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[hometoursandotherstuff]

What’s encrypting your internet surfing? An algorithm created by a supercomputer? Well, if the site you’re visiting is encrypted by the cyber security firm Cloudflare, your activity may be protected by a wall of lava lamps.

Cloudflare covers websites for Uber, OKCupid, & FitBit, for instance. The wall of  lamps in the San Francisco headquarters generates a random code. Over 100  lamps, in a variety of colors, and their patterns deter hackers from accessing data.  

As the lava lamps bubble and swirl, a video camera on the ceiling monitors their unpredictable changes and connects the footage to a computer, which converts the randomness into a virtually unhackable code.

Codes created by machines have relatively predictable patterns, so it’s possible for hackers to guess their algorithms, posing a security risk. Lava lamps, add to the equation the sheer randomness of the physical world, making it nearly impossible for hackers to break through.

You might think that this would be kept secret, but it’s not. Simply go in and ask to see the lava lamp display. By allowing people to affect the video footage, human movement, static, and changes in lighting from the windows work together to make the random code even harder to predict.

So, by standing in front of the display, you add an additional variable to the code, making it even harder to hack. Isn’t that interesting? 

via atlasobscura.com

[dressesandyarn]

What the fuck.

[mirkwoodest]

One of the ballsiest things Tolkien ever did was write 473k words about some hobbits called frodo, sam, merry, and pippin and then write in the appendices that their names are actually maura, ban, kali, and razal. 

[mirkwoodest]

This just in: Eowyn and Eomer’s names actually start with the letter “L.” [source for other nerds] 

[mirkwoodest]

#wait so they have hobbitish names and common names?

No, they have Westron names and English names.

What you’ve got to understand is that everything Tolkien wrote was him pretending to merely translate ancient documents. He was writing as if the Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings were actually been written by Bilbo, Frodo, and Sam (or Bilba, Maura, and Ban) and he was just some random contemporary academic translating it all into English for us. 

There are many languages in his books, but generally speaking, everything written in English in the books is a translation of the language “Westron.” Therefore any names that come from Westron, he translated. Names coming from other languages, like Sindarin, he left as they were. Why? IDK. Maybe because the stories are from a hobbit perspective and hobbits speak Westron, so he wanted the Westron parts to sound familiar and the other languages/names to remain foreign? 

“But Mirkwoodest!” you cry, “The word ‘hobbit’ isn’t an English word! And the names Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck” all sounds super weird and not like English at all!”

Psych! They are in English! (Or Old English, German, or Norse.) Once again you underestimate what a nerd Tolkien was. Let me break it down: 

In Westron, hobbits are actually called “kuduk,” which means “hole-dweller,” so for an English translation, Tolkien called them “hobbits” which is a modernization of the Old English word “holbytla” which comes from “Hol” (hole) and “Bytla”(builder). 

“Maura” is a Westron name which means “Wise.” Weirdly enough, “Frodo” is an actual Proto-Germanic name that actual people used to have and it means the same thing. 

“Banazîr” is Westron for “half-wise, or simple.” In Proto Germanic, the prefix “Sam” means half, and wise is obviously a word we still use. 

“Razanur” means “Traveler” or “Stranger” which is also the meaning of the word “Peregrin(e)” This one is a twofer because  “Razar” means “a small red apple” and in English so does “Pippin.”

“Kalimac” apparently is a meaningless name in Westron, but the shortened form “Kali” means “happy,” so Jirt decided his nickname would be “Merry” and chose the really obscure ancient Celtic name “Meriodoc” to match. 

Jirt chose to leave “Bilba” almost exactly the same in English, but he changed the ending to an “O” because in Westron names ending in “a” are masculine. 

I’m not going to go on and talk about the last names but those all have special meanings too (except Tûk, which is too iconic to change more than the spelling of, apparently). 

The Rohirrim were also Westron speakers first and foremost, so their names are also “translations” into Old English and Proto-Germanic words, i.e. “Eowyn”  is a combination of “Eoh” (horse) and “Wynn” (joy/bliss). 

