The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008

"Raven" <jon.lennart.beck.its.my.name DeleteThis @mail.its.in.danmark> skrev i
meddelandet news:477bd50c$0$2085$edfadb0f@dtext02.news.tele.dk...

[snip]

> Most of them, I don't really have a favourite. Which wing is the
> favourite

Oh, God. More evil propaganda to the effect that balrogs have wings! Will it
never stop?

Öjevind
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

Morgoth's Curse wrote:
>
> The Who's Who of the Tolkien Newsgroups 2008 *
>
> Name/Alias(es):

Michael O'Neill
AKA Lord of Balrog Farts

> Gender:

Male

> Age:

I've known the answer to the Ultimate Question for a while...

> Nationality:

Irish

> Posting since:

Since 1998 or so, posting to this group against a guy called daBurro, who
hated Clinton IIRC. How little I knew about him then...

> Heroes:

John Hume, former SDLP Leader, Gerry Adams Sinn Féin, and odd as it may
seem, Ian Paisley DUP, stand out from the crowd.

> What are your hobbies and/or interests?:

Family, Career, the usual.

> What do you dislike?:

The abuse of power.

> How did you discover the works of J.R.R. Tolkien?:

Picked it up on a bookshelf in IIRC Easons in O'Connell Street. I was
attracted to the softcover illustrations by Pauline Baynes who had also
illustrated the softcover Narnia books by C.S. Lewis. This occurred in my
early teens.

> Which of J.R.R. Tolkien's books have you read and which is your
> favorite?:

TH LOTR UF most of the HOME series [effectively by his son, I know...]

> Which is your favorite character from "The Hobbit"? "The Lord of the
> Rings"? "The Silmarillion"?:

Beorn: Aragorn: Húrin ["Day shall come again!"]

> Where would you live if you could dwell anywhere in Middle-earth?:

Near, but not in, Gondor.

> Which lord would you serve if you lived in Middle-earth? (You can
> choose any of the lords from any of the first three ages.):

Not into serving "Lords" at all.

> Have you ever tried to learn to speak or write any of the languages
> that Tolkien invented?:

Nope. I have enough trouble with English, Irish and French.

> Has Tolkien inspired you to write any stories of your own?:

Oddly enough, no, given the time I've spent reading his work. His
committment to his work is almost initmidating.

> Has Tolkien had any impact on the moral choices of your life? (In
> other words, did you recall specific quotes from his works when you
> were trying to figure out what was the right thing to do?):

Galdalf's admonition to Frodo not to deal out death too swiftly in
relation to Gollum, in I think, "The Shadow of the Past" in LOTR...

> Would you recommend the works of Tolkien to your friends?:

I don't think I have ever done so. Its almost like finding a treasure and
not wanting to advertise the fact. Let them find their own way.

> Do you have a favorite Tolkien-related website?:

Nope.

> What is your favorite Tolkien-related reference book?:

None. He was sufficient unto himself.

> What other authors has Tolkien inspired you to read?:

None. I had a broad interest in science fiction in my teens including
horror, which spanned Azimov to Robert Bloch, having finished most of the
Narnia series and before encountering the works of H.P. Lovecraft and
Clarke Ashton-Smyth. LOTR was in a niche by itself.

> What other authors do you currently enjoy reading?:

Would you believe Terry Pratchett? And well after the years I think I
"should" have read him. A relation gave me a graphic novel of The Light
Fantastic many years ago, but my interest was rekindled on seeing The
Hogfather last Autumn on TV. I've since read it. Death's observations on
life are like Vintage Tolkien, expecially on humans need to believe in
things that don't exist, like Justice, etc. Over the past two years I've
also read most of the "Lucifer" series from Vertigo/DC and I have a soft
spot for both The Authority, Global Frequancy and Planetary [still
awaiting the final issue]. Graphic novels seem to have taken over.

