February 27, 2022
Sunday Meeting
5:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time
Discord: Valar
Guild/meeting_place
Back to News
Transcript work by Varda.
[times are Central Time from Varda's Discord. Add one hour for
Eastern.]
Attending (and typed): (5)
Discord: Arien, Ar-Pharazon (After-meeting), Eonwe, Sandalf13, Varda
(presiding)
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
Web:
Forum: we have a new post for our RP story
from Arien.
Gaming:
World of
Warcraft, Lord of the Rings Online
Tolkien:
Topic from Eonwe: Nienna and Melkor
Topic from Sandalf13:
Influence ratio of different characters in the books.
After-meeting:
(non)Flashgaming
Reviews (plus) by Ar-Pharazon. Includes Blizzard games.
top
Before-meeting
Varda
Yesterday at 4:00 PM
Aiya
[4:00 PM]
@Bounder Aiya! Time to say hi to old friends, maybe even chat
about gaming and Tolkien!
[4:01 PM]
Elen sila
lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:01 PM]
Membership:
[4:01 PM]
A batch of us are online, gaming. Yay!
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:02 PM
Ye! Utuvienyes! Hallo all!
Varda Yesterday at 4:02 PM
Aiya Sandalf : )
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:02 PM
Aiya Varda! Are you back aat home?
Varda Yesterday at 4:02 PM
I'm happy to be home again. : )
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:03 PM
Good for you! I hope your trip was safe, secure, and happy!
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:03 PM
Aiya all and Namarie to all who are going
Varda Yesterday at 4:03 PM
Hoping to play the great game of catch-up this week. ; )
[4:03 PM]
Aiya Sunshine!
[4:03 PM]
We just got here! : )
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:03 PM
Welcome home then
Varda Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Hantal!
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Hello.
Varda Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Any other membership news? Arien on vacation maybe?
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Aiya Eonwe!
Varda Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Eonwe, aiya!
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:04 PM
Aiya Eonwe I was back at work today for two weeks
Varda Yesterday at 4:05 PM
Here's hoping you make enough money working to keep you in gaming
too!
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:05 PM
that is i am working two weeks and then i ve got another two weeks
Varda Yesterday at 4:05 PM
Two on, two off?
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:05 PM
sort off xD
Varda Yesterday at 4:05 PM
Just glad you're here right now. : )
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:05 PM
just the remaining annual vacation
[4:06 PM]
och i am believe me i am
Varda Yesterday at 4:06 PM
hehe
[4:06 PM]
top
Web:
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:06 PM
"Och"...must be Scottish.
Varda Yesterday at 4:06 PM
I believe it's something like "Oh"
[4:06 PM]
And aye.
[4:07 PM]
The Forum has a post by Arien!
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:07 PM
Sounds like Garrison Keilor reporting that tghe Norwegians sayt
"uff dah"
Varda Yesterday at 4:09 PM
whoosh Right over my head, there.
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:09 PM
we have the nice expression "uff da da ump dah" ...
Varda Yesterday at 4:10 PM
Sounds like drumming. : )
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:10 PM
for stupid music indeed
[4:11 PM]
never mind that
[4:11 PM]
back to the meeting ~
Varda Yesterday at 4:12 PM
Hey now. What did the uff etc mean? : )
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:12 PM
oh it was just some nonsense sylabbles which were in a music video
.. tried to find it but could not
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:13 PM
As far as I know, Norwegian "uff dah" (sp) is close to Yiddish Oy
Weh, or perhaps "what a dumb head I am."
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:14 PM
kind of warrior dining in the post .. saw that actually Maligant
in First Knight was eating like Frali from tip of his knife .. but
without buckler as plate
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:15 PM
Yup. Could be like that too. Also maybe "oh crap."
Varda Yesterday at 4:15 PM
Onward to
[4:15 PM]
top
Gaming!
[4:15 PM]
Happy to have seen a few online that haven't been around for a
while. : )
[4:17 PM]
tosses the gavel to Eonwe
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:17 PM
Catches gavel
[4:17 PM]
World of Warcraft:
This week's Bonus Event: Battlegrounds.
Check out the following blogs:
[UPDATED FEBRUARY 22] Shadowlands: Eternity's End Content Update
Notes --- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23770462/updated-february-22-shadowlands-eternitys-end-content-update-notes
World of Warcraft
[UPDATED FEBRUARY 22] Shadowlands: Eternity's
End Content Update No...
Shadowlands: Eternity's End is now live!
[4:18 PM]
Shadowlands: Eternitys End Class Set Preview --- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23778646/shadowlands-eternitys-end-class-set-preview
World of Warcraft
Shadowlands: Eternitys End Class Set Preview -
WoW
Heres everything you should know about
obtaining and collecting Eternitys End new Class Sets when
Shadowlands Season 3 arrives.
