Middle-Earth references in the Modern World

[The Barrow-Wight]

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I just found a neat reference to Middle-Earth in an album by a band called Nickel Creek (http://www.nickelcreek.com).www.nickelcreek.com).</a> They are a Bluegrass/Pop band with a very interesting sound. Track #4 on their self-titled CD is entitled House of Tom Bombadil. The song has a blugrass/celtic sound to it.

Do you know any other Middle-earth references anywhere (besides the movie)? List them here so we can see them!

The Barrow-Wight (RKittle)
<font size="2">I usually haunt http://www.barrowdowns.comThe Barrow-Downs</a> and The Barrow-Downs http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgiMiddle-Earth Discussion Board</a>.</p>

[Gilthalion]

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Re: Middle-Earth references in the Modern World

I believe the Canadian band RUSH has an acoustic guitar piece entitled Rivendell. It is absolutely beautiful.

EDIT: They do. It's from the FLY BY NIGHT album. Here it is


Rivendell

Sunlight dances through the leaves
Soft winds stir the sighing trees
Lying in the warm grass
Feel the sun upon your face
Elfin songs and endless nights
Sweet wine and soft relaxing lights
Time will never touch you
Here in this enchanted place

You feel there's something calling you
You're wanting to return
To where the misty mountains rise and friendly fires burn
A place you can escape the world
Where the dark lord cannot go
Peace of mind and sanctuary by loud water's flow

I've traveled now for many miles
It feels so good to see the smiles of
Friends who never left your mind
When you were far away
From the golden light of coming dawn
Till the twilight where the sun is gone
We treasure ev'ry season
And ev'ry passing day

We feel the coming of a new day
Darkness gives way to light a new way
Stop here for a while until the world,
The world calls you away
Yet you know I've had the feeling
Standing with my senses reeling
This is the place to grow old till
I reach my final day.



They also did one called Necromancer but it has little to do with Tolkien.

<center><font face=verdana size=1> http://www.barrowdowns.comBarrow-Downs</a>~http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000Bare Bones</a>~http://pub41.ezboard.com/btarostineruhirTar Ost-in-Eruhir</a>~http://www.geocities.com/robertwgardner2000/gilthalion.htmlGrand Adventures</a>~http://www.barrowdowns.com/fanfichobbits.aspThe Hobbits</a>~http://www.tolkientrail.comTolkien Trail</a> </center></p>Edited by: <A HREF=http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_profile&u=00000006>Gilthalion</A> at: 6/28/01 6:57:47 pm

[KM Tinuviel]

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Re: Middle-Earth references in the Modern World

Let's not forget Led Zeppelin (no, never!)--There's &quot;Misty Mountain Hop&quot;, for one. And in &quot;The Battle of Evermore&quot;, they mention that &quot;the Ringwraiths ride in black&quot;, and in &quot;Ramble On&quot;: &quot;...in the Darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair...but Gollum and the Evil One crept up and slipped away with her...&quot;
(Oops, I guess I'm showing my age again...)

Tinuviel

</p>

[the Lorien wanderer]

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Re: Middle-Earth references in the Modern World

That's beautiful Gil. I'll see if their stuff is available here.

"But why?" he asked in bewilderment, looking upon Death. "Why?" he asked again. </p>

[Sharkû]

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Re: Middle-Earth references in the Modern World

Strangely, most seem to come from the rock-, later metal- genre.

-The rock band Marillion even were named SILMarillion before difficulties with the Estate. I don't know much about them apart from their name, though.
-Summoning are mentioned often enough already, as well as Blind Guardian.
-Burzum has JRRT references - nomenclature mainly.
-Graveland has a stupid one, called 'White Hand's Power', about the supremacy of Isengard.
-Running Wild have on one of their earliest albums a song called Mordor (whose lyrics are less concrete).
-Bob Catley (ex-Magnum singer) has recently done an album called 'Middle-Earth' with lyrics about exactly that.
-Dozens of pathetic new Black Metal bands give themselves evil ME names such as Nirnaeth, Cirith Gorgor, Gorgoroth...
-A far earlier reference are Cirith Ungol, classical fantasy rock/metal.
-German metal band Riger have some references on their first album 'Wanderer'. Lyrics are practically not intellegible, but song titles include 'Melkor' and sth. like 'Dark Tower'.


As for other references, Juan Antonio Samaranch, head of the International Olympic Committee, is often called 'The Lord of the Rings' (and know we know where the mysterious five rings really belong to).

