Blog Discussion 2 (Due Nov 29)
For this Thanksgiving, may I invite you all to watch many great movies. Please visit the link http://film.economist.com/#
Please:
1. Select a film project that you find most intriguing
2. Use 75-80 words to write a very clear and concise interpretative statement
3. Sum up your perspective with an engaging title
4. Post your view as comments, thanks J
Be Grateful
ReplyDeleteThere is so much we have to be thankful for. This is especially evident to me after watching Kimjongilia. The video showed some of the harsh realities citizens of North Korea are faced with every day: family members getting taken to work camps for unknown crimes, public executions, starvation, etc. I hope that we can all take the time this Thanksgiving to truly appreciate what we have because there are so many people out there that would give anything to trade places with us.
A Deadly Drug
ReplyDeleteToday much of the world's heroin comes from Afghanistan. Ninety percent of heroin and poppy are able to be smuggled out of the country and distributed all over the world. The fact that Afghanistan's economy is basically controlled by the selling of heroin is horrible. Their government is so corrupt and this huge amount of drugs should not be allowed to be smuggled out of their country. It is not just in Afghanistan though. Corrupt government officials from many different countries have allowed it to continue. I am glad there are organizations like the United Nations that attempt to control the heroin sold though. Heroin is a horribly addictive drug and it destroys lives. The fact that so many people get involved with this drug makes me so sad.
I believe everyone should be thankful for many things in their lives especially after watching The Edge of Joy. The video I watched was heart breaking due to the hardship and struggle, people no different than me were going through. the fact that about 36,000 women die every year due to lack of blood, make me thankful for this country because it is more medically advance which makes it less likely for women to die giving birth. I hope many people do not take what they have for granted because they are others in the world who don’t have much and would love to be in your shoes.
ReplyDeleteFranck Kangah
Hard Price to Pay
ReplyDeleteThe movie that I watched was Last Train Home. This movie was about the great annual migration in China when all of the factory workers go home for the New Year. It followed a Husband and Wife who have been working in a factory for 15 years and are only able to go home and see their children for the new year. Because of this the parents do not know what to say to their children when they go home and they feel frustrated with their situation. I can not imagine only seeing my parents once a year and only talking to them on the phone. This seems like a horrible situation and I feel sorry that there are so many families like this in China.
A voice for a victim
ReplyDeleteI watched "crime after crime" and it was the story of a woman who was battered by her husband which eventually lead to her defending herself from him in which he died. She was sent to prison and has been in jail for 20 years. It was sad because in her case she did not get a chance to submit her side of the story. They decided she was guilty because she got life insurance money from her husband's death. This story exposed battered woman’s syndrome and is leading the way for other women in this situation to get help and be heard. Lawyers in California got her sentence over turned and she was suppose to be set free but then they took back their claim. As of now she is still in prison and so are many other women for the same thing. Her lawyers are trying to get this verdict reversed and then use this example to free other women that have been wrongfully imprisoned. This story was inspiring but sad to see someone’s life being taken without a fair trial.
Alexandria Chapin
Getting Peace A Different Way
ReplyDeleteIt is amazing that something like skateboarding can bring many people together and get them working together. It is important for them to get experience working with each other because they will need each other in order to get peace in their country. It is great that skateboarding has brought all ages and both girls and boys together. The girls may get dirty looks but they don't let that make them stop doing what they love. Not only is it fun but it gets people's mind off the war and their lives back home. It is incredible that skateboarding has brought them together and joy. They will need this to have peace in their country.
Saving the Rainforest
ReplyDeleteI like to see films like these it gives encouragement that some people still care about the environment. Yes, slash and burn maybe easy and quick but it harms the environment. Unlike Oil companies like BP these workers see a problem in the environment and they are willing to fix it with out government money. Its too bad our workers can't be more realistic and fix environmental problems. Instead they make everything about money, greed, and war. I seriously think if the only problem they have to worry about in Honduras is ally farming, it may be a better place to live than here.
Matt Viera
Bridging Two Worlds
ReplyDeleteThe short movie, The Learning was about a lady, Dorotea Godinez, from the Philippines, who took a teaching job in the United States. The reason behind the move was due to the lack of teachers in Baltimore and also the low wages in the Philippines. The short movie showed the struggles and challenges that she faced before she left the Philippines and during her teaching in Baltimore. It was tough for her because of the different expectations, styles of learning and teaching, location, and the culture between the continents. The outcome was obvious when the evaluation was low on the class room management.
