Movie Review: Case 39

Horror flicks usually don’t scare me at all. As a matter of fact, my friend and I inevitably end up laughing in the cinema whenever we watch one, mostly because we find the plot to be ridiculous or even convoluted. The problem is that horror storylines are overused and tend to have shoddy sets along with cheap production values, not to mention that many of them are blasphemous as well.

But this movie was an exception…

The concept of using a child and exploiting her innocent and harmless looks to give you goose bumps and freak you out is certainly not a new idea. Previous horror movies had that before such as the Omen. However, this movie kicked off with a bizarre intro; a troubled child by the name of Lilith Sullivan (Jodelle Ferland) is thought to be abused by her parents while a social worker endeavors to find out what is going on. Based on her instincts, social worker Emily Jenkins (Renee Zelwegger) gives the little girl her phone number in case anything bad happens. One night, the little girl calls Emily and tells her that she heard her parents saying that they are going to kill her later tonight. Much to her complete and utter horror, the child wakes up afterwards terrified by her parents as they try to gag her and tie her up.

Now this is the crazy part:

The parents then try to shove her in the oven and bake her alive!

While watching that very scene, Retro jokingly says: “What is this? Are they parents gone totally insane? Perhaps they are trying to bake their child for Christmas?”

Of course suspense kicks in afterwards when Emily and her friend the cop break into the house and save the girl right on time. In order not to have major spoilers in this movie review, I will not tell you what happens as you will later on understand the true nature of the child and why the parents had tried to kill her in the first place.

Let’s just say that once you reach the end of the movie, you would not only want to bake the child in the oven, but also chop her up into pieces or maybe skin her alive and then hang her from an overpass!

In any case, Emily decides to adopt the child, and what a mistake that was!

Bottom-line: If you truly want to be terrified and flinch every now and then, I suggest you watch this movie. However, please note that this movie is rated R and is definitely not to be watched by children under 18 years.

XTR's Rating: B+

Windows 7

Windows 7 is finally here... Some people think that it is going to be the next turning point for Microsoft; the company's failure or success is highly contingent upon this product.

What do you think about it? Do you think that Microsoft can deliver a faster, simpler, and more visually appealing operating system than 7's predecessors and at the same time learn from Vista's woes?

Crazy/Funny Podcast!

I made this podcast or audio file containing different characters, and the plot was supposed to be relevant to the Writing Center. The idea began when the head of the Writing Centers told me a couple of days ago that he wanted a new type of podcasts with different characters and an interesting -and if possible- a funny story (a.k.a suspense and more drama).

The plot includes a crazy mother with a hoarse voice! I got the idea of this character from a sitcom called "The Big Bang Theory". The podcast's plot is supposed to contain subtextual morals and writing advice. To attract the students’ attention, I added the humor effect. The final result surpassed even my wildest expectations. It was supposed to be funny, but I think it turned out to be wacky! However, it was hilarious and I still can't believe I made something like this...

I did all the characters' voices!!!! I impersonated the characters using a voice changer program, so check it out and tell me what you think. Is the humor overly exaggerated? What should happen in the next episode? The irony in this story is that the main character "Tom" is going to plagiarize the topic about plagiarism, because he is going to slack off!

The good thing is that almost everyone liked it, especially the teachers!!

I Didn't Type This!

Hello everybody! I am so excited because the paragraph that you’re reading right now has been typed by the computer! It turns out to be that Windows Vista has an amazing option called "Speech Recognition". It is a program that you can use to control your computer and to dictate text. While the program is rather sluggish with spoken commands like starting a program or copying a file, it is very useful with dictating text! In any case, I am thrilled to use this technology whenever I write. Speech Recognition can greatly reduce the time it takes to write something by saving keystrokes; instead of typing it- just say it! It is also coooooooooool to talk to your computer! The only problem is that you have to articulate the text- most probably like a newscaster!

Check out the video! You can hear my voice dictating text into Microsoft Word using Speech Recognition. It is simply amazing! See for yourself:

How To Become a Great Writer

I am often asked: “How do you become a great writer?” The answer to this question simply rests on individual attitudes and commitments. Here is my personal way of achieving this goal:

First of all, you have to believe in yourself and your abilities. Even if you think that you’re not competent enough, you can still achieve success through hard work by setting objectives and then following through.

Second, there is no good writing without the proper use and command of language. Improper use of language leads to sloppy writing, and this could seriously affect the way readers perceive your ideas. You need to be well-grounded in syntax, grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Brush up on any grammar concepts that you find problematic or confusing. This process may take a long time and may hamper your writing progress, but you should not get discouraged. You can learn grammar and write at the same time; this will significantly improve your language proficiency.

You must read and write every day! It is imperative that you get into the habit of reading and writing. Read anything you can- from newspapers to books to journals, reading can help you grasp writing styles and techniques. Keeping a journal or blogging using the internet is an excellent way to practice and hone your writing skills. Just write about anything you’re interested in.

A good writer must have a powerful vocabulary in order to avoid clichés. Rich language can be totally absorbing. Make a “Vocab List” and add any new words you find throughout your reading into your list. Learning words every day and then using them in sentences will greatly enhance your vocab.

Finally, use writing tools and resources, such as spell checkers and digital dictionaries (for ease of use) to proofread your work. Ultimately, writing is fun and absolutely rewarding!

