Two news stories for you today:
The first is a heart-warming video in which a dog gets hit by 2 cars in the middle of a busy highway in Chile, and another dog runs out into the middle of the busy street and pulls the injured dog to safety. Both dogs survived.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofpYRITtLSg
(scroll down...)
The second is a heart-breaking article about a video caught by a security camera in China. The video shows a two-year old girl getting hit by TWO cars, and then 18 people walking by, ignoring her and letting her bleed to death. Some of the passersby even had to swerve their motorbikes around her to get by. The 19th person was a peasant woman who was collecting trash from the streets. She pulled the girl to the side of the road and contacted the girl's mother. The baby died in the hospital early Friday morning.
I have linked you the article, but I am NOT recommending you watch the video. I couldn't even watch it myself.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english2010/china/2011-10/21/c_131204564.htm
In light of these two recent incidents, what conclusions can we draw about humanity?
Have we come to a point where dogs have a higher morality than humans?
Who or what is to blame for the hardness of people's hearts in a situation like this?
Is it hunger for money? Is it the government for not making laws to protect people who help others? Is it the fault of an atheistic communist society that has rejected the beliefs of such moral religions as Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism?
Please come to class Thursday ready to debate these topics and ask questions of your own.
-Brian
Monday, October 24, 2011
Controversial 9/11 Picture, for Tuesday
This Tuesday's topic will be a very controversial one.
I came across this article this morning and thought it would be worthy of debate.
The picture is at the top of this article (don't worry about reading the whole article):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/02/911-photo-thomas-hoepker-meaning
What do you think is happening in this photo?
What do you think these people are thinking or feeling at the moment?
What is your first impression of their attitude?
Does that first impression change after you think about the situation more?
Are we sometimes like those people?
If we can cover these questions, and YOUR questions adequately in class, we can talk about some of the more far-reaching implications of 9/11, for example:
The war in Iraq... how many people have died there because the US invaded?
What about the children of Afghanistan?
What are the implications for humanity of 3000+ people dying violent deaths simultaneously?
Who was actually responsible for 9/11?
These are all HIGHLY debatable and controversial and emotional topics, so please take some time to research them before class.
See you Tuesday,
Brian
I came across this article this morning and thought it would be worthy of debate.
The picture is at the top of this article (don't worry about reading the whole article):
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/02/911-photo-thomas-hoepker-meaning
What do you think is happening in this photo?
What do you think these people are thinking or feeling at the moment?
What is your first impression of their attitude?
Does that first impression change after you think about the situation more?
Are we sometimes like those people?
If we can cover these questions, and YOUR questions adequately in class, we can talk about some of the more far-reaching implications of 9/11, for example:
The war in Iraq... how many people have died there because the US invaded?
What about the children of Afghanistan?
What are the implications for humanity of 3000+ people dying violent deaths simultaneously?
Who was actually responsible for 9/11?
These are all HIGHLY debatable and controversial and emotional topics, so please take some time to research them before class.
See you Tuesday,
Brian
Monday, October 17, 2011
Money Talks, Part II - for Thursday
I'm posting this one a bit early, because of my unpredictable internet access. :)
This video will take longer to watch, and you will probably need to pause it and rewind several times like I did.
The title of the video is "What Really Motivates Us?" It is about tasks and rewards, and puts forth some conclusions that are probably controversial.
This is going to be a tough assignment, but well worth talking about.
We'll talk about this one on Thursday.
Video:
This video will take longer to watch, and you will probably need to pause it and rewind several times like I did.
The title of the video is "What Really Motivates Us?" It is about tasks and rewards, and puts forth some conclusions that are probably controversial.
This is going to be a tough assignment, but well worth talking about.
We'll talk about this one on Thursday.
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6XAPnuFjJc&feature=related
Cheers,
Brian
Money Talks, Part I - for Tuesday
Hi Guys,
Sorry for the delay in posting.
Please check out this short video, called "The Good Life," and leave comments about your thoughts.
This video deserves to be watched slowly and in a quiet environment. Watch it as many times as you need to to fully understand what's going on.
We'll talk about this video on Tuesday.
Video:
Cheers,
Brian
Sorry for the delay in posting.
Please check out this short video, called "The Good Life," and leave comments about your thoughts.
This video deserves to be watched slowly and in a quiet environment. Watch it as many times as you need to to fully understand what's going on.
We'll talk about this video on Tuesday.
