The video actually shows the opening of a tunnel in Switzerland.

What is this site&;#63;

'Obligated to follow the laws'

Our top 10 Anberlin songs list showcases an American band that has made significant contributions to the alternative rock and emo music genres. Originally‚ the band members formed SaGoh 24/7 in 1998‚ releasing two albums before disbanding to pursue a new musical direction under the Anberlin name. Using funds from successful shows with their former band‚ they recorded several demos with producer Goldman‚ three of which were reworked for their debut album. They then collaborated with producer Aaron Sprinkle‚ known for his work with Acceptance. Though Anberlin’s debut album did not chart‚ it included well-received tracks like “Readyfuels.” The band The post Top 10 Anberlin Songs appeared first on ClassicRockHistory.com.

University of Queensland scientists had a remarkable eureka moment when they accidentally turned the most common greenhouse gas into electricity. By using positive and negative ions of different sizes‚ the team created electricity from CO2‚ and now believes that their ‘nanogenerators’ could help improve the reputation of the simple molecule. Now thoroughly demonized‚ it pays […] The post Researchers Creates Nanogenerator Capable of Using Greenhouse Gas to Produce Electricity appeared first on Good News Network.

The post What’s That Sound&;#63; The Melodious Tones of the Feline Upchuck by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com. Hi‚ I’m Dr. Karyn&;#33; Read my introduction to learn more about me and meet my five hilarious cats: Clutch‚ Cyril‚ Alex‚ Zelda‚ and Zazzles. Ask me what gets me leaping out of bed like a kid on Christmas morning: It’s not the fire alarm‚ or a dog barking‚ and it sure as hell isn’t the alarm on my phone. No‚ the one thing that will have me – and any cat owner – on my feet and wide awake is the guttural urgings of a vomiting feline. Now‚ I don’t know if it’s a female‚ pre-programmed maternal thing (I don’t have children)‚ and cat Dads out there‚ please let me know if I’m wrong‚ but why is it that I can go from sound asleep to rushing my cat towards a hard surface in less time than it takes my husband to roll onto his other side and continue snoring&;#63; There was one near-miss situation where Zazzles‚ who prefers to haunt our bedroom in the night‚ decided to initiate her digestive evacuation sequence from a convenient location on top of our bedhead. Reece (the aforementioned husband) vociferously objected to being disturbed from his slumber‚ so I have promised that next time I will allow the cat to vomit on his sleeping head. Unfortunately‚ this specific situation has not yet repeated itself. I’m sure you’ve all found yourself in similar situations‚ and would probably like to know Why do cats vomit so often&;#63; How often is too often&;#63; And…. When is a vomit not a vomit&;#63; Please‚ join me on a little journey as we look at the ins and outs of feline emesis. When Is a Vomit Not a Vomit&;#63; Regurgitation‚ Vomiting‚ and Coughing Up a Hairball One benefit of having five cats at my disposal is that‚ inevitably‚ one of them is going to exhibit one‚ more‚ or all of the weird and wonderful feline behaviors that we all know and tolerate. Clutch has mild inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)‚ and will periodically favor us with his digestive pyrotechnics‚ mostly due to his habit of stealing food that is not part of his prescribed diet. If you check out my video‚ you might notice that his technique is slightly more subdued than the violent‚ noisy stomach heaving we often see our cats engage in‚ possibly because he’s quite well-practiced. But‚ he does still show us the classic abdominal contractions that exemplify vomiting. Sadly‚ regurgitation is not so easy to capture on film‚ as we rarely get advanced notice that it’s going to happen (I say sadly because‚ in the absence of a feline model‚ I had to do the demonstration for the video). One of the main distinctions between vomiting and regurgitation is that abdominal involvement is absent‚ or very minimal‚ and what is produced closely resembles that which went in. So much so that many cats will happily have a second attempt at eating it‚ unless the dog gets there first. Regurgitation happens when the food (or object) swallowed is rejected before it enters the stomach‚ so it comes out in the tubular shape of the esophagus. In most cases‚ it is the result of eating too quickly‚ or due to an accumulation of hair (a ‘pre-hairball’) in the esophagus. There are some more serious causes of regurgitation‚ and if you want to know more‚ check out our article on Cat Regurgitation vs. Vomiting. Classic feline regurgitation: I came‚ I saw‚ I ate too quickly. Speaking of hairballs‚ when you watch Zelda on our video‚ you can see why it is often referred to as ‘coughing’ up a hairball. The neck outstretched and head held low‚ accompanied by the raspy‚ wheezing cough‚ certainly looks like a respiratory problem‚ but this posture is classic for trying to bring up a hairball. So why is it so different from vomiting or regurgitation&;#63; If a hairball reaches the stomach‚ it is usually destined to continue on a one-way journey towards the exit. However‚ if the hairball gets stuck going into or out of the stomach‚ or in the intestines‚ we may get regurgitation‚ vomiting‚ or constipation as a consequence. The coughing happens when there is hair accumulating higher up in the esophagus‚ irritating the pharynx‚ which is where the oral cavity‚ nasal cavity‚ esophagus‚ and trachea converge. This triggers the classic hairball cough‚ but doesn’t always result in the ejection of a hairball‚ because there may not be one yet. Hairballs accumulate over time‚ much like hair in a shower drain. You don’t get a blockage after one shower‚ but over a period of time‚ the hair attracts more hair and other debris until you get a solid‚ slimy mass. When you see a classic hairball on your carpet or bed (which often alarmingly resembles a poop‚ especially if it is the raven-haired Zelda’s handiwork&;#33;)‚ this hairball has usually been vomited up; the hairball cough is generally non-productive. So if your cat is doing the hairball cough‚ it’s a good time to be a bit more proactive about dealing with them before they become a more serious issue. Zelda coughing up a hairball Why Do Cats Vomit So Often&;#63; There are lots of different reasons why cats vomit‚ and‚ although it may seem like it sometimes‚ it’s not to annoy us&;#33; Vomiting can be a sign of serious illness‚ so it’s not something to take lightly‚ but they do seem to do it more often than dogs‚ and some cats do it more often than others. I have had two “vomity” cats; one who died of old age several years ago‚ and Clutch. Both had extensive investigations (bloodwork‚ x-rays‚ ultrasound)‚ and both had completely normal results. I was able to manage their conditions by keeping them on a food for sensitive stomachs‚ but they were still prone to the occasional flare-up‚ and Clutch vomits up hairballs more often than he seems to pass them in his poop. Cats can also suffer from pancreatitis and a condition known as triaditis‚ which can cause gastrointestinal upset and vomiting. Research has shown that more cats likely suffer from this condition than we realize‚ but in many cases‚ the signs are mild enough that they either don’t end up at the vet‚ or they recover before more specific diagnostic tests are performed. The hairball factor is also likely to be a major contributor to the vomity cat scenario‚ as these slimy little objects can cause temporary blockages and slow everything down‚ causing vomiting or regurgitation that resolves as quickly as it appeared. How Often Is Too Often&;#63; This is a tricky one to answer because I don’t want to tell you not to worry if your cat is vomiting. Technically speaking‚ any and all vomiting is a sign of a problem‚ and when in doubt‚ it’s always better to check it out. I can give you some tips as to what I would consider to be an acceptable vomiting/regurgitation/hairball situation‚ but do bear in mind that every cat is different‚ and what is considered ‘normal’ for one‚ may not be normal for another. I’m Not Worried When Clutch (who has IBD/sensitive stomach) vomits once a week or less‚ and is otherwise well and eating The other cats vomit once a month or less‚ and are otherwise well and eating Any of the cats are ‘coughing up hairballs’ once a week or less Any of the cats regurgitate once or twice a month‚ and are otherwise well and eating I Worry When Clutch vomits more than once a week‚ or seems unwell Any of the other cats vomits more than once a month‚ seems unwell‚ or goes off food Any of the cats are coughing up hairballs more often than once or twice a week Any of the cats regurgitate more than twice a month‚ seems unwell‚ or goes off food Any of the cats‚ apart from Clutch‚ vomits or regurgitates consistently every month‚ even if it is only once Any of the cats vomits or regurgitates more than twice in one day Zazzles vehemently denies that she tried to vomit on us in bed. Ways to Make Life Less Vomity So now you know that life with cats is inevitably going to include a little bit of vomit now and then‚ but that doesn’t mean we should just sit idly by. If you’ve noticed an increase in your cat’s upchuck frequency or consistency‚ but they seem bright and well and are eating and drinking normally‚ there are a few things you can implement to improve their gastrointestinal performance: Extra grooming to reduce how much hair they are ingesting. Different food – if you think their current food isn’t agreeing with them‚ there are thousands of different options you can try – raw‚ fresh‚ hairball diets‚ sensitivity diets‚ freeze-dried foods…talk to your vet about what they suggest‚ and remember to always transition onto a new food gradually. You don’t want to make things worse&;#33; There are pastes‚ oils‚ and supplements to help support a healthy digestive system and eliminate hairballs‚ some available over-the-counter or online‚ and some your vet can prescribe for your cat. Do take comfort in knowing that it’s not unusual for the average cat to vomit‚ regurgitate‚ or bring up hairballs from time to time‚ but it is useful to be able to recognize which one it is. You know your cat better than anyone‚ and if you’re worried that something is wrong‚ you’re probably right‚ and it’s always better to seek veterinary advice. In the meantime‚ I’m thinking about making an alarm clock that sounds like a vomiting cat – let me know if you want to invest&;#33; The post What’s That Sound&;#63; The Melodious Tones of the Feline Upchuck by Dr. Karyn Kanowski BVSc MRCVS (Veterinarian) appeared first on Catster. Copying over entire articles infringes on copyright laws. You may not be aware of it‚ but all of these articles were assigned‚ contracted and paid for‚ so they aren't considered public domain. However‚ we appreciate that you like the article and would love it if you continued sharing just the first paragraph of an article‚ then linking out to the rest of the piece on Catster.com.

