Article Summary

Before I read this article, my focusing question was “Is love effected by social status?”  After reading it again and considering the way our society has been programmed to work I am redirecting my focusing question to ask “What defines social status?”

The article I chose was something that could easily relate to my focusing question, giving a very specific example of how social standing is portrayed within the walls of a public school.  You wouldn’t think that at an elementary age something such as social standing would already be a part of your everyday life, but this article gives well supported data that shows how popularity and peer ratings combine to create your social status among your classmates.  This article mainly focuses on how students with learning disabilities are defined in a school environment and classmates of those students think of them differently.  The topic of the article grabbed my attention instantly because I’ve never considered the fact that elementary students with LD could actually be considered a lower class then the “normal” student.  This article is easy to understand with the great amounts of research put into the study of students with learning disabilities.  I am suprised to find out that elementary aged children have higher rates of social isolation and rejection from peers.  Everyone in society feels bad for young and old people with LD, but this sympathy doesn’t mean that we should stamp a label to them as a people of lower social standings.  This article supports my focusing question because the littlest things define who we are as a human being and what our “class” is.   Something that shouldn’t matter is taken into deep thought for kids the age of nine, judging those who weren’t given certain abilities as they were.  I agree with a majority of things from the article such as “students with LD has a lower status among peers in the classroom.”  “Students with LD scored lower than peers in the numbers of best friend nominations.”  I agree with this because it’s logical to take in the thought that people with LD are usually looked down upon in a classroom setting.  Instead of making them feel lower than what they really are, we shouldn’t judge them we should actually go out of our way and help them.  I agree with the thesis of this article that students with LD overall are considered a lower status then that of achieving peers.  The amount of research gives valid data and support, with the exception of limitations to future research.  The proportions of children with LD was limited, with an uneven amount of boys and girls.  This dramatically effected research because the role of gender of those with LD wasn’t something that could be deeply examined.  This raises the question of “How does gender play a role in the social status of students with learning disabilities?”

http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2061/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=LitRC&userGroupName=puya65247&tabID=T006&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=4&contentSet=GALE%7CA173925217&&docId=GALE|A173925217&docType=GALE&role=LitRC

Estell, David B., Thomas W. Farmer, Martin H. Jones, Ruth Pearl, Philip C. Rodkin, and Richard Van Acker, et al. “Peer groups, popularity, and social preference: trajectories of social functioning among students with and without learning disabilities.” Journal of Learning Disabilities. 41.1 (January-February 2008): p5. Literature Resource Center. Gale. Pierce College. 12 Nov. 2009 http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2061/ps/start.do?p=LitRC&u=puya65247.

Critical Essay for “The Illusionist”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpIK6eqop18

I am going to focus on the ideas in “The Illusionist” for my critical essay.  This movie tricks you into believing something that is not reality, proving that humans are lead to believe what’s in front of their eyes rather then what is going on between the lines and actions of the actors.  I remember the first time I saw this movie I thought is was going to be yet another film about magic and how the magician was proved by the audience fraud.  However, the film even avoided the word magic completely and stuck to “illusion”, I thought this was very interesting because isn’t all magic an illusion?  Once I watched this movie I honestly wanted to watch it over and over, because it really hit me hard of how easily your eyes can decieve you.  For those of you who haven’t seem this movie I would reccommend it.  I love this film because of how simple the effects are and how much more stress is put into the plot of the story itself.  This film doesn’t have animated characters or blasting fire effects to make illusions, it is just more simple and not so much in-your-face.  Others would find this boring but I wanted to watch something new for a change and not always watch the same dramatic effect filled movies or comedies.  In “The Illusionist”, the main character is the highlight of the city, always entertaining folks.  The prince of the town he lives in wants to come watch these illusions with his fair lady.  His fair lady just just so happens to be the illusionist’s childhood love that was long lost many years ago. As the story continues on, you’re lead to believe that the prince killed his lady once he found out about the love affair happening between her and the illusionist. At the end, you think all is done and then something completely different then what happened comes up behind you and suprises you.  Maybe that’s what I love so much about the film, the seperation from illusion and reality.  I really love how the director is able to present that seperation so simply without hesitation on where to use this effect or that effect.  The only effects are those those that are on you after watching the film, making you want to watch it yet another time.

Sicko Argues Over Unsatisfactory Health Care

Michael Moore argues in his latest documentary Sicko, that our health care system is over-the-top corrupt.  Most audiences would take his side before watching this film.  The case seems to be that people with no or little health care are stuck underwater with no way to the top, as for those with complete coverage are above water getting every little benefit they can get their hands on.  Michael Moore argues that insurance companies and the people that work under their services only care to benefit the company.  For over a decade these companys and the HMO’s have denied coverage and aid in paying a partial of what is asked from doctors.  They deny this coverage because they are saving money, actually savings billions of dollars for the insurance companies and health care world.  Can a price really be put on a life?  You could predict that the number of people who have passed away from not getting the health care they needed is endless.  Michael Moore effectively uses scenarios and life stories from people around the US, leaving and emotional imprint on your heart.  The filming techniques obviously were the main way to get you attached to the film.  Michael Moore uses a lot of sarcasm and weaves comedy into this dramatic documentary.  Subjective camera angles were used a lot in this documentary which allowed the viewer to feel as if they were by Micheal Moore’s side while he was filming.  Every story from the people who were scammed out of the half crummy health care they should’ve recieved, is a piece of evidence that puts Sicko’s arguement together.  This arguement could not have been written as an essay and would be less than half as effective as the documentary is.  In an essay you can have a thesis, but not one as deep as a theme.  Michael Moore’s evidence would be hard to explain on paper, rather then showing stories of denied families right in front of your eyes.  Images are harder to create in your head while reading a paper and in a film, they are done for you.  The main thing that sets a Michael Moore essay apart from a film, is that in an essay you wouldn’t be able to pull “stunts” like yelling from a megaphone, demanding health care from Guantanamo Bay’s prison hospital.  The writer could attempt to explain in full detail, but it wouldn’t be as effective as a documentary is.  Michael Moore knows what techniques and evidence needed to suade the people and that’s exactly how Sicko leads you to believe that something more then the talk of medicine is brought up in the health care world.

