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Read something interesting last night in Return of the King that might help our little discussion of yesterday. Legolas was talking to Merry in the House of Healing about Aragorn leading the Dead into battle.

He said.. (I was going to bring the book, but I forgot it... so this is by memory...)

It's a good thing Aragorn never got ahold of the ring. His will is so strong that he could have bent the ring to do his will and become a great and terrible dark lord.

So, it seems the ring is controlled by your will and not your ambition.

Smeagol's will was for fish... so, the ring provided him that.

Then in the next chapter, Gandalf said that destroying the ring was the only way to destroy Sauron. He would not be "destroyed" as in "poof - gone forever", but he could only grovel in shadows and never take power to himself again. The foundation of his fortress was the ring.

In the battle of the palantir, Aragorn was able to convice Sauron that Isildur's heir had the ring. That is why Sauron attacked Gondor.

That sounds right. Ambition and will go hand in hand as far as I can tell in that you have to have the ambition before the will to achieve kicks in.

Also, in the palantir battle, I recall that Aragorn said he had the right to use it and the strength (barely) to wrest it from Sauron's control.

Academy Award Prediction time... The only thing harder than filling out your NCAA brackets is trying to figure out what the Academy is thinking...

But here goes... (doing only the major awards)

Best Actor
Should win: Russell Crowe
Will win: Either Russell Crowe or Denzel Washington

Best Actress
Should win: Nicole Kidman
Will win: Sissy Spacek

Best Supporting Actress
Should win: Jennifer Connelly
Will win: Jennifer Connelly

Best Supporting Actor
Should win: Ian McKellan
Will win: Either Ben Kingsley or Ian McKellan

Best Animated Film:
Should and will win: Shrek

Music (Score)
Should Win: Lord of the Rings
Will Win: Monsters, Inc. (Randy Newman has been shunned so many times... that they may award him for past work)

Best Song:
Should Win: Pearl Harbor
Will Win: Vanilla Sky (It's Paul McCartney)

Best Adapted Screenplay
Should Win: The Lord of the Rings
Will Win: A Beautful Mind

Director:
Should Win: Peter Jackson
Will Win: Either Ron Howard or Robert Altman

Best Picture
Should Win: Lord of the Rings
Will Win: Either A Beautiful Mind or Moulin Rouge

Well, my brackets are in ruin, so I don't suppose I have done any better here. But, it gives us something to discuss today.