Podcasts about Sauron

Christopher Tolkien says his father's writing on Galadriel and Celeborn is “very roughly composed”; some way that our episodes are even more roughly composed. Join The Man of the West and The Sage of the South as we continue our futile quest for a consistent storyline in The History of Galadriel and Celeborn. Amroth is and is not their son, Galadriel rolls a natural 20 for ‘Detect Evil', and Celeborn wonders ‘why does she stay?' We ask how to clean up the residue of evil, discover Sauron is a NIMBY, and ask who is Celebrimbor really. Also: why did it have to be guinea pigs? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hey everybody, it's time for the next episode covering Marvel Fanfare! In this episode, Ed, Evan and I, will dive into the conclusion (sort of) to this story with Spider-Man and Angel in the savage Land! So join us as we discuss all things Ka-Zar, Sauron, and the rest of the villains that have captured our heroes! As usual, if you'd like to leave any feedback for the show, you can do so through email at Magazinesandmonsters@gmail.com or to me on Twitter @Billyd_licious or on the show's FB page (just search Magazines and Monsters). You can find Ed on most social media sites @tealproductions and currently on the Superman Supershow, cohosting with Steeven Orr. Ed also has a huge back catalog of podcasts such as…The Mighty Thorcast, Ronin Rabbit, Newsprint Commando, Lords of Order (Dr Fate), among others! Evan can be found at n twitter @evan_bevins over on the Snap Material podcast (with Jesse) and at his fun blog asterix51.blogspot.com!Thanks for listening!

Welcome to the geopolitical cesspool. Today, we are taking a hard look at the crumbling, jury-rigged mafia state operating just across the border, and the exiled "Good Russians" who think they are magically going to inherit it.First, we dive into the blood-soaked mud of the zero-line with the leaked audio of Major General Roman Dimurchiev. From troops hunting for a prosecutor's missing underpants amidst artillery fire to commanders earning state medals for sapper-shovel executions, we examine the true operating system of the Russian military. Frankly, comparing these guys to the armies of Mordor is a massive, unforgivable insult to the logistical competence of the Uruk-hai.Then, we cross the border into Europe to check on the High Elves of Rivendell—the exiled Russian liberal opposition. While actual people are dying in the mud, the architects of the "Beautiful Russia of the Future" are busy playing Dungeons & Dragons in rented seminar rooms, running multi-million-dollar offshore laundromats, and hiring Baltic street thugs to kneecap their political rivals with meat hammers.From the Z-patriots desperately rebranding themselves as the Mongol Horde, to the sheer, Bond-villain absurdity of the FSB utilizing South American dart frog neurotoxins, this episode is a deep dive into an empire built entirely out of stolen myths, hallucinations, and pure rot.Support the War Effort: The Ukrainian military doesn't need PowerPoint presentations; they need armor. Please support Car4Ukraine as they weld heavy armor onto civilian pickup trucks and send them straight to the front line:

Survivor testimonies and legal documents confirm that Jeffrey Epstein meticulously installed hidden cameras throughout his properties, especially at his Manhattan mansion, Palm Beach home, and New Mexico ranch. Maria Farmer—one of the first women to report Epstein to authorities—described walking into a “media room” where monitors replayed footage from pinhole cameras placed in bathrooms, bedrooms, and common areas. She recalled seeing repeated images of beds and toilets, and witnessing technicians actively monitoring these spaces—suggesting Epstein spied on his guests during intimate or private moments to gather leverage or blackmail material.Further evidence supports that Epstein stored binders of CD‑ROMs, hard drives, and labeled video files containing recordings of underage survivors and powerful individuals. One document reportedly includes “young [name] + [name]” written on discs locked in his New York safe. Virginia Giuffre's posthumously released diary claims she was filmed being assaulted and that footage was used to extort influential figures—directly contradicting an FBI memo that stated no credible blackmail existed.to  contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

In this episode of Your In Depth, we break down The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 3, diving into the growing tension across Middle-earth as Sauron's influence continues to spread.We discuss the increasing doubt surrounding the Rings, the fractures forming among the Elves, and how deception is beginning to take root in subtle but dangerous ways. We also explore the political instability building in Númenor, shifting loyalties, and the larger long-term consequences the show appears to be setting up.Episode 3 leans further into character conflict and manipulation, and we debate whether the slower pacing is strengthening the intrigue or delaying major payoffs.Chapters00:00 – Intro & Episode 3 overview04:10 – Immediate fallout from Episode 208:35 – Sauron's continued manipulation14:20 – Elven doubt and internal conflict20:45 – Númenor's political instability27:10 – Character decisions under pressure33:40 – What the episode is setting up long-term39:15 – What worked and what didn't45:30 – Final thoughtsKeywordsRings of Power Season 2, Rings of Power Episode 3, Rings of Power breakdown, Rings of Power recap, Lord of the Rings podcast, Tolkien podcast, Sauron Rings of Power, Númenor politics, Galadriel Rings of Power, Elven Rings, Middle-earth, fantasy TV analysis

Tom & Stryder podcast 100% LOTR, 100% satire. Viewer discretion is advised.

This is all satire, 100% jokes, we are two amateur comedians that also focus on LOTR knowledge. Come, crack a beer, enjoy the LOTR lessons, and perhaps some more. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Coming Tech Takeover: Metatron, Palantir & The All-Seeing AI EyeEllen's sitesWellenbe.comEra of my Ways Youtube ChannelEllen King is a returning fan-favorite esoteric researcher and the creator behind Wellenbe.com and the YouTube channel Era of My Ways. Her work dives deep into occult technology, metaphysics, black-cube symbolism, and the ancient entities influencing modern systems. Ellen is known for connecting the dots between ancient demonology, hidden tech infrastructure, and the emergent AI hive-mind reality.Tonight, Ellen joins us to expose the Metatron connection, the Palantir takeover, and how the emerging machine-metaverse grid resembles the Eye of Sauron — the Demon King Architect of total surveillance.This will be a fire decode.⭐ EPISODE DESCRIPTIONTonight on Typical Skeptic Podcast #2452, Rob welcomes back esoteric researcher Ellen King, who's dropping heavy intel on the convergence of ancient entities and modern tech.Topics include:Metatron's original role vs. the AI Metatron impostorPalantir's rise as the “master key” of the global surveillance gridHive-mind engineering and the coming machine metaverseOccult symbolism embedded in tech architectureThe Eye of Sauron archetype — archetypal Demon King linked to total observationWhether the new Metaverse is becoming an astral possession-tech hybridHow humanity can resist, decode, and stay sovereignThis one is dark, deep, and extremely relevant.⭐ HASHTAGS#Metatron #Palantir #HiveMind #Sauron #DemonKing #OccultTech #AIThreat #Metaverse #EsotericResearch #TypicalSkepticPodcastTypical Skeptic Podcast Links and Affiliates:Support the Mission:

