What do you assign to Mordor?

[Gollum the Great]

A great deal has taken place since I posted.

First of all, when I spoke of no honour, I referred to music (if it can be so called) which included all of the characteristics I mentioned, not necessarily all rock. I do not listen to rock and I have scarcely studied the topic to any degree, and so I am obviously in no position to criticize the whole. What rock I have heard and what I am told of it compels me to avoid it, its very nature is to me repellent (though apparently not to others).

[Morthoron]

Originally Posted by Gollum the Great

First of all, when I spoke of no honour, I referred to music (if it can be so called) which included all of the characteristics I mentioned, not necessarily all rock.

Ummm...no, you directly insulted the people who listen to it, along with the music itself:

Originally Posted by Gollum the Great

I can't believe any person with any form of honour would lower himself to listen to that trash.

Perhaps actually thinking about what you post prior to typing it may prove helpful in the future.

Originally Posted by Gollum the Great

I do not listen to rock and I have scarcely studied the topic to any degree, and so I am obviously in no position to criticize the whole. What rock I have heard and what I am told of it compels me to avoid it, its very nature is to me repellent (though apparently not to others).

So, let me get this straight, the rock form has been in existence for over 50 years, but in that time you have failed to notice that there are a strikingly wide array of genres in the form -- perhaps more variations than in any other type of music? Again, I ask what songs or artists you are referring to specifically, and in which monastery are you cloistered?

Rather than this continued ambiguity, I suppose it would be of assistance to the rest of us lower mortals if you would condescend to tell us what music you prefer, because, as a musician myself, I know and have played alongside plenty of classically-trained and/or jazz-influenced artists who would neither make such outrageous statements, nor debate attributes of music without first laying the groundwork for such a discussion with specifics.

Otherwise, your diatribe has little merit.

[skip spence]

Originally Posted by Morthoron

Politicians that cater to the lowest common denominator serve the dining public in shallow bowls.

If the dining public knew what they were eating, would they be able to stomach it I wonder?

Jeez, I just watched a few youtube-videos of Sarah Palin and her ignorance and stupidity shocked me (I haven't payed much attention to the US election so far). Even old GWB comes across as a sharp tool compared to her. It's absurd really, like the worst kind of Disney-movie, having a simple "hockey mum" who probably believes Dinosaurs roamed the earth together with men 6000 years ago running for vice president. I mean, she could be just a heartbeat away from being the President soon enough.

[Lindale]

Originally Posted by skip spence

If the dining public knew what they were eating, would they be able to stomach it I wonder?

From my point of view most of us mere mortals we've been doing so for a loooooooooong time. Well you Americans must vote properly, as the fate of most little third world states and the rest of the world anyway lie with the nutcases you place in your White House.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Okay, guys: we're getting needlessly offended, and therefore offensive. Everybody is allowed an opinion, and the offending post was qualified later by the writer who said quite clearly that he didn't mean to insult people.

Let's be adults, shall we? And just let it go... Otherwise we risk our Great Beings of Power taking the thread away.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Lindale

Gollum, please don't tell me you're including Nightwish or anything like that lovely Finnish group with a lovely Swedish singer in your list.

To Mordor with Anette Olzon.
On firing Tarja Nightwish lost all the speciality they ever had - now they're just an ordinary rock band. It was Tarja's voice that made them extraordinary.

As for Sarah Palin...

I assign getting the worst flu ever on holiday.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

This thread is on the brink of being off-topic by its very nature. Its quest is even now on the edge of a knife. If it ends up spawning discussions on music, politics or religion, it will definitely be closed. Please express your opinions in a friendly, personal manner, preferably without indicating that others must needs agree with you.

And once more just to make sure everyone understands: NO POLITICS!!! American politics are already overwhelming the news for those of us who (gasp!) live in the rest of the world - and I assure you, there is a rest! Let's keep the Downs politics-free, please!

Oh, and may I take this opportunity to send off-topic discussions that turn personal to Mordor. And politicians who act similarly...

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I assign having multiple textbooks for a single class, both of which give conflicting information on the same topic.

Example: my take-home contemporary art history midterm asks who started a certain kind of art-making.

Textbook One says that two men 'pioneered' it in like 1951.

Textbook Two says that a third man was 'the real originator,' and he did it between WWI and his death in 1948.

So if two men pioneered it but a different man was the real originator, which guy do I write down on my very important test as being the correct answer to the question?

[Inziladun]

So if two men pioneered it but a different man was the real originator, which guy do I write down on my very important test as being the correct answer to the question?