Poverty Driven Crime
ReplyDeleteForty percent of Afghanistan's economy is run through the sale of opium to other countries such as Russia, Canada, and The United States. Many people in Afghanistan are pushed to be involved with the sale of opium in one way or another due to the considerable payout it offers and the lack of other sources of income in the region. It is a horrible thing that people are forced to live a life of crime since the demand for heroin and opium are so high they pay better wages than most regular jobs people can get in Afghanistan.
Preston Benjamin
the film that catches my eyes first is the "LAST TRAIN HOME". Two things really impressed me. One is the content that a huge number of migrant workers can not have reunion with family members in spring festival because of unavailable train ticket. what do they work so hard for an entire year for? why do they keep on working even with unfairness and little payment? The answer is definitely family! However, when comes the time that they see family members,they are just been told that the tickets are either unavailable or too expensive to buy, which is heartbroken. it is a severe society phenomenon that needs the attention and policy from the government. Another one is the process that Lixin Fan and his team created this film. imagine among tons of millions of people, you should carry the heavy camera, and meanwhile professionally shift close lens to long lens when necessary to record this plot. what a challenging work! Also, to provide with a more detail, more real and more impressive story, they spent a large amount of time recording how a true family faced this situation. It was a tough job, but they thought it deserved, as it successfully exposed the society problem. Their strong responsibility deserves our respect.
ReplyDeletetingting Jiang
Old and Dangerous?
ReplyDeleteThe video I watched brings up the controversial topic of senior citizens and driving. Senior Citizens gave so much to our country throughout the years: they have fought in wars for us, been through depressions, and raised our younger generations. However, when senior citizens get behind the wheel of a car they sometimes become dangerous and endanger their own lives as well as other drivers' lives. As stated in the video, simply taking away one's license simply because they're old is "taking (their) independence away." The morally right way to solve the problem is to respectfully tell older drivers its time to stop driving when their ability to conduct a motor vehicle puts themselves and others' lives in danger. But because its is difficult for people to tell their loved ones its time to stop driving, and because most senior citizens will probably be unwilling to surrender their driving privileges, the DMV must establish rules (like renewing licenses in person and taking road tests in order to renew licenses) to ensure older drivers are safe drivers.
Safety First
ReplyDeleteThe film that grabbed my attention was on the topic of the elderly people driving. Americans love our elders for everything that they have down and what they have gone through throughout most of their life. However, when you have these elders on the road behind the wheel, not only do they put others in risk of danger, but they also put their own life at stake. In the video, 99 year old Herbert was being videotaped driving. As he came to a stop and looked both directions, he proceeded to drive ahead as he did not see another car coming from his left and was inches from hitting him. This is the kind of risk that our elders are put at when behind the wheel of an automobile. Because we care about our elders and their safety, we need to do all we can to keep this off the road to ensure their safe from any danger happening.
Nick Vannett
Better with age?
ReplyDeleteThe film that most interested me was about the old people driving. I believe that the video was mostly about the loss of independence that drivers get when they become elderly. The video presented the idea that old drivers are not safe, but then it went on to bust the myth that all elderly people are dangers on the road. The film followed two elderly men who were coming to the end of their driving age and losing another part of their independence. Both men believed they could consciously make the judgment of when they should stop driving by themselves instead of being bossed around as if they were incompetent. Their families told the film makers they would stop the drivers when they became a danger to themselves and others, but until then, they would let the men choose for themselves. The film made me more sympathetic to elderly drivers and elderly people in general. I don't feel like we should write them off so easily in most respects.
Sidney Rucker
A dangerous birth
ReplyDeleteThe film that I found intriguing was "The Edge of Joy." It is already stressful enough for a woman to become pregnant in the U.S., I can't even imagine the stress and danger these women have to face when they become pregnant in a developing country. It's a struggle every day trying to survive, let alone, bring another human into the world. I believe this video was made to show the struggle and danger these women have to face when they give birth. The hospitals don't have enough supplies to cure the illnesses/injuries of many women that could have been very much preventable. I'm very thankful that I live in the U.S. where I have access to health care. I'm also thankful that my mother gave birth to me in the U.S. because Cambodia's healthcare is pretty bad.
values of Independence over Safety
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video concerning Old people driving i began to think about many different aspects of this topic. I grew up with my grandparents and at times i thought that maybe they shouldnt drive because of slower reflexes and not so great vision; however, if they could not drive they would lose out on many independent activities that they so dearly cherish. The video suggested that oler people take road tests along with written and vision testing. This is a good idea because it would ensure people that older drivers on the road were safe. This video stated that the youth was more dangerous than the elder population and with that, I feel like they have the right to continue driving with renewed license and road testing.
