The Trojan Horse is a story from the Trojan War about the subterfuge that the Greeks used to enter the independent city of Troy and win the war. In the canonical version, after a fruitless 10-year siege, the Greeks constructed a huge wooden horse and hid a select force of men inside, including Odysseus; the Greeks pretended to sail away, the Trojans pulled the horse into their city as a victory trophy. That night the Greek force crept out of the horse and opened the gates for the rest of the Greek army, which had sailed back under cover of night; the Greeks destroyed the city of Troy, ending the war. Metaphorically, a "Trojan Horse" has come to mean any trick or stratagem that causes a target to invite a foe into a securely protected bastion or place. A malicious computer program that tricks users into willingly running it is called a "Trojan horse" or a "Trojan"; the main ancient source for the story is the Aeneid of Virgil, a Latin epic poem from the time of Augustus. The event is referred to in Homer's Odyssey.

In the Greek tradition, the horse is called the "wooden horse". According to Quintus Smyrnaeus, Odysseus thought of building a great wooden horse, hiding an elite force inside, fooling the Trojans into wheeling the horse into the city as a trophy. Under the leadership of Epeius, the Greeks built the wooden horse in three days. Odysseus's plan called for one man to remain outside the horse. An inscription was engraved on the horse reading: "For their return home, the Greeks dedicate this offering to Athena", they burned their tents and left to Tenedos by night. Greek soldier Sinon was "abandoned" and was to signal to the Greeks by lighting a beacon. In Virgil's poem, the only volunteer for the role convinces the Trojans that he has been left behind and that the Greeks are gone. Sinon tells the Trojans that the Horse is an offering to the goddess Athena, meant to atone for the previous desecration of her temple at Troy by the Greeks and ensure a safe journey home for the Greek fleet. Sinon tells the Trojans that the Horse was built to be too large for them to take it into their city and gain the favor of Athena for themselves.

While questioning Sinon, the Trojan priest Laocoön guesses the plot and warns the Trojans, in Virgil's famous line Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes, Danai or Danaans being the ones who had built the Trojan Horse. However, the god Poseidon sends two sea serpents to strangle him and his sons Antiphantes and Thymbraeus before any Trojan heeds his warning. According to Apollodorus the two serpents were sent by Apollo, whom Laocoon had insulted by sleeping with his wife in front of the "divine image". In the Odyssey, Homer says that Helen of Troy guesses the plot and tries to trick and uncover the Greek soldiers inside the horse by imitating the voices of their wives, Anticlus attempts to answer, but Odysseus shuts his mouth with his hand. King Priam's daughter Cassandra, the soothsayer of Troy, insists that the horse will be the downfall of the city and its royal family, she too is ignored, hence their loss of the war. This incident is mentioned in the Odyssey: What a thing was this, which that mighty man wrought and endured in the carven horse, wherein all we chiefs of the Argives were sitting, bearing to the Trojans death and fate!

4.271 ff But come now, change thy theme, sing of the building of the horse of wood, which Epeius made with Athena's help, the horse which once Odysseus led up into the citadel as a thing of guile, when he had filled it with the men who sacked Ilion. 8.492-3 ff The most detailed and most familiar version is in Virgil's Aeneid, Book II. After many years have slipped by, the leaders of the Greeks, opposed by the Fates, damaged by the war, build a horse of mountainous size, through Pallas's divine art, weave planks of fir over its ribs: they pretend it's a votive offering: this rumour spreads, they secretly hide a picked body of men, chosen by lot, there, in the dark body, filling the belly and the huge cavernous insides with armed warriors. Laocoön rushes down eagerly from the heights of the citadel, to confront them all, a large crowd with him, shouts from far off: "O unhappy citizens, what madness? Do you think the enemy's sailed away? Or do you think any Greek gift's free of treachery? Is that Ulysses's reputation?

Either there are Greeks in hiding, concealed by the wood, or it's been built as a machine to use against our walls, or spy on our homes, or fall on the city from above, or it hides some other trick: Trojans, don't trust this horse. Whatever it is, I'm afraid of Greeks those bearing gifts."Book II includes Laocoön saying: "Equo ne credite, Teucri. Quidquid id est, timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." Well before Virgil, the story is alluded to in Greek classical literature. In Euripides' play Trojan Women, written in 415 BC, the god Poseidon proclaims: "For, from his home beneath Parnassus, Phocian Epeus, aided by the craft of Pallas, framed a horse to bear within its womb an armed host, sent it within the battlements, fraught with death. Thirty of the Achaeans' best warriors hid in two spies in its mouth. Other sources give different numbers: The Bibliotheca 50.

Wolverine: The Best There Is was a monthly comic book series published by Marvel Comics from 2010 to 2012, starring the superhero Wolverine. The series was written by Charlie Huston, premiered with a first issue cover dated February 2011, it ended with issue #12, cover dated February 2012. While The Best There Is is not published under Marvel's MAX imprint, writer Charlie Huston has stated his intent to differ this title from the more mainstream Marvel series in which Wolverine is featured. In the "Contagion" storyline, which ran in issues 1-6, Wolverine faces Contagion, an opponent who becomes a much bigger problem if he is killed. Wolverine: The Best There Is #1 received a rating of 1.5 out of 10 from IGN, a score described as "Unbearable" with reviewer Dan Iverson saying it had not a single redeeming quality. He blames writer Charlie Huston for 99% of what is wrong with the book, with only 1% of the blame going to artist Juan Jose Ryp for his artwork. Chris Murphy of Comics Alliance is critical, calling it an "unfortunate compromise" stuck between an adult story, trying to sell to a general audience.

He complains that Wolverine is an overexposed character. In keeping with the censored swearing used in the comic, he describes it as "####". Comic Book Resources gives it a rating of 3.0 out of 5. Reviewer Chad Nevett calls it a above average beginning with a strong cliffhanger, but notes the need to settle on a tone. Wolverine: The Best There Is at the Comic Book DB

Captain Spanky's Show Boat is a 1939 Our Gang short comedy film directed by Edward Cahn. It was the 183rd Our Gang short, released. Once again, the gang stages an elaborate musical show in Spanky's backyard. Angered over the fact that Alfalfa has been chosen as the show's singing star, bully Tommy Butch sneaks backstage with the intention of sabotaging the production, but Butch is hoisted on his own petard, the show goes on as scheduled. George McFarland as Spanky Mickey Gubitosi as Mickey Darla Hood as Darla Carl Switzer as Alfalfa Billie Thomas as Buckwheat Shirley Coates - Muggsy Leonard Landy - Leonard Tommy Bond as Butch Sidney Kibrick as Woim Buddy Boles as Violinist George Crosby as One of Darla's dance partners Darwood Kaye as Waldo Clyde Wilson as Boy introducing acts Tim Davis as Extra Spencer Quinn as Extra Our Gang filmography Captain Spanky's Showboat on IMDb Captain Spanky's Showboat at the TCM Movie Database