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Wraith Buster
Gondor
Feb 24 2011, 12:51pm
Post #301 of 368
(792 views)
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Glad you're okay! That must have been weird!
Pedich Edhellen? Lau? Hria cuilė.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Feb 24 2011, 1:40pm
Post #302 of 368
(795 views)
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I had no idea such an organization existed.
I really must read The Book Thief. My sister keeps talking about how much she loved it...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
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"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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greendragon
Sr. Staff
Feb 24 2011, 2:41pm
Post #303 of 368
(803 views)
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Oh Nienna, it's all so upsetting.
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So sad about the young man you know who has died. Just awful. And the continued aftershocks, and the uncertainty for the future, must be so distressing. Please do let us know here if there's anything at all we can do to help - I know we're all far away but your friends are with you. Hang in there. 
'There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of my fridge...'
'You never know what will happen next, when once you get mixed up with TORnsibs and their friends.'
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greendragon
Sr. Staff
Feb 24 2011, 2:48pm
Post #304 of 368
(754 views)
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It's good to see you here! And your concern and care for your 'sibs does you credit; we are all drawn 'home' at difficult times. Hope you manage to find time to pop in every now and then; and hope your cat is recovering. 
'There are older and fouler things than orcs in the deep places of my fridge...'
'You never know what will happen next, when once you get mixed up with TORnsibs and their friends.'
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Pioneer
Rivendell
Feb 24 2011, 3:19pm
Post #305 of 368
(775 views)
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The smell of the deceased has now reached my home, as I'm only a 25 minute walk from approx. 300 non-survivors. I feel sick. It's grim - it's grim. My room mate has gone to stay with his girlfriend - so I'm alone.
I can't get over how dark it is. Where the hell is the moon? I heard a strange noise outside my bedroom window which freaked me out as I thought there might be a crazed person trying to break into my house, but it just turned out to be some hedgehogs having sex.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Feb 24 2011, 3:53pm
Post #306 of 368
(778 views)
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I keep reading the accounts of our 'sibs there in Chch and sniffling. I'm so, so sorry this had to happen. And yes, it is a reality check for me, sitting here safe and sound in my home.
The Gaffer and I have sent money to the Red Cross. I just wish we could do more than that to help.
If my own grief, if my own friendship, can be of any help to any of you there, you have them.
* * * * * * *
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?
A man may do both. For not we but those who come after will make the legends of our time. The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!
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Laerasėa
Tol Eressea
Feb 24 2011, 4:03pm
Post #307 of 368
(727 views)
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It's great to have a kitty friend to follow you around-- I'm sure he gives you a lot of comfort right now.
I'm so sorry about your losses. It's incredibly sad, but it probably also feels very strange right now.
{{{{hugs}}}}}
Limerick in Polka Dots
o o o o o o o o o
o o o o o o o o
o o o o o
o o o o o
o o o o o o o o o
Laerasea's Travelling TORn Journal
Mozart and Chocolate
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Patty
Immortal
Feb 24 2011, 4:07pm
Post #308 of 368
(790 views)
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my grief, and my friendship (and prayer and an inconsequential amount of money) will be at your disposal. I wish I could do more--across the world away one feels so inadequate to help.
Permanent address: Into the West
Must. Have. The Precious! Give us the LotR EE Blu-ray Ultimate Box Set!
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Oiotįri
Tol Eressea
Feb 24 2011, 4:28pm
Post #310 of 368
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The Book Thief is excellent
..The land of long-forgotten name:
......no man may ever anchor near;
..No steering star his hope may aim,
......for nether Night its marches drear,
..And waters wide no sail may tame,
......with shores encircled dark and sheer.
..O! Haven where my heart would be!
......the waves beat upon thy bar
..For ever echo endlessly,
......when longing leads thy thought afar
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Ethel Duath
Half-elven
Feb 24 2011, 4:29pm
Post #311 of 368
(723 views)
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Maybe you should get out of there-
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Can you?
I admire your courage. I think I'd be half way to France or something by now. 
