Wylkus

I was able to do a good amount of reading this month, which marks the end of my almost full year of funemployment. A period that included about five months spent exploring Europe, three months visiting family and friends and celebrating the great holidays of Thanksgiving and Festivus, plus two months looking for a job when not indulging hobbies. Sadly, this, my first post, may be my longest. I only got the idea to reflect on my reading now that I won't have as much time to do so.

This month I read The Death of Ivan Illych and Other Stores. Barnes and Noble's slim little paperback collection of Tolstoy stories. It begins with Family Happiness, one of Tolstoy's earlier works written in 1859, and then jumps to the eponymous Death of Ivan Illych and The Kreutzer Sonata, both written in the 1880s, before finishing Hadji Murad, Tolstoy's final story written in 1912. It's remarkable how different the later stories are from Family Happiness. All display Tolstoy's unique genius for perfectly capturing the looping, paradoxical nature of human thought and feeling. But, Family Happiness feels more true, more honest than the later works. It was written before Tolstoy's spiritual awakening of the 1870's, before he became deeply devoted to an ascetic, pacifistic way of life. While there is much to be admired about these beliefs, indeed they were an inspiration to Gandhi and MLK among others, it seems to me they had a negative impact on his fiction. The later stories are notably more moralistic, more obviously pushing forward a set of beliefs, and also notably more fatalistic. Ivan Illych seems to take the positive attitude toward the transformative power of death that only the faithful can identify with, and The Kreutzer Sonata is a penetrating analysis of the pain and suffering that's bound with love and lust but presents abstinence as the solution to this. It's surprising that Tolstoy, with his genius for understanding human nature, would preach such impossibilities.
But, to circle back just a little, I have nothing but praise for Family Happiness. A beautiful meditation on the stages of life and the elusive nature of happiness, and simply one of the greatest pieces of fiction ever written. I recommend it to everyone.

Also this month was The Roald Dahl Omnibus. While most remembered now for his children's fiction this collection brings together a few of his many short stories written for adult audiences. It shows the same wild inventiveness as his younger oriented stuff, but also his mastery of tension. His best, such as Lamb to the Slaughter, Skin, Neck, and The Ratcatcher, are like finely calibrated pieces of clockwork. Inevitably ticking away toward some crushing defeat or humiliation, but how and for whom is kept hidden until the instant they strike home.

I read some science fiction of the golden age variety with The Voyage of the Space Beagle and Slan by A.E. von Voigt. Voigt seems to me almost the epitome of Golden Age science fiction. His prose is simple and barebones and his characters wooden and fond of directly announcing their feelings. But, you find yourself enthralled regardless because Voigt, like the best of those of the golden age authors, isn't afraid to dream big. Genetically engineered, vampiric super-cats; galaxy suffocating, sentient nebulae; secret, labyrinthine Martian colonies built by telepathic supermen bent on world domination. This is the stuff that keeps people reading this dull prose more than seven decades later. But, what truly makes Voigt the epitome of that particular brand of scifi that flourished in the 30s and 40s isn't his wild ideas. It's his preponderance of opinions. Every big idea is built around these opinions, transparently constructed so as to showcase Voigt's beliefs. This guy has got some opinions and you are going to hear about them.
The most upfront of these opinions is the belief that a new science would, nay must, emerge that would be the synthesizing of all other sciences. 'Jack of all trades' elevated to a rigorous discipline. This belief takes center stage in Voyage of the Space Beagle. Written in 1939, and remarkably presaging both Star Trek and Alien, Space Beagle recounts the adventures of the titular spacecraft and it's crew of scientists as they explore the unknown. It also features some improbably hilarious outdated jargon: all crew members are armed with 'vibration guns,' commonly referred to as 'vibrators.' The main character, Dr. Grosvenor, is the ships sole devotee of the new syncretist science, here named 'Nexalism', and the plot exclusively revolves around him solving problems that the rest of the crew, made up of close minded specialists, cannot. Conveniently, with each crises the need for solutions that only Nexalism can provide grows and grows, until in the end Grosvenor is forced to use the godlike knowledge Nexalism provides to brainwash the rest of the crew into giving up their foolish resistance to his brilliance. This segways nicely into Voigt's other big belief: that the masses cannot rule themselves and monarchy is the solution. This is the belief that takes center stage in Slan, a novel about a young Slan boy named Jommy and his lifelong quest to free other Slans from persecution. What is a Slan? They are a race of telepathic superhumans cruelly oppressed by the tyranny of the mediocre masses. How does Jommy go about this quest? Largely by educating himself in all fields of science, and especially by inventing mind controlling crystals with which he can control the pliant minds of ordinary folk.
You'll notice here that Voigt is by no means advocating that the world be run by the politicking kings of the past. No, the world should be run by a man of science. One who is not a specialist, but a more broadly learned aficionado of all sciences. Ya know, someone like A.E. von Voigt.

