Valar Guild

March 19, 2023 Sunday Meeting

5:00 P.M. Eastern 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, which is Valar time and LotRO /servertime.]

Attending (and typed): (7)

    Discord: 
A
rien, Ar-Pharazon, Eonwe, Marigold (After-meeting), Pallando, Sandalf, Varda (presiding)
Before-meeting
Meeting begins
Membership news:
    Sandalf, Falathar, Fladrif, Ar-Pharazon
Web:

    .org currently unavailable, please use .net 
Gaming:
     World of Warcraft, Hearthstone, Diablo 4, Diablo Immortal, Lord of the Rings Online, Eve Online 
Tolkien:
    Topic: Effects of training by the Istari
After-meeting:
    Tolkien chat continues
    Names from Middle-earth show up in many places, including lizards and undersea formations.
    (non) Flashgaming Reviews (plus) by Ar-Pharazon. Includes Blizzard games.

 
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Before-meeting

Varda � Today at 4:00 PM
Aiya!

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:00 PM
Aiya! Just got in froM emptying another three boxes.

Varda � Today at 4:01 PM
Congratulations! You'll be moved in yet!

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:01 PM
Maybe next Fall. So many boxes to go through! I want to keep all the stuff, but I can't! What to do?

Varda � Today at 4:02 PM
Funny how we manage to stuff so much in an area over time.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 4:03 PM
Heya.

Varda � Today at 4:03 PM
Aiya Eonwe : )

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:03 PM
I am looking at the quote that I sent you last week...I could not rest until I found that quote.  I am glad that I did. The "Ye Utuviyenes" comes from Aragorn's exclamation to Gandalf when they went mountain climbing on Mt. Mindoullin and Aragorn found a sapling of the White Tree. Interesting how Aragorn reverted to his "native" Sindarin when he made an important personal discovery!
[4:04 PM]
Aiya Eonwe!

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:04 PM
Aiya!
to all!

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:04 PM
Aiya Ar!

Varda � Today at 4:05 PM
Good point. It probably was his normal speech, and he could use pretty much any language with Gandalf. Plus he and Gandalf had traveled extensively together even before the Fellowship.
Aiya Phar : )
@Bounder Valar Guild meeting time! Come on in!
[4:06 PM]
@Guilld-friend Time for the Valar Guild meeting fun! Come on over to Valar Guild/meeting_place
There we go, remembered the ping today. : )

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Elen sila lumenn' omentielvo!
[4:06 PM]

Membership:

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:06 PM
aiya all

Varda � Today at 4:06 PM
Aiya Sunshine!

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:06 PM
Aiya Arien!

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:06 PM
Aiya!

Varda � Today at 4:07 PM
Saw another member in LotRO that has long been absent, although we were not on at the same time.
Falathar-(V), son of Angrod-(V), son of Melkor-(Valar)   
[4:08 PM]
Third generation Valarite. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:08 PM
Becoming quite a bloodline!

Varda � Today at 4:08 PM
Figured you might enjoy hearing about that.

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:08 PM
nice one :)

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:08 PM
Fladrif last online 4 days ago, so still around.

Varda � Today at 4:09 PM
Good to hear
Hi to the Ent, and sorry his Discord is so uncooperative. Need him to creak the stage again.

Pallando-Valar � Today at 4:09 PM
Aiya

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:09 PM
In more sad news, our cat, Frodo, appears to be dying. He's about 15 years old, so not very surprising, they don't quite make it to hobbit ages.

Varda � Today at 4:09 PM
Aiya Blue Wizard! Good to see you!
[4:10 PM]
./hug

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:10 PM
Thanks

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:10 PM
Aiyta Pallando!

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:10 PM
Aiya Pallando!
I suspect I'll not need to tell you who we named him after all those years ago!

Varda � Today at 4:11 PM
: )

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:11 PM
Aiya Pallando

Varda � Today at 4:12 PM
Any other membership news we'd like to pass along?
[4:13 PM]

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Web:

[4:14 PM]
We have not yet heard back on any further progress on regaining the valarguild.org domain, although the attempt is still ongoing.
Thanks to Pallando, we have valarguild.org and the webspace to put it on.
If you have an old link that's broken, try typing .net where it says .org

https://valarguild.org/
    Valar Guild
    an international society of Tolkien appreciators and
    gamers.

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:15 PM
I have noticed that although the site itself can be opened, it is not yet possible to read any of the articles or stories on it....or am I missing something?

Varda � Today at 4:15 PM
You are not.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 4:15 PM
Work is still ongoing to get everything up and running.

