What do you assign to Orthanc?

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by The Saucepan Man

We have Mordor, where we may assign the things we hate. We have the Shire, a veritable repository of the things we love.

But what about the things that we hate to love? Or, more accurately, the things that we know we should hate, but which we secretly (or not so secretly) love?

Should they not be assigned to Orthanc? OK, I was inspired by the "rooting for the bad guys" thread. We know we should disapprove of Saruman. And yet it surely cannot be denied that he is a facinating character. Perhaps the most interesting "baddie" that Tolkien presents us with. Apart from Gollum, perhaps, but the "below Goblintown, the Misty Mountains" is rather too unspecific as a location.

And Saruman had his gulity pleasures too. The Halfling weed, for example.

So, I'll kick us off.

- Cigarettes (obviously)
- Big Brother (the reality show, not the Orwellian creation)
- Reality TV shows in general ...
- George W Bush (I know I should disapprove of him, but I can't help finding something endearing about him )
- Intolerance towards shtoopid people
- Intolerance towards people who dawdle (eg, the "zombie shuffle" in tube stations at rush hour)
- Checking the Barrow-Downs at work
- Playing Werewolf (and making lists pertaining thereto) at work.

OK, that's enough from me for now.

Let's hear those confessions ...

Prank phone calls, especially those to politicians of foreign countries. (See here for reference: The Canadian Masked Avengers strike again.

Leftover Hallowe'en candies, especially those little chocolate bars and tiny bags of potato chips. (no reference needed)

Gotcha jokes which politicians have taken out of context. (too many references available)

Britney Spears' life problems.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by Bêthberry

Prank phone calls, especially those to politicians of foreign countries. (See here for reference: The Canadian Masked Avengers strike again.

Good job they're not in the UK or the Daily Mail would be calling for their execution

I assign something I should not really take pleasure in but I ruddy well DO. Namely the crestfallen faces of the Ferrari team yesterday as Massa briefly snatched victory and then had it snatched away again as Sir* Lewis Hamilton took the championship on the last corner. Oh that was sooooo good!



*Surely it can't be long????



I also assign referring to Bob Geldof as Sir Bobby Gandalf. It makes me chuckle evilly, heheh.

[Brinniel]

Politics.

Oh, how much fun it is to root for your favourite candidates and debate the issues....but at the same time, I hate how differing opinions can pull people apart.

[Aganzir]

Originally Posted by Brinniel

Politics.

Oh, how much fun it is to root for your favourite candidates and debate the issues....but at the same time, I hate how differing opinions can pull people apart.

Seconded. I also hate being looked down on by some people and hearing comments like "But you wouldn't be as stupid as to think so, would you?" There are people I usually love to debate with, but differing opinions makes debating about politics impossible in the long run.

I assign loving people with problems. Being hurt again and again, having to worry about them, seeing them suffer and feeling you can do nothing about it - and still knowing that if not for me, they would be in much worse a condition.

[Groin Redbeard]

Originally Posted by Aganzir

I also hate being looked down on by some people

and still knowing that if not for me, they would be in much worse a condition.

I third what you say Brinniel.

[Eönwë]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

*Surely it can't be long????

You do have a point.

[Mithalwen]

Ransacking a room looking for the wallet containing your passport, driving licence and E111 card and then remembering exactly where it is ...in a different room. I don't even need any of those items immediately but it is good to be prepared...

[Thinlómien]

David Eddings, or more specifically, his Elenium series.

It borders on chauvinism and racism, it's full of clichés, stereotypes, deus ex machinas and totally underestimates its reader.

But these days, if any book is able to make me take time for reading, it cannot be a bad thing.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

It's pretty much blizzarding snow and sleet right now, which is terrible...

But Girl Scout cookies are in and I discovered Thin Mints in my kitchen!

[Lindale]

The start of our second semester.

[Volo]

Singing.

Seeing drunken men walk straight into walls.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Good... erm... old-fashioned debate. Specifically when you're the only person taking your own side. Because every once in a while it's fun to argue, but when it's an entire class up against you and they all seem to have been personally offended by your dismissal of the greatness of an artiste? Yeah...

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

Good... erm... old-fashioned debate. Specifically when you're the only person taking your own side. Because every once in a while it's fun to argue, but when it's an entire class up against you and they all seem to have been personally offended by your dismissal of the greatness of an artiste? Yeah...

I think that sort of stuff belongs to the shire, I do something similar in my History-Method class. They don't get personaly offended, but my classmates do have a tendency to pad each other on the back and not really reflect over the issues.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

They don't get personaly offended, but my classmates do have a tendency to pad each other on the back and not really reflect over the issues.

They yelled at me (literally) and told me I was dead wrong and didn't know what I was talking about.

Hence Orthanc. I like debate, but not when people take it personally.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by Feanor of the Peredhil

They yelled at me (literally) and told me I was dead wrong and didn't know what I was talking about.

Hence Orthanc. I like debate, but not when people take it personally.

I see your point. . . The worst I get is 5 people shaking their heads after I speak, they might laugh depending on how I present my case and then we go get coffee, tea, soda or beer depending on the time of day.

[Groin Redbeard]

I assign vegetarians in school cafeterias who interrupt you eating your delicious quarter pounder (with extra cheese) to nag you about how you kill the cows because of it. I almost assigned this to Morder, but arguing with those guys is so much fun!