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Feb 24 2011, 4:34pm
Post #312 of 368
(744 views)
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Is there anywhere else you can go? It sounds so completely awful.
I do like the thought of those little hedgehogs affirming life in the midst of all the destruction, though.
{{{{{Pioneer}}}}}
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"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
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Ethel Duath
Half-elven
Feb 24 2011, 4:35pm
Post #313 of 368
(790 views)
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and so carefully organized. It sounds like truly a dream job. May it and Christchurch come back like the Phoenix.
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Aunt Dora Baggins
Immortal
Feb 24 2011, 4:37pm
Post #314 of 368
(752 views)
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I'm so relieved all our TORnsibs are OK, but I guess it's inevitable that as the circle widens to include your friends and acquaintances, there will be some tragic stories. I'm so sorry.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"For DORA BAGGINS in memory of a LONG correspondence, with love from Bilbo; on a large wastebasket. Dora was Drogo's sister, and the eldest surviving female relative of Bilbo and Frodo; she was ninety-nine, and had written reams of good advice for more than half a century."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"A Chance Meeting at Rivendell" and other stories
leleni at hotmail dot com
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Oiotįri
Tol Eressea
Feb 24 2011, 4:39pm
Post #315 of 368
(739 views)
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If you don't have anywhere to go you should at least keep music playing or something to make your home not seem so empty
..The land of long-forgotten name:
......no man may ever anchor near;
..No steering star his hope may aim,
......for nether Night its marches drear,
..And waters wide no sail may tame,
......with shores encircled dark and sheer.
..O! Haven where my heart would be!
......the waves beat upon thy bar
..For ever echo endlessly,
......when longing leads thy thought afar
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Ethel Duath
Half-elven
Feb 24 2011, 4:47pm
Post #316 of 368
(768 views)
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that's truly horrible.
But may he continue to inspire you as you go on with your art.
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Dreamdeer
Valinor
Feb 24 2011, 4:58pm
Post #317 of 368
(752 views)
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I am so sorry to leap into this so late! But God be with you all!
May the dead find repose and a happy fate hereafter.
May the survivors of the dead find consolation in their grief.
May the injured heal swiftly and thoroughly.
May all who suffer from PTSD find compassion and healing and also recover swiftly.
May medical personnel and other responders get adequate rest, adequate help, and the strength of mind and body necessary for their difficult work.
May volunteers gain experiences and insights that will benefit them for the rest of their lives.
May politicians set aside all conflicts to work together in restoring their suffering land, and may they receive inspiration in the best way to accomplish this.
May routes open up enough that people can get to wherever they're needed most, in a timely fashion.
May separated loved ones swiftly find each other.
May anxious friends get back in touch.
May lost pets return okay.
May makeshift shelters hold up well and provide surprising comfort.
May the weather treat the homeless gently till they can get roofs again.
May water, food, and other supplies reach everywhere that they're needed.
May a spirit of community thrive and pull everyone together.
May crime drop as people feel inspired to help rather than to harm.
May the damage turn out less than feared everywhere.
May the clean-up uncover things long-lost or forgotten, that bring moments of joy in their discovery.
May energy and hope fill all engaged in rebuilding.
May the rebuilding improve on what went before.
May irreplaceable landmarks and pieces of history live on in memory.
May every salvageable chunk of the precious past find a way of being used to keep the link with history alive.
May New Zealand be made still more beautiful by appreciation for all of the courage, self-sacrifice, kindness, mercy, effort, mutual assistance, and triumph over adversity that grow up out of disaster like flowers out of compost.
May new trees grow where old ones toppled, as though they had a grain of Lothlorien's dust at their root.
May many other blessings pour in that I haven't the wit to ask for.
May all of us, around the world, cherish our loved ones all the more from this reminder of the fragility of life.
May God grant this prayer!
If anyone has nightmares from this, or any other kinds of dreams that they wish help in working through, feel free to PM me. Dreams can help solve many problems.
Life is beautiful and dangerous! Beware! Enjoy!
