Hi

[Isilmë]

Hi I'm Isilmë, aka Hannah. I'm a Physics Undergraduate at the University of Manchester in the UK. As you can maybe tell, I'm a big Tolkien fan.
ok enough with the capital letters!
I'm atheist, but was raised a christian (CofE). There was never a 'realisation' point for me i guess i just never really believed in god or the bible. but i do know how easy it is to convince yourself that you do. i went to church every sunday until i was about 15/16 (although it was clear to me i didn't believe from an earlier age) because my mother is quite religious (i believe my father to be a non-believer too, we're alike in mind, but wouldn't say so for my mother). it was indoctrination really, i know that now. i just hope children with the same problem have the will and sort of questioning mind required to rid themselves of conditioning.

[mmfwmc]

Welcome aboard! I don't suppose you're planning to be in London this weekend? There's a big atheist meet up in Euston.

[Eva]

welcome to our humble forum, Isilmë.!

[Professor Chaos]

Welcome, Isilme!

[Ross_videosprint]

You aint far from me. How exciting. Do you go out much in Manchester, I hear the Warehouse project is quite the night out!

Nice to cyber meet you anyway.

[Smellyoldgit]

Greetings o' Tolkein one.
Welcome to the mad house.

Not far from my neck of the woods either.

[Isilmë]

Welcome aboard! I don't suppose you're planning to be in London this weekend? There's a big atheist meet up in Euston.

ack no. i'm a poor student, i probably couldn't afford to anyway.
:boohoo:

You aint far from me. How exciting. Do you go out much in Manchester, I hear the Warehouse project is quite the night out!

Nice to cyber meet you anyway.


i hear so but haven't actually been yet. i'm sure i'll get round to it eventually!

[CycloneRanger]

A Tolkien fan! Tell me, who is the elder—Bombadil or Fangorn? And how kick-ass is Glorfindel? Really kick-ass, I tell you what. I bet he and Gandalf have plenty to talk about at parties, what with both of them dying in exactly the same way and being similarly reincarnated.

Anyway, nice to meet you. For now it's back to the Fortran mill with me, though.

[Mr. M]

Hi I'm Isilmë, aka Hannah. I'm a Physics Undergraduate at the University of Manchester in the UK.

You aint far from me.

Not far from my neck of the woods either.

Mmm, I think maybe a northern RA meeting could be on the cards... We can all be, like, "Haway then, let's ahl gan doon the pub, like", and then we'd be, "Ay-up, a trip down t'pub, eh? Champion!" and then, "If yeh dinnea make it ah'll ha' teh chib ye!" (prizes for guessing the accents...)

Can't let them southerners have all the fun! How's about it? Any takers?

[Choobus]

geordie
yorkshire
Scottish

[Mr. M]

geordie
yorkshire
Scottish

Correct! The prize is, um, the warm glow that comes from being right; truely priceless.

[Choobus]

Correct! The prize is, um, the warm glow that comes from being right; truely priceless.

If I were a cunt godidiot theist that would be a priceless feeling, simply by virtue of it's novelty.

[Smellyoldgit]

Geordie doesn't count as an accent - - it's a speech defect.

[marstosirius]

Can you give us a pronunciation of your S/N there? I keep seeing eye-slime, and if I don't get that corrected quick, I'll be thinking it every time I see it.

[psychodiva]

Yaay!!! another Brit!!! Hi, I'm further south than you in Wiltshire :) welcome to the show that never ends :)

[psychodiva]

Mmm, I think maybe a northern RA meeting could be on the cards... We can all be, like, "Haway then, let's ahl gan doon the pub, like", and then we'd be, "Ay-up, a trip down t'pub, eh? Champion!" and then, "If yeh dinnea make it ah'll ha' teh chib ye!" (prizes for guessing the accents...)

Can't let them southerners have all the fun! How's about it? Any takers?

no no no- I'm still trying to persuade you lot to come down to Avebury!!!lorsa beer here ;)

I could maybe make it up north a little tho :(

[Sternwallow]

Mmm, I think maybe a northern RA meeting could be on the cards... We can all be, like, "Haway then, let's ahl gan doon the pub, like", and then we'd be, "Ay-up, a trip down t'pub, eh? Champion!" and then, "If yeh dinnea make it ah'll ha' teh chib ye!" (prizes for guessing the accents...)

Can't let them southerners have all the fun! How's about it? Any takers?
North Carolina? Alabama?