Essay Summary

Summary for J. Michael Moore’s Worked Over: the Corporate Sabotage of an American Community

http://www.pierce.ctc.edu:2061/ps/retrieve.do?sgHitCountType=None&sort=RELEVANCE&inPS=true&prodId=LitRC&userGroupName=puya65247&tabID=T001&searchId=R1&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&contentSegment=&searchType=BasicSearchForm&currentPosition=4&contentSet=GALE%7CA125486772&&docId=GALE|A125486772&docType=GALE&role=LitRC

Worked Over is described as an ambitious work by Dimitra Doukas, a cultural anthropologist.  She combines historical and ethnographic research to analyze and examine the present-day working class and the past culture or the Mohawk River Valley in central New York.  Michael Moore gives detailed descriptions of what Doukas has had to say about the differences are between the past and the present.  In the early nineteeth century a weapon company, the Remingtons, began and organization of production.  They contracted a lot of skilled workers, which wasn’t hard in a city that highly believes in hard labor and dignity.  In 1886, a monopoly was made of the company when Remington Arms was auctioned off.  Successful attempts were made to have full control over the workers and to depress wages.  Local influence on business regulation was lost which definately helped company owners.  Big people in the corporate world tried to sell the “gospel of wealth” saying that people who had hold of great wealth would be in control over community decisions, such as productivity.  Michael Moore states that Doukas makes great use of her special skills that allow her story and arguement to really take place.

The Happening’s Not “Happenin.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kxMLvh4Tb6g

The suspense and faded scenes of the trailer for The Happening sends chills down your spine. The idea forms in your head that this movie is going to be one to remember. Sticking to that idea, this movie is one to remember – remembering it is one to never watch again, that is. Yes, The Happening is one of “those” movies where the trailer seems to outdo the entire movie itself. Being a former (every weekend) movie-goer I learned my lesson to wait it out until every movie I want to see comes out on dvd. Getting all excited for the rental of a new thriller changed once I pressed the play button.

A good horror movie should make you want to cover your eyes or plug you ears as your nerves tense from not knowing what’s about to happen next. The Happening lacks the technique of connecting to the audience with scare tactics. You won’t jump out of your seat or grab the person’s arm nearest to you while viewing this film. The main idea of The Happening is while everyone around the United States is committing suicide due to neurotoxins in the air, one man and his wife are determined to escape the effects of misery. I was truly mesmerized with the thought that any plant near would make you want to terminate your existence on the earth. As the main characters try to flee from the nonsense I am puzzled that through their journey they did not once come in contact with the neurotoxins? And with all these people committing suicide, they all just happened to be outside and breath the suicide air? In the end the couple survives which is suprising since M. Night Shyamalan normally adds a twist to the end. Even adding a twist wouldn’t help the cause. The special effects of the movie were nothing special, but I did enjoy the dramatic music and filming locations.

 One of my interest’s in the film was for the actors playing the main roles, Mark Wahlberg and Zooey Deschanel. Both actors strike me as interesting and unique, perfectly fitting the film’s description. The dialogue was awkward between the two characters and needed more emotion to have effect on the audience. I was most interested in the story of the movie and how it would all play out. Even with disappointment I was curious to continue watching as if the movie would get better, even though it didnt. The idea of trees/plants being able to force people unconsciously to kill themselves sounds crazy enough. Then you reconsider the craziness when you realize the director of the film is M. Night Shyamalan. Compared to the other unique films this filmmaker has made and directed (Signs, The Village, Lady in the Water), it appears that the interest in his films are decreasing. I was highly unsatisfied with The Happening because it was just a waste not being any form of entertainment.

EAT FRESH

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHIo4VruGZY

A commercial that will forever be replaying in my head, thanks to the catchy tune, “five dollar foot loooong.” It’s impossible to not love Subway with their delicious, packed, and stacked sandwiches! I’m craving one as I speak. However, this commercial especially makes me doubt their campaign and advertising efforts. As different scenes flash by in front of your eyes, random characters in awkward locations appear, spreading their hands apart to demonstrate how long a “footlong” is. The bright yellow arrow is easily the focus of attention. The effects seem even cheesier as an oriental woman spreads her hands, with godzilla roaming in the background. Then I realize that it’s the things with simplicity that catch my attention. Many commercials probably have so much work put into them, finding a location to shoot, lines for the actors to read, etc. For this commercial no lines have to be memorized as actors just stand and once again pull their hands apart from each other. It makes you think that Subway was short of advertising funds and using a green-screen for everything was the only option. Most likely not being the case, you have to remember that in the twenty first century, we are all for the uncomplicated. Having Quizno Subs as the main competition, bringing something old to the menu and new the numbers on your receipt was a smart idea. Subway’s commercial definately struck me as interesting as more images of people were shown and I started to wonder if they exaggerated the size of a footlong within their hands. As this commercial continues so do the words “five dollar, five dollar foot looong” convincing me that I have to get one of those subs now otherwise they will run out.