[4:18 PM]
Shadowlands Season 3 begins March 1 --- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23778647/shadowlands-season-3-begins-march-1
World of Warcraft
Shadowlands Season 3 begins March 1 - WoW
Its time for the stouthearted to prepare for
combatthe third season of Shadowlands draws near.
[4:18 PM]
World of Warcraft News and Development Updates --- https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23780548/world-of-warcraft-news-and-development-updates
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft News and Development Updates
- WoW
Catch up on the latest World of Warcraft
release dates, news, hotfixes, and more in our update.
[4:18 PM]
Check out the latest hotfixes. ---
https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/news/23770463/hotfixes-february-25-2022
World of Warcraft
Hotfixes: February 25, 2022 - WoW
Here you will find a list of hotfixes that address various issues
related to World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, Burning Crusade
Classic, and WoW Classic.
[4:18 PM]
Lord of the Rings
Online:
[4:18 PM]
Update 32.0.1 came out this week. --- https://www.lotro.com/update-notes/lotro-update-32-0-1-release-notes-en
The Lord of the Rings Online
Update 32.0.1 Release Notes
Here are the release notes for Update 32.0.1,
released on Wednesday, February 23rd, 2022.
[4:18 PM]
There's a known issue with Hrνmil Frost-heart. --- https://forums.lotro.com/forums/showthread.php?692850-Known-Issue-Hiddenhoard-of-Abnank%C3%A2ra-Hr%C3%ADmil-Frost-heart
Known Issue: Hiddenhoard of Abnankβra - Hrνmil
Frost-heart
We are currently working to correct an issue
that can cause the Hrνmil Frost-heart encounter to not reset
properly if you are defeated after entering the Mind of the
Frost-heart. This will be corrected in the near
future and we apologize for the inconvenience.
Varda Yesterday at 4:19 PM
People are running the Hidden Hoard anyway. : )
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:19 PM
Thus ends my gaming news.
Varda Yesterday at 4:19 PM
Thank you, Eonwe. : )
[4:20 PM]
A small addition to LotRO:
[4:20 PM]
Lord of the Rings players in kin this past week:
Landroval:
Celebrian
Eonwe
Fangorn
Ioreth
Irmo
Nar
Nimrodel
Tulkas
Varda
Anor:
Eonwe
Fangorn
Varda
Shadowfax:
Varda
Treebeard:
Varda
[4:20 PM]
Any other games anyone would like to mention news for or comment
on?
[4:21 PM]
On to
[4:21 PM]
top
Tolkien!
[4:21 PM]
Eonwe spotted an interesting comment.
Go ahead!
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:21 PM
Thanks.
[4:22 PM]
So I was reading TVTropes, which is a wonderfully fun place to
waste your entire day should you have nothing more exciting to
do,...
Varda Yesterday at 4:23 PM
Or even if you do. ; )
[4:23 PM]
https://tvtropes.org/
TV Tropes
TV Tropes
TV Tropes, the all-devouring pop-culture wiki,
catalogs and cross-references recurrent plot devices, archetypes,
and tropes in all forms of media.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:25 PM
Can I attach a picture here, somehow? In My Character Development
chapter I am discussing Northrup Frye, the Canadian literary
critic who discussed the use of Archetypes in literature. Guess
where a friend in Omaha invited me to join her for coffee? THE
ARCHETYPE CAFE. I even took a picture. I doubt that Northrup Frye
ever made it there, however.
Varda Yesterday at 4:25 PM
How about after we get Eonwe's topic done. I think I linked wrong?
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:25 PM
And I decided to delve into some of the Fridge Logic sections.
Fridge Logic, in short, is when you what or read something, walk
away from it, then later, all of a sudden (like when you're
standing in front of your fridge), you start questioning things
you saw.
Varda Yesterday at 4:25 PM
The pic has to already be online to link.
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:26 PM
Fridge Brilliance is when you are standing there later and realize
something has an incredibly good explanation.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:26 PM
Alas, it is not, It is in my pictures folder only on my
laptop,,,,but it IS a good pictuyre!
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:28 PM
"Fridge Brilliance" is where I was this day, and I came to the
section on The Silmarillion, and one piece of fridge brilliance,
while I have seen nothing that could indicate it is the case, I
found the idea fascinating.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:30 PM
My fridge brilliance is trying to figure out which leftover is
still safe to eat. ha ha.
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:32 PM
In The SIlmarillion, we're told that except for three Valar, all
the others were paired off. These three unpaired are Melkor, Ulmo,
and Nienna. This piece of fridge brilliance suggests that Nienna
was supposed to be the spouse of Melkor (not Morgoth mind you,
Melkor).
Varda Yesterday at 4:32 PM
No one for Ulmo? : )
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:33 PM
He lived in the water..who wants to live in the water?