The PC adventure Simon the Sorceror has some nice references (such as a Gollum-guy fishing for a ring).

In one Simpsons episode ('This little Wiggy'), there is a toy shop called 'J.R.R. Toykin's'.

I know there are some more, but that's all I can think of at the moment.


Each man kills the thing he loves...</p>

[Glornan]

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Re: Middle-Earth references in the Modern World

In Witches Abroad, by Terry Pratchett, when the 3 witches are travelling by boat, there is a Gollum-type guy following them on a log. When he climbs their boat however, all he can say is 'It's my Birthdayyy, My Preciousss', before the witches hit him with their broomsticks<img src=smile.gif ALT=":)"> .

Glornan, Feeling sigless</p>

[Imbear Nolwehin]

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Tolkien references

How about Stephen King's many, many references. He mentions Númenor, Bilbo, Bag-end. And the Tolkien references are appropriate, unlike, say, Burzum's horrific nightmare vision.

Imbëar

</p>

[Olorin]

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Re: Tolkien references

If you want a real song, go on mp3.com on Blind Guardian. Yah I know some of you will say that is a metal band, but they made a beautiful melodic song entitled Lord of the Rings.
You'll find it on mp3.com.
And if some are interested in metal genre, their last album was call Night Fall in Middle-Earth. It talks of the Silmarillion all over the album.

</p>

[red]

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Re: Tolkien references

'Melodic' and 'metal' do not belong in the same sentence. <img src=laugh.gif ALT=":lol">

-rêd

<blockquote><font size=2>

"He was as noble and as fair in face as an elf-lord, as strong as a warrior, as wise as a wizard, as venerable as a king of dwarves, and as kind as summer."</p>

-A Short Rest, The Hobbit</p></blockquote></p>

[enep]

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Re: Tolkien references

I have a book by an aust. author named Nadia Wheatley called 'the Night Tolkien died', a collection of stories.

The last of these, titled as the book, encompasses a night where several people (one named Lorien) reminisce of a night where they got stoned and saw Nazgul running through the house, orcs pounding on the door.

In the movie Tomb Raider, one of the characters is asked if something improbable could come to be. He replies, if my memory serves me right, &quot;If it does, then I'm Bilbo Baggins,&quot; or something to that liking <img src=tongue.gif ALT=":b">

- enep</p>

[Olorin]

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Re: Tolkien references

Red if you don't trust me go download the song and you'll see it's melodic.

</p>

[Sharkû]

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Re: Tolkien references

There are cookies here in Alemania named 'Hobbits'. I just mention this because I really wonder how, if at all, they got the license for that name (I assume it is a trademark?), and if that could pay off at all <img src=wink.gif ALT=";)">

</p>

[Evenspire]

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Middle Earth in our world?

How about the most famous of all?

The Album made by Leonard Nemoy in the late 60s. &quot;Biblo Baggins&quot; is one of the featured songs!

In a strange little - in the middle of the earth
Lived a .. little hobbit whom we all admired..

Bilbo..Bilbo Baggins
The bravest little hobbit of them aaaaal.

Does anyone have the words?

</p>

[The Barrow-Wight]

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Re: Middle Earth in our world?

In the Middle of the earth, in the land of the Shire,
lived a brave little hobbit who we all admire...

That's all I remember.

The Barrow-Wight (RKittle)
<font size="2">I usually haunt http://www.barrowdowns.comThe Barrow-Downs</a> and The Barrow-Downs http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgiMiddle-Earth Discussion Board</a>.</p>

[LionPixie]

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References

dadadada fuzzy wooly toes
dadadada and everybody knows him

Bilbo, Bilbo Baggins, the bravest little hobbit of them all

I'll have to contact Leonard Nemoy, or my sister that probably has the LP.

</p>

[Evenspire]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit
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References

There was a &quot;Hobbit Hole&quot; store in Cave Junction, Oregon in the 80s. I havn't been out that way in over a decade. I bought a bumper sticker &quot;Keep on Tolkien&quot;, that I had on my car all through College and then some.

I see that there is a Hobbit House in Hawaii to rent.

</p>

[lindil]

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Posts: 679</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: References

The forest moon 'Endor' from Return of the Jedi.
Endor = Middle- Earth


<a href="http://www.barrowdowns.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=8&t=000000e Creation of a Revised Silmarillion</a>
Lindil's Tolkien/Christian discussion board<a href="http://pub72.ezboard.com/bosanwe" >Osanwe</a>,
http://pub41.ezboard.com/btarostineruhirTar Ost-in-Eruhir</A>.
[i]'In the begining was the Word. And the Word was with God.And the Word is God'. </p>

[Aldaron]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Wight
Posts: 119</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: References

Last autumn I started a hike down the River Barle in s.w. England from a village called Withypool. Surely it must be just around the bend of the Withywindle.

