Prometheus-- No Shruggin' Here

Usually I fast and meditate Sundays. It rests the mind and the body. It's not like a religion or something. When I can't do it, I don't do it. It happens sometimes. This year I missed two Sundays. But today was just a regular Sunday. I woke up, swam, fasted, hiked, blogged, meditated, drank plenty of water. And then I decided to go see Prometheus. I don't know how many movies I saw this year. It was less than 5. Maybe less than 3. I find reading more rewarding. But this Prometheus... wow... just wow. And my first 3-D movie since I was a child.

But I do watch H-2, the History Channel-2, formerly History Channel International. And Prometheus was like a high budget version of their series, Ancient Aliens-- only with actors and great music and drama. Short version: ancient aliens came to earth and created mankind. The proof's in the pudding... I mean the DNA. They may have done it several times before "getting it right." If they ever did get it right. And we don't know why they did it-- neither from the little screen, nor from the big screen... although, apparently, there's a sequel coming, even if everyone's dead except one character and a robot, or a robot's head, that's still functioning fine.

The film is set about 100 years from now. Romney or some future Romney must have won because it's a corporate world now, something like what Stephen Goldstein has painted in Atlas Drugged. The corporate heavy is played by Charleze Theron and it's what would have brought Atlas Drugged to mind even if Goldstein's introduction the story of the contrast between Atlas and Prometheus.

In Greek mythology, the Titans ruled the Earth before the Olympians overthrew them. After ten years, Zeus, the head of the Olympians, defeated his father, Cronos, the leader of the Titans. Atlas led the Titans to defeat against Zeus. His brother Prometheus sided with Zeus.

When the Olympians won the war, Zeus punished Atlas, a self-serving protector of the status quo, by making him hold up the world. Prometheus was delegated by Zeus to create man. And since then, he has always been known as the protector and benefactor of humanity.

Prometheus gave mankind many gifts, including fire, which he stole from Zeus-- and for which he was severely punished. But he never forsook humankind or gave in to Zeus.

Eventually, Prometheus was freed from his punishment. Atlas never was.

And you know what ancient astronaut theorists would say about that, right? And if you read Ayn Rand's adolescent novel that has so captured the mind of rightwing sociopaths from sea to shining sea... then you know we're in trouble.