> Did you enjoy any of the movies about Middle-earth?:

The first two were good. The last one wandered a bit but still compressed
the timeframe too much and I got tired of seeing close-ups of the
wide-eyed Frodo. A good effort overall, but I prefer the books.

> Bonus question: Are you friend or foe of TEUNC, the Dark Lord of
> Chaos and Strife?

*ahem*

I seem to recall having something to do with being one of those who
helped bring it into being, you wizened little fjuckwit!

> Notes:
>
> * As modified, edited, revised and mangled by Morgoth's Curse. I
> omitted any reference to contact information due to concerns about
> Internet security and privacy, but feel free to include that
> information in "Notes" if you wish.
>
> Morgoth's Curse
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

"Öjevind Lång" <bredband.net.RemoveThis@ojevind.lang> skrev i meddelelsen
news:5u2l8lF1fqt9lU1@mid.individual.net...

> "Raven" <jon.lennart.beck.its.my.name.RemoveThis@mail.its.in.danmark> skrev i
> meddelandet news:477bd50c$0$2085$edfadb0f@dtext02.news.tele.dk...

>> Most of them, I don't really have a favourite. Which wing is the
>> favourite

> Oh, God. More evil propaganda to the effect that balrogs have wings! Will
> it never stop?

No, probably not. But my own opinion on Balrog wings is insubstantial.
On this issue I defer to the Count.

@#$%$% *^^%%.
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

> The Who's Who of the Tolkien Newsgroups 2008 *
>
>
> Name/Alias(es): * Sean
>
> Gender: * M
>
> Age: * only slowly
>
> Nationality: * Numenorean, but with blood mingled with lesser men,
including Celts, Angles, Saxons, Visigoths and Vandals in particular,
when I was younger

>
> Posting since: * can't remember when
>
> Heroes: * Eowyn, Eomer, Faramir and Radagast
>
> What are your hobbies and/or interests?: * motorcycles, history
>
> What do you dislike?: * spammers, MI5 Persecution, the RABT sporger,
the House of Fëanor and religious extremists
>
> How did you discover the works of J.R.R. Tolkien?: * In university
>
> Which of J.R.R. Tolkien's books have you read and which is your
> favorite?: * LoTR
>
> Which is your favorite character from "The Hobbit"? * Bilbo "The Lord of the
> Rings"? * Gandalf "The Silmarillion"?: * Yavanna
>
> Where would you live if you could dwell anywhere in Middle-earth?: * All over,
(except the Shire, which of course is off-limits); no lasting abode
>
> Which lord would you serve if you lived in Middle-earth? (You can
> choose any of the lords from any of the first three ages.): * Cirdan, any time
before the 4th age (I also like boats, and speedy get-aways).
>
> Have you ever tried to learn to speak or write any of the languages
> that Tolkien invented?: * N
>
> Has Tolkien inspired you to write any stories of your own?: * Y
>
> Has Tolkien had any impact on the moral choices of your life?

* Not that I can recall, although I'd have been better off if he had,
for good and ill have not changed since yesteryear; nor are they one
thing among Elves and Dwarves, and another among Men.

> Would you recommend the works of Tolkien to your friends?: * Y
>
> Do you have a favorite Tolkien-related website?: * N
>
> What is your favorite Tolkien-related reference book?: * ?
>
> What other authors has Tolkien inspired you to read?:

* Eric Rücker Eddison. (I thought _The Worm Ouroboros_ was awful,
and since I'm not all that fond of fish dinners I didn't read about
Memison)
* _Bored of the Rings_ (laughed myself silly)

------ also read ----------

* _The Book of Three_ -- actually, I saw Walt Disney's animated version
first, _The Black Cauldron_, but it cutesified the story so much I
didn't recognize any resemblance to LoTR until I read Lloyd Alexander's
original. His Gurgi brought Gollum to mind right away, whereas Disney's
rendition was a talking teddy bear

* Ursula K LeGuin. The movie version of Earthsea was a worse mangling
of a good fantasy story than even PJ's. Well, maybe they're about even