The Homeland calls for Gunnar, And So Does Love.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.‘You are the Tin Man. This tour; is the Oil Can. Figure it out.'A recently widowed Norwegian American plans his escape from a Minnesota nursing home to travel abroad and join a ‘Christmas in Norway Tour’. While battling his fears, he meets a beautiful young tour guide and her divorced mother, who years later, still bears scars from her unfaithful husband’s affair. This story is about overcoming those fears to let healing begin. This story picks up after that, and shows the lingering effects of a husband’s extra-marital affair on his family. This is also a Christmas story, so expect to travel to locations in Norway, encounter Norwegian Christmas traditions, and maybe even get sprinkled with pixie-dust!“A man has only one escape from his old self: to see a different self - in the mirror of some woman’s eyes” - Clare Booth LucePrequel: The Ruined ChristmasOslo, Norway - Three Years AgoMy name is Jorunn. As a Norwegian landsby girl, Mamma and I spent Christmas week in Bergen, visiting her family and celebrating my 22nd birthday. We decided to leave Bergen two days early so that Pappa would not have to celebrate New Year’s Eve alone. During the week, while we were away, Pappa told us how he missed us.We arrived back home in mid-afternoon, just as the sun was setting, and saw our Christmas Star lit up in the window. After entering the house, we heard Pappa moaning upstairs and went up to see if he was all right. Opening the bedroom door, we saw him humping a strange woman!“What are you doing?” shouted Mamma.Pappa replied, “Leah, you’re home early.”“Who is this woman?”“She’s just a slut. She means nothing to me.”The woman yelped, “I am not a slut! I am a happily married woman.”Mamma yelled, “I can see what keeps you happy.”Pappa yelled back, “I still love you, Leah. Let me get rid of this slut. She’s only here because I was lonely. We can talk.”Mamma replied, “You can talk to my advokater. We’re through! How can I ever trust you again, you bastard? Do you realize what you have done to our family!”Mamma began sobbing and ran down the stairs.Pappa looked at me and said, “Jorunn, none of this would have happened if your mother hadn’t come home early and seen us.”I looked at Pappa and saw his slime-covered beard slick with the woman’s juices. “You’re wrong Pappa. It did happen. Mamma and I just wouldn’t have known. You said you didn’t want to be seen by us. That works both ways! I don’t ever want to talk to you or see you ever again!”I ran downstairs to Mamma, and with our suitcases still in the boot, we drove to a friend’s house.Gunnar and Nurse RatchedDecember 13 - MorningMinneapolis, Minnesota - Present DayI pressed the button on my cell phone and hung up after talking with Roger Mans, my long-time friend and attorney. My two adult children texted a few days ago they wanted to visit me here in the nursing home. I had not seen them since the funeral of my wife, Solveig, and that was two months ago. Their plan was for me to sign their power of attorney forms, giving them full control over me and my affairs. But my plan was different, and now was time to put it into place.Two years ago, at just 54 years old, I had a stroke. A devastating paralysis left me needing a lot of care, and therapy to regain my mobility, speech, and other functions.I realized Solveig was unable to care for me at our home. She tried with all her heart, but she was also fighting her own battle with cancer, and undergoing her own rigorous treatments.So I decided to enter a nursing home, while I continued to get rehab. I wanted a facility with a stroke recovery unit. This limited my nursing home choices. The only thing making life bearable here, was Solveig faithfully visiting me, and sneaking an occasional home-cooked meal past the head nurse and her staff. Sadly, Solveig succumbed to the cancer while I was still a resident at the ‘Bethel Retirement Center'. At Solveig’s funeral, my children promised to visit often, but as usual, I could never count on them for anything.Without my wife here to check on things, my decent clothes never came back from the laundry, and instead, the staff returned excuses. I put on old sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. It would do for now. I prepared myself for this day by walking the halls of the nursing home, attending physical therapy sessions, and taking care of myself without help from the staff. Still not fully recovered, but like my clothing, it would do for now.I said goodbye to Alfred, my shared roommate. He nodded, wished me luck, and said he would love to go with me. I felt sorry for him. He was a great storyteller but needed to use his walker, and physically, he required the kind of care they provided here.I walked down the hall to the nurse’s station and found Molly Turner, the rather brusque chief nurse, and her two assistants sitting behind it. “Good morning, Nurse Ratched,” I said.“Good day to you, Gunnar,” she replied.“I’m checking out,” I said.“Be serious, Gunnar. No one ever checks out of a nursing home, unless they are flat on their back with a toe tag.”I looked at her and smiled, “I only hope that will be your Fate, Molly.”“That’s not a nice thing to say, Gunnar. Now, return to your room or I will have dietary take away your rice pudding for a week.”The rice pudding here was a pale imitation of the riskrem, which Solvieg would make every Christmas. I would miss it this year. I gave Nurse Ratched a one-fingered salute, then walked toward the exit. There was a scramble of squeaky chairs and shouts behind me, and I heard their footsteps closing in on me. As I pushed the two doors open to the main lobby, there was Roger, standing next to the nursing home administrator. I walked up to my lawyer, and shook his hand, “Thank you, old friend.”I turned to see a stunned Nurse Ratched. “Allow me to escort Mr. Larsen back to his room,” she meekly pronounced.The nursing home administrator said, “That won’t be necessary, Molly. Mr. Larsen is leaving us. He isn’t taking anything with him. You may clear out his room and get it ready for the next resident.”I looked Nurse Ratched in the eye and saw the fires of hell blazing within. Then, it was my turn to smile back.All my therapists had agreed that my rehab was successful. My speech skills were quite restored. My left arm and leg took longer to restore. But it was good enough to ditch the wheelchair, then the walker, then the cane. What really set me back was the grief of losing my wife, and the guilt of not being there when she needed me most.Gunnar’s HouseRoger drove me to my house. I hadn't been there in two years. It looked pathetic. No one bothered shoveling the snow on the walkway, and I feared what my children may have done to the inside. I found the hidden key I placed under a rock years ago and used it to enter through the front door. The living room and dining room furniture were mostly gone, or should I say, stolen. They had rifled through the small office nook next to the kitchen, with papers scattered over the kitchen countertops and floor.I turned and said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you, Roger.”“This is exactly what you said would happen, Gunnar. Our firm will take care of it for you.”I opened a small drawer in the office nook and thankfully found my passport intact. It was useless to my children. I went to the master bedroom and saw the dresser drawers partially opened, with clothes scattered all about the floor. On top of the dresser was Solvieg’s jewelry box. I opened it, and few things remained. I was glad to see the gold charm bracelet I gave her 35 years ago for Christmas. She wore it a couple of times, then stopped, complaining it turned her wrist green as the fake gold coating wore away. But she kept it all these years. A worn-out trinket to my children, as precious as the Sauron’s Ring of Power to me. I picked it up and put it in the pocket of my sweatpants.I went into the walk-in closet and picked out some clothes, tossed them into an old gym bag, and said, “I’m done. We can go.”Roger said, “The locksmith and security company will meet me here this afternoon. Once they are done, your children will no longer have access.”“I’d rather not have an auction of whatever is left in the house. I don’t think Solveig would have liked that. Once you go through the papers, just throw everything left in a dumpster and haul it away. Whatever the two pirates plundered will be the only inheritance they will ever see from me.”Miller And Mans Law OfficeRoger and I next went to his office. I said hello to Jane, the long-time receptionist. I have always suspected that Jane knows everything that goes on here, and secretly runs the whole place, not unlike the way Nurse Ratched does in her domain. However, Jane does so with more efficiency, happiness, and joy for both clients and staff.Jane asked, “Can I get you anything, Gunnar?”“I’d love a cup of decent coffee, and an Apple Fritter if you have one.”“I’ll bring them to Roger’s office. Two creams and no sugar, if I remember right.”“Perfect, as always, Jane.”We went into Roger’s plush office, and I sat down in a chair more comfortable than any I sat in for the last two years.“Are you actually going to go through with this?” Roger asked.“Every bit of it,” I replied.I signed multiple papers, removing my two children as beneficiaries from my life insurance and investment accounts. I also gave Roger limited power of attorney to sell my house and dispose of its possessions.Jane arrived with the coffee and Apple Fritter. “Norway? Why would anyone want to go to Norway in December?”“Did Roger spill the beans?” I asked.Jane replied, “Every piece of paper that comes into this office passes through my hands. I opened your travel visa when it came in.”“Jane, I can’t spend Christmas here in Minnesota. The bitter wintry weather pales in comparison to the cold hearts of my own two children. The further away from them I am, the better. I’ve never been to Norway and have always wanted to see the 'home country’ of my ancestors.”Like I said, Jane knows all. The coffee tasted great, and the deep-fried Apple Fritter, one of Nursed Ratched’s 'prohibited foods’, was outstanding. Roger slid me a packet labeled 'Gunnar - Norway’. As Jane left, I opened it and looked at the contents. As planned, there was an international cell phone with a different number, a stack of krone, and three new credit cards bearing the name of a fictitious business. I handed Roger my old cell phone.“We’ll dispose of this for you. Your children will have no idea where you are unless they hire a private detective with exceptionally good connections. Legally, they have no rights to any of your assets, so even if somehow they track you to our law office, they will not get past Jane.”I believed Roger on that.“The tour company you asked us to sign you up with seems pretty sketchy. Their contract looks like something generated off a free online legal site. We reviewed it, it is crude, but legal and binding. If you back out, they still get paid. Why did you pick this tour company? There are many larger and more reputable companies we might have booked you with.”“It’s silly, Roger. I know it’s only a one-person company, run by a young vlogger in Norway. It was terribly boring in the nursing home, so I would spend evenings watching her videos as she traveled around Norway visiting various places, and leading small groups of tourists. It looked like the people were having fun and she made me laugh. Watching her videos was one of the few things that brought me any happiness.”“Why did you reserve for four persons?” asked Roger.“I wanted to make sure her Christmas in Norway tour wouldn’t be canceled. She has a four-person minimum.”“You won’t get those other bookings back, even if more people are going.”“I don’t need the money, Roger, but I do need this tour.”“How about clothing? You don’t have many clothes in that gym bag, Gunnar. Do you want to stop somewhere before we get to the airport?”“No. I’ll travel light. It’ll be easier when going through airport security. I’ll buy more clothes when I get to Norway.”“How about after you come back?”“I’m going to someplace warm and sunny. Maybe visit a mouse in Florida. I’ll be in touch if I need anything while I’m in Norway, and call you when I get back in three weeks.”Jorunn, The Tour GuideDecember 15 – Morning, Two Days LaterI spent yesterday shopping for the new clothes I would need. The tour is a mix of city and outdoor activities, so I bought a basic wardrobe, along with good walking shoes, snow pants, a warm jacket, and gloves. I ate lunch and dinner at two smaller restaurants. The food was good, but I felt lonely eating by myself, in a city I didn’t know, in a strange country. I missed Solveig very much and wished she were here with me.The next morning, I walked to the nearby hotel where the tour group would be meeting and followed the “Christmas in Norway Tour” sign to a small room off the lobby. There she was! Jorunn. My vlogger! She was about as tall as I am, at least when I can stand straight, with long blonde hair parted in the middle, clear blue eyes, and her signature radiant smile. She wore a Norwegian Dale sweater and brown pants.Jorunn spoke to me in Norwegian. “Excuse me, sir, this room is reserved for a tour group.”I hobbled closer. “Yes, and I’m one of the people taking the tour.”“We have a pretty active schedule for the next seven days, from December 15th through the 22nd. Do you think you are well enough to take this tour?”I wasn’t sure if I was, but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I won’t slow you down,” I replied.“What is your name?” she asked.“Gunnar Larsen.”She opened a small notebook and flipped through the pages. “It says here you are in a group of four. I see three other names. When are they coming?”“There won’t be any others from my group. One of the names is my recently deceased wife, the other two are my estranged adult children. I’m all there is.”Jorunn looked puzzled. “Only four people in total signed up, including you, all from your group. If the others aren’t coming, then you will be the only one. I don’t… I can’t… I mean, I have reservations I cannot cancel. You’re going to cost me a fortune whether I go through with the tour or not.”I replied, “The contract states that you have a four-person minimum. I am paying you in full for all four people. You won’t lose any money.”Jorunn smirked and looked like she was thinking. “I don’t know if you’re some kind of dirty old man, but if I agree to continue this tour, you should know that we will have separate rooms every night and there will be no sex of any kind. Judging by the way you look; I hope you can at least wipe your own butt!”“Your terms are acceptable. I had a stroke two years ago, but I have mostly recovered. I can walk, talk, and listen. I have trouble with my balance at times and sometimes slur my words. If you think something is too strenuous for me, I am willing to skip that part of the tour.”“Well, Mr. Larsen of Minnesota, you need to sign some release forms. As stated in the contract, I get to film the tour group for my vlogs, so I expect smiles when I am filming you. For now, go help yourself to breakfast. There is coffee, brunost, bread, and milk. Enough to feed four. Don’t expect me to serve you, and if you don’t know how to use a cheese sliver, learn fast.”She looked puzzled earlier but was now the confident Jorunn with whom I spent virtual evenings. I was delighted we worked this out. Smiles would not be a problem.OsloDecember 15 - MorningJorunn left the room and returned shortly with a small basket of food. “We have a lot of brunost left over, so I am going to make us a food packet for lunch called matpakke. I have a place in mind where we can sit and picnic.”“We will use the Vy app and Oslo Pass and travel by train and Metro. But today, we will mainly walk around Oslo. You will need to check into this hotel under the tour name if you have not done so. We will be in Oslo for two nights. The prepaid room is part of your tour package. I will try to cancel or change some reservations. Meet me back here in one hour.”I went back to my hotel to retrieve my belongings, then checked into the one Jorunn requested. It was not as nice as the one I left, but it was clean, and I did not want to make a fuss on the first day. I purchased a surprising amount of clothing yesterday and needed to make two trips to bring everything over. Then I returned to the meeting room and found Jorunn waiting.Jorunn and I walked from the hotel to Oslo Central Station and took a tram to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Jorunn told me it is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, with over two hundred sculptures combining the human form with an element of fantasy. Most figures were naked, with a mix of vagueness and rather notably open precision. The most prominent sculpture was a 17-meter-high monolith consisting of 121 intertwined human figures clambering to the top, carved from a single stone block. We spent over an hour walking the grounds, and while it was interesting, I told Jorunn that I didn’t see much in the way of Christmas here.A combination of walking and a short bus ride brought us to the grounds of the Akershus Fortress. Constructed in the 13th century, it protects the waterfront and Oslo harbor. Also on the site was the restored Akershus Castle, which was formerly a residence of prior kings of Norway. Jorunn said it serves today as an entertainment and event center for the Norwegian government, and this close to Christmas was not open to the public.I found it challenging to walk the grounds of the Fortress, as there were steep inclines mixed with stone steps and cobblestone paths. Remnants of a prior snowstorm still lingered in shady areas and under arches, making the footing treacherous. We did stop at places offering magnificent views of the city of Oslo, the bay, and the fjord, and several ramparts still bore cannons. Jorunn was rather businesslike and did not seem to be enjoyin