[mmfwmc]

no no no- I'm still trying to persuade you lot to come down to Avebury!!!lorsa beer here ;)

I could maybe make it up north a little tho :(

I'm keen to travel. It'll give me an excuse.

[Smellyoldgit]

I'm keen to travel...

So's francis ......... but he'd need sex with it.

[psychodiva]

sex with what?

[Smellyoldgit]

Francis goes well with sex and travel.




As in - - - - he should fuck off.

[psychodiva]

ah :thumbsup:

[Ross_videosprint]

I'm actually a southerner (Surrey) but I'm at Uni in Leeds. Off back home tomorrow though...

[Kate]

OK, so I gotta know: What the hell is a geordie?

[Isilmë]

someone from newcastle, in the north east of england.
they say things like 'ay', 'pet' and 'man' a lot. so does my uncle, but he's from sunderland (often called a 'mackem', not 'geordie') the old enemy of newcastle.

[Smellyoldgit]

Hope these help!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geordie

http://www.geordie.org.uk/

[Isilmë]

geordie translations;
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=geordie&page=2

Typical Geordie Conversation:

Geordie One: Alreet?
Geordie Two: Aye, hows yoursel' ?
Geordie One: Am mint, man. Areya gan doon toon t' watch the toon ?
Geordie Two: Naa, am gan oot ona Metty Mish wi' me mates
Geordie One: Shame that, like. S'ment t'be wicked ya narr
*breif football banter*
Geordie Two: Reet am off.
Geordie One: Ta'ra mate.

they also tend to pronounce single-syllable words as two, i.e. film=fil-um. school=schoo-ul

[mmfwmc]

Home of the famous nooky brown. Three weeks ago I did something incredibly stupid at rugby. In the pub afterward I was required to take my shirt off, lie on the floor and have a bottle of nooky brown (which shouldn't ever be swallowed) poured over me. (As an added bonus, I'd been dumb enough to bring my new girlfriend along. She turned out to know half the team, so they made her do the pouring. We are no longer going out.)

I then - still shirtless - had to mop up the beer that had been spilt while the team chanted "Mop of shame" over and over. For those of you who don't know, I have long hair. Beer soaked long hair is really unpleasant.

Moral of the story, don't drink nooky brown, pour it over people you hate. If someone you know buys a bottle, punch them in the back of the neck and leg it.

On the plus side, last week I tackled the former all black captain so hard he fumbled.

That would be the guy leading this:
-_CaSu-fnGg
I don't think there's any point in playing sport anymore. I've peaked.

[Kate]

:thumbsup:

Thanks, all!

[Ross_videosprint]

Ahhh a nice British thread.

Anyone else looking forward to Barnsley winning the FA Cup?

Thoughts on the new budget?

Which festivals are you thinking about wading through this year?

Any other reasons why America can fuck off?

I've always found it interesting how Americans seem to have a love of the British and yet the feelings aren't reciprocated. On the contrary most Brits think Americans are egotistical and inherently unintelligent individuals. Which is a shame because most of you seem very reasonable, intelligent people.

I think 'I hate the church' sums up the cynicism I often feel towards our friends over the pond. So sorry.

[Smellyoldgit]

Barnsley - sod 'em, I want Cardiff to win - then Aston Villa could qualify for the UEFA Cup, as a Welsh team can't be allowed in via an English competition - great rules.

Budget - robbing bastard.

Festivals - Gloucestershire cheese rolling is always entertaining.

Brother Yank? - a slightly unfair generalisation I feel. A bit like claiming that all folk who live in Surrey are toffee-nosed, multi-millionaire, public schooled arseholes - quite untrue.
I find most cross ponders extremely charming and entertaining if sometimes a little naive in matters outside of their own domain.
If I was a Yank - I'd hate me - limey git.

edit: PS, mmfuck ain't no Brit - and if he posts any more kiwi rugby crap - I'll have to remind him about the last two world cups - bloody losers.

[Ross_videosprint]

My mate was on match of the day. He's from Barnsley and I saw him running around the centre circle like a mentalist when the pitch invasion happened against chelsea.

I would point out that there are loads of toffee nosed, multi millionaire, public schooled arse holes in Surrey. I see them whenever I'm home. Prancing around in their Jack Wills and looking down on the commoners. But they're still a minority though. I minority of cunts mind you.

[psychodiva]

Ahhh a nice British thread.

Anyone else looking forward to Barnsley winning the FA Cup?

Thoughts on the new budget?