Jesie Sarbaugh
The Truth Behind The Superpower
ReplyDeletethe truth behind the superpower of superman is his fear to green kryptonite; the truth behind the powerful action of batman is his tragedy childhood; the truth behind the economic superpower of China is these emigration workers parting from their home and family to contribute for the development of economy of China. the growth of economic of China is admired by all of the world, however we usually ignore these truth behind these wonderful works. they can only back home once a year but get tiny for their hardworking. we develop economy in order to improve people's living quality and the level of society. if the growth of economy is build on the sacrifice of workers and their family, why should we develop this "useless" economy? or it is "useful" for Government? the situation in as if China is more like a capitalism country than these western countries.i hope my government can have some good solution for "Last Train", at least some backup plans.
Wheels of the Future
ReplyDeleteWhile watching Skateistan: To Live and Skate Kabull it became clearly evident that their country is in a state of unknown. While the Taliban have left, the man said that while there was peace shortly, it was short lived and they are back in a state of turmoil. A war-torn country with no predictable future, the only thing that was inspiring was all the children skateboarding, especially the girl. Girls are treated entirely differently in the Middle East and usually downcast as lesser beings. Skateboarding allows her to overcome her gender and just be an equal, a kid. The Skateboarding School also offers a distraction and safe environment from the otherwise dangerous and unpredictable environment in which they live. It seems that skateboarding is the only enjoyable facet of their lives, and it's not much, but it's something and if anything, it raises their spirits and maybe in time, it'll lead to a change in direction for the future of Afghanistan, led by the youth, such as these skateboarders.
Two Sides of a Story
ReplyDeleteThe video that I found to be intriguing was "Crime After Crime". This video was about a woman, Debbie Peagler, who was charged with first degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Debbie had tried to get out on parole before and was declined. Debbie was very upset about all this and she didn't really know quite what to do. Debbie was very frustrated that when she went on trial they failed to look at all the evidence. Debbie had been abused by her husband for many years. She took all she could from him and then she couldn't take anymore. She was very upset that they jumped straight to charging her with first degree murder and they failed to look at all the evidence. This happened in the 80s when there weren't any laws or acts about looking at what may have caused this to happen and about the women being abused. Two investigators came and and Debbie had already been in prison for 23 years. After all the information put out now Debbie should have only served a max of six years. Debbie was so emotional when she heard that and she didn't know how to respond. They tried to get Debbie out of prison and it was still denied! Debbie was very upset about all this! The situations are not fair that they didn't take all the information into consideration.
Family is Priceless
ReplyDeleteI watched the film “Last Train Home”. The film describes a common phenomenon in china that almost all factory workers come back to meet their family for every New Year’s holiday. The film records a couple who have been in this annual trek for almost 20 years. They miss their family and this makes it hard to communicate with their daughters. But why not quit their job and come back to their family? Why they can only come home once a year? There will be a series of thoughtful problems in china. These workers earn their livings through their jobs, but family is priceless.
Hard to Live a Life
ReplyDeleteI grew up in China so that I find the film project "Last Train Home" heartbreakingly realistic. There are so many poor families in China. Therefore, the parents have to leave their children and find a job in some big cities. They sacrificed almost everything to earn money and provide their children what they need. Most of them can go home only once a year and they didn't earn much even they sacrificed. There's a huge gap between the rich and the poor in China which makes the life of the poor a living hell. I really hope the government can do something to change the situation.
It Won't Stop
ReplyDeleteSomething that frustrates me particularly about this film is the fact that we as Americans are having to defend ourselves from ourselves. The easiest way to prevent drugs from coming in to America, is for no one to buy it! instead now the government has to poor money into a problem in Afghanistan and surrounding countries that supersedes the "War On Terror." On another note, I also feel that we as Americans need to be helping like we are in order to keep other countries safe. This problem will never stop until people stop buying it.
TJ Read
Make an Impact
ReplyDeleteThe movie that I saw was called Freedom Writers. This movie was about a teacher that had to go in teach in the worst school district in town and try to get students of differents races to come together. This movie makes you think about what differents races and cultures have to deal with on a daily basis. It teaches us that we should not judge or tease somebody for what they wear, how they talk, or where they come from. We are all equal because we are all humans who have the same flaws. No one is perfect.
Sheridan B.
ReplyDeleteElders Driving.. good or bad?
