Podcasts about Iliad

Mortality and the End of the Iliad. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The final stages of the Iliad focus on Achilles' intense grief and the rituals surrounding death. Following the violent funeral pyre for Patroclus, Achilles organizes funeral games, which Wilson suggests represent his growing realization that all mortals are ultimately "losers" in the face of death. These games provide a new model for competition where skillful men can win prizes without the conflict ending in the destruction of society. A significant moment of reconciliation—or perhaps a "sick burn"—occurs when Achilles gives Agamemnon a prize for spear-throwing without requiring him to compete, acknowledging Agamemnon's status while potentially mocking his habit of taking things he did not earn. The poem notably concludes not with the fall of Troyor the Trojan Horse, but with the voices of three women—Andromache, Hecuba, and Helen—singing laments. Their grief highlights the future of enslavement and loss facing the survivors. This ending, marked by a humanitarian pause for Hector's funeral, underscores the poem's central theme: the universal struggle to accept human mortality. 1

The Homeric Question and Epic Tradition. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The identity of Homer remains a subject of intense scholarly debate, as the Iliad emerged from a long oral tradition that existed before the return of literacy to Greece in the 8th century BCE. For centuries, performing poets developed stories of heroes like Achilles and Agamemnon, using dactylic hexameter to aid memory and performance. The Iliad is a monumental written poem that takes a sophisticated approach to these familiar tales, often subverting expectations. Interestingly, it omits many "famous hits" like the Trojan Horse, the judgment of Paris, and the actual fall of Troy. Instead, it focuses on a mere month and a half of the ten-year war, centering on internal Greek conflict rather than just a battle against Trojans. Wilson notes that while she translates the work into iambic pentameter to capture its drive, the poem itself possesses the narrative complexity of a modern novel, utilizing techniques like shifting perspectives and narrator omniscience. She also mentions lost epic poems like the Cypria, which provided more backstory on Zeus's plan to reduce the human population through war. 2

Character Pairings and the Pressure of Honor. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The Iliad features vivid character relationships that function with the depth of a novel. Helen is portrayed as an ironic thinker and a storyteller who weaves the sufferings of the war into her textiles, much like the poet himself. She possesses a unique perspective on her own fate and the limited power mortals have against the whims of gods like Aphrodite. In contrast, Hector and Andromacheform a tragic pairing; Andromache's heartbreaking pleas for her husband to stay within the city walls are met with Hector's refusal, driven by the intense fear of shame and the pursuit of kleos, or undying glory. The royal couple Priamand Hecuba represent different facets of leadership and loss, with Hecuba displaying a maternal rage so fierce she wishes to eat her enemies raw. Divine figures like Thetis, Achilles' mother, add a layer of sympathy as she bargains with Zeus to grant her son glory, knowing his life will be short. However, these divine interventions often result in further horror for the mortals involved. 31789

Goddesses, Trophies, and the Bond of Achilles. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The gods in the Iliad often represent extreme human instincts, such as Aphrodite representing lust and Ares representing aggression. These deities are sometimes depicted as ridiculous because they flee the battlefield when wounded, whereas mortals must face their pain heroically. Within the Greek camp, the social structure is built around honor and "trophies," specifically enslaved women like Briseis, who are parceled out after military victories. While Briseis has a limited voice, she is shown to have a kind relationship with Patroclus, who is described as a multi-faceted character capable of both great kindness and brutal violence. Patroclus is not a "beta male" but a skilled warrior who mocks his victims as he kills them. The bond between Achilles and Patroclus is the most intimate and emotionally vulnerable relationship in the poem. Achilles' awareness of his own impending death and the violation of his honor by Agamemnon creates a deep-seated rage that drives the central plot. 41919

The Plot Begins: Rage and Divine Bargains. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The plot of the Iliad is ignited by a clash of egos between Agamemnon and Achilles. When Agamemnon is forced to return his own war prize to appease Apollo, he seizes Achilles' enslaved woman, Briseis, to recoup his lost face. This action causes Achilles to withdraw from the fighting, perversely restoring his honor by demonstrating how much the Greeks suffer without him. This human conflict is mirrored by divine bargaining; for instance, Hera is so intent on destroying Troy that she offers to let Zeus destroy three of her own beloved cities, including Sparta, in exchange for his cooperation. The Greek audience would have recognized the historical weight of these fallen cities. Wilson interprets Agamemnon not as a simple villain, but as a weak and struggling leader who often blames his poor decisions on divine delusion rather than taking personal responsibility. Despite his flaws, the poem illustrates the immense difficulty of maintaining power and making decisions under the influence of manipulative gods. 5

The Gore of Battle and the Sanctity of the Dead. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The Iliad features vivid and gory battle scenes that Wilson rendered by consulting with combat veterans to understand the visceral nature of death. Homeremphasizes the specific details of how each man dies, often juxtaposing the brutality of a spear through an eyeball with beautiful similes from the natural world. A major theme is the treatment of the dead; the poem views the corpse as the person, requiring those who loved the warrior to wash, wrap, and lament him. Entire books are dedicated to the struggle of reclaiming a fallen comrade's body, as desecrating a corpse is seen as the ultimate victory over an enemy. Stripping the armor from a victim serves as both an economic prize and a symbol of total dominance. While the gods like Poseidon and Hera intervene to support the Greeks, they also remain distinct from mortals by "bleeding" a substance called ichor. These divine and human elements culminate in the pivotal death of Patroclus, which shifts the direction of the entire war. 6

Mortality and the RAGE OF ACHILLES. Guest: Professor Emily Wilson. The conclusion of the Iliad explores the resolution of Achilles' rage following the death of Hector. Initially, Achilles attempts to prolong Hector's humiliation by dragging his body behind a chariot and refusing to allow a proper burial. However, the funeral games for Patroclus mark a shift toward maturity, as Achilles provides a space for competition that does not end in death. He even shows a degree of grace—or perhaps a subtle insult—by awarding Agamemnon a prize without a contest. The poem finishes with a humanitarian pause that allows the Trojans to bury Hector, bookending the story with funerals. The final voices are those of mourning women, emphasizing the shared human experience of grief and the inevitable suffering that follows war. Wilson concludes that the Iliad is fundamentally about the struggle to accept mortality, a theme that has provided comfort and insight to readers for over 2,700 years. 8

Last night, Monday, June 22, I was invited out to be a guest reader at the celebration of Flash Fiction Day. There's a competition and short-listed entrants (and some long-listed one) read their entries. There's also some guests reading from their own published work — even if they weren't part of the competition.I debuted a brand new piece that I wrote specifically for this reading. It's called And What's Wrong With That? I'd like To Know. And you can listen to it right here.Here's the text if you'd like to read along, or read it as a text-story only: I guess I'm pretty normal really. I mean I like to drive around roundabouts dozens of times. I like to have tea and coffee in the same cup. At the same time. One pill makes you larger. And one pill makes you smaller, right? The ones my mother gave me didn't do anything at all, but that's because they were placebos the doctor ordered. I started in on an apple each day after I found that out. What else though? Um, I like to dance like no one is watching. And the way I manage that best is once a week or so I'll be in the elevator and stop it somewhere between the 12th floor and the first, and then I'll put my headphones in and just really get going, locking in with the bass line from Silly Love Songs. Ah, Wings, what a band? I wonder if the singer ever did anything else. I can listen to that song ten times in a row. Which is one way to kill an hour. Another would be with a knife in its side while you held its neck back, I spose. But yeah, nothing out of the ordinary for me really. I like to read hardback books about Spina Bifida and I try to keep up with my taxidermy correspondence course. Which is getting harder these days with the cost of couriers..and the boxes getting bigger. And it can be hard to find low-flying birds to kick out of the sky, or rabbits to run over second time around. Still, swings and roundabouts eh. Sometimes I put a packet of biscuits out for the mice. I dot them around the room, space each biscuit a few inches apart — those ones with the sugar on top. It means we can all live together, but they won't come into the middle of the room and disturb me from watching the cricket. I keep a close watch, though I doubt he'll move. The glass has been over him for months now. And nothing. Silence. So I'll probably stop reading the Iliad aloud. I mean it's all Greek to me, anyway. But what about you? What are you into? And what would be your idea of something to do to make a great first date?Thanks for reading Sounds Good! ! This post is public so feel free to share it.Sounds Good! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Get full access to Sounds Good! at simonsweetman.substack.com/subscribe

American democracy is in a period of crisis, so it seems natural to look back to its origins. So here in Episode 10 of Season 5, I interview Professor Josiah Ober. Having previously taught at Princeton University, Ober is a professor of political science, classics, and philosophy at Stanford University, the Director of the Stanford Civics Initiative, as well as a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. The author of many books, including Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens (1989), The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece (2015), and Civic Bargain (2023), co-written with Brook Manville, he was previously a Madison's Notes guest in Season 3. Drawing on his 2015 book, we discuss the history of ancient Greece and the political legacy of its classical period. Our conversation ranges from the Bronze Age Collapse and the age of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey to the rise of the Greek city-state and decline of democratic Athens. We discuss contingencies of the Peloponnesian war, the cases for and against Alcibiades, whether the polity flourished under Macedonian and Roman empires, the relationship of philosophy to civics, was Socrates guilty and how much did Plato invent about him, in what way the god Hermes symbolized Greek trade in the Mediterranean, if James Madison truly understood ancient history, and lastly Ober's work with the growing civics programs in American higher education. Hosted by Ryan Shinkel, Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The transcript for this interview is available on our new Substack page, “Madison's Footnotes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

