(no subject)

[fajrdrako]

Another busy week. Good things happening.

Friday:

• Dinner with maaseru at Sushi 88. I love that place. Once again I had the unagi rice, and my intent was to have nothing else, but how could I resist a dish called "squiddy tempura"? So I had that too. Loved the chewy "squiddy".


• Great mail: Christmas cards, many from the Piffle crowd, and a wonderful, wonderful present: The Return of the King Extended Edition DVD from gem225. I am just so happy to get this. What a great gift.


• Started reading a biography of Alexander the Great by Ulrich Wilcken. It was written in 1931, so it isn't the latest word, but I'm enjoying the way it presents the different approaches to Alexander's life and reign, and makes me somewhat familiar with the orignal sources. I want to read more recent books too, but they're still on request at the library. Why are so many of the books about Alexander which the library holds, written for children?


• I'm also reading Greek Homosexuality by K.J. Dover, which is fascinating, but not answering the questions I had in mind. I note that most (or all) of his written sources are Athenian writings or Athenian law. Athens was not all of Greece. Am I to conclude that the Athenian customs and attitudes were indicative of the rest of Greek culture? No, clearly not, since the point is made over and over that the law was different for Athenians and non-Athenians, and that standards were different. Anyway, it's interesting reading just for a look at the time and place. Once again I am impressed by the scarcity of evidence and the way a small body of information has been made to provide a bigger picture - whether that picture is accurate or not.


Saturday:

• A run to the stores at South Keys, where I got Christmas candy moulds and chocolate, and some gifts at Chapter's, and cat-design rubber stamps for Margot (aged 9) at Michael's.


• Christmas baking: I made ginger cookies in Christmas shapes. Haven't done that for years. The recipe I was using turned out not to be the one I thought it was - I wonder where I put the old one? It was good anyway, but now I'm in search of ginger cookie recipes.


• A visit to blackbyrde with maaseru, maaboroshi and lmondegreen to watch The Return of the King Extended Edition and eat delicious snacks. We liked everything but Shelob, especially the Faramir bits.


Sunday:

• I made candy in the candy moulds, and a grasshopper pie. Went to Pat and Sandi's place for a Christmas dinner with them and other friends: turkey with all the trimmings (I brought the cranberry sauce), mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, homemade bread, homemade wine (extraordinarily good), and for dessert my grasshopper pie. Complete with jokes about catching and mashing the grasshoppers.


Monday:

• maaboroshi sent me the URLs for some good sites about Josh Holloway - Sawyer in Lost, the bad boy with dimples. I then wasted - I mean, spent - several hours browsing them and looking for good Lost pictures, especially wallpaper and icons.

Comments

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

you got me on one of my favourite topics and distracted me, just for a minute there, from my Greek obsessions

How clever of me indeed! And it was such a struggle, considering they're my two chief obsessions... *whistles innocently*

In part, I think I had a, not unique, but less usual perspective on the Cold War. My family were Russian Greeks (Greek Russians? I don't know how it works) so I knew Russians couldn't possibly be bad per se, and I was inclined from a young age to be perverse, and root for the under dog. Spartans, Russians... But I also knew that at some point we'd stopped being Russian and were just Greek, to the extent that my sisters didn't even know. And that annoyed me. And from that sympathy grew a genuine interest.

Philoktetes is Sophokles. And a great read, as Philoktetes (Homeric heroism) and Odysseus (modern pragmatism) fight it out for the soul of Neoptolemos (youthful idealism).

As for Smallville, I think it both is and isn't more clever than people give it credit for. I agree with you, it *is* first class myth-building, unfortunately it falls down too often on plain old fashioned *story telling*. Which is why I adore the fan community, mythmakers all.

I remember Greek myth from Wonder Woman quite strongly, less so from Superman. It was all science and modern technology when I started reading. I didn't think Lex=Alexander was in the comics either, so I'm glad you think so too. The first I recall of it was actually Lois and Clark where Lex had Alexander's sword in his office (it looked suspiciously like a mediaeval broadsword) and pontificated about seizing the high ground. He didn't have the personality though. SV took that ball and ran with it, and boy, am I glad that they did.

I'm not really familiar with JL, I don't do more than browse comic stores any more, but I wish the writers paid more attention to him. I like SV least when it verges on teen romance.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

it was such a struggle, considering they're my two chief obsessions...

I would accuse you of leading me astray, except that I am clearly already astray. In the most delightful ways.

My family were Russian Greeks (Greek Russians? I don't know how it works)

You would know better than I. What an interesting background.

I knew Russians couldn't possibly be bad per se

Good for you! When I was very young my father was studying Russian at night school, and I can recall my parents carefully telling me that, regardless of the propaganda I might see on American TV, Russians were good people. I took it to heart.

Philoktetes sounds terrific - and is now on my (rapidly growing) reading list. I don't think I've ever read Sophocles, though I've seen a few of his plays. I did read (and love) some Aeschylus, back in my university days. Didn't study it, just read it.... Always wanted to go back and read more.

it *is* first class myth-building, unfortunately it falls down too often on plain old fashioned *story telling*

Ah - yes, you're right there. I'd like to think that it was through being too clever and failing to communicate what they intend to, or through trying too hard to create multiple levels of meaning; but sadly, all too often they simply screw up the simple, obvious stuff. In my opinion the 'teen romance' angle would be much more interesting if Chloe had more of a part in it. But that's just my own bias showing - Chloe is my second-favourite character, next to Lex.

Which is why I adore the fan community, mythmakers all.

Yes, absolutely. Picking up the pieces and playing with them. Very creatively, too.

My memories of the Superman comic are mostly from the early sixties. I stopped reading DC comics when Marvel comics came along with the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and X-Men, all in the space of a few years. But I remember many myths and mythic references from Superman, particularly in his battles with Circe.

I wish Lex in Smallville would make classical references now, in fourth season. Or historical references of any type. I love his breadth of interests and don't think they play it up enough. I take it on faith that he's a inventor, skilled in biochecmistry, maths and physics, and the arts - as well as a competent (and cutthroat) business man. I just wish they'd show us more.

Jeph Loeb is currently writing Superman/Batman, and writing it very beautifully, playing the relationship between the two protagonists as being both a close, warm affection and a contrast in personality and methods. But if I were recommending Loeb stories I'd point to his Batman work, such as The Long Halloween or Dark Victory or Hush.

[arysteia.livejournal.com]

I wish Lex in Smallville would make classical references now, in fourth season.

Oh, how I miss them!

I take it on faith that he's a inventor, skilled in biochemistry, maths and physics, and the arts - as well as a competent (and cutthroat) business man. I just wish they'd show us more.

Me too. It's why I love stories where talented writers fill in some of those blanks. I always come from the classical perspective myself (quel surprise) but some of the scientific ones have blown me away too. Above all, I think Lex's pothos, in an Alexandrine sense, is just to *know*. About Clark, obviously, but also about everything else that catches his eye.

But if I were recommending Loeb stories...

*feels an old love calling me home*
*wonders where I will find time*

I'm glad to hear the old Superman/Batman affection is back, despite the contrast. I hate it when people simplistically play it up as conflict.