</p>

[Evenspire]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit
Posts: 70</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
References

In England, you find the Downs, the Brandywine and some other familiar locations.

Not far from Oxford, one can find a great deal of ME.

</p>

[SteadfastSam]

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Re: References

There is a pizza place right outside my school called Frodo's Pizza. I eat there at least once a week and even have a Frodo's Pizza shirt. It has Gandalf on the back and a little line about how wonderful their pizza is. It is good pizza.

"Good Morning!" said the dragon. "You seem surprised."
"Good Morning! said Farmer Giles. "I am that!"
Farmer Giles of Ham </p>

[obloquy]

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Re: References

Dean Koontz's book False Memory has a lot of Tolkien stuff in it. Not a terrific book, however.

</p>

[Evenspire]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit
Posts: 83</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
In the modern world: reference

Not too uncommon for people to name a pet dog Gandalf.

I've never met a dog named Elrond or Glorfingel...

</p>

[The X Phial]

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Re: In the modern world: reference

There is a car that drives around the Ithaca area (all by itself, amazing!!) <img src=wink.gif ALT=";)"> that is hand painted, it has The Road Goes Ever On painted on one of the doors. Koontz also put Tolkien references in &quot;Dark Rivers of the Heart&quot; I think. As for the words to the Hobbit song by Nimoy, they are as follows:

In the middle of the Earth, In the land of the Shire
Lives a brave little hobbit who we all admire.
With his long wooden pipe, fuzzy wooly toes,
He lives in a hobbit-hole and everybody knows him.

Bilbo, (Bilbo) Bilbo Baggins, he's only three feet tall
Bilbo, (Bilbo) Bilbo Baggins, the bravest little hobbit of them all.

Now hobbits are peace-lovin' folks you know
They're never in a hurry and they take things slow
They don't like to travel away from home
They just like to eat and be left alone

But one day Bilbo was asked to go
On a big adventure to the caves below
To help some Dwarves get back their gold
That was stolen by a dragon in the days of old

Bilbo, (Bilbo) Bilbo Baggins, he's only three feet tall
Bilbo, (Bilbo) Bilbo Baggins, the bravest little hobbit of them all

Well he fought with the Goblins
He battled a troll
He riddled with Gollum
A magic ring he stole
He was chased by wolves, lost in a forest,
Escaped in a barrel from the Elf King's Hall

Bilbo, (Bilbo) Bilbo Baggins, the bravest little hobbit of them all

Now he's back in his hole in the land of the Shire
That brave little Hobbit who we all admire
And justa sittin' on a treasure of silver and gold
Puffin' on his pipe in his Hobbit Hole

Bilbo, (Bilbo) Bilbo Baggins, he's only three feet tall
Bilbo, (Bilbo) Bilbo Baggins, the bravest little hobbit of them all



And the saddest part is I wrote the words from my old LP, lol.




-*-The X Phial-*- "Yet more fair is the living land of Lorien, and the Lady Galadriel is above all the jewels that lie beneath the earth!"</p>

[burrahobbit]

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Re: Middle-Earth references in the Modern World

Dunno if this'll work. http://www.mapquest.com/cgi-bin/ia_find?link=btwn%2Ftwn-map_results&amp;uid=u7zdb1v7v6jap4sb%3A2lgw20u01a&amp;SNVD ata=3mad3-h.fy%2528a8xq42_%2529ftsdf2%253bah7-%253d%255b2l167.90bwh%255d%2513I%2514OSR%252b%2519 V%2516%2526%252bQZN%2517%2519IT%2517%252bYKJK%253a %252bBI%253a%252bGG_%253d%253a%2528%2511E%253abslw 8n%253d%253d1ad41n%253d0%2Crb%253b7%253bb5m-r2qfj5m%253be10h%25284%2Cvkj3m%2528%255b2l167.90bw h%255d%2513I%2514OSR%252b%2519V%2516%2526%252bQZN% 2517%2519IT%2517%252bYKJK%253a%252bBI%253a%252bGG&amp; pcat=&amp;aphoto=0&amp;MAP_AB_LABELS=&amp;WORK=&amp;mouse_mode=zoo min&amp;map.x=195&amp;map.y=124Some streets.</a>

What's a burrahobbit got to do with my pocket, anyways?</p>

[Evenspire]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit
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References

That's great!