American democracy is in a period of crisis, so it seems natural to look back to its origins. So here in Episode 10 of Season 5, I interview Professor Josiah Ober. Having previously taught at Princeton University, Ober is a professor of political science, classics, and philosophy at Stanford University, the Director of the Stanford Civics Initiative, as well as a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. The author of many books, including Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens (1989), The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece (2015), and Civic Bargain (2023), co-written with Brook Manville, he was previously a Madison's Notes guest in Season 3. Drawing on his 2015 book, we discuss the history of ancient Greece and the political legacy of its classical period. Our conversation ranges from the Bronze Age Collapse and the age of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey to the rise of the Greek city-state and decline of democratic Athens. We discuss contingencies of the Peloponnesian war, the cases for and against Alcibiades, whether the polity flourished under Macedonian and Roman empires, the relationship of philosophy to civics, was Socrates guilty and how much did Plato invent about him, in what way the god Hermes symbolized Greek trade in the Mediterranean, if James Madison truly understood ancient history, and lastly Ober's work with the growing civics programs in American higher education. Hosted by Ryan Shinkel, Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The transcript for this interview is available on our new Substack page, “Madison's Footnotes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

American democracy is in a period of crisis, so it seems natural to look back to its origins. So here in Episode 10 of Season 5, I interview Professor Josiah Ober. Having previously taught at Princeton University, Ober is a professor of political science, classics, and philosophy at Stanford University, the Director of the Stanford Civics Initiative, as well as a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. The author of many books, including Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens (1989), The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece (2015), and Civic Bargain (2023), co-written with Brook Manville, he was previously a Madison's Notes guest in Season 3. Drawing on his 2015 book, we discuss the history of ancient Greece and the political legacy of its classical period. Our conversation ranges from the Bronze Age Collapse and the age of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey to the rise of the Greek city-state and decline of democratic Athens. We discuss contingencies of the Peloponnesian war, the cases for and against Alcibiades, whether the polity flourished under Macedonian and Roman empires, the relationship of philosophy to civics, was Socrates guilty and how much did Plato invent about him, in what way the god Hermes symbolized Greek trade in the Mediterranean, if James Madison truly understood ancient history, and lastly Ober's work with the growing civics programs in American higher education. Hosted by Ryan Shinkel, Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The transcript for this interview is available on our new Substack page, “Madison's Footnotes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American democracy is in a period of crisis, so it seems natural to look back to its origins. So here in Episode 10 of Season 5, I interview Professor Josiah Ober. Having previously taught at Princeton University, Ober is a professor of political science, classics, and philosophy at Stanford University, the Director of the Stanford Civics Initiative, as well as a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution. The author of many books, including Mass and Elite in Democratic Athens (1989), The Rise and Fall of Classical Greece (2015), and Civic Bargain (2023), co-written with Brook Manville, he was previously a Madison's Notes guest in Season 3. Drawing on his 2015 book, we discuss the history of ancient Greece and the political legacy of its classical period. Our conversation ranges from the Bronze Age Collapse and the age of Homer's Iliad and Odyssey to the rise of the Greek city-state and decline of democratic Athens. We discuss contingencies of the Peloponnesian war, the cases for and against Alcibiades, whether the polity flourished under Macedonian and Roman empires, the relationship of philosophy to civics, was Socrates guilty and how much did Plato invent about him, in what way the god Hermes symbolized Greek trade in the Mediterranean, if James Madison truly understood ancient history, and lastly Ober's work with the growing civics programs in American higher education. Hosted by Ryan Shinkel, Madison's Notes is the podcast of Princeton University's James Madison Program in American Ideals and Institutions. The transcript for this interview is available on our new Substack page, “Madison's Footnotes.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

L'ensemble des liens utiles : Envie de vous inscrire à Yaniro Minute ? 1 conseil par newsletter. 1mn de lecture ? C'est ici : https://www.yaniro.co/yanirominuteEnvie d'envoyer à vos managers la version auto-administrée de notre formation au management ? C'est ici : https://yanirowiki.co/kitEt pour retrouver les meilleures pratiques RH directement dans notre Yaniro Wiki c'est ici : https://yanirowiki.co/Résumé de l'épisode

It's been a long time coming, but the great Achilles finally enters the fray! It's a bloody one this week as the story of the Trojan War rages on!

Send us Fan MailAchilles doesn't want peace, he wants a name that survives him, and Troy (2004) builds its entire engine around that hunger. We come at this rewatch from two angles: some of us grew up with it on heavy DVD rotation, and some of us are seeing it for the first time and wondering why critics ever dismissed a movie with this much scale, sweat, and practical fire on screen. With Christopher Nolan's Odyssey on the horizon, we use Troy as a springboard to talk about the Iliad, Greek mythology, and why people are suddenly circling back to ancient epics again. We dig into what makes Troy feel different from early-2000s blockbusters: it plays things straight. That sincerity can read “too serious” if you're expecting quips, but it also lets the film breathe as a tragic war story. We talk through the craftsmanship that still pops: the grounded production design, the brutal battle staging, the Trojan Horse build that looks plausibly cobbled from shipwreck materials, and the fight choreography that makes the Achilles vs Hector duel genuinely thrilling. We also shout out the underrated details, from the costumes and armor to the hair and makeup choices that give the whole world a distinctive look. Then we get into the big adaptation question: what happens when you strip most of the gods out of a myth where the gods normally meddle constantly? We debate what the movie gains in realism and what it loses in fate, irony, and cosmic consequence, plus we poke at the timeline shortcuts that make the “they just left the beach” moment hard to swallow. We close with final grades, favorite performances, and a quick history detour on how Troy went from “probably a legend” to an archaeological site with real layers beneath Hisarlik in modern Turkey. If you enjoy smart movie talk, ancient history rabbit holes, and honest hot takes, subscribe, share this with a friend who loves epics, and leave us a five-star review with your spiciest Troy opinion.Twitter handles:Project Geekology: https://twitter.com/pgeekologyAnthony's Twitter: https://twitter.com/odysseyswowDakota's Twitter: https://twitter.com/geekritique_dakInstagram:https://instagram.com/projectgeekology?igshid=1v0sits7ipq9yYouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@projectgeekologyGeekritique (Dakota):https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBwciIqOoHwIx_uXtYTSEbASupport the show

In this episode of The Best Dam Podcast, Jill sits down with the multi-talented Holly Wittwer, the mastermind behind Events with Holly and the newly launched Home Educated Foundation. Together, they pull back the curtain on the invisible art of event planning and explore how a local need sprouted a rapidly growing national initiative to support homeschool families.The discussion dives deep into the high-stakes world of wedding and festival logistics—from managing over-the-top family emotions to handling wild day-of emergencies like car pile-ups, casino drama, and unexpected event crashers. Holly also breaks down the rapid growth of her non-profit foundation, sharing how she balances her strict Type-A personality, her thriving businesses, and homeschooling her three energetic young boys right here in Boulder City.DISCUSSIONThe Invisible Talent of Event Planning: A great event coordinator works completely behind the scenes so the client never notices a single problem. Holly reveals that she often acts as a day-of counselor or therapist to ground stressed-out brides and families so they can actually enjoy their big day.A Sudden Homeschool Pivot: After traveling to a massive multi-day homeschool convention in Arizona, Holly immediately realized she had the exact skill set needed to bring a similar, high-quality educational resource hub to Nevada families.Launching the Home Educated Foundation: Now in its third year, the convention has morphed into a full-scale non-profit foundation. The initiative features a digital and physical magazine with youth-authored articles, a nationwide podcast, and financial scholarships to help underprivileged families purchase curriculum.Local Micro-Schools and Collaboration: Holly emphasizes that homeschooling isn't for everyone, but options are exploding locally. She collaborates with local spaces like Grace Christian Church and Burning Bush to offer thriving drop-off classes, including chess and photography clubs.The Entrepreneurial Balancing Act: Transitioning to working for herself has unlocked immense creative freedom, allowing Holly to wake up with dozens of new ideas every night. She maintains healthy personal boundaries by strictly homeschooling her kids in the morning and tackling work in the afternoon.Handling Extreme Day-of Emergencies: From a 10-car freeway pile-up delaying every vendor by two hours to wild off-site casino drama during her first convention, Holly keeps a cool head by reminding her team: "Unless the building is on fire, it's not an emergency."Harnessing Teen Energy: Holly loves hiring local middle and high school students to assist with event day logistics. Giving local youth a chance to rise to the occasion provides them with high wages, great experience, and solid recommendation letters.The"Dating Convention" Crasher: Holly shares a hilarious, memorable story from her first homeschool convention where a solo male attendee crashed the event, recorded families without permission, and tried giving Holly's husband dating advice before being escorted out by security.Leaning into Type-A Strengths: While Holly used to criticize herself for being a "control freak," she has fully embraced it. She points out that a hyper-organized, Type-A personality is exactly who you want managing the complex moving parts of a wedding or festival.An Event Planner's Secret Confession: In a surprising twist, Holly admits that she actually dislikes attending events that she isn't running. On a Friday night, she would much rather be snuggled on the couch with her kids and a good book.A Hyper-Active Nightstand: Holly is a self-proclaimed voracious reader who cycles through up to 10 books at once. Her current rotation ranges from business classics like Dave Ramsey's EntreLeadership to deep fictional fantasies like Brandon Sanderson's The Stormlight Archive, and even reading The Iliad and The Odyssey with her kids.The Unbeatable Value of the Chamber: Holly Credits the Boulder City Chamber of Commerce as an instrumental force in building her business. She fiercely defends the value of a Chamber membership online, viewing it as essential marketing, networking, and a vital community resource.LEARN MOREEvents with Holly: Keep up with Holly's local Boulder City wedding and festival coordination by connecting with local businesses like Village Floral House and Twist and Shout DJ. https://eventswithholly.com.The Home Educated Foundation: Look up the foundation's official launch materials online to find step-by-step guides on homeschool paperwork, daily family rhythms, and upcoming curriculum scholarship applications.Business Leadership Resources: Pick up a copy of EntreLeadership by Dave Ramsey to explore the delegation and team-training philosophies Holly utilizes to scale her operations.Boulder City Chamber of Commerce: Head over to Chamber website or stop in to chat with Jill and her team to find out how local business owners can utilize Chamber resources to market their next big community initiative. https://www.bouldercitychamber.com.KEYWORDSHolly Wittwer, Events with Holly, Event Planning, Youth Entrepreneurship, Home Educated Foundation, The Best Dam Podcast, Boulder City Chamber of Commerce#HollyWittwer #EventswithHolly #EventPlanning #YouthEntrepreneurship #HomeEducatedFoundation #TheBestDamPodcast #BoulderCity