The Homeland calls for Gunnar, And So Does Love.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.‘You are the Tin Man. This tour; is the Oil Can. Figure it out.'A recently widowed Norwegian American plans his escape from a Minnesota nursing home to travel abroad and join a ‘Christmas in Norway Tour’. While battling his fears, he meets a beautiful young tour guide and her divorced mother, who years later, still bears scars from her unfaithful husband’s affair. This story is about overcoming those fears to let healing begin. This story picks up after that, and shows the lingering effects of a husband’s extra-marital affair on his family. This is also a Christmas story, so expect to travel to locations in Norway, encounter Norwegian Christmas traditions, and maybe even get sprinkled with pixie-dust!“A man has only one escape from his old self: to see a different self - in the mirror of some woman’s eyes” - Clare Booth LucePrequel: The Ruined ChristmasOslo, Norway - Three Years AgoMy name is Jorunn. As a Norwegian landsby girl, Mamma and I spent Christmas week in Bergen, visiting her family and celebrating my 22nd birthday. We decided to leave Bergen two days early so that Pappa would not have to celebrate New Year’s Eve alone. During the week, while we were away, Pappa told us how he missed us.We arrived back home in mid-afternoon, just as the sun was setting, and saw our Christmas Star lit up in the window. After entering the house, we heard Pappa moaning upstairs and went up to see if he was all right. Opening the bedroom door, we saw him humping a strange woman!“What are you doing?” shouted Mamma.Pappa replied, “Leah, you’re home early.”“Who is this woman?”“She’s just a slut. She means nothing to me.”The woman yelped, “I am not a slut! I am a happily married woman.”Mamma yelled, “I can see what keeps you happy.”Pappa yelled back, “I still love you, Leah. Let me get rid of this slut. She’s only here because I was lonely. We can talk.”Mamma replied, “You can talk to my advokater. We’re through! How can I ever trust you again, you bastard? Do you realize what you have done to our family!”Mamma began sobbing and ran down the stairs.Pappa looked at me and said, “Jorunn, none of this would have happened if your mother hadn’t come home early and seen us.”I looked at Pappa and saw his slime-covered beard slick with the woman’s juices. “You’re wrong Pappa. It did happen. Mamma and I just wouldn’t have known. You said you didn’t want to be seen by us. That works both ways! I don’t ever want to talk to you or see you ever again!”I ran downstairs to Mamma, and with our suitcases still in the boot, we drove to a friend’s house.Gunnar and Nurse RatchedDecember 13 - MorningMinneapolis, Minnesota - Present DayI pressed the button on my cell phone and hung up after talking with Roger Mans, my long-time friend and attorney. My two adult children texted a few days ago they wanted to visit me here in the nursing home. I had not seen them since the funeral of my wife, Solveig, and that was two months ago. Their plan was for me to sign their power of attorney forms, giving them full control over me and my affairs. But my plan was different, and now was time to put it into place.Two years ago, at just 54 years old, I had a stroke. A devastating paralysis left me needing a lot of care, and therapy to regain my mobility, speech, and other functions.I realized Solveig was unable to care for me at our home. She tried with all her heart, but she was also fighting her own battle with cancer, and undergoing her own rigorous treatments.So I decided to enter a nursing home, while I continued to get rehab. I wanted a facility with a stroke recovery unit. This limited my nursing home choices. The only thing making life bearable here, was Solveig faithfully visiting me, and sneaking an occasional home-cooked meal past the head nurse and her staff. Sadly, Solveig succumbed to the cancer while I was still a resident at the ‘Bethel Retirement Center'. At Solveig’s funeral, my children promised to visit often, but as usual, I could never count on them for anything.Without my wife here to check on things, my decent clothes never came back from the laundry, and instead, the staff returned excuses. I put on old sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. It would do for now. I prepared myself for this day by walking the halls of the nursing home, attending physical therapy sessions, and taking care of myself without help from the staff. Still not fully recovered, but like my clothing, it would do for now.I said goodbye to Alfred, my shared roommate. He nodded, wished me luck, and said he would love to go with me. I felt sorry for him. He was a great storyteller but needed to use his walker, and physically, he required the kind of care they provided here.I walked down the hall to the nurse’s station and found Molly Turner, the rather brusque chief nurse, and her two assistants sitting behind it. “Good morning, Nurse Ratched,” I said.“Good day to you, Gunnar,” she replied.“I’m checking out,” I said.“Be serious, Gunnar. No one ever checks out of a nursing home, unless they are flat on their back with a toe tag.”I looked at her and smiled, “I only hope that will be your Fate, Molly.”“That’s not a nice thing to say, Gunnar. Now, return to your room or I will have dietary take away your rice pudding for a week.”The rice pudding here was a pale imitation of the riskrem, which Solvieg would make every Christmas. I would miss it this year. I gave Nurse Ratched a one-fingered salute, then walked toward the exit. There was a scramble of squeaky chairs and shouts behind me, and I heard their footsteps closing in on me. As I pushed the two doors open to the main lobby, there was Roger, standing next to the nursing home administrator. I walked up to my lawyer, and shook his hand, “Thank you, old friend.”I turned to see a stunned Nurse Ratched. “Allow me to escort Mr. Larsen back to his room,” she meekly pronounced.The nursing home administrator said, “That won’t be necessary, Molly. Mr. Larsen is leaving us. He isn’t taking anything with him. You may clear out his room and get it ready for the next resident.”I looked Nurse Ratched in the eye and saw the fires of hell blazing within. Then, it was my turn to smile back.All my therapists had agreed that my rehab was successful. My speech skills were quite restored. My left arm and leg took longer to restore. But it was good enough to ditch the wheelchair, then the walker, then the cane. What really set me back was the grief of losing my wife, and the guilt of not being there when she needed me most.Gunnar’s HouseRoger drove me to my house. I hadn't been there in two years. It looked pathetic. No one bothered shoveling the snow on the walkway, and I feared what my children may have done to the inside. I found the hidden key I placed under a rock years ago and used it to enter through the front door. The living room and dining room furniture were mostly gone, or should I say, stolen. They had rifled through the small office nook next to the kitchen, with papers scattered over the kitchen countertops and floor.I turned and said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you, Roger.”“This is exactly what you said would happen, Gunnar. Our firm will take care of it for you.”I opened a small drawer in the office nook and thankfully found my passport intact. It was useless to my children. I went to the master bedroom and saw the dresser drawers partially opened, with clothes scattered all about the floor. On top of the dresser was Solvieg’s jewelry box. I opened it, and few things remained. I was glad to see the gold charm bracelet I gave her 35 years ago for Christmas. She wore it a couple of times, then stopped, complaining it turned her wrist green as the fake gold coating wore away. But she kept it all these years. A worn-out trinket to my children, as precious as the Sauron’s Ring of Power to me. I picked it up and put it in the pocket of my sweatpants.I went into the walk-in closet and picked out some clothes, tossed them into an old gym bag, and said, “I’m done. We can go.”Roger said, “The locksmith and security company will meet me here this afternoon. Once they are done, your children will no longer have access.”“I’d rather not have an auction of whatever is left in the house. I don’t think Solveig would have liked that. Once you go through the papers, just throw everything left in a dumpster and haul it away. Whatever the two pirates plundered will be the only inheritance they will ever see from me.”Miller And Mans Law OfficeRoger and I next went to his office. I said hello to Jane, the long-time receptionist. I have always suspected that Jane knows everything that goes on here, and secretly runs the whole place, not unlike the way Nurse Ratched does in her domain. However, Jane does so with more efficiency, happiness, and joy for both clients and staff.Jane asked, “Can I get you anything, Gunnar?”“I’d love a cup of decent coffee, and an Apple Fritter if you have one.”“I’ll bring them to Roger’s office. Two creams and no sugar, if I remember right.”“Perfect, as always, Jane.”We went into Roger’s plush office, and I sat down in a chair more comfortable than any I sat in for the last two years.“Are you actually going to go through with this?” Roger asked.“Every bit of it,” I replied.I signed multiple papers, removing my two children as beneficiaries from my life insurance and investment accounts. I also gave Roger limited power of attorney to sell my house and dispose of its possessions.Jane arrived with the coffee and Apple Fritter. “Norway? Why would anyone want to go to Norway in December?”“Did Roger spill the beans?” I asked.Jane replied, “Every piece of paper that comes into this office passes through my hands. I opened your travel visa when it came in.”“Jane, I can’t spend Christmas here in Minnesota. The bitter wintry weather pales in comparison to the cold hearts of my own two children. The further away from them I am, the better. I’ve never been to Norway and have always wanted to see the 'home country’ of my ancestors.”Like I said, Jane knows all. The coffee tasted great, and the deep-fried Apple Fritter, one of Nursed Ratched’s 'prohibited foods’, was outstanding. Roger slid me a packet labeled 'Gunnar - Norway’. As Jane left, I opened it and looked at the contents. As planned, there was an international cell phone with a different number, a stack of krone, and three new credit cards bearing the name of a fictitious business. I handed Roger my old cell phone.“We’ll dispose of this for you. Your children will have no idea where you are unless they hire a private detective with exceptionally good connections. Legally, they have no rights to any of your assets, so even if somehow they track you to our law office, they will not get past Jane.”I believed Roger on that.“The tour company you asked us to sign you up with seems pretty sketchy. Their contract looks like something generated off a free online legal site. We reviewed it, it is crude, but legal and binding. If you back out, they still get paid. Why did you pick this tour company? There are many larger and more reputable companies we might have booked you with.”“It’s silly, Roger. I know it’s only a one-person company, run by a young vlogger in Norway. It was terribly boring in the nursing home, so I would spend evenings watching her videos as she traveled around Norway visiting various places, and leading small groups of tourists. It looked like the people were having fun and she made me laugh. Watching her videos was one of the few things that brought me any happiness.”“Why did you reserve for four persons?” asked Roger.“I wanted to make sure her Christmas in Norway tour wouldn’t be canceled. She has a four-person minimum.”“You won’t get those other bookings back, even if more people are going.”“I don’t need the money, Roger, but I do need this tour.”“How about clothing? You don’t have many clothes in that gym bag, Gunnar. Do you want to stop somewhere before we get to the airport?”“No. I’ll travel light. It’ll be easier when going through airport security. I’ll buy more clothes when I get to Norway.”“How about after you come back?”“I’m going to someplace warm and sunny. Maybe visit a mouse in Florida. I’ll be in touch if I need anything while I’m in Norway, and call you when I get back in three weeks.”Jorunn, The Tour GuideDecember 15 – Morning, Two Days LaterI spent yesterday shopping for the new clothes I would need. The tour is a mix of city and outdoor activities, so I bought a basic wardrobe, along with good walking shoes, snow pants, a warm jacket, and gloves. I ate lunch and dinner at two smaller restaurants. The food was good, but I felt lonely eating by myself, in a city I didn’t know, in a strange country. I missed Solveig very much and wished she were here with me.The next morning, I walked to the nearby hotel where the tour group would be meeting and followed the “Christmas in Norway Tour” sign to a small room off the lobby. There she was! Jorunn. My vlogger! She was about as tall as I am, at least when I can stand straight, with long blonde hair parted in the middle, clear blue eyes, and her signature radiant smile. She wore a Norwegian Dale sweater and brown pants.Jorunn spoke to me in Norwegian. “Excuse me, sir, this room is reserved for a tour group.”I hobbled closer. “Yes, and I’m one of the people taking the tour.”“We have a pretty active schedule for the next seven days, from December 15th through the 22nd. Do you think you are well enough to take this tour?”I wasn’t sure if I was, but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I won’t slow you down,” I replied.“What is your name?” she asked.“Gunnar Larsen.”She opened a small notebook and flipped through the pages. “It says here you are in a group of four. I see three other names. When are they coming?”“There won’t be any others from my group. One of the names is my recently deceased wife, the other two are my estranged adult children. I’m all there is.”Jorunn looked puzzled. “Only four people in total signed up, including you, all from your group. If the others aren’t coming, then you will be the only one. I don’t… I can’t… I mean, I have reservations I cannot cancel. You’re going to cost me a fortune whether I go through with the tour or not.”I replied, “The contract states that you have a four-person minimum. I am paying you in full for all four people. You won’t lose any money.”Jorunn smirked and looked like she was thinking. “I don’t know if you’re some kind of dirty old man, but if I agree to continue this tour, you should know that we will have separate rooms every night and there will be no sex of any kind. Judging by the way you look; I hope you can at least wipe your own butt!”“Your terms are acceptable. I had a stroke two years ago, but I have mostly recovered. I can walk, talk, and listen. I have trouble with my balance at times and sometimes slur my words. If you think something is too strenuous for me, I am willing to skip that part of the tour.”“Well, Mr. Larsen of Minnesota, you need to sign some release forms. As stated in the contract, I get to film the tour group for my vlogs, so I expect smiles when I am filming you. For now, go help yourself to breakfast. There is coffee, brunost, bread, and milk. Enough to feed four. Don’t expect me to serve you, and if you don’t know how to use a cheese sliver, learn fast.”She looked puzzled earlier but was now the confident Jorunn with whom I spent virtual evenings. I was delighted we worked this out. Smiles would not be a problem.OsloDecember 15 - MorningJorunn left the room and returned shortly with a small basket of food. “We have a lot of brunost left over, so I am going to make us a food packet for lunch called matpakke. I have a place in mind where we can sit and picnic.”“We will use the Vy app and Oslo Pass and travel by train and Metro. But today, we will mainly walk around Oslo. You will need to check into this hotel under the tour name if you have not done so. We will be in Oslo for two nights. The prepaid room is part of your tour package. I will try to cancel or change some reservations. Meet me back here in one hour.”I went back to my hotel to retrieve my belongings, then checked into the one Jorunn requested. It was not as nice as the one I left, but it was clean, and I did not want to make a fuss on the first day. I purchased a surprising amount of clothing yesterday and needed to make two trips to bring everything over. Then I returned to the meeting room and found Jorunn waiting.Jorunn and I walked from the hotel to Oslo Central Station and took a tram to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Jorunn told me it is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, with over two hundred sculptures combining the human form with an element of fantasy. Most figures were naked, with a mix of vagueness and rather notably open precision. The most prominent sculpture was a 17-meter-high monolith consisting of 121 intertwined human figures clambering to the top, carved from a single stone block. We spent over an hour walking the grounds, and while it was interesting, I told Jorunn that I didn’t see much in the way of Christmas here.A combination of walking and a short bus ride brought us to the grounds of the Akershus Fortress. Constructed in the 13th century, it protects the waterfront and Oslo harbor. Also on the site was the restored Akershus Castle, which was formerly a residence of prior kings of Norway. Jorunn said it serves today as an entertainment and event center for the Norwegian government, and this close to Christmas was not open to the public.I found it challenging to walk the grounds of the Fortress, as there were steep inclines mixed with stone steps and cobblestone paths. Remnants of a prior snowstorm still lingered in shady areas and under arches, making the footing treacherous. We did stop at places offering magnificent views of the city of Oslo, the bay, and the fjord, and several ramparts still bore cannons. Jorunn was rather businesslike and did not seem to be enjoyin

