What do you assign to Mordor?

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

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

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]

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]

*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]

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 :Merisu:

[Gwathagor]

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. :rolleyes:

[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]

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]

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....:Merisu:

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]

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. :p

[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...:eek:

[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 (http://encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/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.


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]

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]

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.

[Oddwen]

Swallowing pills.I used to have trouble with that, I found that drinking through a straw can help.

...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.
UGH seconded.

I'd also like to assign tendonitis. I've lost most of the muscle mass on my right arm, can't do much anything practical with it, and am getting frustrated at work from seeing things that need to be done but cannot do.

And on top of that, I am continually reminded that it's something that happens mainly to people living well past my time of life.

Stand up straight, kids! Don't trust your body, it hates you!

[Elfchick7]

I assign three tests in one day. One week is not enough time to learn a whole chapter of Chinese and a month's worth of international politics!

[Mithalwen]

UGH seconded.



Since I was your age when I wrote this old diary, I'd say you can still plead youth:cool:

[Lindale]

I assign three tests in one day. One week is not enough time to learn a whole chapter of Chinese and a month's worth of international politics!

I think you'd hate it more if you had three tests, two of them your major subjects, on your birthday. :cool: But that's part of being a student... my dad always tells me, there'll come a point in my life that I'd be laughing about exams.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Every single one of my final exams this semester are on the same day. I can't wait... :rolleyes:

[Kath]

Just ... just having a bad day, being shouted at for no real reason, being belittled. I thought I'd got over this earlier but I guess not.

[Groin Redbeard]

Being the only member here on the Downs.:( It is an eery feeling knowing that you're alone.

[Thinlómien]

Being the only member here on the Downs. It is an eery feeling knowing that you're alone.Groin, it's just because you're online at 3am when all the sensible people sleep (or usually sleep would maybe be more truthful, but anyway ;))... ;)

Since I'm chatting here, I might have to assign something. The problem is that I don't feel very unhappy right now. :D But maybe the recent problems in the internet accesses all over Finland do deserve a nomination...

[Groin Redbeard]

Groin, it's just because you're online at 3am when all the sensible people sleep (or usually sleep would maybe be more truthful, but anyway)...
It was only seven o' clock here in Texas! Are you saying that we aren't sensible?:eek: Because if you are you are calling all Americans sensless, which would make all the sensible people be in Europe (a scary thought)!:eek: How insulting can you get Thinlomien?

I assign people who twist other peoples words.:D

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I assign dirty dishes being left in the sink. Not necessarily just dishes that aren't clean, but dishes that have stuff lurking on them, such as plastic wrap.

Because once in a while it's fine to clean up after the people you live with, but who wants to reach into a sink with kidney beans clogging the drain to try to get plastic that's become covered in whatever was in the standing water--

*gags*

I hate living with people who are less tidy than me.

[Thinlómien]

It was only seven o' clock here in Texas! Are you saying that we aren't sensible? Because if you are you are calling all Americans sensless, which would make all the sensible people be in Europe (a scary thought)! How insulting can you get Thinlomien?

I assign people who twist other peoples words.
What about Africa? Or Asia? Or Oceania? Or Antarctica with the penguins? ;)
I assign people who forget world outside the Western World does exist. ;):p

[Inziladun]

I will assign a very much uninvited guest I am presently hosting: influenza.

[Groin Redbeard]

I assign people who forget world outside the Western World does exist. ;) Wow, I have been indirectly assigned to Mordor twice now.:eek: Wait, Europe is part of Western Civilization.:D

[Lalwendë]

I will assign a very much uninvited guest I am presently hosting: influenza.

Hmph. Same here. I'd not be surprised if someone had painted a red cross on our front door, not that I've been out of it since Friday night...

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

I'd assign having to come home from vacation. Even with a sprained foot. (And boy, am I grateful I didn't react to the flu shot I had three days before we left. :))

On a corollary, I would also assign having to go in for a cholesterol blood draw three days after said vacation. The draw itself is bad enough (one of those things they always want to do at the crack of dawn), but with it coming three days after a lot of meals that were not the usual diet, I just know things will be out of whack.

[Nerwen]

What about Africa? Or Asia? Or Oceania? Or Antarctica with the penguins? ;)

*cough*or Australia*cough*:D

...And I will second Ibrin in assigning blood tests to Mordor. My arm's still bruised...:(.

[Morthoron]

I assign the 'Guitar Hero' X-Box game. I was over a friends house and watched his teenage son play the game for a few hours. As a lifelong guitarist, what got me is that, rather than wasting time on the game, Junior could have spent the time actually learning to play a real guitar, and perhaps...oh, I don't know...get a girlfriend?

[Thinlómien]

*cough*or Australia*cough*I doubt this will make it any better for you, but I count Australia as a part of Oceania... ;)

I assign wet socks. It's ridiculous how uncomfortable such a little thing is.

[Lindale]

I will assign a very much uninvited guest I am presently hosting: influenza.

Same here. And on the first day of second semester, I had to come to class with a very red nose and a bag of tissue.

I assign the 'Guitar Hero' X-Box game. I was over a friends house and watched his teenage son play the game for a few hours. As a lifelong guitarist, what got me is that, rather than wasting time on the game, Junior could have spent the time actually learning to play a real guitar, and perhaps...oh, I don't know...get a girlfriend?

Now that reminds me of a line from Love Actually, even ugly musicians manage to find girlfriends. :D But seriously, I don't think thinking too much about that game and its likes is a pleasant one... personally, it makes me kinda depressed, seeing kids playing quasi-drums and guitars and their ears and fingers don't get to appreciate making their own music.

[Kath]

I assign the 'Guitar Hero' X-Box game. I was over a friends house and watched his teenage son play the game for a few hours. As a lifelong guitarist, what got me is that, rather than wasting time on the game, Junior could have spent the time actually learning to play a real guitar, and perhaps...oh, I don't know...get a girlfriend?
Pfft - real guitar hurts! My brother is learning to play it and I had a go and my fingers went numb! I'd choose Guitar Hero any day.

I assign regrets, nasty things they are, creeping up on you when you don't expect it!

[Morthoron]

Pfft - real guitar hurts!

Ah, but there is a an unforseen benefit to playing guitar (other than as a magnet for the opposite sex): you get calluses on your fingertips, which is really important for the macho putting-out-lit-candles-with-your-fingers ploy. I have never been hurt once. :rolleyes:

[Gwathagor]

I assign the 'Guitar Hero' X-Box game. I was over a friends house and watched his teenage son play the game for a few hours. As a lifelong guitarist, what got me is that, rather than wasting time on the game, Junior could have spent the time actually learning to play a real guitar, and perhaps...oh, I don't know...get a girlfriend?

Some of play Guitar Hero AND have girlfriends.

[Gwathagor]

Ah, but there is a an unforseen benefit to playing guitar (other than as a magnet for the opposite sex): you get calluses on your fingertips, which is really important for the macho putting-out-lit-candles-with-your-fingers ploy. I have never been hurt once. :rolleyes:

I have to agree, that sounds incredibly manly. Maybe I'll take up the guitar after all.

[Mithalwen]

but that isn't actually impressive.

Even my superfine, celtic, non callused bare fingertips can put out a candle without pain (you just have to lick them first). Though it is very much in the category of things that I can do but don't since you can either blow them out or use the snuffer.

And personally the guitar is a huge turn off*.... main problem is that just about every man thinks he can play it and very few of them can... the piano now :cool:

*I am prepared to make an exception for Alex Kapranos

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

And personally the guitar is a huge turn off*

Ditto. I still have tragic memories of a guy trying to seduce me with promises to play me Red Hot Chile Peppers songs with an acoustic. :(

[Lalwendë]

Guitars are just the modern day equivalent of wielding a ruddy big sword.

I'd generally assign those sorts of games like Guitar Hero and these dancing things where you have to hit the buttons in the right order and at high speed anyway....because I'm rubbish at them. And the tracks on GH are cheesey. ;)

I assign when your nostrils are so sore from blowing your nose that you can't touch them without crying. :eek:

[Mithalwen]

Ditto. I still have tragic memories of a guy trying to seduce me with promises to play me Red Hot Chile Peppers songs with an acoustic. :(


Oh dear.. could have been worse .. maybe *thinks bad folk duo in Four Weddings and a Funeral singing "I can't smile without you"*

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Oh dear.. could have been worse ..

He was the best friend of the guy I'd just broken up with. :rolleyes:

[Mithalwen]

Maybe not then.... although if we are going to get competitive being the best friend of your post grad course's man magnet was jolly ... and knowing that every time a new guy spoke to you the third question would be "Is Amanda seeing anyone?" :p

[Eönwë]

I assign when your nostrils are so sore from blowing your nose

Seconded. Just managed to recover from that.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

knowing that every time a new guy spoke to you

Knowing that every time a new guy speaks to you, his intentions are probably dirty filthy naughty. :eek:

[Morthoron]

And personally the guitar is a huge turn off*.... main problem is that just about every man thinks he can play it and very few of them can...

That may be so, but from personal experience I have yet to meet a member of a band who did not have a date after the show. ;)

Crass and boorish, I know, but when one is not blessed with James Bondish savoir-faire and good looks, one exploits one's abilities as best they can.

Guitars are just the modern day equivalent of wielding a ruddy big sword.

Touche. And I am just as fascinated by a well-crafted sword as I am a beautifully-wrought guitar; in fact, I begin to drool when seeing a patinaed Martin acoustic or a well-worn Fender Telecaster (my weapons of choice). Maybe I just drool because I am a brutish man. Ugggh.