It's been a while since I've been an academic test-taker, and I know embarrassingly little about art, but I would say if the question asks who started something, and you are told someone in particular was the "real originator", that person should be the correct answer, since his work was done prior to that done by the "pioneers".

*DISCLAIMER*
Inziladûn shall be exempt from all liability according to local applicable laws if Inziladûn's advice is:
A. Not taken, though it would have been correct.
B. Taken, wildly wrong, and causes substantial turmoil and lifelong agony.

[Kath]

Or, if it's not a multiple choice thing, write down that so and so says this person but so and so says this person. If you show evidence of outside reading you're more likely to get marks. Then add your own thought on which of those you think is more likely correct (as you say, the originator) and surely that makes an appropriate degree level answer?

Otherwise - it's just one question, revise the stuff with concrete answers?

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Kath

Otherwise - it's just one question, revise the stuff with concrete answers?

I wrote point blank that one of the textbooks said the two guys, the other textbook said the other guy, and I gave the dates for all three of them.

Following that, I assign cramming for an exam: I just crash memorized about forty slides (artist, title, date) that all look the same (thanks Willem de Kooning, Hans Hoffman, and Arshile Gorky) so I could go take a fifteen minute slide identification test that was the second part of my unfortunately HUGE midterm.

And I assign when your mind goes totally blank and instead of Motherwell you're kind of like... Mapplethorpe... Mothership... Matheson... Muh---

Sigh. I hate tests based on gross memorization. It's not like I'm going to remember any of it tomorrow anyway.

[Lindale]

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

Sigh. I hate tests based on gross memorization. It's not like I'm going to remember any of it tomorrow anyway.

Makes you hate your exam and have it shipped to Mordor immediately, eh? Oh well, I think we all have our shares of that. Even someone from the college of arts and letters was not exempt from the minions of the hard sciences! During high school I kept asking myself, will I be using X and Y and Z coordinates to buy a burger or something?

Oh and good thing you posted about Art History, Feanor, that way I might be able to avoid it. *adds art history to subjects I'll never take for electives* bwahahaha.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Lindale

*adds art history to subjects I'll never take for electives* bwahahaha.

I take them because I have to. Right now I'm in both contemporary art history (which is like 'Hey there, Abstract Expressionism, how's it going? de Kooning and Gorky quit painting the exact same thing as each other yet?') and prehistoric to gothic (which is more like 'How many of these guys were named Sesostris? Is that really how you spell Mentuhotep?'). The only art history course I'm taking as a complete happy-to-sign-up elective is a course next spring on the occult as it's been traditionally portrayed in visual art. I think my prof (my painting/drawing teacher) calls it 'Devils, Demons, and Witches' or something like that. That class? Historically campus groups like Christian Fellowship have camped out outside the door of the lecture hall praying for the lost souls of the students inside. It's a bit more lively than most art history courses anybody's ever heard of.

[Lindale]

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

Historically campus groups like Christian Fellowship have camped out outside the door of the lecture hall praying for the lost souls of the students inside.

And not meaning to disrespect anybody or anybody's religion, that I assign to Mordor, preachers of all sects coming to bug me and my staring at the trees during my break. I find it especially annoying, especially after they ask to hold hands to pray or worse, they ask for funds for their missionaries. I'm only a poor impoverished student after all

[Gwathagor]

Originally Posted by Lindale

not meaning to disrespect anybody or anybody's religion

Good luck with that.

[Lalwendë]

To Mordor with bottom-feeding journalists and media types who hound and goad the vulnerable and gullible just to provide Mr and Ms Smug-Self-Righteous with celebrity 'chavs' to chortle at as they read their Sunday papers over their organic ciabatta and fairtrade coffee. I actually feel sorry for Amy Winehouse, Kerry Katona and Britney Spears. Especially the last two as they have children. Tch.

[Inziladun]

To Mordor with bottom-feeding journalists and media types who hound and goad the vulnerable and gullible just to provide Mr and Ms Smug-Self-Righteous with celebrity 'chavs' to chortle at as they read their Sunday papers over their organic ciabatta and fairtrade coffee. I actually feel sorry for Amy Winehouse, Kerry Katona and Britney Spears. Especially the last two as they have children. Tch.

