“Raised in an Ibo village (in modern Nigeria), Olaudah Equiano (ca 1745-1797) was kidnapped by African raiders and slod into slavery. He survived the horrors of the Middle Passage to the New World, where an English naval officer bought him ito serve as a cabin boy and renamed him Gustavus Vassa, after a sixteenth-century Swedish [...]
Posts filed in Relief
When something dreaded turned out not to be so bad after all. Or when some uncomfortable task is completed.
WALL-E
As I went to see WALL-E (from now on Wall-E, as Nature abhors a shout, even though it’s supposed to be an acronym) last a couple of days ago, I was feeling highly ambiguous and thus also a bit scared. You see, my hopes for this movie were nothing short of astronomic, as just about [...]
Why I’m skeptical to Toynbee
At several occasions in the past two years, I’ve found myself in positions where I critizise other people for referring to Toynbee in discussions on the Roman Republic, but I’ve been unable to remember where I got this antipathy from. Today, I believe I learned why I’m skeptical to Toynbee.
It is often so that one’s [...]
Night of Knives, by Ian C. Esslemont
Night of Knives,
by Ian C. Esslemont.
2005.
Bantam Press.
282 pages, hardcover edition.
Even though I enjoyed the book, and ripped through it faster than I have ripped through anything since I had a severe cold about two months ago, I am not sure if I see Esslemont as an independent author. Sure, he is the co-creator of the [...]
An Exercise in Humility
About two weeks ago I made some rather rash statements about the nature of Roman intellectualism, which I just a few days later realized were founded almost entirely on my prejudices against the poor Romans. Thus, I felt that a post would be required to make up for things. This post, to be specific.
In addtion [...]
Norske språklyder
Jeg kan hverken fatte eller begripe at Gudene har sett med slik velvilje på meg, og latt noen skape dette fantastiske programmet, utelukkende for min convenience. Jeg føler meg som universets navle. Eller, navler er egentlig ikke så jævla tøffe. La oss gå for øyesten.
Ja, øyesten høres bedre ut. (Ikke dermed sagt at det er [...]
Ultimate X-Men, issues 66-74 and Annual #2
Marvel finally published the seventh Ultimate X-Men hardcover, collecting “Date Night”, “Phoenix”, Magical”, “Breaking Point” and the second annual, “Why Xavier’s Cat Is Named Mystique”. The four normal “issue-collections” — “Date Night”, “Phoenix”, Magical” and “Breaking Point” — dealt with pretty much the same storylines. the Professor’s dealings with the Shi’ar; Jean’s relationship with Cyclops [...]
Love In Rainbows
It’s been over four years. There have been times when I’ve almost given up hope. But on Monday, all my prayers (well, at least some of them) were answered.
Too bad I won’t get my hands on the physical record before some time late in December, but at least the digital version’ll be avaliable in five [...]
My Gods, I feel lucky…
… to be born in this day and age, and in this country.
As an example of the former, I choose the fact that it’s no more than perhaps two hundred years since chimneys became common in Norway.
As an example for the latter, I must say that even though I am baffled, at times, at how [...]
Movies Galore: A Summary
It’s nearly two months since my last movie review — a review, I might add, where I was unreasonably hard on the reviewed movie, as the fact that I’m in a foul mood shouldn’t really count against it. Anyway, since then I’ve watched a lot of movies: excellent movies, great movies, good movies, mediocre movies, [...]
A silent prayer of thanks to the patriarchate and all male chauvinists
Oh, patriarchal social structure!
Oh, male chauvinists of the past!
I praise thee!
While thy general wisdom might leave something to be desired, and while I dislike thee quite strongly, thee have done me — and in fact the whole nation — a great service!
And while thy rancid ignorance and silly prejudices have also done us all great [...]
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, #2
Watched this one again last night, and it was surprisingly much better than the first time. Mostly, this was because I focused on what was actually there rather than on what wasn’t, and it turned out that even though they could have spent another half hour for emphasis to a couple of scenes, and done [...]
Dalek!
I’ve been meaning to write about this for a couple of days now, but haven’t found the time for it until now. And while the immediacy of the post’ll be lost, compared to what it’d been if I’d written it when I should have, I feel it has to be said:
I’ve used to make fun [...]
Garden State
I watched my favourite romantic comedy last Thursday: Zach Braff’s “Garden State”. (Eh, this one was written about one month ago; I must have forgotten to submit it…)
It really is a magnificent little movie, which Braff not only wrote and directed, but also starred in. He played the main character, Andrew Largeman, a young man [...]
The Lords of Television Be Praised!
“Studio 60 On The Sunset Strip” — the show with TV’s third cheesiest title, after “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “The Bold and the Beautiful” — will return to American screens with episode 17 on Thursday, May 24, 2007!
And there was much rejoycing!
I Got Mail Today…
A letter, in fact. From the Norwegian conscription agency, which wants me to come and spend a year of my life in their service, starting April 2008. Apparently, if I choose to go — something I most definitely won’t — I’ll serve in some kind of anti-aircraft artillery battalion.
Luckily, they want me relatively late, so [...]
That’s it, then.
There’s dust on your guitar, you fuck, and it’s all your fault…
In four days, I am supposed to hand in a 25 pages long project paper in the pol.sci. course I’m taking. However, being a lazy, useless slob, I haven’t even begun reading for it yet. I tried to start working on it today, but [...]
A Girl’s World — AS5×9 Harm’s Way
I remember back in the days, when I didn’t like Harmony. I thought she was a whiny, empty-headed goose with about as much grip on reality as an average Norwegian teenager. However, I have seen the error of my ways. Because Harmony? She totally rocks.
Of course, that doesn’t necessarily mean that my earlier conceptions of [...]
w00t!!!!1one
My employer from the last three summers just called, offering me the same job I’ve had before (only with some additions, since I’ll be taking over my sister’s duties, what with her new job and all). So with the exception of a little more stress in the first two or three weeks of June (and [...]
Oh man…
I just watched a couple of minutes of a “60 Minutes” program, where they interviewed Bill O’Reilley (or however in Hel it’s spelled). And even though the interviewer was so critical as to almost be refered to as “hostile”, and in spite of O’Reilley’s obvious vanity and arrogance, the interview managed to create some sympathy [...]
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