Varda Yesterday at 4:33 PM
Uinen, but she is a Maia.
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:33 PM
Apparently not, at least not in Ea. But he moves around alot
anyway, with no settled abode.
Varda Yesterday at 4:33 PM
Seaweed is her hair.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:33 PM
The Maia are less fussy.
[4:33 PM]
Perhaps Melkor's hubris got in the way of a budding relationship
with Nienna.
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:34 PM
When I look at the personalities of the two, I can't help but
appreciate the symmetry: Melkor is impatient, always rushing to
start things but never finishing them, while Nienna is so patient
she can teach it.
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:34 PM
Nessa was the spouse of Osse .. who was a wild Maiar attached to
Ulma wasn t she ?
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:34 PM
Someone who thinks of themselves too much makes for a poor partner
in a relationship, nicht wahr?
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:35 PM
Note also that when Melkor is freed after being imprisoned for
three Ages of the Trees, only Nienna speaks in favor of his
release.
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:35 PM
well not so wild i mean but she managed to control Osse a bit
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:35 PM
Thank goodness.
I saw firsthand the wrath of Osse once at sea, that I related to
Ar Pharazon last week after meeting.
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:36 PM
and Nienna was a maiden of Nessa if I remember rigbht?
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:36 PM
Nienna was a Valiλ, the sister of Irmo and Namo.
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:36 PM
maybe it was hoped that she could control Melkor a bit
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:36 PM
Good luck with that.
Varda Yesterday at 4:36 PM
This may help with the Nienna question: : )
[4:37 PM]
http://valarguild.org/varda/Tolkien/encyc/articles/n/Nienna/Nienna.htm
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:37 PM
"She is acquainted with
grief, and mourns for every wound that Arda has suffered in the
marring of Melkor." --- The Valaquenta
Varda Yesterday at 4:38 PM
Nienna is involved with Pity, Mercy, Compassion.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:38 PM
It must be tough to work with her in a meeting or
conference....she would be grieving all the time...maybe crying?
Wow.
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:38 PM
She was so sorrowful, she started crying before the AInulindallλ
was even done, and if this idea were true, you can imagine part of
it may be a bit of "You're going down a road I can't follow"
towards Melkor.
Varda Yesterday at 4:38 PM
She would be the one giving the compassionate suggestion in a
council meeting.
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:39 PM
right
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:39 PM
One would hope.
[4:39 PM]
If she cold stop grieving long enough...
Varda Yesterday at 4:39 PM
That actually works, Eonwe. If she was intended for Melkor, it
fits.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:39 PM
I think you are right on target, Eonwe.
Varda Yesterday at 4:40 PM
Pity/Nienna is one of those that Gandalf worked for.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:40 PM
Yes. There are some good pictures of Olorin talking to Nienna in
fan artwork.
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:40 PM
It makes it all the sadder if Melkor rejected her to try and get
with Varda, who of course rejected him flatly.
Varda Yesterday at 4:40 PM
In an early version, Nienna was sister to Melkor and Manwe, so
there was already a tie-in.
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:41 PM
it was with pity Bilbo using the ring .. he didn t kill
Gollum because he had pity with him
Varda Yesterday at 4:41 PM
Of course. ;) [Note: refers to Varda rejecting Morgoth.]
[4:41 PM]
Aye, Arien.
A major deciding factor of how good operates: pity, compassion.
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:42 PM
remember Gandalf said "it was because of this , that he started
his way with the ring with pity he was granted rich reward in
giving up the ring* .. thats paraphrased of course but it was
something like that
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:43 PM
Yes. I think that Tolkien's religious views on forgiveness and
redemption are evidenced in all of his writings.
And that is why among all the fathers of Men, the Noldor loved the
House of Beor, because they were moved sooner to pity and
compassion rather than laughter.
Varda Yesterday at 4:44 PM
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FridgeBrilliance
TV Tropes
Fridge Brilliance - TV Tropes
The Fridge Brilliance trope as used in popular
culture. You watch a movie and something about it just seems off,
you don't like it. One night, as you get up
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:45 PM
"So great was her sorrow,
as the Music unfolded, that her song turned to lamentation long
before its end, and the sound of mourning was woven into the
themes of the World before it began."
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:45 PM
I wish I could grow as much hair on top of my head as he can!
Varda Yesterday at 4:45 PM
Faramir was another who was like that. He and Denethor could see
the minds of men (understand) but Faramir was moved to pity rather
than contempt.
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:46 PM
"But she does not weep for
herself; and those who hearken to her learn pity, and endurance
in hope."
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:46 PM
Faramir LACKED his father's overweening pride (hubris).