Varda � Today at 4:15 PM
We have them, but you may need to type .net to reach them, rather than .org

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:15 PM
Ah. Thank you.

Varda � Today at 4:16 PM
Besides the family of Alatar,

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:16 PM
I have been using valarguild.org     The opening page looks exactly like it should, but if I try to dig deeper, all I get are blank pages.

Varda � Today at 4:16 PM
Pallando, Eonwe, and myself are working to get this thing up and working.

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:16 PM
Wonderful! Thank you for your no doubt very hard work!

Varda � Today at 4:16 PM
Yes, Sandalf, because we were hoping to have them all linked back to org but that hasn't happened yet.
[4:17 PM]
Many thanks to Eonwe and Pallando!
You should find more links working today, but not nearly all of them yet.
[4:18 PM]
Articles by Subject are starting to be reachable, although not the other article systems yet.
[4:19 PM]
but do try the link you want and test it with .net   Let us know if you can find it.
This is a good time to check.
[4:21 PM]
Alt + tab and try your link on your browser. Let us know if you can make it work. The intention is to have everything working properly again but it will take a while.
[4:22 PM]
On to

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Gaming!

[4:22 PM]
Your gavel, Eonwe : )

Eonw� Valar � Today at 4:23 PM
Thanks.

World of Warcraft:
This week's Bonus Event: Battlegrounds.

This week's PvP Brawl: Gravity Lapse.
[4:23 PM]
Patch 10.0.7 goes live Tuesday ---
https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23923483/dragonflight-the-1007-content-update-goes-live-march-21

Patch Notes for 10.0.7 ---
https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23923813/dragonflight-1007-content-update-notes
    World of Warcraft
    Dragonflight: The 10.0.7 Content Update Goes Live March 21 - WoW
    Prepare to journey back to the Forbidden Reach for new adventures, collect two new Heritage Armor sets for the orcs and humans, embrace a new journey as a new goblin,
        Lightforged draenei, or worgen Monk, and more.

    World of Warcraft
    Dragonflight: 10.0.7 Content Update Notes - WoW
    The Dragonflight 10.0.7 content update arrives to World of Warcraft on March 21!

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:23 PM
it works fine for me

Varda � Today at 4:24 PM
(Thank you, Arien!)

Eonw� Valar � Today at 4:24 PM
The Micro-Holiday Un'goro Madness is going ---
https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23823433/micro-holiday-ungoro-madness
    World of Warcraft
    Micro-Holiday: Un�Goro Madness - WoW
    The dinosaurs of Un'Goro are getting restless. Pay them a visit during the Un'Goro Madness micro-holiday March 17�19.

[4:24 PM]
Hotfixes ---
https://worldofwarcraft.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23892230/hotfixes-march-17-2023
    World of Warcraft
    Hotfixes: March 17, 2023 - WoW
    Here you will find a list of hotfixes that address various issues related to World of Warcraft:
        Dragonflight, Wrath of the Lich King Classic, Burning Crusade Classic, and WoW Classic.

[4:24 PM]

Hearthstone:

Hearthstone's Next Expansion will be Festival of Legends ---
https://hearthstone.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23921497/announcing-festival-of-legends-hearthstone-s-next-expansion
    Announcing Festival of Legends, Hearthstone�s Next Expansion!
    E.T.C. is putting on the biggest concert Azeroth has ever seen in Hearthstone�s most jam-packed expansion yet!

[4:25 PM]
Patch 25.6 is out ---
https://hearthstone.blizzard.com/en-us/news/23921496/25-6-patch-notes
    25.6 Patch Notes
    Patch 25.6 sets the stage for Hearthstone�s next expansion: Festival of Legends!

Diablo 4:
Open Beta is going available March 24-26, with Early access for those who pre-purchased runnign March 17-19 ---
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/diablo4/23916442/your-guide-to-the-diablo-iv-open-beta
    Your Guide to the Diablo IV Open Beta
    The Open Beta draws near! Pre-purchase Diablo IV and receive Early Access. Read on for more details.

[4:25 PM]

Diablo Immortal:
Patch Notes ---
https://news.blizzard.com/en-us/diablo-immortal/23826549/diablo-immortal-bug-fixes-and-patch-notes-for-all-platforms
    Diablo Immortal Bug Fixes and Patch Notes for All Platforms
    We will continually update this blog with all bug fixes and patches the team implements for Diablo Immortal on all platforms.

[4:26 PM]
And that's it for today's gaming weather. Back to the studio with Varda.

