It’s so easy even a child could do it!
Many people know Bill Bailey from shows like Spaced, Never Mind the Buzzcocks, or Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but fewer know him for his work as a “song designer” for Metallica…
The extended blu-ray versions of the Lord of the Rings movies have recently become available, and they seem pretty awesome, filling in the gaps on some side-stories and minor character arcs that never got resolved in the theatrical releases. Including the revised edition of whatever happened to that Saruman guy…
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You just put up the completely revised death of Saruman…..I’ve just remembered why I like you and don’t like Jackson. I mean, if you’re gonna make an epic, 9+hour adaptation of the Lord of the Rings, at least add the Scouring of the Shire and put the major deaths in the right places…….
Well, their first error was to aim only for three films covering six books…
Six? There’s a joke in there somewhere I’m not getting, right?
Oh, and BTW, I’m planning on posting a revised ending to HOLE where Erias pushes Bunker instead, and then jumps out the window in his grief. (Bunker just gets pushed to the floor though.) I just didn’t feel that the special effects of the day could tell the story the way I wanted it to be told.
No joke. Tolkein intended six books, and the tables of contents read that way. There are two ‘books’ in each of the three volumes. His son has complained loudly about this.
+points up+ Jochi and ranthoron are technically correct. As you read through, you may notice that there are pages stating “Here ends book___” about halfway through each novel. It’s considered a trilogy because it was published in 3 volumes, not written in 3 volumes.
Hunh. I did not realize that.
What are the names of the other “books”?
Tolkien’s hope and original intent was to have the entire story published as one volume. It was paper shortages and prices (after WWII), as well as the publishers uncertainty which brought about the “trilogy” that we know.
That said, the “books” have always been part of the Lord of the Rings, and can in fact be seen even in the “Contents”. They are simply labelled “Book I”, “Book II”, etc. . Book I runs from; 1 A Long Expected Party, to, 12 Flight to the Ford, for instance.
-1) The Hobbit
0) Prologue
1) The Ring Sets Out
2) The Ring Goes South
3) The Treason of Isengard
4) The Ring Goes East
5) The War of the Ring
6) The End of the Third Age
SCNR
Hmm…yeah, I’m noticing a discrepancy here. In some copies they are simply titled “Book I” and so on, while in others each “book” has titles as you just listed. Odd.
1) What is it with Americans and guns? Seriously.
2) I didn’t know Bill Bailey was famous! I just thought of him as that other guy from Black Books. Huh.
3) lulz?
Guns are like Kardashians. Kinda stupid, but sexy nonetheless.
An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject. (“Man” used in the gender-neutral sense.)
Or, to make the point clearer,
http://www.cafepress.com/ttshirt
just over half-way down.
Behind every blade of grass.
That is full of half-brained slogans trying to simplify complicated issues into tiny, short answers that fit on t-shirts.
I wouldn’t normally attack something in the manner I am doing right now, but you brought it up specifically for this. Seriously, that is a repulsive mass of idiotic pandering. The “white power / black power / IS IT REALLY RACISM LOL” stuff is bad enough, but the number of pick up lines that are so old they’re in the public domain because no body actually remembers where they come from…
Anyway, no. Canada has a PILE of guns, too. When we had a prime minister that began implementing stupid gun control a few years ago, we didn’t make any excuses like “oh no this will mean we’re not armed in case the British invade!” or “we’re sacrificing FREEDOM for security.” We just pointed out that it would be ineffective, inefficient, and very very VERY expensive with no tangible benefit.
It didn’t work, mind you, but we haven’t had a competent prime minister for a while now.
“We just pointed out that it would be ineffective, inefficient, and very very VERY expensive with no tangible benefit.”
We (gun owners) do make the same arguments here against gun control, but here the spin doctors have turned gun control into an emotionally charged issue (“Think of the children!”), so the logical argument often goes ignored in favor of equally emotionally-laden arguments about freedom and security.
Oh, the dig in that t-shirt isn’t against Canada. Canada’s a great country, too, that too often gets too little respect from its cousins here to the south. I can’t believe countries like Australia, that started as a penal colony like parts of the US did, outlawing not only guns but SWORDS, or the UK, mother of us all, not only outlawing guns, but trying to outlaw knives with pointy tips, because as we all know, it’s impossible to kill someone with a knife that only has a rounded tip and an edge.
That’s not an exaggeration, but I don’t have time to look for the link right now.
And yes, I know the ‘behind every blade of grass’ quote is unsubstantiated and quite possibly apocryphal. But it is handy shorthand for one of the things I am proud of my country for.
The question asked was “What is it with Americans and guns?” Easiest short answer IS a slogan, one that contrasts our emotional attachment to self-reliance, personal responsibility, and, yes, liberty (most of us, still, I hope) with what we see in (too much of) the rest of the English-speaking world. (Thank the Maker(s) it’s not ALL the rest of the English-speaking world.) I really thought a quick answer with a touch of humor behind it was a better answer to a quick question (that lumped all Americans together) than starting a long-winded explanation. A REAL answer to that question involves nearly 400 years of history, on THIS continent, even if you don’t count the components of our culture that were here before the Europeans. Most of which is already well-known anyway. I took the question as made in jest, and answered the same way.