By Mario Seiglie - There is a lesson for us to learn from the Iliad, Homer's tale of the Trojan war where the Trojans were defeated being fooled by the Greeks with the gift of a huge wooden horse unknowingly filled with Greek soldiers. In this Powerpoint Presentation, we see that in Galatians, a "Trojan Horse" was

Most people approach The Iliad expecting the Trojan Horse. Instead, they find something darker: a story about wounded pride, uncontrollable rage, brutal violence and the moment vengeance finally gives way to pity.In this review, I break down Samuel Butler's translation of Homer's epic, the feud between Achilles and Agamemnon, Hector's terrifying presence, the petty interference of the gods, the oral tradition behind the poem, and whether a modern reader should actually tackle this ancient monster of a book.00:00 — An Ancient Epic in My Hands00:42 — The Samuel Butler Translation01:03 — Did Homer Actually Write The Iliad?02:23 — What Is an Epic Poem?03:05 — This Is Not the Trojan Horse Story03:40 — Achilles, Hector and the Gods04:53 — How This Edition Structures the Story06:15 — The Core of The Iliad: Rage07:33 — Achilles Loses Everything08:19 — The Gods Are Petty as Hell09:49 — Violence, Nature and Ancient Imagery11:41 — The Sections I Fast-Read13:19 — The Power of Oral Storytelling15:00 — The Brutality of Battle15:43 — Hector Smashes Through the Gates17:29 — No Simple Villains, Only Human Beings18:13 — Honour, Glory and the Heroic Code19:03 — Should You Read The Iliad?19:22 — The Odyssey Review Is Coming Connect with Mere Mortals:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/Discord: https://discord.gg/Xs9DjsurFqTwitter/X: https://twitter.com/meremortalspodsInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/meremortalspodcasts/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@meremortalspodcastsValue 4 Value Support:Website: https://www.meremortalspodcasts.com/supportPaypal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/meremortalspodcast

In this episode I speak with psychiatrist Dr. Sumit Anand about the complex, often misunderstood nature of anger and its deep roots in personal and collective grief. Drawing on classical literature like Homer's The Iliad and Euripides' Medea, contemporary storytelling, and Jungian psychology, we deconstruct how the modern clinical approach has pathologized a vital signaling system of the soul. Dr. Anand shares profound insights from his own practice and personal history, explaining the neurobiology of rage, the illusion of "closure," and the therapeutic necessity of bypassing rationalizing narratives to address the raw pain and shame sitting beneath the surface. Together, we explore how developing conscious awareness and tracking the body's visceral responses can ultimately break generational cycles of trauma and lead to genuine psychological healing.  

Anche Iliad entra nel mercato della rete Internet senza fili, con la sua nuova proposta, ma questo tipo di tecnologia ha dei limiti ben precisi. Si prospetta un nuovo bonus legato alla tecnologia, vi raccontiamo qualche dettaglio. La prossima estate dovrebbe arrivare anche in Italia una novità particolarmente importante, riguarda i documenti digitali. E' incredibile quello che è successo sulla piattaforma di Meta con l'AI e la sicurezza degli account. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dave took another trip to the emergency room this week — though this one wasn't for him. His daughter Bernadette and one of his boys built a foam block bridge, she went off the side of it, landed on the wall, and broke her clavicle. Clean break. When Adam got the x-ray, he zoomed in, screenshotted just the broken collarbone, and sent it to Lady Haylee with no context — let her think Adam had been out grinding, building fences, shouldering it like a tough guy. Bernadette, for the record, is doing great. Three weeks and she's back to normal. As Dave put it, if you're going to break your clavicle, do it young. Don't do it at Jim's age.A lot of life packed into this one before the topic. Adam and his boys, Luke and Jude, are going to read the Aeneid together this summer — Luke already read it at Holy Family Classical School, so he'll lead the way. Adam helped Dave harvest wheat (the invoice is coming), and the two of them talked homesteading honestly: you don't get into it to save time or money. It's a lifestyle, and the pork chop costs $400 if you're foolish enough to count your own labor. Adam also turned 40 — by the time this airs, the birthday's passed — and he spent his Substack this week reflecting on the four ten-year cycles he's got left, if he's lucky. The big lesson from 30 to 40: he had it backwards. He was making his life serve the business instead of the business serve his life. Build the habits of prayer, reading, and friendship young, because life only gets busier, and it's far easier to keep a habit than to add one.Two prayer requests worth holding. Lady Pamela's due date is this week — baby Niles number seven, two middle names this time, names not yet shared. And baby Mary is still in the NICU. They're going to try again this week to take her off the breathing tube. She's weaning off sedation — which means withdrawals, which is hard — but she's gaining weight and getting stronger. Get past the tube and the next hill is open heart surgery. Adam's grateful for every prayer, and for the guys who sent DoorDash cards. Keep praying for Mary. And a shout-out to Dan O'Brien, David's father-in-law, walking the Camino as this drops — Dan, hope the feet are holding up.This week's pour is a funny one: WhistlePig's 250th Anniversary of America 10-Year "Piggy Bank" Limited Edition Straight Rye, 55% ABV. The box is a literal piggy bank and the bottle is a chrome-plated ceramic pig. Spicier and more herbal than your Weller or Buffalo Trace — but smooth for the proof, with caramel and warm undertones. Picked up at Broken Arrow Wine and Spirits, owned by a good Catholic family from St. Benedict. Jim's yummy scale (bourbon scale): 5.87 out of 6.Then the main course: the Finding of Jesus in the Temple. Luke 2, the last joyful mystery, the only Gospel that records it — and the very first time Jesus is recorded speaking. Adam walks through it with the Catena Aurea, Aquinas's compilation of the Church Fathers edited by St. John Henry Newman. The caravan to Jerusalem split women and children up front, men in the back, and a twelve-year-old could be in either — so Mary thought He was with Joseph, Joseph thought He was with Mary. Theophylact says it wasn't negligence. A logistical blind spot. Any father who's left a kid at church after coffee and donuts gets it.The three days they searched? St. Ambrose says that's no accident — a rehearsal for the three days of the Passion, lost and then found again. The age of twelve is no accident either: right before the bar mitzvah, the Lord fulfilling the law perfectly, right on time, and twelve standing for the tribes and the apostles. Watch Mary, too. She brings her grief straight to her Son without accusation — "why have you done this to us?" — modeling how a soul carries pain to Christ: honestly, blaming no one, trusting before she fully understands. Watch Joseph, who says nothing, and pursues his mission relentlessly without drama. That's the masculine answer to adversity: very well, and you handle it. Protect, provide, establish.Was Jesus being disobedient? The Fathers say no — His higher obedience to His Father's business ran underneath the surface, and verse 51 shows Him going home and being subject to them. God first, then family, and that order doesn't fracture the home. It grounds it. And where did they find Him? In the temple. His Father's house. Which is the whole point: you can find Jesus in nature, in the car, anywhere — but you are guaranteed to find Him in the church, body, blood, soul, and divinity, in the tabernacle of every Catholic church in the world. If you want to become holy, go be with Him. Get an adoration hour. Holiness doesn't happen the way Adam's buddy Juan figured he'd "just kind of one day have a six pack." You have to do something about it. Raise your glass.TOPICS COVEREDDave's daughter Bernadette breaking her clavicle falling off a foam block bridge the kids builtAdam screenshotting the x-ray and sending just the broken collarbone to Lady Haylee with no contextAdam reading the Aeneid with his sons Luke and Jude this summer — and why he's doing it men's-group styleHarvesting wheat, and the honest economics of homesteading ("the $400 pork chop")Why you never homestead to save time or money — it's a lifestyle, not a shortcutAdam turning 40 and his Substack reflection on the four ten-year cycles he has leftThe biggest lesson from 30 to 40 — making the business serve your life instead of your life serving the businessWhy habits of prayer, reading, and friendship are easier to keep than to add laterLeveraging competent friends instead of trying to do everything yourselfLady Pamela due this week with baby Niles number seven — and the two-middle-names debateBaby Mary update — another attempt to come off the breathing tube, weaning off sedation, gaining weightWhy open heart surgery is the next hill after the breathing tubeDan O'Brien walking the Camino — a shout-out for sore feetBourbon of the week: WhistlePig 250th Anniversary 10-Year "Piggy Bank" Limited Edition Straight Rye, 55% ABVThe ceramic pig bottle, the piggy-bank box, and why a limited shelf whiskey runs $250–$350Jim's yummy scale hitting 5.87 out of 6 on the bourbon scaleThe Finding of Jesus in the Temple — Luke 2, the last joyful mystery, and the only Gospel that records itThe first recorded words of Our LordReading the story through the Catena Aurea — Aquinas's compilation of the Fathers, edited by St. John Henry NewmanHow the Passover caravan split women and children up front and men in the back — and how Jesus fell into the gapTheophylact on why it was a logistical blind spot, not negligence or bad parentingSt. Ambrose on the three-day search foreshadowing the three days of the Passion and ResurrectionWhy the age of twelve matters — the year before the bar mitzvah, and the symbolism of the twelve tribes and apostlesJesus fulfilling the law perfectly and right on time, not jumping aheadMary bringing her grief to Christ without accusation — the model for carrying pain to the Lord"About my father's business" vs. "in my father's house" — the translation and what it meansSt. Bede on faith preceding comprehension — assenting before fully understandingSt. Joseph as the model father — pursuing his mission relentlessly, without drama or self-pityMary honoring Joseph's fatherhood — "your father and I" — and why spouses don't belittle each otherHow complaining about your spouse to others actually breaks your wedding vowsWas Jesus disobedient? The Fathers say no — the higher obedience running underneathThe devil's-advocate case that He chose to be left behind, and His right as the Logos to do soJesus using the Socratic method in the temple — asking questions and "making them wonder upon him"The hierarchy of Christ's presence — and why you're guaranteed to find Him in the tabernacleA convert's story and the simple counsel: you just need to be in front of Jesus"Nothing if not you" — non nisi te, Domine — St. Thomas Aquinas's answer to the LordThe spiritual six pack — why holiness never just "happens on its own"Getting an adoration hour as a statement about the kind of man you want to beREFERENCED IN THIS EPISODEBooks & Writings:Catena Aurea by St. Thomas Aquinas, edited by St. John Henry Newman (the Fathers' commentary on the Gospels)The Gospel of Luke, chapter 2 (the Finding in the Temple, vv. 41–52)The Aeneid by Virgil (Adam's summer read with his sons)The Iliad and the Odyssey by Homer (mentioned alongside Luke's classical reading)Adam's Substack, The Grounded Builder — this week's reflection on his ten-year cyclesSaints & Church Fathers:St. Thomas Aquinas (the Catena Aurea; non nisi te, Domine)St. John Henry Newman (editor of the Catena Aurea)Theophylact (the caravan blind spot, not negligence)St. Ambrose (the three days foreshadowing the Passion; Mary's grief without rebuke; "right on time")St. Bede the Venerable (faith preceding comprehension; the hierarchy of loves)St. Teresa of Avila ("no wonder you have so few friends, with how you treat them")St. Humbert of Romans (the importance of place and location in prayer)The Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph (the model of unified, honoring...