Varda � Today at 4:26 PM
Thanks : )
[4:26 PM]

For
Lord of the Rings Online:
Landroval:
Bregalad/Quickbeam
Eonwe
Falathar
Fangorn
Nar
Pengolodh
Varda

Crickhollow:
Eonwe
Fangorn
Varda

Shadowfax:
Varda

Treebeard:
Varda
.
[4:26 PM]
Please note Falathar in that group. : )
[4:27 PM]

Starcraft 2:
Eowyn, Fangorn, Faramir, and others of you that I don't know about.
[4:27 PM]

Pallando has an Eve Online report. Go ahead, Pallando!

Pallando-Valar � Today at 4:27 PM
So in Eve we've had some major developments recently, with alliances being broken and Shadow Wars beginning
[4:28 PM]
but first I want to point out something that's going on right now which is the Captain's Cup tournament. We're just about at the end of the day, but there's at least 2 matches left still, which can be watched at
https://twitch.tv/ccp
    Twitch
    CCP - Twitch

Varda � Today at 4:29 PM
Wow, thanks!

Pallando-Valar � Today at 4:29 PM
I was on the analyst desk and doing some commentary yesterday and earlier today, since my team sadly didn't make it to this round of the tournament, losing our matches last month.
[4:30 PM]
The finals weekend will be next weekend, and this format means there's lots of matches and explosions and it's great fun.

Varda � Today at 4:30 PM
But you got to do commentary and be an analyst? Sounds important.

Pallando-Valar � Today at 4:31 PM
Back to more general Eve news, the militia alliances between Min/Gal and Cal/Amarr have split, making factional warfare a set of two isolated conflicts, with Minmatar vs Amarr and Gallente vs Caldari. Cal/Min and Amarr/Gal have signed NAPs, making for some very interesting politics.
[4:32 PM]
At the same time, there's a new event, the Shadow War, where all of the Empires are trying to build shipcasters. To do so, they need to steal the appropriate tech from their rivals. The Gallente didn't do well at the first stage of this back around October, so they have no tech and must research both of the needed techs to start production on their shipcaster.
The event is really well designed and some of the best fun I've had in Eve in quite awhile.

Varda � Today at 4:33 PM
A lot going on!
What is a NAP?

Pallando-Valar � Today at 4:33 PM
Also there's some nullsec war where Goons are invading Frat (cc @Elrond )
Non-aggrssion pact
[4:34 PM]
which all sides are promptly violating the spirit of by sending "independent" pilots to steal tech from each other.
Ahh, politics.

Varda � Today at 4:34 PM
heh

Pallando-Valar � Today at 4:35 PM
I think that's it for me.
As ever, join Eve I can hook you up we're awesome spaceships rock.

Varda � Today at 4:35 PM
You tell 'em!

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:36 PM
hmm why is fictional game- related politics so much more fun than real life politics , sigh?

Varda � Today at 4:36 PM
Because, like fictional monsters, they don't actually hurt us.
Just a bit of adrenaline and fun with strategies.
[4:38 PM]
Play is practice for real life, without as much damage. ; )
[4:38 PM]

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On to
[4:38 PM]

Tolkien!

[4:39 PM]
Have we suggested enough thoughts to bring related Middle-earth events to mind yet? : )
[4:40 PM]
Fun thing about JRRT, he covered pretty much everything, if we look hard enough.
[4:41 PM]

Gandalf and the other Istari came to Middle-earth to train the residents to handle problems they thought beyond them, given a little help.
[4:42 PM]
Who would expect some hobbits to beat down a Maia? : )
So yes, as Arien mentioned, there's escapism involved, thank Eru.
Because we can see the people rising to meet the threat, learning.
[4:43 PM]
Do we have any examples of the folk learning anything so they could handle problems on their own?

Varda � Today at 4:44 PM
Maybe some that could even be escapism in a fashion for the reader?

Eonw� Valar � Today at 4:44 PM
Lobelia taught them Chief's ruffians a thing or two? Oh, that's not what you meant.

Varda � Today at 4:45 PM
It is!
She did indeed come out swinging with her umbrella, wasn't it?
[4:46 PM]
Standing up to those so much more powerful than oneself. Gaining respect where she did not have it before, despite not being able to win.
Nordic victory : )

Eonw� Valar � Today at 4:46 PM
Merry and Pippin learned about real warfare and brought that knowledge home with them to drive out Sharkey's men and free the Shire.

Varda � Today at 4:47 PM
True. And it helped them when they had to lead their own people in peacetime as well.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:47 PM
Hmhm, the 4 hobbits picked up a few tricks.