Varda Yesterday at 4:46 PM
The sorrow was part of the weaving of the music that gave it far
more depth than the parts by Morgoth.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:47 PM
So sorrow and joy were woven into the tapestry of the Song of the
Ainur, even as Ecclesiastes says "there is a time for
everything..." of which Tolkien was certainly aware.
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:49 PM
So that's what I had to share. I found the idea fascinating, as I
said.
Varda Yesterday at 4:49 PM
A part of Fridge Brilliance: the viewer might be putting more
thought into it than the creator ever did.
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 4:49 PM
Aye.
Varda Yesterday at 4:49 PM
Thank you, Eonwe. That is intriguing, and amazingly probable.
[4:50 PM]
As the sister of the lords of death and of dreams, compassion fits
well.
[4:51 PM]
Sandalf, you had a subject you would like us to discuss?
Arien Valar Yesterday at 4:51 PM
interesting idea .. so let me try to define this fridge brilliance
.. a sudden unexpected aspect in a context that seems obvious
although you can not explain why that aspect is there at the
moment you think about it
top
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:54
PM
Yes. I mentioned to Varda that in Chapter Seven of my book, I am
studying the "influence ratio." I introduced the idea of the
influence ratio in my chapter on Denethor, Chap. 5. I define the
influence ratio as the number of times a minor character is
mentioned in the text divided by the actual number of chapters in
which they appear in the flesh, so to speak. Denethor, Elrond,
Galadriel all have VERY HIGH influence ratios. Not surprising,
although Denethor may be the most surprising of that group.
Interestingly enough, Hamfast Gamgee has a higher influence ratio
than a lot of other characters you might think of...
[4:54 PM]
What does it all mean?
Varda Yesterday at 4:58 PM
A particular point is being pushed. What point does each of these
minor characters bring out where they are shown?
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 4:59 PM
I agree. i believe that each of these characters has some
influence on the direction or course of action undertaken by a
"major" character in the plot, such as Sam or Frodo, or especially
Gimli vis-a-vis Galadriel.
Arien Valar Yesterday at 5:01 PM
right folks .. forgive Sandalf.. it s not your topic but i
am afraid i have to go as i am working an hour earlier to catch
some sleep
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:02 PM
Great! PLEASE - if you have any geologic references from the LoTR,
please send them to me ASAP! I am finishing up Chapter 3 for Varda
and need to include as many as I can. Thanks! Namarie!
Arien Valar Yesterday at 5:02 PM
Namarie for now !
Varda Yesterday at 5:03 PM
Namarie, Arien!
[5:03 PM]
It is the hour. : )
[5:06 PM]
It's hard to know which geologic references you don't have yet
until we can see it. But we could make a stab at it.
[5:07 PM]
Does the Hobbit count? : )
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:07 PM
Anything that relates to rocks, minerals, mountain ranges
(descriptive), faults, river courses/flows, and YES...the Hobbit
counts...BUT NOT THE SILMARILLION! Too geologically implausible to
sink mountain ranges beneath the wave...
Varda Yesterday at 5:08 PM
How about those giants flinging boulders about? : )
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:09 PM
Do we know what the boulders are made of?
Varda Yesterday at 5:09 PM
Mythology is born partly to explain what people see. Islands that
look like mountains rising up from below, for instance.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:09 PM
Could be of interest...where do the boulders come from?
Varda Yesterday at 5:09 PM
One presumes they pulled them from the same mountains around them,
since they were right there by their hands.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:10 PM
I note in my Intro to Chapter Three that by the time of the action
in the LoTR, the lands and the stories of the First and Second
ages are legends out of the dim and misty past...so the
Legendarium is, in a sense, only a legend, whereas the
Middle-earth of the LoTR is as "real" as one can get.
Varda Yesterday at 5:14 PM
One thing causing you problems is that this is fantasy, not
science fiction, with folklore and mythology. Intended as the
mythology for England since it had none of its own. Also, the
story gave reasons for the way his made-up languages worked.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:14 PM
Furthermore, Tolkien's view of the First and Second Ages is that
the world (Middle-earth) existed on a FLAT DISK...not a round
world. Totally ungeologic.
[5:15 PM]
I have enough dealing with the collision of two major plates
(Eriador-Gondor and Rhovanion), with the possibility of a third,
smaller plate (Gondor alone), and the volcanism of Mordor.
[5:16 PM]
I think I justify my exclusion of everything except the
Middle-earth of the Hobbit and LoTR pretty well in my text.
Varda Yesterday at 5:18 PM
Yep. : )
If one thinks of the flat disk as Pangea, wouldn't that help?
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:20 PM
No...I am walking a tightrope here. I want to make the geology of
Middle-earth as plausible as possible. I am only using the LoTR
and Hobbit version, because they seem the most "real" of all the
Legendarium. There are too many density differences to allow for
the sinking of Beleriand, or the drowning of Numenor, so I chose
to relegate those legendary events to the ash heap of history (to
borrow a phrase from Leon Trotsky) and concentrate only on the
real world of the LoTR/Hobbit.
