u/lfthoia

Spoilers (as the title implies):

What do you make of this line at the end of The Song of Achilles? It’s right before Thetis inscribes Patroclus’s name on the tomb. It reads:

“We watch the light sink into the grave of the western sky. ‘I could not make him a god,’ she says. Her jagged voice, rich with grief. But you made him. She does not answer me for a long time…” [and then she carves his name into the tomb]

What do you make of “But you made him?”

It’s in italics, so I assume that’s Patroclus’s voice.. is “But you made him” meant to be kind, like Patroclus essentially praising her for giving birth to someone he loves so deeply? Or is it pleading, like “you’re a goddess, why couldn’t you make him immortal??” (Even though that goes against the order of things). I initially believed it was the latter - pleading - like he’s still in denial about Achilles’ death & wished it was some other way.

But I’ve also seen some people online interpret it as “But you [Patroclus] made him” - as in she gave birth to him, but it was Patroclus who made him the person he actually was. Which is a beautiful and heart wrenching sentiment, though I feel the italics negate this reading..

How did you interpret it? I’m curious.

Just went to the Odyssey at Cinemark Howard Hughes. IMAX tickets are sold out everywhere so I bought XD, but then to my surprise, it seemed to be a proper IMAX screening?? Full aspect ratio without cropping. And then I remembered that it used to be an IMAX screen when it was called Rave (I think?) cinema. Anyway - if you want to see The Odyssey in IMAX but can’t get tickets - go to the Cinemark on Howard Hughes.

Trevor Noah might be one of the last celebrities with any integrity. If you haven’t seen it, he has been hosting an incredibly successful World Cup podcast / watch party *AND* on that podcast with hundreds of thousands of viewers, he has not once but repeatedly spoken out against sports betting.

So many celebs are jumping to take blood money from Draft Kings, Polymarket, and Kalshi — including Messi, Modrić, LeBron, Shaq, Rick Rubin, Timothée Chalamet to name a few. Worse, these companies have specifically been targeting black celebrities to spread their message to black communities.

But Trevor Noah and his co-host Joe Opio have repeatedly spoken out against betting during this World Cup, talked about how addictive it is, how it is bad for mental health, how it affects the players, and how it ruins people’s lives. I was already a casual fan of his, but now I’m a fan for life!

Shout out also to Mbappé, one of the only major football players to speak out against sports betting.

I hope more celebrities & athletes will have the courage to do the same.

I love perusing a weird store… art stores, book stores, thrift stores, themed boutiques, professional suppliers that I have no business shopping in but are interesting to look around, international grocery stores, museum gift shops, etc.

What are your favorite esoteric shops in LA for an interesting experience?

I’m feeling soooooo stuck in a rut. I need to do something that shakes me back to life. I’m not looking for normal LA recs (LACMA, tar pits) but really weird / crazy / adventurous / shocking / outlandish things. What activities would you recommend that’ll get me out of my comfort zone and looking at the world thru new eyes?

I love Design Home but it’s gotten way too expensive — any suggestions for similar games that are cheaper to play?

I’m halfway thru reading this newish book on addiction — and all I can think about is how they need to write an equivalent book on the epidemic of gambling addiction (especially in young men):

What would we call it… “What would you do alone in your room, you’ve applied to 1,000 jobs but you can’t get an interview, the economy sucks, you’ll never own a home at this rate, you’re single, dating apps are abysmal, you’re lonely and… sports betting is just a click away on your phone?”

I think it would be a bestseller!!

Looking to be inspired while I work. I’ve worked from the Getty, the Hammer Museum & the La Brea Tar Pits before. What are some other ideas for interesting places where I can sit & work on a laptop (without it being weird?)