I received The Secret Diary of Laura Palmer as a most wonderful gift. It is gripping. I ended up reading it in one night, and let me tell you, this book is dark. It does not shy away from the abuse that is so central to the main mystery of Twin Peaks but which could only be alluded to on network television. It could be quite hard to read.
Sadly, it only presents a handful of new facets to the surreal mythology of Twin Peaks. It was written between the show's two seasons and as such it stays devoted to the original driving mystery of the show: who killed Laura Palmer. and has little of the more expansive mythology that the show developed, likely out of desperation to keep viewers, after that mystery was resolved in the second season. In a lot of ways this made me appreciate that much maligned second season in a way I hadn't before. While it's correctly criticized as slow and meandering without the driving force of Laura's murder behind it, in retrospect it's really where a lot of the experimental world building took place. The introduction of dueling 'Lodges', the government conspiracy of Project Blue Book, the bizarre philosophizing of Windom Earle. Much of what most sticks in my memory and I most love about the show was only made after the best was over.

Also this month was Southern Mail, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's first novel. Saint-Exupéry is one of my favorite writers so it's no surprise I loved this. The writing is beautiful as always, though, not surprisingly, this one doesn't quite hit the same depths of feeling and thought as Wind, Sand, and Stars or The Little Prince.

I continue to slowly work my through The Bible. This month was the Books of Kings. Naturally enough it recounts the Kings of Isreal, picking up where the Books of Samuel left off with the death of David and the ascendency of Solomon. While the book briefly glosses over many kings that follow, Solomon is the only one who really stands out, though I was disappointed that he doesn't do much of anything besides the famous 'split that kid in two' incident. That and get a bunch of wives and a bunch of Gods. More Gods than he's allowed to have. Which is one. You can only have one God if you're the King of Isreal. Because of this Isreal gets split in two and no one who succeeds him, on either side, is any good. Probably because of this the book shifts gears and brings its focus back to the prophets, who get the thankless job of telling the kings how bad they are and how they oughta be running things.
We get in Kings one of the Bible's best passages I've yet encountered. When the Prophet Elijah goes to the mountain in despair and God visits him in a distinctly God way: "And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." What a beautiful description of omnipotence! This is the Old Testament at its best.
Then, on the other hand, we also get some of the Old Testament at its worst. Elisha, the inheritor of Elijahs prophetic powers, is walking out of a city and "as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them." That's it. All there is to the encounter. Nothing before it, nothing after it. Just some kids making fun of God's prophet so two bears are summoned up to murder them.

Also, a side note, this month I began watching both House of Cards and The Wire. While not readings as such, there is some damn fine writing in here. Watching both together also has the added bonus of making me acutely feel my East Coast roots. Being familiar with the look of both cities really does make both feel more real. Though, of the two The Wire feels far more real, far less stylized. It is also the better show. House of Cards sits in the lofty company of Game of Thrones, supremely watchable entertainment derived from watching a cast of diverse, well rounded character compete in a Darwinian struggle, but The Wire ranks along with Breaking Bad in the very topmost echelon of television. Shows that are not just slick and watchable but also about things. Good and evil, crime and punishment, justice and freedom. From The Wire's very first scene we get a crash course in the themes that will play out. It shows the crime scene set up around a murdered man we learn consistently stole from every illegal game of craps he entered. Why did they let him keep playing when he always ran off with the cash? "Because this is America." Right from the beginning, the whole show in microcosm. How much crime do we tolerate because we're committed to the ideals of freedom?

Lastly, I want to take a second to talk about Kurosawa's High and Low. I don't think I've ever seen a better celebration of the power of dignity and decency. The character of Mr. Gondo, played by the always perfect Toshiro Mifune, stands with Atticus Finch as one of fiction's greatest embodiments of all that is good. Importantly, Mr. Gondo is not materially rewarded for his goodness, which is a change Kurosawa made from the novel upon which the film is based. Instead, we are shown that the reward for being decent is simply being decent. "Why should you and I hate each other?" Gondo says to the man who ruined him financially, but not morally. Kurosawa shows us that the reward is more than enough.

Serious spoilers below.

The Owls. One of the first things you learn about Twin Peaks is that the owls are not what they seem. What that really means is never quite explained, like so much else in the show. Many have concluded that the owls are the eyes and messengers of BOB and therefore wholly sinister. I disagree. The owls are not just the tools of BOB, they are how all the spirits in Twin Peaks see and interact with the material world. Both those from the White Lodge as well as the Black Lodge. The only denizen we meet from the benevolent White Lodge is The Giant. Similar to his humanoid form, when he interacts through the owls he is seen as an enormous owl. Major Briggs more or less directly states that he saw the giant owl before visiting the White Lodge, and in her Secret Diary Laura describes having one vision of an enormous owl. This explains the import Log Lady sees in her message to Laura that 'Some owls are big.' It is her cryptic and unhelpful way of trying to tell Laura that there are not just forces of evil in Twin Peaks, but good as well.