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:47 PM
Sam's devotion to Frodo and the destruction of the One Ring, as they traversed the terrible  lands leading them to Mount Doom...he learned, or at least enhanced, his fortitude through his listening to, and learning from the Men and Elves that he encountered along the way.

Varda � Today at 4:47 PM
Yes they did, Phar. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:48 PM
Frodo learned how to be a mayor from travelling a large distance with a heavy burden around his neck, as mayors do!

Varda � Today at 4:48 PM
Aye, Sandalf

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:49 PM
Legolas and gimli learned to overcome the traditional enmity between their races even when it was by gandalf' s request

Varda � Today at 4:50 PM
They begrudged being helpful at the gates of Moria, but later learned to like each other and even game together in war.
Legolas saw Gimli's reverence for Galadriel, a turning point.
[4:51 PM]
On Gimli's side, it was more gradual.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 4:52 PM
Well aside from one bad egg, the Noldor seemed to be able to better get along with Dwarves than the Sindar in general.

Varda � Today at 4:52 PM
Admiration for Gimli's ability to use beautiful words to describe the Glittering Caves.
[4:53 PM]
Aye, as it was a Sindarin king that was murdered by dwarves over the necklace so they didn't have to return it.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:53 PM
Never trust a dwarf!

Varda � Today at 4:53 PM
heh

Eonw� Valar � Today at 4:53 PM
Galadriel having a clear appreciation for Dwarven history and culture no doubt helped to win over Gimli.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:53 PM
(as far as you can toss em)

Varda � Today at 4:54 PM
Aye, Eonwe. She spoke of the great places of the Dwarves.

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:54 PM
Yes...that is true, but I think that Gimli's sudden devotion to Galadriel was a direct result of his hearing her address him in Dwarvish..."And the Dwarf, hearing the names given in his own ancient tongue, looked up and met her eyes; and it seemed to him that he looked suddenly into the heart of an enemy and saw there love and understanding."

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:54 PM
. what the hell is doing a dwarf travelling in the company of elves scratches head?

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 4:54 PM
I know, you'd have to be one suicidal RPer  ;)

Varda � Today at 4:54 PM
Aye, Sandalf.

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:55 PM
:)

Sandalf13 � Today at 4:55 PM
From that moment on, Gimli became one of Galadriel's greatest admirers. Remember that it was Gimli who was most offended by Eomer's insult of the Elves of Lothlorien, likening Galadriel to a witch...long before Legolas took offence.

Varda � Today at 4:56 PM
Aye
[4:57 PM]
Later Eomer decided to take up for the honor of Arwen as the greatest lady, vs Gimli's Galadriel. It was the changing of the times.

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:58 PM
I remember smiles "sorry to have to disappoint you, but i cannot agree that galadriel is the irest elf lady. *

Varda � Today at 4:59 PM
: )

Arien  Valar � Today at 4:59 PM
but let me first explain: i d have to give that honor to Arwen as i prefer evening to daylight paraphrase end

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:00 PM
Good call. I'll back him up on evening.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:00 PM
Gimli was the one who suggested the evening to daylight comparison as I recall.

Varda � Today at 5:00 PM
Aye, Gimli realized the time of Man was on the rise and the others on the wane. It was not just the Elves.

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:01 PM
Yes. Gimli remarked that he foresaw that his heart was given to the morning (Galadriel) but that he sensed that soon it would be passing...

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:02 PM
Or rather, evening to morning, aye Sandalf.

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:04 PM
"You have chosen the Evening; but my love is given to the Morning. And my heart forebodes that soon it will pass away forever." Gimli to Eomer.

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:04 PM
funny enough it is a cycle that repeats itself .. the eternal weel , first it descends then it grows again ... sunlight is giving way to moonlight and then sunlight comes again .. it is a perpetuamobile

Varda � Today at 5:04 PM
Nice word. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:05 PM
Not a word I've heard, but things like sinus and amplitude/frequency come to mind

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:05 PM
As long as Gimli doesn't start singing....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dh7LJDHFaqA
    YouTube
    The Hound + The Fox
    You Are My Sunshine (Lullaby Version) | The Hound + The Fox

Varda � Today at 5:06 PM
hehe

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:06 PM
i wonder whether that means that the elves or their descendants who survived wuld have been on the rise and build up a shadow again of Lothlorien or Rivendell or any of the other elven kingdoms to wane again and so on until the last battle comes

Varda � Today at 5:08 PM
They are building up the Elves in a fashion in Valinor.
For instance, they were able to join with the Valar in the great battle.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:08 PM
After the Third Age, Elvish Fading sped up, so unless they... increased with purpose... they probably couldn't have kept above ZPG.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:09 PM
They were slow in multiplication to begin with, so I doubt they were very motivated.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:09 PM
Trying to recall the numbers, because I don't have the book in front of me.

