I’ve noticed that as well – probably because, as a man who (following an accident) had his testicles removed, I’m a bit sensitive. I guess you could call me a eunuch, but at least I am lucky to live in an age where testosterone injections provide me the ability to do more than scheme. 😉 I forget where I read it but the author did have fun with his eunuch – “the wretched eunuch’s ball-less sack hung empty like a drained wineskin.” Or something like that. I guess one should see the lighter side about these things – after all my balls are gone, not my sense of humor. 😉

ha ha! wrong again, weatherman! and yet like the weathermen, no one seems to fire the maesters for incompetence. hm. you may have just coined the analagy of the book

re the silks – like i said, a year ago i would never have questioned it either. 🙂

RE selmy – i have now read through the first day of the tournament, where he unseats knights 30 years younger. that pretty much says badass to me, and i haven’t even heard what he’s DONE with his prowess!

not much else to add, but thanks for always responding to me! glad you’re enjoying them and that you always have comments for a newbie. 🙂

If it makes you feel better the maesters do spend alot of time taking measurements, making charts, etc, in an effort to predict when winter is coming. They’re probably about as accurate as the local weatherman 🙂

if i were a feminist i would poitn out that every character who maligns lysa has been a man, and call it enough said.

since i’m not…i will say that i’m still suspicious of the designation just becuase i have read too many gothic novels where it was used to undermine someone’s autonomy or authority for the ends of others. and acknowledge that she might be batshit crazy, but that i won’t know until i meet her. 🙂

*** SPOILERS ***

I agree that Littlefinger had to know about the twincest. He’s just too clever and perceptive for me to believe he didn’t know. I think he had the basic outline of a plan: kill Arryn, blame Lannisters, profit. But I think Bran’s fall was a happy accident for Littlefinger. As he says, he thrives on chaos. He took the opportunity to further escalate the Stark-Lannister conflict and it worked out quite nicely for him.

well, that’s not very fun, is it, to have a magical winter? i prefer laughing at westeros’ lack of galileo.:)

I love that song! Also, Butterbumps for the win.

Personally I”m waiting for the Bear and the Maiden Fair

LOL!! I actually hope the tv show does that song!

***Spoilers***

@Lysa (chuckles)

It’s not so much I forgot her.. just that I’ve blocked everything she ever said, it was the only way to get rid of the “sex scene” cries. oh god.. there they are again… *shudder*

*** Spoilers ***

@Joey

Yea.. I can’t believe I forgot, seeing as that scene with the moon door is one of my favorites! (why are all the death scenes my favorites?) the only thing that could have made it better is if Sansa went out the door too!

*** Spoilers ***

@evilclosetmonkey

agreed on the poisons. perhaps one is a more concentrated form of the other? but those names def denounce different effects.

I still think Petyr knew about the incest and thought it would be a perfect cover for taking out Jon Arryn (as I believe he would eventually have succeeded in taking out practically the whole court had things not started taking care of themselves for him) which is why he instructed Lysa to write the letter accusing the Lannisters. Figuring either 1. an investigation would bring some things to light that could only benefit him or 2. start a conflict that might escalate to war that would also benefit him.

I, for one, forgive you. This time. If it happens again though, don’t be surprised when you hear the Rains of Castamere. 🙂

*** SPOILERS ***

I was at first confused about this as well but the Tears of Lys and the Strangler are two very different poisons. I believe the Tears make you sick and waste away making it look naturalish whereas the Strangler causes your throat to very quickly swell shut. I think the Tears are a liquid but the Strangler is definitely a dark purple crystal that dissolves it alcohol. Jon Arryn gets the Tears but Cressen and Joffrey get the Strangler.

Also, I don’t think Petyr and Cersei were plotting together. Littlefinger doesn’t exactly think highly of Cersei and there is no way he’d trust her with something like that. If I remember correctly, Cersei was happy to see Jon die but hadn’t actually gotten around to plotting his death yet. Littlefinger had him poisoned for his own reasons and Pycelle realized that Cersei would be happy to see Jon go (perhaps with some prompting from Littlefinger) and took it upon himself to make sure Jon didn’t recover.

*** END SPOILERS ***

Littlefinger is probably the most skilled player. Big events seem to always point back to him. (i.e. Jon’s death and Joffrey’s death.) I imagine that Littlefinger was plotting with Cersei on Jon’s death, which would explain why Pycel was instructed not to purge the poison. I thought tears of Lys and the strangler were one in the same. If so, Jon’s death would have been abrupt and not over time. Can anyone clarify this?

@Rachel – When I started rereading Game of Thrones I forgot it was Lysa too, so don’t feel bad. By the time we find out who did it, we don’t really care anymore. But Pycelle was kind of unwittingly in on it. He realized Jon Arryn was poisoned, and he assumed it was Cersei, so he sent Jon Arryn’s maester away and treated Jon himself – to make sure the poison worked. He admits all of this to Tyrion in Clash of Kings.

SERIOUSLY ELENA DON’T READ THIS

@Everybody

Well don’t I look dumb? Yes.. I forgot about Lysa being the one that actually administered the poison to Jon Arryn. I had misremembered it as Petyr being in on it, but it was Pycelle who did it.

Apologies all around. Sometimes I forget. It happens.

***Spoilers***

@Koby

Seven Hells… see my response to EvilClosetMonkey.

Should I be punished for forgetting something so important?

**Spoilers***

and now I realize i TOTALLY forgot about Lysa.

I am not on the ball. Forgive me humble readers. (I’m re-reading the 3rd book as we speak though so there’s.. that going for me.)

***spoilers***

@evilclosetmonkey

Oh yea.. how incredibly unclear am I? Wow. I actually meant he knew what was going on with the whole Jon Arryn/poison/Lannisters/incest.

Thanks for pointing that out!

haha, I love Inn at the Crossroads! One of these days (maybe for the finale) I’m going to put out a spread!

@Rachel: (Spoilers) Do you realize how confusing the mystery of Jon Arryn is, though? Because it seems as though the Lannisters and Pycelle did do it… But then Lysa says Littlefinger made her do it when she goes all Raynald of Châtillon on Sansa. So what happened? Was everyone poisoning Jon Arryn at the same time? Or was Lysa doing it, Pycelle found out, told Cersei, who then told him to let Jon die?
As for Littlefinger teaching Eddard about suspicion/paranoia – who do you think turned Lysa into what she is?