The Tremonds. Pierre Tremond and his grandmother are two of the most mysterious figures in Twin Peaks. They appear only once in the series, when Donna delivers a meal to the seemingly bedridden Mrs. Tremond. They are given a much larger role in the movie, most notably giving Laura the painting that allows her to visit the Red Room in her dream and receive Coops warning about the ring.
There has been much debate about the nature of the Tremonds, including one interesting theory that Pierre is a representation of a young Leland. I do not agree with this theory. I believe Pierre is a lesser spirit of the Black Lodge. Who is the grandmother? It is Pierre's host, similar to how Gerard is the host to MIKE. However, unlike Gerard and Leland, Mrs. Tremond has been a host so long she no longer has any resistance left in her. This relationship is most clearly shown in the scene with Donna, where Mrs. Tremond seems visibly afraid of both Pierre and the creamed corn on her plate. Pierre then vanishes the creamed corn into his hands. In the movie creamed corn was made the symbol of 'garmonbozia,' the pain and suffering of humans which the creatures of the Black Lodge feed upon. In the movie, during the 'meeting' that Philip Jeffries describes, we see MIKE and BOB talking at a table holding a large bowl of creamed corn. In the background sit Mrs. Tremond and Pierre, along with several other characters who are never seen before or since. At Pierre's feet, and no one else's, sits a smaller bucket of creamed corn. All this seems to imply that Pierre is a spirit of the Black Lodge and that Mrs. Tremond is not.
The question remains as to what role Pierre's is playing in the events of the show and film. His nature and his presence at the meeting imply that he is, or was, a familiar of MIKE just as BOB once was, though of a lesser variety. As such, in his actions he seems to be helping in MIKE's crusadge against BOB. This is why he guides Donna to Harold Smith and why he gives Laura the painting. It is however an open question whether he is still under the control of MIKE or if he seeks BOBs destruction for his own reasons.

The Ring. Specifically, the green ring bearing the symbol of Owl Cave first shown being worn by Teresa Banks in Fire Walk With Me. It is found by Agent Chester Desmond under a trailer we later learn was occupied by The Tremonds. After finding it he disappears, and his disappearance coincides with the brief reappearance of Philip Jeffries at FBI headquarters. Jeffries describes a meeting between spirits of the Black Lodge where we see the dwarf, also known as The Man From Another Place and in this movie revealed to be MIKE or at least a part of MIKE, say the line "With this ring I thee wed." Later, in her dream, Laura Palmer sees the ring being presented to her by MIKE and Cooper warning her not to take it. At the end, Gerard is able to pass to Laura the ring while BOB is attempting to posses her. She takes it, and this seems to stop BOB's possession and so he kills her. What are we to make of this? Why does Cooper warn her away from the ring when it seems to save her from BOB?
Simply, wearing the ring makes a person the property of MIKE. This is how Chester is able to be taken by the Black Lodge and why Cooper warned Laura away from it. Even though it saved her from BOB, she is now under control of MIKE and this is why she is stuck in the Black Lodge along with Cooper. This is why BOB is forced to give up the garmonbozia generated by her murder to MIKE. This also means the garmonbozia generated by Teresa's murder belong to MIKE, and the scene where Gerard confronts Leland on the street may be because BOB did not give that garmonbozia to MIKE.
This brings us to the motivation of MIKE with regards to the ring. There are two possibilities. Either what he said to Cooper is true and he no longer wishes to do evil and hopes to stop BOB, in which case the ring and all his actions in the series are attempts to starve BOB of garmonbozia, or he was lying to Cooper, he is still an evil spirit and is simply competing with BOB for garmonbozia.
A side note, in the meeting with BOB, immediately preceding his "With this ring I thee wed" line, MIKE has the even more mystifying line where he comments on the green, formica table in front of him. I believe this is simply a strange way of bringing the viewers mind back to the green ring, cementing even more clearly the connection between it and the following line.

That title may be a slight exaggeration. This will not tell how to fix absolutely everything, but, it's remarkable how many problems can be fixed in these simple steps. Do you think you have a virus? Is your computer filled with ads? Is an 'anti-virus' program you've never heard of constantly telling you to pay up? These things can (usually) be fixed with the following five steps:

1 - Boot Into Safe Mode with Networking

Safe Mode is a version of Windows where the number of programs running is restricted to the bare essentials. This means you can complete the following steps without the malicious programs actively trying to stop you, which is a very good thing. One way to get into Safe Mode is to hit the F8 key while your computer is booting up, before the Windows Splash screen appears. This should open up a menu from which you can select 'Safe Mode with Networking'. While this works, it's not the easiest way. The easiest way to boot into safe mode is through System Configuration. Simply open up your start menu and search for System Configuration, or, you can find it in your Control Panel under System and Security -> Administrative Tools. Once open just go to the Boot tab, then check the 'Safe Mode' box and select the Network option from the radio buttons. Selecting the Network option is important. This allows you to use the internet while in Safe Mode, which you will need. System Configuration is the preferred method to get to Safe Mode because it will keep booting your computer into Safe Mode until you change the setting. This is nice because the following steps will probably involve restarting your computer multiple times, and this way you don't have to hit the F8 key every time.