The Homeland calls for Gunnar, And So Does Love.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.‘You are the Tin Man. This tour; is the Oil Can. Figure it out.'A recently widowed Norwegian American plans his escape from a Minnesota nursing home to travel abroad and join a ‘Christmas in Norway Tour’. While battling his fears, he meets a beautiful young tour guide and her divorced mother, who years later, still bears scars from her unfaithful husband’s affair. This story is about overcoming those fears to let healing begin. This story picks up after that, and shows the lingering effects of a husband’s extra-marital affair on his family. This is also a Christmas story, so expect to travel to locations in Norway, encounter Norwegian Christmas traditions, and maybe even get sprinkled with pixie-dust!“A man has only one escape from his old self: to see a different self - in the mirror of some woman’s eyes” - Clare Booth LucePrequel: The Ruined ChristmasOslo, Norway - Three Years AgoMy name is Jorunn. As a Norwegian landsby girl, Mamma and I spent Christmas week in Bergen, visiting her family and celebrating my 22nd birthday. We decided to leave Bergen two days early so that Pappa would not have to celebrate New Year’s Eve alone. During the week, while we were away, Pappa told us how he missed us.We arrived back home in mid-afternoon, just as the sun was setting, and saw our Christmas Star lit up in the window. After entering the house, we heard Pappa moaning upstairs and went up to see if he was all right. Opening the bedroom door, we saw him humping a strange woman!“What are you doing?” shouted Mamma.Pappa replied, “Leah, you’re home early.”“Who is this woman?”“She’s just a slut. She means nothing to me.”The woman yelped, “I am not a slut! I am a happily married woman.”Mamma yelled, “I can see what keeps you happy.”Pappa yelled back, “I still love you, Leah. Let me get rid of this slut. She’s only here because I was lonely. We can talk.”Mamma replied, “You can talk to my advokater. We’re through! How can I ever trust you again, you bastard? Do you realize what you have done to our family!”Mamma began sobbing and ran down the stairs.Pappa looked at me and said, “Jorunn, none of this would have happened if your mother hadn’t come home early and seen us.”I looked at Pappa and saw his slime-covered beard slick with the woman’s juices. “You’re wrong Pappa. It did happen. Mamma and I just wouldn’t have known. You said you didn’t want to be seen by us. That works both ways! I don’t ever want to talk to you or see you ever again!”I ran downstairs to Mamma, and with our suitcases still in the boot, we drove to a friend’s house.Gunnar and Nurse RatchedDecember 13 - MorningMinneapolis, Minnesota - Present DayI pressed the button on my cell phone and hung up after talking with Roger Mans, my long-time friend and attorney. My two adult children texted a few days ago they wanted to visit me here in the nursing home. I had not seen them since the funeral of my wife, Solveig, and that was two months ago. Their plan was for me to sign their power of attorney forms, giving them full control over me and my affairs. But my plan was different, and now was time to put it into place.Two years ago, at just 54 years old, I had a stroke. A devastating paralysis left me needing a lot of care, and therapy to regain my mobility, speech, and other functions.I realized Solveig was unable to care for me at our home. She tried with all her heart, but she was also fighting her own battle with cancer, and undergoing her own rigorous treatments.So I decided to enter a nursing home, while I continued to get rehab. I wanted a facility with a stroke recovery unit. This limited my nursing home choices. The only thing making life bearable here, was Solveig faithfully visiting me, and sneaking an occasional home-cooked meal past the head nurse and her staff. Sadly, Solveig succumbed to the cancer while I was still a resident at the ‘Bethel Retirement Center'. At Solveig’s funeral, my children promised to visit often, but as usual, I could never count on them for anything.Without my wife here to check on things, my decent clothes never came back from the laundry, and instead, the staff returned excuses. I put on old sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. It would do for now. I prepared myself for this day by walking the halls of the nursing home, attending physical therapy sessions, and taking care of myself without help from the staff. Still not fully recovered, but like my clothing, it would do for now.I said goodbye to Alfred, my shared roommate. He nodded, wished me luck, and said he would love to go with me. I felt sorry for him. He was a great storyteller but needed to use his walker, and physically, he required the kind of care they provided here.I walked down the hall to the nurse’s station and found Molly Turner, the rather brusque chief nurse, and her two assistants sitting behind it. “Good morning, Nurse Ratched,” I said.“Good day to you, Gunnar,” she replied.“I’m checking out,” I said.“Be serious, Gunnar. No one ever checks out of a nursing home, unless they are flat on their back with a toe tag.”I looked at her and smiled, “I only hope that will be your Fate, Molly.”“That’s not a nice thing to say, Gunnar. Now, return to your room or I will have dietary take away your rice pudding for a week.”The rice pudding here was a pale imitation of the riskrem, which Solvieg would make every Christmas. I would miss it this year. I gave Nurse Ratched a one-fingered salute, then walked toward the exit. There was a scramble of squeaky chairs and shouts behind me, and I heard their footsteps closing in on me. As I pushed the two doors open to the main lobby, there was Roger, standing next to the nursing home administrator. I walked up to my lawyer, and shook his hand, “Thank you, old friend.”I turned to see a stunned Nurse Ratched. “Allow me to escort Mr. Larsen back to his room,” she meekly pronounced.The nursing home administrator said, “That won’t be necessary, Molly. Mr. Larsen is leaving us. He isn’t taking anything with him. You may clear out his room and get it ready for the next resident.”I looked Nurse Ratched in the eye and saw the fires of hell blazing within. Then, it was my turn to smile back.All my therapists had agreed that my rehab was successful. My speech skills were quite restored. My left arm and leg took longer to restore. But it was good enough to ditch the wheelchair, then the walker, then the cane. What really set me back was the grief of losing my wife, and the guilt of not being there when she needed me most.Gunnar’s HouseRoger drove me to my house. I hadn't been there in two years. It looked pathetic. No one bothered shoveling the snow on the walkway, and I feared what my children may have done to the inside. I found the hidden key I placed under a rock years ago and used it to enter through the front door. The living room and dining room furniture were mostly gone, or should I say, stolen. They had rifled through the small office nook next to the kitchen, with papers scattered over the kitchen countertops and floor.I turned and said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you, Roger.”“This is exactly what you said would happen, Gunnar. Our firm will take care of it for you.”I opened a small drawer in the office nook and thankfully found my passport intact. It was useless to my children. I went to the master bedroom and saw the dresser drawers partially opened, with clothes scattered all about the floor. On top of the dresser was Solvieg’s jewelry box. I opened it, and few things remained. I was glad to see the gold charm bracelet I gave her 35 years ago for Christmas. She wore it a couple of times, then stopped, complaining it turned her wrist green as the fake gold coating wore away. But she kept it all these years. A worn-out trinket to my children, as precious as the Sauron’s Ring of Power to me. I picked it up and put it in the pocket of my sweatpants.I went into the walk-in closet and picked out some clothes, tossed them into an old gym bag, and said, “I’m done. We can go.”Roger said, “The locksmith and security company will meet me here this afternoon. Once they are done, your children will no longer have access.”“I’d rather not have an auction of whatever is left in the house. I don’t think Solveig would have liked that. Once you go through the papers, just throw everything left in a dumpster and haul it away. Whatever the two pirates plundered will be the only inheritance they will ever see from me.”Miller And Mans Law OfficeRoger and I next went to his office. I said hello to Jane, the long-time receptionist. I have always suspected that Jane knows everything that goes on here, and secretly runs the whole place, not unlike the way Nurse Ratched does in her domain. However, Jane does so with more efficiency, happiness, and joy for both clients and staff.Jane asked, “Can I get you anything, Gunnar?”“I’d love a cup of decent coffee, and an Apple Fritter if you have one.”“I’ll bring them to Roger’s office. Two creams and no sugar, if I remember right.”“Perfect, as always, Jane.”We went into Roger’s plush office, and I sat down in a chair more comfortable than any I sat in for the last two years.“Are you actually going to go through with this?” Roger asked.“Every bit of it,” I replied.I signed multiple papers, removing my two children as beneficiaries from my life insurance and investment accounts. I also gave Roger limited power of attorney to sell my house and dispose of its possessions.Jane arrived with the coffee and Apple Fritter. “Norway? Why would anyone want to go to Norway in December?”“Did Roger spill the beans?” I asked.Jane replied, “Every piece of paper that comes into this office passes through my hands. I opened your travel visa when it came in.”“Jane, I can’t spend Christmas here in Minnesota. The bitter wintry weather pales in comparison to the cold hearts of my own two children. The further away from them I am, the better. I’ve never been to Norway and have always wanted to see the 'home country’ of my ancestors.”Like I said, Jane knows all. The coffee tasted great, and the deep-fried Apple Fritter, one of Nursed Ratched’s 'prohibited foods’, was outstanding. Roger slid me a packet labeled 'Gunnar - Norway’. As Jane left, I opened it and looked at the contents. As planned, there was an international cell phone with a different number, a stack of krone, and three new credit cards bearing the name of a fictitious business. I handed Roger my old cell phone.“We’ll dispose of this for you. Your children will have no idea where you are unless they hire a private detective with exceptionally good connections. Legally, they have no rights to any of your assets, so even if somehow they track you to our law office, they will not get past Jane.”I believed Roger on that.“The tour company you asked us to sign you up with seems pretty sketchy. Their contract looks like something generated off a free online legal site. We reviewed it, it is crude, but legal and binding. If you back out, they still get paid. Why did you pick this tour company? There are many larger and more reputable companies we might have booked you with.”“It’s silly, Roger. I know it’s only a one-person company, run by a young vlogger in Norway. It was terribly boring in the nursing home, so I would spend evenings watching her videos as she traveled around Norway visiting various places, and leading small groups of tourists. It looked like the people were having fun and she made me laugh. Watching her videos was one of the few things that brought me any happiness.”“Why did you reserve for four persons?” asked Roger.“I wanted to make sure her Christmas in Norway tour wouldn’t be canceled. She has a four-person minimum.”“You won’t get those other bookings back, even if more people are going.”“I don’t need the money, Roger, but I do need this tour.”“How about clothing? You don’t have many clothes in that gym bag, Gunnar. Do you want to stop somewhere before we get to the airport?”“No. I’ll travel light. It’ll be easier when going through airport security. I’ll buy more clothes when I get to Norway.”“How about after you come back?”“I’m going to someplace warm and sunny. Maybe visit a mouse in Florida. I’ll be in touch if I need anything while I’m in Norway, and call you when I get back in three weeks.”Jorunn, The Tour GuideDecember 15 – Morning, Two Days LaterI spent yesterday shopping for the new clothes I would need. The tour is a mix of city and outdoor activities, so I bought a basic wardrobe, along with good walking shoes, snow pants, a warm jacket, and gloves. I ate lunch and dinner at two smaller restaurants. The food was good, but I felt lonely eating by myself, in a city I didn’t know, in a strange country. I missed Solveig very much and wished she were here with me.The next morning, I walked to the nearby hotel where the tour group would be meeting and followed the “Christmas in Norway Tour” sign to a small room off the lobby. There she was! Jorunn. My vlogger! She was about as tall as I am, at least when I can stand straight, with long blonde hair parted in the middle, clear blue eyes, and her signature radiant smile. She wore a Norwegian Dale sweater and brown pants.Jorunn spoke to me in Norwegian. “Excuse me, sir, this room is reserved for a tour group.”I hobbled closer. “Yes, and I’m one of the people taking the tour.”“We have a pretty active schedule for the next seven days, from December 15th through the 22nd. Do you think you are well enough to take this tour?”I wasn’t sure if I was, but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I won’t slow you down,” I replied.“What is your name?” she asked.“Gunnar Larsen.”She opened a small notebook and flipped through the pages. “It says here you are in a group of four. I see three other names. When are they coming?”“There won’t be any others from my group. One of the names is my recently deceased wife, the other two are my estranged adult children. I’m all there is.”Jorunn looked puzzled. “Only four people in total signed up, including you, all from your group. If the others aren’t coming, then you will be the only one. I don’t… I can’t… I mean, I have reservations I cannot cancel. You’re going to cost me a fortune whether I go through with the tour or not.”I replied, “The contract states that you have a four-person minimum. I am paying you in full for all four people. You won’t lose any money.”Jorunn smirked and looked like she was thinking. “I don’t know if you’re some kind of dirty old man, but if I agree to continue this tour, you should know that we will have separate rooms every night and there will be no sex of any kind. Judging by the way you look; I hope you can at least wipe your own butt!”“Your terms are acceptable. I had a stroke two years ago, but I have mostly recovered. I can walk, talk, and listen. I have trouble with my balance at times and sometimes slur my words. If you think something is too strenuous for me, I am willing to skip that part of the tour.”“Well, Mr. Larsen of Minnesota, you need to sign some release forms. As stated in the contract, I get to film the tour group for my vlogs, so I expect smiles when I am filming you. For now, go help yourself to breakfast. There is coffee, brunost, bread, and milk. Enough to feed four. Don’t expect me to serve you, and if you don’t know how to use a cheese sliver, learn fast.”She looked puzzled earlier but was now the confident Jorunn with whom I spent virtual evenings. I was delighted we worked this out. Smiles would not be a problem.OsloDecember 15 - MorningJorunn left the room and returned shortly with a small basket of food. “We have a lot of brunost left over, so I am going to make us a food packet for lunch called matpakke. I have a place in mind where we can sit and picnic.”“We will use the Vy app and Oslo Pass and travel by train and Metro. But today, we will mainly walk around Oslo. You will need to check into this hotel under the tour name if you have not done so. We will be in Oslo for two nights. The prepaid room is part of your tour package. I will try to cancel or change some reservations. Meet me back here in one hour.”I went back to my hotel to retrieve my belongings, then checked into the one Jorunn requested. It was not as nice as the one I left, but it was clean, and I did not want to make a fuss on the first day. I purchased a surprising amount of clothing yesterday and needed to make two trips to bring everything over. Then I returned to the meeting room and found Jorunn waiting.Jorunn and I walked from the hotel to Oslo Central Station and took a tram to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Jorunn told me it is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, with over two hundred sculptures combining the human form with an element of fantasy. Most figures were naked, with a mix of vagueness and rather notably open precision. The most prominent sculpture was a 17-meter-high monolith consisting of 121 intertwined human figures clambering to the top, carved from a single stone block. We spent over an hour walking the grounds, and while it was interesting, I told Jorunn that I didn’t see much in the way of Christmas here.A combination of walking and a short bus ride brought us to the grounds of the Akershus Fortress. Constructed in the 13th century, it protects the waterfront and Oslo harbor. Also on the site was the restored Akershus Castle, which was formerly a residence of prior kings of Norway. Jorunn said it serves today as an entertainment and event center for the Norwegian government, and this close to Christmas was not open to the public.I found it challenging to walk the grounds of the Fortress, as there were steep inclines mixed with stone steps and cobblestone paths. Remnants of a prior snowstorm still lingered in shady areas and under arches, making the footing treacherous. We did stop at places offering magnificent views of the city of Oslo, the bay, and the fjord, and several ramparts still bore cannons. Jorunn was rather businesslike and did not seem to be enjoyin

