Happy New Year Phil! ( and Ms. M and all of the cats...) Hope things are well with all of you, we were in Los Angeles for the holidays; -sigh- felt good to get away...

Let's get together for drinks near future?

Damn! We were looking forward to meeting you (two) there for dinner.. . grumble ...!X@*

I read Robert Fitzgerald's translation of 'The Odyssey' last year and absolutely loved it -I had not read it before, that I can recall anyway. I think the lyricism is what appealed to me most though I'm with you 100% on the dactylic hexameter...

It's a shame any film adaptations have been so bad, in my opinion.

I can fully appreciate your situation, Phil. While I was in the Gulf War, some of the black guys in my unit were having problems with the 'bumps,' it wasn't until you explained the nature of curly hair becoming ingrown that I grasped the 'why' behind it... could never figure out what 'magic shave' was 'til now.