* Some long dragged-out thing about moles

* _Watership Down_, which was memorable, and something I can't remember
by the same author about a bear

--------- movies seen --------------

* _The Dark Crystal_ -- excellent visuals, but needs a big hi-def
screen to be effective

------- not read but some day ---------

* _The Sword of Shannara_. I've seen a pic called "Raistlin's Anger",
showing a guy in robes gesturing in exasperation at some scantily clad
babe. See http://www.krynnwoman.com/Images/Image-RaistlinMad-Elmore.jpg
Some day maybe I'll read the story and find out what she's done
to make him so upset

>
> What other authors do you currently enjoy reading?:

* Right now MM Kaye's _The Far Pavilion_, an enhanced telling
of Rudyard Kipling's _Kim_. Highly recommended

> Did you enjoy any of the movies about Middle-earth?:

* Only parts of them. Bakshi was good for mood and atmosphere;
PJ had good visuals, and I suppose the largest assembly of horses
in the history of New Zealand

>
> Bonus question: Are you friend or foe of TEUNC, the Dark Lord of
> Chaos and Strife? * Neither
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 06:40:17 GMT, Sean <no.spam RemoveThis @no.spam> wrote:

>* _Watership Down_, which was memorable, and something I can't remember
>by the same author about a bear

The title is "Shardik" by Richard Adams. It's a standard "barbarians
conquer civilization" tale, but not a bad read. Unfortunately, it is
not interesting enough to warrant a second reading.

>* _The Sword of Shannara_. I've seen a pic called "Raistlin's Anger",
>showing a guy in robes gesturing in exasperation at some scantily clad
>babe. See http://www.krynnwoman.com/Images/Image-RaistlinMad-Elmore.jpg
>Some day maybe I'll read the story and find out what she's done
>to make him so upset

If you have read LoTR, you have read "The Sword of Shannara."

Morgoth's Curse
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

Once upon a time - for example, Tue, 01 Jan 2008 22:26:54 -0600 -
there was this guy, or something, called Morgoth's Curse
<morgothscurse2002.RemoveThis@nospam.yahoo.com>, and they made us all feel better
by saying the following stuff:

> The Who's Who of the Tolkien Newsgroups 2008 *
>
>
>Name/Alias(es):

Janica / C&J (A combo alias for myself and my husband, Chucky, though
he doesn't participate here)

>Gender:

F

>Age:

27

>Nationality:

Finnish

>Posting since:

Lurking since many years back. Don't think I've ever posted more than
once or twice.

*checks*

A few crossposts from 2002, a few messages in 2006.

>Heroes:

Malcolm X.

>What are your hobbies and/or interests?:

Roleplaying, history, handicrafts.

>What do you dislike?:

Pink.

>How did you discover the works of J.R.R. Tolkien?:

I picked up LotR at the library when I was quite young, though I
remember being put off by the ugly cover art. Too young, it turned
out, because I got bored somewhere around the uses of pipe-weed, and
dropped the book. Tried again, with more success, somewhere around 10
or 12.

>Which of J.R.R. Tolkien's books have you read and which is your
>favorite?:

LotR, The Hobbit, The Silmarillion, Bilbo's Last Song, The Tolkien
Reader and Sir Gawain/Pearl/Sir Orfeo, though I suppose that one isn't
really a Tolkien book.

LotR is my favourite, but The Silmarillion is up there as a close
second.

>Which is your favorite character from "The Hobbit"? "The Lord of the
>Rings"? "The Silmarillion"?:

Gandalf/Aragorn/Lúthien, closely followed by Túrin.

>Where would you live if you could dwell anywhere in Middle-earth?:

Rohan.

>Which lord would you serve if you lived in Middle-earth? (You can
>choose any of the lords from any of the first three ages.):

Hmm. Éomer.

>Have you ever tried to learn to speak or write any of the languages
>that Tolkien invented?:

No, but I did pore over the pronounciation guides.

