The Agrinautica

   If I may be so bold, I'd like to combine two fairly unrelated things in this entry. First I just wanted to post the pictures above and below of Cato posing particularly dramatically. And as long as I'm posting I've been wanting to rant a little bit about the Viking television series so I'm going to go ahead and do that. (Though I'll point out that viking cats are definitely a thing, we can call Cato "Bjornekatt Loðstjärt."(Bear-cat shaggy-butt))

   Now if I have a bunch of criticisms of the Vikings show it's not because I loathe and despise it but because vikings are near and dear to my heart and the show is almost excellent, except for a few things that really grate upon me, which is why I need to get it off my chest.
   I don't intend to include any spoilers in here except for maybe general comments on the personalities of main characters.

   (1) First of all, worst of all, that friggen "seer" is totally fantasy cliche and stolen whole cloth from the movie 300. I like that supernatural things occasionally happen, but I prefer it when they're portrayed kind of ambiguously like it could have just been a coincidence or someone's imagination, but this permanent character who doesn't look like a realistic normal human, doesn't act like one, and I cant' forget that I saw him looking and acting the same way in 300 is just a huge affront to my willing suspension of disbelief and enjoyment of the film.
   (2) What's with the awful haircuts? I googled around about the historical accuracy of the series before writing this and found some stupid puff pieces about how "yes they did have hair braids like that!" ... conveniently ignoring that I'm prrrrretty sure no one could be bothered to painstakingly shave fashionable portions of their head with the tools at hand (which is to say knives and water that would have to be heated over a fire). I feel like in later seasons they toned this down but in the first season it looked like a bunch of bikers with too much time on their hands escaped from hair design school. Also, it's one thing to have it shaved clean but Ragnar's son Bjorne looks like he has his hair shaved evenly at like a no 4 setting on a clippers, which would also be very hard to maintain without, you know, a clippers.
   (3) The immortality of main characters. It's a classic failing of MOST series that eventually you come to realize none of the main characters will ever die. Without giving too much away, several times main characters appear to be killed in battle, shot up with arrows, hacked and then run over by horses, limp corpse carried away... then it turns out they're alive! And walking talking frolicking about in the next scene. Instead of being on the edge of my seat when it looks like a main characters is about to die in battle, as you'd think they'd want the audience to feel, I just roll my eyes and when sure enough it turns out they're actually alive I groan aloud -- not because I specifically want any of the characters in question to die so much as just, come on man.
   (4) the world revolves around them -- it's also a weakness in a series when you start to feel like there's no world outside what's presently on set, and that they're the most important people in the world. In particular, when the viking king comes and hangs out for most of a season or two and has no retainers, seemingly nothing better to do, it seemed pretty odd to me. Doesn't he have at least a town of his own, and I don't know, a best friend? He just floats around like the secondary character he is and it starts to feel like they haven't filled out the rest of the viking world at all.
   (5) I really think they should have cast said king as Ragnar instead of the guy they did. He actually does seem to have the force of presence expected. The guy playing Ragnar seems like he's trying to channel Johnny Depp but it doesn't work for him. He doesn't have a forceful presence, he has a weird retreating twitching not-making-eye-contact not making decisions presence that doesn't seem to me to fit the part.
   (6) Ragnar Lodbroke means "Ragnar shaggy pants," WHERE ARE HIS SHAGGY PANTS
   (7) The tattoos. Did you know, there IS one reference to vikings "being covered in green drawings," by the Arab diplomat Ibn Fadlan who encountered a group of Varangrians (that is to say Norsemen who had settled in what is now Russia) in Bulgaria. Being as this is the only reference in any record, it is far more likely they picked it up in Russia (there's Siberian tribes known to tattoo -- seriously check out these cool tattoos) than that somehow no one in Europe ever thought to mention it and no tattoo implements have survived among the many oddments that have (I call this occam's tattoo needle).
   (8) This doesn't really bother me like the other things, but while I'm mentioning things, despite the two human sacrifices in the series being portrayed as voluntary, and indeed the priests refusing to take a non-voluntary sacrifice, and there are historical references and evidence of sacrifices, there is no historical reference or evidence of a single voluntary sacrifice.
   (9) Cato reminds me that there's no cats. Hmm that's a good point there really aren't.

   But other than the above points I must say I do find it rather enjoyable. I do really appreciate that they make a lot of references to the sagas and historical events. Presently once a week my friend Billie and I get together and I bring a bottle of mead and we watch a few episodes.

   Today I am writing another paper on Romano-British history. I'm thinking of either doing the "Great Conspiracy" of 367-368 (wherein an apparently coordinated massive simultenious attack by all Roman Britain's enemies brings about complete anarchy for a year or two), or a more detailed examination of the conditions of Constantine III marching out of Britain in 409 with all remaining Roman forces in a (failed) bid for the Roman throne.

   As to my paper on the historical basis of King Arthur, I turned it in a week and a half late, and as a consequence only got a B+. Professor (I saw her today in turning in another paper) said she'd throttle me if I didn't go to graduate school. Of course the plan is law school, not graduate school, but I think I could actually picture myself doing medieval history grad school.


