I spent a day out with my grandmother recently and our topic of conversation swiftly changed to that of religion when I questioned how she perceives 'God'. Now my gran is a devout Christian.... goes to church every Sunday, helps and organises the church bazaars etc. I was interested to know how she could base her lifestyle on a religion that has so many flaws in the story.
First of all I challenged her to the question, if this God blokey made the whole world in seven days... around the same time he impregnated Mary to have the immaculate conception then how did he create the dinosaurs? This was before Jesus I'm sure? I also thought while I was at it I would point out that there are many different Gods from different countries thought to have created the earth... they couldn't all be right?
Then I asked if she actually viewed God as a person or a force because as a non-religious person it has always been unclear to me. There are plenty of illustrations of Jesus on the crucifix but rarely do you see a painting of God. My gran said a bit of both... now there is an answer from somebody who knows exactly what she believes in aye?!
I then made a suggestion that could have gotten me into deep water and pushed down a couple of steps on the favourite grandchild ladder... lol. I said that I thought maybe some people that follow Christianity and go to church every Sunday practising their 'beliefs' don't at all believe in all the unplausible bible stories but base their lives on the church as it is a clean and honest way of living. They do it to give themselves a guide of what is acceptable for them to do.
I was shocked that she admitted that in her case this is partly true. While she did go on about how many of the things in the bible that people used to brand as complete rubbish can now be proved, she also said that some of it probably was made up to give people that couldn't get their head around how we got here an answer. For people to believe that we are here from a force so powerful that we don't understand it... in a way made sense to them.
It seems silly that a thing that may have been partially made up to keep people in line is one of the main causes of war in this world. Could it be that countries are fighting and killing each other over something actually quite false?
Saturday, 1 August 2009
Sunday, 5 July 2009
Funniest thing I have read this week...
After reading a BBC news article about the Hertfordshire beer festival I couldn't help but laugh! The BEER festival ran out of beer!! It is thought that all the cider was gone by 9pm and the very last drop of beer was poured at closing time last night causing the last day of the festival to be called off. I think it's safe to say that we, Britain as a whole, are total and utter PISSHEADS!
Saturday, 27 June 2009
A Legend Never Dies
The news of Michael Jackson's death, for me, was both shocking but unsurprising. Here was a man who abused his body in every way imaginable; anorexia, a former drug addiction and an unhealthy fondness of recreating his facial features time and time again but somehow still seemed invincible to every person who had followed him through-out his stardom.
The saddening realisation to the public was that, afterall... he was only human.
Michael Jackson's music influenced every modern artist of today in some way and I believe if Michael had not risen to fame as that cheeky faced, afro headed boy in the late 60's, that music today would just not be what it is. He brought music to life and many of his songs are still relevent in the music scene today.
But where did it all go wrong for the self proclaimed "King of Pop" to justify the tabloids to re-brand him as "Wacko Jacko"? I believe that Michael's issues were deep rooted and personal, going back to his childhood where he was forced to perform and beaten by his father but one thing is for certain... a little bit of privacy in Michael's more vunerable years would not have gone a miss. Michael was faced with new stories being published about him day after day which soon encouraged him to go along with it and give the press something to write about, even claiming he slept in an Oxygen tank to stop the ageing process! It is unclear whether this is true but I would not be surprised if Michael had made some stories up when where the character of Jacko stopped and the person Michael Jackson began became unclear to the public and indeed himself.
I believe he was a genuine soul who was just mislead in life and failed to relate to people in the adult world and so living his life as a child to make up for lost time. The name "Michael Jackson" will be a household name for years to come, the rumours and the allegations will be forgotten, but the music and the legend will live on forever.
R.I.P Michael, gone but not forgotten x
The saddening realisation to the public was that, afterall... he was only human.
Michael Jackson's music influenced every modern artist of today in some way and I believe if Michael had not risen to fame as that cheeky faced, afro headed boy in the late 60's, that music today would just not be what it is. He brought music to life and many of his songs are still relevent in the music scene today.
But where did it all go wrong for the self proclaimed "King of Pop" to justify the tabloids to re-brand him as "Wacko Jacko"? I believe that Michael's issues were deep rooted and personal, going back to his childhood where he was forced to perform and beaten by his father but one thing is for certain... a little bit of privacy in Michael's more vunerable years would not have gone a miss. Michael was faced with new stories being published about him day after day which soon encouraged him to go along with it and give the press something to write about, even claiming he slept in an Oxygen tank to stop the ageing process! It is unclear whether this is true but I would not be surprised if Michael had made some stories up when where the character of Jacko stopped and the person Michael Jackson began became unclear to the public and indeed himself.
I believe he was a genuine soul who was just mislead in life and failed to relate to people in the adult world and so living his life as a child to make up for lost time. The name "Michael Jackson" will be a household name for years to come, the rumours and the allegations will be forgotten, but the music and the legend will live on forever.
