The Hall of Fire

Since I mentioned this letter in the discussion of Letter 52, and it is probably the letter of Tolkien's that I have quoted more often than any other, I thought it would be a good one to discuss (but AJ, don't hesitate to restart the discussion of the letter about marriage that you had posted and th...

At worst, the only negative reflection on Obama that I see in this is good intentions that went bad, and trusting the wrong people. And while I certainly accept your judgment about the reporter, Wampus, it strikes me as a very slanted piece. Are there really no success stories to report on regarding...

I'd say it's 50/50 as to whether it should go here or in the Shibboleth forum. Either is fine, as far as I'm concerned.

Ron Paul as Frodo, eh? I think this fellow's proclivities are pretty clear.

Here's an interview with Rayner Unwin about The Hobbit. It is long, but definitely worth listening to:

How Bilbo Baggins Got His Start

Here's a pretty good article from the Los Angeles Times about the lawsuit (thanks to Elven at TORN): Tolkien's children fight for 'Lord of the Rings' gold Among other things, it confirms that Warner Brothers is standing in for New Line, and that Tolkien family profits are split 50/50 between the cha...

Welcome to our newest new member, Neratin!

and

Thanks for posting that, Al. Some good stuff in there!

And great question, AJ!

I hope so, too, my friend. Only time (probably lots of it) will tell.

halplm wrote:Yeah, I wondered about that too. I'm not exactly sure who Obama expects to win over by such talk. It seems far more likely he will cause his supporters to be less enthusiastic...

Maybe, just maybe, he said it because he believes it, rather than for political expediency.

We have embarked on an extended (likely years-long) chapter by chapter discussion of Tolkien's great The Lord of the Rings . Our hope is that this discussion will be as broad as possible, open to any kind of contribution, from the observations of a first time reader, to the most detailed and geeky a...

Tolkien's letters contain an incredible amount of information about his thoughts regarding a vast range of topics, both about his writings and his general philosophy. We have created this forum to facillitate discussion about individual letters. All are welcome to start new threads. We suggest that ...

Basically by saying that no judges -- even conservative ones appointed by conservative Republicans -- are qualified to make decisions about "military matters".

Lost in all of the hoopla over McCain and Bush's criticism of Obama's willingness to talk to Iran is the fact that the Bush administration itself has proven with the evolution of its policy towards North Korea that talking to a "rogue country" can have positive results. There is little que...

Much has been made of the recent U.S. Supreme Court case in which the court held that the Guantánamo detainees had a habeas corpus right to challenge their detentions in the U.S. civilian courts. Less attention was paid to the subsequent decision of a lower court holding that accusations against a M...

But is it aimed at 'nationalists'? This is the time of the Beveridge Report which was the foundation of the welfare state. Look at how 'State' is used in the quotes in the linked article. Aravar, I think that you are trying to extend your own views on to Tolkien. There is no reason to believe that ...

Would it be impolite to point out that they misstated which president Powell was Secretary of State under?

I don't know if it is having a critic's mindset, so much as having good taste (as you demonstrate with the first comment in your post ). Both are great films, although for different reasons.

AJ, thanks for holding off on moving on to another letter. I did have some more to say about letter 52. Anyway the proper study of Man is anything but Man; and the most improper job of any man, even saints (who at any rate were at least unwilling to take it on), is bossing other men. Not one in a mi...

I appreciate that.

And I've already seen what your attitude toward US troops is in another thread, so I think I should end that part of the convo like I ended the other one. Unfortunately I find your attitude --- well, I really really don't like it. So I should try to avoid military discussions with you. Faramond, I ...