Varda Yesterday at 5:21 PM
Ok, so Pangea breaking into continents when Eru separates Valinor
from other parts of Middle-earth won't work?
[5:22 PM]
Ah well. : )
[5:22 PM]
the gavel hops across the table and trips over a golden plate
[5:23 PM]
bonking the hammerpad
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:23 PM
No...because the round world was created at the end of the second
age, when Numenor was drowned. All we have left is a round world
of Middle-eaarth in the LoTR. There is a "straight road" to
Elvenhome, that allows the Elves to leave Middle'earth and return
to Valinor, that is no longer attached to the rest of
Middle-earth, so on that basis I did what I did.
Varda Yesterday at 5:23 PM
thump!!
[5:23 PM]
top
After-meeting!
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:23 PM
Bonk. I need to go home for dinner and come back later.
Mayber Ar Pharazon will join in later, as usual?
Varda Yesterday at 5:23 PM
Reasonable of you.
[5:24 PM]
He does that, aye. He makes his gaming report when he comes in.
Namarie and enjoy dinner!
Eonwλ Valar Yesterday at 5:24 PM
Later parts of HoME go into Tolkien's attempts to reconcile his
mythos with the (at the time) current understanding of natural
history. I'm pretty sure part of that touched on geology and
landmasses, but I'll be reminded of it soon enough since I'm
perusing the Histories recently.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 5:25 PM
I will look for him later. As usual, I eat the remains of my
Friday night salmon dinner on Sunday evening. It is all cooked and
ready to go...I just need to warm it up, then back to work on
Chapter 3 at the Telegraph Mill. Namarie! Thank you all!
[5:25 PM]
Thanks, Eonwe! Please let me know what you find! Namarie!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 5:52 PM
Aiya, catching up!
Varda Yesterday at 5:57 PM
Aiya, Phar : )
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 6:14 PM
As much as I like my lore pairings, Nienna and Melkor was not
something I'd thought of. In a way they do seem to be opposite
sides of the same coin.
[6:16 PM]
Also, while I would expect he's looked at it already, I recommend
the Atlas of Middle-Earth to Sandalf, which extracts and
extrapolates geological references from Tolkien's works as well.
And I think I mentioned it a few weeks ago as well, but it seems
to me that the geographical structure of Mordor and even its
vulcanism is not all natural, but rather part of Sauron's doings
[6:18 PM]
Final note, by coincidence I actually spent some time on tvtropes
myself earlier today
[6:19 PM]
Of course, if Sandalf is trying to rationalize all
geology, he might not accept Sauron as an answer
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:01 PM
Aiya Ar! Are you still here? I just checked in to the Telegraph
Mill for some evening tasty beverages, and thought I might catch
you here.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:02 PM
Yep, gaming a bit
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:02 PM
I went home for dinner after our first session. How are you? How
has your week gone? Was ist neu, wie man sagt auf Deutsch?
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:03 PM
Eh, same old. Worked a bit, gamed a bit, watched some tv.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:03 PM
How are you feeling? Is everything good?
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:03 PM
Pretty good, for a sunday.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:03 PM
Do you have to do any work on SUnday, or is it a day off for yo?
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:03 PM
Day off.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:04 PM
Wonderful! BTW, I am not aware of the Atlas of Middle-earth. Is it
a published volume, or is it online?
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:04 PM
Published.
[7:04 PM]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Atlas_of_Middle-earth
The Atlas of Middle-earth
The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad
is an atlas of J. R. R. Tolkien's fictional realm of Middle-earth.
It was published in 1981, following Tolkien's
major works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The
Silmarillion.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:04 PM
I wonder if there is a used copy online somewhere.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:05 PM
Might be. I ordered it from some online shop a few years ago, I
think.
[7:05 PM]
And by few, possibly 10-15. Time flies.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:05 PM
If you would be willing to give me your E-Mail address, I could
send you a copy of my Chapter Three - The Geology of Middle-earth
- to review pre-publication on the Valar Guild.
[7:06 PM]
Yes indeed. Time flies! Die Zeit fliegt!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:06 PM
Could do, but I hope there's no rush in it, will try to find time
when I can
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:06 PM
I am not able to send pictures or attachments on Discord, I
believe.
[7:07 PM]
Not a problem. I will send you a copy . Whoa...I have to write
down your E-Mail address. Hang on!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:07 PM
I messaged you my email.
[7:07 PM]
hehe
[7:08 PM]
Imagine what that looks like to someone who doesn't know Tolkien.
I've had to spell it many times
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:12 PM
I just sent you a "test" E-mail to see if I got your address
entered in correctly. I added you to my E-Mail contacts list. Wow!
