Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Cider House Rules

The “Cider House Rules” is one of the most morally dangerous films I ever watched. The film is pro-abortion, and the events of the narrative are orchestrated to support that point of view. The movie presents a clear, one-sided argument in favor of abortion.
The film’s trails were very misleading; this was done to push the pro-abortion message to the public. I never felt so manipulated by just watching a movie. I thought the film was about a young man trying to explore life, and the relationship between unwanted orphan and nice doctor who spend all his life trying to help the unfortunates. I never knew that I would be watching a doctor who spends most of his life butchering babies.
Throughout the movie, the filmmaker’s solution to any problem seemed to be “make your own rule” and kill the people that are at the root of the problem. The backbones of the story were coordinated cleverly to support killing, which makes the movie morally dangerous.

hellen

Chat rooms

The purposes of online chat rooms are varied. Some chat rooms result from a desire to discuss an issue of common interest, while others provide a place for social clubs or organizations to plan and coordinate events. An online chat room may simply be a gathering place where people meet and converse on a regular basis.
I was able to understand the many benefits by visiting Paltalk’s chat rooms; some of those benefits are: social interaction, support systems, sharing resources and experiences. It also helps build confidence and manage loneliness. Some people take farther and become online communities; that is when individuals share common interests, needs and goals for problem solving and support and when they can easily find and communicate with each other and establish relationships. What I have learned is that successful online communities must have a clear purpose that meets members’ needs. I was able to see this clearly in “Overcoming Addiction” groups such as AADownunder meeting and Voices of Nicotine Recovery. After spending a few times in those rooms, I was not surprise when one of the members before leaving the room typed “good nite, u r my life line”.
hellen

Birth of Nation

I must admit this comic book did make me laugh at time but I still didn’t like it that much. The stereotypes were very offensive and unfair. I was too embarrassed to read it in public place. In my opinion McGruder lost what ever point that he was trying to make. He made them look a bunch of losers and ignorant. To me it is not just about achieving your goal it is how you accomplish it. We have seen how they accomplish their goal. I also don’t see how the community are contributing; 70 % of them were getting welfare from the government now they getting it from Fred. How is that a progress?

Animal Farm

The main events that make up the story in Animal Farm:
The animals had enough of the ill treatment they were getting from humans. Therefore they decided to take over the farm. When the animals toke over the farm, they thought it was the end of their misery. They hope for a happy farm where all animals are equal and all properties shared. However the pigs had another idea, the pigs take control and Napeleon becomes the leader of the animals. He ends up breaking all the principles of the revolution. The animals end-up having less freedom then ever.

hellen

Penn and Teller – Numbers

One of our class discussions was based on Penn and Teller Bullshit episode. Penn and Teller main argument was that numbers don’t lie but people do lie. They based their arguments how someone can manipulate people by using numbers. They were also eager to tell us how we can be easily deceived by numbers if we don’t pay attention.
hellen

Maus II

Maus II

In Mause II Art seems awarded of his childish behavior. This awareness could be for several reasons: from the therapy he was getting; because he was about to become a father himself; or that Vladek no longer with him. He also appears less annoyed with Vladek.
I know Art was trying to make imaginative sense of the Holocaust; also trying to communicate with us in symbolic form. However, in my opinion his Holocaust narratives were too deep for comic book. I was having hard time paying attention to the drawings.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

Maus I

Maus I was an interesting comic book. If Art was trying to tell the whole world that his father was impossible to live with, greedy, and some kind of loser he did a great job. Art has a major issue with his father; Maus I was his way of throwing tantrum.
At the end of part I Art called his father a murderer I can understand why he did that. Vladek destroyed Anjas notebook Art has no way of finding out about that par of his mother’s story. It is frustrating. It is like Vladek killed that part of Anja’s life. No one will ever know that part of her life.

hellen