Anslee's Blog

Firstly, Ella Fitzgerald is one of my favorite artists, so I thoroughly enjoyed the music behind this movie (I have had the song stuck in my head all week). I also thoroughly enjoyed the characters – I think both Mo and Addie were likable, despite their scheming and deceiving tendencies. The alcohol prohibition is not a piece in time I think about often and I do not associate it with the Great Depression. At the end of the movie when Mo is accused of bootlegging, it put into context that the repeal of the prohibition had just occurred, and Kansas still did not allow for high percentages of alcohol to be within state lines. I enjoyed how Addie at the end of the film prioritized being with Mo and the bond they had developed rather than living a lavish life. On a personal note, I would rather be struggling with those who I love than be living grandly without people I genuinely care about. In modern times, we see deception frequently, but it is more often through the internet. I think f...

  I found interesting in the Millerite Movement how so many people collectively went against what the Bible says. The Bible says we do not know the time of the rapture, so to not go looking for it. However, people were so anxious for the coming of the Messiah that they jumped the gun and went looking anyways. Additionally, I think it is interesting how these predictions still happen today. Several churches I have visited throughout my faith journey have shared thoughts of “the rapture coming during our time.” Part of me sees this as a marketing ploy – to keep members returning to church so they will be sanctified when the rapture does occur. However, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt and believe that church leaders genuinely believe in what they are preaching. I was also shocked by the Millerite Movement’s ability to retain followers after failed predictions. I think people continued to follow the movement because people like to have something to believe in. The movem...

 9/10/2025 In class, we discussed how the Salem Witch Trials occurred at a time that was a perfect storm for the trials to occur. Specifically, the height of religion fueled outlandish behaviors, and Puritanism was used as an excuse for behavior. The idea in Puritanism was widely accepted that only a limited about of people were allowed to go to Heaven, so the more witches accused and damned to Hell, it gave individuals more of a chance to end up in Heaven. The accusers were the most interesting to me within the Salem Witch Trials, largely because I am curious if they genuinely believed it or if they were consciously lying. In my sophomore year of high school, my class read The Crucible, and I was instantly fascinated by Abigail and the motives she had to accuse people of witchcraft. The play shares themes of adultery, intensifying the plot; however, in the real world, this did not occur, and there seemed to be less reasoning for the selection of victims who were blamed. Additi...

  When first analyzing videos and historical accounts of alleged phishing attempts, I was surprised by the gullibility of individuals, yet also disappointed in the lack of education around these topics. Upon a deeper dive, I realized the true sophistication of certain scams and how they play on individuals emotions. For example, targeting and taking advantage of a lonely uneducated windowed woman with plenty of free time on her hands rather than going after a busy educated individual. Additionally, I was surprised by the statistics - such as the fact that phishing losses exceeded $10.3 billion in 2022. The idea that a massive amount of money is associated with deception is saddening and shocking, and, surprisingly, it is not discussed more. In my personal life, I experience scam attempts on a weekly basis. Whether that be a Texas Toll Tag fraud master persuading me to pay a bill, or an individual impersonating my boss and requesting my personal information. Through online training ...