Post 28

The best class blogger that I have read this semester would have to be Isaiah Williams. He is the first person that comes to mind, because he has consistently been one of the few students that actually post insightful content that allows readers to become more open to other view points in a simplistic way and its great how he finds ways to tie the class into other material a person may be more familiar with, "PS. Lion King is Hamlet. If you like Lion King you like Hamlet".
Not to mention all of his posts are coherent, which is a very important aspect to have when trying to inform a viewer of a specific topic.

Post 27

One work that we read during the semester that I would be willing to read again, is the poem "Quiet Night Thoughts" by Li Po (a.k.a Li Bo). Throughout the semester, we have read many compelling pieces that are great for discuss and debate; but its just something that resonated with me about the piece. 
The most appealing aspects to me in the piece are the imagery, relatability, and the simplistic style of writing i.e."Lifting my head I watch the bright moon"; this shows that not all great work has to be meticulously structured in order to deliver a message. I will continue to read this poem due to the fact that I like the authors work.

Post 26

Hamlet is more of a modern hero rather than an ancient, epic hero in multiple ways. Hamlet can be describes as a "Plain Jane" due to the fact that he does not posses any sort of supernatural power or ability, as compared to a god. Hamlet is dealing with a real world, human situation with the death of his father; he did not need to go on a physical journey, but had more of a spiritual, internal conflict within himself.

Post 25

Throughout all of the stories that we have read this semester, the King Oedipus is most like the character Hamlet. Both of these characters have similar but yet different story lines; each of their fathers have died (despite the fact that Oedipus unknowingly in the beginning was the person to do so), they both are over dramatic as evident from Hamlet contemplating life, "To be, or not to be: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer..." and when Oedipus gouges out his eyes, screaming, "You, you'll see no more the pain I suffered, all the pain I caused!" due to his previous actions and mistakes.

Post 24

The United States is currently in line with More's ideas and opinions in Utopia. More does not agree with Hythloday because he believes, "a country with communal property will have no prosperity." essentially meaning that the people would in a way become stagnant, being content with their situations. This has caused people to, "have no incentive to work, since they will be fed by the labor of others."
In the U.S. is true even still today, some people choose not to better themselves, because they know eventually someone will come along and help them. Through More's eyes the, "lack of  individual private property has the potential to eliminate respect for authority."

Post 23

According to Machiavelli, Donald Trump is a good leader, he follows the sentiment that; "one should rather be feared than loved". Trump has some of the characteristics that Machiavelli thought were needed in order for a ruler to be considered tough enough. 
Just like Machiavelli said, subjects are naturally well disposed towards listening to an influential person; “Of mankind we may say in general they are fickle, hypocritical, and greedy of gain.”   Just like Machiavelli, trump dismisses the idea(s) of “political correctness”. Trump seems to be following one piece of critical advice from Machiavelli which is, “The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him.”  

Post 22

Thinking Out Loud - Ed Sheeran

Early on, Ed Sheeran makes the statement saying, 'darling I will be loving you 'til we're 70', meaning that he would still the person even as they both started to age. Near the end of the second verse, he says, 'Oh me I fall in love with you every single day' signifying that there are no other females in his life that he would rather be with, simply because he found the one he wants to be with. He further clarified that the both of them will always be with each other by saying, 'When my hair's all but gone & my memory fades & the crowds don't remember my name When my hands don't play the strings the same way, mm I know you will still love me the same'. Throughout the song he states how he wonders, '... how people fall in love in mysterious ways' and finally closes with to the conclusion that 'we found love right where we are'. The beauty in this song can be seen since he is honestly being genuine to a female about how he actually loves her and how there love will stand the test of time (ageing and finances).

Official Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lp-EO5I60KA

Post 21

University Thoughts:

As I walk
I notice beauty all around,
with the sun's rays
over campus as if a park

without any sound
I feel a slight breeze,
inhaling a deep breath
appreciating what's here.

Post 20

Does Socrates belong in Hell? In my opinion, yes. In Dante's Inferno, there are seven different circles that a person could be categorized in Hell with. The first Circle of Hell, which Socrates should be in, is reserved for those in Limbo and who, "Sinned not; and if they merit had, ‘Tis not enough, because they had not baptism Which is the portal of the Faith thou holdest; And if they were before Christianity, In the right manner they adored not God ..."(72). The first Circle is for those who have not had a relationship with God in any way, shape or form.
            

