Talk of the Ted

Malcolm Gladwell: The unheard story of David and Goliath

Mr. Gladwell's main point he is trying to argue is that there are unseen advantages and disadvantages in the classical story of David and Goliath after further in depth analysis. He uses the idea of forces and physics to inform that as readers, people greatly underestimate the power of the Sheppard's sling. He states that a the sling could have propelled a rock with the equivalent force of a .45 caliber handgun round. He also touches on the weaknesses of Goliath that we don't consider, like that he could have acromegaly, which is a form of giantism. With acromegaly, a tumor formed on his pituitary gland explaining his massive size and also impaired vision and coordination. Gladwell combines these two to state that David may have actually been the superior combatant in this originally one-sided duel.

Gladwell uses mainly logos in his explanation, as well as hypothetical reasoning in order to back many of his claims. Yet, many of his supposed claims aren't well supported, with lack of much evidence. For example, when he states that David could use his sling to unleash a projectile at over 35 m/sec. There are many variables in that statement, and he doesn't make any statements about how strong David might have been or even where he got this statistic from. Gladwell uses persuasion from ethos. By saying things such as "within the medical community" without referencing any specific physicians or professionals to back up his analysis of the situation. He also quotes the bible in order to add credibility to his findings.

I somewhat stumbled upon this video, yet I'm so glad I did. It was extremely interesting and turned my entire perspective on this originally easy story to understand. On a personal level, it gave me a new way to look at people who i originally assumed as threats. Also the new perspective allowed me to realize that sometimes I am the giant, and i put myself in situations where i am extremely vulnerable, and the only way to really escape is to hide my weaknesses, but, no matter how big we as humans think we are, there is always a weakness. It is different in many people, yet yields the same results if exposed. I think we should all take a moment to realize just how vulnerable we really are, from allergies, to our deepest fears and secrets. It amazing how well we hide these, but don't make the same mistakes as Goliath, because there may be a Shepard right under our noses.

"Hey baby"

Film noir literally means “black film.” As you are watching the film, keep track of all the elements in the picture that seem dark or depressing. Think about the characters, the setting, and the story line.

Since Double Indemnity is an example of the film noir genre, it is generally filled with elements that a common to the genre. An apparent element of the movie is that it is shot in black and white. This highlights stark, angular shadows and puts emphasis on what is shadowed, and what is light. The movie is shot in a modern city setting, compounding the feelings of isolation, and being lost among the crowd.  However the most notable feature of film noir is the use of high-contrast lighting. Because the film was mostly shot in the darkness of the night, or the early morning, artificial light was used to illuminate the actors. With the high contrast the light sections were very bright, and the dark sections were very dark, creating a visual gap between what could be seen and what could not. One could easily see the light of a cigarette, or the striking of a match. This emphasis on darkness creates an atmosphere comprised of melancholy attitudes or depressed decisions.

The story line is not linear at all. Many jumps between the past and present are apparent. The fractured plot adds to the disorganization and disorder in the world which the characters are living. A main characteristic of the plot of Film noir is that fatalism is expressed by one transgression that spirals out of control. Walter Neff makes the mistake of helping Phyllis, which then snowballs into much greater problems. Every attempt at correction makes everything worse, suggesting the hysteria and panic of the characters. The “perfect murder’ begins to fall apart and the true natures and motives of the characters shine through. Both have distanced themselves from society, and, in a sense, have become close to each other (murder buddies for life) yet Phyllis shoots Walter and admits to using him, yet simultaneously admits to loving him after her inability to shoot him again. (Women right?)  At this climax, with both characters revealing their true dark selves, in a room with no lights, Walter shoots her twice. (“Goodbye baby”) Murder, plot twists, darkness, blood and cigarettes. Walter Neff will not be the same insurance sales man he once was. And it is that transformation of the human mind which really is the dark scary part of this film.