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Prophecies fulfilledWe never really believed that hed come back. 20

years? Thats a long time! In this issue of SPEAR

MONTHLY youll know who he is! and what

happened!

Weve lost many souls, but our leader came back.

Explore the current issues and topics! The FACTS!

and RUMORS! all in one delicately entertaining

magazine. . . SPEAR MONTHLY.

PAGE 8Profile: ODYSSEUS

PAGE 10STORY WERE

DYING TO HEAR

PAGE12I HATE IT HERE

PAGE 14

THE NEW SCUM

WHATSINSIDE?

Page 3:

Letters to theEditor

Page 4:Feature.

Value of things

Page 5:Poem,

Page 7NEW Monsters


3/153

Dear,EditorWhat is Ithaka like? Who isits ruler?

From Rorion

Dear,RorionWhy, Itakaisasmallileislandinte IonianSea inGreece. Its sosmaltatitonlyhasaroundtreeousand inhabitants on itsshores. Itismainlycomposedoflowlandswitafewmountainsand iscomplely surrounded byte sea.

Italsohasalotofbaysmanylilecommuniesandvilages. Itsmainruler is Odysseus, son ofLaers.He wasgonefor twenyears fight in te Trojan war, but hefinalyflled te prophecy andreturned end al te chaos inItakaand connuehisruleasits

greatking.LinkingtisPerseussry, Perseuswas also sent outfight numerous beasts, beingsuccessfl because he also receivedhelpomtegods. Eventualy, heo returned home moreexperienced and more ained ace te ulma enemy, flling

anoterprophecyaswel. Asofla,Itaka is starng rebuild itselfunder te leadership of Odysseus,whojustkiledaltesuirsofhiswife and is ying resre orderinhishome.

Dear,EditorI am a servant of Circe, butlately Ive been thinking ofmoving to Ithaka. What arethe people there like?From Eurymilia

Dear,Eurymilia Itakans are generalypeacefl and religiouspeople, notwannganyouble wittegodsoreach oter. Witteexceponofe Penelopes recently deadsuirs, kiled by Odysseus, terearent many oublemakers in

Itaka. Its a smal, quiet islandamidstte calm seas. Ifyouretepe lookingfor a high-prole lifefiled wit adventure, Itakansmight not take you so kindly,butifyourete off-te-radar pewho likes te seascape, you wouldblend in wittem easily. Sries

about te Harappan civilizaoncenturies ago sike me. It isbelieved tat tey were such apeacefl civilizaontatteres noevidence tat tey ever had amilitary. Such aplace must havebeenhappyand orderlyfortathappen, and Itakans also wish

atteircounywouldbesimilar.

Dear,EditorAs a member of Ithaksociety, what do you thishould be done to restoorder and balance in Ithaka?From Toniphemus

Dear,Rorion I honestly feel tOdysseushasspupandiniaeprocess ending al chaosItaka. Afral, he iste rulerour couny. Ive heard ofphilosophical concept om tEast caled te Manda

Heaven, which suggests tat tgodswouldappointagreatrulerleadtepeople. And sincetegohave helped Odysseus return heandappointhimleader, hemustcapable of leading us. Tepeopmust also connue remaaitfl te gods a

consisntlyofferte best sacriplease tem so tat tey mbless our couny. Just like intmes back ten of te Israeliwhenever tey pleased teir geyweregiveneedom, but whey displeased teir god, tsuffered under te hands of t

enemy. Everyone has do tpart. Wemusthavesynergy.

SPEARMONTHLYS

eptember18,

2010


4/154

PRIC E OF

JUSTICE

TheVa

lueof

things

:

With the return of Odysseus, Ithaka's greatest man and ruler hasreturned, but this blessing comes at great cost. Enraged at the state of

affairs of his house, he killed all the suitors of Penelope, whom consisted of

Greece's finest. This is a heavy blow to Ithaka's commerce and prosperity,

crippling our economy and setting us up as easy targets to neighboring

kingdoms, who have the pretext of vengeance on their side.

So, I came to this question: Was Odysseus worth it? Sure, many of thesuitors deserved their fate, but was it worth losing most of our army's

generals and pissing off just about every kingdom beside us? Going through

the streets of Ithaka, I saw sorrowful people amongst the shallow rejoicing,

and the general fear of what would happen next. The genuine happiness of

the children could not stymie the dread of the adults.