Post 19

Dante's concept of Hell was all constructed within his imagination.
The modern age appeal of punishment and suffering is becoming a common reoccurrence through television, If you look at the average of what is shown during the course of a week; you'll notice there are many violent, shows that earn ratings by consumers watching and or enjoying the pain of others (scripted or not).
These two elements are shown so frequently, that we in a way become numb to the actual depth of the situation that is occurring. In my opinion, our society is on the verge of becoming an even more destructive society.  

Post 18

Jesus is a prominent figure in the Quran. He has been given a number of honorable titles ranging from Messiah, Son of Mary, Messenger, Prophet, Servant, Word of God, and a Spirit from God.
According to the Quran, the only reason Jesus was able to perform miracles while here on the earth, was because Allah allowed it (Surah 5:110).

During his prophetic mission, Jesus performed many miracles.  God tells us that Jesus said: “I have come to you with a sign from your Lord.  I make for you the shape of a bird out of clay, I breathe into it, and it becomes a bird by God’s permission.  I heal the blind from birth and the leper.  And I bring the dead to life by God’s permission.  And I tell you what you eat and what you store in your houses....” (Quran, 3:49).

Muslims believe that it was only the plan of Jesus’ enemies to crucify him, and God saved him and raised him up to join him. It is believed that another was put in Jesus' place and Jesus’ enemies took this man and crucified him, thinking that he was Jesus. As evident by the Quran "...They said, “We killed the Messiah Jesus, son of Mary, the messenger of God.” They did not kill him, nor did they crucify him, but the likeness of him was put on another man (and they killed that man)..." (4:157).

Post 17

Only from comparing and contrasting the Qur'an to the New Testament will a person be able to see that these two books are similar yet also completely different at the same time. Through the group activity in class, I could tell that some of my colleagues were having more of an open mind for other religions and a greater respect toward other religions customs.

One thing that they both have in common, is the confession that Jesus Christ was only a messenger, and not God. As evident from the scriptures John 17:3 ‘This is eternal life, so that you may know there is one true God, and Jesus Christ, who Thou has sent.’ and Holy Quran 4:157 ‘That they said (in boast), “We killed Christ Jesus the son of Mary, the Messenger of Allah,”.

The New Testament describes the spiritual connection of those who accept salvation on the basis of faith in Christ. While also discussing God's undeserved favor toward sinners (Ephesians 2:8&9). Salvation is thought to be assured in this life and finally actualized in the next life (John 5:24). While the Quran seems to be missing in the grace department, aside from some references of God being gracious. For Muhammad, salvation is strictly a "quid pro quo."  meaning that if you're "good" you might make it to see Paradise, depending on your faithfulness and if Allah thinks you measure up (Surah 7:42,43; 40:40; 39:73; 43:73).

Post 16

In my opinion I believe that high ranking government officials should lead by personal example.  When a person leads by example, it shows that they actually care and respect there platform; using there status as a model figure. Thanks to the internet, it is far more frequently broadcasted when officials say or do one thing, but then lie or do the opposite of there plans, it creates a wall between them and there transparency. The mentality of "Do as I say and not as I do" creates a barrier of trust between people who are in high positions which is hard to break once started.
In a sense, a person of high ranking can't be just any ordinary person with a title behind them; they need to prove themselves and show that they are working for the benefit of everyone and not for selfish gain. Leading by personal example is more of a way of life, connecting and being more relatable with others. As opposed to someone who only leads by example because they know the cameras are watching and not because they actually want to.

Post 15

Even though all of his ideas were not ideal or accepted by every American, former President John F. Kennedy was more influenced by the teachings of Socrates than that of Confucius. During one of Kennedys speeches on education he said, "Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource." which falls in line with Socrates' idea that in order to acquire knowledge you have to admit that there are questions that you don't know the answers to and strive to better yourself.
Socrates believed that the best way to enhance a persons life was through education and questioning. President JFK to an extent believed this also to be true, as he (along with the help of others) created the  Higher Education Act of 1963; which helped initiate more college aid for students while also creating more higher level institutions of various degrees to feed students thirst for knowledge.

