My media blog for the first quarter focused mainly on photos and movies. I also wrote about a book and a short video. I think my media blog served its purpose for the quarter, and that is to be able to share my views, opinions and reactions on different media experiences.
This quarter, I wrote about how I felt upon seeing different shots, sceneries and landscapes. Also, I wrote about the plot of some movies, the acting of the lead actors, and the effect of those movies on me. In most of my entries, I stated if I agreed or disagreed with the message I understood from each kind of media I criticized.
Before Media Awareness, I did not care about what I thought, and what others thought about media. I simply took on my own opinions and locked them inside my brain unless somebody wanted a piece of them. Now, it is all different. With my media blog, I have been able to express my thoughts on media better.
I did not keep anything from you, my readers. This is all me. If you do not agree, then that is fine. You and I are different. Respect my points of view and I will respect whatever it is you have to say.
So, you would like to interview Me? Jesus asked.
If you have the time, I said.
Jesus smiled.
Of course I have the time... I have eternity.
I speak to My children everyday. What would you like to know?
What surprises you most about humankind?
Jesus answered,
That they take the goodness of the Father for granted,
that their feet are swift to run to mischief, even as the Father is slow to anger and rich in love,
that they spend their lives storing riches on earth that cannot last, and pass by the opportunity to have eternal treasures in heaven,
that by worrying anxiously on how they are going to live another day, add not a single hour to their life.
Jesus took my hand into his nail-scarred own and we were silent for a while.
...And then I asked.
As the Son of God, what are some of life's lessons the Father wants His children to learn?
Jesus replied with a smile.
I and My Father are one.
No one can come to the father unless he comes through Me,
And if you know Me, you know the Father.
My children hear my voice and know that they are loved,
And I have shown them how to love by offering myself as a living sacrifice for their sins.
I made myself low so they could be lifted up high.
I taught them to love others as themselves.
I showed them forgiveness and now they can forgive one another.
I am always here for my child and it is my desire to have more,
...as many as there are stars in the heavens above.
Come to Me all you who are weary and burdened and I shall give you rest.
The first time I saw this was back in grade school, for CL class. This time, I found the link on the internet and I felt like sharing what I thought about it.
Just like the first time I saw it, I agreed that the things that were said about humankind were true. Have we already lost our faith in God and traded all that we should cherish for material things? Could it be true that the advancement in our world is slowly but surely changing the way we look at things, especially religion? Are we not aware that we are slowly being transformed of all the inventions in our world?
After watching the short video again, I felt sad. It is all true. Some have already forgotten Sundays and religious holidays because other things catch their fancy. Some see going to church as a waste of time already, because instead, they can spend time using the computer, watching TV, playing games, etcetera. What is more depressing than this is that oftentimes, half of the people that are being affected by worldly things do not want to admit that they are in fact in the palm of the developed world. They refuse to believe that they are being controlled by the things and the people that surround them.
I wish that those who have left their faith could watch this. Maybe then they will see and understand what I am talking about.
You see, way, way before I saw these two movies, I wanted to become a CSI, a detective, a doctor, even, or practically anyone that had to deal with science and investigation. After seeing both these Saw movies, I realized that I could not deal with that much blood, gore and cruelty in real life. What a great way for me to dump one of my dreams, huh? No, not really.
It just seems like an ordinary each-character-will-die-one-by-one horror film, but I guess the film would not have been allowed if it did not have a purpose. Now, if you watch it and just leave as it is, a film, then you probably will have missed the little lesson hidden underneath all that blood. Yes, there is a lesson I learned: be obedient and learn to follow and trust people. This does not necessarily apply to everyone, because you should still rely on you instinct - but more often than not, those people, situations and chances that present themselves to you are ones you should pay attention to.
*I did not place a photo anymore because the sight of the dead foot, the blade, and the mask makes me cringe.