I wouldn't say I felt sorry for them, since I see ample evidence that they actively seek out media attention on a regular basis. But I will assign to Mordor "celebrity worship" in general, with all its unhealthy and distracting insanity.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I wouldn't say I felt sorry for them, since I see ample evidence that they actively seek out media attention on a regular basis. But I will assign to Mordor "celebrity worship" in general, with all its unhealthy and distracting insanity.

It's how the whole sad business works. To get attention you must draw attention to yourself and thus it becomes your job to be an attention seeker, your living. But then when it inevitably all starts to go sour (as it will if you weren't wholly stable to begin with) then the blood suckers will not give them a break. As it all gets worse they feel the need to do even more and more debased things to keep the attention up and their wages rolling in and so it all just gets worse and worse. Argh! I find it especially sickening when these people (it's usually young women too) have children and nobody spares a thought for them.

[Lalaith]

Totally agree with Lalwende. The whole thing is revolting, like bear-baiting. And to Mordor also, with the commonly held assumption that it's other women who like to gloat over these poor female celebrity wrecks.

I listened to some 'comedy routine' the other night by an allegedly 'charming' stand-up called Patrick Kielty, on the subject of Amy Winehouse. It was the nastiest, worst-taste excuse for humour I ever heard.

[Lindale]

Originally Posted by Lalaith

The whole thing is revolting, like bear-baiting. And to Mordor also, with the commonly held assumption that it's other women who like to gloat over these poor female celebrity wrecks.

I smell feminist theories here....

Women gossip, eh? I don't exactly know how that came around. Anyway I also assign to Mordor that it's not only female celeb wrecks who are being gloated upon; I think everybody from kindergarten to the workplace has to endure such stuff. It's just too bad, those poor celebs have it at a much higher rate. But that's the nature of that anyway. See how Paris Hilton has to have the paparazzi tailing her, with her latest boyfriend or annoying fashion sense or whatever drunken blunder, or any of those poor kids like the Lohan girl.

[Groin Redbeard]

I assign heartaches and hard times. If heartaches were horses, and hard times were cattle, I would be riding home at sunset sitting tall in the saddle.

[Mithalwen]

Originally Posted by Inziladun

I wouldn't say I felt sorry for them, since I see ample evidence that they actively seek out media attention on a regular basis. But I will assign to Mordor "celebrity worship" in general, with all its unhealthy and distracting insanity.

Seconded - I can't say I worry much about these "celebrities" most of whom I have never heard of - not that I wish them ill just I have no interest in them or anyone who is "famous for being famous" . Basically you sell you soul to the devil when you sell you wedding, baby etc to "Hell(o)". On a human level you feel sorry for them - but there are many sad, inadequate unfortunate individuals who haven't had their day in the sun.

With those who are genuinely talented like Amy Winehouse there is the regret that it is going to waste but the people I feel sorry for are those who have come into the public eye for actually doing something and get mocked or ridiculed. I love "mock the week" but I felt some of its comments on Rebecca Adlington were shameful.

The girl is nineteen, has two Olympic medals, is funny, bright and blonde with a figure to die for but she apparently doesn't deserve to have a good looking boyfriend becasue she has a long nose.... gah and I can't repeat the associated insinuations here.

[Lalwendë]

Doesn't matter to me how talented or not, to goad mentally unstable people when they're in a state is just horrible. That joke's not funny any more, as Morrissey said. What ever happened to being discreet and walking away and not taking that paparazzi shot or televising that traincrash interview?

And another curse of modern life to send to Mordor - the "Have Your Say" and "Comments" sections of newspapers and websites. Just a soapbox for the 'Letters In Green Ink Brigade' to self-importantly puff their chests out at one another like a troupe of male Colobus Monkeys fighting for supremacy.

And that idiot yuppie type off the 'Phones 4 U' advert. He can go to Mordor. In fact the brand name itself can go to Mordor.

[Mithalwen]

Well I don't take enough interest to know exactly whar you are referring to but I read an interview with Chantelle Houghton who said how much she loved being followed by the papparazzi and how miserable she would be if they stopped. Noone is forced at gunpoint to go on television. People have to take responsibility for theior actions and "celebrities" get away with quite enough seemingly immune to drug legislation for example.

Society gets the media it deserves. They print trash because people like the prolefeed and pay for it Meanwhile the highminded media struggle to exist because the vast majority of people prefer to read redtops and watch Big Brother than read the Independent and listen to Radio 3. Everything is reduced to the lowest common denominator and then people are suprised when the highest paid TV presenter thinks it is ok and even funny to leave abusive answer phone messages.