Book Recommendations ecological fiction 10 Works of Eco-Fiction Worth Celebrating Eco-fiction has been with us for decades—here are ten examples that are as impactful as they are enjoyable. By Nina Munteanu | Published on April 19‚ 2024 Comment 1 Share New Share Our world is changing. We currently live in a world in which climate change poses a very real existential threat to life on the planet. The new normal is change. And it is within this changing climate that eco-fiction is realizing itself as a literary pursuit worth engaging in. Many readers are seeking fiction that addresses environmental issues but explores a successful paradigm shift: fiction that accurately addresses our current issues with intelligence and hope. The power of envisioning a certain future is that the vision enables one to see it as possible. Eco-fiction has been with us for decades—it just hasn’t been overtly recognized as a literary phenomenon until recently and particularly in light of mainstream concern with climate change (hence the recently adopted terms ‘climate fiction’‚ ‘cli-fi’‚ and ‘eco-punk’‚ all of which are eco-fiction). Strong environmental themes and/or eco-fiction characters populate all genres of fiction. Eco-fiction is a cross-genre phenomenon‚ and we are all awakening—novelists and readers of novels—to our changing environment. We are finally ready to see and portray environment as an interesting character with agency. The relationship of humanity to environment also differs greatly among these works as does the role of science. Some are optimistic; others are not‚ or have ambiguous endings that require interpretation. What the ten examples I list below have in common is that they are impactful‚ highly enjoyable works of eco-fiction. Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver Climate change and its effect on the monarch butterfly migration is told through the eyes of Dellarobia Turnbow‚ a rural housewife‚ who yearns for meaning in her life. It starts with her scrambling up the forested mountain—slated to be clear cut—behind her eastern Tennessee farmhouse; she is desperate to take flight from her dull and pointless marriage to run away with the telephone man. The first line of Kingsolver’s book reads: “A certain feeling comes from throwing your good life away‚ and it is one part rapture.” But the rapture she’s about to experience is not from the thrill of truancy; it will come from the intervention of Nature when she witnesses the hill newly aflame with monarch butterflies who have changed their migration behavior. Flight Behavior is a multi-layered metaphoric study of “flight” in all its iterations: as movement‚ flow‚ change‚ transition‚ beauty and transcendence. Flight Behavior isn’t so much about climate change and its effects and its continued denial as it is about our perceptions and the actions that rise from them: the motives that drive denial and belief. When Dellarobia questions Cub‚ her farmer husband‚ “Why would we believe Johnny Midgeon about something scientific‚ and not the scientists&;#63;” he responds‚ “Johnny Midgeon gives the weather report.” Kingsolver writes: “and Dellarobia saw her life pass before her eyes‚ contained in the small enclosure of this logic.” The Overstory by Richard Powers The Overstory is a Pulitzer Prize winning work of literary fiction that follows the life-stories of nine characters and their journey with trees—and ultimately their shared conflict with corporate capitalist America. Each character draws the archetype of a particular tree: there is Nicholas Hoel’s blighted chestnut that struggles to outlive its destiny; Mimi Ma’s bent mulberry‚ harbinger of things to come; Patricia Westerford’s marked up marcescent beech trees that sings a unique song; and Olivia Vandergriff’s ‘immortal’ ginko tree that cheats death—to name a few. Like all functional ecosystems‚ these disparate characters—and their trees—weave into each other’s journey toward a terrible irony. Each their own way battles humanity’s canon of self-serving utility—from shape-shifting Acer saccharum to selfless sacrificing Tachigali versicolor—toward a kind of creative destruction. At the heart of The Overstory is the pivotal life of botanist Patricia Westerford‚ who will inspire a movement. Westerford is a shy introvert who discovers that trees communicate‚ learn‚ trade goods and services—and have intelligence. When she shares her discovery‚ she is ridiculed by her peers and loses her position at the university. What follows is a fractal story of trees with spirit‚ soul‚ and timeless societies—and their human avatars. Maddaddam Trilogy by Margaret Atwood This trilogy explores the premise of genetic experimentation and pharmaceutical engineering gone awry. On a larger scale the cautionary trilogy examines where the addiction to vanity‚ greed‚ and power may lead. Often sordid and disturbing‚ the trilogy explores a world where everything from sex to learning translates to power and ownership. Atwood begins the trilogy with Oryx and Crake in which Jimmy‚ aka Snowman (as in Abominable) lives