And now for something completely different...

This has nothing at all to do with Latin, but it has to do with Classics... kinda... sorta...

I ran out and bought Oliver Stone's "Alexander Revisited: The Final Cut" after class on Tuesday. It was a *requirement*... 45 minutes of never-before-scene footage involving either Colin Farrell, Jared Leto or both was *not* something I could resist for longer than it took to drive to the store after class. Who's a sucker for ancient Macedonian megalomaniacs, unattainable Irish bad-boys, and one particular "emo" singer with painfully pretty blue eyes? That would be me...

So I just had to come on here and say, it's *so* awesome! *Way* better than the theatrical cut of "Alexander." Much easier to understand, the storyline flows logically (amazing considering how schizophrenic the theatrical cut was), the sound is better, camera angles are better... Some scenes are entirely re-cut from scratch using completely different takes. The sequence of events/scenes is completely different. It's fabulous! I highly recommend it for anybody who is a fan of Alexander the Great.

Oh, and despite the fact that Hephaistion was lying there in the background dying, I was still (once again) mildly amused when Alexander said, "And then we'll move on Carthage. And that great island, Sicily. They'll pay large tribute! After that, the Roman tribe - good fighters. We’ll beat them!" If it had been put into any other scene, I would actually laugh when he says that.

There, I mentioned something having to do with Romans... ;D

I'm proud to say that I wasn't entirely irresponsible in my indulgence of fangirl tendencies. I did the homework for Latin, and cooked and ate dinner while watching the spectacle (thank goodness for the ability to multi-task). And then, I read The Aeneid excerpts... almost cried over Nisus and Euryalus. That was really sad... and oy, "their heads on pikes"?! ... Almost as bad as poor crazy Dido a few chapters ago, but at least I was expecting her tragic end... First, Hephaistion dying, then Alexander, and now those two, all in one evening... Oy! (The Aeneid is fiction, Rachael, it's fiction!)

Okay, I'm officially punchy and in need of sleep, and as done with all school work as I'm going to get tonight, so I'm heading for bed and I'll see y'all tomorrow in class! ... And thank you for indulging my not-so-slight obsession if you've actually read this far... Hopefully, I won't regret having posted this when I wake up... later this morning...

~ Rachael

P.S. - Is anyone else planning to see 300 the weekend of March 9th? I'm going with a few friends to see it, probably on Friday the 9th, but if anyone else is up for it as well, more friends are always welcome. Just let me know if you'd like to come with, k?

Quick question: How do you decline balnea? It's neuter plural, but I guess I'm just confused. When you form the genitive, is it balneorum or balnorum? Once I have the genitive figured out, I'm pretty sure I can go from there.

And is this how nimium is decline:
nimium, nimii, nimio, nimium, nimio
nimia, nimiorum, nimiis, nimia, nimiis

Thanks!

Olivia H.

So that was a heck of a test...

Not that I was surprised by the material, I just thought I would be more confident at the end. The verb conjugations were time consuming, so I'm hoping I didn't rush through. Professor M., please don't think any less of me when you see my noun and adjective declensions. I have a feeling they were pretty horrid. But hey, I figured out my studying weakness this time around and hope to not repeat that mistake on the tests to follow. I hope everyone did well.

I'm off to go take some cold medicine. What in the world is going around that everyone is getting sick from?

Olivia H.

Pompeii Stuff

It's about 6: 30 am, and of course I am thinking of graffitti at Pompeii. To be precise, these ones (which I mentioned in a previous post) are not graffitti but mosaics on the vestibules of various homes/public places. You need to magnify to see the inscription, Rachael, et ceteri discipulae discipuliqui carissimi. Later then, EM.

It was bound to happen...

Eventually, I had to find a way to merge my crafty side with my love for Latin... ;D Here's what I came up with...

It's a wooden sign for my parents' new farm in the Blue Ridge of Virginia. It'll either go outside on the back porch or over the front door. Haven't decided yet. Of course, the house hasn't even been built yet, so I'm not sure exactly where it will end up... And I might antique it, but I haven't made up my mind about that yet. It says, "Behold, everything is green." And then in smaller letters: "The meadows and the fields and the woods and the groves." Thought it quite appropriate for a farm...

~ Rachael

Studete Linguam Latinam, Habeteque Bonam Fortunam!

...and, for the gazillionth time, send all questions/comments about the test to the blog. I will be checking it often throughout the weekend.

And, Jeremy, don't worry, I know you' re not being obsequious--you' ve aced every single quizz, so you hardly need that kind of thing... I am just surprised that my getting overwhelmed by your English and your jokes and my own joy with Latin passes as a a collective good mood. Sure, whatever works!

Btw, check out something that I got published on NPR about what Latin and our class means to me. Here it is, in case you think I am making stuff up... Igitur, carissimi puellae puerique, mox inter nos videmus. Valete omnes,

EM.

http://www.thisibelieve.org/dsp_ShowEssay.php?lastname=Manolaraki&uid=23768&start=0

Okay... so first test... whooooo!! whos excited lol? man, it was so hilarious friday in class! everyone was high spirited and it was an overall good mood- I have seen many teachers achieve this kind of atmosphere in a classroom, but no one has been as successful as Ms.E! lol... really i aint being obsequious, I swear! lol...
Okay time to hit that study sheet, and lego Latin!! woot woot! oh and btw- Elicia and I have Latin conversations all the time, so........ I dunno, go Latin conversations with Elicia!?!?!? lol hahaha....

PeAcE...
Jeremy Y