While watching this film it brought up the controversy of whether or not elders should be on the road drive. They have done so much for our country over the years and have been put through so much more than all of us younger people have. Some elders are good at driving but some put others at risk and themselves at risk just because of simple problems, such as eye sight. I feel that we need to keep elders off the road who shouldn't be on it in the first place due to medical conditions, but if you are fine to drive let them stay on the road. It sounds like a good idea to make people take test every year once they hit a certain age just to make sure they are still fit to drive.
Who Should We Really Be Fearing on the Road?
ReplyDeleteThe documentary that caught my eye was the one about elderly people driving. The way the film focused on two elderly men made me more connected to the documentary. One man, 85 years old, and the other, 99, were both still drivers on the road. And both men believed that they knew when the right time would be for them to be off the road. What I found most interesting about this whole film was, however, that the belief that older people are the most dangerous ones on the road is all just a myth. The fact that younger drivers are putting more people at risk is alarming, and very believable. I think this film brought forth more sympathy for the elderly, and brought light to an interesting truth that many may not have known before.
-Ashley Nussen
A Linguistic Love
ReplyDeleteI watched the film, "We Still Live Here." I found this video interesting because it brought up the question of how connected we each are to our culture and heritage. This group of people are incredibly dedicated to revitalizing the language of the Wampanog Tribe. It is so impressive how the woman took the opportunity to study linguistics in order to teach others. It amazes me that not only do these people care about keeping a language alive, they also, more importantly care about keeping a culture and traditions alive. It makes me reconsider how valuable my heritage is to me and how I show it.
Christine Kaiser
Fighting Back
ReplyDeleteThe video that I viewed describes the slash and burn method that millions of farmers use everyday. This method of clearing land for more room for agriculture is one of the leading causes of deforestation and global warming. Fortunately for us, scientist Mike Hands has discovered a way to combat this issue. He has discovered a tree that will help re-fertilize the soil that had been damaged by the slash and burn method.
I have much respect for Mike Hands. Although the slash and burn method may be easier, he has decided to look for a better way to achieve the same goal without damaging the forest or increasing the rates of global warming. I believe that with this video, his efforts will become more noticed and this tactic will be used to re-fertilize the damaged soil all over the world.
-Eric Winter
STRENGTH
ReplyDeleteThe video that I viewed was about Debbie, a woman who was convicted of 1st degree murder after she was involved in the death of her boyfriend. But what the court didn't know was that her boyfriend had been abusing her for many years. Twenty years later California passed a law that helps women in prison because of abuse have their cases re-evaluated. She was granted a plea bargain but then the DA retracted it. Now she starts a battle to try to get out of jail. I really admire Debbie because she has endured so much pain and then having to be in jail for a crime that you committed to save yourself shows so much courage.
Unjustly Jailed
ReplyDeleteThe video that i watched was about a women who has been in jail for 14 years longer than she should have to be. California is the only state that allows cases to be reopened. 2 lawyers heard about Debbie's case and decided to fight it and try to get her out of jail. After a very hopeful response from the DA, their hopes were crushed when they were told that the DA is revoking their offer.
This story is very inspiring because there are people out there who are unjustly jailed, and it is nice to know that there are some people who are trying to help them. However, this story is more upsetting because California is the only state that leaves room for error. It is also upsetting because the DA revoked their decision to let Debbie out. Hopefully her story will inspire many more people to help her and other people like her and hopefully she will eventually be rightfully let out of jail.
-Molly Hopkins
Old People Danger: A Common Misperception or Not?
ReplyDeleteThe film that caught my attention was "Old People Driving", a short documentary about 96 year old Milton and 99 year old Herbert and the issues of letting old people drive. They talk about how in different states there are different ways of testing older people to see if they should still be able to drive. I believe that is a little unfair when clearly every driver, especially young drivers, can be a danger. They should make it very clear and even between the states, what the policy will be when it comes to older drivers. Also, if older people driving is such a problem and it's found that we must evoke their driving privileges, then we should set up a solution to them losing their keys. By that I mean, if enough old people are losing their "independence", then we should have a safe bus system or some sort of solution for old people, to transport them. In conclusion, I believe it should be more fair and we shouldn't leave old people alone with no way to get about.
Danielle Wong
Old People
ReplyDeleteThis documentary was about old people and clearing up some of the myths about them being the worst drivers on the road. Old people are believed to be the worst drivers on the road, but actually teens are. Old people are only a “danger to themselves”. Herbert Bauer decided to give up driving before someone suggested he give it up. He has never been in an accident. This grabbed my attention because the old people in my family are the worst drivers I have ever met, but I never looked at driving from their perspective. After watching this documentary I would say that I am worse than them.