Which festivals are you thinking about wading through this year?

Any other reasons why America can fuck off?

I've always found it interesting how Americans seem to have a love of the British and yet the feelings aren't reciprocated. On the contrary most Brits think Americans are egotistical and inherently unintelligent individuals. Which is a shame because most of you seem very reasonable, intelligent people.

I think 'I hate the church' sums up the cynicism I often feel towards our friends over the pond. So sorry.


taken in order:

No

None apart from- we got shafted again

I used to do security and medical at Glastonbury but gave it up a couple of years ago cos my bones are now too old to sleep in a tent in smelly wet Somerset

Loads and loads of reasons- but I think 'I hate the church' - as you say- sums it all up nicely- if just for the sin of calling everyone 'dude'

[Philboid Studge]

Hi I'm Isilmë, aka Hannah. I'm a Physics Undergraduate at the University of Manchester in the UK. As you can maybe tell, I'm a big Tolkien fan.

Welcome aboard Isilmë. We need to increase our distaff demographic, since the boys in this 'hood keep driving 'em away. As you have shirley seen by now, thick skin required.

Anyway, re Tolkien: I've been trying to sort out precisely which brand of Christ-Psychosis he was afflicted with. (Lily, this may be your time to shine.)

As I understand it, in a nutshell he believed that all myths are "true," even the ones he created. But only one myth -- the one in which they nail Frodo to a cross and he later pops out of a tomb -- really happened.

And I do mean nutshell. Still, I think Tolkien's way of thinking, while cuckoo-bananas, is at least a coherent way of fielding the question of why there are so many gods and how to know which is the "true" one.

If I remember the story correctly, it was Tolkien who turned CS Lewis into the Christ-Gobbler he was.

[Isilmë]

Anyway, re Tolkien: I've been trying to sort out precisely which brand of Christ-Psychosis he was afflicted with. (Lily, this may be your time to shine.)

As I understand it, in a nutshell he believed that all myths are "true," even the ones he created. But only one myth -- the one in which they nail Frodo to a cross and he later pops out of a tomb -- really happened.

:lol:
yep i think he just really liked myths.
maybe he can be partly excused due to the fact he was born in the 1890s, people should know better nowadays.
i found it quite surprising that tolkien was such a devout catholic. i wouldn't think such religious people would have that amount of creativity in them!


If I remember the story correctly, it was Tolkien who turned CS Lewis into the Christ-Gobbler he was.i thought cs lewis was an atheist? :think:

[Isilmë]

Ahhh a nice British thread.

Anyone else looking forward to Barnsley winning the FA Cup?

nope. couldn't care less if i tried.

Thoughts on the new budget?
none.

Which festivals are you thinking about wading through this year?
probably none

Any other reasons why America can fuck off?
they keep stealing all our good tv; the office, coupling, even spaced! not even to mention reality tv. i hate the stuff, but it only means there'll be more garbage blocking up our airwaves.


I've always found it interesting how Americans seem to have a love of the British and yet the feelings aren't reciprocated. On the contrary most Brits think Americans are egotistical and inherently unintelligent individuals. Which is a shame because most of you seem very reasonable, intelligent people.wouldn't know really.
the only american person i actually remember talking to in britain was in junior school. she couldn't come to our fortune telling tent at the year 6 fair because her mother said it was witchcraft and wouldn't let her go.
but many americans i've spoken to online seem like pretty brain-healthy people.

[Philboid Studge]

i thought cs lewis was an atheist? :think:

Tolkien et al supposedly talked him out of it (http://www.lamblion.com/articles/other/gems/Gems-02.php):

A year later at age 32 Lewis spent an evening discussing mythology and Christianity with some intellectual friends who were Christians, one of whom was the writer, J.R.R. Tolkien. They challenged him as he had never been challenged before to think critically about Jesus. After the meeting broke up, Lewis could not go to sleep. He continue to wrestle with the concept of Jesus as God in the flesh. By 3:00am he had decided to accept Jesus as his Savior. Twelve days later he wrote these words to Tolkien: "I have passed on from believing in God to definitely believing in Christ — in Christianity."



But Tolkien was very bent out of joint when his pal went Protestant Anglican instead of Katlick. (not only that, CSL was a bit anti-Catholic)

Tolkien was also supposedly jealous of Lewis' wife (!) :o

[Lily]

i thought cs lewis was an atheist? :think:

:o

How is that possible?? He is probably the most famous popular apologist of the last 50 years! His apologetic works are still bestsellers and have sold untold millions of copies. There is a whole cottage and a growing scholarly industry around him.

http://i189.photobucket.com/albums/z191/Lily56AL/smilies/127143_sarcastic-fainting.gif


I have to go lie down now.