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:09 PM
4 One generation passes away, and another generation comes;
But the earth abides forever.
5 The sun also rises, and the sun goes down,
And hastens to the place where it arose.
6 The wind goes toward the south,
And turns around to the north;
The wind whirls about continually,
And comes again on its circuit.
7 All the rivers run into the sea,

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:10 PM
For the Noldor in ME, the rate was 100 human years = 1 elvish year. I think for others it was 1:75. After the Third Age I think it dipped as low as 1:50.

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:10 PM
Yet the sea is not full;
To the place from which the rivers come,
There they return again.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:10 PM
"hastens", eh? Sun goes around on the other side at the same speed as this one...

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:11 PM
Yes. Geologists are big on cycles. Tolkien was well-aware of the Book of Ecclesiastes, no doubt.  "Vanity of vanity, all is vanity..." or Futility, depending upon how one wants to translate the original Hebrew.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:11 PM
And as Phar said and I alluded to, Elves were already slow in "increasing their numbers", as Tolkien put it, by that time.

Varda � Today at 5:15 PM
We have reached the hour. : )
plus a quarter more

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:15 PM
Elves "faded" around physical age 96-ish, which for Noldor in Exile would be about 9600 years of the Sun.  After the Third Age, that'd be cut down to as low as 4550 years of the Sun, and keep in mind most Elves would already be near that threshold. Children were born in the physical age 20-ish to 75-ish range.
[5:16 PM]
Again these ages aren't set in stone. Different Elves based on their biology and how they lives are going to vary that just like us puny mortals. (edited)

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:18 PM
This conceit also applies to the lives of Men. I have always been interested in the growth of the Dunedain (Numenoreans) versus other mortal men. Dunedain lived far longer that most mortals; does that suggest that they matured and developed as children much more slowly than other men? And, if so, it was highly unusual for Aragorn to come to manhood so early (Elrond notes that Estel was "early come to manhood"). Why, I wonder.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:19 PM
I'm pulling these from memory, but so you all know, It's from "The Nature of Middle-Earth". (edited)
[5:20 PM]
Dunedain had a.. I think it was 3/5 aging ratio once they reached adulthood.
Phar can back me up on these numbers. I know he was perusing it around the same time I was :}
[5:21 PM]
I just don't have my book handy, heh.

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:21 PM
This suggests that as children they developed at the same rate as all other mortal children...but then we have the Hobbits (also of the second-born) who did not reach adulthood until age 33.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:21 PM
First of all, that was quite a while ago, and I may not have seen that specific section.
Second of all, I don't have it handy either  ;)

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:21 PM
I thought you might remember the Dunedain part at least :}

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:22 PM
Then I've probably not seen it, because I probably would

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:22 PM
Lol, fair enough :} I was sure it was in there with the dancing bears, but maybe not :}

@Sandalf13
This suggests that as children they developed at the same rate as all other mortal children...but then we have the Hobbits (also of the second-born) who did not reach adulthood until age 33.
Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:23 PM
We should probably separate physical maturity from when their society considers them an adult.

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:24 PM
I don t know that part but i remember that the Dunedains' lifespan was at least in the beginning 3 times that of ordinary men .. and I remember Aragorn saying to eomer i think it was "I am older than my looks"

Varda � Today at 5:24 PM
Wasn't it the age of 50 for hobbits?

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:24 PM
50 was when they started looking "settling down"
[5:25 PM]
At least Hobbit men, by early version of FoTR that I'm recalling.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:25 PM
Yeah, Hobbit "tween" years were kinda like our teens/young adolescence.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:25 PM
33 is when they were considered an adult in Hobbit society.
Pippin was 29 if memory serves.
[5:26 PM]
And if memory isn't serving, I don't know why I'm remembering he was 29.

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:26 PM
Good point. As regards Elrond's thoughts about Estel reaching manhood "early," I suspect that points out that most of the Dunedain did not reach manhood until sometime in their later 20s....suggesting a slower rate of mental and physical growth. Then again, modern studies suggest that modern men do not achieve a fully adult brain until their mid-20's. It happens earlier for women, who are, perhaps, more highly evolved than men!

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:26 PM
No they're not.