“Rohirrim/Rohan” are Sindarin words, but in the books, they call themselves the “Éothéod” which is an Old English/Norse combo that means “horse people.” Tolkien tells us in the “Peoples of Middle Earth” that the actual Westron for “Éothéod” is Lohtûr, which means that Eowyn and Eomer’s names, which come from the same root word, must also start with the letter L. 

The names of all the elves, dwarves, Dunedain, and men from Gondor are not English translations, since they come from root words other than Westron. 

The takeaway from this is that when a guy whose first real job was researching the history and etymology of words of Germanic origin beginning with the letter “W” writes a book, you can expect this kind of tomfoolery.

Notes: Sorry I said “Razal” instead of “Razar” in my original post I’m a fraud. 

Further Reading: 

Rohirric , Westron 

[sparklypurplerock]

Stuff like this is EXACTLY why I feel like there’s so much room for more diverse, inclusive reinterpretation of Tolkien’s work. Because if you look at the way Tolkien’s contemporaries translated real writings from real historical cultures, there’s a lot of assumption of whiteness, maleness, and heteronormativity that isn’t actually in the text. Going with the concept that Tolkien was translating the mythohistory of an existing culture, it makes sense that a white Catholic Oxford don born in the Edwardian era would take for granted that all beautiful highborn people are white, all male relationships are platonic, all marriages are heterosexual, most people in conventionally male roles are men, and everyone is cisgender. So it’s totally in keeping with Tolkien’s premise, I think, to approach his Middle-earth writings like, “Okay, what could be the real story here as opposed to how a white English dude born in 1903 would have translated it?”

[takiki16]

#SHIT #A MODERN TOLKIEN TRANSLATION (via @star-anise)

sudden full body wave of longing for some author somewhere to do a MODERN TRANSLATION OF THE RED BOOK OF WESTMARCH

(please, with FULL FOOTNOTES ACTING LIKE THE RED BOOK IS A REAL TEXT INDEPENDENT OF TOLKIEN and a lengthy foreword addressing the “Tolkien Translation” as hugely influential but nonetheless not perfect)

[apisashla]

The only good thing about the no homo Michael Bublé version of Santa Baby is that he ends up sounding like a mobster extorting Santa for money and valuables

[nthsnowflake]

#SANTA PALLY IM THINKIN YA BETTER HURRY DOWN THAT CHIMNEY TONIGHT OR ELSE CAPISCE? mormonfries, cannot unhear this

[apisashla]

you're welcome

[whitepeopletwitter]

[sweetsicks]

i want my house to be made of old soviet control boards

[sweetsicks]

*wakes up at 6am full of joy* ohhhhohohohoh.. hhohhhhyes

YEAHH *my bare feet hurriedly slap along the tile floors * YEAHHHHHH

YEAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! *STARTS SLAPPING BUTTONS RANDOMPLY* YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

*LOUD ALARM STARTS BLARING* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

[coelasquid]

[alisonzai]

why dippin dots always at obscure places. never just at the store. just wondering

[a-trex]

i’m going to the zoo for some dippin dots y'all want any

[probablyasocialecologist]

Climate Darwinism Makes Disabled People Expendable

With power shut-offs taking lives and articles blaming air pollution on inhalers, disabled people are learning just how expendable non-disabled people see them.

Recently, BBC News published an article detailing a study asserting that inhalers possess as large a carbon footprint as consuming meat. The report did weakly say that it was up to the individual user as to whether or not to switch the type of inhaler they use, but it showed a lack of understanding about how easy it is not for disabled people to change their medication. The author also neglected to mention that air pollution transit and corporations are the leading cause of asthma. In one swift move, the writer blamed victims of climate change for climate change.  

This year, the United Nations published a directive that governments and organizations must include disabled people in planning for climate change. Not only does more severe weather endanger the lives of disabled people and throw them into even more profound economic insecurity, but preventative measures proposed have thus far neglected the existence of the disability community. As one of the most vulnerable populations, disabled people cannot afford the ignorance of the non-disabled.

[ms-demeanor]

Remember when CFCs were banned as a threat to the environment and inhalers switched away from CFCs to HFAs which meant a new formulation that wouldn’t become generic for another 10 years?

