(no subject)

[liadnan]

I think someone has poisoned me.

A nasty suspicion lurks in the back of what remains of my mind that the someone in question may, in fact, be me, but I have so far succeeded in pushing it away. In the meantime I have cleared all the major bits of work off my desk, or in a couple of cases kicked them into next month. Hurrah.

The schedule for the next seven days has become slighly more acceptable, as my mother rang this morning to tell me that the Winchester carol service was on Saturday and Monday rather than Thursday and Friday. She also decided to tell me at some length about the activities of the chicken which appears to have adopted them. It seems it has taken up residence on the verandah that runs the length of my parents' house, and hammers on the windows when it feels hungry. Of scenes like this was my childhood made.

I fear it will receive a nasty shock when, over Christmas, my parents' indolent two siamese are supplemented by (a) two more siamese brought up in the wilds of co. Durham and belonging to sister S. and family, though since they live on a farm they may know better; (b) a rescue cat belonging to sister K; (c) the Most Cantankerous Cat In Christendom, who survived on the mean streets of Bucharest before being rescued by my brother, whose heart is entirely too soft for his own good; (d) Possibly A Dog. Incidentally, I've just been discussing a case on ownership of cats with a friend... the Law of Beasts, we discovered, is a strange and marvellous thing, as much of it was hammered out in the medieval and early modern period (eg, can one distrain or exercise a lien against a cow who has strayed onto your land and eaten your grass: believe it or not this is actually relevant).

Comments

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

That's a lot of cats! I'm jealous and want more kittens for christmas now. I feel all inadequate with just two.

Can people own cats? I always thought that cats owned people.

[liadnan]

This was actually my final argument. I'm not actually sure it has even been decided whether cats are truly "mansuetae naturae" (tame animals).

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

Cats are not tame animals. I'm curious. What was the case about?

[liadnan]

Oh, my colleague's one is about ownership of a stray (old lady v. charity).

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

And did anyone ask the cat what they wanted? That's what I'd do. I'd put a representative of the charity at one end of the court room, the old lady at the other, and see who the cat ran to.

[liadnan]

Sadly, what is certainly true in the eyes of the law is that the cat has no say in the matter.

[marnameow.livejournal.com]

That's a *disgrace*! When I take over the world I'll be changing that. Actually, the kittens will be ruling then, so *they* will change it.

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

I'm desolated to have to contradict you but you really can't be allowed to take over the world. Nothing personal, I just don't like the idea of being ruled by kittens...they're too cute.

Mutant rabbits, otoh, are only somewhat cute and they would have to liberate humanity from overly cute kittens...

[liadnan]

That's alright Ritu, just keep taking the pills...

[talvalin.livejournal.com]

She's trying to find a suitable minion you see, and the pigeons and squirrels have already been spoken for. Apparently mutant rabbits may be the way forward, but I don't see it myself.

It's a shame about the squirrels, since if Ritu was able to use them she could claim that she had Rama/Vishnu on her side. This would obviously only sway the nutter fundamentalist Hindu faction in India... which seems to have a large number of members. Pity. ;)

Lal

[rparvaaz.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the explanation, Lalith. The rabbits show promise though. Still, more tinkering is needed. Currently it takes one of the Rrabits one minute to destroy 3 wombats. I need more destructive power, wielded far more effectively.

One last thing, I'd sooner ally myself with a communist than a communalist. :p

Ah, Marcus, I'd like some pain killers if you have any. I had a brain seizure this afternoon and, as a result, have spent the last three hours moving furniture and spring cleaning. I am in pain.

[etherealfionna.livejournal.com]

Uh, you don't suspect that it will take a run at the judge, lie down and fall asleep, pose for photos, or basically do anything cat-like rather than what you hope it will do?

[liadnan]

I now have a funny feeling that there may have been a case where the court -the judge, in other words- decided that while an ownership dispute was sorted out the cat would be taken by the judge,

[ex-quixotick955.livejournal.com]

How did you manage to poison yourself? Please don't tell me that you gambled on the expiration date of something again!

[liadnan]

Someone put something poisonous in my whisky.
It may have been more whisky.

[ex-quixotick955.livejournal.com]

Ooooooh! Well, *that* sort of poisoning I can understand. (I don't think girls gamble on expiration dates as often as boys do.) When I visit, I am sure we will have fun poisoning ourselves together! =o)