Varda � Today at 5:26 PM
It's not higher evolution, just different needs.
[5:27 PM]
Anyway, the age of adulthood did indeed differ across the groups, and even individuals.

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:27 PM
The argument is that in carrying the Y-Chromosone, the chromosone that holds all the "junk" DNA, men have not evolved as far as women, who have managed so shed all that junk DNA. At least that is what biologists suggest...

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:27 PM
I've also seen other studies that say both men and women don't achieve "full maturity" until their mid-20s.

Varda � Today at 5:27 PM
But we have reached the hour, plus nearly half of another, and we need to let some folk eat and sleep for some reason. Not sure why...

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:27 PM
I've seen plenty of remarks that men never reach full maturity to begin with  :)

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:28 PM
That is great, Ar!!!!! Ha ha ha ha ha...

Varda � Today at 5:28 PM
and some women as well, Phar. ; )

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:28 PM
I can certainly fall into that category!

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:28 PM
i have actually a surprise day off tomorrow , Varda ^^

Varda � Today at 5:28 PM
the gavels are on the increase!

Great, Arien. : )

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:28 PM
Maybe humans do take about 100 years to reach maturity.
Just most of us never get that far.

Varda � Today at 5:29 PM
they approach the hammerpad in a line abreast
They face an equal number of hammerpads!

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:29 PM
Like the brooms in the Sorcerer's Apprentice, by Dukas?

Varda � Today at 5:29 PM
but there is only one...
thonk!

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:29 PM
Well that depends on who you're assuming is the baseline for  "maturity". If women are going to be used as the baseline, that's not going to take the separate historical and biological imperatives of men into consideration.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:29 PM
Now I'm hearing the song in my head, thank you Fantasia

Varda � Today at 5:29 PM
Middle-earth has mirrors.

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After-meeting!

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:30 PM
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/98425690877104128/1087141146276417616/Untitled.jpg

Varda � Today at 5:30 PM
I am a woman and a biologist. Women and men are different, but they all mature. Yay!
[5:31 PM]
Fantasia! [Note: refers to image above from Sandalf.]

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:31 PM
on the note of that ever descending and growing wheel a piece that was ever in my head since and the picture is a very famous one by the way by one of my favorite painters ..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GXFSK0ogeg4
    YouTube
    Beatriz
    Carl Orff - O Fortuna ~ Carmina Burana

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:32 PM
https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/98425690877104128/1087141543636385933/images.jpg
[5:32 PM]
oops....

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:33 PM
If you're going to say laughing at things that women find stupid is "immature" I would suggest that if you were a cave man who spent your entire day with the stress of finding food for your family and trying not to die and leave them without a means of protection and sustenance, balancing the risk and reward of going after the same mammoth as the sabertooth tiger that you know is also stalking you, you're going to find ways to release that stress. Now, there are a couple of good ways to release stress, and humor is one you can count on.

Varda � Today at 5:33 PM
Yay humor!

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:33 PM
And thus, fart jokes were born.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:34 PM
Indeed to both.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:34 PM
"Not in the cave!"

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:35 PM
giggles

Varda � Today at 5:36 PM
anyway, we're in After-meeting, so please feel free to grab snacks, supper, and game!
[5:37 PM]
O wow. Marigold is on in Discord too. : )

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:37 PM
When you're risking your life on a daily basis, you're going to find something to laugh at, because those other stress relievers can't always be counted on. And I'll leave it there.

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:37 PM
hello to Marigold

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:39 PM
And heya to Marigold.

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:39 PM
i think without jokes and humour mankind would go completely gaga or not go anywhere for very long .. a very wise man once said *every day we haven t smiled on is a lost day"
[5:40 PM]
so one of my aims is to make as many people smile at least once a day so their day isn't lost

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:41 PM
That... really fits a wholly different kind of music than the one you linked up above
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQKaAlMNvm8
    YouTube
    My Little Pony Official
    My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic � �Smile Song� Official Music V...

[5:41 PM]
So this is Arien?

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:42 PM
:)

Varda � Today at 5:42 PM
o man. There really is a Smaug giganteus. Can't say science has no sense of humor.
https://reptile-database.reptarium.cz/species?genus=Smaug&species=giganteus
    The Reptile Database
    Smaug giganteus

[5:43 PM]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_girdled_lizard
    Giant girdled lizard
    The sungazer (Smaug giganteus, syn. Cordylus giganteus), also known as the giant girdled lizard, giant dragon lizard, ouvolk, or giant zonure, is the largest species of the Cordylidae, a family of lizards from sub-Saharan Africa. This threatened species is endemic to Highveld grasslands in the interior of South Africa. In 2011, it was assigned t...

