In a time of hysteria, would you survive?

Take a walk through 1692 Salem, MA. Follow the links, making your own decisions as you go along and find out... Will you come out alive?

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/salem/

Questions to explore:

- Describe why answering their questions truthfully could be a death wish.

- How did you do?

- How did this exercise make you feel about the Salem Witch Trials?

Movie Maker--View a Re-Imagination of Chapter 14 of The Scarlet Letter

Xtranormal.com is a movie making site that you will be using to recreate a scene between two characters or a monologue of one character. You will need to use Firefox to use this site.

Here is what you need to do for yours:
-Go to Firefox
-Set up your own account
-Choose what kinds of "actors" you would like to use for your assigned characters
-Keep dialogue relevant to the plot of the assigned chapter
-Be creative! This does not have to be word-for-word from the book, but give them voices that are realistic to the character and the situation.
-It must be about 1 minute long.

We will be sharing these in class!


Check out Ms. Biondi's version of "Hester and the Leech" from Chapter 14:
http://www.xtranormal.com/xtranormal/episode.php?mid=20090223090854729
Hope the link works and I hope you enjoy the film!

Public Humiliation in Addition to Conventional Punishments

Shame-ridden punishments may not just be a part of history. Within the last decade, judges like Ted Poe use humiliation to punish crimminals as an addition to conventional sentences. In this article from the Washington Post, writer Johnathan Turney sheds light on a number of judges who use shame and public humiliation to punish those who break the law.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/17/AR2005091700064.html


Here are some questions to explore:

• What are your thoughts on the article?
• Do you think these methods could be (in)effective?
• Why do you think these judges choose this method?
• Does this hint at a Puritan influence on our society?

Mob boss denied funeral Mass

Here's an interesting article I found today that I thought was pretty interesting. What is more ethical: to deny the burial rights of Catholicism to a practicing (though, I imagine that term is used extremely lightly) because of a life of crime or to celebrate the life of a murder through the church?

Such is the conflict behind the Gotti family's dispute with the Catholic Church over the rejected burial Mass of mob boss, John Gotti. Here is the story:

http://www.beliefnet.com/Faiths/Christianity/Catholic/2002/06/Gotti-Denied-Catholic-Funeral-Mass.aspx

In many of the short stories that we've read, the main character is not always the most likable character, yet we often find ourselves empathizing with them.

• Should there be any sympathy towards Gotti or his family?
• What kinds of ethical values conflict when reading this story?
• How would you resolve it?

Nazi Names Reason for Removal?

This story is a true example of how difficult it can be to determine what is considered ethical and fair under our legal system and within our own opinions.

Have you heard...?
This past December, the Campbells could not get a ShopRite supermarket to decorate a birthday cake for their son because of his name: Adolf Hilter Campbell.

While their cake dilemma ended with Wal-Mart's compliance with their request, they now are in a fight for custody of their children. They do not know what the pretenses were for their removal but believe the sole-reason was because of their children's names, all of which have Nazi roots.

The Division of Youth and Family Services has not stated why the children have been removed (and may be prohibited of doing so by law), leaving the rest of us to question the Campbell's outcries:

• Could this be discrimination?


• Were these children safe in their previous environment or were they in "imminent danger" in their parent's custody?

Here's the story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090131/ap_on_re_us/hitler_cake

I am a little suspicious myself. While I am opposed to the ideologies and values of white-supremacy, I wonder if the children were removed under false pretenses. But are they false if "imminent danger" could be classified by a upbringing in a hateful and often violent belief system?

What are your thoughts on this controversy?

Again, welcome to our blog! Blogs have become a popular new way of expressing your thoughts, opinions, and emotions, especially in reference to current events.

To start the class blogging, we will be working in the library/lab for a short period of time about once a week. Each week we will have a new assignment for you to accomplish. Let's get started!


This week's assignments:

- Before we go any further into the new semester, we want to know more about you. Tell us a little about yourselves. Give us your name and tell us what kinds of hobbies and interests you have. How do you feel about the new semester?
- Answer the poll on the right hand side of the blog. Check all of the answers that apply to your experiences.

Reply to these requests by clicking "Comments" below.