Australia and the UK are also great countries with a lot to be proud of. Their mistrust of their own citi… people is not among them. The original version of that slogan, by the way, is from Aristotle (according to a couple of less-than-uncontestible sources; I’m still looking for better). This is not a new issue.
The question I was answering was made in jest, lumping all Americans under the same label.
I answered the same way. Pointed humor maybe, but still humor. And the point wasn’t at Canada.
Speaking of points, or rather pointlessness,
http://www.loweringthebar.net/2009/06/british-manufacturers-offer-pointless-anti-stab-knives.html
This from the land that once ruled the greatest empire that ever existed.
You know, I owe you an apology. I was pretty snappy last night, and I haven’t the faintest idea why.
I get what you were trying to do, but I guess those “stupified” slogans really, REALLY get under my skin. That’s no excuse to yell at you like I did, however. So, uh, sorry about that.
De nada. Most of those t-shirts annoy me, too, but it’s the only place I’ve found that particular graphic. The phrase itself is all over the place.
I love how it’s assumed that all Americans love & own guns. You realize that’s no less stereotypical than saying that all French people are rude, or all Brits have bad teeth, or all Canadians are bacon-eating lumberjacks who play hockey?
I know. That’s totally untrue. French people like bacon too. (Although they are still all rude.)
AAAUGH! We’ve been Rick Rolled! Ugh. Ick. Ooo. Nicely done, Kevin….
Wouldn’t I love to take credit for it.
#1: FUCK RAMBO!
#2: I’d like to join!
#3: Nice shot. Critical with a vorpal arrow?
Poor Rambo.
Where can I get me one a those pop guns? Looks goooooood!
Almost as good as the real Metallica! Lolz.
Snort! Bwaaahahahaaaaaaaaaaaa. Totally trolled.
I’m just glad it’s still funny. Although this was an excellently done trolling.
And now for something completely different: Did you ever want to see just how big Earthquakes are, and where they are located, almost in real time?
Best quote (today) : “I’m a professional Russian.”
Yes. And he is.
Well, since he isn’t a real Russian, he had to be trained so that is true.
Exactly.
I nearly forgot to post this but the amazing Russian gun nut reminded me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PAtFsJY5q0
and I forgot they changed the death of Saruman like that… gotta admit it’s way less disturbing the new way.
awesome metal video too btw. To me all new metal sucks cept this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNiuPvfQJYw
Disclaimer: angry metal posturing / minirant ahead. I seem to be in a foul mood today.
Are you serious? “All new metal sucks except Amon Amarth”? From their 2002 album?
… Are you even trying? The current state of metal’s the best it’s been for DECADES. And, to make it even better, the internet’s here to make music universally available. You try tracking down a copy of “Seven Churches” in 1993. I guarantee that you’d fail, and no one – not even the music elitists hanging out in their biggest-music-store-in-the-province-and/or-state would even know what you’re talking about. Now, on the other hand, you could be listening to it in about 20 seconds. Hit up the youtubes to begin streaming lo-fi, or wait a few minutes for the torrents to finish. Or iTunes, I guess.
The popular stuff will never be “good” because metal is entirely about being a counter-culture. The anger and frustration of being forced to live in a society where one disagrees with the way affairs are being run but one cannot make any appreciable changes adds something to the music. Believe it or not, there’s no utopia yet, so, quite frankly, if you’re not enjoying newly found metal it’s because you’re not looking hard enough. Some of my favourite albums have come out in the past 3 years, and stuff like “None So Vile” is slowly being pushed out of my top ten. Give me your favourite genre and I bet I can find something amazing that’s come out in the past 2 or 3 years. Except for power or thrash, anyway, as I don’t really like those.
Also, given the statement above, I want to point out the irony of thinking that Amon Amarth is (to paraphrase) “the only new metal you like.” They put on a pretty wicked live show, though.
Semi-unrelated: what’s with famous metal bands being ripped out of Lord of the Rings? Burzum, Amon Amarth, Darkthrone, Fangorn, Gorgor, Mordor, Sauron, Gorgoroth, Akallabêth, Azaghal… I’m sure there’s more. Also, while I’m at it, how come extreme metal has so many bands that start with the letter “A”? I won’t even go into a list of that…
Yeah I thot of a bunch more bands as soon as I posted it. My bad.
The AA-12, originally known as the Atchisson Assault Shotgun (circa 1972), was a personal favorite of many of my characters in para-military themed RPGs in high school and my early 20s.
You gotta admit, it’s a sturdy weapon with one heck of a punch (and shotgun shells are a lot easier to reload than rifle or pistol bullets), making it an ideal weapon for games like Gamma World where you can’t just run down to the gun shop for more ammo.
Oh yes… excellent indeed…