A new week means new questions! Hope you have fun with these!What is the name of the body part that separates the left and right airways of the nasal cavity?Robert Crawley, the patriarch of the Crawley family played by Hugh Bonneville, in "Downton Abbey", is the earl of which English town?Which kind of fully-matured amphibian has a tail?Homer's Iliad is set toward the end of which war?A computer hacker intending to improve security is often called what good guy fashion accessory?Which English monarch was the last Emperor of India?The Maghreb, or the western part of the Arab world, is usually defined as encompassing much of what region?What's the first superhero movie to win an Academy Award?The shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils, characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation is known by what term, realted to a Moor?Which Shakespeare play was based on a legendary king of the Britons who reigned around the time of the founding of Rome?The first golf course built in the US, Oakhurst Links, is in what state?In astronomy, stars visible to the naked eye that appear not to move relative to each other against the dark background of the night sky are called what stars?MusicHot Swing, Fast Talkin, Bass Walker, Dances and Dames, Ambush by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/Don't forget to follow us on social media:Patreon – patreon.com/quizbang – Please consider supporting us on Patreon. Check out our fun extras for patrons and help us keep this podcast going. We appreciate any level of support!Website – quizbangpod.com Check out our website, it will have all the links for social media that you need and while you're there, why not go to the contact us page and submit a question!Facebook – @quizbangpodcast – we post episode links and silly lego pictures to go with our trivia questions. Enjoy the silly picture and give your best guess, we will respond to your answer the next day to give everyone a chance to guess.Instagram – Quiz Quiz Bang Bang (quizquizbangbang), we post silly lego pictures to go with our trivia questions. Enjoy the silly picture and give your best guess, we will respond to your answer the next day to give everyone a chance to guess.Twitter – @quizbangpod We want to start a fun community for our fellow trivia lovers. If you hear/think of a fun or challenging trivia question, post it to our twitter feed and we will repost it so everyone can take a stab it. Come for the trivia – stay for the trivia.Ko-Fi – ko-fi.com/quizbangpod – Keep that sweet caffeine running through our body with a Ko-Fi, power us through a late night of fact checking and editing!

"Once I could read a book, the whole plethora, the whole vista of things began to open to me." Strong men are not built by information alone. They are shaped by stories, examples, principles, and ideas that challenge them to think and act differently. Reading exposes a man to courage, sacrifice, loyalty, honor, leadership, and responsibility through the experiences of others. The books a man chooses become part of the framework he uses to understand himself, his family, his purpose, and the world around him. When combined with action and meaningful relationships with other men, great books can become powerful tools for personal growth. Many modern books fail to speak to the needs of men. Jesan Sorrells encourages readers to revisit the classics. He explains how works such as the Bible, the Iliad, the Odyssey, Shakespeare, Hemingway, and other foundational texts helped shape his understanding of masculinity, leadership, and human nature. Jesan also discusses the importance of reducing distractions, creating space for reading, and participating in male-only environments where ideas can be tested through conversation and real-world experience. Jesan is a conflict engagement consultant, author, speaker, and host of Leadership Lessons From The Great Books. With a Master's degree in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation from Abilene Christian University, he works at the intersection of communication, leadership, problem-solving, and real-world conflict. Jesan writes and speaks about social media communication, peacebuilding, entrepreneurship, and preparing for the future while helping leaders navigate increasingly complex relationships. A former rugby player and lifelong reader, he combines lessons from classic literature with practical experience to help men develop stronger character, clearer thinking, and more effective leadership. Learn more & connect: https://about.me/Jesan_Sorrells YouTube @JesanSorrells LinkedIn @jesansorrells Also in this episode: Jesan's Recommended Books * The Bible * The Iliad * The Odyssey * Greek Plays by Sophocles * Oresteia * Julius Caesar * Candide * Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ * The Sun Also Rises * True Grit Nicky's Recommended Books * The Eagle Has Landed * The Fountainhead * Anthem * Atlas Shrugged * The Cardinal of the Kremlin * The Hunt for Red October * The White House Years * An American Life * The Twelfth Angel * The Christ Commission You're invited to come to a Sovereign Circle meeting to experience it for yourself. To learn more, go to https://www.sovereignman.ca/. While you're there, check out the Battle Ready program and check out the store for Sovereign Man t-shirts, hats, and books.

Johnny Mac shares five good news stories: In the Netherlands, engineer Thomas built a motion-sensing car with a water-tank seat for his goldfish Blub, who drove 40 feet 3.46 inches in one minute to set a world record; Thomas hopes the technology can be useful for mobility issues. In New York, 270 people in Mario costumes gathered at a GameStop on March 10 to celebrate Mario's holiday and beat the prior record of 230 set in China in 2010. In England, an ancient Phoenician coin used as bus fare in Leeds—about 2,100 years old and showing the god Melqart—was donated to Leeds Museum and Galleries. Archaeologists found a 1,600-year-old Egyptian mummy buried with a papyrus Iliad fragment. In Indianapolis, a friendly dog was spotted running a mini-marathon and was taken to Animal Care Services to locate its owners. 00:11 Goldfish Drives Car01:05 Mario Costume Record01:39 Ancient Coin Bus Fare02:54 Iliad Mummy Discovery03:18 Marathon Running Dog John also hosts Daily Comedy NewsUnlock an ad-free podcast experience with Caloroga Shark Media!  For Apple users, hit the banner which says Uninterrupted Listening on your Apple podcasts app. Subscribe now for exclusive shows like 'Palace Intrigue,' and get bonus content from Deep Crown (our exclusive Palace Insider!) Or get 'Daily Comedy News,' and '5 Good News Stories' with no commercials! Plans start at $4.99 per month, or save 20% with a yearly plan at $49.99. Join today and help support the show!Get more info from Caloroga Shark Media and if you have any comments, suggestions, or just want to get in touch our email is info@caloroga.com