a somnolent‚ disconsolate life in a post-apocalyptic world created by a viral pandemic that destroys human civilization. The two remaining books continue the saga with other survivors such as the religious sect God’s Gardeners in The Year of the Flood and the Crakers of Maddaddam. The entire trilogy is a sharp-edged‚ dark contemplative essay that plays out like a warped tragedy written by a toked-up Shakespeare. Often sordid and disturbing‚ the trilogy follows the slow pace of introspection. The dark poetry of Atwood’s smart and edgy slice-of-life commentary is a poignant treatise on our dysfunctional society. Atwood accurately captures a growing zeitgeist that has lost the need for words like honor‚ integrity‚ compassion‚ humility‚ forgiveness‚ respect‚ and love in its vocabulary. And she has projected this trend into an alarmingly probable future. This is subversive eco-fiction at its best. Dune by Frank Herbert Dune chronicles the journey of young Paul Atreides‚ who according to the indigenous Fremen prophesy will eventually bring them freedom from their enslavement by the colonialists—The Harkonens—and allow them to live unfettered on the planet Arrakis‚ known as Dune. As the title of the book clearly reveals‚ this story is about place—a harsh desert planet whose 800 kph sandblasting winds could flay your flesh—and the power struggle between those who covet its arcane treasures and those who wish only to live free from slavery. Dune is just as much about what it lacks (water) as it is about what it contains (desert and spice). The subtle connections of the desert planet with the drama of Dune is most apparent in the actions‚ language and thoughts of the Imperial ecologist-planetologist‚ Kynes—who rejects his Imperial duties to “go native.” He is the voice of the desert and‚ by extension‚ the voice of its native people‚ the Fremen. “The highest function of ecology is understanding consequences‚” he later thinks to himself as he is dying in the desert‚ abandoned there without water or protection. Place—and its powerful symbols of desert‚ water and spice—lies at the heart of this epic story about taking‚ giving and sharing. This is nowhere more apparent than in the fate of the immense sandworms‚ strong archetypes of Nature—large and graceful creatures whose movements in the vast desert sands resemble the elegant whales of our oceans. Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer This is an eco-thriller that explores humanity’s impulse to self-destruct within a natural world of living ‘alien’ profusion. The first of the Southern Reach Trilogy‚ Annihilation follows four women scientists who journey across a strange barrier into Area X—a region that mysteriously appeared on a marshy coastline‚ and is associated with inexplicable anomalies and disappearances. The area was closed to the public for decades by a shadowy government that studies it. Previous expeditions resulted in traumas‚ suicides or aggressive cancers of those who managed to return. What follows is a bizarre exploration of how our own mutating mental states and self-destructive tendencies reflect a larger paradigm of creative-destruction—a hallmark of ecological succession‚ change‚ and overall resilience. VanderMeer masters the technique of weaving the bizarre intricacies of ecological relationship‚ into a meaningful tapestry of powerful interconnection. Bizarre but real biological mechanisms such as epigenetically-fluid DNA drive aspects of the story’s transcendent qualities of destruction and reconstruction. The book reads like a psychological thriller. The main protagonist desperately seeks answers. When faced with a greater force or intent‚ she struggles against self-destruction to join and become something more. On one level Annihilation acts as parable to humanity’s cancerous destruction of what is ‘normal’ (through climate change and habitat destruction); on another‚ it explores how destruction and creation are two sides of a coin. Barkskins by Annie Proulx Barkskins chronicles two wood cutters who arrive from the slums of Paris to Canada in 1693 and their descendants over 300 years of deforestation in North America. The foreshadowing of doom for the magnificent forests is cast by the shadow of how settlers treat the Mi’kmaq people. The fate of the forests and the Mi’kmaq are inextricably linked through settler disrespect for anything indigenous and a fierce hunger for “more” of the forests and lands. Ensnared by settler greed‚ the Mi’kmaq lose their own culture and their links to the natural world erode with grave consequence. Proulx weaves generational stories of two settler families into a crucible of terrible greed and tragic irony. The bleak impressions by the immigrants of a harsh environment crawling with pests underlies the combative mindset of the settlers who wish only to conquer and seize what they can of a presumed infinite resource. From the arrival of the Europeans in pristine forest to their destruction under the veil of global warming‚ Proulx lays out a saga of human-environment interaction and