Dawn Felagund (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dawn_felagund) wrote2010-06-16 07:25 pm
dawn_felagund) wrote2010-06-16 07:25 pm
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A M-m-m ... M-Word Thing!
Since coming back to LJ, I've been scouring around for an m-word thing to do. Because nothing says LJ like a meme an m-word thing! (Okay, so the revised version ain't nearly as catchy.) I got this one from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
samtyr. I really like it because, during my rather long absence from LJland, lots of people friended me whom I know nothing about and haven't had much of a chance to talk with. So this is a good opportunity, if you are new to Ye Olde Flist, for us to get to know each other better. Of course, if you've been around since the dawning of my LJ (pun, ouch, yes, I know) and want to play, feel free!
It goes something like this:
Simple, eh, and painless enough? (I hope!)
What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?
Tea. Any kind. Hot, iced, black, or herbal. Bobby and I can easily polish off a half-gallon jar of tea in one sitting, if the conversation's good or the food is spicy. A significant risk to our income is showing up at an SCA event and finding that the Tea Guy is there. The Tea Guy has dozens of different kinds of teas, with enticing names like "Christmas bakery" and "chocolate cherry." At the moment, my favorite tea that I make is black tea brewed in the sun with a sage leaf, mint sprig, and sprinkling of lemon balm leaves tossed in for good measure.
What do you feel is the worst problem with computers?
Heh. The people who operate them? Seriously, the number of misunderstandings that I see springing from people not understanding how tough communication online can be is depressing. I have wasted far too many hours of my life as the SWG owner on such kerfuffles as well. I love computers, but they have their limitations.
Who is the most misunderstood 'Silmarillion' character?
Sam, these are supposed to be simple questions, not subjects for essays! ;) I have lots of names fluttering through my head right now: Fëanor, Maedhros, Nerdanel, Celegorm, Indis, Maglor ... but I have to choose just one.
So I'll go with Maglor. Because, actually, I am writing an essay on this! :D It drives me nuts how authors tend to depict him as a tender-hearted, doe-eyed pacifist strumming a harp in the corner while his brothers scheme about going to war. Since I am writing an essay on this that I might one day finish, then I'll limit myself to 100 words on why this seems so wrong to me.
Until fostering the twins at Sirion, Maglor never stood up for anything. In fact, he was quite ruthless. It was Maglor who killed Uldor. He would have ultimately chosen to leave Maedhros hanging. He didn't stand aside at any kinslaying or Losgar. People tend to lean too heavily, imo, on his fostering of E&E and his musical talents in developing his character. "Bards" in the literature that inspired Tolkien, are not doe-eyed or soft but, in Celtic cultures, people of great power. Characterization focusing on the fostering of E&E seems rather weak after involvement in centuries of kinslaying and war.
Semi-coherent and cheating a bit with abbreviations, but 100 words exactly!
If you could travel in time to witness one historic event, what would it be?
Bobby and I were talking about this very question the other day. He chose Robert the Bruce's speech before Bannockburn, which is completely irrelevant to the question, yes, but I'm stalling for time.
I suppose I'd choose to witness a Druid ceremony. Because next to nothing is known about the ancient Druids except for obviously biased accounts by the Greeks and Romans. This makes it very hard when developing an SCA persona based on Celtic bards who were forbidden from writing anything down. And Druids are generally interesting.
Have you ever met anyone IRL that reminded you of a Tolkien character?
The Tea Guy mentioned above used to have a helper who looked like an Elf. My husband, when his hair is wet and not tied back, looks a lot like I'd imagine one of the Edain would look, similar to Viggo as Aragorn but not as gaunt in the face. (And, for the record, I was not a Tolkien fan when we decided that we wanted to marry each other!) I look for Maglor every summer on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, but no luck so far.
That was fun--who else wants to play? :D
samtyr. I really like it because, during my rather long absence from LJland, lots of people friended me whom I know nothing about and haven't had much of a chance to talk with. So this is a good opportunity, if you are new to Ye Olde Flist, for us to get to know each other better. Of course, if you've been around since the dawning of my LJ (pun, ouch, yes, I know) and want to play, feel free!It goes something like this:
- If you want to play, leave a comment saying "when I'm dancing with you, tomorrow doesn't matter" Awwww ...
- I'll respond by asking you five questions to satisfy my curiosity
- Update your journal with the answers to my questions
- Include this explanation and offer to ask other people questions
Simple, eh, and painless enough? (I hope!)