2 - Change Your Proxy Settings

This step counters a dirty trick that a lot of these malicious programs play on you. These vile programs will go into your internet browser settings and change them to reroute all your internet requests through their 'proxy'. In a nutshell this means that no matter what address you put into Chrome/Firefox/InternetExplorer the malware will reroute you to their own nefarious site. To undo this just open Internet Explorer and click the Tools button, then click Internet Options. Now go to the Connections tab and click LAN Settings. In the LAN Settings window simply unclick the box that says 'Use a proxy server'. You will also want to reset your Home page. Note: You need to be in Safe Mode to do this. If you do it outside of Safe Mode the malware will simply revert it back to their settings.

3 - Download and Run MalwareBytes

Now it's time to do a virus scan. In my experience no antivirus scanner comes close to matching the power of MalwareBytes. It is not an active antivirus program, at least, not without paying for it, so MalwareBytes will not actively protect you from infections. But, when it comes to performing a scan and removing infections, I have yet to see it beat. You can download it here, or, you can use the wonderful website Ninite. Ninite is simply a tool to make installing a variety of programs as easy as possible. Once you have it, simply open it up and let it run. You will probably need to restart your computer after it has finished removing whatever it finds. Make sure when you restart you once again boot back into Safe Mode with Networking.

4 - Download and Run AdwCleaner

MalwareBytes should have removed all the really malicious stuff from your computer, all the viruses and trojans and things of that nature. But, there's a whole mess of things that can be less harmful than viruses while still being a royal pain. These are called PUP's, standing for Potential Unwanted Programs. Things like adware and those aggressively annoying toolbars are all PUPs. For the longest time there was no easy way to remove these devils. They were the bane of my existence. Then AdwCleaner appeared on the scene and everything changed. Life was good again. You can download it here. Important note: do not click anything on that page, the download should start simply by opening the link. Simply install it and run the scan.

5 - Preventative Care

Time to boot back into regular mode. Simply open up System Configuration once more, go to the Boot tab, uncheck the 'Safe Mode' box and then restart your computer. Your computer should now be blissfully free of all the crap you had to deal with before. If the problem hasn't gone away you have a deeper infection than these simple steps could fix and you will need a more specialized approach. But, hopefully, your computer is clean, and now that it is let's take some simple steps to keep it that way. The first thing is to have a good anti-virus program. If you have Windows 8 you're in luck, it comes with very good Windows Defender built in. Just get rid of any other, less good antivirus programs you have such as Norton or Avast or, god forbid, McAffee and then make sure Windows Defender is turned on. SImply search for the 'Action Center' and there should be a large, friendly button asking if you want to turn on Windows Defender. If you have Windows 7 or below I recommend Windows Security Essentials, which is basically the same thing as Defender. You can download it from Microsoft, or you can again use NInite. It's also a good idea to update your preferred internet browsers and Java to the latest versions, again I recommend Ninite for that. The final step is to run Microsoft Updates.

The final leg of my journey took me through the Iberian Peninsula. You can hear me talk about it here.

The section of the trip that really drew my camera was the beautiful Moorish architecture of Andalusia. This set is from the Alhambra of Granada. The first photo shows an exterior shot of the complex, followed by a sample of the gardens and courtyards. It's difficult to tell in a picture, but the arches in the courtyard are covered in intricate arabesques and in person the eye picks up on it making the whole scene even more beautiful. The next two pictures show closer views of some of the arabesques, and the one after is a sample of the tile work. The final photo is a particularly incredible domed ceiling inside the palace.

After Granada I visited Cordoba, once the center of Moorish power in Spain. The first photo show's a waterwheel that dates back to the time of Caliph, and behind it is a bridge even older than that, built by the Romans in 1st Century BC. The next photo shows the exterior of the Cathedral of Cordoba. On this site was originally a Roman temple to Janus, which was destroyed by the Visigoths to construct a church, which was substantially expanded and turned into a Mosque by the Moorish Caliph, which was then turned into a Cathedral after the Reconquista. The third photo shows a section of the interior forest of columns. The last photo shows part of the cathedral nave constructed in the center of the building during it's last repurposing. While pretty by itself, the nave really does spoil somewhat the open feel of the rest of the columned structure. In fact, when Charles V, who authorized it's conversion into a cathedral, visited it and saw the nave he commented "they have taken something unique in all the world and destroyed it to build something you can find in any city."