SCHEDULE THE JBS, 5-29-26.457 THE AMBROSIAN ILIAD.(1) Jeff Bliss discusses the Los Angeles mayoral race between incumbent Karen Bass, who faces criticism over homelessness and crime, and unconventional candidate Spencer Pratt, who utilizes social media and "guerrilla campaigning" to gain traction.(2) Jeff Bliss highlights Las Vegas's pursuit of an NBA team to complete its status as a global sports capital, while the Fertitta family acquires Caesar's Palace, consolidating power among the city's casino billionaires.(3) Professor Richard Epstein analyzes the legal history of birthright citizenship and Donald Trump's executive order, arguing that the 14th Amendment has been misinterpreted and that the child's status should depend on the parent's.(4) Professor Richard Epstein describes the Trump administration's $1.776 billion "slush fund" as a fraudulent private agreement, noting that despite its likely illegality, legal standing requirements make it difficult for anyone to successfully challenge.(5) Jim McTague reports on Lancaster County's economy, noting record-breaking gasoline sales at Costco despite rainy weather, the rise of retirement-driven healthcare, and local "Luddite" opposition to a proposed data center in Columbia.(6) Veronique de Rugy discusses a proposed California tax on billionaires, warning it will drive high earners away and reduce state revenue, while a competing initiative seeks to protect regular citizens' savings from taxation.(7) Bob Zimmerman examines a massive Blue Origin rocket explosion that has grounded the New Glenn program and delayed NASA's Artemis missions, leaving SpaceX as the only viable private partner for immediate lunar goals.(8) Bob Zimmerman discusses mysterious subsurface changes in the sun and conflicting data regarding water ice at the lunar South Pole, while highlighting Mars' "brain terrain" as evidence of significant near-surface ice deposits.(9) Francis Rose details the Department of Veterans Affairs' ambitious rollout of a new electronic health record system in Michigan, aiming for a seamless "enlistment to grave" digital history for every member of the military.(10) Francis Rose explores the security risks of electronic health records, explaining how nation-states like China seek bulk data for espionage and how the government utilizes "zero trust" technology to deter sophisticated machine-speed hacks.(11) Gene Marks reports from Nashville that mid-market companies are aggressively adopting AI to supplement labor shortages rather than replace workers, while also navigating the complexities of receiving refunds for previously paid tariffs.(12) Gene Marks questions surveys claiming 93% small business growth and dismisses claims that AI will eliminate white-collar jobs soon, asserting that human workers will naturally adapt to new technology as they have historically.(13) Henry Sokolski argues that no inherent "right to enrichment" exists under the NPT, warning that Iran's nuclear ambitions and regional power plants create dangerous targets and risk a "hot spot" of nuclear-armed nations.(14) Henry Sokolski discusses Russia's "gray warfare" tactics against NATO, including drone provocations and sabotage of European infrastructure, warning that the United States is not taking these threats seriously enough compared to Europe.(15) Conrad Black discusses Alberta's threat to secede from Canada if the federal government blocks oil pipelines, detailing the political maneuvering between Premier Danielle Smith, indigenous groups, and Prime Minister candidate Mark Carney.(16) Lorenzo Fiori reports on a record-breaking Italian heat wave and the poor market reception of Ferrari's new electric vehicle, while noting that affordable Chinese EVs are rapidly becoming the top-selling cars in Italy.

A retelling of Homer's epic - well, an attempt...Directed by Wolfgang PetersenScreenplay byDavid BenioffBased on Iliad by HomerPosthomerica by Quintus SmyrnaeusProduced by Wolfgang Petersen, Diana Rathbun, Colin WilsonStarring Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Diane Kruger, Brian Cox, Sean Bean, Brendan Gleeson, Peter O'TooleCinematography Roger PrattEdited by Peter HonessMusic by James HornerProduction companies Warner Bros. Pictures, Radiant Productions, Plan B Entertainment, Helena Productions, Latina Pictures, Nimar StudiosDistributed byWarner Bros. PicturesRelease datesMay 13, 2004 (Cannes)May 14, 2004 (United States)Running time163 minutesBudget$175,000,000 (estimated)Gross US & Canada$133,378,256Opening weekend US & Canada$46,865,412May 16, 2004Gross worldwide$497,409,852

"When we think about the people who fought the Trojan War, we naturally assume they possessed an inner monologue. We imagine them feeling fear, weighing their tactical options, and making conscious choices. But the textual evidence suggests the warriors of 1200 BCE had no internal mind at all. ..." Learn more by reading "Conversations on Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind," currently on sale for a limited time:https://www.amazon.com/Conversations-Consciousness-Bicameral-Mind-Interviews/dp/1737305534https://www.julianjaynes.org/book/conversations-on-consciousness-and-the-bicameral-mind/Video produced by Marcel Kuijsten using generative AI tools and reviewed by human editors for accuracy and clarity.

Au sommaire :La FNSEA, principal syndicat agricole, appelle à la réouverture immédiate des négociations commerciales avec la grande distribution pour prendre en compte la hausse des prix du gaz, des carburants et des engrais.La France reste le pays d'Europe le plus attractif pour les investissements étrangers, avec 852 projets enregistrés en 2022, mais un net ralentissement est observé.Un consortium de 28 entreprises françaises, dont EDF, Iliad, Orange et Capgemini, présente un projet d'investissement de 10 milliards d'euros pour créer un gigantesque data center en France.Le gouvernement sud-coréen intervient pour aider Samsung à trouver un terrain d'entente avec ses 50 000 salariés menaçant de faire grève.Un rapport du Sénat dénonce un manque de stratégie de l'État français concernant la concurrence ferroviaire et pointe des risques sur le financement des petites lignes.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

As we are on hiatus, here's some of our Patreon bonus content for your listening pleasure! We finally read the Illiad! Send us an Iris message at oftheeldestgodspod@gmail.com with your thoughts and theories going forward! We would love to hear from you. Make sure to subscribe so you know when our next episode drops and rate and review if you like what we are doing.IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/oftheeldestgodspod/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/oftheeldestgods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tumblr: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.tumblr.com/oftheeldestgodspod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT US ON PATREON: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/oftheeldestgods⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY OUR MERCH, PLZ:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.redbubble.com/people/OfTheEldestGods/shop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Charlie's IG: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenpixie12/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/greenpixiedraws/

Tổng hợp podcast tóm tắt sách từ SGP.

After a two-month hiatus, Luke and Gomer are back. This episode opens with a conversation about Gomer's father Don's ongoing health decline, the emotional and logistical chaos of elder care, and the conversations no one prepares you to have. From there, the fellas pivot to AI, the World Cup, Hollywood Botox, and the slow enshitification of everything. In This Episode: The full story of Gomer's dad Don's hip replacement, repeated ER visits, and the family's difficult reckoning with permanent skilled nursing care What no one tells you about Medicaid's "look back" provisions, the true cost of elder care, and why planning ahead matters far more than most families realize Gomer's complete 180 on AI and how tools like Claude and ChatGPT have become indispensable for managing his father's medical records, medications, and care in real time Euthanasia, modern medicine's ability to keep people alive without keeping them well, and what it means to age with dignity What they're angry, excited, and concerned about: home construction costs, the Fox Sports World Cup AI ad, The Iliad film, and Hollywood's Botox problem Chapters: 00:00: Welcome Back 02:07: Gomer's Dad's Health Crisis 10:06: End-of-Life Conversations 18:54: Navigating Elder Care and Medicaid 31:39: Euthanasia, Modern Medicine, and Keeping People Alive 42:43: From AI Skeptic to AI Convert 51:29: AI in Practice: Research and Healthcare 01:06:37: What Are You Angry, Excited, and Concerned About? 01:10:09: The Enshitification of Everything Resources Mentioned: Catching Foxes on Patreon Catching Foxes on Substack Produced by Saint Kolbe Studios

