Depression

Many Americans believe that as a nation we are unstoppable, and things that have happened in our past will not happen again. We are supposed to learn from our past, but in reality the past will repeat itself. In Robert Samuelson’s article entitled The Shadow of Depression, he brings forward the anxiety that we Americans have about falling into another economic down turn. Even through our unemployment rate is nowhere near what it was during the Great Depression in the 1930’s we have been growing closer. I agree with Samuelson because people need to be aware that anything can happen at any time. I am not saying do not spend your money, but there will come a time when things might not look so bright but as American’s we have to push through it. The more we worry the worse thing are going to get. The reason I say this is because my grandparents were in their young twenties when the Great Depression hit. As I would talk to them about this dreadful time they would stress the fact about staying positive. They would say things like do not let the world drag you down, and it made us stronger. The last sentence of Samuelson’s article says, “When people stop worrying about depression, when the shadow lifts, the crisis will be over.”  This makes me reminds me of the wise words of my grandparents. So next time you are out with family or friends, or on a vacation to somewhere remember that you cannot take your money to the grave with you! Support the local community where ever you are, and keep the money circulating.  

The Graduate

The 1967 film The Graduate was a huge step in the America film industry. This film shows Benjamin Braddock a young man that has recently graduated from college. When he comes home to his parent’s house he finds himself feeling lost in the new adult world. Then to add onto this uncertainty Mrs. Robinson, who is a friend of his parent’s attempts to seduce him after his graduation party. Benjamin originally wants nothing to do with it, but soon thereafter we find him getting a room at a hotel later in the week. From then on they are tied into an intimate relationship until Mrs. Robinson’s daughter is to return home from college. Benjamin’s parents force him to take Mrs. Robinson’s daughter Elaine out. When Mrs. Robinson catches wind that Benjamin is going on a date with her daughter she threatens to tell everyone about their true relationship. From then on Ben’s life begins to unfold as you see him trying to get Elaine back.The director Mr. Mike Nichols and casting consultant Lynn Stalmaster casted a wonderful cast of Anne Bancroft who is Mrs. Robinson, Dustin Hoffman who is Ben Braddock, Katharine Ross who is Elaine Robinson and Murray Hamilton as Mr. Robinson along with many others. Bancroff, Hoffman, and Ross all were nominated for Oscars for their performances. The chemistry between the actors throughout the picture jumps off the screen. Hoffman and Bancroft make you believe and feel their connection, and Hoffman makes you feel the conflict that he is having within himself. This romance comedy takes place in Pasadena California, and a lot of the events that happen throughout happen by or in Benjamin’s parent’s pool. This movie is fun and interesting to watch. Benjamin’s relationship with Mrs. Robinson will keep you on your feet the whole time. 

Education Please?

Left Behind, Way Behind is the title of Bob Herbert article about how America sizes up on schooling and grades. The title was enough to pull me in and once I started reading the fact I realized how shockingly true it all is. The first fact that Herbert gives to us is, “Only about two-thirds of American teenagers graduate with a regular diploma four years after entering high school”. The next fact is that, “only half of them read well enough to succeed in college”. Being a college student myself this is shocking to me. I think that this is strikes me as odd because I come from a school where everyone had the opportunity to attend at least a community college. I agree with Herbert that more than just the no child left behind law. He goes on to discuss how the minorities and low income students differ in this country. This topic has been running through my head for a few days now because we are also talking about it in my sociology class. There is a distinct difference in how minorities and low income kids are treated. My sociology professor talked about a child coming from a higher income family has more chances to succeed. If they would get a C on a paper they would be told that they can do better, but if a lower income child would get a C on a paper the teacher is more likely to say good job. This is also tied into the self-fulfilling prophecy which says that someone will do only as good as they believe that they can do. This is seen if a child gets a C on a paper and gets praised for it then that will be their objective for the next one. This is going to be a long process to get to a point where minority and income will no matter and frankly we may never get there, but they best thing that we as a population can do is   make it more know. 

The Maltese Falcon

In the 1941 film the Maltese Falcon you see Humphrey Bogart as Samuel Spade a detective with his friend Miles Archer played by Jerome Cowan. These two men are attempting to help Mary Astor who is playing Brigid O’Shaughnessy. Ms. O’Shaughnessy is a woman who supposable is looking for her sister who has run off, but as the movie progresses you come to figure out that she is just a very good liar and manipulator. Later you come to meet Joel Cairo who is working for a man Called Gutman who is played by Sydney Greenstreet. When you meet these two men the real story begins to unfold. Viewers begin to realize what Ms. O’Shaughnessy purpose is, and you come to realize what the Maltese Falcon is. If you really want to know what happens with the Maltese Falcon then you will just have to watch the movie. No spoiler alerts here! All of this happens in San Francisco and it defiantly old school Hollywood! This is a beautiful Drama for the ages along with some great acting. Director John Huston and Warner Brothers Studios has created a timeless movie about lies and greed. Who ever knew a statuette would cause so much commotion. IF you do not believe me this film was nominated for three Oscars in 1942. The three categories were best picture, best actor in a supporting role, and best writing. Maltese Falcon won the National Film Registry by the National Film Preservation Board in 1989. This movie is a good watch with a very surprising end. Full of action and drama with a lot of crime, and who do you think kill who or did what. This will keep you guessing to the very end. 