R.I.P Michael, gone but not forgotten x
Friday, 3 April 2009
Barack Obama
I really do believe that in today's society where youths are totally out of control like never before (teenage knife and gun crime is soaring compared to as little as ten years ago) that America has adopted a shining light in Barack Obama. On his visit to Buckingham palace yesterday with wife Michelle, the couple took to the Queen so endearingly that her majesty reportly said "Now that we have met, won't you please stay in touch."
The president of America even presented the Queen with a gift... an IPod! What a way to bring the Monarch rocking into the 21st century! A brave present but received with charm and humour. This is why we need to fully support Barack Obama. He is so in touch with today's technological society that he may well be the perfect role model to bring our countries out of turmoil and brings MORALS back into lives of youngsters.
The President has definitely lived up to his "yes we can" attitude so far. Let's just hope that we see a quick turn around in the residents of 10 Downing Street!
The president of America even presented the Queen with a gift... an IPod! What a way to bring the Monarch rocking into the 21st century! A brave present but received with charm and humour. This is why we need to fully support Barack Obama. He is so in touch with today's technological society that he may well be the perfect role model to bring our countries out of turmoil and brings MORALS back into lives of youngsters.
The President has definitely lived up to his "yes we can" attitude so far. Let's just hope that we see a quick turn around in the residents of 10 Downing Street!
Thursday, 19 March 2009
Loving Uni!
I have had the best few days!!!!!
I spent yesterday on the beach in the sun taking pictures for Media Skills which I am looking forward to editing tomorrow :) Today we had a radio news day... and even though I am a retard who said "regulation" instead of "relegation" in the football news... I enjoyed it :) :)
Life is good right now...
I spent yesterday on the beach in the sun taking pictures for Media Skills which I am looking forward to editing tomorrow :) Today we had a radio news day... and even though I am a retard who said "regulation" instead of "relegation" in the football news... I enjoyed it :) :)
Life is good right now...
Monday, 9 March 2009
Why I Write...
I have just finished reading the 1946 short book by George Orwell, 'Why I Write', and to be honest... the book has had me questioning myself and why I write... which I guess is the point.
George Orwell believes that there are four main reasons that people write. These are;
1. Sheer egoism - the desire to seem clever and wanting your work to be talked about.
2. Aesthetic enthusiasm - desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed.
3. Historical impulse - desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity.
4. Political purpose - desire to push the world in a certain direction and to alter other people's idea of the society they should be striving towards.
So which of these, as young budding journo's do we categorically fit into? Well the answer is up for debate but I believe that all of the reasons can be applied to some of us and at least one to everybody else.
Reading everybody's blogs I would say some of us are very interested in our work being noticed and praised by the lecturers (and in the working world, a publicist). Others are passionate about getting a point across in which they think is too valuable to miss to their peers. (Lucy Pilgrims attitude to grieving in her blog is a good example of this). Some are written with historical impulse to gather facts and indeed others are written with political purpose. (Andrew Emmerson :D).
I did notice that there is one reason for writing that Orwell did not mention directly in his book. This is writing for money. Having little passion for writing as such... just wanting to make a quid or two from it. He did however argue that egoistic writers share the same charicteristics as scientists, artists, politicians, lawyers, successful business people etc. I think he may have been trying to say that egoistic writers are the ones in general who make a living from writing.
I'm still not sure why I write... maybe because if I didn't I would have a hard time passing this degree?? Answers on a postcard!
George Orwell believes that there are four main reasons that people write. These are;
1. Sheer egoism - the desire to seem clever and wanting your work to be talked about.
2. Aesthetic enthusiasm - desire to share an experience which one feels is valuable and ought not to be missed.
3. Historical impulse - desire to see things as they are, to find out true facts and store them up for the use of posterity.
4. Political purpose - desire to push the world in a certain direction and to alter other people's idea of the society they should be striving towards.
So which of these, as young budding journo's do we categorically fit into? Well the answer is up for debate but I believe that all of the reasons can be applied to some of us and at least one to everybody else.
Reading everybody's blogs I would say some of us are very interested in our work being noticed and praised by the lecturers (and in the working world, a publicist). Others are passionate about getting a point across in which they think is too valuable to miss to their peers. (Lucy Pilgrims attitude to grieving in her blog is a good example of this). Some are written with historical impulse to gather facts and indeed others are written with political purpose. (Andrew Emmerson :D).
I did notice that there is one reason for writing that Orwell did not mention directly in his book. This is writing for money. Having little passion for writing as such... just wanting to make a quid or two from it. He did however argue that egoistic writers share the same charicteristics as scientists, artists, politicians, lawyers, successful business people etc. I think he may have been trying to say that egoistic writers are the ones in general who make a living from writing.
I'm still not sure why I write... maybe because if I didn't I would have a hard time passing this degree?? Answers on a postcard!
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