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Oh dear.. could have been worse .. maybe *thinks bad folk duo in Four Weddings and a Funeral singing "I can't smile without you"*

Hmm, if you want to go that way, I would assign "The Wedding Song (There Is Love)." I've been performing for weddings as an instrumentalist and/or singer (even composer) since that song was written, and I loathed it the first time I heard it. But just about every single bride wants it, and I can't understand it for the life of me. There are so many other songs with nicer tunes and lyrics that make more sense, but do they pick those? No..... :p

And I fear posting my feelings about "Guitar Hero" would violate forum rules. :D

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

And I fear posting my feelings about "Guitar Hero" would violate forum rules. :D

I assign trying to play Guitar Hero and having your friend's twelve year old brother look at you pityingly and tell you how bad you are at it. :rolleyes:

[Durelin]

To counter some attacks on the male gender (:p), I assign living in an all girls suite. Too lacking in testosterone. Yes, I'm serious.

And personally a ruddy big sword has its attraction...

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

And personally a ruddy big sword has its attraction...

I very much agree. ;)

[Lalaith]

I am prepared to make an exception for Alex Kapranos

Ah, but he is clever with it, innit?
I assign guitar solos, as we are on the subject. I have no problem with guitars, men, women or goats playing guitars....but solos are tiresome in the extreme.

But chiefly, and the reason I am here tonight, is to assign finger wounds.
Specifically, slicing savoy cabbage with a very sharp knife while watching Strictly Come Dancing, and cutting right through the thumb and nail, vertically, about half an inch down.
My parents were staying and both are doctors, so I didn't have to go to casualty, they could deal with it on the spot. Bloody lucky really because everyone else in the house was just jumping around going "yuk, ew, argh".
Oh and because there are so many nerve endings in the fingers you go into shock when you wound them. As I did. For most of the evening. *shudder*

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

But chiefly, and the reason I am here tonight, is to assign finger wounds.
Specifically, slicing savoy cabbage with a very sharp knife while watching Strictly Come Dancing, and cutting right through the thumb and nail, vertically, about half an inch down.

Oh, I'll second that one, and third, and fourth it. :) I did something quite similar a few days before Christmas last year, and it's only the most recent in a series of such incidents between me and instruments with edges. I've sliced off the tip of a finger with a rotary cutter, snipped the webbing between fingers with industrial shears, punched clear through nail and finger with sewing machines at least three times (of course the needle broke on the way back out, not in), had a rusty needle lodge itself until a fingernail while packing up my late mother's sewing supplies... Yes, finger injuries are incredibly painful, and I'm hard put to decide if the pain of the wound was worse than the pain of the novocaine injections on the palm of the hand and between the fingers. I understand your family's feelings of "eewh" quite well. And you were lucky to have skilled help on hand. In the rotary cutter incident, I had to wrap up the hand, clench it into a fist to keep pressure on the wound and hold it over my head while driving one-handed to the emergency room (the nearest of which was about 15 miles away). Maybe it's not such a bad thing that I don't a lot of sewing, these days... :p

[Nerwen]

That may be so, but from personal experience I have yet to meet a member of a band who did not have a date after the show. ;)


An aspect which Guitar Hero strangely ignores...

(No, I have never played it, but my cousins do.)

Anyway, I certainly can't complain about the strange attraction us girls have to musicians... otherwise I doubt my parents would have got together at all.;)

Lalaith and Ibrin.... Owwww. That's all I can say...

[Mithalwen]

That may be so, but from personal experience I have yet to meet a member of a band who did not have a date after the show. ;)


This may well be true. I know of some women who will give any muso a chance on the grounds that they should have a sense of rhythm and be good with their hands.

And personally a ruddy big sword has its attraction...

I hear you sister :D

Fea - some people might assign that to the Shire ;)

As for hand injuries .. I nearly fainted when I got a fine needle in my hand - exsquiste pain - aggers. The bloodiest injury was probably when I gashed my wrist on a friends's central heating thermostat - rushing for my mobile I had tripped over the stairgate and catching may hand on this probably stopped me actually falling and breaking my neck. No medics on hand but friends military husband was not fazed by the blood and patched me up while I took the call (which I knew was life or death type urgent else I might not have been so clumsy).

[Volo]

I assign guitar solos, as we are on the subject. I have no problem with guitars, men, women or goats playing guitars....but solos are tiresome in the extreme.

Most, not all. They're risky that way, although not objectively bad.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Most, not all. They're risky that way, although not objectively bad.

A bit like fantasy books

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Mindless, conscience-lacking fundamentalism. In all its forms.
A thing that makes even otherwise good people just empty machines without thinking, and if they are to talk, they see just blindly their point and do not wish to allow anything else, just because it would shake their views and opinions, which stand on the grounds too weak to support them actually.

[Gwathagor]

Yes.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Mistakes that result in my discomfort. My school keeps mistaking my apartment for the one across the hall and yesterday they unnecessarily replaced my showerhead (which was amazing, and could be set to different levels of intensity, and which was my favorite part of my apartment).

And it's not just that they took away my amazing showerhead, they replaced it with one that has only one setting-

And that one single setting feels like being sprayed with boiling sleet! It hurts!

Not happy. No not happy at all.

[Lindale]

Ah, but there is a an unforseen benefit to playing guitar (other than as a magnet for the opposite sex): you get calluses on your fingertips, which is really important for the macho putting-out-lit-candles-with-your-fingers ploy. I have never been hurt once. :rolleyes:

Well if you play stringed instruments you are bound to get those... but all my years of playing my violin, I've never calloused any of my fingers. Nor have my mom, who taught me the violin basics, nor any other violinist I know.

Oh and that candlething ploy, even if your hand is nice and soft and aristocratic, if you do it really fast, it won't hurt. :D

[Eönwë]

Mindless, conscience-lacking fundamentalism. In all its forms.
A thing that makes even otherwise good people just empty machines without thinking, and if they are to talk, they see just blindly their point and do not wish to allow anything else, just because it would shake their views and opinions, which stand on the grounds too weak to support them actually.
I agree.

[Morthoron]

Fundamentalism is selective blindness, selective deafness and selective dumbness. It is a sincere yearning for the good ol' days when the world was still flat and everything revolved around Man, when witches were burned alongside scholars, and wars were fought by fundamentalists fundamentally opposed to other fundamentalists whose doctrines were, obviously, fundamentally unsound.

I assign the whole ilk to Sauron's commode.

[Gwathagor]

It is a sincere yearning for the good ol' days when the world was still flat and everything revolved around Man, when witches were burned alongside scholars, and wars were fought by fundamentalists fundamentally opposed to other fundamentalists whose doctrines were, obviously, fundamentally unsound.


"Is that clever?"

"It is perfectly phrased! and quite as true as any observation in civilized life should be."

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

Fundamentalism is selective blindness, selective deafness and selective dumbness. It is a sincere yearning for the good ol' days when the world was still flat and everything revolved around Man, when witches were burned alongside scholars, and wars were fought by fundamentalists fundamentally opposed to other fundamentalists whose doctrines were, obviously, fundamentally unsound.

That's moving it into a kind of different and specific perspective; agreed, but why I formulated it the way I formulated it was that I intended it to say it as globally as possible. You can apply it on all various kinds of the "selective blindness and deafness", as you formulated it, anything which makes people dig in their heels and scorn anything that does not go together with their belief: be it the fact that the world is flat, or be it the fact that the world is round. The fundamentalism is still fundamentalism - whether one is right or not does not give him the right to force the other one to just "believe it, or else...!" - That's the main point of it.
And people being led into wars by their fundamentalism to possibly fight other people being led by their fundamentalism are here still to this day. (And often it's not the other fundamentalists whom they meet, but people who have hardly anything to do with it.) Enough said. That's all I assigned already.

[Brinniel]

I previously assigned the MBTA (Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority) to Orthanc, but I now think it deserves to be downgraded to Mordor. Sure the system is easy to use, but there are so many problems with it.

First off, I get so annoyed about having to sometimes wait up to 20 minutes for a train to arrive. The Green Line is notoriously horrible, being so slow. On Wednesday I went to the Museum of Fine Arts, and only a block from my stop the trains jerked to a stop and the power turned off. Luckily, there was really any delay...just a couple of minutes. I was more frustrated with getting back on the train later. There were a lot of people waiting at the stop and the first train flew right past us and never stopped. The second one arrived 10 minutes later and people were trying to get on, but the train was really crowded. Instead of telling people to scoot in, the conductor actually yelled at the passengers who weren't behind the white line to get off the train. Other passenger weren't so nice either...they wouldn't move or scoot in even though there was an empty seat. I finally managed to shove my way through and get to the seat since I had somewhere to be and there was no way I would wait another 10-15 minutes for another train. In the end it wasn't that bad...because the conductor was so busy trying to kick people off, she never noticed I hadn't tapped my card to pay. I usually feel guilty for that sort of thing, but not that time...

But that's not actually the main reason I'm assigning the MBTA. The real reason is because of what happened today....and thank god I did not have to use the subway today. This morning there was a train collision (http://www.thebostonchannel.com/video/17981151/index.html) at the subway station next to my campus. The media's calling it a bump, but according to victims it was much worse than that. Seven people were taken to the hospital and several others were injured as well. I heard that a man was actually bleeding from the head. And the MBTA handled it horribly. People were stuck underground for about an hour. I had classmates who arrived to class an hour and a half late because they were stuck then had to walk rest of the way. And I heard no announcements were given about what happened, so people didn't know why they were delayed. It's said that things like this rarely happen, but apparently someone was killed in a derailment only months ago and there was a similar collision to this last December. The Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/news/local/breaking_news/2008/11/minor_trolley_a.html) has an article on the event, but the user comments afterwards give a more honest account of what happened.