[Rhinoqulous]

Lily again shows her capacity for reading comprehension. Philboid was talking of the rumor that Tolkien talked CSL into religion, he wasn't implying that CS was atheist while writing the Narnia books or Screwtape Letters.

EDIT: Oh, welcome to our new member. This place is just crawling with Red Coats now, somebody go fetch me my second amendment...

[Lily]

Lily again shows her capacity for reading comprehension. Philboid was talking of the rumor that Tolkien talked CSL into religion, he wasn't implying that CS was atheist while writing the Narnia books or Screwtape Letters.

EDIT: Oh, welcome to our new member. This place is just crawling with Red Coats now, somebody go fetch me my second amendment...

Reading comprehension, dearie. Reading comprehension. I wasn't responding to Phil.

Since you couldn't see the bit I quoted, in my message, apparently, here's a hint. http://ravingatheists.com/forum/showpost.php?p=477719&postcount=40

[Waddlie]

Ahhh a nice British thread.

Anyone else looking forward to Barnsley winning the FA Cup?

Thoughts on the new budget?

Which festivals are you thinking about wading through this year?

Any other reasons why America can fuck off?

I've always found it interesting how Americans seem to have a love of the British and yet the feelings aren't reciprocated. On the contrary most Brits think Americans are egotistical and inherently unintelligent individuals. Which is a shame because most of you seem very reasonable, intelligent people.

I think 'I hate the church' sums up the cynicism I often feel towards our friends over the pond. So sorry.

FA Cup: Couldn't give an mmmfuck.

Festies: Glasto last year finally sapped what was left of my festival spirit. This year I'll enjoy it from the comfort of my dry, mud-free sofa.

America fucking off: this attitude is most often displayed by people who watch too much TV, and people who have been there once or twice on holiday. Go find some real Americans (not to be confused with Real Christians) and learn something.

Oh, and Psychodiva - I could be moving back to Bristol in a few months. If I do (or if I choose to hike the Ridgeway again any time soon), I'll drop by to say hello!

[psychodiva]

:) cool

[psychodiva]

EDIT: Oh, welcome to our new member. This place is just crawling with Red Coats now, somebody go fetch me my second amendment...

you mean like Butlins ??

:lol:

[Isilmë]

Which festivals are you thinking about wading through this year?


actually i was thinking of going to oktoberfest this year and the thai full moon festival next year.

[Rhinoqulous]

you mean like Butlins ??

:lol:

Had to look Butlins up. Now I can't help but picture smelly, mmf, Waddlie and the rest dressed like that pub crawling.

[Smellyoldgit]

http://www.topfoto.co.uk/gallery/butlins/images/prevs/0004605.jpg

[Sternwallow]

Lily again shows her capacity for reading comprehension. Philboid was talking of the rumor that Tolkien talked CSL into religion, he wasn't implying that CS was atheist while writing the Narnia books or Screwtape Letters.

EDIT: Oh, welcome to our new member. This place is just crawling with Red Coats now, somebody go fetch me my second amendment...
And "Keep your powder dry!" :D

[Sternwallow]

FA Cup: Couldn't give an mmmfuck.

Festies: Glasto last year finally sapped what was left of my festival spirit. This year I'll enjoy it from the comfort of my dry, mud-free sofa.

America fucking off: this attitude is most often displayed by people who watch too much TV, and people who have been there once or twice on holiday. Go find some real Americans (not to be confused with Real Christians) and learn something.

Oh, and Psychodiva - I could be moving back to Bristol in a few months. If I do (or if I choose to hike the Ridgeway again any time soon), I'll drop by to say hello!
I'm from Massachusetts and my father from Texas, called me "Damnyankee" (one word) until I was old enough to call him "Red Neck" (two words). From then on, he just hit me.

During the two weeks I spent in and around London for my company, I think I comported myself with the proper respect and good manners and adequate self-deprecation. In fact I think I was indistinguishable from a native with the possible exception of my camera, my rope belt, bare feet, straw hat, low-riding shorts and Hawaiian shirt. Well, those and a hankering for a Burger-Royal-Highness.

