May 2004 Archives

I took a long-needed break. I just got back from seeing Troy. It's been nearly seven years since I last read The Iliad (I read it twice). SPOILERS. In the film, Achilles is the central character, and there is a love story between him and a priestess. I do not recall a love story in the book, and the book had many heroes. (Actually, I don't recall Homer taking any of the two sides.) A lot of the other characters who were central in the book played only a small part in the film, and vice versa. Also, a lot of the character motivations have been lost or not elaborated upon. The roles played by the gods is also lost, although they were key to the events in the book and helped show how events unfolded based on the actions of the characters. Overall, good cinematography but the storyline lacked some direction and pacing. (I'm hoping that a film company makes a historical/adventure/romance/disaster film set in the final days of Pompeii. That setting would call for an excellent movie, I think. There are so many possibilities.)

As always, I welcome *your* comments. What can I do to improve my web site? Let me know - info@almostafternoon.com. I've just uploaded an article about software project management issues in 1981 and 2004 (written for class). I'm still busy with projects. View the article here.

I've been busy with projects, so updates are slow. As always, I welcome *your* comments. What can I do to improve my web site? Let me know - info@almostafternoon.com

On May 2, I saw both cruise ships (Queen Mary II and Queen Elizabeth II) arrive in Southampton. It was a very misty day, and a large crowd had gathered to watch the cruise ships.

I've updated the text in the most recent web design section. Other than that, I have been particularly busy with projects. As always, I welcome your comments. I'll be posting more news when it happens.