Hello Diary,

It is nice to see you again. I ignore you, and you forgive me, every time. I wish there were more like you out there.
So I went to see Troy today. It reminded me of two years ago when I saw Spider-Man. I was all by myself, the movie was very good, and I walked home through the summer night. Of course, it was June then and it's May now. It's not quite summer yet, but it's in the air. The planet is moving.
Anyway. I don't know if it's me enjoying movies more when I'm by myself, or if it's the summer night-thing, or what have you - but Troy is really good.

Certain liberties were taken, of course. Menelaus is slain somewhat unceremoniously; Paris, by all accounts gets away alive; and rather than the 10 years of myth, the Trojan war appears to be settled in a matter of days. In addition to this, the story, unlike a lot of movies based on Greek myths, is depicted decently realistically, with no gods appearing, or daughters being sacrificed to call forth the wind. Still, it is quite an epic.

I have to say though, I thought I heard some snickering about the room when the Trojans, goaded by the Apollonian priesthood usher the wooden horse inside their walls, inviting their own doom in the process. Yeah. It's easy to laugh at errors made by people of the past, but surely Diary, if we had been in their situation, we wouldn't have done any better.
With before-hand-knowledge to aid us we are pig-men, standing on the shoulders of giants. While much smaller than them, our position enables us to see farther. Often, this makes us forget ourselves, and think we are actually larger than the giants. We aren't.

One point that didn't sit wrong with me though, is that some emphasis in the film is put on the act of accepting the horse into Troy being due to religious conviction. In fact, nearly all of the mistakes the Trojans make are initiated by their religious leaders. Even as Troy is burning, people are still looking to the gods for help - but there are no gods to protect men from each other. In some respects, the giants aren't able to lift us very high, and it appears that 3,000 years of history haven't taught us as much as you'd think they should have.
Of course, on the other hand, though the Greeks gave us a brilliant start as far as civilization and knowledge go, we later on had to put up with 1,000 years of dark ages under the influence of the clergy, and much of what was once gained was lost; forever, or to be rediscovered centuries later.

Well. This about that. I'll cut to the chase, Diary. I am alone again, as in, I am single. It comes as no big surprise by now that I find you when I am pained. Lighter days leave me relaxed and at ease, content with just hanging around, whereas the weight of the proverbial world takes a heavy toll upon the heart and mind, leaving me looking for you, most faithful of comrades. I suspect it will be just us in the time to come, along with Ryu Hayabusa, Sam Fisher, and the others.