Oklahoma City has a developer that is into LOTR!



</p>

[Malagaerion]

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Re: References

The sci-fi tv show &quot;Babylon 5&quot; used several Tolkien references. I think the most prominent reference would be the Rangers, secret guardians of the borders. I also read somewhere that Strazinski (shows creator) compared one of the characters to Boromir in an interview. I don't remember which character that was though. I'll have to do some digging.

</p>

[Sharkû]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Hungry Ghoul
Posts: 1020</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Professor ahoy!

http://www.tolkiengesellschaft.de/dtg/jpg/sv021022.jpg

</p>

[Valros Barazhor]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Animated Skeleton
Posts: 35</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: References

One of the characters in the Sit-com &quot;Just Shoot Me&quot; tells another character &quot;she has no time for his Hobbit Riddles.&quot;

There is a development in Gainesville Florida called &quot;Hobbiton&quot; or something close(old man memory)

My Brother has a rabbit named Mithrandir

and we should somehow start one in the political arena for personal projects that go sour as &quot;Orc-Barrel Projects&quot; <img src=laugh.gif ALT=":lol">

</p>

[Halbarad]

<font face="Verdana"><table><TR><TD><FONT SIZE="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Haunting Spirit
Posts: 51</TD><TD></TD></TR></TABLE>
Re: References

There is a book about some gnomes called the Grey Men by B.B

"A little people, but of great worth are the Shire-folk. Little do they know of our long labour for the safekeeping of their borders, and yet I grudge it not."</p>

[Sharkû]

An excerpt from a Friends-episode:


Ross: Joey, you are gonna love this guy. Gandalf is like the party wizard!

Joey: Well, why do you call him Gandalf?

Ross: Gandalf the wizard. (Joey is still confused) Hello! Didn’t you read Lord of the Rings in high school?

Joey: No, I had sex in high school.

[inglorion]

In my home-town there´s a restaurant called:
'The Hobbits'

[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

In Washington DC there's a children's clothing store called "Hobbit Town."

It's appropriately adorable, and located below sidewalk level, too.

[ December 23, 2001: Message edited by: Marileangorifurnimaluim ]

[Sharkû]

Friends, again. Must be cool authors there.

RACHEL: Well that sounds kinda cool, kinda like The Hobbit.

MONICA: It is nothing like the Hobbit. It's like reading about every relationship I've ever had.

[red]

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Xander describes a group of demons as "hobbits with leprosy."

smilies/biggrin.gif

-réd

[Elendil]

I know a dog called 'Strider' or 'Stapper' in Dutch.

[Tenchi-Oak]

The rock band Blind Guardian released a CD called "Twilight in Middle Earth" with Tolkien themed songs. They also had a great song called "Lord of the Rings" on another CD, it was sung from Frodo's point of view.

[Eldar14]

Someone mentioned Babylon 5 up above, but they also took many names from ME (they usually got them from dwarven)

[red]

I just thought of another! That old video game called Street Fighter had a character named Balrog, a giant of a man with boxing gloves! I still have this game for my Sega Genesis system that I actually still use periodically. I'm too cheap (or is that poor) to buy one of the new, much cooler systems.

-réd

[shieldmaiden]

In the book "Good Omens", written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman there is a girl called Pippin Galadriel Moonchild.

[Oliphaunt]

We were driving around Windsor, Ontario (Canada) and I saw a golf course called Rivendell. Enya has a song called Lothlorien, and this was before her work with the movie.

[Everdawn]

I know this is old.. but i did search for it...


Re: Middle-Earth references in the Modern World

Let's not forget Led Zeppelin (no, never!)--There's "Misty Mountain Hop", for one. And in "The Battle of Evermore", they mention that "the Ringwraiths ride in black", and in "Ramble On": "...in the Darkest depths of Mordor, I met a girl so fair...but Gollum and the Evil One crept up and slipped away with her..."
(Oops, I guess I'm showing my age again...)

Not at all! I was rummaging through my dad's massive vynal collection and found some Led Zepelin albums, I listened to one, (led Zepelin 4) and i was really excited, Everyone get one of them (from wherever) and have a listen youll be surprised. Wasnt it written in the time when the slogan "Frodo Lives" was huge? I think its great that Tolkien's writing can inspire (In my opinion almost the whole album) one of the most successful bands of modern times.