Digital or Paper?

When reading Nick Taylor’s article about digital libraries I began to think about the benefits of it. I started thinking about the fact it is completely accessible for everyone through the internet and also that it would be good publicity for the authors. If people see their work and their names they can go purchase the full writing in the please. Then I came to a line in Taylor’s article that said, “that’s the devils bargain”. This played with my thinking because I agreed with the whole article up to this point. After reading this I realized that even though it does get the writers name out there, but it probably is making more money for the search engine than anyone else. Which was also stated in the article, and then I thought about internet cite crashes and bad WIFI connections. If you live in the country you probably understand what I am talking about. The WIFI rides the “struggle bus” out here, and most of the time pulling up library websites is hard because they are linked to so much information. Then there is the fact that no everyone has internet access. There is a library in most towns, including the small ones. After reading this article my thought process has been changed. Even though it is a pain in the bottom to go to the actual library you know what the information will always be there, unlike the internet. No worries about books crashing or not pulling up because all you have to do is sit down and flip open to a page. 

Rosebud

                The movie Citizen Kane was first released in 1941. The first time that I watched this movie I did not think much of it. This time around was completely different. This dramatic tragedy is one for the ages. Most of Charles Foster Kane’s story is told in flashback. This was very different than any other movie of this time. When the movie opens up you see Kane on his death bed say his last words. “Rosebud” was Charles last words, which is important to remember throughout the rest of the movie. After the death of Kane reporters are trying to figure out what Rosebud really means. They go to his closest friends and his second ex-wife who was still living. During this time the movie pops back and forth from flashback to real time. After attempting to talk to everyone that was close to Kane reporters finally give up. They never figure out what Rosebud really means, but in the end you will. This is a great story displaying the fact that money is not everything. You could have all the money in the world, but you could be the loneliest person.  Charles Foster Kane is played by Orson Welles who also is the director and producer of this film. Welles is a brilliant Kane. He displays every aspect of being a wealthy main of this time period. He is proper and loves to buy anything that he can get his hands on. The tone of voice and the use of body movement also shows the view that he is in power over most other actors in this film.  Dorothy Comingore plays Susan Alexander Kane, Kane’s second wife. Comingore shows a great deal of emotion throughout the film. She projects the way she speaks and feels into the audience. They most powerful time you see her like this is after the passing of Charles and she is in the bar she runs drinking constantly. She cannot talk to the reporters because she is so distraught. There are many other actors such as Joseph Cotton, Agnes Moorehead, and Ray Collins. Along with others who make the movie what it is. They are seeing their purpose of their character and make it believable. The thing that makes this movie stand out the most is its structure. The way that Welles uses flashback makes the movie interesting instead of leading you along the dramatic life of Charles Foster Kane. The audience gets to hear about what has happened in his life, and then gets the opportunity to see it. This allows the film to slowly progress all the way into its dramatic ending. The lighting in this film played a key role in how the audience would feel during a scene. When you saw Kane a lot of the time it would be dark around him that gives you the feel that he is sad and alone, but when he was around his wives, or running for office you could tell that he was happier. The scene would get brighter the happier that Kane would appear to be. These are all great things that played a key role in how successful this movie has become. This film will keep you guessing. Everyone should want to know what Rosebud is because everyone has their own Rosebud.

Mother??

As I look through my English book at the different articles I always find myself stopping on ones with titles that interest me or get me thinking. So naturally when I see an article entitled “My Daughters Have No Mother” I got to thinking. I was thinking about maybe a father who had lost his wife, or maybe the wife had got up and left. Finally as I start reading Max Mutchnick’s article I realize that it is not that at all. He is a gay man who wants kids. This is not something that I commonly hear. I do not have a problem with homosexual people at all. You like who you like. Then as I am reading I see his controversy about his surrogate mother who he nicknamed “an oven”. This first made me mad because as a woman myself I would never want to be called an oven. As I continued to read about why he did it though I almost felt bad; Mutchnick had done this because he was feeling weird about asking a stranger for such a big favor. He talks about all of his other feelings of vulnerability, and many others. He said he feels bad that his daughters will have no mother, but he gives a great list of amazing things that his daughters will have. Some of these include grandparents to love them, cousins, and laughter to list a few. I am not saying that all women should be called ovens. No woman should ever, but I am glad that he explained himself. I see how these things can be hard on gay men. If they are fit to be a father they should have the opportunity to raise children just like all the other couples in the world. 