Odysseus rejects becoming a god... why?Today on Ascend: The Great Books Podcast, Dcn. Harrison Garlick is joined by Dr. Glenn Arbery of Wyoming Catholic College and Dr. Frank Grabowski of Holy Family Classical School to discuss BOOK FIVE of the Odyssey--arguably one of the important passages in the entire Odyssey and in the Western canon.Check out Ascend on X, Facebook, Instagram, and Patreon.Check out our written study guide to the Odyssey!Odysseus is offered everything a man could desire: immortality, endless pleasure, and the love of the goddess Calypso on her enchanted island. Yet he refuses, choosing instead the path of suffering, homecoming, and humanity. The conversation unpacks why Odysseus weeps on the shore despite his Edenic surroundings, the deeper meaning of his refusal, and the timeless question Homer poses to every listener: Would you say no to immortal pleasure?The scholars dive into rich themes—Odysseus's interior dialogue with his own thumos (spirit), the contrast between Calypso's cave and rocky Ithaca, the subtle work of the gods and fate, and striking antecedents to Platonic psychology.With insightful close readings, connections to the Iliad, and reflections on identity, place, and human flourishing, this discussion transforms a single book into a meditation on what truly makes life worth living. Whether you're new to Homer or revisiting the epic, this episode will leave you eager for more. Highly recommended for anyone who loves great books, philosophy, or wrestling with life's biggest questions.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Ascend and the Great Books04:13 Exploring the Odyssey: Book Five09:41 Athena's Plea and Zeus's Response23:53 Odysseus on Calypso's Island: A Study of Contrast34:43 The Choice of Immortality: Odysseus's Dilemma39:32 The Identity of Odysseus: Suffering and Immortality41:02 The Nature of Human Desire and Fulfillment42:56 The Dilemma of Odysseus: Choices and Consequences45:14 The Complexity of Fidelity: Odysseus and the Goddesses48:09 Homer's Moral Landscape: Understanding Odysseus51:14 The Role of Place in Identity and Homecoming54:05 The Symbolism of Clothing: Calypso vs. Nausicaa01:09:40 The Wrath of Poseidon: Odysseus's Struggles at Sea01:13:35 The Inner Dialogue of Odysseus: Heart and Mind01:17:23 The Weight of Time and Suffering01:20:04 The Complexity of Divine Intervention01:22:21 Agency and Internal Dialogue01:25:20 Mortality and Immortality: The Role of Women01:29:10 Navigating Divine Guidance01:31:20 The Human Experience and Divine Learning01:33:56 The Journey to the Shore: A Symbol of Rebirth01:40:05 The Significance of the Olive Tree01:43:41 The Transformation of OdysseusKeywords: Odyssey Book 5, Book Five of the Odyssey, Odysseus Calypso, Odysseus refuses immortality, Homer Odyssey Book 5, Calypso's island, why does Odysseus refuse immortality, Odysseus choice Calypso, Homer Odyssey analysis, Ascend the Great Books, Odysseus thumos, Platonic soul Homer, Odysseus homecoming, fate Zeus Odyssey, Odysseus rebirth, Calypso pleasure island, great books podcast OdysseyBe sure to check out our Odyssey episodes from 2024 too!

After five months (maybe more?) between episodes, Gavin and Ken are back – and with WDC 2026 Athens about to happen, what better time to get the tournament organiser, Spyros Dovas, on the show to talk about everything you can expect from rocking up to Greece this year. Intro Gavin and Ken kick off the show with cheers and reintroduce the podcast after a hiatus of over five months (0 mins 10 secs) Gavin explains the gap – his move away from Brisbane has made catching up with Ken less frequent, and a previously recorded episode went out of date before it could be released (1 min 30 secs) Gavin flags he's still searching for employment and shares his brief, unsuccessful foray into applying at Dan Murphy's – though he remains a loyal patron (3 mins) Ken notes that Gavin is heading to a certain upcoming tournament, and Gavin confirms he'll be attending WDC 2026 in Athens – flying via Singapore and living something closer to backpacker than five-star (4 mins 30 secs) Gavin talks about his travel plans, including the Athens itinerary, flying before the Middle East situation affected routes, and his fondness for Singapore's airport (6 mins) Gavin reflects that while he's been to Greece before, it's been about twenty years – and this time he'll be doing things differently (8 mins) Interview with Spyros Dovas – WDC 2026 Organiser Gavin introduces Spyros as the tournament organiser for WDC 2026 (as distinct from Tournament Director Jamal Blakkarly) and hands over to him (9 mins 30 secs) Spyros explains how the venue came to be chosen – rather than a downtown Athens hotel, his wife suggested the beachside suburb of Saronida, about half an hour from central Athens, which he knows well (10 mins 30 secs) Spyros describes the venue logistics: as registrations grew, he booked an auxiliary venue nearby so there's now capacity for even a very large crowd (13 mins) Gavin asks Spyros to make the pitch: why should people come to WDC 2026 in Greece? Spyros covers the competitive angle (previous world champions, strong contingents from the US, Australia, and across Europe), the community experience, the setting, the weather, and the pricing advantages of being just before peak tourist season (14 mins 30 secs) They discuss the FOMO build-up section on the official WDC website (17 mins 30 secs) Spyros outlines the pre-tournament activities organised for Wednesday and Thursday (18 mins 30 secs): Wednesday – a day trip to the island of Hydra, departing from Saronida to Piraeus and taking the fast boat across (approx. 1.5 hrs) Thursday – a guided tour of the Acropolis with what Spyros describes as the best guides operating there, followed by a walk through Plaka and the historic centre, lunch by the sea, and an evening trip to watch the sunset from the ruins of the Temple of Poseidon Gavin enthuses about the Hydra day trip and reflects on the island's significance to Greek identity, noting it's less well-known internationally than Santorini or Mykonos but stunning (23 mins) Gavin shares that he's already visited the Acropolis and Parthenon once before, about twenty years ago with his family, but is genuinely excited to experience it again with expert local guides (25 mins) They discuss accommodation in Saronida – Spyros notes a good range from five-star hotels to Airbnbs at reasonable prices for this time of year, though availability is diminishing and people should book soon. He offers to assist anyone having difficulty (27 mins) Gavin mentions the Athens neighbourhood guide Spyros has put together – a Google Map indicating where to stay, where to avoid, and the character of different areas – inspired by advice Spyros gave his own son who is now studying at Bocconi University in Milan (29 mins) Gavin asks whether anyone stands out as a favourite to win. Spyros diplomatically declines to name names, noting at least a dozen players who wouldn't surprise him as champion – which he says makes the tournament all the more exciting to watch (32 mins 30 secs) They discuss the tournament format: four rounds in total, with a Friday afternoon opening round (around 5pm, to accommodate European day-of-travel arrivals), two rounds on Saturday, and Sunday morning featuring a top board alongside competitive play for all remaining players (35 mins) Gavin asks about the name of Spyros's Athens Diplomacy club – "The Gift Bearers" – and its tagline "Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts," which Spyros explains is a reference to Virgil's line about the Trojan War, chosen for its local resonance and edge. He also confirms there will be a welcome gift bag for all players at check-in (37 mins 30 secs) Gavin admits to attempting to read the Iliad in preparation and finding the going tough; Spyros explains that even modern Greeks find Homeric Greek fairly obscure, and discusses the remarkable linguistic density of ancient Greek compared to contemporary languages (40 mins) Spyros previews content he still plans to publish on the WDC website: a food guide covering local dishes people shouldn't miss and how to approach them, plus recommendations for experiencing authentic Greek nightlife and an Orthodox church service on Sunday morning (43 mins) They wrap up the interview with Spyros reassuring any hesitant attendees that Greece is safe, welcoming, English-friendly, and set up for international visitors (48 mins) Ken wraps up by expressing his jealousy and thanking Spyros (50 mins) Spyros signs off, noting the first round is exactly two months away from the recording date. If you want to attend WDC 2026 in Athens and haven't signed up yet, or want more info, go to https://athensdiplomacy.club/wdc2026/ (50 mins 30 secs) Post-interview chat Gavin and Ken return and reflect on the interview – particular enthusiasm for the Acropolis guided tour and the Hydra day trip (51 mins 30 secs) Gavin reveals a bonus travel tip: on arrival in Athens before the tournament, he'll be visiting the island that Spyros's family originally came from – a recommendation straight from Spyros himself with full insider knowledge of where to go (53 mins) Ken shares a reflection on visiting Venice as a teenager and then studying the Italian Renaissance in Year 12, noting how historical knowledge transforms the experience of being in a place – relevant for anyone heading to Athens (55 mins 30 secs) They confirm the tournament details: four rounds, Friday to Sunday (22–24 May), with a top board on Sunday. Gavin checks in on the 21st (57 mins) Around the grounds Ken mentions he's been quietly plugging away at a couple of online gunboat games, with mixed fortunes (58 mins 30 secs) Ken floats the idea of setting up a game of the vDiplomacy Greek Diplomacy variant – winner of the World Variant Design Contest in 2010 – to coincide with WDC Athens. Gavin enthusiastically signs up - This game has since begun and you can view it at  (59 mins 30 secs) Gavin gives an update on his Europa Renovatio game (a 36-player variant set in pre-fall-of-Constantinople Europe) – he was positioned for a potential solo before getting dogpiled, and is now manoeuvring to encourage a draw - This has since finished in a draw with Gavin now able to reveal he was playing as the Teutonic Order (1 hr 1 min) Ken provides an overview of Europa Renovatio for listeners who haven't played it, and the two discuss a potential improvement: adding sea lanes across the Sahara to fix the unrealistic around-Africa single-move connection (1 hr 5 mins) Gavin asks whether Ken will bring a recorder to WDC – answer: depends on whether everything fits under the 7kg carry-on limit (1 hr 9 mins) Gavin shares his excitement after scanning the WDC 2026 player list – strong contingents from Australia, France, Greece, the UK, and the US, plus many familiar names from the online scene. Tempers expectations about his own chances of making the top board (1 hr 10 mins 30 secs) The guys wrap up the show (1 hr 12 mins) Venue: At home Drinks for the interview: Oops – we forgot to mention what our drinks were and we don't remember, although Ken definitely had one of his homebrews.  Just a reminder you can support the show by giving it 5 stars on iTunes or Stitcher. And don't forget if you want to help pay off the audio equipment… or get the guys more drunk, you can also donate at Patreon, plus you get extra podcast episodes! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe so you get the latest Diplomacy Games episodes straight to your phone. Thanks as always to Dr Dan aka "The General" for his rockin' intro tune.