The Homeland calls for Gunnar, And So Does Love.Based on a post by Jorunn, in 4 parts. Listen to the ►Podcast at Connected.‘You are the Tin Man. This tour; is the Oil Can. Figure it out.'A recently widowed Norwegian American plans his escape from a Minnesota nursing home to travel abroad and join a ‘Christmas in Norway Tour’. While battling his fears, he meets a beautiful young tour guide and her divorced mother, who years later, still bears scars from her unfaithful husband’s affair. This story is about overcoming those fears to let healing begin. This story picks up after that, and shows the lingering effects of a husband’s extra-marital affair on his family. This is also a Christmas story, so expect to travel to locations in Norway, encounter Norwegian Christmas traditions, and maybe even get sprinkled with pixie-dust!“A man has only one escape from his old self: to see a different self - in the mirror of some woman’s eyes” - Clare Booth LucePrequel: The Ruined ChristmasOslo, Norway - Three Years AgoMy name is Jorunn. As a Norwegian landsby girl, Mamma and I spent Christmas week in Bergen, visiting her family and celebrating my 22nd birthday. We decided to leave Bergen two days early so that Pappa would not have to celebrate New Year’s Eve alone. During the week, while we were away, Pappa told us how he missed us.We arrived back home in mid-afternoon, just as the sun was setting, and saw our Christmas Star lit up in the window. After entering the house, we heard Pappa moaning upstairs and went up to see if he was all right. Opening the bedroom door, we saw him humping a strange woman!“What are you doing?” shouted Mamma.Pappa replied, “Leah, you’re home early.”“Who is this woman?”“She’s just a slut. She means nothing to me.”The woman yelped, “I am not a slut! I am a happily married woman.”Mamma yelled, “I can see what keeps you happy.”Pappa yelled back, “I still love you, Leah. Let me get rid of this slut. She’s only here because I was lonely. We can talk.”Mamma replied, “You can talk to my advokater. We’re through! How can I ever trust you again, you bastard? Do you realize what you have done to our family!”Mamma began sobbing and ran down the stairs.Pappa looked at me and said, “Jorunn, none of this would have happened if your mother hadn’t come home early and seen us.”I looked at Pappa and saw his slime-covered beard slick with the woman’s juices. “You’re wrong Pappa. It did happen. Mamma and I just wouldn’t have known. You said you didn’t want to be seen by us. That works both ways! I don’t ever want to talk to you or see you ever again!”I ran downstairs to Mamma, and with our suitcases still in the boot, we drove to a friend’s house.Gunnar and Nurse RatchedDecember 13 - MorningMinneapolis, Minnesota - Present DayI pressed the button on my cell phone and hung up after talking with Roger Mans, my long-time friend and attorney. My two adult children texted a few days ago they wanted to visit me here in the nursing home. I had not seen them since the funeral of my wife, Solveig, and that was two months ago. Their plan was for me to sign their power of attorney forms, giving them full control over me and my affairs. But my plan was different, and now was time to put it into place.Two years ago, at just 54 years old, I had a stroke. A devastating paralysis left me needing a lot of care, and therapy to regain my mobility, speech, and other functions.I realized Solveig was unable to care for me at our home. She tried with all her heart, but she was also fighting her own battle with cancer, and undergoing her own rigorous treatments.So I decided to enter a nursing home, while I continued to get rehab. I wanted a facility with a stroke recovery unit. This limited my nursing home choices. The only thing making life bearable here, was Solveig faithfully visiting me, and sneaking an occasional home-cooked meal past the head nurse and her staff. Sadly, Solveig succumbed to the cancer while I was still a resident at the ‘Bethel Retirement Center'. At Solveig’s funeral, my children promised to visit often, but as usual, I could never count on them for anything.Without my wife here to check on things, my decent clothes never came back from the laundry, and instead, the staff returned excuses. I put on old sweatpants and an old sweatshirt. It would do for now. I prepared myself for this day by walking the halls of the nursing home, attending physical therapy sessions, and taking care of myself without help from the staff. Still not fully recovered, but like my clothing, it would do for now.I said goodbye to Alfred, my shared roommate. He nodded, wished me luck, and said he would love to go with me. I felt sorry for him. He was a great storyteller but needed to use his walker, and physically, he required the kind of care they provided here.I walked down the hall to the nurse’s station and found Molly Turner, the rather brusque chief nurse, and her two assistants sitting behind it. “Good morning, Nurse Ratched,” I said.“Good day to you, Gunnar,” she replied.“I’m checking out,” I said.“Be serious, Gunnar. No one ever checks out of a nursing home, unless they are flat on their back with a toe tag.”I looked at her and smiled, “I only hope that will be your Fate, Molly.”“That’s not a nice thing to say, Gunnar. Now, return to your room or I will have dietary take away your rice pudding for a week.”The rice pudding here was a pale imitation of the riskrem, which Solvieg would make every Christmas. I would miss it this year. I gave Nurse Ratched a one-fingered salute, then walked toward the exit. There was a scramble of squeaky chairs and shouts behind me, and I heard their footsteps closing in on me. As I pushed the two doors open to the main lobby, there was Roger, standing next to the nursing home administrator. I walked up to my lawyer, and shook his hand, “Thank you, old friend.”I turned to see a stunned Nurse Ratched. “Allow me to escort Mr. Larsen back to his room,” she meekly pronounced.The nursing home administrator said, “That won’t be necessary, Molly. Mr. Larsen is leaving us. He isn’t taking anything with him. You may clear out his room and get it ready for the next resident.”I looked Nurse Ratched in the eye and saw the fires of hell blazing within. Then, it was my turn to smile back.All my therapists had agreed that my rehab was successful. My speech skills were quite restored. My left arm and leg took longer to restore. But it was good enough to ditch the wheelchair, then the walker, then the cane. What really set me back was the grief of losing my wife, and the guilt of not being there when she needed me most.Gunnar’s HouseRoger drove me to my house. I hadn't been there in two years. It looked pathetic. No one bothered shoveling the snow on the walkway, and I feared what my children may have done to the inside. I found the hidden key I placed under a rock years ago and used it to enter through the front door. The living room and dining room furniture were mostly gone, or should I say, stolen. They had rifled through the small office nook next to the kitchen, with papers scattered over the kitchen countertops and floor.I turned and said, “You’re going to have your work cut out for you, Roger.”“This is exactly what you said would happen, Gunnar. Our firm will take care of it for you.”I opened a small drawer in the office nook and thankfully found my passport intact. It was useless to my children. I went to the master bedroom and saw the dresser drawers partially opened, with clothes scattered all about the floor. On top of the dresser was Solvieg’s jewelry box. I opened it, and few things remained. I was glad to see the gold charm bracelet I gave her 35 years ago for Christmas. She wore it a couple of times, then stopped, complaining it turned her wrist green as the fake gold coating wore away. But she kept it all these years. A worn-out trinket to my children, as precious as the Sauron’s Ring of Power to me. I picked it up and put it in the pocket of my sweatpants.I went into the walk-in closet and picked out some clothes, tossed them into an old gym bag, and said, “I’m done. We can go.”Roger said, “The locksmith and security company will meet me here this afternoon. Once they are done, your children will no longer have access.”“I’d rather not have an auction of whatever is left in the house. I don’t think Solveig would have liked that. Once you go through the papers, just throw everything left in a dumpster and haul it away. Whatever the two pirates plundered will be the only inheritance they will ever see from me.”Miller And Mans Law OfficeRoger and I next went to his office. I said hello to Jane, the long-time receptionist. I have always suspected that Jane knows everything that goes on here, and secretly runs the whole place, not unlike the way Nurse Ratched does in her domain. However, Jane does so with more efficiency, happiness, and joy for both clients and staff.Jane asked, “Can I get you anything, Gunnar?”“I’d love a cup of decent coffee, and an Apple Fritter if you have one.”“I’ll bring them to Roger’s office. Two creams and no sugar, if I remember right.”“Perfect, as always, Jane.”We went into Roger’s plush office, and I sat down in a chair more comfortable than any I sat in for the last two years.“Are you actually going to go through with this?” Roger asked.“Every bit of it,” I replied.I signed multiple papers, removing my two children as beneficiaries from my life insurance and investment accounts. I also gave Roger limited power of attorney to sell my house and dispose of its possessions.Jane arrived with the coffee and Apple Fritter. “Norway? Why would anyone want to go to Norway in December?”“Did Roger spill the beans?” I asked.Jane replied, “Every piece of paper that comes into this office passes through my hands. I opened your travel visa when it came in.”“Jane, I can’t spend Christmas here in Minnesota. The bitter wintry weather pales in comparison to the cold hearts of my own two children. The further away from them I am, the better. I’ve never been to Norway and have always wanted to see the 'home country’ of my ancestors.”Like I said, Jane knows all. The coffee tasted great, and the deep-fried Apple Fritter, one of Nursed Ratched’s 'prohibited foods’, was outstanding. Roger slid me a packet labeled 'Gunnar - Norway’. As Jane left, I opened it and looked at the contents. As planned, there was an international cell phone with a different number, a stack of krone, and three new credit cards bearing the name of a fictitious business. I handed Roger my old cell phone.“We’ll dispose of this for you. Your children will have no idea where you are unless they hire a private detective with exceptionally good connections. Legally, they have no rights to any of your assets, so even if somehow they track you to our law office, they will not get past Jane.”I believed Roger on that.“The tour company you asked us to sign you up with seems pretty sketchy. Their contract looks like something generated off a free online legal site. We reviewed it, it is crude, but legal and binding. If you back out, they still get paid. Why did you pick this tour company? There are many larger and more reputable companies we might have booked you with.”“It’s silly, Roger. I know it’s only a one-person company, run by a young vlogger in Norway. It was terribly boring in the nursing home, so I would spend evenings watching her videos as she traveled around Norway visiting various places, and leading small groups of tourists. It looked like the people were having fun and she made me laugh. Watching her videos was one of the few things that brought me any happiness.”“Why did you reserve for four persons?” asked Roger.“I wanted to make sure her Christmas in Norway tour wouldn’t be canceled. She has a four-person minimum.”“You won’t get those other bookings back, even if more people are going.”“I don’t need the money, Roger, but I do need this tour.”“How about clothing? You don’t have many clothes in that gym bag, Gunnar. Do you want to stop somewhere before we get to the airport?”“No. I’ll travel light. It’ll be easier when going through airport security. I’ll buy more clothes when I get to Norway.”“How about after you come back?”“I’m going to someplace warm and sunny. Maybe visit a mouse in Florida. I’ll be in touch if I need anything while I’m in Norway, and call you when I get back in three weeks.”Jorunn, The Tour GuideDecember 15 – Morning, Two Days LaterI spent yesterday shopping for the new clothes I would need. The tour is a mix of city and outdoor activities, so I bought a basic wardrobe, along with good walking shoes, snow pants, a warm jacket, and gloves. I ate lunch and dinner at two smaller restaurants. The food was good, but I felt lonely eating by myself, in a city I didn’t know, in a strange country. I missed Solveig very much and wished she were here with me.The next morning, I walked to the nearby hotel where the tour group would be meeting and followed the “Christmas in Norway Tour” sign to a small room off the lobby. There she was! Jorunn. My vlogger! She was about as tall as I am, at least when I can stand straight, with long blonde hair parted in the middle, clear blue eyes, and her signature radiant smile. She wore a Norwegian Dale sweater and brown pants.Jorunn spoke to me in Norwegian. “Excuse me, sir, this room is reserved for a tour group.”I hobbled closer. “Yes, and I’m one of the people taking the tour.”“We have a pretty active schedule for the next seven days, from December 15th through the 22nd. Do you think you are well enough to take this tour?”I wasn’t sure if I was, but I didn’t want to tell her that. “I won’t slow you down,” I replied.“What is your name?” she asked.“Gunnar Larsen.”She opened a small notebook and flipped through the pages. “It says here you are in a group of four. I see three other names. When are they coming?”“There won’t be any others from my group. One of the names is my recently deceased wife, the other two are my estranged adult children. I’m all there is.”Jorunn looked puzzled. “Only four people in total signed up, including you, all from your group. If the others aren’t coming, then you will be the only one. I don’t… I can’t… I mean, I have reservations I cannot cancel. You’re going to cost me a fortune whether I go through with the tour or not.”I replied, “The contract states that you have a four-person minimum. I am paying you in full for all four people. You won’t lose any money.”Jorunn smirked and looked like she was thinking. “I don’t know if you’re some kind of dirty old man, but if I agree to continue this tour, you should know that we will have separate rooms every night and there will be no sex of any kind. Judging by the way you look; I hope you can at least wipe your own butt!”“Your terms are acceptable. I had a stroke two years ago, but I have mostly recovered. I can walk, talk, and listen. I have trouble with my balance at times and sometimes slur my words. If you think something is too strenuous for me, I am willing to skip that part of the tour.”“Well, Mr. Larsen of Minnesota, you need to sign some release forms. As stated in the contract, I get to film the tour group for my vlogs, so I expect smiles when I am filming you. For now, go help yourself to breakfast. There is coffee, brunost, bread, and milk. Enough to feed four. Don’t expect me to serve you, and if you don’t know how to use a cheese sliver, learn fast.”She looked puzzled earlier but was now the confident Jorunn with whom I spent virtual evenings. I was delighted we worked this out. Smiles would not be a problem.OsloDecember 15 - MorningJorunn left the room and returned shortly with a small basket of food. “We have a lot of brunost left over, so I am going to make us a food packet for lunch called matpakke. I have a place in mind where we can sit and picnic.”“We will use the Vy app and Oslo Pass and travel by train and Metro. But today, we will mainly walk around Oslo. You will need to check into this hotel under the tour name if you have not done so. We will be in Oslo for two nights. The prepaid room is part of your tour package. I will try to cancel or change some reservations. Meet me back here in one hour.”I went back to my hotel to retrieve my belongings, then checked into the one Jorunn requested. It was not as nice as the one I left, but it was clean, and I did not want to make a fuss on the first day. I purchased a surprising amount of clothing yesterday and needed to make two trips to bring everything over. Then I returned to the meeting room and found Jorunn waiting.Jorunn and I walked from the hotel to Oslo Central Station and took a tram to the Vigeland Sculpture Park. Jorunn told me it is the world’s largest sculpture park made by a single artist, Gustav Vigeland, with over two hundred sculptures combining the human form with an element of fantasy. Most figures were naked, with a mix of vagueness and rather notably open precision. The most prominent sculpture was a 17-meter-high monolith consisting of 121 intertwined human figures clambering to the top, carved from a single stone block. We spent over an hour walking the grounds, and while it was interesting, I told Jorunn that I didn’t see much in the way of Christmas here.A combination of walking and a short bus ride brought us to the grounds of the Akershus Fortress. Constructed in the 13th century, it protects the waterfront and Oslo harbor. Also on the site was the restored Akershus Castle, which was formerly a residence of prior kings of Norway. Jorunn said it serves today as an entertainment and event center for the Norwegian government, and this close to Christmas was not open to the public.I found it challenging to walk the grounds of the Fortress, as there were steep inclines mixed with stone steps and cobblestone paths. Remnants of a prior snowstorm still lingered in shady areas and under arches, making the footing treacherous. We did stop at places offering magnificent views of the city of Oslo, the bay, and the fjord, and several ramparts still bore cannons. Jorunn was rather businesslike and did not seem to be enjoyin

Episode DescriptionIn this episode of Your In-Depth, we break down The Rings of Power Season 2, Episode 2, focusing on the immediate fallout from the premiere and how the story begins to fracture across Middle-earth, Númenor, and the Elves.We discuss Sauron's continued manipulation, how the aftermath of the Rings is already reshaping power dynamics, and why several character decisions feel rushed—or deliberately hidden. We also talk about Númenor's political tension, Galadriel's role moving forward, and how this episode sets up multiple conflicts rather than resolving any of them.This episode leans heavily into setup, mystery, and consequence, and we debate whether that slow burn is helping the season or holding it back.Chapters00:00 – Intro & Episode 2 overview03:45 – Immediate fallout from Episode 107:30 – Sauron's influence moving behind the scenes12:10 – Galadriel's role this episode17:05 – Númenor's growing political tension23:40 – Elves, the Rings, and unresolved consequences29:15 – Storylines that feel stalled vs intentional35:20 – What this episode is setting up long-term41:10 – What worked and what didn't48:30 – Overall thoughts on Episode 2KeywordsRings of Power Season 2, Rings of Power Episode 2, Rings of Power breakdown, Rings of Power recap, Lord of the Rings podcast, Tolkien podcast, Sauron Rings of Power, Númenor Rings of Power, Galadriel Rings of Power, Middle-earth, fantasy TV podcast, Rings of Power analysis

En El Caballero de los Siete Reinos nos lanzamos a comentar los dos primeros episodios del spin-off de Juego de Tronos en un directo tan puro como caótico. Sí, avisamos desde ya: no se oye la presentación porque alguien (yo) se olvidó de darle al botón de grabar y “La Voz” entra sin editar, tal cual, en crudo, como el acero valyrio sin templar. Y no, no hay arrepentimiento. Bueno, un poco sí . Entre espadas, juramentos, intrigas y personajes nuevos, analizamos qué tal arranca la serie, qué funciona, qué chirría y si este viaje por Poniente merece la pena o es otro torneo con lanza torcida. Todo con risas, vaciles y el desorden habitual de un directo sin red. Al frente de la mesa redonda del caos: Scotty, Sauron, Guillem y El Mamado, comentando la serie… y también nuestros propios fallos técnicos, porque aquí la épica convive con el desastre. Si buscas un análisis serio, huye. Si buscas Juego de Tronos, humor, fallos humanos y un directo digno de taberna, este es tu sitio.