Afterward, I cameto his house, looking for

him, only to see that a

great party being held. All

the heroes of the Trojan

War were there:

Menelaos, Nestor, and

many others. At first I

thought that Odysseus was

simply wasting away the

rest of his riches, but then I

noticed that there were

Achaian heroes, people

from Doulichion, and

Same. This party was an

act of diplomacy, serving

to extinguish the flames of war. I also noticed that Odysseus was not

actually present, so I asked the host of the party, Telemachos, where he was.

He simply replied that he was with his wife, coordinating plans to prepare

Ithaka for the future years.

I can't say for sure what these plans are, but it's good to see Odysseusworking to shape up Ithaka back into its former glory. Only time will tell

whether it was all worth it, but if he's got the gods' backing, he can do

whatever he wants.

by Ben the prophet

SPEARMONTHLYSeptember18,2010


5/15

!!5

What happened

when the power

returns to the

house? All of the

pests will then fear

the light!

VORACIOUS MEN

Voracious men of Ithaka,

Powerful lords of their households,

Holders of lordships are the men,

The suitors of Penelope

While Lord Odysseus was away,

Many suitors came in to stay,

And waste all the goods of the lord

And court the lady of the house

Penelope was devoted

To his husband who went to Troy

She would not marry her suitors

She stalled them instead and waited

The suitors who say many words,

Words that escape their teeths-barrier.

They who are pigs with shining teeth,

Insult the master of the house.

Once he bought his homeward cargo,

Odysseus immediately left

And sailed home back to Ithaka

To come back and rescue his home

By Pal the Great

LOREM IPSUM:

ODYSSEUSSONOFLAERTES

Center town, IthacaTELEPHONE

HASNTBEENINVENTED

STATUSMARRIED

He eradicated them all,

those savages of Ithaka.

Grey-eyed Athene protected him

From the attacks of the suitors

Seed of Laertus, Odysseus

Was victorious in his battle

Golden Penelope was his

And all his possessions reclaimed.


6/15

He supported him in his fight

Against the suitors of his wife

Odysseus also had a wife

A beautiful and fair woman,

A wise, intelligent person,

People called her Penelope.

Telemachos is his son

A godlike man like his father

Brave and Independent was he

As he took care of his household.

Glorious Ithaka, place of might

It has beauty that is much shown.

Ithaka's people is its wealth

Its people are also its bane

F R O M E A G L E S V I E W

Glorious Ithaka, place of might

It has beauty that is much shown.

The resounding sea that it holds

It is adored by all people

It is just a tiny island

Found in the Ionian islands.

It is last of all on the water,

Lies low, away towards the dark

A mountain that stands tall above

Forest and islands that surround

The rugged place known to us all

Ithaka, a nurse of good men

The inhabitants of that place

with courage and strength in theirheart

Fight for their honour and glory

While sacrificing hecatombs.

Many are the inhabitants,

There is famous Antinoos,

A great deviser of evils

Very crafty in his movements

The seed of Laertus lives there

Godlike Odysseus is his name

The lord of the greatest household,

The place that we know, Ithaka

He has many servants with him

One of these is Eurykleia

His loyal maid

when he was young

Until today did she serve him

Swineherd Eumaios works for him

He sheltered him when he was poor


By Paul the Great


7/157

During Odysseus' travels, he and his men have encountered many creatures bothwondrous and mysterious. These children of the gods should be treated with respect, b

knowing more about them

would not do harm.Cyclops

The Cyclops are one-eyed giants, living on theirsecluded island. Their brawn and stature is to be feared,

but one should not underestimate their intelligence. Afte

all, it took someone like Odysseus to trick them. These

children of Poseidon fish and shepherd as their main

sources of food, and will fight to protect what is theirs.

Their cruelty stems from their crudeness, and by

themselves are people whom you would do well not to

anger.

rens

These magical maidens live around the rapids charming

ilors with their songs and beauty, tempting all who come to a

atery grave. Those who hear their song are captivated by it,

nd will simply stay and listen unless forcefully removed.

ysseus himself fell captive to their magic, but his men wore

rplugs, and tied him to the mast as they sailed through

ickly. After recovering, Odysseus says that while the melody

chants us, the lyrics are filled with wisdom that brightens the

nd and serves to make men wiser.