I apologise for my really long rant, but this whole event makes me quite disgusted about Boston's public transportation system and I have to get it off my chest. And the thing is, I love using public transportation, but not when I'm constantly waiting for trains and then don't feel safe riding them. The city really needs to get their act together and make the public transportation function better. Because there are enough people using it and paying for it that we deserve to have good service.

[Lindale]

...and here I am, about to assign standing inside a bus like a sardine in a can or getting only half my butt on a seat on the jeepney... makes me a bit happy that trains in my country, though overpriced (every public work here is overpriced,damned politicians!) hasn't had an accident since it was made about seven or eight years ago. :cool:

[Mithalwen]

being taken completely and utterly for granted.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

being taken completely and utterly for granted.

*hugs*

*adores*

Really.

[Mithalwen]

Oh I didn't mean you sweetie... I mean my family ..especially my sister who seems to think I have nothing better to do in the time when I am not working or minding ancient parent to ready the shabby ancestral pad as a venue for her birthday party ..indeed I should apparently be grateful for this incentive to get on with the planned redecorations. and it isn't a tea party it involves her grungy friends in "the band" playing a set ..and you know how I feel about guitars.

.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I didn't think you meant me, but sometimes it's nice to be reminded that people love you. And sometimes it's nice to just say it.

[Mithalwen]

That is true and apreciated and very Shire worthy :D . Thank you Fea - I love you back :D

"From quiet homes and first beginning, Out to the undiscovered ends, There's nothing worth the wear of winning, But laughter and the love of friends."

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I assign political parties! I'm so tired of the RabidRepublicans and the DeliriousDemocrats, they drive me INSANE!

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

The temptation to give a 'literary' story a 'genre' ending.

I've been reading too many 1930s pulps, I think... I so badly want the little girl to be all, "Quin, you are my father."

But a move like that will result in my teacher being all "I'm disappointed in you, Laura. You have such a great tone, and such command over storytelling devices, so why did you take such an easy way out in the end?"

Blah blah blah.

Mostly I just assign getting almost entirely through a story and having zero idea how to end it neatly.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

I assign chosing the wrong sauce for you KFC meal.

[Aganzir]

being taken completely and utterly for granted.
Although I have no personal experience in that, I have a friend whose parents treat her almost as a housekeeper. Having seen that for quite a long time, I can second your assignation.

*hugs, too*

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I assign chosing the wrong sauce for you KFC meal.That is the worst thing that could ever happen?

[Groin Redbeard]

Corrupt politicians!
I assign political parties! I'm so tired of the RabidRepublicans and the DeliriousDemocrats, they drive me INSANE!
HA! I'm afraid that I've beaten you to it TGEW!:D Although I was a little more general than you.;)

I assign chosing the wrong sauce for you KFC meal. My goodness, that's awful!:eek: Hopefully you didn't just pour it into the bucket and rune the entire batch.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

It seems to be a massive problem in my world right now, anyways I thought it was a nice change from all these "deep" problems.

[Oddwen]

I'd like to assign co-workers that punch out for breaks and never come back, or just end up not coming in at all, instead of having the decency to just say "I quit".

Having seven cashiers for all week when you're supposed to have six at all times.

People who don't pull their weight, forcing those who are already pulling their share to do more than they're supposed to.

Physically not being able to pull my own weight.

And if I haven't assigned them already, people who shoplift from secondhand stores.

:mad:

Oh yeah. Also, being easily distracted. Missing opportunities. Waiting.

[Mithalwen]

My goodness, that's awful!:eek: Hopefully you didn't just pour it into the bucket and rune the entire batch.


Is it actually possible to ruin a foodstuff that is served in a bucket? You are working from a pretty low baseline there ;) Categories of food served in a bucket: KFC and animal feed ...

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

My goodness, that's awful!:eek: Hopefully you didn't just pour it into the bucket and rune the entire batch.
Some how I mannaged to miss this post. . .

No I only bought 6 pieces and a bit of sauce, so I dipped the a piece in the sauce and was horrified by the result.

[Lindale]

I don't understand how one can choose a wrong sauce at KFC, Rune... what sauce is that, yes we wondersss...

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

I don't buy KFC food very often and so I could not remember which sauce it was I liked with my chicken. . .

[Groin Redbeard]

No I only bought 6 pieces and a bit of sauce, so I dipped the a piece in the sauce and was horrified by the result.
Whatever happened to your quality beef? You can't go wrong with a bit o' steak!:D

P.S. I've noticed that your chicken problems seem to be of more interest to the Downers than all the other crappy things that are going on in the world. Don't get me wrong, ruining a bucket of chicken is pretty bad.;)

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

As much as it hurts me to say "Man does not live by beef alone"

[THE Ka]

I'd like to assign co-workers that punch out for breaks and never come back, or just end up not coming in at all, instead of having the decency to just say "I quit".

Having seven cashiers for all week when you're supposed to have six at all times.

People who don't pull their weight, forcing those who are already pulling their share to do more than they're supposed to.


Do you want to borrow my new and *enthusiastic* manager? It makes just abandoning those who can't pull their own weight, or those disappearing then saying wickedly, "Well, I think they went out smoking again... But I don't know much about that since I don't smoke..." sooo much easier.

Her perky smile and 'can do anything... I say!' attitude is fun to watch. I don't even have to say anything and she attacks. It's great. :smokin:

Personally as I see it, if you are obviously fit enough to go wandering off and not do your job, then I don't see the reason to help you. Otherwise I'm usually the first one to jump in and scoop up the dying newbie who's under several hundred plates, beer mugs, and who knows what else.


As much as it hurts me to say "Man does not live by beef alone"

Correction, this belongs in the Shire...:p

My work schedule and limited computer access belongs in Mordor, even with 48 hour Days, I can't catch up at all to the end of the page before something hits. Ergh.

[Lalwendë]

That is the worst thing that could ever happen?

It would have been if he'd accidentally been given Salad Cream. Spee-uw. :eek:

I assign Salad Cream to Mordor. It kind of goes with that lettuce that looked and tasted like privet, ham out of a can and peeled cucumber, the kind of 'Sunday tea' often served up by nans in the 1970s and which always brings back scary memories of trying not to spit up the salad cream down your best clothes and having to be quiet when Harry Secombe's Highway started. :eek:

[Morthoron]

I assign the word 'pundit'. Moreover, I assign that word to the ninth circle of Hell. The word must banned. It must never be used again. In fact, if I could time travel, I would throttle the person who first uttered the Saskrit word 'pandita', the Indian precursor to 'that word'. I despise the word, the people who use it in conversation, and particularly the people who refer to themselves as...that misbegotten word.

[Inziladun]

I assign people who carry on conversations using their Bluetooth in crowded places. You see someone standing right next to you, and they are looking in your direction and speaking. You begin to reply, they look at you as if you've grown a second head and turn away, and then you see the accursed device stuck in the other ear you couldn't see. Cell phones are an abomination in themselves, but they do serve a limited good so I'll avoid sending them all to Mordor (for now).

[Oddwen]

I assign people who carry on conversations using their Bluetooth in crowded places. You see someone standing right next to you, and they are looking in your direction and speaking. You begin to reply, they look at you as if you've grown a second head and turn away, and then you see the accursed device stuck in the other ear you couldn't see. Cell phones are an abomination in themselves, but they do serve a limited good so I'll avoid sending them all to Mordor (for now).

I'll assign thinking the person with the bluetooth is talking to you, and you carry on a conversation with them for a good couple of minutes...yeah...blonde...

[Lalwendë]

Woolworths going out of business needs to go to Mordor! Not only does this not bode well for the economy, but I use that shop a LOT and I grew up with it always being around, so I will seriously miss it and I'm sad :(

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Woolworths going out of business needs to go to Mordor! Not only does this not bode well for the economy, but I use that shop a LOT and I grew up with it always being around, so I will seriously miss it and I'm sad :(

Are you serious?

That is one of the cooprerations that everybody has heard of in Denmark, I newer thought they would go out of business.

[Inziladun]

Woolworths going out of business needs to go to Mordor! Not only does this not bode well for the economy, but I use that shop a LOT and I grew up with it always being around, so I will seriously miss it and I'm sad

Hmm. We used to have them 'round where I live, but that's been years ago. Honestly, I thought they'd gone away long before. It is sad to see such an institution pass away, though.

[Lindale]

I assign people who carry on conversations using their Bluetooth in crowded places. You see someone standing right next to you, and they are looking in your direction and speaking. You begin to reply, they look at you as if you've grown a second head and turn away, and then you see the accursed device stuck in the other ear you couldn't see. Cell phones are an abomination in themselves, but they do serve a limited good so I'll avoid sending them all to Mordor (for now).

Ouch. Around last month I used the bluetooth in a family dinner, and while I was doing the dishes my cousins were staring at me, wondering if I finally lost my head, because I was laughing like crazy. I've never used that thing again.

[Lalwendë]

Are you serious?

That is one of the cooprerations that everybody has heard of in Denmark, I newer thought they would go out of business.