I can actually do this stuff. Just today I was talking with a
friend at the Coffee House in downtown Lincoln (they close at
1500, or I would be there now...), and I remarked how my father,
who lived to age 99, was born in 1915....in Brooklyn, BEFORE there
was even RADIO! He learned how to use a computer in his last few
years. What a remarkable lifetime of changes.
[7:13 PM]
When my father was a boy, they still had horse-drawn wagons and
carts in Brooklyn...but they also had autos and trolleys.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:13 PM
Heh. My mom has no idea how to use the internet, nor does she want
to. She's got an old laptop without internet just so she can play
some games like patience and various versions of bejeweled, and I
have to be the one that installs them and show her how they work.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:14 PM
Is she unwilling to learn how to use E-Mail?
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:14 PM
My dad's a bit better at the internet, but still quite rusty, and
limited in his capabilities there.
[7:15 PM]
She doesn't have an email, everything goes through either mine or
my dad's.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:15 PM
Hang on a moment...I need to plug in my laptop. Please stand by.
[7:16 PM]
I am plugged in and back in business.
[7:17 PM]
I would suspect that your parents are younger than I am, based
upon your age. My youngest daughter is 40, and has three little
girls at home.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:18 PM
Yeah, they're mid-60s.
[7:18 PM]
ah, there you are, it had put you in spam
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:19 PM
I am curious as to why you picked Ar-Pharazon for a name. He was a
mortal, obviously, with all the weaknesses that being mortal
entails. He was seduced by Sauron,, but it seems that the majority
of the people in Numenor were ripe for the plucking in terms of
turning to evil.
[7:19 PM]
I am NOT spam! I am for REAL!
[7:19 PM]
he he.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:19 PM
Well, let me think... it's been a while, and I was kinda into the
whole bad guy thing when it came to fiction.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:20 PM
Your parents and I could probably share a few memories over a beer
sometime. Maybe someday? I still hope to do some traveling when I
quit work altogether.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:20 PM
And I assumed most of the good guys were already taken.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:20 PM
But you could have been Aragorn 15, or something...or whomever.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:21 PM
Nah, full Valarguild members are supposed to have unique
Tolkien-character-based names, I don't think we take Aragorn 2 to
15
[7:22 PM]
Anyway, Pharazon himself... struck me as a powerful figure, flawed
as he was.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:22 PM
Oy Weh! If I ever learn to do gaming, Varda said you might
consider me for full membership...but I have never played an
online game, anytime, anywhere, so I do not know how to start. I
have a new Lenovo laptop with an i7 processor and lots of memory,
but it is not a "gaming" computer.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:27 PM
And while Pharazon, and much of Numenor as a whole, was flawed and
ultimately had their downfall, it was still a pinnacle of a sort.
[7:27 PM]
Also I've developed a fascination with Numenor as a whole since
then, so I don't regret the choice
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:27 PM
Good for you!
[7:28 PM]
Sie sind ein guter Mann, und ich wόnsche nur gute Dinge fόr Sie!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:29 PM
Thanks
[7:29 PM]
You too!
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:30 PM
Vielen Dank! Back to English. I believe that Tolkien's deeply held
religious views, as a Catholic, informed all of his writing. I
also believe that Tolkien believed in the weakness of men/women,
but that we have to forgive the weaknesses of our nature. He was
big on pity, compassion, and forgiveness.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:31 PM
He was.
[7:31 PM]
And it's a good ideal.
[7:31 PM]
I'd also say that being aware of one's own weaknesses makes it
easier to forgive them in others.
[7:31 PM]
Glass houses and whatnot.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:31 PM
Over the years, I have learned to become more and more forgiving,
as I recognize weaknesses in myself, and still hope for
redemption.
[7:32 PM]
You are right!
[7:32 PM]
Meanwhile, in the real world, what do you think about the invasion
of the Ukraine?
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:33 PM
Frankly I was hoping we'd be able to get the Ukraine into nato
before it happened, and I was a bit shocked at the reasoning Putin
managed to give for the invasion, misinformed though it seems to
be.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:34 PM
I was always worried about bringing Ukraine into NATO. If we did
it, we should have done it as soon as Ukraine became its own
nation, back in the 1990s. My gosh...you were just a kid then!
[7:35 PM]
I believe your birth year is 1986?
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:35 PM
I'm not sure what his actual plan is; so far I've heard he intends
to overthrow the government there as considering it
non-democratic, though how he's going to put in a puppet
government on his own and claim it's more democratic than the old
one, I've no idea.
[7:35 PM]
Nor how long it'll last.
[7:35 PM]
'85. My birthday's in May.