>Has Tolkien inspired you to write any stories of your own?:

Hah, no. I'm no writer.

>Has Tolkien had any impact on the moral choices of your life? (In
>other words, did you recall specific quotes from his works when you
>were trying to figure out what was the right thing to do?):

No, but my views tend to parallell Tolkien's in some cases.

>Would you recommend the works of Tolkien to your friends?:

Yes. I teach young teenagers, so I often have the chance to point kids
onto the right path.

>Do you have a favorite Tolkien-related website?:

No.

>What is your favorite Tolkien-related reference book?:

I've got a few, but seldom use them.

>What other authors has Tolkien inspired you to read?:

Not authors as such. Tolkien led me to read mythology (Kalevala, Edda,
Mabinogion) and by extention history books dealing with similar
topics.

>What other authors do you currently enjoy reading?:

In fiction, mainly GRRM, Pterry and Robert E. Howard. In non-fiction,
I've been reading some new publications on the French Foreign Legion
and early modern witchcraft trials.

>Did you enjoy any of the movies about Middle-earth?:

I did, yes. Shame on me. I also enjoyed observing the cinema audience.
During Fellowship, I was sitting in front of a group of young boys,
and I could hear their reactions. They didn't say anything during the
movie until Gandalf's fall. At that point, I could hear a breathlessly
whispered "No way..." behind me. Some time later, when Boromir was
killed, I could hear gasps behind me after each arrow thudded home.

I thought it was cute. I hope they went home and asked their parents
to buy them the books.


Janica

--
Beware of Trojans, they're complete smegheads.

- 13 & 13b of 12, the CMM Collective.
- www.afrj-monkeyhouse.org
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

þus cwæð Raven:
>
> No, probably not. But my own opinion on Balrog wings is insubstantial..

Unlike, of course, the wings themselves.

--
Meneldil
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

Morgoth's Curse wrote:
> The Who's Who of the Tolkien Newsgroups 2008 *
>
>
> Name/Alias(es):

Peter Knutsen

I play a character named "Salpad" in EVE Online (but am currently taking
a 1-month break from playing), and may have used peter34dk a few places
(because I live in #34). No other aliases.

(I sometimes play multiple characters - one at a time - in WoW, but I
refuse to disclose their names.)

> Gender:

Male.

> Age:

30.

> Nationality:

I live in Denmark, but I do not consider myself to be Danish, or even
Scandinavian. I live in Europe, and according to Western/secular values.

> Posting since:

Not sure. I got on Usenet in 1997 or 1998, but I may not have found the
two Tolkien groups so early. Even if I did find them, I may not have
read much, and may not have posted at all.

> Heroes:

Gandalf. Aragorn. The Stainless Steel Rat (first novel only). Not sure I
have a lot of heroes. Probably the historicals Leonidas and Boudica
qualify too.

> What are your hobbies and/or interests?:

Roleplaying games.
Computer games.
Reading, mostly science fiction and fantasy, but also a bit of spy
fiction (currently reading "The Marathon Man").
Writing (mostly historical fantasy).
History.
Science.

> What do you dislike?:

Socialists, feminists, religious people (especially people who follow
any of the so-called "Abrahamic" religions), people who are opposed to
technological progress (technophobia is usually caused by
science-iliteracy), people who assume that everybody are
capabilitistically equal.

> How did you discover the works of J.R.R. Tolkien?:

I was told about LOTR by an adult, when I was 9. A few months later I
read The Hobbit. Then maybe 4-5 months later again, when I was 10, that
adult, plus another adult (a neighbour) practically seduced me into
starting on LOTR. It took me 3 months to read those three volumes, but
what a rush!

> Which of J.R.R. Tolkien's books have you read and which is your
> favorite?:

The Hobbit
LOTR
Silmarillion
Children of Hurin (what's the diacritical again? The one over the "u"?

Also a couple of lesser works in Danish translation, probably Farmer
Giles, and the collection of poems with Tom Bombadil.