Yep, no more Woolies! :( Also, no more MFI (which means we shall have to restrict jokes about dodgy flatpack to IKEA now). Currys/PC World/Dixons and Borders are all having trouble, and if the Icelandic factor was important in the collapse of Woolies and MFI, then it might be curtains for Hamleys, House of Fraser, Iceland, Somerfield and Oasis too!

[Mithalwen]

I will miss woolies too and while we are finally getting an Ikea in this deprived area ;) it doesn't have the scope for MFI/MI5 puns about being really badly fitted up:p

[Inziladun]

Lindale

Ouch. Around last month I used the bluetooth in a family dinner, and while I was doing the dishes my cousins were staring at me, wondering if I finally lost my head, because I was laughing like crazy. I've never used that thing

To me it isn't as bad if it's family or friends. It's not as embarrassing if it's someone you know, as it would be for a stranger.

[Lindale]

Hmm. Unless you think that you'll never meet that stranger again, Inziladun, and chances are they won't remember you either. My cousins still tease me about laughing and telling the story of Don Quixote to the soapy dishes. Yet I think it's all part of the family bonding, the stereotyping of relatives, and I just have to live with being the insane girl telling stories to the dishes.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

I shall overlook most of my current irritants in favor of the tragedy that is:

having - by necessity - to include words and phrases in other languages (mostly French and Latin) in my research papers. Dear World of Theory and Criticism: stop.

[A Little Green]

Death.

It just sucks.

[Thinlómien]

Death.
It just sucks.Or maybe people dying too young... But agreed nevertheless.

[skip spence]

What happened?

[Thinlómien]

What happened?One of the teachers in our school died yesterday totally unexpectedly. She was only around 30 years old and certainly one of the teachers I liked (and knew) the best - a very lovely and warm personality. We'll miss her.

[skip spence]

I'm sorry to hear that. It's very sad when someone you know and care about dies.

[Lalwendë]

Black ice - it rained and then it froze this morning and I had a journey to rival Frodo's in order to walk to nursery and work. I won't be doing that again - it might be OK for me to struggle into work but I think I put the lad's life at risk attempting that! :eek:

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Waiting for werewolf deadlines! I can start a Day early as long as everything's to me on time, but it's not at all nice to end one before it's supposed to be over.

At least the 'Downs clock is fixed again. :D

[Inziladun]

Black ice - it rained and then it froze this morning and I had a journey to rival Frodo's in order to walk to nursery and work. I won't be doing that again - it might be OK for me to struggle into work but I think I put the lad's life at risk attempting that!

Black ice! Phenomena I've never experienced in my comparitively warm clime. From what you say, Lalwendë, I'm not a bit envious.

[Lindale]

I assign the writer of this (http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/mojo/718/whats-the-worst-band-name-like-ever/) article. Well, you might want to skip everything else until you get to the last paragraph. Such an ignoramus. If you're lucky (or otherwise) you might see my comment and people who have commented on that comment.

[Nerwen]

Uh... Lindale... there are nearly 3,000 comments!

[Nerwen]

One of the teachers in our school died yesterday totally unexpectedly. She was only around 30 years old and certainly one of the teachers I liked (and knew) the best - a very lovely and warm personality. We'll miss her.

I'm so sorry, Lommy and Greenie. That's way too young to die.:(

[Inziladun]

Lindale

I assign the writer of this article. Well, you might want to skip everything else until you get to the last paragraph. Such an ignoramus. If you're lucky (or otherwise) you might see my comment and people who have commented on that comment.

I looked at 20 pages of the comments but didn't see one I thought to be yours. The name that is apprarantly the point of your ire is not nearly as bad as many of the others listed.

[skip spence]

I actually read and enjoyed that article, Lindale

If I ever start an emo band it's name shall be Projected Helicopter Valentine, according to the 'emo band name generator'. Worse than Hitler! What in the name of Mordor is "emo" though? I hear all the kids talk about it, often with vitriolic contempt, but I'm not quite sure what it stands for? Name a famous typical emo band someone!

I assign to Mordor the financial crisis and economical downturn, caused by greedy men in banking and finance, but payed for by normal people like us.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Name a famous typical emo band someone!

Bright Eyes. My Chemical Romance. Blue October, a bit. Breaking Benjamin. Peter Murphy, but he's more goth than emo.

I'd say Bright Eyes produces the most fundamentally emo music I've ever heard, if you want to track down some tell-tale songs.

[skip spence]

Of those bands you mentioned, I'm only familiar with My Chemical Romance and the little I've heard from them is truly horrible. They also look silly and have a stupid name. Reminds me of all that is bad about The Smashing Pumpkins without all that's good about Smashing Pumpkins, they do.

I'd say Bright Eyes produces the most fundamentally emo music I've ever heard, if you want to track down some tell-tale songs.

Nah, I think I stick to my old Dylan-vinyls. Thanks though. :)

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Of those bands you mentioned, I'm only familiar with My Chemical Romance

Peter Murphy's a vampire. :)

[Lindale]

Of those bands you mentioned, I'm only familiar with My Chemical Romance and the little I've heard from them is truly horrible. They also look silly and have a stupid name.

Oh, lucky you then. My brother's a big fan, and I remember going with him to their concert because the parents paid me to do it. I still assign that to Mordor, because no amount of petty cash can make me willingly go to an emo gig.

But the article, it made my blood boil when I read that among the most stupid band names, according to it anyway, includes Hobbits from the Shire. That's where the Ignoramus bit got in. Maybe that writer's not familiar with metal bands named after less-known Tolkien words such as "Menegroth" or "Nazgul". But they're both black metal, so maybe I can assign that to Mordor as well. :Merisu:

[Aganzir]

As a matter of fact, I think Hobbits from the Shire is quite a stupid band name. It reminds me of this year's Eurovision Song Contest participant from, err, it was either Latvia or Lithuania: the band was called Pirates of the Sea and their song was Wolves of the Sea. So imaginative.

I assign it being dark both when I go to school and come home from school. Snow would make it much brighter but guess if we have any. :(

[Inziladun]

Aganzir

As a matter of fact, I think Hobbits from the Shire is quite a stupid band name. It reminds me of this year's Eurovision Song Contest participant from, err, it was either Latvia or Lithuania: the band was called Pirates of the Sea and their song was Wolves of the Sea. So imaginative.

When you think about it, it has to be really difficult coming up with a band name that isn't dumb, or hasn't been used a dozen times before. After so many years of rock/pop/indie/emo music, there can't be that many alternatives.

[Aganzir]

When you think about it, it has to be really difficult coming up with a band name that isn't dumb, or hasn't been used a dozen times before. After so many years of rock/pop/indie/emo music, there can't be that many alternatives.
I may be wrong but I think Nog or someone once came up with a band name Saruman & the Sarumen. I think it was fabulous. :cool::D

[Morthoron]

One of my favorite bands was Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mirkwood.

Oh wait, I'm mixing my cultural touchstones again, sorry.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

I may be wrong but I think Nog or someone once came up with a band name Saruman & the Sarumen. I think it was fabulous. :cool::D
Now that is a bad name. . .

The Pirates of The Sea miight be unimaginative, but it was better than many other songs in that contest.

Some of my friends used to have a band and they changed name at almost every gig they played, the name I liked the best was "Laika and the moon-dogs"

[Lalwendë]

Now that is a bad name. . .

The Pirates of The Sea miight be unimaginative, but it was better than many other songs in that contest.

Some of my friends used to have a band and they changed name at almost every gig they played, the name I liked the best was "Laika and the moon-dogs"

Pirates of the Sea were hilarious! However I assign to Mordor the travesty that was Sebastien Tellier not winning by an enormous margin, the man is a genius.

We used to have a band and our spin-off band was called The Derek Hatton Toupee Experience. I might start it up again. We used to do percussion with snooker balls.

[skip spence]

Bureaucrats.

I bet Mordor is filled with them; power-crazed little men and women dismissing any attempt of a constructive dialogue by referring to a rule or regulation they alone can interpret correctly, saying 'it's not my fault it's like this' or 'There's nothing I can do, my hands are tied', with ill-concealed glee.

[Lindale]

I assign the lousy student who kicked our lovely college cat! And all those who are needlessly cruel to animals. I'm no vegan or something, I don't object to slaughtering pigs or what, but kicking a cat for the heck of it is just pure evil. Especially if you know that the cat is loved by a certain group.

And those who tear off pages from library books. Lousy little creeps who deserve to be cooked in the fires of Mt Doom.

[skip spence]

I assign the lousy student who kicked our lovely college cat! And all those who are needlessly cruel to animals. I'm no vegan or something, I don't object to slaughtering pigs or what, but kicking a cat for the heck of it is just pure evil. Especially if you know that the cat is loved by a certain group.

See, that reasoning I can't quite understand. How is kicking at a cat, or a dog, and giving it a few unpleasant moments, often in retribution to an unwanted behaviour, somehow worse than slaughtering pigs on an industrial scale after having spent their brief life in a cramped dark space, and these are animals capable of feelings and of intelligence similar or more developed to that of a cat or a dog?

[Inziladun]

Lindale

I don't object to slaughtering pigs or what, but kicking a cat for the heck of it is just pure evil. Especially if you know that the cat is loved by a certain group.