consequence that lingers with the aftertaste of a bitter wine. Memory of Water by Emmi It&;auml;ranta Memory of Water is about a post-climate change world of sea level rise. In this envisioned world‚ China rules Europe‚ which includes the Scandinavian Union‚ occupied by the power state of New Qian. Water is a powerful archetype‚ whose secret tea masters guard with their lives. One of them is 17-year old Noria Kaitio who is learning to become a tea master from her father. Tea masters alone know the location of hidden water sources‚ coveted by the new government. Faced with moral choices that draw their conflict from the tension between love and self-preservation‚ young Noria must do or do not before the soldiers scrutinizing her make their move. The story unfolds incrementally through place. As with every stroke of an emerging watercolour painting‚ It&;auml;ranta layers in tension with each story-defining description. We sense the tension and unease viscerally‚ as we immerse ourselves in a dark place of oppression and intrigue. It&;auml;ranta’s lyrical narrative follows a deceptively quiet yet tense pace that builds like a slow tide into compelling crisis. Told with emotional nuance‚ It&;auml;ranta’s Memory of Water flows with mystery and suspense toward a poignant end. The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin This trilogy is set on an Earth devastated by periodic cataclysmic storms known as ‘seasons.’ These apocalyptic events last over generations‚ remaking the world and its inhabitants each time. Giant floating crystals called Obelisks suggest an advanced prior civilization. In The Fifth Season‚ the first book of the trilogy‚ we are introduced to Essun‚ an Orogene—a person gifted with the ability to draw magical power from the Earth such as quelling earthquakes. Jemisin used the term orogene from the geological term orogeny‚ which describes the process of mountain-building. Essun was taken from her home as a child and trained brutally at the facility called the Fulcrum. Jemisin uses perspective and POV shifts to interweave Essun’s story with that of Damaya‚ just sent to the Fulcrum‚ and Syenite‚ who is about to leave on her first mission. The second and third books‚ The Obelisk Gate and The Stone Sky‚ carry through Jemisin’s treatment of the dangers of marginalization‚ oppression‚ and misuse of power. Jemisin’s cautionary dystopia explores the consequence of the inhumane profiteering of those who are marginalized and commodified. The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi This is a work of mundane science fiction that occurs in 23rd century post-food crash Thailand after global warming has raised sea levels and carbon fuel sources are depleted. Thailand struggles under the tyrannical boot of predatory ag-biotech multinational giants that have fomented corruption and political strife through their plague-inducing genetic manipulations. The book opens in Bangkok as ag-biotech farangs (foreigners) seek to exploit the secret Thai seedbank with its wealth of genetic material. Emiko is an illegal Japanese “windup” (genetically modified human)‚ owned by a Thai sex club owner‚ and treated as a sub-human slave. Emiko embarks on a quest to escape her bonds and find her own people in the north. But like Bangkok—protected and trapped by the wall against a sea poised to claim it—Emiko cannot escape who and what she is: a gifted modified human‚ vilified and feared for the future she brings. The rivalry between Thailand’s Minister of Trade and Minister of the Environment represents the central conflict of the novel‚ reflecting the current conflict of neo-liberal promotion of globalization and unaccountable exploitation with the forces of sustainability and environmental protection. Given the setting‚ both are extreme and there appears no middle ground for a balanced existence using responsible and sustainable means. Emiko‚ who represents that future‚ is precariously poised. Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler The classic dystopian novel set in 21st century America where civilization has collapsed due to climate change‚ wealth inequality and greed. Parable of the Sower is both a coming-of-age story and cautionary allegorical tale of race‚ gender and power. Told through journal entries‚ the novel follows the life of young Lauren Oya Olamina—cursed with hyperempathy—and her perilous journey to find and create a new home. When her old home outside L.A. is destroyed and her family murdered‚ she joins an endless stream of refugees through the chaos of resource and water scarcity. Her survival skills are tested as she navigates a highly politicized battleground between various extremist groups and religious fanatics through a harsh environment of walled enclaves‚ pyro-addicts‚ thieves and murderers. What starts as a fight to survive inspires in Lauren a new vision of the world and gives birth to a new faith based on science: Earthseed. [end-mark] Originally published in November 2020. The post 10 Works of Eco-Fiction Worth Celebrating appeared first on Reactor.