Post 14

Ancient gods were more figure heads that were identifies as having some sort of magical abilities that separated them from regular humans. Most come from mythological stories that people have changed throughout the years to make ancient gods seem as all powerful beings. Most of the time, a persons goal was to try and make a certain god pleased with them or there work/ contributions.

Our modern day gods tend to be identified as celebrities and super heroes; super heroes are looked upon as gods because they always put others above themselves in life threatening situations, Captain America for example puts the country above himself and makes sure he protects the country with all his energy. Some people consider celebrities to be gods because of all of the power, wealth and financial freedom they have. An extreme example is when a person decided to devote there life to a certain celebrity building a shrine to them, can tell you all about that celebrities favorite activities, food, etc. and believes them to be a higher being.

Post 13

In my opinion the US wars in Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan are unjustified and have resulted in being a waste of taxpayers money. The total amount that the U.S. has spent on national security related to the post-9/11 war on terror has reached $3.6 trillion, with the U.S. owing $7.9 trillion alone in interests by 2053 (US Spending). The interest payment alone is more than what we initially even spent and we have not gained any benefit from this spending.

 The truth is majority of Americans did not know/ still do not know who is exactly to blame for the 9/11 attacks or know the exact reason why we went to war with Syria, Iraq, and Afghanistan (as evident during class discussion). Former President Bush used the Art of War technique, in which they chose to believe that violence is the only answer in order to succeed against your enemies; when the executive order was sent out, the U.S. was angry and wanted to retaliate and act fast before actually having all of the information.

Did something need to be done? Yes. But the U.S. was not justified in the measures and actions that it took.

                                       Works Cited:

"US Spending on Middle East Wars, Homeland Security Will Reach $4.79 Trillion in 2017." US Spending on Middle East Wars. Brown University, 9 Sept. 2016. Web. 03 Mar. 2017.

Post 12

The tragic public figure that I chose to write about is how Donald Trump became the president of the United States; Remnick has stated, "... this is nothing less than a tragedy for the American republic, a tragedy for the Constitution, and a triumph for the forces, at home and abroad, of nativism, authoritarianism, misogyny, and racism." Trump has turned the white house into a tabloid magazine and now always want to accuse and "has branded such reputable media outlets such as the The New York Times, CNN, NBC and others "Fake news"(Lavender) even though he's one of the main people who broadcast in-credible sources when the information aligns with his agenda.   Even Trumps own advisor said, "Trump's war with the media is going to get worse". As the President, there are more important events going on than what the media says about you.

In my opinion the U.S. has never had a presidential candidate mocked and ridiculed almost on a daily basis end up winning the presidency, which is a modern tragedy. The tragedy is if the American people are subjected to subliminal messages that the media is always lying and never telling the truth, then that places doubts in the American Peoples minds in the future whether or not they are able to trust the news media with the information that they publish.

Today modern tragedy is similar to a classical tragedy, in the sense that reversal of fortunes is set in action.


Sources:
Lavender, Paige. “Donald Trump: The First Amendment Gives Me The Right To Criticize ‘Fake News.’” The Huffington Post, 24 Feb. 2017, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/donald-trump-cpac-2017_us_58b04a86e4b0780bac288743. Accessed 24 Feb. 2017.           

Remnick, David. “Presidential Election 2016: An American Tragedy.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 11 Nov. 2016, www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/an-american-tragedy-2. Accessed 24 Feb. 2017.           

Post 11

When my family relocated to a new neighborhood being built I met my friend Axel*, we became best friends rather quickly. Over the course of the years we drifted with how much we communicated, because we had different paths in life; we were both dealing with family issues, while he was also focusing on ensuring his baseball scholarship(s). During the last two years before I moved to Georgia his parents divorced and he and his other siblings were forced to decide who they'd rather live with.

I believe this is the trigger that sent him on his downward Spiral; to cop with the adjustment, Axel* started getting involved with the wrong group of people, and taking drugs. Eventually it all caught up with him and he ended up losing his full ride scholarship to the University he wanted to attend; that was the last information I knew before I had moved. When I went back to visit my old neighborhood and asked about him, I found out that his dad lost his job and sub-sequentially their home, so they had to move.