I agree. Senseless violence toward animals is certainly a Sauronian characteristic. For the same reason, I have a problem with fishers and hunters who don't eat what they catch and kill.

skip spence

See, that reasoning I can't quite understand. How is kicking at a cat, or a dog, and giving it a few unpleasant moments, often in retribution to an unwanted behaviour, somehow worse than slaughtering pigs on an industrial scale after having spent their brief life in a cramped dark space, and these are animals capable of feelings and of intelligence similar or more developed to that of a cat or a dog?

To be sure, food animals deserve to be treated as humanely as possible and should be spared needless pain and discomfort.
That said, I don't consider slaughtering cows and such to be evil in itself.

[Lindale]

The pig, cattle, chicken, lamb, you eat. It goes somewhere, for want of better term, productive. Kicking a cat or running it over with your brand-new SUV is a useless act, unless that cat had hurt you or done some damage. But a cat that is obviously a pet, which you kick just for the heck of it, does that act not make you evil?

[Groin Redbeard]

But a cat that is obviously a pet, which you kick just for the heck of it, does that act not make you evil? Not evil, but cruel.

Rock singers who think they can sing traditional Christmas Carols.

[Morthoron]

See, that reasoning I can't quite understand. How is kicking at a cat, or a dog, and giving it a few unpleasant moments, often in retribution to an unwanted behaviour, somehow worse than slaughtering pigs on an industrial scale after having spent their brief life in a cramped dark space, and these are animals capable of feelings and of intelligence similar or more developed to that of a cat or a dog?

The comedian Denis Leary put the dividing line between animals that we 'save' and animals we 'eat' quite succinctly:

*WARNING: PARTIALLY EDITED FOR OBSCENITIES

Eating meat is an instinct! Yeah! And I know what it's about. "I don't want to eat the meat because I love the animals. I love the animals!" Hey, I love the animals too. I love my doggy. He's so cute. My fluffy little dog -- he's so cute -- there's the problem. We only want to save the cute animals, don't we? Yeah. Why don't we just have animal auditions. Line 'em up one by one and interview them individually.

"What are you?"
"I'm an otter."
"And what do you do?"
"I swim around on my back and do cute little human things with my hands."
"You're free to go."
"And what are you?"
"I'm a cow."
"Get in the ******* truck, ok pal!"
"But I'm an animal."
"You're a baseball glove! Get on that truck!"
"I'm an animal, I have rights!"
"Yeah, here's yer ******* cousin, get on the ******* truck, pal!"

We kill the cows to make jackets out of them, and then we kill each other for the jackets we made out of the cows.

[skip spence]

Good one, Morth.

I don't think Lindale or anyone else is evil because she eats meat. Human beings have done so for millions of years. I too eat meat. Nor do I condone harming pet animals without cause, it's indeed unnecessary and cruel. What does bother me is the blatant hypocrisy regarding the animal we keep. Ms. Animal Friend hates her neighbour for kicking his dog who did the deed on the carpet, and is willing to donate hundreds of dollars to help Boris the Zoo-bear undergo advanced plastic surgery, while at the same time gulps down pork chops without a second thought and wears make-up that hundreds of lab-monkeys lost their eyesight testing out. Yeah, we only care about the cute animals with names, those we see in plain sight. What goes on behind closed doors we don't want to know about.

I have respect for the hunter who goes out in the woods with a gun, shoots Bambi's mum and butchers her himself. I have zero respect for the air-heads who protest fiercely against the fur-industry wearing leather boots, or gets furious if Bob the Monkey has to move to a smaller cage at the Zoo, while happily munching cheap sausages.

[Gollum the Great]

Rock singers who think they can sing traditional Christmas Carols.

I know what you mean.

That was funny, Morth.

[Andsigil]

Cretins driving cars with loud bass systems through your neighborhood. If that's not an invention of Mordor...

[Thinlómien]

Being too busy.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Cretins driving cars with loud bass systems through your neighborhood. If that's not an invention of Mordor...

Cretins with a loud bass system who live above you and turn it up to shake all of your belongings intentionally just to see if your hot room mate will come up and yell at them. :mad:

[Morthoron]

Rock singers who think they can sing traditional Christmas Carols.

I will both agree and disagree with you on that one.

For instance, Bob Seger's renditon of 'Little Drummer Boy' is strained and I hate hearing it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S50cf3xIb50

However, Simon and Garfunkel's version of 'Silent Night/Seven O'clock News' is absolutely brilliant, particularly with the addition of tragic news headlines in juxtaposition to the calm, peaceful carol:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcGBcJKalrQ

Of course, there are an equal number of dreadful Christmas songs mucked up by Country and Western performers and by any number of Pop performers. Aside from performers trying their hand at traditional Christmas Classics, I would have to say there are a number of Rock performers who wrote some of the greatest modern Christmas songs, ones that will certainly stand up with anything Bing Crosby crooned or Nat King Cole embraced in velvety intonation:

Jethro Tull --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdalBvgNAxI

Emerson, Lake and Palmer --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRkOwp19n4k&feature=related

And of course, John Lennon --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBfEGETyGjs

P.S. Oh, and how can I forget the wonderfully drunken 'Fairytale of New York' by the Pogues (warning: some yuletide obscenity) --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjEIP6otc4Y&feature=related

[Lalwendë]

Hmmm, rock stars and traditional Christmas songs and carols (there is a difference between a Christmas song and a carol ;)). Some to make you change your mind:

Steeleye Span - Gaudete - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=lN9AJj9rtlk&feature=related

Mike Oldfield - In Dulce Jubilo - http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=atD18otb95o

However, maybe controversially, i send to Mordor the sort of Christmas song that's designed to make you feel guilty, things like Do They Know It's Christmas. Aside from the fact it's a ruddy awful dirge of a 'song', the lyrics are dumb and I resent Bob Geldof ruining my Christmas by telling me to give him my you-know-what-ing money.

And on the subject of people who kick cats, I'd more than send to Mordor anyone who kicked my cats...they'd end up in the Void!

[Inziladun]

Morthoron

P.S. Oh, and how can I forget the wonderfully drunken 'Fairytale of New York' by the Pogues (warning: some yuletide obscenity)

Now that is a good one. I don't care much for The Pogues, but Kirsty MacColl can make anything listenable.

[Lindale]

Cretins driving cars with loud bass systems through your neighborhood. If that's not an invention of Mordor...


Every other jeepney (our main transport service, and one I have to ride every single day of my life) has a loud bass system blasting some rap or other form of music I or the other passengers can't appreciate. Now riding in that for an hour or so is surely like going on a field trip to Mordor.

Skippy: Hmm, I'll just say, we'll slaughter that lovely little pig we spent three months feeding to get its meat so that it can be served for Christmas dinner (as a lechon baboy, one of my all-time favorites!!). It isn't cruel or evil or some such word, because that's the whole point of feeding that pig and bathing it and buying meds for it for months. But I was a member of an animal whatnot society, and one of our main points, don't do needless cruel things to anything. Your pet, your neighbor, your seatmate in bio, your neighbor's pet, your dead formaldehyde-filled frog at bio, your suckling pig which you will slaughter for Christmas.

Groin: In this country you'd have to search really hard and long to find decent carolers. Well, maybe not that hard, if you live on campus, then you might just want to go to the Conservatory. But if you watch TV or listen to the radio you'd get to hear Christmas carols both local and international, sung very horridly by those who pose as "rock bands."

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

And on the subject of people who kick cats, I'd more than send to Mordor anyone who kicked my cats...they'd end up in the Void!
You go Lal!

I assign nassty projects that never seem to get done, so that I have to sneak my Downs time!

[Oddwen]

On a similar tangent, I would like to assign simple carols that get big-banded, Vegas-ized, jauntified or have their delivery otherwise...changed. The only one allowed to do that type of thing is Richard Cheese (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxSK9hEjIfQ), thank you very much.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

P.S. Oh, and how can I forget the wonderfully drunken 'Fairytale of New York' by the Pogues (warning: some yuletide obscenity)

I heard this blasting in a chain bookstore recently and expressed my amusement to the girls I was with. "Don't they know how many curse words there are in this?" "They don't listen to any of the words," they responded.

And then I happily hummed what follows, "You're a bum, you're a punk-"

[Inziladun]

Feanor of the Peredhil

Peredhil Quote:
Originally Posted by Morthoron
P.S. Oh, and how can I forget the wonderfully drunken 'Fairytale of New York' by the Pogues (warning: some yuletide obscenity)

I heard this blasting in a chain bookstore recently and expressed my amusement to the girls I was with. "Don't they know how many curse words there are in this?" "They don't listen to any of the words," they responded.

And then I happily hummed what follows, "You're a bum, you're a punk-"

The store probably had no idea what songs they were playing. Most of the time they just broadcast from satelliite radio and such.
Good thing you stopped with that line, Feanor. ;)

[Morthoron]

The store probably had no idea what songs they were playing. Most of the time they just broadcast from satelliite radio and such.
Good thing you stopped with that line, Feanor. ;)

Good thing the store didn't play the song 'Bottle of Smoke' from the same album. I believe the lyrics of that tune set a Guinness record for use of a certain naughty word. But somehow, coming from Shane MacGowan, it seems applicable and not forced...almost natural.

I assign Rap music. Personally, I see no redeeming quality in the genre.

[Inziladun]

Morthoron

I assign Rap music. Personally, I see no redeeming quality in the genre.

Musical beauty is, I guess, in the ear of the beholder, but I have to agree. I most highly value strong, clear melodies and lyrical wit, and that style seems to possess neither. By all appearances it most emphasizes volume and crudity, and I'm not at all impressed by the 'rhythm' prowess of the performers.
To be fair, I have an equal dislike for some other forms, notably country and R & B.

