AC/DC vs. HSM

What would you say if i told you that america's favorite teenagers were beaten at their own game by a group of graying men? You'd say I'm crazy, right? Wrong. Only a few days after its release, AC/DC's "Black Ice" topped the charts, beating High School Musical in the amount of copies sold. They sold over 784,000 copies in the first week of sales, even after making their soundtrack only available through Walmart and their website. It is astounding to think that "Black Ice" won second place for the 2008 biggest album debut, considering the dwindling number of people who remember listening to AC/DC as they were growing up. Today's generation is so focused on rap, hip hop and alternative rock, rarely is there time to think about the classics. That is one of the reasons why this is such a shocking leap in music sales; the classics are coming back with a vengence. Now AC/DC is being compared to the Eagles and Journey, two bands know for their outrageous sucess and landmarks in history. So when you find yourself with the latest HSM song stuck in your head, stop, shake it out, and plug in some good, classic, AC/DC in honor of the #1 album in sales.

Assoiciated Press. "AC/DC's 'Black Ice' beats out 'High School Musical'" CNN.com october 30 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/30/acdc.cd.success.ap/index.html

The Journey of the Magi

"The Journey of the Magi" is an English poem written by T.S. Eliot. In this poem, Eliot describes the journey of the Magi as they seek out the Christ child in the manger. Though their heads say that it is a stupid quest, that all of the hardship it takes to get there is not worth it, something in their hearts urge them to continue on. Through many a town they pass, and can derive no information for the locals regarding the place where they were headed. Finally, not a moment too soon, they reach the manger, and witness the birth of Jesus. Though satisfied that it is indeed a holy child, there is something not right, as if it were not only a birth they saw, but a death. This was the death of their former attachment to physical belongings. Even after they return to their high castles, the Magi are no longer content with mere possessions, and would rather be without them if it would mean spiritual freedom. In this way the poem reminds me strongly of Siddhartha’s journey. He also sought out the answer to all of his questions, the Buddha, and from that meeting on could not be content to live the life he had before. He was not content to stay with those who clung blindly to their gods, and decided to start on a path to enlightenment that was eventually fulfilled.

T.S. Eliot. “The Journey of the Magi.” PoetSeers.com 10/9/08 http://www.poetseers.org/themes/nobel_prize_for_literature/t__s__eliot/library/the_journey_of_the_magi/

Is the concept of Kleos relevant for a contemporary society?

I believe that the concept of Kleos has changed and grown to become something more than what it was back in the days of Odysseus and Achilles. In ancient times the only way to be remembered as a hero is to prove yourself in battle, like Achilles the great warrior, whose accomplishments are still talked about today. Now, there are many different ways to be remembered in our society, so the drive to win the glory that only victory in battle can bring has lessened dramatically. One of the ways that Kleos has shrunk in our world today is the fact that now humans have found other, though not necessarily easier, ways to be remembered in our society. Instead of being remembered as a great war tactician, like Odysseus is, you can be thought of as a brilliant scientist or the greatest author of your generation or even as being the best teacher in the world.
For a dwindling few, however, the urge to excel, to become famous, to be remembered is still too great a lure to remain within the confines of the mundane. These are the people who go on to sign up for the Army, the Navy, or the Air Force. These are the people who risk their lives every day and are remembered not only for their fighting prowess, but for the fact that they died defending their country. That is how the concept of Kleos has adapted in our society to remain relevant through the ages.