S H A N E – ENGL 210
For me religion and more specifically Christianity, has always raised more questions than it has answered. Most of my life those questions have made others uncomfortable. I’ve never been one to just accept the status quo that’s just part of my personality I need to peek behind the curtain I want to know who and what God is.
What I like about studding William Blake this semester is that he allows you to ask the difficult questions, ideas and thoughts that I have been wrestling with for almost as long as I’ve known about Christianity and religion as a whole.
For instance, I’ve never quite understood the whole God – Man thing, how can Christ be both God and man at the same time? What’s more he is said to be fully both, e.g. 100% God and 100% man at the same time (WTF?). What’s more as a man he was without sin or temptation of any kind because he is God. Doesn’t one counsel out the other? at best JC, would have been a demy God, not unlike Hercules son of Zeus or Achilles son of the sea Goddess, Thetis I’ve never understood how God could become man anyway, surely once a god always a God.
Then there is the fact that JC, always knew who he was, according to the scriptures from the age of 12 Jesus knew that he was the son of God (or God incarnate if you like.) I can still remember (from my early Sunday school lessons) the story about a young Christ going missing, for three days, and his mother Mary and stepfather Joseph looking for the young Christ franticly, finally discovering the you boy sitting among the teachers’ asking questions. Luke 2:39-52
My point is this; if Christ always knew that he was God, then he really had nothing to lose. I know that the bible talks about Jesus’ moment of self-doubt in the garden of Gethsemane; (Mark 14:31-33) but come on give me a brake the man knew that he was God, could there be any other outcome other than his resurrection? (Victory over death) then there are JC’s miracles the turning water into wine, walking on water Rasing the dead etc. I know this will make me sound like a Compleat heathen, but I fail to see how these things are miracles, the man is God or as I have already said at the very least a demy God, you would expect God to walk on water, right? It would be a miracle if you or I did it because where not Gods or the children of God right?
29 September 2012 @ 01:19 am
Week 9 Post Writing the Sacred
It’s not how I usually choose to spend a lazy Sunday.
Sitting in the Gleason auditorium; listening to David Malouf, read from his award-winning Novel Remembering Babylon. David’s words brought the little scamp Gemmy Fairley to life,
‘Do not shoot,’… I am a B-b-British object!’ Gemmy, and Remembering Babylon, where my introduction to Australian Literature and the basis for my first ever essay for MG. Willet’s Boy I still have the original (hand written) essay for which I received a credit.
The forum also includes a presentation on “Writing the Sacred in Art” by Artist Jeannette Siebels, Jeannette’s work was simply inspirational. I’m not certain what category; Jeannette’s artwork fits into but it’s something I could see myself emulating. Although I left the conference early, (after lunch) I left fully inspired, to create my own Art.
I took as shit load, of photos some of which you see here others can be viewed on my web site. All in all, I enjoyed the day and thank Michael, not only for hosting the event but also for the kind invitation.
On occasion I feel the need to stop and cheek myself… my life has taken a turn for the serial; when I think back to the young man, I was at 18 sitting in my cell at Long Bay, I would never have dreamed this life. I’m a Literature major at Australian Catholic University; and if that’s not bazaar enough I’m enjoying it. (Although my grades could be better) I still have a way; to go both in my personal life and Uni but I’m on the right path. As cliché and cheese as it sounds so long as I remain focused on the task at hand and put in enough effort, I know I’ll achieve my goals.
As they say in the classics One Day at a Time!
“One nation under God
Has turned into one nation under the influence of one drug
Television, the drug of the Nation
Breeding ignorance and feeding radiation.”
The Plug in Drug:
The lyrics above are taken from the hip hop song Television the Drug of the Nation made popular by the band Disposable Heroes of Hypocrisy in the early 90’s.
The word “addiction” is often used loosely and sarcastically in everyday conversation. People frequently refer to themselves as being addicted to Coke or ice cream. But nobody really believes that these addictions are as harmful to us as say heroin, or alcohol. Nonetheless, with the alarming national increase in type two diabetes, we are now becoming ever so aware, that the excessive consumption of both coke and ice cream for example can not only be detrimental to our health but directly result in a terminal disease such as type two diabetes. Type two diabetes can and does kill.