[Lalwendë]

*hides her many rap CDs* ;)

[Morthoron]

*hides her many rap CDs* ;)

Alas, even fair Lalwende has succumbed to the wicked wiles of the Dark Lord!

*Prepares the crucifixes, chrisms, holy water and wooden stakes*

Now, my dear Lal, this will only hurt for a moment...

'The harmony of the Beatles compels you! The power of Zeppelin compels you! The lyricism of Dylan compels you!'

[Lindale]

Musical beauty is, I guess, in the ear of the beholder, but I have to agree. I most highly value strong, clear melodies and lyrical wit, and that style seems to possess neither. By all appearances it most emphasizes volume and crudity, and I'm not at all impressed by the 'rhythm' prowess of the performers.
To be fair, I have an equal dislike for some other forms, notably country and R & B.

Now Inziladun, if you happen to find an interesting artist/s who suit perfectly well what you have written, pray tell them to little Lindale. Because if it's poetry you're trying to find, or at least lyrical wit, I think you have to search real hard on the contemporary setting.

Oh on the note of the rap, this morning I had to ride a jeep blasting some rap music at an earsplitting level. If I wasn't the poor girl I am I would have gotten down and ridden another jeep to school. I had to endure it for roughly an hour. :(

[Inziladun]

Lindale

Now Inziladun, if you happen to find an interesting artist/s who suit perfectly well what you have written, pray tell them to little Lindale. Because if it's poetry you're trying to find, or at least lyrical wit, I think you have to search real hard on the contemporary setting.

I never said they had to be contemporary. As it happens, I agree that good, new music seems to be getting scarce.
I like Oasis quite a bit, but they rely so heavily on older influences that they probably don't qualify as contemporary. Most of the stuff I like is older: Beatles, Kirsty MacColl, The Housemartins, and my all time favorite, Blur.

[Lindale]

I think I know only one Beatles song, the Elanor something. Discussed it on a poetry class, together with Simon and whatnot's Sound of Silence and their version of Silent Night/7 o'clock news. :D Yeah, music lovers are likely to burn me now in Mordor with Inquisition tools. But I've always been fond of instrumentals. Only genre I've liked consistently.

[Lalwendë]

Alas, even fair Lalwende has succumbed to the wicked wiles of the Dark Lord!

*Prepares the crucifixes, chrisms, holy water and wooden stakes*

Now, my dear Lal, this will only hurt for a moment...

'The harmony of the Beatles compels you! The power of Zeppelin compels you! The lyricism of Dylan compels you!'

Yeah but if you listen to De La Soul they have Steely Dan and Johnny Cash samples :D

[Lalaith]

I assign Rap music. Personally, I see no redeeming quality in the genre.


The Message.
That is all.
Dylan, on the other hand...he is my Marmite. As in, lots of people seem to like it but I just don't get it.

[Morthoron]

Yeah but if you listen to De La Soul they have Steely Dan and Johnny Cash samples :D

Lal, samples are what is offered by a pimply clerk with a plastic spork in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store. Samples do not constitute an actual meal, like one prepared by a master chef.;)

The Message. That is all.

And the message that is imparted is...what? Pimpin' ho's and drinkin' on gin and juice (wif' mah mind on mah money and mah money on mind).

Brilliant.

Sorry, I don't mean to be rude. I guess the message sounds better with a droning drum machine and three notes on a keyboard repeated over and over.

Dylan, on the other hand...he is my Marmite. As in, lots of people seem to like it but I just don't get it.

Would you like to hear the first rap song ever, and one with an actual message? Try this from the mid-1960's:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAbtg9dz5P0

[Oddwen]

Very very very very audacious shoplifters. You've gone too far this time.

[Lindale]

Very very very very audacious shoplifters. You've gone too far this time.

I was assigned in my Creative Writing class to write a short less-than-500-words work on the subject. It's found on my blog, provided on my sig, entitled Lessons. My latest attempt to produce good literature, that I assign to Mordor. :(

[Lalwendë]

Lal, samples are what is offered by a pimply clerk with a plastic spork in the frozen food aisle of the grocery store. Samples do not constitute an actual meal, like one prepared by a master chef.

Now now. I'd lay money that you like Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, and that's full of the sneaky things ;)


Sorry, I don't mean to be rude. I guess the message sounds better with a droning drum machine and three notes on a keyboard repeated over and over.

What if the three notes and drum machine don't even have any lyrics? I had better not inflict any Nightmares On Wax or Sweet Exorcist on you :p

I assign trying to give directions to people over the phone when they do not know the difference between uphill and downhill. :mad:

[Nerwen]

How to spot Tolkien fans, Lesson One:

I think I know only one Beatles song, the Elanor something.
:D

[Morthoron]

Now now. I'd lay money that you like Bittersweet Symphony by The Verve, and that's full of the sneaky things ;)

Bah! Alright, I will back off from my previously rigid stance. But only for the holidays...in keeping with the season and all.;)

What if the three notes and drum machine don't even have any lyrics? I had better not inflict any Nightmares On Wax or Sweet Exorcist on you :p

I don't care for any three chord repetition, whether it be rap or rock or some esoteric Phillip Glass or John Cage composition. A guitar has an entire fretboard and a keyboard has a full set of keys. One shouldn't limit oneself to just three chords, unless you're the Kinks pre-1968.

[Lalaith]

Pimpin' ho's and drinkin' on gin and juice (wif' mah mind on mah money and mah money on mind).


Tsk. You misunderstand. I use caps for a reason. The Message, by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. One of the first, and still the best, rap songs, a searing and poetic indictment of social injustice and the poverty trap in 80s New York.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3kRuJhIVIo

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Women that just takes and takes, what more is they manipulate you to think it is you who actually want to give it away. . . I am of course talking about my hairdresser who cut of my wonderful hair.

I just wanted to look my best for The Julefrokost (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julefrokost#Christmas_lunch.2C_the_Julefrokost)-season and instead I end up feeling slightly insecure because of this short short hair.

[Lindale]

Don't worry, Rune, it's just this year. Hair grows back, remember? :D

I assign to Mordor that I can't figure out The Might's quote in the Palantir of Fortune game, despite having almost all the words figured out. It's driving me nuts.

[Nerwen]

I am of course talking about my hairdresser who cut of my wonderful hair.

No! Not the hair!:eek:

[Lindale]

Very untimely storms and rains. Uggh! Still raining even in the cold dry season! Imagine celebrating Christmas or going Christmas shopping or partying while it's raining like it's the height of June in tropical Philippines. :(

[Nerwen]

Very untimely storms and rains.

I second that. It's supposed to be summer down here!:mad:

[Kath]

Imagine celebrating Christmas or going Christmas shopping or partying while it's raining like it's the height of June in tropical Philippines.
No need for imagination, that's how those of us in England spend Christmas every year!

I assign hurting your back with absolutely no idea how you've done it. Not only are you in pain, you're constantly running over everything you did recently to try and work out what caused it!

[Oddwen]

I assign second-guessing myself...it's very frustrating when I realize I'm doing it, and then my mind will go into overdrive third and fourth-guessing myself, until I realize I was right the first time. :(

[Nerwen]

I assign losing another of my cats. At least this one had a long life. I'm still going to miss him, though.

[Lindale]

I assign hurting your back with absolutely no idea how you've done it. Not only are you in pain, you're constantly running over everything you did recently to try and work out what caused it!

Maybe you slept in a wrong position the night before. Happens often to me. :(

Aww, Nerwen, that's just sad.

[Eönwë]

No need for imagination, that's how those of us in England spend Christmas every year!
Yep.

In fact, I assign it raining absolutely all day yesterday and most of all the other other days this week. I haven't seen the sky for almost a month!

[Lalwendë]

I don't care for any three chord repetition, whether it be rap or rock or some esoteric Phillip Glass or John Cage composition. A guitar has an entire fretboard and a keyboard has a full set of keys. One shouldn't limit oneself to just three chords, unless you're the Kinks pre-1968.

I'll agree with you if you're talking Status Quo (possibly one of the most cheesy, over-rated rock bands ever), but done well, being minimalist works wonders - and the end results are often not entirely different to pieces of music made involving as many notes as possible - see Atmospheres by Ligeti for an example of that!

EDIT
I've just seen what won X Factor this year and I send Simon Cowell not only to Mordor but to The Void. The cover version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah they've done is so awful, I can't even speak about it on here without cursing....

[Morthoron]

I'll agree with you if you're talking Status Quo (possibly one of the most cheesy, over-rated rock bands ever), but done well, being minimalist works wonders - and the end results are often not entirely different to pieces of music made involving as many notes as possible - see Atmospheres by Ligeti for an example of that!

Well, conversely, I will agree that overly ornate music (pretension for pretension's sake) is as annoying as simplicity without purpose (or talent).

EDIT
I've just seen what won X Factor this year and I send Simon Cowell not only to Mordor but to The Void. The cover version of Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah they've done is so awful, I can't even speak about it on here without cursing....

How sad, particularly since the renditions by John Cale (from the movie Shrek, of all places) or Jeff Buckley are both glorious. But Simon Cowell, as musically aware as he is puported to be, is rather ignorant when it comes to musical knowledge as far as I've seen. I imagine he listened to light-weight New Wave (like Depeche Mode or Duran Duran) and Broadway show tunes as a teenager. He was the type I'd have mocked in school. What a poseur.

We could probably start a separate thread dedicated to the worst cover songs ever recorded.