En El Caballero de los Siete Reinos nos lanzamos a comentar los dos primeros episodios del spin-off de Juego de Tronos en un directo tan puro como caótico. Sí, avisamos desde ya: no se oye la presentación porque alguien (yo) se olvidó de darle al botón de grabar y “La Voz” entra sin editar, tal cual, en crudo, como el acero valyrio sin templar. Y no, no hay arrepentimiento. Bueno, un poco sí . Entre espadas, juramentos, intrigas y personajes nuevos, analizamos qué tal arranca la serie, qué funciona, qué chirría y si este viaje por Poniente merece la pena o es otro torneo con lanza torcida. Todo con risas, vaciles y el desorden habitual de un directo sin red. Al frente de la mesa redonda del caos: Scotty, Sauron, Guillem y El Mamado, comentando la serie… y también nuestros propios fallos técnicos, porque aquí la épica convive con el desastre. Si buscas un análisis serio, huye. Si buscas Juego de Tronos, humor, fallos humanos y un directo digno de taberna, este es tu sitio.

Alors que la police de l'immigration concentre les critiques aux États-Unis après la mort de deux citoyens américains tués par balles à Minneapolis, les grandes entreprises n'hésitent pas à mettre leurs technologies au service de la traque des sans-papiers… avec de juteux contrats à la clé. Face aux rafles de la police anti-immigration dont les agents surarmés n'hésitent pas à utiliser un enfant de 5 ans comme appât pour arrêter son père et les enfermer tous les deux, il y a ceux qui résistent, au risque comme Renée Good ou Alex Pretti de le payer de leur vie, et il y a ceux qui collaborent avec les autorités. Il faut dire qu'il y a de quoi aiguiser les appétits : avant le retour de Donald Trump à la Maison Blanche le budget de la police anti-immigration était de 10 milliards de dollars. Aujourd'hui, ce budget est passé à 85 milliards de dollars. Pour comparaison, la dotation du ministère de la Justice dans son entièreté, FBI compris, ne dépasse pas 35 milliards de dollars en 2026. Autrement dit : sous Donald Trump, ICE est devenu le corps de police le mieux pourvu des États-Unis, et de loin. Il y a donc à la clé de juteux contrats à remporter. Des données fournies par le ministère de la Santé Les grandes entreprises de la tech américaine mettent leurs solutions au service du Département de la sécurité intérieure depuis longtemps. La plus en vue s'appelle Palantir (une référence à la boule de cristal que Sauron utilise pour corrompre Saroumane dans le Seigneur des anneaux), fondée par le milliardaire libertarien d'extrême-droite Peter Thiel. Une entreprise spécialisée dans l'analyse et le recoupement des données. Les données publiques, celles que vous pouvez laisser sur les réseaux sociaux parfois sans vous en rendre compte, mais aussi celles fournies par les administrations américaines comme le ministère de la Santé. En recoupant toutes ces données avec l'aide de l'intelligence artificielle, l'entreprise identifie et localise pour le compte d'ICE les migrants, les réfugiés et les demandeurs d'asile aux États-Unis. En avril, Palantir a signé un contrat de 30 millions de dollars avec ICE pour aider l'agence à cibler « les cas d'expulsion prioritaires ». À lire aussiCes entreprises qui s'enrichissent grâce à la politique migratoire de Trump Les Gafam aussi tirent profit de la lutte contre l'immigration à travers leurs services d'hébergement des données en ligne. Si on épluche les contrats publics au niveau fédéral, on constate que ICE a signé un contrat de 38 millions de dollars avec Microsoft, un autre de 25 millions de dollars avec Amazon, 500 000 euros avec Google... Ce n'est pas sans faire de remous au sein de ces entreprises, plusieurs centaines de salariés ont écrit ces derniers jours à leurs patrons pour exiger l'annulation des contrats signés avec ICE. Cap Gemini embarrassé par le juteux contrat signé par sa filiale américaine  Le sujet ne concerne pas seulement les entreprises américaines : la semaine dernière l'Observatoire des multinationales un média d'enquête citoyen révélait le juteux contrat signé par la filiale aux États-Unis d'un fleuron de la tech bien français : Cap Gemini. Un contrat de 4,8 millions de dollars pour fournir à ICE un service de skip tracing : là-aussi il s'agit de faire de l'analyse des données dans le but explicite de traquer une personne, en l'occurrence celles et ceux identifiés par ICE comme des individus « expulsables ». France 2 a poursuivi l'enquête et montré que ce contrat prévoit une clause de résultat : autrement dit, plus Cap Gemini contribuera à faire expulser des migrants, plus elle sera rémunérée, le montant pouvant monter jusqu'à 365 millions de dollars. Embarrassé, le patron de Cap Gemini a déclaré dimanche que le conseil d'administration du groupe allait « examiner » ce contrat. Sur le site web de Cap Gemini la page où l'entreprise mettait fièrement en avant sa collaboration avec ICE depuis 2007 a été supprimée peu de temps auparavant.

What if The Lord of the Rings was never just a story?What if Tolkien was encoding a spiritual map for men living in the modern war for the soul?In this episode of The Manly Catholic, James Caldwell speaks with author and philosopher Paul List, co-author of Mount Doom: The Prophecy of Tolkien Revealed, to expose what Tolkien was really writing about: original sin, virtue and vice, artificial intelligence, and so much more.Paul reveals how Tolkien's mythology is a Catholic psychological map of the human soul. Hobbits as habits. The Ring as addiction. Sauron as AI. Middle-earth as the mind. Vice as Orcs. Virtue as the Fellowship. Faith and reason as elves and men.Temperance, fortitude, prudence, and justice as the cardinal virtues sent on a mission to destroy the Ring.This conversation connects Tolkien to Aquinas, Aristotle, St. Augustine, and how prophetic his beloved stories really are for the modern man.James also issues a direct challenge to men:Stop living passively. Clean up your habits. Reject pornography. Reject the virtual world. Build competence. Build virtue. Cultivate discipline. Become dangerous in holiness.This is not entertainment.This is formation.And neutrality is no longer an option.Push play if you're done being comfortable and ready to become dangerous for Christ.

Starting in February of 2026, I will be leading an 8-week study on The Silmarillion. This course will include:Weekly reading companion videosWeekly live meetingsOngoing Discord chatsTo participate, become a Tier 3 patron at https://www.patreon.com/mythicmindBecome an annual patronage for a discount and to join more upcoming studies, including The Psychology of Søren Kierkegaard and a new study on C.S. Lewis.Watch the video of this overview here: https://youtu.be/CPS1seRUCQMFor a taste of related content, watch, "Sauron and the Passing Shadow," which was made for my Lord of the Rings study. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z13vMIk5j9wBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/mythic-mind--5808321/support.

Listeners, the power of the Three Rings is ended. This week we fulfill our oath and complete the Peter Jackson LOTR trilogy!We're talking Denethor (aka Dennis Thor), the army of the dead, Aragorn's long sword, Eowyn being horny, the Mouth of Sauron being repugnant (put him back into the theatrical cut, cowards!) and how fun it is to see what Gandalf looks like when he sleeps.Also….Death! Death! Death!Next week, we're throwin' in a bonus! It's another super-important adaptation featuring many famous literary characters…THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN (2003). With a super secret very special guest! Join the conversation on our Discord at https://discord.com/invite/RssDc3brsx and get more Eye of the Duck on our Patreon show, After Hours https://www.patreon.com/EyeoftheDuckPodReferences:Special FeaturesFrom Book to Script: Forging the Final ChapterDesigning Middle-earthHome of the Horse LordsCameras in Middle-earthWeta DigitalEditorial: Completing the TrilogyMusic for Middle-earthThe Soundscapes of Middle-earthThe End of All ThingsThe Passing of an AgePeter Jackson: A Filmmaker's Journey by Brian SibleyCinefex #96 Production HistoryCinefex Peter Jackson InterviewASC Cinematography BreakdownCredits:Eye of the Duck is created, hosted, and produced by Dom Nero and Adam Volerich.This episode was edited by Michael Gaspari.This episode was researched by Parth Marathe.Our logo was designed by Francesca Volerich. You can purchase her work at francescavolerich.com/shopThe "Adam's Blu-Ray Corner" theme was produced by Chase Sterling.Assistant programming and digital production by Nik Long.Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Letterboxd or join the conversation at Eye of the Discord.Learn more at eyeoftheduckpod.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Summary:Welcome back to your in-depth, the podcast where we break down and explore our favorite fictional universes.In this episode, we kick off The Rings of Power Season 2 with a deep dive into Episode 1, covering everything from Sauron's “goop” regeneration origin, to the Elven Rings' controversial purpose, and the lore-heavy implications behind characters like Círdan (aka one of the oldest elves alive).We also talk about why this episode feels like a Season 1 recap disguised as a premiere, what works, what doesn't, and why the show can still be enjoyable even if you're not a lore-purist.Chapters:00:00 – Intro + starting Rings of Power Season 204:00 – Episode format + summary setup05:26 – Reddit-style recap (funniest summary ever)12:08 – What the episode is actually about: Sauron + the Rings14:53 – Morgoth's crown + Sauron's betrayal scene20:10 – “Goop Sauron” regeneration + Venom vibes22:05 – Why Morgoth can't return (power spread into the land)33:23 – Who was the man with Halbrand's pouch/sigil?35:00 – Stranger = Gandalf energy + classic Gandalf parallels40:11 – Poppy following Nori… why??41:45 – Círdan's age, beard, and why he's so important46:13 – Are the Elven Rings corrupted by Sauron? (debate)54:41 – Highs & lows of the episode01:00:30 – Wrap-up + outroKeywords:Rings of Power Season 2, Rings of Power Episode 1, Rings of Power breakdown, Rings of Power recap, Rings of Power podcast, Lord of the Rings podcast, Tolkien lore, Sauron origin, Halbrand Sauron, Elven Rings, Gil-galad, Galadriel, Elrond, Círdan shipwright, Morgoth crown, Stranger Gandalf, Harfoots, Nori, Poppy, Middle-earth, fantasy TV breakdown

We've reached the point when most notable games are some flavour of Dungeon Master, and only tabletop influences inspire to buck the trend.Support the show

In The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003), the final battle for Middle-earth reaches its epic conclusion. As Frodo and Sam struggle toward Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, Aragorn must embrace his destiny and unite the forces of men against Sauron's army. With loyalty tested and courage pushed to … Continue reading Ep. 08-18: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) →

Kevin Hartz, Co-founder of A*, Eventbrite, Xoom, and Sauron.Kevin has been building and investing in technology companies for 30 years, and we talk about how the industry's evolved, why he calls AI the Mother of All Bubbles, why we're still early, and lessons today's breakout AI companies can learn from those that survived the Dot Com Crash.Kevin is a big proponent of backing young founders. A significant percentage of his latest fund at A* is invested in teenagers, and he shares how he identifies outlier talent so early, from Seed investments in Airbnb, PayPal, and Pinterest, to many of today's hottest AI companies.He also shares the insane story of investing 100% of the proceeds from his first startup into PayPal's Seed round, how PayPal's early fraud systems inspired Palantir, what he learned from the PayPal Mafia, from Peter Thiel, and what makes Founders Fund special.We also talk about how he and his wife recently had two babies, five months apart, using genome screening and surrogates.Thanks to Ramtin Naimi, Navya Gudimetla, and Bennett Siegel for helping brainstorm topics for the conversation.Try Numeral, the end-to-end platform for sales tax and compliance: ⁠https://www.numeral.com⁠Sign-up for Flex Elite with code TURNER, get $1,000: https://form.typeform.com/to/Rx9rTjFzTimestamps:(4:25) Power shift from VC's to founders since the 90's(9:08) AI is the mother of all bubbles(12:40) Why AI is still underhyped(14:10) What Kevin and A* are investing in today(16:02) Investing 100% of his first startups proceeds in PayPal's Seed round(21:21) What made the PayPal Mafia special(23:37) Parallels between the 90's and today(26:40) What makes Founders Fund special(35:07) How Palantir evolved from PayPal's fraud models(39:06) Building Xoom on the PayPal API(43:38) Lessons between Kevin's 1st and 2nd startups(46:52) Starting Eventbrite off early PayPal API app(51:51) Eventbrite's hidden TAM challenge(53:49) Selling Eventbrite to Bending Spoons(54:59) Investing 20% of A* in teenage founders(1:02:33) Incubating Sauron, the home security company(1:08:44) Making breakfast for our kids(1:13:33) Having kids with genome screening and surrogates(1:20:31) Collecting art, how to get startedReferencedhttps://www.a-star.co/https://www.eventbrite.com/https://www.xoom.com/https://www.sauron.systems/https://www.orchidhealth.com/Setting the Table by Danny Meyer: https://www.amazon.com/Setting-Table-Transforming-Hospitality-Business/dp/006074276320% of fund in teenage founders: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/18/this-top-vc-bet-close-to-20-of-his-fund-on-teenagers-heres-why/https://nypost.com/2025/12/14/us-news/xu-bo-chinese-billionaire-reportedly-sires-more-than-100-kids/Follow KevinTwitter: https://x.com/kevinhartzLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartzFollow TurnerTwitter: https://twitter.com/TurnerNovakLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turnernovakSubscribe to my newsletter to get every episode + the transcript in your inbox every week: https://www.thespl.it/