Living A Hard Life
ReplyDeleteI am really impressed and moved after watching the film project "Last Train Home". There exists so many migrant workers throughout China and all of them are not only suffering the feeling of sorrow that they have to leave behind loved ones, but also trying their best to work laboriously with low payback. When I saw the scenes of jammed train station, I can understand their anxiety of coming back soon. In my view, it is their most desired moment through the year.
Taliban: Afghanistan's Cancer
ReplyDeleteI had heard of the opium problem in Afghanistan, but never thought it to be so massive. Ninety-percent of the world's opium comes from this part of the world. Simply astounding. It is amazing how Taliban continues to destroy lives one way or another. The documentary states that Taliban uses opium profits to fund their war against the West. Taliban continues to be a bunch of hypocrites in every aspect of their so called war against the west. These individuals deserve to be hunted down the way America has done so. The fact that they supply this horrendous drug to the world is the greatest sin and crime of all. I was glad to hear that the united nations have taken action to reduce the supply.
Anas Mohammad
OLD PEOPLE ON THE ROAD, danger?
ReplyDeleteI watched a film about elderly people including those 85 years and older driving. It is a common myth that the older you are the more dangerous your are to yourself and others when you are driving. But actually the most accidents are caused by younger people under the age of 25. THis film explains that the older and more familiar you are to driving the less accidents you will cause. Even those who are really old causing accidents will more likely just hurt themselves because their bodies are more fragile. WHere as young people that cause accidents will usually hurt other people again for the same reason. This really opened my eyes because i also thought that old people tended to be bad drivers, but this is not the case at all as i learned through this documentary.
Melanie McDonough
Are Old People Dangerous?
ReplyDeleteI watched the film about the driving abilities of elderly people. The film basically follows the story of two older gentlemen who are being forced to reconsider the safety of being behind the wheel. Naturally, the thing the were most concerned about in giving up driving is the loss of independence it would bring. One of the men said that it would be like giving up and waiting to die. Usually when I hear about this controversial issue, it is through the prospective of younger people concerned about the safety of elderly driving. However, hearing the men's perspective on the issue made me more sympathetic towards them. I feel that although they are old, they are not dumb and can judge for themselves when they are no longer able to drive. It is especially interesting to see how teenagers are far more of a risk than any older person on the road.
Katelyn Johnson
The film I found intriguing was Good Fortune. This film is filling people in on the extreme poverty in Africa, and trying to find ways to help improve these peoples way of living. One of the so called cities they show has no roads, running water, or electricity. The inhabitants of this slum struggle everyday to survive by battling obstacles like hunger, sickness, and the constant search of drinkable water. It's sad that their are places like these where the state of living is so poor, and it really breaks your heart to see, but thankfully there is a project underway to improve the hygiene of these people, and money coming in to help build new buildings to offer up new opportunities.
ReplyDeleteA rolling whisper of hope
ReplyDelete"When I'm skating on the streets, I can feel people questioning my riding skills.. Their opinions are meaningless to me." This breath of air came from a young aspiring girl that takes pride in skateboarding even if it is frowned upon for girls to even dare to take efforts in. Skateboarding has always been an outlet or escape that I have associated myself with. When you step foot on a skateboard, it's as if you are engaging in a new "you". Any outside distractions such as poverty, violence, or overwhelming adversity are all washed away and grounded into the pavement as your wheels swiftly move from one place to the next. I think the take home note for this video is merely the fact of the matter that skateboarding is more than just something for your body to take action in.., Skateboarding can relieve oneself from negative, tormenting influences and shed a brighter, positive light whilst in the motions -these kids need that more than anything.
Cody D. Marrell
After watching The curious story of Benjamin Button, I had a strong feeling about how cruel the time is. We could say that Benjamin was cheating. Because he is growing younger and younger. But, in the end he returned to an infant, just like a new-borned. There's a word said by the captain of the tugboat. You can complain for everything, but when it comes to the time, you have to let go. Nothing changed this rule even though Benjamin was getting young. And that is the thing I learned.
ReplyDeleteOne Hundred Years of Experience
ReplyDeleteToday, there are three million people over the age of 85 that are still driving. That is something to contemplate about for the future, say the next ten years. The film "Old People Driving" gives you a perspective how seniors are still capable to drive after a myth saying they are the worst drivers when it's not true. It still gives you that unfamiliar feeling if seniors should still be driving, because they are more of a danger to themselves than to others. To me it's hard to believe some drivers have been for 80+ years. At some point they have to give it up, that's what happens in life when you've done something for so long.
-Noah Zimmerlin