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Mikey, out of curiosity, how well known/regarded is Paul Robeson in the US these days? I heard somewhere he was sort of written out of the the history of the civil rights movement due to his politics; In South Wales, where I'm from, he is considered a hero.

Mikey wrote:

Thorin wrote:Mikey, I have only one thing to say.

Picard > Sisko.

OK... I guess in bizarro-world that has some relevance...

I was simply sharing an anecdote, as you were. Nobody is deriding your accomplishments, so no need to be defensive.

I don't view it as an accomplishment that I exchanged a few words with Patrick Stewart as we crossed paths...
I'm sorry if I offended you, but I was joking and will remember not to try and share a joke with you in future.

Thorin - sorry, I missed your little winky (no pun intended AT ALL - I meant your emoticon!) I obviously misinterpreted your tone, and I apologize. BTW, coming back to the Daystrom ever? PPS - you're right. I wish DS9 had included some of the cool factor in Sisko's character that Brooks displayed on "Spenser for Hire."

Enkidu - Robeson is unfortunately better known here for his football accomplishments - which are considerable for his era, considering he was an African-American All-American, much less an African-American university student. He is of course very well thought of in the community of and around Rutgers University, but you are correct in saying that his accomplishments are held in much less esteem than they deserve. BTW, I never mentioned it, but as an amateur student of ancient mythology I like your screen name! I just hope we don't have a member sign on as the Great Bull of Heaven...

I've a interest in folklore and mythology myself - not a major hobby, but something that caught my interest as a child and never really let go. I took advantage of a recent job that gave me a mini epic daily 3hr+ bus and train commute to read some of the books I had meant to read for years, including "proper" translations of Homer and other Classical works, as opposed to the abridged, sanitized, children's versions I was familiar with, Joesph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces, and of course, Gilgamesh.
One of my main haunts is the IMdB, where, if you are unfamiliar with it's forums, many of the world's stupidest, most unpleasant, and just plain crazy people can be found. Almost any thing can turn into a flame war there, and I noticed on two occasions that a person taking part in an argument (both times judging from their posts clearly with mental health issues) had googled their most intractable foes user names, and as people tend to use the same name on other forums, and where using their other hobbies and interests as ammunition against them. I decided recently that when I joined any future sites, I would begin to vary my user name. I'm still not used to it, and tend to miss my own posts when finding where I left off in an thread. When I decided on Enkidu, I had forgotten that the story of Gilgamesh and Enkidu plays an important part in one of the best regarded TNG episodes.

BTW, best translations by far of The Iliad and The Odyssey are Richmond Lattimore's.

I read the Penguin editions, rather old translations by E.V. Rieu.

Lattimore has managed to keep the poetry and fluidity, as well as intent, yet make his editions easy to read. Plus, his forewords are brilliant dissections of the technicalities of the poetry used as well as of popular beliefs and misconceptions based on misreading the climate of Homer's era.

I'll second Mikey's suggestion of Richmond Lattimore. They're some of the best out there.

I'll have to track down some copies. Thanks!

The editions I have are as follows:

The Iliad of Homer, University of Chicago Press, 1951 et. al.

The Odyssey of Homer, Harper Perennial, 1965 et. al.