My final stop in Spain was the beautiful city of Seville. The first photo here show's the aptly named Seville Cathedral, followed by views of the city and cathedral gardens from the bell tower. The last two photos show first a section of the covered market the ambles through the downtown area, followed by the Metropolitan Parasol. The Parasol was constructed in 2011 and is possibly the largest wooden structure in the world. Tragically, I only learned you can go on top of the Parasol after I left.

These three photos show the Plaza de Espana, built in 1928 when Seville hosted the World's Fair.

Here we have the Alcazar of Seville, a palace that rivals the Alhambra. The first three photos show the entrance, a courtyard, and the golden dome of the Hall of Ambassadors room. The next two show an ivied fountain and a guardhouse, both of which can be found in the expansive gardens. The final photo is of an underground section that provided a place of comfortable coolness during the hot days for the palace residents.

Lastly I visited Lisbon. The first photo here shows the ruins of Carmo gothic church, which lost its roof in the devastating 1755 earthquake. The next photo shows a typical Lisbon street, followed by a shot of the 25 de Abril Bridge. Sister bridge to the famous Golden Gate and named for the day of the fall of the fascist regime in Portugal. The last photo is from the top of the Belem Tower, an old fort by the shore.

And that's it. After Lisbon I caught a plane back to the States, my four months abroad come to an end. I have one last video where I review the contents of the backpack that accompanied me all that way, which you can find here.

The latest segment of my trip took me through the Balkan peninsula to the city of Istanbul, followed by a flight to Italy. You can hear me talk about it here.

Sarajevo was the highlight of my trip through the Balkans. The first in this set shows the Sarajevo City Hall and it's beautiful stained glass ceiling. This building was largely destroyed during the Serbian shelling and has only recently been restored. The next picture depicts one of the many Muslim cemeteries that dot the city. The following two pictures show the city itself and finally the last picture shows the street corner where archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated, triggering the start of WWI.

The Westward segment of my voyage terminated in the city of Istanbul where I was finally able to see something I'd always dreamed of visiting, the Hagia Sophia. First constructed by the Emperor Justinian in 537, changed into a mosque by Mehmet the Conquerer in 1453, and finally turned into a museum by the Republic of Turkey in 1935 this building has been amazing people for one and a half thousand years.

You can read my breakdown of season one here, and season two here.

Episode 1 Valar Dohaeris, or, Davos Lives!

Well that's a casual introduction to giants.

I like Margaery. She's a good Queen.

Davos has successfully gone from a rock to a hard place.

Episode 2 Dark Wings, Dark Words, or, Going Places

Brotherhood without Banners! Have I found my people? Are these the guys fighting for an egalitarian future for Westeros?

Queen Margery just keeps getting more likable. She's actually as smart as Cersei believes herself to be.

This episode Bran meets another magical kid. Not a fan of magical kids.

Episode 3 Walk of Punishment, or, Hands Down a Good Episode

I'm going to miss Hot Pie, but, it sure is nice to see someone on this show find a happy ending.

They finally addressed why Stannis and Mellisandre can't just shadow bang their way to success. Takes life force, doing it again would kill him, standard magic limit stuff. It works.

I'm really impressed by the way they introduce Catelyn's relations. The scene of them trying to set the funeral boat alight with the flaming arrow, and the younger's failure to do so, effortlessly tells us everything we need to know about these two characters, and their relationship, all in one entertaining scene.

That was quite an ending. I think I get why they did the rock music over the credits, to drive home the shock over the rather hands off approach of Jamie's captors. But, I don't agree with it. I found it so jarring that it actually pulled me out of the show rather than driving anything home.

Episode 4 And Now His Watch Is Ended, or, Seller Beware

Jamie is really going through some shit, quite literally. I hope he comes out of this a better person. There seems to be a theme in this show that goodness springs from hardship. The nobility of the Starks is attributed to the harshness of life in the North, Daenerys's kindness stems from a childhood spent in servitude, and Tyrion's tough life seems to have made him (so far) the only Lannister with a sense of empathy that extends past his family. In general the worse a character is the less they've had to deal with in their life. Jamie will be the test of this theme. Whether he comes out of this with a new sense of right or he's still up for pushing kids out of windows.

What happened to the other Stark kid? There's supposed to be two but the last few episodes the younger has gone the way of Cersei's kids. Speaking of which, ya know, for someone who can't shut up about how much she loves her kids we sure don't see them a lot.

Wow. Theon's savior was just bringing him back. That is some 1984 level shit. Fuck the Greyjoys. (I think he's being held by the Greyjoys? Still not sure what's going on there)

I feel so bad for Sansa. She really does not have a mind for subtlety. She does not belong at court.

Aww, man. The Brotherhood is religious? I wanted them to be social revolutionaries not zealots.