I'd assign Devo's 'Satisfaction' (Keith Richards would be rolling in his grave if he were dead -- or is he?) to Mordor for starters.

[Lalwendë]

Check out his track record of artists he signed on Wikipedia, it doesn't bode well for him having anything approaching 'taste'. I hate the whole thing of these 'talent' shows - it's just like karaoke. Yuk.

I'd also send to Mordor this thing where people like a singer "because they have a good voice". Well, Jeffrey Archer might have a nice typewriter but it doesn't mean his novels are worth reading, does it? ;)

[Lindale]

In fact, I assign it raining absolutely all day yesterday and most of all the other other days this week. I haven't seen the sky for almost a month!

Hmmm. Me too. It would have been a lovely sight tonight, the moon even in its gibbous state. I can actually glimpse the moonlight outside, but only bits of it. Moonrise over the mountains have never looked more awful than when there are clouds blocking it. :(

[Mithalwen]

I assign my sister whose contribution to the festivities was one bottle of wine and a few cupcakes and is steadily working her way through the fridge and drinks cabinet. She does nothing (or seems to think that we have house elves who will wash up if crockery is dumped in the kitchen). So she doesn't shop, cook, pay for anything, do the driving, or even help clear the table but just expects me to do all the work and my dad to foot the bill.

So when she asked if there were plans for today there wasn't much response. Lying on the sofa, watching old films and eating chocolate was plan enough for me. :D

Sorry I had to rant there or risk causing WW3 on the home front.

[Lalwendë]

I assign vacuous, gossipping office heifers to Mordor. Some horrid woman just came round to gossip with a new colleague and started to talk about something offensive so she suddenly started to whisper - like I am DEAF?! :mad:

[Lindale]

I want to burn myself in Mount Doom for even thinking this, but I was annoyed like I've never been (at school at least) when three idiot second years started discussing the Gaza crisis--and related it to the Bible, which they must not have read in full. They asked why God allowed his 'chosen people' to do those horrid things at Gaza, discussed the ten plagues of Egypt, why the Palestinians ought to be terminated simply because they were 'pagan', and why Hitler was the Devil incarnate. And then one of them asked, why are there even Jews in Europe 'as early as the Renaissance'? Wasn't Marx a Jew? At that point I lost control of my nerves... I don't want to say here what I told those... sophomores, because I might want to look for a boiling vat of oil to jump to.

[Thinlómien]

I assign being busy and tired all the time. :(

But fortunately, it should get better in a week or two.

[Aganzir]

Swedish essays, grr. Doing them too late because of laziness. Besides I just realised that porr is the most ridiculous word ever.

[Vaine]

I assign oppression.

[Eönwë]

Lots of work. Sickness.

[Brinniel]

Having my first classes of the semester at the same time as the inauguration. What a shame it was to miss it. :(

Also, attempting to make a one mile walk to and from my off-campus dance class in under fifteen minutes due to the fact that I have other classes which are on-campus right before and after the dance class. I have a really tight schedule this semester...

[Lindale]

Buying a damaged shirt for my bro's birthday present. I was busy and didn't notice it had a large rip at the back. I'm gonna have it replaced first thing tomorrow. I feel really bad about it.

Oh. And finding out whites are gonna star in a clearly Asian influenced Avatar The Last Airbender movie. It's as bad as finding out PJ wants to split Hobbit into two movies. Uck.

[Morthoron]

Oh. And finding out whites are gonna star in a clearly Asian influenced Avatar The Last Airbender movie.

That's okay. If you notice, 90% of Asian anime seems to be charactered by caucasian looking toons. In fact, to me, every last one of them looks like the original Speed Racer cartoon as far as facial features. It's strange.

[Brinniel]

When snow turns into rain which turns the fresh snow into an ugly brown slush and by nightfall eventually becomes ice. Ew.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

When snow turns into rain which turns the fresh snow into an ugly brown slush and by nightfall eventually becomes ice. Ew.

Ditto. It's been doing that here too.

Except for some totally godless reason, my school uses purple rock salt, so factor that in to the color of the horrible stuff you have to walk through...

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Getting your index finger run through by the sewing machine. This isn't the first time this has happened to me, but it's been years since I did it, and that was on a much more powerful machine. I didn't think this one even had enough oomph to do it (considering that it sometimes balks at denim). Thank God my husband was home, though, because it was good and stuck, and I couldn't've gotten my finger free (or the needle out) on my own (he needed pliers, as it was). I can just picture what would've happened had this been daytime; I would've had to pick up the machine with my free hand and get across the room to the nearest phone and call 911. How... annoying. Not to mention painful. And potentially embarrassing.

[Rikae]

Women who start foaming at the mouth and spewing insults when you fail to conform to their notions of proper feminist behavior. :rolleyes:

I have actually never encountered the opposite: a similar reaction to lack of traditionally feminine behavior. Go figure.

[Rikae]

Getting your index finger run through by the sewing machine.


Poor thing! My mom did that 27 years ago - I still remember her scream. *shudder*

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Happily, I didn't scream (although I did holler for my husband to come up from the basement). I don't think I screamed the first time I did it, or the time the needle went through the nail, came out, went halfway back again, and broke. It happens so fast and the shock is so sudden, nothing comes out. After the whole thing is over and the bleeding is staunched, THEN I go to pieces. But I did make my entire yoga class go "Eeeewwwwwh" when they asked why my finger was all bandaged up the next day. :D

Women who start foaming at the mouth and spewing insults when you fail to conform to their notions of proper feminist behavior.

I have actually never encountered the opposite: a similar reaction to lack of traditionally feminine behavior. Go figure.

Sadly, I have encountered both. Unfortunately, in my humble opinion, neither type displayed anything I would consider "proper" behavior for a human being. If they had, they'd have kept their opinions to themselves rather than find fault in someone else for not sharing them. *sigh*

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

The policy of schools withholding transcripts if you have an outstanding bill, assigned in conjunction with grad school deadlines. :(

[mark12_30]

Narrow-sighted managers who renege on their commitment when they realize it involves effort -- even if that effort would have results much larger than the effort involved.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Mice.

Specifically dead mice.

Or maybe more specifically, the mouse that the cat caught, killed, and left in an unspecified place. So now I have to wander around and hope not to come across it unexpectedly somewhere like my bed or under my foot or something.

*dies inside*

[Ibrîniðilpathânezel]

Mice.

Specifically dead mice.

Or maybe more specifically, the mouse that the cat caught, killed, and left in an unspecified place. So now I have to wander around and hope not to come across it unexpectedly somewhere like my bed or under my foot or something.

*dies inside*

Oh, I know that feeling. A couple of months ago, I was rooting around in the dark recesses of our basement, looking for some box of Christmas stuff, and my foot came down on something... squishy. And smelly. It was a mouse in a trap (since our cat died several years ago), and there are few experiences I've had that were more gross. Ewwwwh....

[Oddwen]

Playing the last song going into the closing hour and turning on the overnight automation to hear...the same song. Gah!

Not being physically able to stop crying, work at a computer, or indeed move my right arm when due on the air in ten minutes.

[Brinniel]

Snow on the first day of March.

I enjoy snow in November, December, January, February...but not March. March is a time for the weather to warm up, not cool down. Two days ago it was almost 60F, and now Boston is in the middle of a snowstorm expecting up to 15 inches.

And to think I leave for Spring Break in less than a week. Where is the spring part of my break? :rolleyes:

[Inziladun]

Snow on the first day of March.

We got snow here also: a bit further south than you are. Here it was a cause for fun, but then again, we don't often see it.

[Lindale]

The broadband we've had for a year or so, whose speed is now worse than dial-up. It used to be top of the line, I just don't know what happened. I even thought it was malware and reformatted, but to no avail. Customer care is not helping... and because of the two-year contract we can't get rid of it, unless we want to pay the high fine.

[Lalwendë]

I assign the two vile specimens of 'motherhood' who were drunk and shrieking at ear splitting volume about drunken exploits with blokes on the bus tonight and ignoring the two toddler girls with them despite the mites sitting there pleading "mamma" and turning to me for attention instead of their designer-clad mothers. Then one of these 'mothers' had the gall to give me a mouthful of abuse for glaring at her.

This is after spending part of the day at work reading about an investigation into child abuse and neglect cases. :(

[Inziladun]

I assign the two vile specimens of 'motherhood' who were drunk and shrieking at ear splitting volume about drunken exploits with blokes on the bus tonight and ignoring the two toddler girls with them despite the mites sitting there pleading "mamma" and turning to me for attention instead of their designer-clad mothers. Then one of these 'mothers' had the gall to give me a mouthful of abuse for glaring at her.

This is after spending part of the day at work reading about an investigation into child abuse and neglect cases. :(

I deal with people like that on a regular basis. It's a pity they don't appreciate what they have in their children, when so many other people long to be parents and cannot.
But then, it's the kids you really feel sorry for.

[Lalwendë]

I deal with people like that on a regular basis. It's a pity they don't appreciate what they have in their children, when so many other people long to be parents and cannot.
But then, it's the kids you really feel sorry for.

What was even more horrid was that one was clearly both mum to one of the tots and granny to the other. Grannies are supposed to be nice, loving people, aren't they? Not the sort of woman who would get drunk, swear and create mayhem.

I also assign the fact I'll probably run into them again unless I start using the car more.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

I assign the extreme feeling of loss/missing out on something that I get in connection with the Barrow Downs.