News Fallout The Post-Apocalypse Will Continue on Prime: Fallout Gets a Second Season Let the additional falling out commence&;#33; By Molly Templeton | Published on April 19‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Back into the hot‚ irradiated desert landscape we go (though in California this time): Prime Video has renewed Fallout for a second season. The show is (according to Amazon) one of the three most-watched series ever for that streaming platform‚ and “the most-watched season globally since Rings of Power.” We just love our franchise stories‚ don’t we&;#33; Fallout is based on the video game series of the same name‚ and stars Ella Purnell as a sheltered Vault Dweller who leaves her underground home to discover a world gone very weird. Said weird world includes Aaron Moten as a soldier and Walton Goggins as the noseless Ghoul. A whole pile of interesting actors play secondary characters‚ including Kyle MacLachlan‚ Sarita Choudhury‚ Michael Emerson‚ Leslie Uggams‚ Frances Turner‚ Zach Cherry‚ and Xelia Mendes-Jones. Response to the first season has been generally quite positive‚ from video game fans and newbies alike; writing for Entertainment Weekly‚ Kristen Baldwin said‚ “The eight-episode season exists in a vivid and captivating universe that will be familiar to gamers — though knowledge of the franchise isn’t required to enjoy its darkly comic dystopian pleasures.” In a press release‚ co-creators and showrunners Geneva Robertson-Dworet and Graham Wagner said‚ “Holy shit. Thank you to Jonah [Nolan]‚ Kilter‚ Bethesda and Amazon for having the courage to make a show that gravely tackles all of society’s most serious problems these days — cannibalism‚ incest‚ jello cake. More to come&;#33;” The first season of Fallout is available on Prime Video.[end-mark] The post The Post-Apocalypse Will Continue on Prime: &;lt;i&;gt;Fallout&;lt;/i&;gt; Gets a Second Season appeared first on Reactor.

Rereads and Rewatches Terry Pratchett Book Club Terry Pratchett Book Club: Unseen Academicals‚ Part III Drumknott needs us all to know that he has never once stolen a paperclip By Emmet Asher-Perrin | Published on April 19‚ 2024 Comment 0 Share New Share Just want to remind everyone today that they have worth. For no reason‚ of course. Summary The former Dean‚ now the Archchancellor of Brazeneck‚ meets up with Ridcully and the two of them snipe back and forth until Ridcully almost agrees to a match against Brazeneck that could result in his Archchancellor hat being wagered. Ponder talks him down on account of being an entire committee’s worth of important positions at the university. The two men head off to eat while Nutt brings up how the wizards might go about learning to actually play football effectively. Ponder is astounded at Nutt’s acumen‚ and wonders how he became a polymath‚ but remembers something vague about how he ended up at the school and instead asks for his help. Nutt agrees and tries to get Trev on the team‚ but Trev promises his mother that he wouldn’t‚ so Nutt simply asks for his expertise. Ponder puts Nutt in charge of the team‚ and the next day Ridcully finds the team practicing ballet to increase their agility to grace. The university’s Master of Music presents them with his first (overwrought) football chant. Glenda realizes that she’s been adhering to rules that don’t really exist‚ and decides that she will serve at the banquet that evening. As the banquet begins‚ Nutt tells everyone what he’s been working on with the team and leaves to get them ready for a demonstration while Glenda inserts herself into the downstairs banquet servers. She notes that the attendees are all being given food that is likely too much for their palates. Vetinari arrives and winds up suggesting that Unseen and Brazeneck do have a football match for the Archchancellor hat‚ feeling that it will be a healthy challenge between institutions. Nutt creates a very impressive display in the lighting of the chandelier‚ using dwarfish techniques that he essentially reverse engineered himself. Vetinari introduces the Unseen Academicals team and requests that another team play them‚ according to the rules they have discovered. By getting the city’s team captains drunk‚ this all goes off without a hitch—apart from the point where Swithin‚ captain of the Cockbill Boars‚ gets so drunk that he tries to slap Vetinari on the back and drunkenly rants to him. The next day‚ Glenda decides that she is very angry with how Vetinari manipulated things and bribes her way into the palace to complain about it. Vetinari deduces a number of things about Glenda because her grandmother used to be the cook for the Assassin’s Guild. However‚ he is unrepentant about the changes he has made to football‚ and thanks her for being kind to Nutt. Glenda heads back to the university and runs into Pepe‚ who is still looking for Juliet because everyone is at the moment. Glenda brings him in through the back and finds that Juliet has been baking (half decent) pies. She