Support us on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠---Just over one thousand years ago, an unknown scribe committed to vellum a fantastical tale of swordsmen and sea monsters, set not in contemporary Anglo-Saxon England, but instead in the distant swamps of Denmark, hundreds of years in the past and hundreds of miles away. In doing so, they would open a portal to one of the most mysterious and murky periods of European history. In this episode of Gladio Free Europe, Liam and Russian Sam return to the mighty mead-halls of the Migration Era for a discussion of Beowulf, the greatest work of Old English and one of the most fascinating documents of the early medieval world.The poem is effectively without parallel. It is a full-length heroic narrative written in Old English, whose eponymous protagonist is attested nowhere else. Though other works in this genre had been created, its sole survival and rediscovery made it the national epic of the English people, often compared to Homer's Iliad in both theme and content. As it was popularized in the early 19th century, the poem became useful to British, German, and even Danish nationlists who sought to use their ancient and medieval heritage to justify present-day political ambitions. But Beowulf does not belong to any existing society. Instead, it is an early medieval document of an idealized antiquity, possibly analogous to the role of King Arthur's Camelot to later medieval Englishmen. Beowulf provides a unique view into the Anglo-Saxon imaginary, illustrating how a deeply Christian population reckoned with their pagan past, and how the insular descendants of North Sea migrants understood their relationship to an ancestral home. But beyond its anthropological value, Beowulf is a mature reflection on ephemerality and loss. The setting, Heorot, is the most glorious of mead-halls, yet the audience knows from the start that it shall one day burn. Beowulf and King Hrothgar are the best of men, yet even their virtues cannot prevent the ruin caused by mankind's own doomed nature. The concept of wyrd, fate, features prominently in the poem. Despite not having a direct influence on the culture of high medieval and early modern England, Beowulf has profoundly shaped contemporary English literature. Its heroic narrative, prefiguring chivalric romance and King Arthur stories by several centuries, would inspire the career of J.R.R. Tolkien and shape the contemporary understanding of early medieval Northern Europe. Comparative studies with Norse and German literary works help us understand more fully the cold, courageous, and sometimes cruel world of early Germanic-speaking peoples. Most importantly, it is one of the most engaging and entertaining pieces of early fiction. Everybody, whether a proud Sea-Geat or a descendant of Cain, ought to read Beowulf.

Yann Martel didn't think anybody would read Life of Pi when he first published it. 25 years later, his story of a teenage boy and a tiger adrift in the ocean still captivates readers, and Yann says his books are like his children — he loves them all equally. Yann's new novel is called Son of Nobody. In the book, a Canadian scholar's life changes when an Iliad-like epic poem is newly discovered. When he travels across the world to study it, he uncovers threads that are far more personal than expected. Son of Nobody is an exploration of identity, myth and class, and it's a fresh take on a piece of literary history. This week Yann joins Mattea Roach to reflect on his past work, his interest in mythology and why humans should create, no matter what. Liked this conversation? Keep listening:The last book Julian Barnes will ever write How do we restore our sense of wonder in media? Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Coach Dan John and I continue our ongoing Sword in the Stone journey—using this classic book as a guide to examine the world we live in today. As an exceptional educator and mentor to many, I am grateful that Dan continues to take time out of his busy schedule to geek out and philosophize with me. In this episode, we explore parallels between films like Star Wars, Game of Thrones, The Hobbit, The Iliad, and many more. He also shares wisdom on being present and situational awareness. I've been enjoying these conversations and hope you have too.  If you have, please rate my podcast on your platform of choice and share it with others!  If you would like to support with a donation to help keep this podcast going and support the work I do, you can become a patron of the show by visiting my website or Get more from Mimi Chan on Patreon. For comments or suggestions, reach out on social media @sifumimichan. Discussed in this episode: Star Wars Game of Thrones 1917 movie The Iliad 13th Warrior The Hobbit The Princess Bride THE SIFU MIMI CHAN SHOW CREDITS Host: Mimi Chan Intro Music: Mike Relm Comment Rules: Be Cool. Critical is fine, but if you're rude, we'll delete your stuff. Please do not put your URL in the comment text and please use your PERSONAL name or initials and not your business name, as the latter comes off like spam. Have fun and thanks for adding to the conversation! Disclaimer: I am not a writer. I do not claim to be.  Apologies for grammatical mistakes, long drawn-out run-on sentences, and anything else that drives you crazy. I promise it was not my intention.  Be lenient, please.The post 448. Coach Dan John on situational awareness and karma first appeared on Sifu Mimi Chan.

The bear has been poked and today he... gets dressed? The Trojan War rages on, but not without some artistry - Not to mention a story about a puppy that might not be what you think!

Abstract: Given that only four colors are mentioned in the Book of Mormon (white, black, red, and gray), readers may ask, “Where are all the other colors?” But this is a distinctively modern question, that is, one keyed to the early modern understanding of color pioneered by Isaac Newton. The Book of Mormon does not embody this understanding. Instead, it reenacts difficulties associated with grasping color meanings intrinsic to the Bible and Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. These difficulties support the claim that we are reading an ancient record. The post Color in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Dr Armand D'Angour turns our attention to the lyrical poetry of Horace, as it is placed within the Greek musical and poetic inheritance. With close readings of key odes, he shows us how Horace uses Greek lyric meters to achieve something both rhythmic and aural. Constructed around the themes of love, time, and political life, these poems can be seen as carefully constructed personnae, rather than autobiographical confession. This lyric poetry is shown to be a disciplined artform that carries inherited Greek forms into something distinctly Roman, without disturbing the musical intelligence beneath them. These poems were not written to be read silently, but were deeply connected to music, rhythm, and memory. By recovering this dimension, Professor D'Angour illuminates Horace not just as a literary figure, but as a poet working within a living tradition of song in which meaning is brought about through the interplay of sound, structure, and voice.    Authors and Works Mentioned in this Episode: Horace's Odes Homer's Iliad and Odyssey Sappho Alcaeus Anacreon Pindar Catullus Virgil Aristotle Plato Epicurus Augustus Maecenas  

News items read by Laura Kennedy include: Papyrus fragment of the Iliad found inside Egyptian mummy (details) DNA study reveals population movements across Southern Cone (details) (details) Major settlement complex uncovered along Czech rail route (details) Study finds multiple factors behind Neanderthal extinction (details) (details)

Tim Cook quitte la direction d'Apple et passe le relais à John Ternus • OpenAI dégaine un nouveau modèle d'images surpuissant • Une boutique 100 % gérée par une IA ouvre à San Francisco • La Chine impressionne avec un semi-marathon de robots humanoïdes • Google injecte de l'IA dans sa suite bureautique.⭐️ [Annonce] : découvrez Frogans : l'innovation française qui réinvente le Web===============Sommaire détaillé : ===============Apple : Tim Cook passe la main à John Ternus (03:11)C'est une page majeure qui se tourne chez Apple. Après quinze ans à la tête du groupe, Tim Cook quitte son poste de CEO et devient président exécutif, laissant les rênes à John Ternus, actuel responsable produits. Une transition en douceur pour l'entreprise valorisée près de 4 000 milliards de dollars, qui devra désormais relever les défis de l'intelligence artificielle et préparer l'après-iPhone. Au-delà du symbole, l'héritage de Tim Cook est considérable : montée en puissance des services, succès de l'Apple Watch et surtout virage stratégique vers les puces maison Apple Silicon, qui placent aujourd'hui la firme en position favorable dans la course à l'IA. Reste à savoir comment John Ternus imprimera sa marque.OpenAI muscle son jeu avec GPT-5.5 et ChatGPT Image 2.0 (05:44)OpenAI frappe fort avec GPT-5.5, nouvelle version de son grand modèle de langage, plus rapide, plus performant mais aussi plus cher, destiné aux abonnés payants et aux entreprises via API. L'objectif est clair : reprendre l'avantage face à Google et Anthropic dans une compétition devenue féroce. En parallèle, le nouveau modèle de génération d'images ChatGPT Image 2.0 impressionne par son réalisme et sa capacité à produire du texte fiable dans de nombreuses langues. Intégré à Codex pour les développeurs, il ouvre des perspectives créatives considérables… tout en soulevant des risques accrus d'usages frauduleux.DeepSeek V4 et le réveil chinois de l'IA (08:06)La Chine n'est pas en reste avec la sortie de DeepSeek V4, modèle open source décliné en version Pro et Flash, aux capacités agentiques renforcées. Depuis son irruption en 2025, DeepSeek bouscule le marché en affichant des performances comparables aux leaders américains avec des ressources optimisées. Selon le baromètre annuel de l'université Stanford, la Chine talonne désormais les États-Unis tandis que la France ne place qu'un seul modèle dans le haut du classement, signé Mistral AI. Les écarts d'investissement restent abyssaux, illustrant un décrochage européen préoccupant.Andon Market : la boutique créée par une IA (10:25)À San Francisco, sur Union Street, une petite échoppe baptisée Endowment Market intrigue : concept, bail commercial, commandes fournisseurs, site web… tout a été orchestré par une IA nommée Luna, dotée d'un budget initial de 100 000 dollars. Derrière l'expérience, la start-up Andon Labs teste une idée radicale : une intelligence artificielle peut-elle créer et gérer un commerce rentable dans le monde réel ? Si des humains assurent la vente en magasin, l'initiative pose une question vertigineuse sur l'autonomie économique des machines.Meta surveille ses employés pour entraîner ses IA (12:36)Chez Meta, un programme baptisé “Model Capability Initiative” installe des outils de suivi sur les postes de travail afin de collecter des données comportementales destinées à l'entraînement des modèles d'IA. Officiellement conçue pour améliorer les performances des systèmes, la démarche suscite des inquiétudes en interne, sur fond de licenciements. Jusqu'où peut-on aller dans la captation des données des salariés au nom de l'innovation ?Cyberattaques : l'ANTS piratée, un hacker arrêté (14:02)Nouvelle alerte en France avec le piratage de l'Agence nationale des titres sécurisés (ANTS). Un hacker affirme détenir 19 millions d'enregistrements comprenant des données d'état civil, désormais proposées à la vente sur le darknet. Une enquête est ouverte et la CNIL a été saisie. Dans le même temps, un pirate présumé de 21 ans, connu sous le pseudonyme Hexdec, a été interpellé en Vendée. Soupçonné d'être lié à plusieurs attaques majeures, il avait récemment revendiqué ses actes dans une interview, assumant agir uniquement pour l'argent.Health Data Hub : cap sur un hébergeur français (16:41)Le Health Data Hub ne sera finalement pas hébergé par Microsoft. Après polémique autour des risques liés au Cloud Act américain, le gouvernement confie l'infrastructure à Scaleway, filiale du groupe Iliad. La migration prévue fin 2026 marque un tournant stratégique vers une souveraineté numérique renforcée pour cette plateforme destinée à soutenir la recherche en santé grâce à l'IA.Google et l'entreprise agentique (43:04)À Las Vegas, lors de Cloud Next 2026, Google a présenté sa vision de “l'entreprise agentique”. Objectif : déployer des agents IA capables d'automatiser tâches répétitives, réponses à appels d'offres, analyses de données ou gestion RH. Dans Google Workspace, l'IA Gemini devient transversale et proactive, capable de synthétiser agenda, mails et documents pour assister l'utilisateur. Pour les entreprises, une marketplace d'agents et des outils de gouvernance promettent d'encadrer cette nouvelle génération d'assistants intelligents