It like the Emperor's new clothes - no one wants to look square or uncool or as if they don't get the joke and say actually these celebrities are nonentities.
To quote Linda Smith "Forget not giving them the oxygen of publicity, I wouldn't give them the oxygen of oxygen".

[Mithalwen]

Oh and I must assign my self for being a permantly grumpy old woman.

One thing to realise I had turn in to my mother... not it seems I have turned in to my dad too...

[Kath]

Hey I'd simply assign Patrick Kielty to Mordor - he's one of the most slimy obnoxious people I've ever encountered. Technically he is a man who should elicit sympathy given his history but ... he's just too nasty.

[Lalaith]

I'd never come across him (Kielty) before but I trust your judgement Kath and clearly my impressions weren't wrong.
Chantelle (which one is she, the Celebrity one?) must be insane. I've been there when paparazzi packs are in full stampede, and it is unbelievably scary to be anywhere close to them.
They really do belong in Mordor, Uruk-Hai to the life.

edit: they were not stampeding at me, I hasten to add. I was just a bystander.

[Eönwë]

Cloudy, grey skies. On an icy cold (literally) morning.

edit: but I suppose that since the Shire is meant to be like England, then this is probably more suited to go there.

[Volo]

My internet connection at home going on strike.

Having to talk on top of others.
Others talking on top of me.
Argh, drives me mad.

People who push inside the metro before letting others out.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Whoever stole the pumpkin I carved. Nobody else's was stolen in the night! They weren't even moved around or anything. But no, I wake up and leave for work this morning, and my pumpkin's gone the way of the dodo.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Halloween

Not the consept as such, just the fact that it is being promoted so much when we do have our own Fastelavn which in many ways are the same.

Right now the country is in mass confusion about wether Halloween is something we celebrate or not, the different stores along with The Tivoli Gardens are trying hard to convince us that we are. . .

This result in some children going around trick or treating, but it might only be half of the houses they visit where people actually are aware that it is halloween.

We forgot about it and so suffered the consequents. . . Ketchup on the door and spagetti in the mailbox. (I though it was quite cool that they where not just making empty threats)

[skip spence]

Sorry about the pumpkin, Fea.

Originally Posted by Volo

People who push inside the metro before letting others out.

I also hate that. Sharp elbows is all those people get from me. Also, in the same vein, inconsiderate (often young) people who won't bother to get up and offer their seat to the elderly, despite seeing them struggle on a crowded bus. Shame on you!

And it's always November in Mordor: cold, grey and gloomy.

[Mithalwen]

The fact that it has bucketed with rain all day and so no Fireworks display. *pouts*

Where is Gandalf when you need him?

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

The fact that it has bucketed with rain all day

I just assign that.

[Brinniel]

Having your laptop die during a critical part of the semester when your renewed warranty has expired. That means spending money I don't have on a new one, losing recent schoolwork I was working on, plus I'm now going to be forced to switch to Vista. It's all giving me a big headache. *grumble*

Also, I assign people who stand chatting with each other in the middle of a path and don't move even when you say "excuse me."

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Brinniel

I'm now going to be forced to switch to Vista.

I was essentially forced to switch to Vista but I was able to downgrade back to XP by calling Dell directly and telling them that I'd had XP, I liked it better than Vista, and I really desperately please please please needed the discs (for free) so that I could install XP again, kthxbye. A couple days later I received the discs in the mail (free) and a techie of mine talked me through installation. Maybe you could try something like that?

[Brinniel]

Perhaps. Though the techie who looked at my computer told me that while you can switch back to xp, there are problems where you can watch certain videos, download upgrade, etc. But if I get frustrated and desperate enough, I might just try that.

[Mithalwen]

I assign finding an old diary and realising that you are living Groundhog Day on a grand timescale, that you aren't learning from experience and are making just about the same mistakes without the excuse of the foolishness of youth. In fact you are getting sillier and less perceptive.

Absolutely shattering. Needless to say the diary and any other I find shall be consigned to flames so I may look back with the inaccurate tint of nostalgia.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Swallowing pills. Some aren't all that bad... the ones that are coated in the stuff that may as well be plastic? They're not so bad. But little uncoated ones that start dissolving the second they hit your mouth and get permanently attached to the back of your tongue no matter how much water you're swallowing to get them down?

[Mithalwen]

I used not to be able to swallow tablets at all but having learnt the knack, I can only suggest that a fizzy drink makes it much easier - the tablet tends to float on the bubbles rather than settle. Especially if you take a swig of drink, pop the pill in then swallow.