[Quickbeam]

In Atlanta there a childrens bookstore called hobbit hall. smilies/smile.gif

[drigel]

You kids need to check out that zep and you might try yes as well.,.,. gosh that does make me feel old smilies/smile.gif

There is a resteraunt in DC named "The Hobbit Hole"

[Everdawn]

What is old is new again?

It is amazing ot think that one man's books could inspire an entire album of one of hte greatest rock bands of all time.

Also, there is A Falcon which has nested wiht it's mate in an inner city skyscraper. It was named Frodo by readers of the courier mail.

[ 3:33 AM November 28, 2003: Message edited by: Everdawn ]

[Man-of-the-Wold]

Along US 101, I thing about northern Medocino County, CA., is an OK tourist's trap with a trail of Middle-Earthling displays and so forth. My daughter and I did the tour some months ago. As I kid in a car I saw the place near Cave Jct., OR. I don't recall noticing it at all times of late, but US 199 is trippy enought. But in the Calif./Oregon world where Hippies once throve, none of that is surprising.

Zepplin Rocks!

Dancing Days are here again ...

"Hobbit" is a coined word found in many dictionaries. Ironic?>

There's lots of stuff on the Web. Ya know?

[doug*platypus]

In the real world is this awful story about Gandalf Cres (http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2748331a2202,00.html) in Paraparaumu, north of Wellington. A lot of our streets are named after New Zealand political figures, native plants, or places in the UK. I think it's a bit ridiculous to name a street after a fictional character, but I suppose it will be a lasting testament to the whackiness of the last couple of ROTK-filled months down here in Aotearoa. I can't help but feel that Tolkien Ave or Jackson St would have been better, though.

Not really in the real world:
New Zealand hip-hop group called Dark Tower (they suck!) South Park FOTR episode (total p*ss-take, they are NOT fans!) Blizzard game Diablo has Balrogs, and other creatures that look like Gollum and can turn invisible.References to LOTR in fantasy games, movies and books go on and on, and probably deserve their own thread. I did an assignment in High School that showed how Terry Brooks' The Sword of Shannara was a thinly disguised rip-off of the LOTR tale.

[The Saucepan Man]

In the real world is this awful story about Gandalf Cres in Paraparaumu, north of Wellington.

Mr Platypus, you should get a photo and send it in to Middle-earth signs (http://www.barrowdowns.com/signs.asp?Size=). smilies/biggrin.gif

[FairLadyGoldberry]

Today I was watching Wheel of Fortune and was quite delighted when one of the last puzzles was "Elves and Hobbits," with the puzzle category being characters. teehee. ;)

[Encaitare]

'Melodic' and 'metal' do not belong in the same sentence.

Lol... sometimes they do! You guys really should check out the Blind Guardian album, though. My signature has a sample of the lyrics.

Wasnt it [Led Zeppelin 4] written in the time when the slogan "Frodo Lives" was huge?

Yup, I'm looking for a shirt with that on it but I can only find them online :( I'm looking for Led Zep album with most, if not all, of the LotR related songs. Can anyone tell me if they have a "best of" album with those songs?

Plus, the band Nightwish makes some LotR references in a couple of songs, mentioning Elbereth, Lorien, and the Grey Havens. Most of the members (maybe all, I don't remember right now) say that LotR is one of their favorite books and influences.

I got a card for my birthday that said

Front: Birthday greetings from Gandalf!

Inside: You actually got sort of excited, didn't you? God, you're such a geek!

Back: Get a life!

and another one with an Aragornish looking guy on it, holding what could be a Palantir. But he also had a seemingly random staff, so I'm not sure if it could be considered a real-life example or not.

[ninlaith]

When Tolkein was a boy he used to frequently pass a pub in his hometown called Rosie's. And in the book Rose Cotton is the bar-maid. Just thought it was neat.

[Lachwen]

'Melodic' and 'metal' do not belong in the same sentence.

What?! You did not just say that! :mad:
Some time, sit down and listen to "Orion" by Metallica (on their album Master of Puppets). It's one of the most melodic, beautiful pieces of metal music I've ever heard. Or "Hero of the Day" from Load, for that matter. Or anything by Tool.

And hey, let's not forget that, on the show Babylon 5, the homeworld of the Shadows was Kazadum. :D

[ninlaith]

Terribly sorry. That place I spoke about in my last post was actually called The Rose and Crown and it was a tavern. Terribly sorry for my mistake. I do apologize.

[Mithalwen]

Don't know if this counts but the security guard where I am currently working is a dead ringer for the Bree gate keeper with the same cheery demeanour.... really brightens my arrival at work...