Ch-ch-changes

Thought I would try something a bit different and do slightly shorter takes on a few things that have been on my mind lately.

First, while he is still threatening to shut down the government in 3 weeks, it was very satisfying seeing Trump's bluff collapse like a house of cards and he finally reopened the government, getting absolutely nothing in return.  (What a completely unexpected about-face.)  I think the bottom line was watching that the Dems held their position (for once) and the Republicans in the Senate started to cave.  I truly don't think he can come up with a face-saving fudge in three weeks, but I hope they can think up something, if only for the impacted federal workers.  I don't give a rat's ass about Trump and the corner into which he painted himself.  Anyway, I think he will find it a lot less fun being in DC now that the Democrats can actually hold him accountable and there is clear evidence of his abhorrent scuminess and sheer venality (not that there wasn't before -- I mean come on America!).

I'm glad to see that the Greek assembly passed (just barely) the deal with North Macedonia, but it is clear that this issue is far from settled and that it will very likely bring down the government in the next election.  Stupid nationalists.

In other Greek news, I am about 3/4 of the way through the Iliad (both translations) and should be able to push through to the end this weekend.  I have to say that I am struggling quite a bit.  I find the worldview abhorrent, and there is far too much detail (focusing on Achilles' absurdly decorated shield for instance or the family tree details given for most of the combatants), to say nothing of the fact that how much "honor" can there be in warcraft, when the gods intervene all the time!  I'm not in the market for the Marie Kondo "does it give you joy" mantra, but at the same time I am actively disliking this book quite a bit.  There's really no reason for me to hang onto Lattimore's translation, even if it is the "better" one for me.  I expect I'd hang onto Lattimore's Odyssey, however, as it is a much more fun read and arguably more influential, at least for the fiction I read (given that I hate war novels).

It's bitterly cold again this weekend, though for the most part the sidewalks are clear, with a few really annoying exceptions.  I do need to go out once for a play (Ruhl's The Next Room), but I just haven't decided about Top Girls on Sunday.  I guess all things considered, I'm leaning against, since I still have some real work to do, and I'm also working on writing an academic paper (and my researching muscles are a bit rusty).

Despite my very bad experience on the way to Roma back in December, I decided to go after all.  I saw one of the special 70 mm screenings at TIFF.  I think there is definitely something to be said for seeing a film like this in the theatre.  In particular, the sound was surround sound, and you heard all kinds of things just off-screen some of which never turned up on screen (glass breaking, for instance).  While there are some parallels to Fellini, particularly Amarcord, I thought there were also a few nods to Jacques Tati as well.  First the enveloping sound world reminded me of Playtime.  There were also some repeated motifs, like an airplane reflected in a wet floor and then airplanes in the sky over the rooftops where the maids did laundry.  Another Tati-like moment is when Cleo and her employer are outside a restaurant for some reason (maybe travelling back from the coast, I can't recall) and a wedding photographer is taking photos of a couple slightly "downstage."  While Cleo probably doesn't actually photobomb the couple, it is a reminder that the protagonist of one story is barely in the background for another.  Then the plaza is filled with dancing couples, which reminded me of the nightclub scene in Playtime.

Very minor SPOILERS follow

I will say that I had glanced at a woke review talking about the massive violence towards women in Roma, which got me very tense, wondering at any moment when Cleo was going to be raped.  That did put a bit of a damper on the whole experience, and it is only in retrospect that I can appreciate the film for what it was (and thankfully there were no rapes -- obviously the writer was talking about economic violence towards women, which is serious, but in a whole different category...)  I still think it is probably a bit too slow-paced to win Best Picture at the Oscars, but it is a film that will grow on me with time.  I haven't decided if I will see it a second time, but if so, I will just go the Netflix route.

One thing that is a little disconcerting is that I started filling up the calendar,* and then realized about half the shows are actually in March, not Feb.!  Maybe that is just as well, given how brutally cold it will be in the middle of the week.  I am bummed that I can't find an interesting play or concert for Feb. 3, since I want to avoid the Super Bowl as much as possible, but I suppose I can go to the office and work on this paper.  Anyway, I do need to go make the changes to the calendar and get that all straightened out.  Ciao.

* Also, the Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale is completely sold out.  Drat.  I suppose there is a chance it is the hit of the Progress Festival and gets an extended run, but I doubt it.