Photo Critique (By Susan Welchman, Illustrations Editor)
This looks like a 1950s postcard. Everything is in its place, and the colors are still vivid and strange. It's almost as if it's hand-colored. The photographer is at a distance from the subjects, so he couldn't have directed them. They must be there on some sort of a private pilgrimage or ceremony. The shape of the umbrellas mimics the pagodas. The poles of the umbrellas are thin, straight, and delicate. And that strong, hot light casts deep shadows. It's beautiful light and beautiful color. The hint of the tree in the upper right balances the image with a blend of green and yellow. There are tiny details like the woman's elbow and the tufts of grass along the shore. It's a very nice composition that's easy to look at. This is a very strange and unique part of the world, and a great place to be on vacation
Color is life. I assume you have heard of this many times. Imagine if the world was greyscale or black and white. Everything would be dull and boring, right? The opposite is shown in this picture. The colors contrast one another perfectly. The grass, the red flowers that line the land near the water, and the sky and its calming blue. Even the silhouette of the structures in the background adds to the life of the whole scenery.
This photo reminds me of the Discovery Channel or National Geographic documentaries on the vibrant side of Asian countries. In the same way, it reminds me of the many times I have travelled with my family around Asia, all the places we saw, and the cultures that could have shaped our culture too.
The ladies in the photo must have been part of ceremony or a procession since they look to be praising someone or something, or even praying. To me, the picture exhibits the beauty of your beliefs and religion. Devotion to your faith and beliefs can indeed be an art.
Photo taken from: National Geographic
Photo Critique (By Susan Welchman, Illustrations Editor) There's just enough in this frame to make you wonder, Who is that? How far does she have to go? The salt looks like water or a shimmering surface, but you can't tell whether it's flat or undulating or full of lumps. And the only color is in the sky. It's one of those shots that need explanation, but you don't really want to know. It's just a very peaceful place. You envision riding forever.
Somehow, this photo makes me feel so calm and serene. It creates a perfect scenery to make you forget about the city life - the white salt, the blue sky, the mountains in the background barely seen, the girl riding her bicycle through the vast whiteness. It makes you wonder if life will ever be this way, and if anyone would really take time away to see this. This photo reminds of me of my younger years, when I had to be sung to sleep, I had not a care in the world if everyone else was fighting and the only thing that mattered was that I got my rest after half a day at school.
Looking at this shot, we see the part of the world that is still fresh, clean and free of chaos. The white salt, blue sky, mountains and the girl in the middle show us that we can get by without depending too much on technology and the great advances in this world. Cherish the past because your future is based on what has already happened. I guess this photo also shows us patience. Imagine crossing a wide salt land only with your bicycle. That is not easy.
What the world needs most is expressed in this photo - peace and patience.
Photo Critique (By Susan Welchman, Illustrations Editor)
The photographer and the subjects are all enjoying this moment. And as we were looking at the picture, we were having as much fun as they were because we were asking a lot of questions: How did they get one foot off the ground at the same time? Had they tried jumping before getting this shot? You wonder if they all leapt and let go of hands at the same time? You have a peak moment in all action shots, and this is it. And the composition is wonderful. The ponytail on the girl in the middle makes an exclamation point behind her. You see the ribs of all the skinny kids, and all of the children are grinning. There's a nice line with the biggest girl in the middle, forming a perfect pyramid, but the photo is still unpredictable. It makes you want to have the same vacation they're having.
Same as the first photo I commented on, I found this one on NatGeo. I forgot what the theme on this photo was, but I remember when I saw it for the first time, that it captured the theme exactly. Photos, as they say, are worth a thousand words. Whenever I see this photo, it does not only say a thousand words, it narrates an entire story.
This reminds me of my carefree childhood and summer memories. It is as if I share a heart with one of the kids that I feel the same way they felt when than photo was taken - happy. I read the review that came with the photo and I agree with one point that was made. I wonder, too, like the author of the review, how the kids were able to lift their feet off the surface at the same time. I also wonder how they were able to stay put, when normally, since I have tried that before with my cousins, each one of them would have been pulled straight into the water. However it was done, it must have worked since the shot turned out nicely.
When I saw this photo, I felt really happy inside, and I still feel the same way every time. Indeed, this is "the peak moment" in this action shot.
Photo taken from: National Geographic