> Which is your favorite character from "The Hobbit"? "The Lord of the
> Rings"? "The Silmarillion"?:

Not sure about The Hobbit. Almost certainly Gandalf. If not, then Bilbo.
But probably Gandalf.

Gandalf.

Fëanor.

> Where would you live if you could dwell anywhere in Middle-earth?:

Rivendell. Is this a trick question? That's where all the books and
scrolls are!

> Which lord would you serve if you lived in Middle-earth? (You can
> choose any of the lords from any of the first three ages.):

Elrond Half-Elven, or else Aragorn King of Gondor.

> Have you ever tried to learn to speak or write any of the languages
> that Tolkien invented?:

No.

> Has Tolkien inspired you to write any stories of your own?:

Yes.

> Has Tolkien had any impact on the moral choices of your life? (In
> other words, did you recall specific quotes from his works when you
> were trying to figure out what was the right thing to do?):

No.

> Would you recommend the works of Tolkien to your friends?:

Yes.

> Do you have a favorite Tolkien-related website?:

No.

> What is your favorite Tolkien-related reference book?:

Can't answer this, as I only have one, a Danish translation of David
Day's "Bestiary".

> What other authors has Tolkien inspired you to read?:

None. I remember finding out one day that Tolkien and C.S Lewis (which I
read without being inspired by Tolkien) had been part of some kind of
regular group (what I'd nowadays call a "crit group"), and so I got all
excited about finding out who these other guys were, thinking that maybe
they too had written some cool fantasy stories.

I quickly lost interest, though.

> What other authors do you currently enjoy reading?:

Iain M. Banks, Harry Turtledove, Poul Anderson, Michael Crichton. Early
William Gibson.

More fantasy-themed: Judith Tarr, Gillian Bradshaw.

Oh, and I nearly forgot: Frans G. Bengtson. Very important author!

> Did you enjoy any of the movies about Middle-earth?:

I did enjoy them, but I am not sure I want to recognize them as being
about Middle-earth, or even as taking place in Tolkien's world. They
left out many important elements (although Tom Bombadil is not one of
these!), and Peter Jackson failed to understand several of the characters.

Gandalf was well portrayed, though, and the inventions ("A Wizard is
never late!", et cetera) are 100% in-character.

> Bonus question: Are you friend or foe of TEUNC, the Dark Lord of
> Chaos and Strife?

I have no idea who he is. Someone involved with a variant of the Angband
roguelike computergame?

--
Peter Knutsen
sagatafl.org
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

On Jan 2, 7:29 pm, "Raven"
<jon.lennart.beck.its.my.n....TakeThisOut@mail.its.in.danmark> wrote:
> "Öjevind Lång" <bredband.....TakeThisOut@ojevind.lang> skrev i meddelelsennews:5u2l8lF1fqt9lU1@mid.individual.net...
>
> > "Raven" <jon.lennart.beck.its.my.n....TakeThisOut@mail.its.in.danmark> skrev i
> > meddelandetnews:477bd50c$0$2085$edfadb0f@dtext02.news.tele.dk...
> >>   Most of them, I don't really have a favourite.  Which wing is the
> >> favourite
> > Oh, God. More evil propaganda to the effect that balrogs have wings! Will
> > it never stop?
>
>    No, probably not.  But my own opinion on Balrog wings is insubstantial.
> On this issue I defer to the Count.
>
> @#$%$% *^^%%.

there's some relevant information at http://count.teunc.org/rogs/speech.html

("Useless Words and Phrases in Classical Balrog"):

^#^$*^$*^@*$@

A Balrog's appendices - not wings in the boring anatomical sense, but
FAR cooler and more elegant.
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

In message <news:fu1pn3lu5m1mmihe0dfjtnljrdfqifv60m@4ax.com>
Morgoth's Curse <morgothscurse2002.DeleteThis@nospam.yahoo.com> spoke these
staves:
>

<snip>

> If you have read LoTR, you have read "The Sword of Shannara."

