Essays
This page includes all the "essays" I have written. They range from Tolkien topics to social commentary. Most are taken from my Livejournals, so the format isn't
all that formal. One day I may return to the essays and repair them, make them more professional in nature, but right now I have no inclination to do so. This was
merely a way to share some commentary that some are not able to access on my journals or that I have since removed from my journals.
Some of the topics and/or wording may be offensive. I don't much care. It's my opinion on my site. Don't read them if you think you cannot handle anyone's opinion
but your own. You are free to email me anytime with your own comments or responses to these essays. Just keep in mind --
I return tone and respect for like tone and respect shown.
Section Contents
canon vs au/non-canon
Everyone has their own thoughts on this, and there's no hard and fast rule. But, what I have gleaned from my time in other fandoms is that there are five classes of
fanfiction. This essay examines them.
onwards
children and music
It's no surprise to me that a reviewer on Amazon actually recommended a book on pedophilia instead of the Kidz Bop albums. I think a lot of parents should
consider buying the book instead of the albums. They might learn something -- other than the lyrics to "Oops I Did It Again".
onwards
the civil war
In school, I was taught Lincoln was a "good" man, a man who freed the slaves from the tyrannical hand of the Southern Oppressors. But I have learned, in my many years
since school, that history is written by the winners and the martyrs, and rarely contains any truth to it.
onwards
elven haircolor 101
Elven hair color really isn't as fluid as some people like to think. A lot of people seem to think that any race of Elves could have any hair color, and that just
doesn't ring true. Tolkien was very specific as to which hair colors dominated which race of Elves.
onwards
elvish names 101
Elves are different than us. The names they gave their children meant something, and served to shape that child's life. Lindir would never have been a shipbuilder
any more than Círdan would have written songs. Erestor is no more a warrior than Ecthelion is a scholar. You would never have found Legolas by the sea, nor Galdor
in Mirkwood. Names have power among the Elves, which is why they had so many and were almost never repeated.
onwards
(NEW!) elvish names continued
Names, particuarly among the Eldar, were extremely important. An entire section of the "Laws and Customs of the Eldar" was devoted solely to the significance
of naming. Names had meaning and power and, in many cases, were rooted in foresight. So, if names had meaning, then they can be translated.
onwards
elven population
I made a comment that it had to be noted that there was a large gender disparity between males and females in ME, and that probably accounted for a lot of it. I gave
the figure that is often quoted, which is that there is a 3:1 ratio of males to females. Immediately, I get thrown to the wolves...
onwards
elven rebirth
My opinion is that Glorfindel was not the only Elf to return to Middle-earth, he was just the only one publicized. Tolkien was so big on language that the way he worded
his works speaks volumes without saying much.
onwards
fanon, part one
Fanon misconceptions deconstructed and looked at in terms of the actual canon that they are derived from. Part One: Fading, Birth Order, and Giving Up Immortality.
onwards
free speech
It's a hard won lesson; one that comes with its own set of scars and bruises. But it's the truth: Free speech ain't free. Not really. It always comes with a cost.
The price you pay for the words you say. It may be only a matter of pride, or perhaps nothing more than not being invited to the "cool" parties, but it may be as high
as your freedom.
onwards
independence day bullshit
Strap yourself in, because this one is going to be a bumpy ride. It is entirely probable that I will offend damn near every one of you before this one is over.
onwards
musings on the movie "supersize me"
Ronald McDonald is not a drug lord, and the Hamburglar is not standing outside schools pushing Happy Meals onto little kids. But this movie seems to want to make
you think otherwise.
onwards
the mysterious glorfindel
You will not find anything about Glorfindel's life in Gondolin, save for what he did near the end of his life. There are writings about his origins during the essay
that definitively asserts that Glorfindel of Gondolin and Glorfindel of Rivendell were in fact the same Elf. But those writings are very general, so there is a large
gulf of knowledge about Glorfindel that is never known.
onwards
nazi germany
Everyone is remembering those who died and suffered in Auschwitz. While I commend this, and I know why they are doing it, remember it was not just "Auschwitz"
where people died.
onwards
symbols and words
There is a difference between what things mean and what things are perceived to mean. Just because certain imagery has, over time, become inexorably
linked to a certain symbol does not change the meaning of the symbol itself. And it doesn't have to be just a symbol -- a symbol, a word, an idea -- they are not
altered simply because of the things that happened around them.
onwards
voting rights act
They are discussing the Voting Rights Act and what areas are currently up for renewal in 2007. And while I believe Sections 5-9 should be renewed, I don't believe
that Section 203 should. For those of you who (like me) are not fluent in the language of this Act, Section 203 of the VRA requires "bilingual voting assistance in
jurisdictions where there is a concentration of voters with limited English proficiency".
onwards
why gay christian is not an oxymoron
I have had this debate again and again for a long time and have amassed a lot of posts on this topic from other discussion boards and such. The central issue seems to
return to one question -- Can a Christian support homosexuality -- or even be gay?
onwards
