact with each other given the division of said groups. I think Smith enjoys analyzing the similarities such as the fact that animalcules and humans are not so different because they're both eating all the time. He likes noticing that organisms all affect one another and are not as different from each other as they think.

I really enjoyed this article. His writing could have gone way over the reader's head if Smith decided to clutter his writing with biological terms and concepts. His decision to use figuration and an extensive amount of anecdotes made the reading interesting and enlightening. The anecdotes, especially, made the reading more like a conversation than a formal, scientific text like most of the other articles in the book were set up as. Smith's insight actually made me take a second look at the world around me, and how every living thing is connected in some way. Life does not just consist of one being; life is a collaborative group of many living things that coexist. Because we all coexist in this vast world, it is important to weigh our decisions accordingly and practice empathy with our fellow life forms.

George Carlin's The Planet is Fine

George Carlin's routine re-enforces Phelan's idea that the humanity is self-extincting. He points out that the earth has existed for far longer than humanity has, so therefore, it is fine. The earth doesn't need anymore meddling from humans. He points out that humans cannot even fix themselves, never mind a larger object such as the earth itself. There should be no attempts to save the planet until people attempt and succeed to save themselves. This is similar to what Phelan is saying. In his article, Phelan articulates that humans and the culture they have created are the most powerful too, yet, the worst potential enemy in remaining on earth. Similarly, humans should stop worrying about the environment so much as they should start worrying about how they are going to quickly adapt and keep up with the speedy climate change. Evolution is moving a lot quicker than biologists thought, but climate change is moving even quicker, so if humans don't start worrying about themselves, the environment will beat them to a pulp potentially ending in humanity's extinction. Depressing, right?

Focused Free Write - Symbol in Just Add Water

I think that Ray's tin box best exemplifies the film Just Add Water. Ray keeps the tin box in his car, and he's constantly referring back to it whenever he gets discouraged. The tin box and its contents represent hope. Inside it are pictures of Nora, which make Ray smile and also encourage him in a way to keep on going. He could have easily given up on himself and on the town on many occasions along the storyline, but he didn't. When he felt burnt out, he would refer back to his tin box and the pictures within, which restored his hope. The pictures send him back to the past, and thoughts of a better time. I think this symbol of hope represents the movie effectively because without some "ray" of hope, the town of Trona would have remained stuck in one place. The tin box and thoughts of Nora were Ray's source hope and encouragement to change the stagnant town of Trona.

Benjamin Phelan's "How We Evolve"

Phelan talks about "self-inflicted extinction" in his article "How We Evolve." The first three quarters of this article provided substantial evidence on how evolution works on a more technical level and how it is actually occurring quicker than biologists thought. Evolution used to be a rare concept that biologists and researchers did not really know much about because they did not have to tools to further such research. Now that the tools and technology are up to par, it has been discovered that evolution is actually moving at an incredible rate. "Up to 10 percent of the human genome appears to be evolving at the maximum rate, more quickly than ever before in human history" (193).

However, evolution may not be operating fast enough in order to keep up with the equally, ever-increasing speed of climate change. In as soon as five generations from now, humanity could be dealing with either extinction or a major evolution. Phelan calls this "self-inflicted extinction" because the culture we have created has provided the tools for us to advance into a complex society, yet it has also destroyed the tools like natural resources and a healthy environment necessary for our sustenance. In order for us to survive on this earth, science will have to evolve new tools that can control aspects of evolution. The culture we have created is our best friend, yet our worst enemy. A solution must be sought out using the same means we used to get ourselves in this mess before we're in too deep over our heads.

John Broome's "The Effect of Climate Change"

I do not think that examining climate change through a market-lens is the best way to go. Broome's essay was heavy on technical terms and hard to relate to. Through his writing, it was difficult to connect both issues being presented. Broome attempted to analyze climate change through a market economy. He believes that the more well-off an individual is, the more greenhouse gases he or she will emit into the environment because he or she has the means and money to do so. This is a difficult conclusion to draw because intent is also an issue at hand. Given the money, technology, and transportation, poorer people would most likely follow suit in terms of emitting greenhouse gases. This is not a safe conclusion to draw anyway because the lifestyles of many lower class individuals are not necessarily eco-friendly because they do not have the money to accumulate as many material goods. In a previous article, it was said that poor people actually end up carrying a heavier carbon footprint. Studies were done relating the significant correlation between obesity, poor people, and the carbon they emit. Poorer people tend to be obese and buy a lot of fast food, and food that is not made in a sustainable way. They also tend to be the ones driving around everywhere. Based on information like this, it is difficult to make the claim that the more well-off one is, the more greenhouse gases they emit into the environment.

I think it is difficult to look at climate change through the lens of a market economy. There is more to climate change then just economic issues. Human intent, the course of nature, and the expansion of technology must all be taken into account. Just because you're rich, does not mean you are any more of a burden to the environment than the next guy. It is humanity as a whole that must take a look at their actions and change them together. Solving the problem that is climate change is not an equation that can be solved by simple computation. It is more of an open-ended essay that needs to be developed by the writer over time. Therefore, I do not agree with Broome's conclusions made in his essay.

Blogging About Blogging

I think blogging is one of the best ways for this generation to communicate their ideas productively and in a new-age sort of manner. Students are constantly on their computers knowing that they are procrastinating and not doing the assignments they should be. However, having a blog as an assignment is much less intimidating seeing as how it is just another tab you open up on your search engine. Blogging also allows students to open up more than they would in a formal piece of writing because the blogs one follows are those of their individuals. Their audience is not just a teacher, but a number of students having the same qualms with completing homework as they do. Blogging enables a student to loosen up his or her language and opens up the possibility of having other students comment, criticize, and offer feedback on mini-writing assignments. This leads to my next point. There is no extensive writing assignment due on a blog. It is a cumulative effort of mini-assignments. I know when I blog, I let my fingers and thoughts just go and say what I want to say. Relating to Derrida's fear of writing, I make sure that when I blog I relinquish the beast and say what I want to say. I personally love blogging considering this is one of three that I have. Granted my other two are mostly photographs and music, this one like the others, makes me feel I can say what I truly want to say without the fear of it being harshly criticized solely by a teacher. I do not think simply blogging is appropriate for a class, but I think it is a great complement.