Skylla

Skylla is one of the mischievous immortals who brinswift death to all that pass their way. She is a monstrous

creature with twelve feet and six heads with long necks a

sharp teeth. With quickness likened to Zeus' bolts, she strike

with her long neck and picks man and beast alike for foo

From within her cavern high in the sheer cliffs, no arrow

reach and no man may climb.

harybdis

The second of the immortals, Charybdis is the great maw

f death itself, sucking in all life in a sea of death. 3 times a

ay, she sucks in the sea, and all life within it. Her appearance

s hidden by the deep waters, and none peered into the center

f the whirlpool without being sucked in.

DISCOVERY:

Creatures Of The Gods

DRAWING BY SURVIVOR:

ODYSSEUS

DRAWING BY SURVIVOR:

ODYSSEUS

NO ONE KNOWS

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE


8/15! []! 8

I realized that dwelling on th

problem would be of no use so I

instead focused on always

finding a solution.

ODYSSEUS

ProfileTheRet

urnofthe

Legend

Revealing

themanw

hasdefied

allodds

withhisc

unning,

intelligen

ceandw

No matter how great a man is, how powerful or smart,

he would always be under the gods.

It was an adventure I regret to havebeen part of.says the great Odysseus Laertes.

Although only in his late 40s, themask of exhaustion and fatigueimprinted on Odysseus face was oneonly a lifetime of ordeals and paincould bring. The stories of hisadventures and exploits during the

Trojan war and his odyssey back to hishomeland were full of tragedy and painthat would make the strongest men inIthaca tremble in fear upon hearing.

Odysseus wife Penelope had justgiven birth to his son Telemachuswhen he was forced to leave to fight inthe Trojan War.

I didnt want to go, but I made apact, so I had no choice. When I joinedthe army of Menelaus, I was expectingan epic war. However, I didnt expectmyself to be away from home fornearly 20 years. his voice trails off.

Despite going through all thesedifficulties, it was this journey of his

that made him the prominent man thathe is, proving himself as a man ofintelligence, cunning andresourcefulness. The stories of hisescapades are known across the seasand his name will forever beremembered and his courage foreveradmired by all men. However, its beenover a year since the return of


9/15! []! 9

Odysseus, and yet he still cannot bearto tell the story of his journey withoutbreaking down to tears.

Even Penelope doesnt knoweverything. I can only bear to tell her alittle because the all the suffering ofmy men and I are still very much alivein my mind. As much as I want to telleveryone of the way I survived through

all my troubles, I still have notovercome the pain and trauma wentthrough.

Odysseus, despite his grief, speakswith pride and eloquence. His voice isa strong force that reminds people ofhis legend. For Odysseus, theadventures of the past twenty years arenot only his greatest suffering, but alsohis greatest source of strength as hetries to reestablish his rule in hishomeland.and yet he still cannot bear to tell thestory of his journey without breakingdown to tears.

Even Penelope doesnt knoweverything. I can only bear to tell her alittle because the all the suffering ofmy men and I are still very much alivein my mind. As much as I want to telleveryone of the way I survived throughall my troubles, I still have notovercome the pain and trauma went

through.

Odysseus, despite his grief, speakswith pride and eloquence. His voice isa strong force that reminds people ofhis legend. For Odysseus, theadventures of the past twenty years arenot only his greatest suffering, but alsohis greatest source of strength as hetries to reestablish his rule in hishomeland.

No Surrender

Certain death was always whatOdysseus faced throughout hisadventure. His ship was destroyedmultiple times, and multiple times hewas thrown off course after being soseemingly near his homeland. Once, hewas stuck in a cave with a cannibal

cyclops who ate 2 of his men for eachof his meals. However, Odysseusnever told himself to give up.Perseverance was hardwired into hisbrain and it was his swagger thatwould help him always find a way tocome through, though hurt, alive.

When I was inside that cave, Ithought to myself. Hey, this is my

doing, Im the reason were inside thiscave. I will find a way. When it cameto those situations where I caused ourplight, I always made sure that I heldmyself liable and that I would find away to fix my wrongdoing. Ever sincethe Trojan war, I taught myself to holdback my fear and rely on my rationalthinking and reasoning. I realized thatdwelling on a problem would be of nouse so I instead focused on alwaysfinding a solution. Eventually, I got soused to it that my ideas came oninstinct that I was able to overcome allmy fears through my rational thinking.I would always say to myself, Mydestiny is to die in the arms of myloved ones. and that could keep megoing forever.