[7:36 PM]
I do know enough about history to be reminded of the Warsawpact
business, though, and I don't know how far he's going to go in
making sure his puppets stay seated.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:36 PM
Ah! I was close. I think that Russia is going to lose in the long
run because of this. It will be more isolated than ever, and its
burgeoning friendship with China is problematic for China as well.
China still does most of its trading with the West, and I don't
think Xi wants to piss off Europe and the U.S. He may be sorry
about giving Putin support right now.
[7:36 PM]
But despite all Russia's best efforts, it still fell apart in the
1990s!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:37 PM
Well, I don't know. It's been 8 years since he took Crimea, and he
hasn't relented. I don't know what we can do to isolate him that
will actually make him reconsider anything. If we even bother to
act as harshly as we talk.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:38 PM
Time will tell. But it takes a little while for economic sanctions
to kick in. Be patient for a bit.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:39 PM
True.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:39 PM
Das Geduld ist eine Tugend! Patience is a virtue!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:39 PM
Yes, but it doesn't help Ukraine, does it?
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:39 PM
Unfortunately, no.
[7:40 PM]
You are right, of course.
[7:41 PM]
There ARE going to be lots of Russian casualties. We will see how
the Russian people feel about that.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:41 PM
True.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:42 PM
Feel free to write. I shall be back in a just a moment!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:42 PM
I think I'm gonna microwave me a chickenburger, actually... kinda
hungry.
[7:47 PM]
Back. Anyway, I can't be sure how much support he has from the
Russian people. He's spinned a nice yarn of propaganda about
protecting Russian people in the east of the Ukraine and
overthrowing a neofascist government. I've seen several Russians
agree with him online.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:47 PM
Good! I am back too!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:47 PM
*spun
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:48 PM
We don't, however, get to see too many of the opinions that are
opposed to him, given the nature of the Russian government right
now...
[7:48 PM]
Just ask Mr. Navalny!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:48 PM
Indeed.
[7:48 PM]
We just don't know.
[7:48 PM]
And the discontent needs to be pretty darn big for it to have any
effect.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:49 PM
I agree. Remember Winston Churchill's famous words...something
like "Russia is an enigma, wrapped in a conundrum, and surrounded
by a riddle.:" or something like that.
[7:50 PM]
Hey...even I wasn't born when he said that!
[7:52 PM]
BTW...I liked your idea about Sauron possibly rearranging Mordor
geologically to suit his needs. Do you think he had the power to
do that? I am not sure that even Melkor could change the shape or
face of Arda.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:53 PM
The Valar were pretty decent at shaping the world, putting up
pieces of land etc. Didn't Morgoth raise up Thangorodrim?
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:54 PM
I guess you are right, but Sauron was not as powerful as Melkor,
was he?
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:54 PM
Might be a bit beyond Sauron's power normally, but he had tricks
up his sleeve. Maybe with the use of the Rνng?
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:54 PM
I don't know...you will have to look at my chapter on geology and
tell me what you think when you get a chance.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:55 PM
Right
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:55 PM
I don't know if I told you...I am a Professional Geologist,
licensed in Nebraska AND Wyoming...I am having my chapter on M.E.
geology reviewed by another professional geologist to make sure I
am not overstepping any geologic realities.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:56 PM
Ah, interesting.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:56 PM
PG 0449 in Nebraska, and PG 1842 in Wyomming.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 7:56 PM
I knew about the professional thing, but getting it reviewed
should make it interesting.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 7:57 PM
The name of the reviewer(s) will appear in the published version
of my paper, as is typically done for geologic papers.
[8:01 PM]
Hey...I suspect you are tired. Please forgive me for keeping you
up. Hope you have a wonderful week ahead, and I will keep you
posted. Look for my Chapter Three later this week! Sei gesund! and
Namarie!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 8:01 PM
It's fine, still doing my gaming stuff and then the personal
report
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 8:02 PM
I do not want to intrude on your time. Sometimes I say too much,
as Merry says to Aragorn, when a jest is out of place.
[8:03 PM]
We had a heat wave here today...it got up to 45 F. Not bad for
late February! We should see 65 F on Tuesday, but then back to
cold later in the week.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 8:04 PM
Not sure how much that is in Celcius but it's been pretty warm
here for the time of year. I don't think we'll see any snow this
time around.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 8:05 PM
It seems to be warmer than usual everywhere this winter. When I
went skiing in Colorado in January, most of the black runs were
STILL closed due to a lack of snow. We are having a drought here
on the Great Plains. No snow since 1 January. I am really worried
about the groundwater, and how the farmers will fare this summer.
Things are not looking good.
[8:06 PM]
Most every morning this past week the morning temperature was
MINUS 18 C.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 8:09 PM
That.. is pretty cold.
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 8:14 PM
It gets that way here...but Spring is just around the corner, as
they say.
[8:15 PM]
I do not ride my bike to the CoHo at 0600 when it is that cold.