realizes that she’s been holding the girl back and tells her that she can either leave and see the world and model‚ or stay and figure things out with Trev‚ but that she needs to make the choice now and get out. Juliet leaves with Pepe‚ and Concrete finds Glenda; he’s looking for Trev because Nutt is sick. Trev and Glenda find Nutt ill in the vat area and‚ at his request‚ they chain him down and help him to hypnotize himself so that he can figure out what has been wrong this whole time. There is a cupboard in his mind that he promised Ladyship he would not open‚ but when he does he finds out the secret of his heritage: He is not a goblin‚ he is an orc. The birdlike guards (Furies from Ephebe) assigned to Nutt come down to warn Glenda and Trev‚ but they shoo them away‚ insisting he is their friend. Glenda tells Trev what Juliet isn’t saying‚ about her new job as a fashion model. Trev knows that the right thing is to let Juliet go‚ and he and Glenda go to Nutt’s room to try and convince him that he’s still capable of training the football team and generally being around people. Glenda then heads to the library. The Librarian shows her a terrible woodcutting from a book on orcs‚ which then leads her to the necromancy department where Professor Hix brings up the information he showed Ridcully on orcs when Nutt arrived at the school. The image from the past show orcs in battle‚ but Glenda notices they’re being driven by whip. Mister Ottomy tells her that he plans to complain to Ridcully about an orc being at the school‚ and Glenda threatens him for it. Trev and Juliet can’t find Nutt anywhere‚ and the group decide that he may have tried to run away‚ back to Uberwald‚ so they board a coach to Sto Lat to track him down. They find him on the side of the road being attacked by the Furies‚ and the passengers in the coach help Glenda chase them off. They all make it to Sto Lat‚ talking the whole way about what gives a person “worth‚” as Ladyship directed. The coach stop behind the Lancer Flyer because its horse has thrown a shoe; Nutt offers to fix the problem. Commentary This whole section is philosophical musings end-to-end‚ starting with Glenda’s thoughts on the “invisible hammer.” Essentially‚ she’s made braver as the story progresses by the realization that most people are controlled by the belief that something bad will happen if they don’t follow rules—and the people enforcing the rules are counting on that. It’s amazing to realize the things people can be convinced of‚ just by the vague suggestions of a consequence around social orders and hierarchies. The more she pushes back‚ the more often she realizes that no one is willing to call her on infractions so long as she’s confident. (It’s very similar to the rules of the con‚ in fact.) Glenda’s learning a lot of things throughout‚ and while most of them are putting together truths about the world that she’s always half-known‚ some are helpful revelations about how she treats Juliet. Pratchett would talk about how he couldn’t manage to write “soppy” women as protagonists‚ but the real thing I give him credit for is never entirely blaming women who are a bit soppy by acknowledging that a person becomes that. When Glenda sees Juliet tried to bake pies and bemoans that Juliet’s never been any good at that task‚ she has a moment of thought—and notes that Juliet never got good at it because any time something was difficult for her‚ Glenda simply took over the task. And then she notes that Juliet’s pies aren’t even half bad. It’s a microcosm of a very common problem with the hyper-competent female characters of the ’90s and early aughts that used to drive me batty; if you spend all your time doing for others because you can’t stand the idea of things not being done to your exacting standards‚ then who’s to blame for the fact that you have to do everything yourself&;#63; Glenda is the victim of her own competence‚ and more to the point‚ the way that she treats Juliet is no longer aiding her friend—it’s preventing her from growing up. And then… we come to that banquet. I can’t help but think there’s a very deliberate jibe at Harry Potter (again) when Ridcully admits that he doesn’t wear the Archchancellor hat too often because it nags him‚ and Vetinari’s response is that he cannot possibly own it because if the hat speaks and thinks‚ it is a sentient being and therefore cannot be owned because that would make it a slave. gestures frantically It’s hilariously pointed in a way that feels too on-the-nose not to be intentional. We then come to the inevitable philosophical musings from Vetinari about… the nature of morality&;#63; These thoughts do feel as though they were appended to this story for lack of a better place to drop them‚ not that I mind in the slightest. It’s bemusing mostly for the fact that the Patrician tells us of his discovery of evil in childhood: Happening across a mother otter and her young‚ who eat a salmon filled with roe. In Havelock Vetinari’s mind‚ this is an example