   Anyway, today its...
Installment II of Important Cat Biographies: Frank the Veihmeyer Cat
   For as long as we can remember, Frank has lived on the porch of Veihmeyer Hall on campus. Frank is eight years old, and weighs 14 pounds. Mysterious people (gnomes) take care of Frank, providing him with food and water. He had a nice wooden box to sleep in box some sick twisted bastards who will die a thousand deaths stole it a month or two ago. Frank spends his days lollygagging about in the sun on the nearby steps, skulking in the nearby shrubbery, or having secret adventures.
   I have never seen him more than 20 feet from his box, that within that 20ft radius is the kingdom of Frank, and any student who considers themself a fan of cats either has a fond relationship with him, or is an uncultured boob.

   Being a university cat, he is particularly internet savvy. He has made himself a Facebook account, as well as having a presence on Daviswiki.

   On the 18th of May, however, Frank was seen for the last time. No one knows where he is now. Flyers have gone up in the area of Veihmeyer, as well as relevant webpages. A reward has been offered "for Frank's return OR, at the very least, contact with the person who has Frank and the opportunity to see Frank. His many friends desperately want to know he is alive and well."
   His disappearance is rather a mystery. Many have jumped to the most distressing of conclusions, however there are no obvious cat hazards anywhere near his domain and no one has found any evidence of any mishap occuring to him. Personally, I believe he got a lead on those bastards that stole his box and has embarked upon an epic quest to reclaim what's his and exact vengeance.


Today in 30 in 30: bartgroks posted an insightful entry about the folly of seeing one's personal automobile as the pinnacle of individualism, not that anyone would say otherwise... xasitecte posted some symbolic story which frankly I didn't really get ... and I dunno.. I guess I give the pic of the day to shid, since he had a bunch of pictures of the MV-22 Osprey. Damn ospreys, got me every time in Odell Lake.

Previously on Emosnail
   Three Years Ago Today: Top (Bottem?) Four Worst Things to Happen To Me This Week - It starts at number four with "getting violated by a Russian" and just goes downhill from there.
   Year Ago Today: Saucy Adventures - Garian visits, I hang out at the former State Dept Foreign Service Director-General's house, Kristy & I invent a new drink we call "Sass in a Glass"...

   My friend's page has recently begun displaying a bit weirdly. The grey background is new but not bad, however for some reason comments are now listed above entries instead of below them. Investigating this matter, I discovered that my account had been changed to the infamous S2 format. This means that TAGS work now for this livejournal. Fortunately I've been dutifully tagging entries since the option became available, however as of now only about 40% of the entries created previous to tagging have been tagged. Overall I'm glad the S2 format has been made available with the general appearance of the old one ... just wish the tag view page didn't look so ugly (and I tihnk its only displaying the most recent 20 entries with the specified tag or something).


Addendum: Adventures of the Kitten Patrol!!
   Around about 1:30am Kristy's roommate Chrissy came home and reported that she'd just seen a limping kitten near Olson Twin Hall. Kristy & I of course sprang into action and headed to the scene in her kittenmobile.
   I think we both thought our odds of actually finding the kitten were pretty low but we persevered and lo we found the kitten. Unfortunately, however, he was fast like fire and eluded us. He did however, look well enough nourished, so we concluded he could take care of himself and broke off the pursuit.
   On the way home we encountered yet another kitty. A siamese cat was batting at a plastic bag that was wrapped around a pole by the side of the road. We stopped and investigated. Cat appeared to be in good condition and with a collar, so the kitten patrol called it a night and returned to home base.


Random Fact of the Day:   Wikipedia recently brought my attention to the fact that the New York case Stambovsky v. Ackley, 169 A.D.2d 254 (NY App. Div. 1991) found a house to be legally haunted, thus making it the only legally haunted house in the United States (& probably the world).


Previously on Emosnail - Introducing Tagging Madness!
   Three Years and One Week Ago Today: Honestly People - There's no such thing as a white lie.
   Three Years Ago Last Friday: Cornish Pasties - I discover the CoHo has cornish pasties. I've never found them there since. )=
   Three Years Ago Last Saturday: How My Cellphone Recharger Got Mailed To Alaska - True story: my cell phone recharger got mailed to Alaska by mistake. Also my friend Kristy convinces me to go to another class with her. It was strong sauce, we learned about chemical & biological weapons and things.
   Three Years Ago Last Sunday: Interviewing for Chief Justice Position - I interview for the position of Chief Justice of the ASUCD Supreme Court. Justice Bernstein also interviewed for the position, but of course I got it. I subsequently had Justice Bernstein removed. Additionally a "peace activist" attacked a College Republican at a peace rally -- while Fitzmorris was using a video camera. (Bernstein's removal was unrelated to his aspirations for the Office of Chief Justice)
   Three Years Ago Last Monday: The Chief Justiceship - I'm confirmed as the ASUCD Chief Justice, just in time to swear Sara Henry & Kalen Gallagher into office. Adrian confirms he's going to live with me the following year, he would turn out to be an awesome flatmate. Was trying to get Don as a flatmate but that didn't pan out. Also, hung out with Sharon¹.
   Three Years Ago Yesterday (Last Tuesday): The Undersproul - My friend Kat Isaacson shows up at a party at Chris Mays' place. Also I discover a treasure map indicating that there are tunnels under Olson/Sproul halls. Eventually I would make it into these tunnels. Also a certain girl continues to give completely mixed signals. It would have been much more preferable if she had simply said she wasn't interested instead of agreeing to dates and then coming up with extremely plausible reasons to cancel them. As a result our former friendship was destroyed & we've barely talked since.