Be Proud, But Not Too Much

The biggest problem Odysseusfaced on his way home was thatPoseidon has a personal grudge on him

because he had hurt the Cyclops, whohappened to be the son of Poseidon. Itwas one of the few blunders Odysseushad done himself which caused hisjourney to be far more challengingthan it should have been.

This lesson I had to learn thehard way. It is in our culture to takepride in our accomplishments.However, throughout the Trojan warand on my way home, multiple timeshave I seen pride ruin the best of men.

I remember Ajax who killed himselfafter I defeated him when we foughtfor Achilles armor. I remember when Ifoolishly shouted my name to theCyclops, who prayed to his father,Poseidon, to make my voyage a livinghell. It was the biggest mistake I madethroughout my journey.

Give Honor to the Gods

To all Greeks, success or failurewould always depend on what waswilled by the gods. For the greatOdysseus, the same rule applied.Throughout his expedition, the godshave played a great role in deciding hisfate. The heat he faced from Poseidonand Zeus had made his troublesdifficult to overcome. Odysseussometimes would neglect to thank thegods and this would prove fatal to him.However, it is also the gods that havehelped Odysseus make his way back toIthaca. The success or failure ofOdysseus had always been subject tothe will of the gods.

For anyone who dreams ofgreatness, he definitely has toremember the gods. The gods make orbreak you in whatever you do. Nomatter how great a man is, no matterhow powerful or smart, he wouldalways be under the gods. I believe

that my journey wouldnt have been sodifficult had it not been for Poseidonnor do I believe that I would make itback home had it not been for Athena.

Odysseus has faced many troubles onhis journey, and yet he faced moreupon his return to Ithaca, having tofight against the suitors to win back hiswife and his kingdom. Currently,Odysseus has restored himself as thetop dog in Ithaca. However, he has yetto fully gain the support of his fellow

men and citizens. He has more to dobut Odysseus says, Soon everythingsgoing to be back to normal and I canfinally rest and live my life like anordinary man should. And this rest hedefinitely deserves.

MultipletimeshaveIseenprideruinthebestofmen.


10/15! []! 10

Although only in his late 40s, the mask of

exhaustion and fatigue imprinted on Odysseus

face was one only a lifetime of ordeals and pain

could bring. The stories of his adventures andexploits during the Trojan war and his odyssey

back to his homeland were full of tragedy and

pain that would make the strongest men in

Ithaca tremble in fear upon hearing.

Odysseus wife Penelope had just given birth tohis son Telemachus when he was forced toleave to fight in the Trojan War.

I didnt want to go, but I made a pact, so Ihad no choice. When I joined the army of

Menelaus, I was expecting an epic war.However, I didnt expect myself to be awayfrom home for nearly 20 years. his voice trailsoff.

Despite going through all these difficulties, itwas this journey of his that made him theprominent man that he is, proving himself as aman of intelligence, cunning andresourcefulness. The stories of his escapadesare known across the seas and his name willforever be remembered and his courage foreveradmired by all men. However, its been over a

year since the return of Odysseus, and yet he

still cannot bear to tell the story of his journeywithout breaking down to tears.

Even Penelope doesnt know everything. Ican only bear to tell her a little because the allthe suffering of my men and I are still verymuch alive in my mind. As much as I want totell everyone of the way I survived through allmy troubles, I still have not overcome the painand trauma went through.

Odysseus, despite his grief, speaks withpride and eloquence. His voice is a strong forcethat reminds people of his legend. ForOdysseus, the adventures of the past twentyyears are not only his greatest suffering, butalso his greatest source of strength as he tries toreestablish his rule in his homeland.

It was an adventure I

regret to have been part

of.- Odysseus, son of Laertes

The Man whos storywere dying to hear . . .By Kevinipus Son of Ting

SPEARMONTHLYS

eptember18,

2010

Deus Machina

When a

man walks

amongst

the gods,

his fate is

controlled

by their

hands. . .

http://www.englishare.net/literature/Odysseus-

and-Athena-Vulci-HS.jpg

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_zJbFwplZOy8/

TFa6asCAJ6I/AAAAAAAAAJQ/UMq5EaKx9qM/s1600/hand-of-god.jpg
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11/15! []! 11

No Surrender

Certain death was always what Odysseus

faced throughout his adventure. His ship wasdestroyed multiple times, and multiple timeshe was thrown off course after being soseemingly near his homeland. Once, he wasstuck in a cave with a cannibal cyclops whoate 2 of his men for each of his meals.However, Odysseus never told himself togive up. Perseverance was hardwired into hisbrain and it was his swagger that would helphim always find a way to come through,though hurt, alive.