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:44 PM
there are a lot of geologic names based upon words found in the LoTR.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:44 PM
Have we created mithril yet?

Varda � Today at 5:45 PM
Aye, lots of fun names out there.

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:45 PM
We have titanium alloys. Does that count?

Varda � Today at 5:45 PM
may-be : )

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:45 PM
Titanium is what, strong as steel at like 1/3 the amount? I forget the exact numbers.

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:45 PM
No... mithril is still out there...see my Chapter 3 for the latest discussion?
[5:47 PM]
Ti is lighter than Fe, so is added as  an alloy to make stronger, lighter steel...some authors have suggested that mithril is, indeed, Ti, but that cannot be, as Ti is still too heavy to be mithril, and it cannot be beaten and worked the way that mithril apparently can

Varda � Today at 5:48 PM
But as an alloy?

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:48 PM
I suspect that mithril has some component of Ti in it, along with some other elements.
Mountains

    Three mountains in the Cadwallader Range of British Columbia, Canada: Mount Shadowfax, Mount Gandalf and Mount Aragorn.[36][37]
    On 1 December 2012, a bid was launched for the New Zealand Geographic Board to name a mountain peak near Milford Sound after Tolkien to mark Tolkien's 121st birthday.[38]

Marine features

Several undersea features in the North Atlantic Ocean, west of Ireland and south of Iceland,[39] including:

    Eriador Seamount[40]
    Rohan Seamount[41]
    Gondor Seamount[42]
    Fangorn Bank[43]
    Edoras Bank[44]
    Isengard Ridge[45]

At least three seamounts in the Indian Ocean, including:[46]

    Eye of Sauron[46]
    Barad-d�r[46]
    Ered Lithui[46]

Varda � Today at 5:53 PM
How very cool. : )
Thanks!
[5:54 PM]
I need to go cook. Hope to be around later!

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:54 PM
Me too! (Bad English)
I also

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:54 PM
My time to go has come as well.

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:54 PM
enjoy cooking and eating :)
[5:55 PM]
and working ^^

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 5:55 PM
Namarie, enjoy all that :)

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:55 PM
Eating and cooking.,.always good things! Be back later to read Ar's report!

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:55 PM
and sleeping of course

Eonw� Valar � Today at 5:55 PM
Take care all and have fun.

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:55 PM
Oh to be a baby again...life was so simple....but hardly much fun.

Arien  Valar � Today at 5:55 PM
Namarie all :)

Sandalf13 � Today at 5:55 PM
Namarie!

Varda � Today at 5:57 PM
oh, need to give credit where it's due! Sauron-(Valar) saw the lizard joke and I checked on it and found it was for real. : )
back down the stairs again!

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 6:00 PM
Must resist urge to link more MLP songs/remixes...
[6:03 PM]
One more, because she's my favorite  (also my avatar)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlXWHkS7Tbw
    YouTube
    Topanga Villanueva
    Luna's Future

Varda � Today at 8:03 PM
Dramatic

Sandalf13 � Today at 8:14 PM
Hallo all! Aiya!

@Varda
O wow. Marigold is on in Discord too. : )
Marigold � Today at 8:18 PM
Aiya to all! I've missed the meeting, had Discord up, and then was tempted by warmer than normal temperatures outside

Varda � Today at 8:18 PM
Aiya Marigold!
Yay for lovely days. : )

Sandalf13 � Today at 8:18 PM
Aiya Marigold!

Varda � Today at 8:20 PM
You made it to After-meeting. : )
 [Note: and there was fun side chat. :)  ]

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Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 8:41 PM
Aiya!

Personal gaming report!
[8:43 PM]
For (non)flashgaming, here's
https://www.kongregate.com/games/toweld/four-color-theorem-coloring-puzzle-game
    Kongregate
    Four Color Theorem - Coloring Puzzle Game
    In mathematics, the four color theorem, or the four color map theorem, states that, given any separation of a plane into contiguous regions, producing a figure...

[8:44 PM]
A puzzle game demonstrating the theory that on any map, any plane, no more than 4 colors are needed to color all possible regions without any adjacent regions having the same color.
It's math, but also fun!
[8:46 PM]
There's a bunch of standard levels that you have to color in, with stars gotten for the minimum amount of colors used, but there's also daily challenges with randomly generated maps with stars for 4 colors, to drive the theory home. So enjoy, and maybe enjoy it some more daily! (edited)

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 8:53 PM
Blizzard gaming:

Varda � Today at 8:53 PM
(cold?)