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7JlI959slY
Cheers,
Brian
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
This is a video clip of an experiment done in the early 1960s by Stanley Milgram, a Yale University psychologist. It touches on issues about just how far a person will go because an authority tells him he "has to do it."
Also, I was mistaken about the time; it's actually 44 minutes long. You don't need to watch the whole thing; just watch the first bit to get a good idea of the experiment, then watch a few of the people's reactions, and check out the end. If you read this article, you will get a good idea of what's going on in the video:
https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%B0%80%EA%B7%B8%EB%9E%A8_%EC%8B%A4%ED%97%98
I hope it's thought-provoking!
Video is here: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTQzMzQ2MjI0.html
Please post your comments before 7.30pm Thursday. Remember, this is your ASSIGNMENT!
:)
During Thursday's class we are going to do extemporaneous speeches on topics derived from this video and the last one, Allegro non troppo. After the speeches, we can have some time for discussion.
Happy watching!
Also, I was mistaken about the time; it's actually 44 minutes long. You don't need to watch the whole thing; just watch the first bit to get a good idea of the experiment, then watch a few of the people's reactions, and check out the end. If you read this article, you will get a good idea of what's going on in the video:
https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/%EB%B0%80%EA%B7%B8%EB%9E%A8_%EC%8B%A4%ED%97%98
I hope it's thought-provoking!
Video is here: http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XMTQzMzQ2MjI0.html
Please post your comments before 7.30pm Thursday. Remember, this is your ASSIGNMENT!
:)
During Thursday's class we are going to do extemporaneous speeches on topics derived from this video and the last one, Allegro non troppo. After the speeches, we can have some time for discussion.
Happy watching!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Just To Make You Think...
As promised, here is a short and strange video clip.
From Wikipedia.com:
Allegro Non Troppo is a 1976 Italian animated film directed by Bruno Bozzetto. Featuring six pieces of classical music, the film is a parody of Disney's Fantasia, though possibly more of a challenge to Fantasia. The classical pieces are set to color animation, ranging from comedy to deep tragedy.
This clip is Number Two in the Series, set to Dvořák's Slavonic Dance No. 7, Op. 46; I hope you will all find it funny, disturbing, and provocative all at once.
I would like you to watch the video (as many times as you need to) and then leave a comment telling me what you think about the video. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers, so your comment can include ANY information you want, e.g. what the clip is about, who/what it represents, the video's message is _____________, I agree/disagree with the video's message because..., just to name a few possibilities.
Please make sure you watch the video and post your responses by Monday evening, then we will talk a lot about this video on Tuesday night during class.
Have a great weekend!
-B
http://www.wat.tv/video/allegro-non-troppo-w62t_fryd_.html
From Wikipedia.com:
Allegro Non Troppo is a 1976 Italian animated film directed by Bruno Bozzetto. Featuring six pieces of classical music, the film is a parody of Disney's Fantasia, though possibly more of a challenge to Fantasia. The classical pieces are set to color animation, ranging from comedy to deep tragedy.
This clip is Number Two in the Series, set to Dvořák's Slavonic Dance No. 7, Op. 46; I hope you will all find it funny, disturbing, and provocative all at once.
I would like you to watch the video (as many times as you need to) and then leave a comment telling me what you think about the video. Remember, there are no right or wrong answers, so your comment can include ANY information you want, e.g. what the clip is about, who/what it represents, the video's message is _____________, I agree/disagree with the video's message because..., just to name a few possibilities.
Please make sure you watch the video and post your responses by Monday evening, then we will talk a lot about this video on Tuesday night during class.
Have a great weekend!
-B
http://www.wat.tv/video/allegro-non-troppo-w62t_fryd_.html
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Be The Change
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This two-minute video called is simply called 'Tree,' and though it is a short and simple video, it has become an anthem for India.
This video was an entry for a campaign by the Times Newspaper of India called Lead India.
Please take a look at the video, and leave a comment detailing your impressions. Did you like it? Was it inspiring? Keep an eye out for the glimpses the director gives us into both the good and bad sides of human nature.
Remember, there are no correct answers, so feel free to say anything you want in your comments. Don't worry whether or not others will like your answers; just answer honestly and that'll be great. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFs5vWxW-vc
Remember that we have NO CLASS on Tuesday due to the Campus festival, so please post your comments here by 7pm Tuesday.
Have a great weekend,
Brian
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