Name changed*

Post 10

From the posts that I've read, everyone generally seems to have the same idea of what a modern epic hero reflects and stands for; a few characteristics from other posts that have frequently popped up are hope, strength, and bravery. In Ashley's post, she chose to discuss Superman as a hero; in my opinion Some people would classify Soldiers and Superman in the same category. Even though soldiers don't have the same capabilities as Superman, they both had the option whether or not they want to defend/ save a person or not. Our modern heroes reflect classical heroes in almost every way, it's just a new age in which we live that causes our "new" heroes to reflect more in line with our current society.

Post 9

Most modern epic heroes possess at least one of the six general characteristics commonly associated with them; a heroes traits can consist of: some sort of nobility, actions performed being well above and beyond what commoners are able to do, physically buff and attractive, can authentically be recognized by his or her people as a hero, humble (not always), or could have been effected by some sort of supernatural force. These six characteristics can help you decide if a character is an epic hero.

In my opinion, Veterans are a primary example of modern epic heroes, because they possess four of the six traits I previously mentioned. It takes a special person to leave everything they are accustomed to, with the potential threat of never being able to return to their loved ones. ,I have had the opportunity to speak with many veterans, and majority of them prefer for people not to call them heroes; providing clear evidence of just how humble veterans are, showing modesty in their value to the country.

Post 8

My initial view of the Wikipedia article, "The Wife of Bath's Tale" is that it compacts a general amount of information over a brief overview. At first glance, I was able to follow the information and understood what the post was referencing; but then as I thought about it, I starting thinking how if I was someone who had never read the story, then I would not know what the author of the composition was talking about. As I was reading it I realized that can help enhance the content, allowing the reader to receive a full synopsis of the story at hand.

As I compose my rendition of the Wikipedia Article I plan to analyze the exiting aspect while also putting myself in the audiences shoes, making sure that I thoroughly give a complete background of the story while also making sure that the reader can reference back to what I say as they start to read the story by Chaucer. I chose this story to enhance, because I felt like during this day and age it is still relevant, Chaucer was way beyond his years when he chose to publicly write a piece speaking on the subject of a females sexual desires; I feel like Chaucer should be commended for addressing such a Taboo during his time period.

Post 7

Romantic love first developed during the aristocratic courts simply because everyone loves a good love story, regardless if the story is fictional or not; courtly love is described by Britannica as “the complex product of numerous factors- social, erotic, religious and philosophical. Courtship is a completely different experience compared the alternative of two people who are just dating; typically during medieval time periods a man would court a female (regardless of his economic status) as a way of proving his sole commitment to her, with the intent of marriage later in the future; it was more of a mental or spiritual connection rather than one built off of physical attraction, it allows you to have a deeper connection with someone.

The Wife of Bath didn’t have a romantic aspect to the tale. The prologue for the main character was longer than the story itself, romanticism wasn’t a part of any aspect of the tale; the wife only truly loved one of her husbands, then rest were just a means of sexual pleasure and survival. Once one of her husbands died, she was quick to move on to the next financial source.

Post 6

Both of the stories are built off of elements of sex and lust. The song that I feel most accurately reflects The Wife of Bath's Tale is Rihanna’s song Sex With Me; the first two sentences are “Sex with me, so amazing All this all work, no vacation” which depicts the middle aged women, she brags about how she loves sex, used sex to get what she wants from almost all of her husbands and is on the hunt for her next husband (never taking a vacation from marriage).  She truly only loved one of her husbands, the rest for her were as if “We’re not making love” it was just a means of how she could control them.      

The song that best reflects Apollo in Metamorphoses is “Already Taken” by Trey Songz; this song accurately reflects hoe he fell for Daphne if it was present day. In the beginning of the song he says, “I knew she was the girl for me Like no other I had seen”, which is how Apollo first felt when he saw Daphne. Apollo was knon for being a player with multiple women, but then Daphne made him reconsider “Thought I'd never fall in love Then there was you And I don't wanna be a player no more”. After Apollo was shot with the arrow, Daphne became “the apple of my eye” for him. At the end all he wanted to do was “I just want to love my baby”; even though the feeling wasn’t mutual.