"Do you know that you're supporting innocent animals getting killed by eating that burger?"
*slightly annoyed I look at them* "Yep."
"Doesn't that bother you?"
"Nope."
"Don't you know what they do to those poor animals in the factories?"
"Nope, but I love the way they cook them."
"Haven't you ever heard of the four basic food groups? Try eating some salad!"
"Four basic food groups! I got your four basic food groups: whiskey, beans, bacon and lard!"

Too much fun! One almost feels guilty when they start turning purple.

[Lindale]

I was about to assign this to Mordor, when I thought the better of it. While my dad and I were having dinner and he was sipping his lovely San Miguel beers and I my non-alcoholic sparkling stuff, some girl approached us and asked us to try a new beer. Mountain silver something, brewed by the rival of San Miguel (which our family has always patronized). She seemed so pitiful my dad bought the beer, for me. And boy, was it the most awful beers I've ever tasted. I thought the Light variants of the regular beers were awful, tasting like they were diluted, but that was like drinking half a liter regular beer diluted in two liters water. But then again to be polite, and because it's almost Christmas, I pretended to like the beer all the same.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

San Miguel. . .It is one of the beers I have most fond memories of, though it is far from the best beer I have had. I guess it is because most of my San Miguel memories are from holidays in Spain, although now you can get it anywhere.

[Lalwendë]

It can't be called 'beer' unless you struggle to put it through a sieve*. San Miguel is lager to me.



*Give me some Theakstons any day....

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

and Theakston is an ale to me. . .

[Lindale]

Goodness me. I never thought our local San Miguel reached Europe! Most foreigners my family know think that San Miguel is Spanish, but San Miguel is one of the few things this little country can boast of.

But I've never tasted the dark beer. I assign that to Orthanc.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Amazon.com's free shipping on orders over $25. It gets me every time!

Spend three dollars on something intangible? Or spend seven more dollars and get an actual book?

It never fails...

[Brinniel]

Snow.

It's so purdy....


...until the wind picks up and decides to blow in your face.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

It is always nice when a beautiful girl pay notice to you, but you always want it to be for something else than random knowledge. . . . In this case the random knowledge was the name of Swedens national antheme: "Du gamla, du fria"

[Groin Redbeard]

Originally Posted by Rune Son of Bjarne

It is always nice when a beautiful girl pay notice to you, but you always want it to be for something else than random knowledge. . . . In this case the random knowledge was the name of Swedens national antheme: "Du gamla, du fria"

Who cares, the question is did you get the girl!

By the way what does that mean? Is that it "You old, you free?"

[Legate of Amon Lanc]

I assign signing up for your exam on a relatively late (afternoon) term. I mean, I have at least about an hour before preparing to go, now I am here and not sure what to do, I won't revise for it anymore nor make any creative effort, so I am just hanging around, and of course I resorted to going to the Downs... and posting on unimportant things.

[Rune Son of Bjarne]

Originally Posted by Groin Redbeard

Who cares, the question is did you get the girl!

By the way what does that mean? Is that it "You old, you free?"

yep that is the direct translation. . . one could also translate it "Thou ancient, thou free"

The funny thing is that this song was not written about Sweden at all, it was part of Scandinaviasm/Nordism and is about the lovelieness of the north. Only latter was verse added that mention Sweden as such.

Norways national antheme also talk about "Three Brothers" (Denmark, Norway, Sweden), but neither the danish royal antheme or the danish national antheme mentions the other countries.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Animal shelters.

On one hand, all of the pets I've ever had have been adoptees that needed love, and shelters are full of awesome people who work really hard and don't get nearly enough credit for the amazing work that they do.

On the other hand, I can't take every pet in that I come across and I always feel guilty for not being able to adopt them all.

[Lindale]

The University of the Philippines lost in the cheerdancing competition today. Well, not really lost lost, we just slid from being two-year champions to second runner-up.

We had a tarp, "UP is way beyond the Gold Standard," gold being the color of our rival for the top notch, University of Santo Tomas. When I dropped my attendance card, a UST person picked it up, returned it to me, but gave me a severe sermon about the arrogance of UP, whose tuitions are paid for by them, the taxpayers. He even said something to the effect that they, the Dominicans, are taught good manners while us liberal/free-thinkers have forgotten what sportsmanship is. I was so humiliated, for something that I was not directly at fault. But I did learn a very great lesson in humility.

UST didn't even make it.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

caused by knowing too many people with the same name.

Bad part: thinking my favorite paternal cousin was spontaneously getting married next summer even though it's wildly out of character and really a terrible idea (I was talking to his mom, hence associating the right name with the wrong person).

Good part: the massive flood of relief that came when he responded to my frantic e-mail ("Your mom just said you're getting married. WHAT!? When?! I want details. Spill!") with a lot of laughter.

I thought I was going to have to talk that boy out of some pretty serious stuff.

[Lalaith]

Added responsibilities at work that bring you a small increase in salary, and that you know will be good for your career prospects long-term, but are so time-consuming that you no longer have a life.

[Feanor of the Peredhil]

Shameless sequels to already trashy movies. Specifically sequels with all new actors for the same characters, because presumably the original actors had too much pride to take part in the new version.

So fun to watch... So terrible... Such awful acting...

Kinda like the mental equivalent of eating a popsicle.

[Lindale]

Dad eating my precious champorado. I kept looking for hours where the big pan full of that gooey brown stuff was, until he asked me what I was looking for, and said he ate the entire pan.

To add insult to the injury, he also said my cooking was way too sweet, and that I used coffee creamer instead of real milk. He shouldn't complain, when I was cooking I asked if anybody wanted some, and he said he didn't want any!