Craster's dead! Too bad the Nights Watch had to fall to pieces to make it happen. Really a mistake on the part of the Commander, should have known that your troops first loyalty will always and forever be to their stomachs. Try to stand between them and food when they're in the cold, starving and all you'll get is mutiny. Should have killed Craster himself and been a hero to his troops. It's not like your going to need him much longer anyway, you know an army of White Walkers is on its way.

Daenerys is now ready to steamroll the world. She's got an air force AND an army of super soldiers. There's no conceivable way anyone in Westeros could compete with that. Of course, that's why she won't get there for a long time I'm guessing. Long enough for Winter to truly arrive and the situation to look hopeless for everyone. Then she can show up and we can have a massive White Walker vs Dragon battle. Like somethin outa some kinda song of ice and fire or somethin'.

Episode 5 Kissed by Fire, or, Jon Snow Learns Something

The Brotherhood can bring people back to life? Well that's an advantage in war. Or maybe their leader is Wolverine.

As happy as I am to see Jon Snow get lucky, his segments are really getting dull.

Oh Rob, you were doing so well. Why must you start making mistakes now. How could you ever reason that executing the leader of half your forces is a good idea.

So we learn the reason for Jamie killing the Mad King. I feel like this was supposed to be a big revelation, but really was there ever any doubt the Mad King deserved to be killed? I already thought that killing the old monster was the one endearing thing about Jamie. But! The fact that the show is now building up his good side after all he's been through seems to support my theme hypothesis. Looking forward to future developments from the ole' kid crippler.

Marying off Cersei and Tyrion is some pretty good politicking on Tywins side. I understand why they'd be upset, but it's really not that bad a situation. Sir Tyrell is almost certainly not going to care what Cersei does. If she ever gets Jamie back I'm sure they could get back into old habits. Sansa already has a liking for Tyrion, since he occasionally went out of his way to help her, and she's already friends with his real girlfriend. If she had any sense she'd be thrilled to be positioned with friends and outside the reach of Joffrey. Of course, that relies on Sansa having common sense.

Episode 6 The Climb, or, That's Impossible

No one could actually do that climb.

Dang, Little Finger finally became unlikable. I mean, I always knew he was ultimately in it for himself. Just like everyone else in this show. But, I thought he had enough conscience to at least feel bad about the things he had to do. Granted, that theory was already falling apart last season after his rather unsympathetic pep pimp talk to the crying Ros. But, there's a difference between rhetoric and action, and I'm sad to see what a monster he really is. I'd also hoped he had the sense to see the bigger picture and know that being rich and powerful in a stable kingdom is better than being the head of a failing state. Alas, Varys was right and Little Finger will indeed let the realm burn to rule the ashes. At least Varys seems to be all those good things I'd hoped Little Finger was. I think him and Margaery are currently the most likable characters.

Episode 7 The Bear and the Maiden Fair, or, That's Actually a Pretty Good Title Already

Tywin's the best. Not that I root for him, just that every time he's in a scene you know it's gonna be good. Somebody is going to get glared into submission, and when that somebody is Joffrey it's all the better. I'm trying to imagine Tywin and Stannis having a conversation and I just can't do it. The glaring is just too intense. I desperately hope they get a scene together at some point. 

Jamie is looking remarkable moral these days. While it's debatable, I don't think pre-amputation Jamie would have gone back for Brienne. So far my theme idea is holding up. Also, that former Maester mad scientist guy's got a lot of potential. I hope he sticks around.

Sidenote: the direction in this episode was really, really strange. Every conversation seemed to end on some sort of odd, lingering shot of nothing in particular and the CGI has never looked more fake.

Episde 8 Second Sons, or, The Other Wedding

Davos learning how to read is adorable.

Other than that, Tyrion and Sansa get married okay, Sam lucks into killing a White Walker and Daenerys befriends a creepy psycho. Not too much development. Though, learning that Daenerys doesn't speak Dothraki nearly as well as she thinks she does was a great little character moment.

Episode 9 Rains of Castemere, or, The Maroon Matrimony

Wow, John Snow totally just left Ygritte. Didn't see that coming. He's a bit of a jerk.

So. That's the wedding I've been hearing about. I'm impressed by Catelyn's dedication to making terrible decisions right to the very end. Pretty sure even the peasants of Westeros could have told you that Frey don't care about his wife. 

I guess the war is over now, with the North leaderless and plagued by pirates. I don't really feel like the show has much to drive it anymore. Arya needs to grow up and get her revenge, but that's been happening for like two seasons and unless it speeds up it can't really carry my interest. I really do not care in the slightest about Brans magical quest. I want to see Theon freed, but that's because I don't want to watch anymore torture, not because I care about Theon. Daenerys is still making things happen, but she's so far removed from everything else that half the time her segments seem more distracting than anything else. The Lannisters versus the Tullys, which seems to be on the horizon, could be entertaining but I don't really care which of them wins. What else is there? I guess I'll watch the next episode and see what it's got to offer now, but at the moment I feel my interest in this show deflating. It feels like every plot has stagnated, and rather than freshen things up the whole Red Wedding has just moved things even farther back. The Starks had always been on the losing side. Now they've lost. Not much of a story, that.