Post 5

One aspect that I find to be old-fashioned, is the expectations of the traditional role that the old lady was expected to follow. A wife’s place was to essentially follow two feet behind her husband and stand silently behind him, not questioning his authority. Even though this was the traditional setup, the old lady had enough courage to stand up for what she wanted out of her personal relationships regarding marriage and wasn’t afraid to make those expectations known of her sexual preference; For this to happen during the medieval time period, I think it tells us a lot about her strong personality.

Just like most females today, The Wife of Bath has no shame in what has happened in her past nor does she feel that people should chastise her for expressing her own sexuality. Since she has had many experiences with men from her past, it makes her an expert; some females have the same mind set presently, feeling as though since they have been in  many relationships, it makes them an expert to give advice to someone else (sometimes unwanted). For the romantic side of story, it is basically nonexistent. Basically the only husband she truly loved was her fifth, the others were a mean to keeping her accustomed to a certain life style; this reflects why some people in our current time period get married, not for loving the person they're with but for convenience. 

Post 4

Through exploring archetypes in Metamorphoses, The story of Apollo and Daphne is one prime example of beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Especially when “Apollo loves Daphne at first sight … and hopes for what he desires, but his own oracular powers fail him” (734). The story is saying that even though Apollo is one of the all-might Gods, he still has trouble trying to get a mortal to like him.

Usually Greek Gods have no problem when trying to attract a person, but Daphne gave Apollo a chase, “I who am chasing you is not your enemy…This is the way a sheep runs from the wolf…” (735) and wanted completely nothing to do with him. The Problem was, Apollo was in such lust over Daphne that even when she became a tree he still wanted to be with her as evident when he stated, “Since you cannot be my bride, you must be my tree!” (734). I think it would take an extremely special cause for some to remain in love with someone after they turn into a tree.

It’s not that the writing has a far off idea, it’s just people have to have a thorough understanding of what is happening in the text. Ovid's Metamorphoses placed a perspective with a different setting. A more modern version of this story is also depicted in The Twilight Zone episode, Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder.

Post 3

My family has a couple of different archetypes that are a tradition; one for my family is the way in which we prepare our Christmas Eve Dinner. Every single year we all gather at my house and each contribute with the preparation for Christmas Eve Dinner. I don't know why but my dad always wants to create a menu, even though we always end up suggesting and making the same items each year.

We always make the same items because they are our favorite items to eat, we make these especially on Christmas Eve because I have a lot of family that comes in from out of town so we try to make sure that everyone has at least one of their favorite homemade food items at the dinner table. Another archetype we honor is that everyone in my family has a "specialty" or signature dish that they make. We also have the tradition that we always gather at my parents house; even though we've moved to another state, we have kept the tradition alive and continue to hold Christmas Eve Dinner at our home.

Post 2

Literature and oral presentations are crucial elements in how we were able to keep creation stories from around the world. There are many creation stories that are distinct and creative in their own way and depending on which story a person chooses to believe in (if any), it has a great impact on how they view society, live their life and view the world around them.

In Myths of the Cherokee a person from the tribe would have to learn about their ancestors/ tribe through a family or tribe historian who would orally tell them events that happened in the past, allowing then to get a better grasp on their heritage. The only downfall with this, is there isn’t a way to fully verify the authenticity of the information. The creation story that a person chooses to believe shapes the actions and behaviors a person chooses in life.

Post 1

I choose to believe in the “young earth” creation method, in which God created and designed the Earth and life within six 24-hour periods with Sunday being an extra day of the week for rest. Some people find it hard to believe that one person had the power to create all that man has ever seen or touched; in fact, some refuse to believe in anything that they can’t see, so they try to find another explanation, one that they can process and fathom.

The Story of how Adam & Eve disobeyed God’s wishes in the Garden of Eden with the fruit tree introducing evil to a perfect world and became the start of how humanity has been subject to the mortal state in which we are now; leaving us more susceptible to sin, disease, all types of suffering, and ultimately death. I understand and respect that everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and beliefs (including the choice to not believe in anything at all); but as for me, I choose to believe in a higher being through faith.

My First Post

Throughout the semester I will be posting content that helps give you a glimpse of student life at Middle Georgia State University.