Dubai’s Frenzied Metro Debut

Dubai is a beautiful city that is rapidly developing into a metropolis, and there's no doubt that with the launch of its advanced Metro system, Dubai's image as a contemporary city will be further improved. If you are living in Dubai, board the train and experience modernized transport!

However, my own experience with the debut wasn't pleasant; let me tell you what happened:

Retro and I went on Thursday to try out the Dubai Metro. Much to our dismay, crazy crowds ruined the debut as thousands of them lined up to try out the high-tech trains. The overwhelming mobs worked themselves up into a frenzy as they waited to get on the trains. Eventually, the situation got out of control and unfortunately, we decided to go home…

We headed towards the Mall of the Emirates platform. We had to queue for almost half an hour to get in. However, once we were about to get in, the security guard posted a notice saying that service was temporarily unavailable.

A minute later, the security guard, who was swamped by the large crowd, announced the following:

“We are having more than 2000 people waiting on the platform inside. PLEASE bear with us!”

Suddenly, in a frenzy of rage, the angry crowd broke in, shouting and cursing on the way!
These people weren’t commuters, but actually joyriders who had nothing better to do than to ruin the night.

Now, I understand the unstoppable craze for boarding a train for the first time in Dubai, but what’s all the fuss about? It’s not like this is going to be the first and last day for the train, now is it?

We decided to be smart enough not to get squashed in the overcrowded train. I thought to myself, “If there are thousands of people waiting to board the train, then how many of them are actually on the train? Fully packed I suppose?!”

Metro Card- you need one of these to get on the train.

Blasphemy

Everyone is entitled to their beliefs, opinions, and freedom of choice, but that is why religion was revealed to a chaotic world that is in dire need of enlightenment- religion is a mental, psychological, social, and a moral requisite.

Recently, I have become irritated by the prevalence of a disturbing mindset in the form of blasphemous subliminal messages embedded in our games, movies, books, forums, and opinions. These unorthodox, irrational thoughts attempt to convey the wrong message- one that suggests that god does not exist.

Take for example, the movie The Unborn. Do you remember when the rabbi and the other scholar performed an exorcism in the end? This movie subtly persuades people to think that religion has no effect on demons whatsoever. The priest was holding the cross and mumbling religious stuff to protect himself while the freaky eyes ghost kid was gawping at him as if he were just mumbling rubbish. He ended up slashing the poor thing and possessed him instead! Now how on earth can a priest or whatever get possessed?

There are countless examples of movies that I am not going to bother to mention containing blasphemy. Watch any science fiction or horror movie and chances are that you will perceive these messages.

Atheism’s persistent prevalence remains elusive and inexplicable; how could the atheists still deny the existence of god?

Perhaps today’s atheists are fooled by the notion that science is the answer to all the questions of the universe. While there have been many advancements in the fields of Science and technology, there are however, phenomena that cannot be explained and questions that cannot be answered. Why one might ask? It is simply because we as humans have a limited thinking capacity, and are bound to the perimeters of imperfection.

In contrast, religion can give us answers to baffling questions such as:
- Why am I here? What is my purpose?
- What happens after death?

Truth is, science and religion are complementary to one another. Religion explains to us what science can't.

Religion Imparts Morals and Values

Religion is a mental, psychological, social, and a moral requisite. Think about what religion tells us to do. Doesn't religion instruct us to possess virtues and morals? Doesn’t it guide us to the righteous path? Doesn’t it legislate infallible laws that ensure justice and integrity? Manmade laws are flawed and are subject to uncertainty.

Believing in a higher power or a deity means that you monotheistically believe that there is one God who created everything.

Nothing happens by chance or coincidence. Everything has a purpose.

Think about it: How was earth and its creatures created? Do you have any idea how complex we organic beings are? Was it by mere chance that all of these creatures suddenly popped up from nowhere? Even if you believe in Darwin's theories of evolution, the very first cell couldn't have been created with a "spark" or whatever. Despite that science does not believe in supernatural powers or deities, we as humans instinctively (and now there is scientific proof from the miracles of the holy Quran) know that there is a higher power behind all of this.
To make it as simple as possible, think of this paradigm: The computer. Just look at how sophisticated the internal components- including transistors, resistors, circuits, etc… all add up to form one complicated machine, capable of processing information. Could this machine assemble itself without a higher brain power- the humans? Of course not.

The same applies to the structure of the human body and to all other creatures that include DNA- the blue print of life. It houses thousands of genes and billions of nucleotides that are much more complex than any machine ever built, or will be built in the future by mankind.
In fact, Allah has challenged humanity to create anything the same.
Allah says:

هَذَا خَلْقُ اللَّهِ فَأَرُونِي مَاذَا خَلَقَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ دُونِهِ))

English translation:

[31:12] ((This is the creation of Allah. Now show me what others beside Him have created. Nay, but the wrongdoers are in manifest error.))

Can a human’s brain be created coincidentally without a higher power? Of course NOT!
We were all created for one purpose, which is to worship Allah. And when we do worship him and obey his commands with the Islamic mindset, we can ultimately become true men.

If you are a non-muslim, I invite you to look into Islam and learn about what it teaches us.

May Allah guide you towards Islam.