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 8:55 PM
Diablo 4:
I'm interested in the beta, but have not pre-ordered yet. So I'll try to get in next week for the non-pre-order open beta instead, and will aim to get to level 20 in that time for the wolf cub back pack for the retail game.
[8:57 PM]
To do that, I want to try out the rogue, using the ol' demon hunter ranged style, with a skill point guide in hand to make sure I make it in time
[9:00 PM]
Hearthstone:
Level 137 on the reward track now, still raking in gold. New expansion has been announced for april, so probably got a few weeks more before the new track. We did, however, get a free legendary minion already, E.T.C. the manager of the expansion's musical tournament, with some unique properties. (edited)
[9:02 PM]
As a precursor to the expansion, there's an event quest series, the Headliner's Tour, surrounding 1 of 3 legendary music stars, to get a bunch of packs, some quests related to the 3 classes around each talent, and ultimately a portrait for the one you chose.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 9:03 PM
Druid continuing to be my favorite, I went for Lunara with the Flower Child portrait/skin. The other 2 are supposed to be available in the shop later on, but I suspect they'll be for real money only, so the choice still matters. Mage Azshara looked interesting too, so let's hope gold will suffice!
[9:04 PM]
Any case, I'm halfway through the experience track and main questline for that event, so it should be no problem to finish in the next 9 days
[9:05 PM]
Brawl is an oldy, Temporus Shift, with double turns for both players. Large combos can be made, and I got my wins with a classic mutually buffing murloc deck.
[9:06 PM]
It's been mostly murlocs with me lately, it seems, but they're just so easy to keep track of
WoW:
[9:07 PM]
For raiding, more Razsageth attempts, but it can be frustrating, and we've not made too much progress this week.
[9:09 PM]
In order to help out I did get myself some more epic gear.
[9:10 PM]
As planned, I dove right into Leatherworking and Skinning, getting skinning to level 100 and investing in leather, getting my leatherworking into the 30s and specializing in elemental patterns, and equipping myself with the best green-quality profession equipment for both.

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 9:11 PM
The elemental spec gave me the pattern for the Flaring Cowl, which I actually managed to luck out in production (and highest mats I could get) for a rank 3 quality, and 399 ilevel. Haven't had much chance to try it out, but the rings do seem to proc more, anyway
[9:12 PM]
To make use of it, I indeed managed to upgrade both chest and shoulders into tier using the Revival Catalyst, so I could replace the headpiece.
[9:13 PM]
And got myself an extra Spark of Ingenuity with which I had a friend create new bracers for me of raid level. Both items have upped my survival a bit more, I hope, and though I still have a low-ish belt remaining, I hope I'm better capable of surviving tanking Razsageth.
[9:14 PM]
Maybe I'll level my leatherworking a bit more to make that myself, since it requires another specialization for which I need 50 skill. But the biggest priority is over, so I suspect I'll be heading back into story questing next week, starting with the mage in Maldraxxus back in the Shadowlands.
[9:15 PM]
(oh, back for Hearthstone, got my death knight class to 27)
[9:16 PM]
Weekly quest in WoW this week is battlegrounds, which went well enough, and that got me enough honor and battleground victories to complete my trading post currency for March.
That said, I'll still want to complete a few objectives related to the Trial of Style, since they come with their own rewards next week.
And I got a new leatherworking pattern from a battleground victory box as well, which means I won't have to get it from the AH later on

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 9:18 PM
And as the battlegrounds count as group content, they were a good source for my second revival catalyst as well, which I mentioned earlier.
[9:22 PM]
Oh, and as my notes tell me, I got a new toy this week as well. In searching for rare beasts to skin for guaranteed dense hides, I found Skaara, a lion guarded by hyenas, based on Scar from the Lion King. He dropped me a Chewed Mage's Wand, which can drop from a large variety of rares. It's a malfunctioning wand of polymorph which mostly turns yourself into a sheep. My little mechamage sheep witch should enjoy that
[9:24 PM]
And that's my report for the week!

Sandalf13 � Today at 9:25 PM
Thanks for the report, Ar! As always, a pleasure to read. Hope you have a wonderful week ahead!

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 9:35 PM
Thanks, you too

Sandalf13 � Today at 9:35 PM
Sei gesund, and Namarie!

Ar-Pharazon-V � Today at 9:35 PM
namarie!

Varda � Today at 9:44 PM
Namarie : )

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