No.

--
Troels Forchhammer
Valid e-mail is <troelsfo(a)gmail.com>
Please put [AFT], [RABT] or 'Tolkien' in subject.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable
from magic.
- Arthur C. Clarke, /Profiles of The Future/, 1961
(Also known as 'Clarke's third law')
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

Troels Forchhammer wrote:

> In message <news:fu1pn3lu5m1mmihe0dfjtnljrdfqifv60m@4ax.com>
> Morgoth's Curse <morgothscurse2002 RemoveThis @nospam.yahoo.com> spoke these
> staves:
>>
>
> <snip>
>
>> If you have read LoTR, you have read "The Sword of Shannara."
>
> No.
>
Yeah, really. There's hardly an original thought to be found in the first
half (at least). I've heard it got better in the second half of the first
book, but I couldn't bring myself to read that far.
--
derek
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:31:00 GMT, Troels Forchhammer
<Troels.RemoveThis@ThisIsFake.invalid> wrote:

>In message <news:fu1pn3lu5m1mmihe0dfjtnljrdfqifv60m@4ax.com>
>Morgoth's Curse <morgothscurse2002.RemoveThis@nospam.yahoo.com> spoke these
>staves:
>>
>
><snip>
>
>> If you have read LoTR, you have read "The Sword of Shannara."
>
>No.

It is not identical, of course, but even Terry Brooks himself has
acknowledged that it is more derivative than coincidental. I don't
recall where I read it, but I vaguely remember an interview where
Brooks claimed that he would have written it differently if he had to
write it now.

Morgoth's Curse
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008 

On Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:05:16 +0100, Peter Knutsen
<peter DeleteThis @sagatafl.invalid> wrote:

>> Name/Alias(es):
>
>Peter Knutsen
>
>I play a character named "Salpad" in EVE Online (but am currently taking
>a 1-month break from playing), and may have used peter34dk a few places
>(because I live in #34). No other aliases.
>
>(I sometimes play multiple characters - one at a time - in WoW, but I
>refuse to disclose their names.)

As much as we appreciate the effort, no one really cares who you are
elsewhere. The question only refers to aliases which have been or are
being used in the Tolkien newsgroups so that we can search for
previous posts.

>> Posting since:
>
>Not sure. I got on Usenet in 1997 or 1998, but I may not have found the
>two Tolkien groups so early. Even if I did find them, I may not have
>read much, and may not have posted at all.

Better late than never. Welcome to the Tolkien newsgroups.

>> Where would you live if you could dwell anywhere in Middle-earth?:
>
>Rivendell. Is this a trick question? That's where all the books and
>scrolls are!

Well, the Shire and Gondor have a sizable collection too!

>> What is your favorite Tolkien-related reference book?:
>
>Can't answer this, as I only have one, a Danish translation of David
>Day's "Bestiary".

I regret to inform you that David Day is not considered a legitimate
reference. No less an authority than Christopher Tolkien has
condemned David Day for his inventions and distortions.

>> What other authors has Tolkien inspired you to read?:
>
>None. I remember finding out one day that Tolkien and C.S Lewis (which I
>read without being inspired by Tolkien) had been part of some kind of
>regular group (what I'd nowadays call a "crit group"), and so I got all
>excited about finding out who these other guys were, thinking that maybe
>they too had written some cool fantasy stories.

>I quickly lost interest, though.

You have my empathy. I've never been able to finish reading anything
by C.S. Lewis myself.

>> Bonus question: Are you friend or foe of TEUNC, the Dark Lord of
>> Chaos and Strife?
>
>I have no idea who he is. Someone involved with a variant of the Angband
>roguelike computergame?

If only it were! TEUNC is a sinister organization founded in the
Tolkien newsgroups which advocates bad spelling and grammar.

< shiver >

In other words, TEUNC is Evil Incarnate!

Morgoth's Curse
 >> Stay informed about: The Who's Who of AFT/RABT 2008