What is your favorite non-alcoholic drink?
Tea. Any kind. Hot, iced, black, or herbal. Bobby and I can easily polish off a half-gallon jar of tea in one sitting, if the conversation's good or the food is spicy. A significant risk to our income is showing up at an SCA event and finding that the Tea Guy is there. The Tea Guy has dozens of different kinds of teas, with enticing names like "Christmas bakery" and "chocolate cherry." At the moment, my favorite tea that I make is black tea brewed in the sun with a sage leaf, mint sprig, and sprinkling of lemon balm leaves tossed in for good measure.
What do you feel is the worst problem with computers?
Heh. The people who operate them? Seriously, the number of misunderstandings that I see springing from people not understanding how tough communication online can be is depressing. I have wasted far too many hours of my life as the SWG owner on such kerfuffles as well. I love computers, but they have their limitations.
Who is the most misunderstood 'Silmarillion' character?
Sam, these are supposed to be simple questions, not subjects for essays! ;) I have lots of names fluttering through my head right now: Fëanor, Maedhros, Nerdanel, Celegorm, Indis, Maglor ... but I have to choose just one.
So I'll go with Maglor. Because, actually, I am writing an essay on this! :D It drives me nuts how authors tend to depict him as a tender-hearted, doe-eyed pacifist strumming a harp in the corner while his brothers scheme about going to war. Since I am writing an essay on this that I might one day finish, then I'll limit myself to 100 words on why this seems so wrong to me.
Until fostering the twins at Sirion, Maglor never stood up for anything. In fact, he was quite ruthless. It was Maglor who killed Uldor. He would have ultimately chosen to leave Maedhros hanging. He didn't stand aside at any kinslaying or Losgar. People tend to lean too heavily, imo, on his fostering of E&E and his musical talents in developing his character. "Bards" in the literature that inspired Tolkien, are not doe-eyed or soft but, in Celtic cultures, people of great power. Characterization focusing on the fostering of E&E seems rather weak after involvement in centuries of kinslaying and war.
Semi-coherent and cheating a bit with abbreviations, but 100 words exactly!
If you could travel in time to witness one historic event, what would it be?
Bobby and I were talking about this very question the other day. He chose Robert the Bruce's speech before Bannockburn, which is completely irrelevant to the question, yes, but I'm stalling for time.
I suppose I'd choose to witness a Druid ceremony. Because next to nothing is known about the ancient Druids except for obviously biased accounts by the Greeks and Romans. This makes it very hard when developing an SCA persona based on Celtic bards who were forbidden from writing anything down. And Druids are generally interesting.
Have you ever met anyone IRL that reminded you of a Tolkien character?
The Tea Guy mentioned above used to have a helper who looked like an Elf. My husband, when his hair is wet and not tied back, looks a lot like I'd imagine one of the Edain would look, similar to Viggo as Aragorn but not as gaunt in the face. (And, for the record, I was not a Tolkien fan when we decided that we wanted to marry each other!) I look for Maglor every summer on the Boardwalk in Ocean City, but no luck so far.
That was fun--who else wants to play? :D
no subject
2. I've been trying to think of something I'd want to ask an important historical figure, but the trouble is narrowing it down to one question, so I'll just go with asking Tolkien why he intended Feanor & sons to spend longer shut up in Mandos than Morgoth did after he messed up the world the first time around.
3. That's tricky - it's hard to decide between abuse of adverbs and excessive epithets. On balance I think the epithets win it, if only because it's easy to ignore the adverbs, whereas trying to remember who is the oldest/tallest/blondest/most Elvish can really throw me out of the story.
4. Probably the first time I wrote 50000 words for NaNoWriMo! It ought to be getting my degree, or getting into the County Youth Orchestra, but I knew I could do both of those things before I started, whereas at the beginning of November 2005 I thought those 50000 words would be impossible for me to write in a month.
5. I love both, and my current favourite place is Dartmouth, where the woods go right to the edge of the water. But if I had to choose one, it would be the sea, because I don't think I could bear to live inland for any length of time. When I was living in Michigan I didn't realise just how much I missed the sea until the end of the year, when I travelled across Canada, and when I got to the Pacific Ocean it felt like I was home, even though I was actually further away! Quite often I like to go to the beach and take in the sea air (it has to be the proper salty air of the sea, not a lake) and it sort of recharges my creative batteries!