[nkb]

actually i was thinking of going to oktoberfest this year and the thai full moon festival next year.
The real Oktoberfest? I highly recommend it. Unfortunately, I haven't been there in such a long time, I'm starting to forget how much fun it is.

[Isilmë]

yer it sounds like a larf

[mmfwmc]

FA Cup: Couldn't give an mmmfuck.

Neither could I.:bird:

[oldhippychick]

belatedly, welcome (though I have spoken with you already on threads). I'm new here myself, and wanted to mention that actually I don't find the men here intimidating, but then I stud my distaff with roofing nails and so when I hit them, it hurts.

BTW, I'm not a TV watcher, but though a US resident (I hesitate to claim citizenship in this demented place) I prefer the British forms of sitcoms to the US ones. In fact, I knew what Geordie was from an old episode of Men Behaving Badly, where the closed caption said "in Geordie accent," and I of course had never heard of it. And I often say that one only gets stupider watching TV--obviously, not true!

I liked Tolkien, too, in my youth--was one of those every-year-re-readers, but the movies ruined it for me. I knew I should have never gone. (Though I met a woman whose husband shot himself in front of her during the middle of viewing The Two Towers, and I thought, well....here's someone who found the movies less acceptable than I.)

[Professor Chaos]

http://www.topfoto.co.uk/gallery/butlins/images/prevs/0004605.jpg

Did you guys have another meetup or something?

[Rhinoqulous]

Hey Prof, the one smack in the middle looks a little like you, now that I look at the pic again.

[Rhinoqulous]

I liked Tolkien, too, in my youth--was one of those every-year-re-readers, but the movies ruined it for me. I knew I should have never gone. (Though I met a woman whose husband shot himself in front of her during the middle of viewing The Two Towers, and I thought, well....here's someone who found the movies less acceptable than I.)

I'm so tired of fans of the books trashing the movies. I liked the books. I liked the movies. They are two completely different mediums, and the capability for portraying certain concepts and events are completely different. When considering the sheer scale and depth of TLOTR, I think Jackson did an amazing job, and I'm looking forward to see what he does with The Hobbit.

[oldhippychick]

how is saying "the movies ruined it for me" "trashing" the movies? It's a simple description of my personal experience. Had I gone into detail (the ruination of Faramir to no good effect, the turning of an antiwar book into a adolescently male prowar movie, or whatever), that might have been "trashing." When I trash something or someone, you won't have any doubt, believe me.

[Rhinoqulous]

how is saying "the movies ruined it for me" "trashing" the movies? It's a simple description of my personal experience. Had I gone into detail (the ruination of Famamir to no good effect, the turning of an antiwar book into a adolescently male prowar movie, or whatever), that might have been "trashing." When I trash something or someone, you won't have any doubt, believe me.

My post wasn't necessarily directed at you, just more of my expressing being sick of people trashing the movies for not being as "good" as the books (the number one complaint I've heard is "thar's no Bombadil!", to which I respond to with a hand across the face). I thought the movies on several levels (cinematography, directing, special effects) were amazing. If you want to get into specific differences in plot/content/character development, which in film also requires a different approach than with literature, I'm game.

[Choobus]

.....I'm looking forward to see what he does with The Hobbit.

That'll be pay per view only I suppose?

[Rhinoqulous]

That'll be pay per view only I suppose?

Nah, I pay pay $35 a month to get the highest quality midget porn from NZ.

Interesting Fact: Many people think Jackson used perspective scaled sets and trick camera angles to portray hobbits as much smaller than regular people, when it's actually the case that NZers only grow to 3-4ft. tall. Look at some of the Limey meet up pics with mmf, he's clearly sitting on a stack of phone books.

[mmfwmc]

Damn, you got me.

I also have a nasty gash in my shin from a fight with another kiwi. That whole "stab 'em in the leg when they think you're down" trick is pretty common in bar fights now.

[Isilmë]

I'm so tired of fans of the books trashing the movies. I liked the books. I liked the movies. They are two completely different mediums, and the capability for portraying certain concepts and events are completely different. When considering the sheer scale and depth of TLOTR, I think Jackson did an amazing job, and I'm looking forward to see what he does with The Hobbit.

i completely agree. the movies aren't perfect by any means (i can't get over legolas's hair!) but he made some sensible cuts imo. just think.. they could have been done much much worse!
besides, it did an excellent job in getting people interested in tolkiens work.

i actually spend more time watching the extra features on the extended editions.. its remarkable the amount of detail and work involved. worth a watch if anyone hasn't seen them.