But what of other seemingly harmless addictions such as TV and the internet? In Aldous Huxley’s novel Brave New World, the drug soma is used by the fascist state to totally control its populace. Is Television the perfect drug: a modern-day “Soma.” In her essay The Plug-in Drug – Television, Computers and Family Life Marie Winn, makes a compelling argument that watching too much TV can be as addictive as any drug and just as detrimental.
It is simply astonishing, the amount of time people spend, watching television.
In this country alone people devote 3 to 4 hours a day passively watching the idiot box. In fact, as I type this week’s post I have the TV on in the background, and it’s been on since I came home at 6: pm it’s now 11:04 pm. Most of us are guilty of wasting too much of our leisure time in front of the TV Marie writes, “TV acts like a drug, causing a stupor and ultimately, a passive addiction.” To most of us this information is not new, the harmful effects of TV have been widely known for some time.
But what of the internet can the amount of time we spend on the web be as equality addictive? Current research on internet addiction suggests “It is difficult to estimate how widespread the problem is.” Research in this area is still in its infancy. However, Psychologists are taking steps towards classifying Internet addiction as a mental illness: new inclusion the DSM IV demonstrates that there are risks posed by overusing technology and that more research is required, which could lead to formal diagnoses of internet addiction disorder in the future. Psychologists also hope to broaden the diagnoses of Internet-use disorder to include gaming addictions, which could expand the age group of those affected by this illness.
Addiction to online games is not a new phenomenon, with some cases grabbing international headlines over the past few years. In a 2009 incident, 17-year-old Daniel Petric of Ohio shot his mother and injured his father after they confiscated his Halo 3 videogame because they feared he was playing it too much.
Chris Stanford, 20, suffered a blockage to his lungs and died while playing his Xbox for up to 12 hours in 2011.
A year later, another gaming addict died after playing an online video game for 40 hours straight at an Internet café in Taiwan.
Similar behavior has also been exhibited by adults: A Korean couple was arrested in 2010 after their infant daughter starved to death while the pair played an online game for hours. The video game the two were playing involved raising a virtual baby”
Perhaps Disposable Heroes, should re-release, there song to include Facebook, Angry Birds and YouTube.
Work Cited –
The Plug-in Drug Marie Winn
The Disposable Heroes of Hypocrisy – Television, the Drug of the Nation
ENGL 210 – Week #7
The Madness of King Lear
In late November 2015, I was lucky enough to see academy award winner Geoffrey Rush, in The Sydney Theatre Company’s production of King Lear. Geoffrey Rush was brilliant as the mad king, but for me, it was Robyn Nevin, as the fool who stole the show.
The play opens with King Lear holding court surrounded by his 3 daughters, Regan, Goneril and Cordelia youngest. Also in attendance are the husbands of his two oldest daughters as well as the King of France, the Duke of Burgundy both of whom are Suitors to Cordelia. As well as this various nobleman and the court jester are also present. From the outset it is clear to the audience, that Lear is completely NUT’S stark raving bonkers; sadly this once great King has lost all perspective. – The fact that in the beginning of the play, Lear is in the process of dividing his kingdom up among his three daughters, is reason enough to question the king’s mental health. Historically it was believed kingship was something granted by God. It was a job for life and a king would die with the crown. It wasn’t until 1936, constitutional crisis, that a British monarch even attempted to abdicate. (Edward VIII)
When called upon to do so Both Regan, and Goneril, Lear’s oldest daughters don’t hesitate to lavish their father with the sycophantic praise, which this egotistical king seems to enjoy. In stark contrast to this, we see that Cordelia’s love for her father is greater than the shallow and vacuous words offed up by her two older sisters.
CORDELIA: “I’m unlucky. I don’t have a talent for putting my heart’s feelings into words. I love you as a child should love her father, neither more nor less.” King Lear – Act 1, Scene 1, Page 4
Lear’s Mental Health continues to decline throughout the play.
Despite the king’s clear insanity, which is now on full display before the court. Lear still evokes unwavering loyalty from, The Earl of Kent, the Fool, and ultimately his young daughter Cordelia. Personally, I would argue that the king is undeserving of such loyalty from any of his subjects.
Of course, the ultimate Tragedy of the play is that Lear discovers, that which is blatantly obvious, not only to; the audience but also his fool. His daughter Cordelia’s integrity, loyalty, and unwavering love for her father. unfortunately, it is far too late for both of them. Lear simply lacks any insight of the truth, until it is too late.
The Layered Lens 
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