This week, we're talking about the most 2004 movie ever made–Troy! We're joined by TV writer and friend of the pod, Jeremy Gilfor! In this episode, Cullen prays to the gods that didn't appear in this adaptation, Hannah desperately tries to convince Cullen this movie is amazing, and Jeremy catches us up on the director's cut.   Huge thanks to Jeremy for going on this ancient epic adventure with us!   Research for this episode: The Iliad translated by Samuel Butler and edited by Louise R. Loomer (1942) Bulfinch's Mythology    ====================================   Watch Us on YouTube!   Follow Our Adventures on Social Media:   @notmyfantasypod Instagram     Research & Writing by Cullen Callaghan.  This episode was edited by Hannah Sylvester.   Cover Art by William Callaghan Intro Music: "The Quest" by Scott Little.

David is back with more Iliad, and today we suffer the brutal aftermath of last time's major character death. Honor, morale, and of course actual lives are on the line in this week's episode!

Au sommaire :Le gouvernement va réunir un comité d'alerte sur les finances publiques pour trouver 4 milliards d'euros d'économies afin de compenser l'augmentation du coût de la dette et les aides aux secteurs touchés par la crise.L'inflation devrait atteindre 4 à 5% dans les rayons des supermarchés cette année, bien au-delà des prévisions officielles, en raison de la hausse des prix des matières premières et des coûts de production.Le rachat de SFR par un consortium composé d'Orange, Bouygues Télécom et Iliad (maison mère de Free) devrait ramener le nombre d'opérateurs télécoms en France de 4 à 3, avec des conséquences mitigées pour les consommateurs.Le gouvernement français et allemand doivent prendre une décision sur l'avenir du projet d'avion de combat européen SCAF, bloqué par des désaccords entre Airbus Defence et Dassault Aviation.Elon Musk, propriétaire du réseau social X, est convoqué par la justice française dans le cadre d'une enquête sur des violations du droit français, notamment la diffusion d'images pédopornographiques et de deepfakes à caractère sexuel.Hébergé par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

In episode 257, Deron talks about a recent play of Iliad, and Dean shares part one of his time at TN Game Days. If you enjoy our podcast, please consider rating us and giving us a review. If you like our YouTube channel, please consider subscribing. If you have questions you would like us to answer on the podcast, please email us at meepletownmail@gmail.com. To support us further, check out www.patreon.com/meepletown or www.buymeacoffee.com/meepletown9. Join us on Discord: https://discord.gg/uasmBx326h  00:00     Intro 07:39     Iliad 12:16       TN Game Days 13:35       Speakeasy 21:14        Obsession 24:11        Moon Colony Bloodbath 31:22        Looot 32:59       Rascally Rabbits Thanks for coming down to MeepleTown!

Jim talks with Jeff Giesea, entrepreneur, writer, and founder of the Boyd Institute, about his essay "Dionysian Futurism" and the broader question of what's missing from our visions of the future. They discuss Nietzsche's Apollo/Dionysus framework from The Birth of Tragedy, the critique that techno-optimist futures are lifeless and sterile, Jim's extension of that critique to Game B and adjacent social change spaces, the distinction between positive Dionysian energy and mere degeneracy, Jim's concept of decadence as wire-heading on dopamine traps and gambling apps, generational decline in conviviality, Gen Z statistics on less sex and fewer dates, the structural economic pressures of student debt and housing unaffordability, the shift in college freshman values away from meaningful philosophy of life toward financial success, the dinner party versus restaurant ratio and what's been lost, the vanished culture of Georgetown dinner salons and political hostesses like Pamela Harriman, the trade-off between women entering the workforce and the loss of socially maintained conviviality infrastructure, the call to bring back the host or hostess curating eight to twelve people around a topic, Jeff's "The Humanities Revolution Has Already Begun" essay and the Kairos Project's decentralized open-source great-books discussion groups, Hannah Arendt's The Human Condition and its relevance to AI and what it means to be human, the tent-revival quality of the new bottom-up humanities movement, Homer and the bards as evidence that great books were never meant only for scholars, Substack as Renaissance Florence, self-gatekeeping around the humanities and the call to read great books at any phase of life, Jim's return to the Iliad and Odyssey and current reading of Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, audiobooks and the opportunity to produce better audio versions of copyright-free great works, Foucault as a poisoner of two generations of scholars, the woke turn in university humanities departments and Jacob Savage's essay "The Lost Generation," three drivers of the humanities revolution in pushback against woke academia, digital technology, and AI, AI as a tool for reading difficult books versus the risk of delegating critical thinking, Pirsig's concept of quality as a North Star for deciding when to use AI, taste as the Silicon Valley word for quality, Jeff's "goddamn Boomers" trilogy on the Boomer reckoning and the long Boomer farewell, the Boomer paradox of holding society together while holding it back, the gerontocracy problem of spending six dollars on old people for every one dollar on young people, entitlement spending flowing to the wealthiest demographic, Social Security couples at the top receiving over a hundred thousand dollars a year, California's real estate tax caps and their effect on schools, the political power of older voters and the absence of an AARP for young people, Gen X's failure to produce a presidential contender, Don Draper in Mad Men as a hinge figure between Greatest Generation and Boomer values, Boomer narcissism versus Gen X grandiosity, Jim's reframe of the core Boomer failing as hyper-individualism rather than narcissism, and much more. Episode Transcript "Dionysian Futurism," by Jeff Giesea The Boyd Institute Jeff Giesea (Twitter) "The Lost Generation," by Jacob Savage "The Boomer Reckoning No One's Ready For," by Jeff Giesea "Boomer Caregiving Will Wreck Our Politics," by Jeff Giesea "The Long Boomer Farewell," by Jeff Giesea "The Broligarchy Will Either Save the World or Destroy It," by Jeff Giesea Jeff Giesea is an entrepreneur, investor, and writer. A Stanford graduate, he has built several successful businesses and recently founded the Boyd Institute, a policy lab for America's future. You can read his essays on his Substack.

The war is heating up! Fires blaze and gods rage as the war exacts a mighty cost on both sides, settings us up for the beginning of the end!

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 9, 2026 is: hector • HEK-ter • verb To hector someone is to criticize or question them in a threatening way. // The judge ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness. See the entry > Examples: “He continued to hector Neal about his inattention to business (‘I have been waiting to hear from you,' again, and again, and again), without any tangible results.” — Jem Aswad, Variety, 5 Aug. 2025 Did you know? In Homer's Iliad, Hector, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy, was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles. So how did his name become a verb meaning “to intimidate or harass”? That use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves “Hectors.” They may have thought themselves gallant young blades (that's sense 3b(3)), but to the general populace they were swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property.

Today's poem comes from Graves' verse/prose rendering of Homer's Iliad, The Anger of Achilles, and highlights the inglorious causes of the Trojan War's glorious climax. Happy reading. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit dailypoempod.substack.com/subscribe

Michael Vlahos as Germanicus argues the Russo-Ukrainian war has transcended material goals to become a mythic struggle like the Iliad, with Ukraine cast as Troy creating heroic sacrifice narratives while Russia achieves false transcendence through a phoenix-like resurrection story, as the United States fails to grasp the existential dimensions that transformed both societies.1940