This time it was when I saw all the Barrow Downer meetings that had taken place of late. . .I guess it was enhanced by the fact that I had not been on the barrow downs for a while and already felt that I had missed alot.

(I am finding it quite hard to keep up with University and being active on the Barrow downs at the same time)

[Rikae]

Suddenly remembering something you said days ago and realizing it sounds rude/negative/insulting/ungrateful. :(

Fearing that you have a personality which dooms you to sounding mean when you don't mean to be.

Being chronically behind in your schoolwork - so far behind, marching into the afterlife and retrieving Spenser to have him write a paper on himself seems easier than catching up.

Knowing without a doubt that, at least physically, your best years are behind you.

Ok, now I've really gone and depressed myself... *sigh*

[Mnemosyne]

Bra-shopping. :mad:

[Thinlómien]

Job-searching. :(

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Disillusionment.

I want to believe in the inherent goodness and rationality of people.

I want to believe that Santa Claus has the best interest of small children in mind when he sneaks into their houses at night.

I want to believe that I'm not the only person on the planet who can deal with problems efficiently, without holding a grudge, with an eye on compassion for all involved.

I might be naive and idealistic. I don't care. I want to keep it. It's comforting, and I want it.

:(

[Nienna]

Disillusionment.

I want to believe in the inherent goodness and rationality of people.

I want to believe that Santa Claus has the best interest of small children in mind when he sneaks into their houses at night.

I want to believe that I'm not the only person on the planet who can deal with problems efficiently, without holding a grudge, with an eye on compassion for all involved.

I might be naive and idealistic. I don't care. I want to keep it. It's comforting, and I want it.

:(

Yes virginia all because
The truth wont save you now

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I assign having your computer not working AGAIN, because the power cord decided that it would be nice to fry!

[Durelin]

White chocolate.

It's not chocolate.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

White chocolate.

It's not chocolate.

But it's still awesome! In a totally not-chocolate way. It's like drinking Pepsi. It's awful, and you know it, but it's so satisfying sometimes.

[Azaelia of Willowbottom]

Sick apartment-mates who are not careful about their germs.

In all fairness, I think I might be the tiniest bit germophobic, so perhaps it's just me...but I really think it's polite to keep one's germs confined to one's own room, instead of lying on the couch in the living room/dining room for days on end, spewing forth a veritable virus army that would only be too happy to make my life miserable. This is the busiest time of the year and I can't afford to get sick. :mad:

Fea--What you call naive and idealistic, I call optimistic. There aren't enough of us in the world these days. I'm darn proud of those characteristics in myself, and you should be too. There's no rule that says that once you hit a certain age, you must stop believing in everything worthwhile. :)

[AbercrombieOfRohan]

April Fool's Jokes...:rolleyes:

[Lindale]

Being the only person working on a paper when everybody else is enjoying summer break. And getting even more distracted because of these, so that the paper takes longer to finish.:(

[Pitchwife]

Receiving and/or telling good news on the phone and getting so enthusiastic that you knock over a freshly filled mug of tea, spilling the contents over computer keyboard, mouse and every sheet of paper that didn't manage to fall off the desk in time. (Happened to me a few days ago)

Mice, too - but rather the ones the cat drags in to play with but doesn't bother to kill, leaving them to run around in the house until you manage to catch and remove them.

Last not least, bird-flu - and the stupid regulations by which our politicians tried to deal with it a couple of years ago.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

April Fool's Jokes...:rolleyes:I second that!

Receiving and/or telling good news on the phone and getting so enthusiastic that you knock over a freshly filled mug of tea, spilling the contents over computer keyboard, mouse and every sheet of paper that didn't manage to fall off the desk in time. (Happened to me a few days ago)I am sorry. Tea is a bad thing to waste! Computers too. Two things I couldn't live without.

[Nienna]

Standarized Testing.

[Celuien]

Noisy, annoying neighbors on the other side of the common wall who turn up the volume on their speakers so much that the pictures fall off your wall. I'm still finding bits of broken glass in the carpet. :mad:

[Lindale]

My brother contracting German measles... and his saying Scheiße every now and then. I don't even know where he got that! I swear I never taught him that!

[Estelyn Telcontar]

The seeming connection amuses me - German measles do not teach the language...

[Rikae]

Are you sure, Esty? After all, I seem to be immunized against the language as well - 2 years of study and I can barely read "Momo" and evesdrop on the in-laws.

And to stay on topic, I assign the brilliant people at the college who seem to have mailed a $5K check intended for me to some other planet. :(

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I assign being bloated, plus having a dreadful cold that makes my nose so congested that I can hardly breathe at night. I also assign having the Standard Based Assessments the next day, maths. Which is my least favourite kind. (But I did get to read about the history of Galadriel and Celeborn and Of Tuor and His Coming to Gondolin, that's a plus I suppose)

[Mnemosyne]

This is one for the Americans...

Adverts, newspaper headlines, magazine blurbs, or student/local campaigns--anything trying to get success by stealing slogans, art designs, or even color schemes from the Obama election campaign. The next time I see another "yes you can" from anyone (aside from the wiseguy who's going to try quoting this at me just to see what I'll do), the person responsible is going straight to Orodruin. No second chances.

[Inziladun]

Though it was inarguably a successful campaign motif, I quite agree. I found a local auto dealer's ad using it to be particularly tiresome.

[Groin Redbeard]

Though it was inarguably a successful campaign motif, I quite agree. I found a local auto dealer's ad using it to be particularly tiresome.

Our local gun shop had an Obama sale!:D I personally have no problems with the ads if they get you a better deal on a hunting rifle, or whatever you plan on buying.;)

[Inziladun]

Our local gun shop had an Obama sale!:D I personally have no problems with the ads if they get you a better deal on a hunting rifle, or whatever you plan on buying.;)

The gun shops around here reportedly have seen business flourish also, though I didn't hear of any Obama connotation used to advertise.

[Groin Redbeard]

The gun shops around here reportedly have seen business flourish also, though I didn't hear of any Obama connotation used to advertise.

Sorry Inziladun, but you don't live in Texas!:D

[Inziladun]

Sorry Inziladun, but you don't live in Texas!:D

Not Texas, but it's not too far away. I spent some time at Lackland AFB near San Antonio in the mid 90's.

[Estelyn Telcontar]

http://forum.barrowdowns.com/images/chatskwerl.jpg

[Lalwendë]

Hold onto your dinners, folks!

I assign the aliens (also known as bacteria) which have been trying to eat my leg. It looks like they have been halted around the knee though they have left a right oozy mess behind them so my shin looks like I tried to put out the Pyre of Denethor. Hurrah for industrial strength intravenous antibiotics though!

I also assign disappointing Doctor Who specials that rip off Lara Croft and Harry Potter in an especially bad, lazy and unironic way. Especially when I am ill and have been looking forward to a feast of fun.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Good things to know:

1) you don't have to shift into first gear before you come to a complete stop, but

2) you do still have to press down the clutch.

And so of course there were several oh dear god the car is rolling away dad how to I make it move forward AHHHH! it stalled moments.

Press the clutch, turn the key, oh god it's rolling backward again! (stall)
Press the clutch, turn the key, foot on the brake

-switch to the gas at hyperspeed!-

[sound of tires squealing on pavement]

Huh.

Well then.

Well, at least I'm moving forward...

No-gas-clutch-second-gas

No-gas-clutch-third-gas

All right. Doin' good. No-gas-clutch-fourth-gas

Oh no, not another hill!

Climbing
Climbing

Eek

No-gas-clutch-third-gas

[whimper]

Climbing
Climbing
Slowing down
Slowing down

[whimper]

Approaching the top at 5mph

I think I can
I think I can

Crested!

Success!

No, not another stop sign!!!

[Pitchwife]

Fea, this sounds appallingly familiar... and reminded me of this joke by a person I studied with (who got his own driving license at 30-something):

General rule:
number of driving lessons required to pass the test = your age in years
Special rule for intellectuals:
number of driving lessons required to pass the test = your age in years + your IQ

As for myself, I finally passed the test at 42 - and if I did it, everybody can;)!

[Mithalwen]

I think it is just the manual transmission she is struggling with (which can also be very vehicle specific especially with older cars - though new ones can be so quiet that you don't hear the "bite" - I kept thinking I had stalled my hire car). But the idea of driving an auto scares me - what do you do if you have to go through flood water, how do you get more power for hills... I guess it is just what you are used to...

However I will but the intellectual theory since I passed third time... :D But I wouldn't pass now since they have added reverse parking to the test ..:Merisu:

Oh and I assign finding out who your friends are the bad way...

[Durelin]

Historiography.

I'd assign being done with one (several weeks early, too!) to the Shire but for all the wasted time...not that Hobits are averse to wasing time, just tend to do it in a much^nth more enjoyable way...

[Oddwen]

I'd like to assign that ol' feeling where the ground seems to be sinking beneath you. Especially when you can only feel it with one leg.

[TheGreatElvenWarrior]

I assign looking forward to a trip to the UK this summer (since August), but having your parents JUST tell you a week ago that they cancelled the trip the first week in March because they couldn't pay for me to go. I was disappointed to say the least.

[Laurinquë]

I assign looking forward to a trip to the UK this summer (since August), but having your parents JUST tell you a week ago that they canceled the trip the first week in March because they couldn't pay for me to go. I was disappointed to say the least.

All my sympathy. :(

As for what I assign to Mordor; I assign American Football. It's truly terrible. And dreadfully confusing. Give me real football any day.