Call me a wuss, but I take my car when it is under 15 F.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 8:15 PM
hehe
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 8:15 PM
-9 C.
[8:17 PM]
But cold temperatures make the sap rise in the Spring, they also
say.
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 8:17 PM
Keeps it alert?
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 8:17 PM
Yes, he he.
[8:18 PM]
I need all the sap I can get!
[8:19 PM]
before I go....did you receive the test E-mail I sent you?
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 8:19 PM
I did, yep
Sandalf13 Yesterday at 8:20 PM
Thanks. I will leave you to your devices. Thank you for chatting
with me. Having a conversation with you across the ocean is a
wonderful way to end the weekend, so thanks. I hope you have a
great week ahead, again, and sei gesund! Namarie!!!!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 8:20 PM
Namarie!
[8:24 PM]
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Personal gaming report:
[8:25 PM]
For (non)flashgaming, https://www.kongregate.com/games/snowroadgames/gragyriss-captor-of-princesses
Kongregate
Gragyriss, Captor of Princesses
A strategy game about dragon life devour lambs,
grow stronger, raid settlements, fight weak humans, elves and
undead, kidnap beautiful princesses
[8:25 PM]
It's an old one, and I've linked it multiple times before, but I
still find it a fun game and I couldn't help play through it again
[8:26 PM]
You upgrade idle-ish resources, grass, sheep and wolves, and use
them to hatch and upgrade your dragon. Using the dragon you then
fight enemies on the map, collecting their gold and capturing 3
princesses which give you buffs, as well!
[8:27 PM]
If you're having trouble with some fights, just upgrade the dragon
more
[8:27 PM]
And there's a survival mode as well after you're done!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 8:42 PM
Blizzard gaming:
[8:43 PM]
Hearthstone:
level 115 on the reward track, getting bits of gold as I go
Managed to get enough to buy the Onyxia's Lair miniset, as well.
[8:44 PM]
Along the way, also got the Demon Hunter to level 52, and Marshal
rank in honor. 2 ranks to go!
[8:44 PM]
Brawl is the All-Star Squad: Choose a card, get 22 copies and 8
class spells in your deck.
[8:45 PM]
This time around I used Flik Skyshiv, the rogue legendary that
destroys a minion and all copies of it within the game, whether
it's board, hand or deck. If the opponent's chosen a minion and
you manage to survive long enough to play it, it can make for a
fun win
[8:46 PM]
In mercs, it seems the datamined quests for the event were true...
and I'm not bothering with it. Just doing my normal mercenary
playing.
[8:47 PM]
No new mercenaries gotten, but got the leveling underway for Sneed
and Ragnaros, as well as getting Brightwing to level 30.
[8:48 PM]
When I'm not working on a task for a non-30 mercenary, the current
target is the level 28 bounty which can give Anduin coins.
Hopefully not too long until another addition to the ranks!
[8:49 PM]
WoW:
[8:50 PM]
No raiding this week. Between last week's Sylvanas kill and this
week's patch, with the raid coming a week later, we took another
reset off.
[8:50 PM]
Weekly is battlegrounds, where I got enough honor to reach honor
level 91.
[8:51 PM]
Collected enough anima for the final weapon appearance from the
armor vendor, the Harp of the Wild Hunt. Next up is the armorset
from the Conservatory vendor
[8:52 PM]
Got stuff from Torghast! Finally got the Saurolisk soulshape from
the Adamant Vaults, and also ran into 2 new souls to rescue in
Torghast itself which were new in the patch.
[8:52 PM]
So now I've also got the Dragonhawk and the Pig soulshapes added
to my repertoire
[8:54 PM]
I've not set foot in Zereth Mortis, and am hoping I can just be
summoned to the raid next reset. Instead I've decided to continue
on the alts, so I can continue my plan of doing the covenant
campaigns before completing Korthia and then heading to Zereth.
[8:55 PM]
In doing so, I've completed Loch Modan on my mage, and most of
Bloodmyst, where she had 15(!) quests in her log still. No wonder
I ran into space shortage!
[8:56 PM]
In doing so she's reached 39. Next week I'll finish the last few
Bloodmyst quests at the Vector Coil, and then ship her back to
Azsuna to push forward to 45 again.
[8:56 PM]
And that's my report for the week!
Ar-Pharazon-V Yesterday at 9:09 PM
namarie!
Varda Today at 8:44 PM (Feb 28, 2022)
On the question of why Ar-Pharazon-(V) took his name, one big
reason was to repair the name after a previous Ar-Pharazon had to
be kicked out of the Valar Guild for horrible behavior. The name
had a bad taste to us all, until our Phar redeemed it. Thank you!
(edited)
[8:46 PM]
We prefer that those who use the villain names are very good
people who can play the name with a touch of humor and help make
gaming and text role-play fun.
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