Episode 10 Mhysa, or, Daenerys Muad'Dib

Alright, I guess this show is still worth watching if it's finally ready to start up the war against winter. It's built up everyones hatred for each other to a fever pitch and then suddenly they have to work together. Should keep things interesting. Well played show, well played.

That ending, with Daenerys being lifted up by all the freed people, was really too saccharine for this show. I guess they wanted something positive after how dark everything else had just gotten, but it makes it feel even more like Daenerys is part of some totally different show.

So at the end of this season the award for least likable easily goes to the Orwellian fuck keeping Theon captive. Nobody deserves that. Not even the Greyjoys. I'd say the most likable characters right now are Varys and Queen Margaery. Hooray for capable, non-malevolent statesman. Tyrion remains as enjoyable as ever, though he hasn't been up to much this season. As for the other 'hero' Jon Snow has transitioned from boring to annoying. Hopefully the next season has something more interesting in store for him. Daenerys has become the obvious hero, and I do hope this show ends with her sitting at the throne, but she's starting to become a little too cartoonishly good. While it's hard to argue with the tactics of freeing slaves and therefore getting an incredibly loyal army, especially when they've already been trained as super soldiers, I do hope the next season has some hard choices to throw her way.

You can hear me talk about this part of my trip here.

Prague! Beautiful city. The second photo here is the Astronomical Clock I mention in the video. In the last photo you can see the Television Tower. That tower is visible from most of the city, a lot of people hate it I think it's kind of neat. Though, the tower is crawling with these faceless baby sculptures that are some of the creepiest things I've ever seen. Seems like such an odd choice to me, a building like that already struggling to justify itself, how do we make it better? Faceless babies!

Two shots of the Sedlec Ossuary and the quite scenic town it resides in. The sigil in the first shot was actually put together in the 1700s when the place was refurbished.

Vienna! Some interesting architecture: the Parliament, the Secession Hall, and the Hundertwasserhaus. The last four photos are from the Hapsburg Summer Palace.

Some quick photos I took of a few of the marvelous Hapsburg treasures.

First we have here Lake Bled in Slovenia. Second is Bled Castle which overlooks the lake, and the last are from my ascent of Mt. Stol which lies a few miles from the lake. My legs are still sore some four days later.

At last this stage of my journey took me to continental Europe! You can hear my talk about it here.

But, before I get to the titular cities I actually had one last stop in the UK. I made a final visit to London and made a day trip to Bath. The first picture here is the Bath Abbey, and second is just a nice canal a little out of Bath city center. The last two pictures are from London, the Millennium and Tower bridges.

Some big metal thing in Paris! After that is a picture of the back of Notre Dame, which I find even prettier than the front. Last, I have two pictures of the kind of stunning palaces you'll find dotted about Paris if you walk past enough beige buildings. Speaking of the beige, it turns out there's a reason so much of Paris feels like it was all designed by one guy. It was! Georges-Eugene Haussmann, he led a huge renovation of Paris in the late 1800s which did wonders for public health and safety.

After Paris I caught a train to Bruges. The most noticeable feature of the city is the Belfry. Below is a picture of it at night, but what you can't see in a picture is the delightful sound of it's carillon that rings through the city on the hour.

You can find part one here.

Episode 1: The North Remembers, or, Setting Up

Stannis seems a very disagreeable fellow. Did he pick his council from the cast of a horror movie? Everything about this guy and his camp is creepy. Ned wanted this guy to be king?

Rob Stark is smart enough to look for allies. He is on an exponential likability curve.

Tyrion is never more likable then when he's putting down the other Lannister's. 

I really hope they end up killing Craster the Fantasy Fritzl.

Episode 2: The Night Lands, or, Incest and Infanticide

Who is this well spoken man in the cage talking to Arya? Does this show have a Hannibal?

Theon's family is even more annoying than he is.

Maybe I misjudged Stannis, now that I know he's on board the Light train for practical reasons he's much more likable. Though besides being annoying Melisandre, Stannis's religious nut job, seems very out of place in this show. Everyone else is a complex mix of good and bad, and then she walks in with her gloomy fanatic talk and creepy leitmotif. If she was a man she'd have a mustache to twirl.

Really John Snow? You lost to Fantasy Fritzl?

Episode 3: What is Dead May Never Die, or, Teaching Arya is Bad for Your Health

Cersei is really starting to lose it. Guess she wasn't as up to this game as she thought she was. Too bad, her efficacy was her only likable feature. Also, she has other kids? Is this the first time they were introduced, or are they that forgettable?

