You know, xhonzi, I tihnk you really ought to give teh books a read. Tehy're very good ;)
@C3PS, in The Fellowship film, Saruman says the Uruk-hai are a cross of orcs and goblin-men. In the novel they are said to be a cross of orcs and men. I'm assuming your friends were relying on the film as their source. As for goblins being stronger, I've never read anything, nor remember seeing anything on film that implied that; goblins have always appeared to be weaker when any distinction was made, it seems. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uruk-hai#Adaptations
The History of the Hobbit...hadn't seen that before. That looks really cool!
@SilverWook, yeah, but...but...it's just gross!!!