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silneldor
Half-elven
Feb 24 2011, 4:59pm
Post #318 of 368
(804 views)
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Pioneer, if i may. I learned a valuable lesson from my dad.
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Here is a man who lost two young daughters at different times due to illness and his wife early out of remorse and alcoholism. He was a survivor of the unbelievable grim realities of WW2 being on Saipan in the Pacific as a major in the army.
What he found there that held his men together was, in spite all, grim humor or a glimmer or crack of levity was enough to retain sanity throughout and keep them on task. That same approach held his family and himself together from the tragedies that happened.
Now thinking of this again, i realized that part of Gimli's manner or role was a bit of the same. Perhaps even i could speak of Eomer's spoken words through grim laughter at despair on that hillock of the Pelennor Fields viewing the black ships. He would not be denied the will and courage, to hail in defiance, to seize the moment despite what outcome prevailed.
My utmost desire is for you and all concerned, to dig in and use such resiliency my dad found and what Tolkien drove home to us all.
Even those crusty hedgehogs gives you an avenue for such:), but also to teach, (as everything living thing has the ability to do) that life does go on and will endure and the fullness of living will ensue.
''Sam put his ragged orc-cloak under his master's head, and covered them both with the grey robe of Lorien; and as he did so his thoughts went out to that fair land, and to the Elves, and he hoped that the cloth woven by their hands might have some virtue to keep them hidden beyond all hope in this wilderness of fear...But their luck held, and for the rest of that day they met no living or moving thing; and when night fell they vanished into the darkess of Mordor.'' - - -rotk, chapter III
May the grace of Manwė let us soar with eagle's wings!
In the air, among the clouds in the sky
Here is where the birds of Manwe fly
Looking at the land, and the water that flows
The true beauty of earth shows
With the stars of Varda lighting my way
In all the realms this is where I stay
In the realm of Manwė Sślimo
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macfalk
Valinor
Feb 24 2011, 5:12pm
Post #319 of 368
(793 views)
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One thing that I dont understand,
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With today's modern technology, shouldn't it be possible for seismologs to tell if there is an earthquake on the way in advance? It would save so many lives, I cannot believe how disheartening it would be to rebuild something that may be demolished the day after. No guarantees that it won't happen again - just terrible. I really hope Christchurch will be free from earthquakes from now on.
The greatest adventure is what lies ahead.
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Annael
Immortal
Feb 24 2011, 5:37pm
Post #320 of 368
(758 views)
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about happiness. Happiness in life does not, it turns out, depend upon "money, IQ, good job, lack of illness, family, background, race, social status, faith, or physical appearance." What determines happiness is the ability to adapt to whatever life throws at us. Resiliency, in other words. But people don't "have" that quality innately. They learn it - by going through bad things. The key point is not to despair. Despair is what kills happiness, not bad times.
I'm editing articles for a magazine right now, and there was another submittal that struck me. This man lost a son in Iraq. He said that what helped him to avoid despair was to become "interested." He found out things about his son's life he hadn't known, and he explored them as a way of getting to know his son better, even though he couldn't ever talk to him again. A friend who recently lost a brother is doing much the same thing. At the funeral, the family was surprised to find out he had a daughter (apparently he hadn't known either until near the end of his life - she was the result of an early, short-lived relationship and the mother told him). She is now actively getting to know her niece. That's her "interest" that is helping her get past her grief.
The way we imagine our lives is the way we are going to go on living our lives.
- James Hillman, Healing Fiction
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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shadowdog
Rohan
Feb 24 2011, 5:38pm
Post #321 of 368
(735 views)
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My father taught me the same thing. He always said that it is impossible to feel fear if you are laughing.
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Ainu Laire
Tol Eressea
Feb 24 2011, 5:51pm
Post #322 of 368
(841 views)
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Here's an essay on why they are not
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Linked on a UCLA subsite.