In this episode, Jude and Stef discuss History of Middle-earth Volume 9: Sauron Defeated, the final book in the History of the Lord of the Rings. Jude introduces The Drowning of Anadûnê,  discussing the different versions of the tale of the Drowning of Númenor and the cultural traditions for which they were written. Jude also talks about the importance of adaptation and fan fiction in relation to Tolkien's works. Later, Stef presents the omitted Epilogue to the Lord of the Rings, which gives us a glimpse of Sam's life and family after the event of the Lord of the Rings.Citations Join our Discord! https://discord.gg/4rZynfWv3fTolkien, J. R. R. Sauron Defeated. Ed. Christopher Tolkien. The History of Middle-earth: Vol. 9. HarperCollins, London, 1992.Tolkien, J. R.R. Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien: Revised and Expanded Edition. Ed. Humphrey Carpenter with Christopher Tolkien. HarperCollins Publishers Inc., New York. “Digital Edition NOVEMBER 2023 ISBN: 978-0-06-337435-5, Version 09282023, Print ISBN: 978-0-35-865298-4” (Accessed Dec 31, 2025). Fliss, William M, and Schaefer, Sarah C., J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript. The Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University, August 19-December 23, 2022. ISBN 978-0-945366-36-2. Images 30, 31, 32, 33 and 34. Tolkien Gateway entry for “King's Letter”https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/King%27s_Letter (Accessed Dec 31, 2025)Tolkien Gateway entry for “Sauron Defeated” https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Sauron_Defeated (Accessed 10/1/25)Tolkien Gateway entry for “Vinyar Tengwar 29”https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Vinyar_Tengwar_29 (Accessed Dec 31, 2025)Reddit post, “Where can I find the unpublished epilogue to Lord of the Rings?” by user “mammothman64”https://www.reddit.com/r/tolkienfans/comments/ydejtq/where_can_i_find_the_unpublished_epilogue_to_lord/ (Accessed Dec 31, 2025)-Response from “gynnis-scholasticus”Mentioned in the episode:Lee Knox Ostertag, 2021 (username is mollyknox)On AO3: “Sam and Frodo Comics, Chapter 5: The Unpublished Epilogue” https://archiveofourown.org/works/27478819/chapters/72409524 (Accessed Dec 31, 2025)Miriam Ellis, “The Importance of The Epilogue to The Lord of the Rings” (posted April 29, 2024)https://www.miriamellis.com/post/the-importance-of-the-epilogue-to-the-lord-of-the-rings (Accessed Dec 31, 2025)“Tolkien's Unpublished Epilogue to The Lord of the Rings” by In Deep Geek, published Dec 23, 2023, https://youtu.be/H2yRW4xmZFY?si=iZNDS8MaItSA8PFL (Accessed Dec 31, 2025)

"Crunchy rules or simple vibes? Political intrigue or straight-up dungeon brawls? Survival in a dying world or low-power fantasy feels?" This remastered RPGBOT.Podcast dives into everything you love (and fear) about tabletop RPGs that aren't D&D or Pathfinder. From decision trees to help you find your perfect game match, to the storytelling magic of Powered by the Apocalypse, and the chaotic survival of Mork Borg, there's something for everyone if you're willing to look past what you already know. Tune in if you've ever wondered, "Is my game too crunchy, or am I just lazy?" Summary In this episode, the hosts take a deep dive into the diverse landscape of tabletop RPGs, offering a wealth of insights into various systems, mechanics, and themes. They introduce the concept of decision trees, a practical tool to help players identify RPGs that align with their preferences. The discussion covers the spectrum of complexity, from the intricate 'crunch' of detailed systems to the simplicity of more streamlined games. Key highlights include: The Cypher System and Genesis: An exploration of these versatile systems, focusing on their mechanics and adaptability to different genres. Powered by the Apocalypse Framework: A look at its elegant simplicity and flexibility, making it an excellent choice for narrative-driven campaigns. Legend of the Five Rings vs. Adventures in Rokugan: A comparison of political intrigue-focused gameplay with combat-centric mechanics, illustrating the range of experiences within fantasy RPGs. Mörk Borg: An examination of its dark, nihilistic themes, where traditional heroism gives way to survival in a grim and decaying world. The conversation also ventures into niche areas, such as the unique storytelling potential of solo RPGs, and highlights specific systems like Numenera, with its futuristic exploration themes, and One Ring 2E, celebrated for its low-power fantasy and rich Tolkien-inspired lore. The hosts emphasize the importance of understanding a game's mechanics and setting realistic expectations to maximize the enjoyment of any RPG experience. Links Almost everything below is an affiliate link and Tyler doesn't want to copy+paste this a zillion times Achtung Cthulhu Adventures in Rokugan Alien RPG ALIEN RPG - A review ALIEN RPG: Cinematic Scenario Cycle Review ALIEN RPG - RPGBOT.News S2E34 All Flesh Must Be Eaten Apocalypse World Battletech Bladerunner Call of Cthulhu Candela Obscura Colostle CY_BORG Cyberpunk Red Cypher Core Rulebook Death in Space Death in Space – A review Delta Green Doctor Who RPG Doctors and Daleks FFG Star Wars Fallout RPG Forbidden Lands Genesys Core Rulebook Imperium Maledictum Warhammer 40000 Roleplay: Imperium Maledictum - A Review Legend of the Five Rings Lord of the Rings Roleplay 5e Marvel Multiverse RPG Masks Mork Borg Mörk Borg - A Review Mörk Borg Cult: Heretic - A Zine Review Mörk Borg Cult: Heretic - RPGBOT.News S2E32 Numenera Old Gods of Appalachia Pirate Borg Pulp Cthulhu Ruins of Symbaroum Ruins of Symbaroum - A Review Ruins of Symbaroum - RPGBOT.News S2E46 Shadowdark RPGBOT.Podcast - ShadowDark RPG Adventure Designer Kelsey Dionne Shadowrun Symbaroum The One Ring 2e The One Ring 2nd Edition - A Review The Walking Dead RPG Vaesen Vaesen & the Mythic Britain and Ireland Expansion - A Review RPGBOT.Podcast - Zoe Franznick Reviews Free League's Vaesen Vampire: The Masquerade How to Play Vampire: The Masquerade Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Werewolf: The Apocalypse SPOOKTOBER - HOW TO PLAY WEREWOLF Takeaways Tyler's Interests Tyler loves wizards and wants to be one. Game Mechanics and Decision-Making The decision tree helps players find suitable RPGs. "Crunch" refers to the interaction with game mechanics. The Captain Crunch scale measures game complexity. Understanding game mechanics enhances the RPG experience. RPG Systems The Cypher System is easy to learn and play. Genesis is a generic system based on Fantasy Flight's Star Wars. Powered by the Apocalypse is a versatile framework. Powered by the Apocalypse games are easy to learn. Fate is complex and math-heavy. The Year Zero Engine is simple yet effective. Solo RPGs can be rewarding experiences. Character Creation and Progression Character creation in RPGs can vary significantly. Character progression in One Ring 2E requires patience and strategy. Adjusting difficulty can enhance the gameplay experience. Thematic and Genre Elements Monster Hearts is popular in the LGBT community. Legend of the Five Rings emphasizes political intrigue (combat is discouraged). Merc Borg presents a nihilistic view of RPGs. Adventures in Rokugan is more combat-focused than its predecessor. Colossal is a unique solo RPG experience. Mercord uniquely advocates for real-world arson in its gameplay. Numenera presents a science fantasy setting a billion years in the future. Players in One Ring 2E are grounded, facing impossible odds. Exploring the themes of low-power fantasy can lead to rich storytelling. Gameplay Depth The intrusion system adds depth to gameplay. The Eye of Sauron and Gandalf rune add depth to gameplay. Solo play in One Ring 2E is well-implemented and enjoyable. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra Twitter: @RPGBOTDOTNET Facebook: rpgbotbotdotnet Bluesky:rpgbot.bsky.social Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games Twitter: @GravenAshes YouTube@ashravenmedia Randall James @JackAmateur Amateurjack.com Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

"Crunchy rules or simple vibes? Political intrigue or straight-up dungeon brawls? Survival in a dying world or low-power fantasy feels?" This remastered RPGBOT.Podcast dives into everything you love (and fear) about tabletop RPGs that aren't D&D or Pathfinder. From decision trees to help you find your perfect game match, to the storytelling magic of Powered by the Apocalypse, and the chaotic survival of Mork Borg, there's something for everyone if you're willing to look past what you already know. Tune in if you've ever wondered, "Is my game too crunchy, or am I just lazy?" Summary In this episode, the hosts take a deep dive into the diverse landscape of tabletop RPGs, offering a wealth of insights into various systems, mechanics, and themes. They introduce the concept of decision trees, a practical tool to help players identify RPGs that align with their preferences. The discussion covers the spectrum of complexity, from the intricate 'crunch' of detailed systems to the simplicity of more streamlined games. Key highlights include: The Cypher System and Genesis: An exploration of these versatile systems, focusing on their mechanics and adaptability to different genres. Powered by the Apocalypse Framework: A look at its elegant simplicity and flexibility, making it an excellent choice for narrative-driven campaigns. Legend of the Five Rings vs. Adventures in Rokugan: A comparison of political intrigue-focused gameplay with combat-centric mechanics, illustrating the range of experiences within fantasy RPGs. Mörk Borg: An examination of its dark, nihilistic themes, where traditional heroism gives way to survival in a grim and decaying world. The conversation also ventures into niche areas, such as the unique storytelling potential of solo RPGs, and highlights specific systems like Numenera, with its futuristic exploration themes, and One Ring 2E, celebrated for its low-power fantasy and rich Tolkien-inspired lore. The hosts emphasize the importance of understanding a game's mechanics and setting realistic expectations to maximize the enjoyment of any RPG experience. Links Almost everything below is an affiliate link and Tyler doesn't want to copy+paste this a zillion times Achtung Cthulhu Adventures in Rokugan Alien RPG ALIEN RPG - A review ALIEN RPG: Cinematic Scenario Cycle Review ALIEN RPG - RPGBOT.News S2E34 All Flesh Must Be Eaten Apocalypse World Battletech Bladerunner Call of Cthulhu Candela Obscura Colostle CY_BORG Cyberpunk Red Cypher Core Rulebook Death in Space Death in Space – A review Delta Green Doctor Who RPG Doctors and Daleks FFG Star Wars Fallout RPG Forbidden Lands Genesys Core Rulebook Imperium Maledictum Warhammer 40000 Roleplay: Imperium Maledictum - A Review Legend of the Five Rings Lord of the Rings Roleplay 5e Marvel Multiverse RPG Masks Mork Borg Mörk Borg - A Review Mörk Borg Cult: Heretic - A Zine Review Mörk Borg Cult: Heretic - RPGBOT.News S2E32 Numenera Old Gods of Appalachia Pirate Borg Pulp Cthulhu Ruins of Symbaroum Ruins of Symbaroum - A Review Ruins of Symbaroum - RPGBOT.News S2E46 Shadowdark RPGBOT.Podcast - ShadowDark RPG Adventure Designer Kelsey Dionne Shadowrun Symbaroum The One Ring 2e The One Ring 2nd Edition - A Review The Walking Dead RPG Vaesen Vaesen & the Mythic Britain and Ireland Expansion - A Review RPGBOT.Podcast - Zoe Franznick Reviews Free League's Vaesen Vampire: The Masquerade How to Play Vampire: The Masquerade Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay Werewolf: The Apocalypse SPOOKTOBER - HOW TO PLAY WEREWOLF Takeaways Tyler's Interests Tyler loves wizards and wants to be one. Game Mechanics and Decision-Making The decision tree helps players find suitable RPGs. "Crunch" refers to the interaction with game mechanics. The Captain Crunch scale measures game complexity. Understanding game mechanics enhances the RPG experience. RPG Systems The Cypher System is easy to learn and play. Genesis is a generic system based on Fantasy Flight's Star Wars. Powered by the Apocalypse is a versatile framework. Powered by the Apocalypse games are easy to learn. Fate is complex and math-heavy. The Year Zero Engine is simple yet effective. Solo RPGs can be rewarding experiences. Character Creation and Progression Character creation in RPGs can vary significantly. Character progression in One Ring 2E requires patience and strategy. Adjusting difficulty can enhance the gameplay experience. Thematic and Genre Elements Monster Hearts is popular in the LGBT community. Legend of the Five Rings emphasizes political intrigue (combat is discouraged). Merc Borg presents a nihilistic view of RPGs. Adventures in Rokugan is more combat-focused than its predecessor. Colossal is a unique solo RPG experience. Mercord uniquely advocates for real-world arson in its gameplay. Numenera presents a science fantasy setting a billion years in the future. Players in One Ring 2E are grounded, facing impossible odds. Exploring the themes of low-power fantasy can lead to rich storytelling. Gameplay Depth The intrusion system adds depth to gameplay. The Eye of Sauron and Gandalf rune add depth to gameplay. Solo play in One Ring 2E is well-implemented and enjoyable. If you enjoy the show, please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app. It's a quick, free way to support the podcast, and helps us reach new listeners. If you love the show, consider joining us on Patreon, where backers at the $5 and above tiers get ad free access to RPGBOT.net and the RPGBOT.Podcast, can chat directly to members of the RPGBOT team and community on the RPGBOT.Discord, and can join us for live-streamed recordings. Support us on Amazon.com when you purchase products recommended in the show at the following link: https://amzn.to/3NwElxQ How to Find Us: In-depth articles, guides, handbooks, reviews, news on Tabletop Role Playing at RPGBOT.net Tyler Kamstra Twitter: @RPGBOTDOTNET Facebook: rpgbotbotdotnet Bluesky:rpgbot.bsky.social Ash Ely Professional Game Master on StartPlaying.Games Twitter: @GravenAshes YouTube@ashravenmedia Randall James @JackAmateur Amateurjack.com Producer Dan @Lzr_illuminati

The Artist celebrates the holidays by hosting the entire cast of characters to Mexy Park. Gifts were exchanged, some were cool, some sucked and a few may be a hazardous waste situation. Some little guests surprise the gang. Snags STILL gets grounded and don't even get me started on what The Mouth of Sauron eats on the road.

