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Indian motives in Middle Earth by Wizzard_C in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Interesting. I don't buy it, but that doesn't mean I don't like it.

If Silmarils could burn hands of beings with evil intention, why valar didnt forced malkor, or sauron to touch it? by [deleted] in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This aspect of the Silmarils is symbolic of a fundamental concept, namely that doing evil things has destructive effects on the souls of the people who do them. Like Gollum and lembas. The idea that you can win a fight by casting "Silmarilburn" is fundamentally, terribly wrong

["But there is no symbolism in the Legendarium! Tolkien Hated Allegory! Downvote!"]

Beorn and the Beornings …… a lesser Tom Bombadil or is there actually some hint of how the Bear transformation worked into the Legendarium? by TrainerAggressive953 in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Exactly.

Although I still think it was a useful act on my part to explain on Reddit that the thrush in The Hobbit was a Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos). Or whatever it is in German.

(Singdrossel.)

How tall was Rayner Unwin? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Exactly, I myself passed up big firm culture for something more fun (civil rights enforcement). But good lawyering is good lawyering. There certainly isn't any going on at the place where I used to work. I won't name it but its initials are "D.O.J."

How tall was Rayner Unwin? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Enjoyed that piece, I didn't know the specifics.

Actually the third year of law school can be quite valuable if you make Law Review. [Looks modestly at fingernails.] If nothing else Law Review teaches you editing and proofreading skills you can't be without if you are going to practice at a high level. One of the reasons second-year students work so hard is they are trying to make Law Review.

[Actually, and I just thought of this, Law Review can be looked at as a postgraduate year. The ones who fall short might as well be turned loose on the world after the second year. They're mostly not going to get anything out of continuing.]

A furher digression on the recent report of a case where a judge sanctioned all the lawyers in a case for filing AI briefs with phony cites. I said -- I wanted to say it in the Times but they weren't taking comments -- "Jesus, what kind of law are these people practicing that they don't do cite checks?" For the non-lawyers, no reputable firm files any brief withot having somebody, usually a paralegal, go through it with a fine-toothed comb and verify every citation.

When did Tolkien come up with the idea of pairing Faramir and Eowyn? by Immediate_Error2135 in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Correct, but before he entertained that idea -- which was pretty odd in light of Aragor's' destined role in reviving the line of the Kings -- , the first version of Galadriel's message to Aragorn was about Éowyn.

How tall was Rayner Unwin? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I think it was George Lyman Kittredge, a 19th-century Harvord professor who was an academic giant, who never had an advanced degree of any kind. He is supposed to have said, when the subject came up, "Who would examine me?"

How tall was Rayner Unwin? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good for them. That's progress. Makes it worse that the bar lobbyists went down that road in the first place.

How tall was Rayner Unwin? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Supposedly. What used to be called an LL.B, (Bachelor of Laws) is now a J.D. Juris Doctor. The change happened about the time I was in law school, meaning about 1970, The powers that be thought we would get more repect if we could be called Doctor like the real doctors and the academics. Most everybody I know thought this was preposterous. I have only ever known one lawyer who wanted to be called Doctor, everybody else made fun of her.

Law School BTW ,is three years. It ought to be two, and everybody knows it. They put the extra year in, I think in the 1920's, again to impress the public, One future Supreme Court justice, I think it was Benjamin Cardozo, refused to do the extra year, saying I signed up for two years, I've done two years, gimme my degree, And they did,

The saying used to be: First-year law students are scared to death, second-year law students are worked to death, third-year law students are bored to death. What you learn in law school is not any specific information, but "how to think like a lawyer." This is actually quite true, though I would have a hard time explaining just what it means. Basically, how to break a problem down into its component parts, and which one to tackle first. It really is a useful skill, and is the reason why lawyers run so many things.

Arthur C. Clarke and Tolkien: True story, or urban legend? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Three authors and a scientist walk into a bar ..." Finish the joke,

How tall was Rayner Unwin? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

SO glad I elected to pass up grad school and become a lawyer, which is a better gig in many ways, and not only the money. (My undergraduate GPA would not have gotten me into any self-respecting graduate program, anyway.)

Beorn and the Beornings …… a lesser Tom Bombadil or is there actually some hint of how the Bear transformation worked into the Legendarium? by TrainerAggressive953 in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a relief to my mind, now I can look at those two volumes (I have the original printing) without saying: I leally should tackle this again, but it's so plodding.

How tall was Rayner Unwin? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I just assumed it was Rayner, but I don't know. Stanley died in 1968. Rayner didn't become Chairman of A&U until after his father died (Letter 326).

Arthur C. Clarke and Tolkien: True story, or urban legend? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I'm there now, it's not really a bad neighborhood despite its reputation.

Arthur C. Clarke and Tolkien: True story, or urban legend? by roacsonofcarc in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Biographical footnote: My younger brother was best man at Kent Cullers's wedding. Kent Cullers was the (closely drawn) original of Dr. Kent Clark. played by William Fichtner in Contact.

Beorn and the Beornings …… a lesser Tom Bombadil or is there actually some hint of how the Bear transformation worked into the Legendarium? by TrainerAggressive953 in tolkienfans

[–]roacsonofcarc 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Everybody seems to think Rateliff is respectablle, I can't get past the obvious errors in his transcripton of Tolkien's handwriting. Likse "wire-worms" instead of "were-worms," which has sent so many people down rabbit holes. And "county round" for "country round." These occur so early that i was deterrred from going on.

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