It’s a pirates life for me

As we were talking about movie sequels in my film class last Tuesday I got to thinking about some of my favorite movies that had sequels. Sequels can be good or bad, but either way it is a film company’s way of trying to bring in the big bucks at the box office. When I think of a sequel that did not impress me was Home Alone 2, but one group of movies immediately came to mind when I was thinking about successful sequels. The Pirates of the Caribbean movies I believe were well made. Throughout these movies the viewer follows the adventures that Captain Jack Sparrow encounters to stay alive. Johnny Depp, who plays Captain Jack, makes it look almost fun to be a pirate. Also while thinking how can someone get away from just about anything. I think that this makes him easy to relate to because we all know someone in our lives that can get away with doing just about anything. Not only does the first one offer romance, thrill, and humor. All three of the ones following do in new and fun ways also. The first movie Curse of the Black Pearl introduces Captain Jack’s struggle as he attempts to regain his ship the Black Pearl. The second movie is Dead Man’s Chest which is more of a love story than the first, but still offers thrill and humor. The third movie is On Strange Tides, which pulls everything from the first two movies together. Then the last one At World’s End finishes out the movies by giving an ending to the first three. These movie are not all exactly alike but they play off each other enough to everything understandable and to keep you entertained. 

Money Makes the World Go Round

                When I opened my English 111 and saw an article entitled The Shadow of Depression immediately thought about the world around me. My parents always trying to save all the money that they can, and I realized that they act this way because of their parents. My grandparents we in their early 20’s at the start of the great depression. My grandma did not make it through high school because he had to work and help the family. Even though things are not that extreme now a day they are still in the back of all our minds. Robert Samuelson, the author of this article explains the relationship between the current economic and the one during the great depression. Samuelson uses facts to back up how these two are in direct correlation; things such as the unemployment rate, and the contrast between the budget deficits. Another problem with today’s economic crisis is that people hoard cash. This is not just the consumers but also the companies. We all know that Money makes the world go around so if there is no cash flow then how is the world supposed to keep working? Samuelson ended his article by stating, “When people stop worrying about depression, when the shadow lifts, the crisis will be over.” I agree with this article because as much as it is good to save your money you need to spend to help your economy. I also think about local business. Next time you go out to a store try and look for ones that are not branches. Look for stores that are special to your area and help your local economy. Here is a song that makes me think about this article.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rechCN3FAk

Don't you forget about me

When I think about a movie that is timeless I think of The Breakfast Club. When something is timeless it means that it is not affected by the passage of time or change in fashion. Even though The Breakfast Club was released in 1985 I believe that it still relates to high school students of today. There will always be clicks in high school and depending on which one you belong to can define what stereo type that you will fall under. This movie shows five completely opposite high school students coming together after having to serve a Saturday detention. Everyone that has been through high school knows that there are stereo types. The five that are represented in this movie are criminal, brain, basket case, athlete, and princess. As the movie plays out you will see all the character begin to fall out of their stereo types, and by the end of the movie they leave with a better understand of their fellow classmates. Even though throughout the beginning of the movie they attack each other’s ways of life based on who they hangout with.   They then realize that they all have their own personal problems, and that you cannot “judge a book by its cover”. Having teenagers in high school watch this movie would hopeful make them see that everyone has a story and it is not fair to judge someone by who they are in school. I know for me after watching this movie I viewed the students around me in a different way. Just because someone looks a certain way does not mean they are a bad person, or that they are above you.

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

iWorld

While searching through my English 111 textbook I came across an article written by Andrew Sullivan. IT was entitled Society Is Dead: We Have Retreated into the iWorld. Throughout the article Sullivan explains how iPods and new devices have changed the social world. He explains how waking down a New York street is quiet and everyone is in their own world thanks to their iPods. Sullivan admits to being one himself. I believe that this article can apply to almost any situation. Maybe not a New York street, but even here at Illinois Central College, students plug into their iPods and do not communicate with those around them. I think that this is an article that many people today should read. It made me stop and think about the social world around me, and how much interaction I get with others. My favorite thing that Sullivan said was, “we put the I in me.” He also talks about how we have mastered the art of narrowing our lives. We are able to only read, listen, or talk to people we like. More and more people are getting iPods each day. The need for social interaction has gotten smaller and smaller. This is sad to think that music use to bring people together. IT was a common ground that was a social event. Now if someone does not like the same music as you it can cause a problem. Instead of being open people think only their kind of music is good. At the end of this article Sullivan tells us to try and listen to the world around us and the people. I believe that we should try and focus on the real world and not blaring our iPods into our ears. 

Do you want to build a snow man?

Disney’s newest animated film Frozen has been seen by many adults and children around the world. Frozen has made of eight-hundred million dollars in box office sales world-wide. I believe that this is one of the best movies that had been released in 2013. It won a Golden Globe for the best animated feature film. I first had no desire to go see another Disney princess movie. They were not the original princesses that I grew up with. When my three year olds at work started to talk and sing the songs I had a change of heart. Parents would rave about how good it was along with my coworkers who had taken their kids. Since then I have seen Frozen twice. This is not an ordinary Disney princess movie. It has the perfect amount of funniness and sadness. Not to mention a huge plot twist! The songs will be stuck in your head for days after seeing it. Elsa and Anna the two main characters do not act like normal princesses. You will see all their imperfections and struggles. Then you have Olaf the fun loving snowman that loves summer. Kristoff is an ice collector who helps Anna try and get Elsa to come back after she runs off. The best part about this movie is it shows that you do not need a prince, and that the power of family is untouchable. I would recommend this movie to anyone with an inner child. It is a feel good movie that will keep you laughing.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbQm5doF_Uc