that proves evil is built into the fabric of the universe because mother and child ate mother and child in the “natural order.” It’s full Hobbesian state-of-nature discourse. Of course‚ this is immediately complicated by proffering even a few messy additions to these observations; that we cannot be sure that the otters are aware (in the fully sentient sense) of what they’re eating‚ or that applying human morality to animals is a weird exercise in any scenario‚ just to start. Again‚ it suggests a tenderness to Havelock Vetinari’s person that I don’t think he’s aware he is revealing in that moment. (He’s drunk‚ too‚ which is certainly another important factor in this entire discussion.) The fact that this observation emotionally affected him to such a degree is telling us far more about him than it is about the nature of evil. And even more important is his takeaway from this formative moment: “If there is any kind of supreme being‚ I told myself‚ it is up to all of us to become his moral superior.” That feels incredibly thoughts-of-the-author to me. And‚ you know… I can get down with that. And then we move to the question of Nutt’s ability to live among people. We’re supposed to stick with that phrase‚ the question he keeps asking: Do I have worth&;#63; Which sounds so innocent on its face‚ the thought that all people want to have some form of worth‚ to be sure of it. But as the story continues‚ we find that’s it’s not so simple‚ that the concept of worth has been instilled in Nutt by Lady Margolotta as a defense mechanism to keep him alive—if he’s personable‚ if he’s helpful‚ if he’s useful‚ that might be enough to save him‚ to keep him from harm. When the trio track him down on the side of the road and the people in the Sto Lat stagecoach are kind to Nutt after learning that he’s an orc‚ Glenda has a moment where she is shocked by the kindness of this crowd‚ who are not terribly educated (in the bookish sense)‚ are not by and large very clever but‚ in a strange “democratic” way‚ choose to accept Nutt in that moment. But then we move on to this thought: It was heartwarming‚ but Glenda’s heart was a little bit calloused on this score. It was the crab bucket at its best. Sentimental and forgiving; but get it wrong—one wrong word‚ one wrong liaison‚ one wrong thought—and those nurturing arms could so easily end in fists. Nutt was right: at best‚ being an orc was to live under threat. Which is a perfect distillation of the plight of any “othered” person and‚ I think very intentionally‚ far more direct in its point than any of the Discworld books have ever been about identity and how it can shape people’s lives. And yet there’s hope‚ of course. The hope that we find in how the stagecoach driver interprets Nutt’s words: “Of course‚ all he’s saying is you’ve got to do your best‚” said the driver. “And the more best you’re capable of‚ the more you should do. That’s it‚ really.” As always‚ being able to distill profound thoughts into shorter‚ more direct terms is a gift. It doesn’t get much more profound—or useful—than that. Asides and little thoughts Admittedly‚ I’m not going to get most of the sport references throughout this book‚ but when the UU’s Master of Music started in on the chant using Bengo Macarona’s name as a placeholder‚ my brain went “oh‚ Diego Maradona‚” and I felt just a little bit good about my brain ability to hold onto trivia for something that I know nothing about whatsoever. Ridcully “felt his grandfather kick him in the heredity” and that one is gonna stick with me for a while as a way of describing ancestral memory. Who bought Vetinari the “To the world’s Greatest Boss” mug&;#63; Who&;#63;&;#63; I accept three options for this mystery. 1) It was Drumknott‚ and Vetinari feels the need to display it out of respect for his hard work and the need for his best clerk’s psyche to remain intact; 2) it was Vimes‚ he did it as a mean joke‚ and Vetinari displays it happily to get back at him; 3) Vetinari bought it for himself to confuse and upset everyone. Pratchettisms Perhaps it was the look of someone permanently doing sums in his head‚ and not just proper sums either‚ but the sneaky sort with letters in them. There followed the menacing silence of a clash of wills‚ but Ponder decided that as he was‚ technically‚ twelve important people at the university‚ he formed‚ all by himself‚ a committee‚ and since he was therefore‚ de facto‚ very wise‚ he should intervene. “Oh‚ I take an interest‚” said Vetinari. “I believe that football is a lot like life.” “Only people who are very trustworthy would dare to look as untrustworthy and me and Madame.” She’s be a little happier if‚ even‚ the lovers could be thrown into the mixing bowl of life. At least it would be some acknowledgment that people actually ate food. Next week we’ll finish the book&;#33; [end-mark] The post Terry Pratchett Book Club: &;lt;i&;gt;Unseen Academicals&;lt;/i&;gt;‚ Part III appeared first on Reactor.

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