When I was inside that cave, I thought to

myself. Hey, this is my doing, Im the reasonwere inside this cave. I will find a way.When it came to those situations where Icaused our plight, I always made sure that Iheld myself liable and that I would find a wayto fix my wrongdoing. Ever since the Trojanwar, I taught myself to hold back my fear andrely on my rational thinking and reasoning. Irealized that dwelling on a problem would beof no use so I instead focused on alwaysfinding a solution. Eventually, I got so used toit that my ideas came on instinct that I wasable to overcome all my fears through my

rational thinking. I would always say tomyself, My destiny is to die in the arms ofmy loved ones. and that could keep me goingforever.

Be Proud, But Not Too Much

The biggest problem Odysseus faced onhis way home was that Poseidon has apersonal grudge on him because he had hurtthe Cyclops, who happened to be the son ofPoseidon. It was one of the few blundersOdysseus had done himself which caused hisjourney to be far more challenging than itshould have been.

This lesson I had to learn the hard way.It is in our culture to take pride in ouraccomplishments. However, throughout theTrojan war and on my way home, multipletimes have I seen pride ruin people. Iremember Ajax who killed himself after Idefeated him when we fought for Achillesarmor. I remember when I foolishly shouted

my name to the Cyclops, who prayed to hisfather, Poseidon, to make my voyage a livinghell. It was the biggest mistake I made

throughout my journey.

Give Honor to the Gods

To all Greeks, success or failure wouldalways depend on what was willed by thegods. For the great Odysseus, the same ruleapplied. Throughout his expedition, the godshave played a great role in deciding his fate.The heat he faced from Poseidon and Zeushad made his troubles difficult to overcome.Odysseus sometimes would neglect to thankthe gods and this would prove fatal to him.

However, it is also the gods that have helpedOdysseus make his way back to Ithaca. Thesuccess or failure of Odysseus had alwaysbeen subject to the will of the gods.

For anyone who dreams of greatness,he definitely has to remember the gods. Thegods make or break you in whatever you do.No matter how great a man is, no matter howpowerful or smart, he would always be underthe gods. I believe that my journey wouldnthave been so difficult had it not been forPoseidon nor do I believe that I would make

it back home had it not been for Athena.

Odysseus has faced many troubles onhis journey, and yet he faced more upon hisreturn to Ithaca, having to fight against thesuitors to win back his wife and his kingdom.Currently, Odysseus has restored himself asthe top dog in Ithaca. However, he has yet tofully gain the support of his fellow men andcitizens. He has more to do but Odysseussays, Soon everythings going to be back tonormal and I can finally rest and live my lifelike an ordinary man should. And this rest hedefinitely deserves.

It is our cultureTo take pride in our accomplishments- Odysseus Son of Laertes

SPEARMONTHLYS

eptember18,

2010


12/15! []! 12

Take away that central piece of thepuzzle, and youll be astounded by the sheer

amount of little pieces youll be left picking

up once everything systematically falls

apart. Take away the one man who kept

Ithaka together for so long, that one maneveryones life revolves around, and youll be

surprised how quickly a seemingly utopian

kingdom degenerates into a dystopian

cesspool akin to hell.

True enough, Odysseus unexplainedtwenty year absence has left us Ithakans in a

not so figurative state of perdition, wherein

no man was willing to bear the weight of

bringing our wretched plight to an end until

it was too late. And now, not even the recent

return of Lord Odysseus, nor the death of the

young men bringing a ruin to his household

and our nation, could remedy the quandary

we currently find ourselves in.

In retrospect, Odysseus departure forthe strongly built walls of Troy was not as

glorious as it had originally seemed, and it

may actually be the root cause of our

earthly damnation. I believe that his

subsequent actions upon returning was not

the proper course of action, and that his

deeds, whether or not they were supported by

I Hate it HereBy Javiniphous Son of Guzman

The tree which stands there. . .

IN THE YARD OF ODYSSEUS

It bears nothing but golden fruit . .

but, who am I to eat it?



13/15! []! 13

one of the deities who hold

wide heaven, were totally

unjustifiable.

T h e b l o o d o f t h esuitors cries out from the

soil and the putrid stench of

their carcasses still fills the

air, and this nauseates me.