Wow. Sansa. I thought her and Tyrion's Chief Executive Prostitute were going to be friends. Then Sansa opened her mouth. It's amazing how quickly she destroyed the sympathy I'd developed for her.

I'm not sure how I feel about about Renly yet. I feel like he could actually be a good king if he didn't seem so naive.

Arya's really making a habit of losing likable teachers.

I don't think Theon is capable of a good decision.

Episode 4: Garden of Bones, or, What the Hell is That?

Alright, I hate Joffrey. He is the worst.

Qarth is refreshing. An oligarchy. Things run so much more sensibly when ideas can be questioned. How many times in this show has something gone horribly because no one can directly question a kings decision?

When I said the Melisandre was from a horror movie I didn't know how right I was. Now we even know which horror movie: Rosemarys Baby

Episode 5: The Ghost of Harrenhal, or, I Still Don't Know What That Thing Was

Renly would have been a good king. Being sociable and nice isn't a liability in a king. so long as one can have those features without naivety or weakness it's an asset. Something none of these other grim and dour kings seem to understand.

Fantasy Hannibal is back and is indeed a Hannibal.

Episode 6: The Old Gods and the New, or, Joffrey Gets Slapped

Theon what are you doing. This is the most awkward occupation ever.

Why doesn't Arya have Fantasy Hannibal kill Tywin? Even though that would make a little sad, he's a surprisingly likable old monster.

Poor Sansa. I was enjoying the riot till she got cornered. She may be annoying but she really does not deserve all the shit that keeps happening to her. I like The Hound. Of course, it would be hard not to after that.

I really don't care about Qarth. I believe because Daenerys doesn't really know what she should be doing there. Characters having muddled or uncertain goals can be fine for the short term, but having them stay that way is antithetical to good drama.

Episode 7: A Man Without Honor, or, This Occupation Got Dark

So I had John Snow pegged as one of the heroes of this show but eventually he's going to have to do something other than get captured. On the flip side, I like Ygritte. She was generic before, but now she's got some ideals. Or at least pretends to. Freedom. 

Whelp. So much for the oligarchy. 

Holy shit. Theon. What have you done. 

I don't believe it. Those kids can't be dead. There was too much left to their story. It can't be that hard to find a couple child size corpses in Winterfell, maybe he found some and burned those.

Episode 8: The Prince of Winterfell, or, Hodor Lives!

Hodor lives! Though, Theon isn't any less reprehensible. I think killing two defenseless orphans ranks about the same as killing your brothers.

I can't believe Catelyn let Jamie go. I mean she's always been a little dumb, but this. Man. I thought she was going to stand guard with Brienne. Or cut something off to appease the blood thirsty crowd. Giving away your only bargaining chip is not how you get your daughters back.

I officially like Stannis, but I like Davos the Onion Knight even more. An onion is definitely the best sigil. Pretty sure it's the only useful one.

Episode 9: Blackwater, or, Saving Private Tyrion

The Hound rocks.

Surprisingly for the big climactic battle scene no one of any importance died. Except possibly the Onion Knight. I hope he comes back.

Episode 10: Valar Morghulis, or, This Show's Got Ninjas

How on Earth did Fantasy Hannibal the Magical Ninja get captured and sent to the Night Watch in the first place? I guess I need to stop calling him Hannibal, he was never the serial killer I thought he was. As much as I wanted Arya to go with him and learn the tools of the trade it's probably for the best that she didn't. Arya's teachers haven't had the greatest life expectancy.

Why don't Stannis and Melisandre just make another shadow thing to kill Joffrey? Is there a range limit or something? This is the problem with magic. If you give it rules it kills the mystery, but without rules you wonder why it can't solve every problem.

Maybe I just have brain problems, but there's two things about this finale that don't make any sense to me. Firstly, when Danerys got to Qarth she had like 30 guys. They made it seem like they were all killed when her dragons were taken, I thought all she had left was Joreh and her one Dothraki bodyguard. But then at the end she seems to have a whole troop again. How many people does she have? Did she take some of Qarths people? With their entire council dead it's probably a good time to find some recruits. Secondly, I thought Winterfell was surrounded by Starks and the 20 pirates took up Rob's offer to surrender Theon and go home free. But then the kids wake up and Winterfell is burned with nary a Stark troop to be seen. Was it Greyjoys outside the wall? Theon said he looked at them, I think he would have recognized Greyjoy banners. Were they flying false banners as an elaborate practical joke? That seems ... Costly.

So at the end of this season, Tyrion remains the main hero of the show. John Snow's been demoted on account of doing absolutely nothing. I really like Rob, Joreh, and the Onion Knight. The least likable person is obviously Craster. But, among the main cast that award goes to Joffrey. Him and Cersei seem to get more awful by the episode. 

It really is remarkable that there's someone I like on every side. Except the Greyjoys. Nobody likes the Greyjoys.

Click here for season three.