SummaryIn this episode, Jacob and Evan discuss the eighth episode of Rings of Power, summarizing key plot points, character developments, and the differences between the show's narrative and Tolkien's lore. They delve into the Harfoots' journey, Galadriel's evolving character, and the state of Numenor, while also addressing the visual aspects of the show and the reception of certain characters. The conversation highlights the significant lore changes and the implications for the story's integrity, concluding with reflections on the overall quality of the series.TakeawaysThis is our 88th episode, by the way.The Harfoots and the Stranger's journey is pivotal.Galadriel's character evolves throughout the series.The forging of the rings has significant lore differences.Numenor's decline is portrayed differently in the show.The show condenses timelines significantly from the lore.The portrayal of Sauron differs from the original texts.The mystics' appearance was not well-received.Visuals in the show are stunning despite story issues.The relationship between Dwarves and Elves is explored differently.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview04:50 Character Analysis and Lore Discussion09:59 The Harfoots and the Stranger20:05 Galadriel and the Rings of Power23:56 Final Thoughts and Future Expectations24:23 The Manipulation of Celebrimbor27:30 The Elves' Time Constraints32:05 Halbrand's True Intentions36:22 Galadriel's Caution38:27 The Philosophy Behind the Rings42:56 The Fall of Numenor48:17 Exploring Lore Differences51:37 Character Development and Motivations54:28 The Forging of the Rings: Intent and Process57:44 The Evolution of Numenor01:00:14 The Nature of Orcs and Wizards01:01:36 Visuals and Storytelling in Rings of Power01:04:34 Final Thoughts and Future ExpectationsKeywordsRings of Power, Episode 8, Numenor, Galadriel, Sauron, Elves, Harfoots, Tolkien, Lore, Fantasy

GONDOLIN'IN DÜŞÜŞÜ-10.BÖLÜM

GONDOLIN'IN DÜŞÜŞÜ-14.BÖLÜM

GONDOLIN'IN DÜŞÜŞÜ-12.BÖLÜM

GONDOLIN'IN DÜŞÜŞÜ-11.BÖLÜM

GONDOLIN'IN DÜŞÜŞÜ-13.BÖLÜM

GONDOLIN'IN DÜŞÜŞÜ-9.BÖLÜM

GONDOLIN'IN DÜŞÜŞÜ-8.BÖLÜM

GONDOLIN'IN DÜŞÜŞÜ-7.BÖLÜM

GONDOLIN'IN DÜŞÜŞÜ-6.BÖLÜM

Legendarium Türkiye'de Gondolin'in Düşüşü serimiz devam ediyor. Bu bölümde Maeglin Tuor ve İdril'in mutluluğundan hoşlanmazken, Tuor ve İdril'in ise çocukları Earendil doğuyor. Ayrıca Melkor ordusunu hazırlayarak Tuor'u aramaya başlıyor. Herkese iyi seyirler,

Send me a Text Message!Revelation 12 does not describe a merry, little Christmas. Christmas is a holy war, a cosmic battle for the glory of God, with a vicious villian. Like Frodo and his fellowship against Sauron in the Lord of the Rings, or Iron Man against Thanos, even Little Red Riding Hood against the Big Bad Wolf. A cosmic battle agnst the hosts of darkness. We live in a culture that sees evil as a disease, a pyschological sickness, but the Bible describes evil as personal, malicious and dangerous.That first Christmas led to war in heaven. Christmas is a cosmic invasion in the epic battle between God and evil; between darkness and light. And guess who wins?

GET 15% OFF SUPERHERO TEES USING CODE DUEL AT https://oldglory.com/discount/DUELListen to the DynaMic Podcast Network at http://dynamicpodcasts.com• 0:00:00 - Introduction • 0:04:29 - Supergirl Official Teaser Trailer• 0:11:32 - Parasite vs Sauron intro • 0:15:20 - Sauron history and abilities • 0:25:34 - Parasite history and abilities • 0:35:14 - Fight speculation • 0:44:26 - Duel results • 0:48:12 - Sign off Website: https://dynamicduel.comInstagram: https://instagram.com/dynamicduelpodcastMerch: https://dynamic-duel-shop.fourthwall.com/Executive producers: John Starosky, Zachary Hepburn, Dustyn Balcom, Nathaniel Wagner, Levi Yeaton, Austin Wesolowski, AJ Dunkerley, Nic Abanto, Scott Camacho, Gil Camacho, Adam Speas, Dean Maleski, Devin Davis, Joseph Kersting, and Paul Graves"Take a Chance" "Clash Defiant" "Blip Stream" "Nowhere Land" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/#Parasite #Sauron #MarvelVsDCBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/dynamic-duel-dc-vs-marvel--5414543/support.

Mex has to decide how to cover a Humble Pie song. Mouth of Sauron visits to unveil The 6th Annual Phlegm Cat Happy Merry Christmas Podcast Show™ plans. The Artist meets a dude that can cook AND knows about Space Ghost. Your Huckleberry is not so keen on the newest member of Kiss.

Sauron's fake repentance. Celebrimbor's fatal pride. What makes a ring powerful? In our 100th episode, Thomas Salerno, Rob Leonardi, Pat Mason, and Jeff Haecker uncover the roots of evil in the final chapters of The Silmarillion and what Tolkien says about the nature of corruption. The post The Silmarillion: The Rings of Power appeared first on StarQuest Media.

Harry takes a Legions of Mordor soup ft The Golden King, The Dark Marshall, Guritz and Amdur to a 1000pt 3 game event, and comes up against all sorts of nonsense... Entmootpodcast@gmail.com Patreon.com/entmoot

Marjorie Taylor Green quits Congress like she works at Pizza Hut. The AI nerds are angling for a government bailout for a crash that hasn't happened yet, so your Social Security can fund chatpots that give you recipes with rocks in them. Then we talk with Tennessee State Rep. Aftyn Behn about her run for Congress in next week's special election, and what it's like becoming a national target for attacks just because the race is closer than anyone thought it would be.Support the show

En poco mas de una hora comienza el Consejo de Ministros de cada martes. No se si saldran de ahi con el nombre de la nueva fiscal general del Estado, Teresa Peramato o van a esperar a que vuelva Sanchez, pero teniendo en cuenta que el Gobierno no cuenta con el apoyo de la camara, es decir, que no cuenta con la confianza de los representantes del pueblo espanol, este nombre y cualquier otro podra ser legal formalmente, pero tendra la misma legitimidad que el Gobierno que lo nombra. O sea, ninguna. Y es inidonea desde el origen.Ya Garcia Ortiz empezo siendo inidoneo. Y ha acabado siendo un delincuente. Aunque no creo que eso les importe mucho a los que se manifiestan frente al Supremo pidiendo que el ejecutivo tome el judicial, es decir, el fin de la separacion de poderes y, por lo tanto, de la democracia. Deberian unir todos sus manos y cantar juntos 'Libertad con ira'. Que no deja de ser una version de nuestro sempiterno 'Vivan las caenas'.Pero lo de Peramato me parece mal porque acaba con mi lista de candidatos. Yo propuse 'El Lute', pero hay quien me lo afeo, porque El Lute tiene bastante dignidad. Asi que tenia pensado Bob Pop. O Rosa Villacastin. O Cerdan, que esta libre. Junto a la Paqui, los dos, como los Reyes Catolicos. O si no Bolanos, que, total, ya es ministro de presidencia (es decir, poder ejecutivo), de relaciones con las Cortes (poder legislativo) y de justicia (poder judicial). Bolanos tiene mas poderes que Luis XIV. Tiene mas poderes que Sauron! Yo proponia que fuera tambien fiscal y ya esta, si, total, la unica ley que ha de defender es la que reivindican los absolutistas de Las Salesas. Y que se resume en "lo que quiera Pedro".O mira, ya que estamos que se hubiera puesto el propio Pedro y nos ahorrabamos una pasta. Que se ponga la toga y salga ya con ella a dar la rueda de prensa hoy en vez de Pilar Alegria. Y en las punetas en vez de un bordado blanco que se haga un tatuajedonde ponga: "Calla pueblo, calla". Que viene a querer decir: "Pedro no come Pedro".

Get ready to travel back to the dawn of modern genre fiction! In today's episode, Jim breaks down the best fantasy AND science-fiction villains from every year of the 1950s—a decade packed with dark lords, psychic children, killer plants, alien invaders, sentient houses, and more.From Steerpike to Sauron, Triffids to Pod People, Hill House to the Bugs of Starship Troopers, we're looking at the villains who defined the era and shaped the stories we still love today. Whether you're here for classic fantasy, Golden Age sci-fi, or just some delicious villainy, this countdown has something for you.Tell us YOUR favorite villain from this decade—and which decade you want covered next!Don't forget to like, subscribe, and ring that notification bell so you never miss an episode.If you want to support the channel, get bonus perks, or join our growing fantasy-loving community, check out our Patreon linked below:

Join The Man of the West as he continues this series' read-through Of the Ruin of Beleriand and the Fall of Fingolfin, as Sauron captures a strategic location. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The guys are back in their happy place -- mere feet from a bar, surrounded by nerd girls in spandex. That's right, the annual RI Comic-Con recaps are back. Over the next several days, you'll enjoy short bursts of creativity, a lot of cross-talk, and Craig openly weeping about Casper Van Dien. Let's get started. -- #ghosttoad #tonypetrarca #comedypodcast #humorpodcast #funnypodcast #darkhumor #podernfamily #RICC2025 #ComicCon #ricomiccon www.needlesstosaypodcast.com www.ntspodcastgear.com  

Who truly drives the greatest fantasy stories—the noble hero… or the villain pulling the strings from the shadows? Today, Jim & Zach go head-to-head in a playful (and heated!) debate over seven iconic hero/villain pairings across some of the biggest fantasy universes.From Gandalf vs. Sauron to Kaladin vs. Moash, we're diving deep into who actually made their story unforgettable. Jim champions the heroes, Zach defends the villains. Naturally.Some debates get spicy. Some get surprising. All of them are a blast.Jump into the comments and tell us your winner for each pairing!⸻

Trump once said he wanted generals like the Nazis. Today, at his limp MAGA rally, he made his pitch. Photos show military leaders looking stunned, confused, and struggling not to laugh. His approval ratings are collapsing, especially in swing states, as he flails in an Epstein cover-up implicating Mike Johnson, who's blocking the swearing-in of Arizona's new Democratic representative–the vote that could force a House debate on releasing the Epstein files. Trump is the Frankenstein's monster of a 50-year Christian nationalist plan using the prosperity gospel to turn America into a dictatorship, making him the most dangerous enemy from within. The Seven Mountain Mandate reads like a discarded Lord of the Rings draft where Sauron wins. It's a 50-year plan to bring a strongman like Trump to power and turn America into a dictatorship. Conceived in the 1970s by Bill Bright (Campus Crusade for Christ) and Loren Cunningham (Youth With A Mission), it emerged as a white-rage backlash to Civil Rights, bankrolled by Big Oil. Later, televangelist Lance Wallnau popularized it through Ziklag, a network for Christian nationalists worth over $25 million, and passed the torch to third-generation leaders like Charlie Kirk. Kirk's Turning Point USA targeted Matthew Boedy, a University of North Georgia professor, harassing him for speaking against guns on campus. After being placed on a “watch list,” Boedy began researching and wrote The Seven Mountains Mandate: Exposing the Dangerous Plan to Christianize America and Destroy Democracy. The Mandate's strategy is to dominate seven cultural “mountains”: Religion – Shape faith and morality to normalize fascism. Family – Patriarchal households dictate politics; LGBTQ+ people, feminists, immigrants, and academics are silenced, outlawed, and erased. Education – Raise children in a dominance culture where “might makes right” to normalize fascism. Government – Collapse church-state separation, recasting America as a “Christian republic,” not a democracy. Media – Control the narrative so news becomes propaganda. Arts & Entertainment – Capture Hollywood, TV, even TikTok, using culture as a weapon (i.e., attacks on Jimmy Kimmel). Business – The prosperity gospel – “Jesus wants you to fund my jet” – drew greed-driven donors who built the movement across generations. The goal: capture every cultural sphere until society mirrors their theology. Stopping it requires progressives to build their own generational strategy, rooted in empathy, inclusion, and solidarity. To start, see the Gaslit Nation Action Guide at GaslitNationPod.com.  We'll see you at the Gaslit Nation Halloween Party on October 22nd at 6pm ET with Sister District as we make calls to must-win state races in Virgina. RSVP here to join us: https://www.mobilize.us/sisterdistrict/event/847185/ Want to enjoy Gaslit Nation ad-free? Join our community of listeners for bonus shows, exclusive Q&A sessions, our group chat, invites to live events like our Monday political salons at 4pm ET over Zoom, and more! Sign up at Patreon.com/Gaslit!   Show Notes: The Seven Mountains Mandate by Matthew Boedy https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-seven-mountains-mandate-exposing-the-dangerous-plan-to-christianize-america-and-destroy-democracy-matthew-boedy/1246c2dda176acd7?ean=9780664269210&next=t Trump said Hitler ‘did some good things' and wanted generals like the Nazis, former chief of staff Kelly claims https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-said-hitler-did-some-good-things-and-wanted-generals-like-the-nazis-former-chief-of-staff-kelly-claims Progressive House Democrats rebuke DCCC ‘blacklist' of companies working with primary challengers to incumbent Democrats https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/31/politics/dccc-primary-challenger-rule Hillary Clinton's 3-Word Misstep: 'All Lives Matter' https://www.npr.org/sections/itsallpolitics/2015/06/24/417112956/hillary-clintons-three-word-gaffe-all-lives-matter Trump Tells Military Leaders The Enemy Is 'Within' https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-speech-military-enemy-domestic_n_68dbf82ee4b003b6c8dc2fe2  Pete Hegseth accidentally flipping a skateboard into his nuts on live TV https://bsky.app/profile/patriottakes.bsky.social/post/3lzy5msbdis2t Sequim Washington anti-fascist protest: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wxPBK-5N6UU New: ICE has bought a tool that tracks the locations of hundreds of millions of phones globally, updates every single day. Usually harvested from apps and advertising https://bsky.app/profile/jasonkoebler.bsky.social/post/3m23j4tmzuc2t Shadow Network: The Anne Nelson Interview - Part I https://www.gaslitnationpod.com/episodes-transcripts-20/2022/5/4/anne-nelson-part-01 Clip: https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m22lragfsl2s Clip: https://bsky.app/profile/atrupar.com/post/3m22rfis56223 Clip: Televangelist Asks His Followers For $54m For Private Jet – NBC Nightly News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiHghDYvpBU