Sunday, April 15, 2012

Thank God I'm a Vegetarian!

In an article by Nicholas Kristof, entitled "Is an Egg for Breakfast Worth this?" he writes about an undercover investigation of Kreider Farms, which produces 4.5 million eggs each day for major supermarkets. From footage, pictures, and even a testimonial by one of the farms's employees, it is easy to say that it's not one their top priorities for Kreider Farms to follow health regulations. The investigations entails that the location of where they produce eggs is a cess-pool of ammonia, manure pits, and rotting hens. The processes of compilling the hens were so inhumane, that up to 11 hens were shoved into a tiny, tiny cage, and some were even decapitated by automatic feeding carts that run between the cages. 

In this article, the author shows that the whole egg operation at Kreider Farms are cruel and intolerable. For example, there's evidence in the investigation suggesting that, "An automatic cart that runs between the cages sometimes decapitates hens as they're eating." The author chose this piece of evidence to demonstrate the terrible and inhumane living conditions of the hens, and suggest why Kreider Farms's practices are so evil and even grotesque. Also, the author writes, " Mice sometimes ran down egg conveyer belts, barns were thick with flies and manure in three barns tested positive for salmonella, he said." The author chose this piece of evidence to show the disgusting conditions of Kreider Farms, and why it's terrible that their widely eaten products may be tainted with salmonella, and maybe even e.coli. In all, the author did a great job of selecting evidence from the investigation, and presenting them in a way that argues how terrible the operations at Kreider Farms are. 

In conclusion, this article expertly depicts the awful practices of Kreider Farms, and sheds some light on why they are so cruel and inhumane (I'm so happy that I'm a vegetarian). This development also makes us think twice before we eat something, and where it has originated from. These days, you never know where your food comes from. I try to eat and drink as many organic products as possible, but that still doesn't guarantee that the conditions are always save and clean. These articles are great, because they shed light on sensitive, sometimes controversial topics that affect all of us. 

The Tribeca Film Festival

"A Festival With Broader Horizons," by Stephen Holden, is an article about the up coming "Tribeca Film Festival," starting on Wednesday and lasting two weeks in New York City. The article is also a summary of all the highlights of the film festival, and a descriptive outlook on why it's better than ever. The article also mentions that the the competition of the festival is a lot tougher this year, which is most likely due to the heavier emphasis on quality films. Another change is in the programming of the festival, which is  led by a team of highly creative individuals, who are each experienced with the film festival circuit. With the higher demands and expectations of the film festival, there are also some excellent films that meet and surpass those high expectations.

The author of the article takes on the angle that while Tribeca may not be the most commercially successful of the festivals, it is one that offers some unique films that explore into that physical and psychological emotions of people. For example, the author writes "Tribeca may not be a commercially powerful clearinghouse like Toronto, but it is something equally useful: an unconstructed wild-card showcase in which happy surprises can come from anywhere, with minimal hype." The author writes this to explain to the readers that the Tribeca Film Festival offers an interesting experience for movie-goers, and  is uniquely different than its Film Festival counterparts, like Sundance and Cannes. The author also writes, " Although it is risky to generalize about submerged themes in any film festival, Tribeca, unlike Cannes, doesn’t have an auteur focus; the world according to Tribeca is one of porous borders, of people searching for their place, as they try to reinvent themselves in territory where the only constant is instability." The author writes this to show the personality of the types of films at Tribeca, and how they touch down on issues and emotional states that relates to a lot of people. In this article, the author tries to detail a possible rejuvenation of Tribeca, and why you shouldn't miss the opportunity to view the at times awesome and emotional films. 

The idea of a film festival so close to were I live is a great asset, and something that I should be thankful for. With film making being my passion, this is something of an ideal situation for me, because it's great to have the opportunity to see films that maybe aren't so well known, especially if it's from the indy community. It's also great to know that I can just hop on the subway, and see an amazing film before it has been picked up for theatrical release. In conclusion, this was a very informative article, yet it was inspiring to see films that were made in Brooklyn, and across all the boroughs of NYC. 


Link: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/movies/at-tribeca-film-festival-porous-borders-on-display.html?_r=1&ref=movies