Off track for just a moment...

But is anyone else getting excited about seeing The Hobbit? I mean, I am a HUGE fan of the books (All of them. Yes, all.) and the LotR movie(s) completely blew me away. With new character images coming out and the arrival of the new Blu-rays at home, I'm really starting to re-catch the fever that had begun to fade. I simply can't wait to revisit Hobbiton and see some of my favorite characters again! And mostly Smaug. I mean... SMAUG. My heart races just at the thought.

What? This is who? Really? Really? Yay!

I also want to talk about dwarves, if I may. Because lately, they rock. I mean, you have the above example. And you have the other, non-pictured Hobbit examples. And then you have this:

Varric Tethras. The best thing in Dragon Age since Alistair's lamp post line.

So when exactly did the trend of awesome dwarves start? Last time I checked they were the hilarious characters with the beer that you didn't want to get angry unless they were aimed at your enemies. Sure, they often had great lines and were lovable in their own way, but they were gruff and poorly mannered and occasionally spilled drink in their beards. This new take on the fantasy standard is strange, but very welcome. At least in my opinion. I'm beyond happy with what I've seen in the released pictures and glad to see that Varric isn't the odd dwarf out anymore. Keep the well groomed, awesome looking, full-of-attitude dwarves coming please!