Summary of why they are not predictable:
For large earthquakes to be predictable, they would have to be unusual events resulting from specific physical states. However, the consensus of a recent meeting [HN5] (5) was that the Earth is in a state of self-organized criticality [HN16] where any small earthquake has some probability of cascading into a large event. This view is supported by the observation that the distribution of earthquake size (see figure) is invariant [HN17] with respect to scale for all but the largest earthquakes. Such scale invariance is ubiquitous in self-organized critical systems (6). Whether any particular small earthquake grows into a large earthquake depends on a myriad of fine details of physical conditions throughout a large volume, not just in the immediate vicinity of the fault (7). This highly sensitive nonlinear dependence of earthquake rupture on unknown initial conditions severely limits predictability (8,9). The prediction of individual large earthquakes would require the unlikely capability of knowing all of these details with great accuracy. Furthermore, no quantitative theory for analyzing these data to issue predictions exists at present. Thus, the consensus of the meeting was that individual earthquakes are probably inherently unpredictable.
We can see hurricanes and tornadoes days or hours before they hit because of wind and cold/hot air movement in the atmosphere. Earthquakes we don't have that predictability, and considering the earth is shaking *all* the time (Southern California has 10,000 earthquakes a year; only a handful are above 4.0), one can see why it would be difficult to predict the *one* earthquake that will be near to the surface, and thus more destructive.
My LiveJournal ~ My artwork and photography
NARF since age 8, when I refused to read the Hobbit because the cover looked boring and icky.
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Lily Fairbairn
Half-elven
Feb 24 2011, 5:53pm
Post #323 of 368
(753 views)
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Thank you so much. Now I'm sniffling again, but in a good way.
* * * * * * *
Do we walk in legends or on the green earth in the daylight?
A man may do both. For not we but those who come after will make the legends of our time. The green earth, say you? That is a mighty matter of legend, though you tread it under the light of day!
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grammaboodawg
Immortal
Feb 24 2011, 6:08pm
Post #324 of 368
(837 views)
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oh no... I'm compelled to share this radio piece
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that was sent to me via work email on Monday. It's a little boy calling in to a Christian radio program; so if anyone prefers not to hear this type of programming, please be advised. But what he says and how he says it is so innocently beautiful... and it could be comforting to some.
Logan. A real cowboy
Admins... feel free remove this if need be :)
 
I really need these new films to take me back to, and not re-introduce me to, that magical world.
TORn's Observations Lists
Unused Scenes
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Magpie
Immortal
Feb 24 2011, 6:21pm
Post #325 of 368
(801 views)
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my thoughts are straying on the same path, Sil.
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Pioneer commented in another thread that this was NZ's 9-11. And I said I was thinking the same thing. As I tried to both fathom this event in my own terms...and in terms of how it must be for those there or closely connected to those there... my mind had been straying to 9-11 and how that felt for me... and how I imagined it felt for those in NYC.
I then thought of how LOTR came back to me (after my decade's old acquaintance with it) as I continued to try to process 9-11 and a series of family circumstances that had been quite distressing. I loved LOTR for a lot of reasons but one of those reasons was how it helped me cope with and heal from those events. And one of the things that always impresses me in the story is the use of humor as a relief. Well... not even relief sometimes but just a way of holding on enough to keep walking in tough times. For me, it's the scene in Helm's Deep, where Legolas is asking after Gimli without satisfaction. He makes light of it with his tally game and then says he must go to find more arrows. (and we know where he will find those arrow) This is not humor that is guffaw funny. Nor does it erase the darkness with its light. It just acknowledges a determination to continue with faith that there is light... in small doses... somewhere. And it will return again. This sort of humor is the humor of those that have lived... have experienced great pain and loss and hardship.
I don't presume to try to comfort someone with this much loss. But for me, I did find great comfort in Tolkien's writings. And when I read the story of the hedgehog... I also thought... life goes on.
This situation greatly occupies my thoughts throughout the day and my heart goes out to you all in NZ. I am grateful that so many of you are sharing your experience. It helps me put a 'face' on something so far away and so unfathomable.
LOTR soundtrack website
magpie avatar gallery ~ Torn Image Posting Guide
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