This sickens me not onlybecause we lost several

opulent and influential

young men, who were simply

compelled to do what they

did out of avarice (although

many suitors did get what

was coming to them), but

because this also intensifies

the gravity of his failure to

bring bac k th e men he

brought along to Troy, and

so our proud kingdom has

lost two generations of fine,young men. On top of this,

their deaths only further

d i v i d e d o u r a l r e a d y

fragmented nation, from the

most basic component of our

n a t i o n , t h e h ou s e h ol d ,

upwards; and this can be seen

when a servingman went

a g a i n s t h i s f e l l o w

s e rv i n g m a n i n g o d l i k e

odysseus own home.

Ithakas prosperity wasalso put into jeopardy thanks

to Odysseus participation in

the conquest of Troy and his

attempt to redress the

grievances done to him and

his household by the suitors.

Had he not left, Ithaka might

have never had its riches

rapidly consumed by the

suitors, and had he headed

their plea for mercy in

exchange for their offers of

reimbursing all they had

squandered, then it would

have been as if the suitors

had never even touched the

riches of his household and

his kingdom.

Our moTHER LAND is inchaos. pools of crimson flow

freely from the bodies of our

young men, the vessels of our

legacy, the seeds of discord

have been sown in the hearts

of our countrymen and

Ithaka has lost many valued

treasures. alThough My

loyalty still lies with our

king and even if my own

godlike spirit rejoices at his

homecoming, it seems that the

way Odysseus Caused and

tackled these issues proves

that yea rs at sea have

enfeebled his renowned

cognitive skills, then again

w e m i g h t j u s t n o t b e

perceiving the mans genius at

work.

Blood. . . oh how heavenly

Our mother land is in chaos. . . Ithaka has lost

many valued treasures. .

SPEARMONTHLYSeptember18,

2010


14/15! []! 14

We humans are often captiveby our own imperfect nature

by the flawed communal p s y c h e t h a t b i n d s u stogether, and none of ourcompulsions is as strong asour tendency to hate, oururge to find a villain in ourmidst. And While theTrojans are now nothingmore than a footnote in

history fated to be lost totime, we proud achaiansfound others worthy of our

spite a little bit closer tohome...

THE SUITORSS o m e o f t h e m a r ed e g e n e r a t e , a r r o g a n t ignoramuses, while others

were godlike men whoseacquisitiveness and lustsimply took hold of them,

but nonetheless, theres no

denying that this group of boisterous and haught young men attracted thspite of their countrymen asquickly as a heap of manureattracts flies. Why? becausethey actually attempted tocourt the wife the man whotreated them so well and

b e c a u s e c i r c u m s p e c penelope was, I dont knowtwenty years their senior!

That Gaze. .

That Stare . .

That Look . .

is it good or

evil?

THE NEWSCUM


By Javssiphous Son of Guzm


15/15

Besides, they were squandering the wealthof odysseus house and they actually got

odysseus to do a bunch of really dumbthings out of anger (for more on this

please see my editorial). But what I believereally ticked people off was the smell oftheir decaying bodies! And to think theysmelled bad enough in life...

UNFAITHFUL SERVANTS

Good help is really hard to find these days,and in ithaka, it seems that its next toimpossible to find servants who arentanxious to stick a knife in your back (orsleep with the guys eating away your

wealth). unfortunately for Odysseus he gotthe worst of the treacherous, halfwitted,

back stabbing, gonad abusing bunch, who

were more akin to bonobo chimps thanactual people. Take a look at melantho,

who despite being treated well by hermasters, never concerned herself with

godlike odysseus wellbeing or penelope,sided with the suitors and even went so faras to become their fille de joie, and pleasedont get me started on her bastard

brother. How i wish someone actuallybothered to bring home a couple of slavesfrom troy so that none of us here in ithaka

would have to bear with our sorry bunch ofmisfits.

OURSELVESIf any of us has even the most infinitesimal

amount of decency left, we would blameourselves for what happened just as muchas we blamed odysseus for leaving, thesuitors for being greedy, and the serving

girls for their apparent ineptitude keeping their legs together. I believe thatour passivity was just as grave as the

grievances committed by everyone else

We allowed these voracious men to cometo ithaka and eat up her treasures. It was us

who did not come to our queens aid when we saw that she was barely managing onher own. We Ithakans allowed telamachoswinged words fall on deaf ears, his familystroubles on blind eyes and closed heartsThe events that transpired now fall on our

shoulders. We are the new scum. The burden of making amends should be noone elses but ours.

THENEWSCUM


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