Guess what, dudes, it’s been fourteen years so I guess it’s about time for me to not be able to afford inhalers for another ten years.

So sorry I grew up next to freeways in an area where there’s no reasonable public transit!

[wetwareproblem]

Gee, it’s almost like there’s some connection between the regular, sudden flare-up of “<disability aid> is harming the environment!” and corporations with more expensive alternatives.

Next you’re gonna tell me that companies had metal and paper straws in massive volumes just as people freaked out about them as a sheer coincidence.

[humanoidhistory]

Illustration by Bruce Pennington.

[bunjywunjy]

little known fact, skulls are completely unable to gaze directly at Saturn

[redpandarascal]

iKarly Marx

[kingslayered]

[hufflepuff-and-stuff]

one of my favorite jokes of all time

[cartoon-deactivated20220930]

The year is 1995, congress member Bernie Sanders stands in opposition of a homophobic statement said by Duke Cunningham. Cunningham derisively refers to “homos in the military” to support his argument while (strangely) discussing the Clean Water Act. Sanders, having none of it, quickly rises to the defense of thousands of men and women everywhere. Sanders ire is such that he repeatedly disrespects the Chairman by speaking over him in order to say his piece. [Video Source]

What does this say for Sanders? Well, that’s for you to decide. But to me, it says that for 20+ years strong he has shown his public support for LGBT+ persons everywhere, even in the face of ridicule and disrespect. Unlike some, Sanders has always been vocal about his beliefs concerning the LGBT+ community, and he has always held them. Key word always, and not just when doing so might garner him support for his campaigns. 

BONUS:

[valtsv]

today i learned that vikings exchanged swords as part of their wedding vows and i for one think we should bring that back

[brunhiddensmusings]

they also -were given a cat, considered an essential household item everyone should have much like weddings today include cookware as gifts -unlike today the wedding dress wasnt particularly important, but both the bride and groom were encouraged to have the most epic hair they could -were given enough mead to keep them both drunk for a full month as they cement their new life together, literally the origin of ‘honey-moon’ -roast goat, traditional and delicious

[musdomus]

Got a sword for my wedding, still have to give my wife one in return.

[whitepeopletwitter]

[imtotallystoked]

2009 average rent: $886

2019 average rent: $1,476

[sizvideos]

John Boyega talks about how he feels about BB-8 - Full video

[mooncustafer]

People who guested on Sesame Street or The Muppet Show often mentioned this phenomenon in interviews. 

[prokopetz]

I’m reminded of a possibly apocryphal story where a talk show was doing a Kermit the Frog guest spot, and the sound technicians couldn’t figure out why the audio pickup was so terrible - until they realised that they’d unthinkingly attached the wireless mic to the puppet rather than the voice actor.

[frawgs]

apparently vic’s vapor rub goes exitinct ? i’ve been using the same vapor rub for years and apparenlty it went bad in the 2010s ..

[frawgs]

expired .

[keepcalmandcarriefischer]

I REALLY want to film a Star Trek parody where the caption is yelling really tropey star trekkie things at the engineer who in turn just answers with real and truthful responses about mechanics. Like

Captain: how long will it take to get the warp engines back online??

Engineer: at least 2 hours

Captain: *dramatically* you've got 45 minutes

Engineer: well, okay, so it's not going to happen then, because it takes at least 2 hours

[keepcalmandcarriefischer]

Engineer: the shield generator is offline!

Captain: Divert power from life support!

Engineer: .... why? It's broken. Putting more power in it isn't going to make it less broken. And why life support? You want us to die faster or something?

[keepcalmandcarriefischer]

Engineer: the warp engines are offline and it is beyond our ability to repair. All we have are impulse engines now.

Captain: how long will it take to get to the nearest federation star base on impulse alone?

Engineer: 73 years.

Captain: what the fu

Engineer: Space is BIG captain! Why do I need to tell you that??

[kumabearsweetheart-deactivated2]

Engineer: We can’t do it, Captain! We do not have the power! Captain: We’ll harness the power of the local sun and divert it into the engine! Engineer:... Captain:...

Engineer:... Captain:... Engineer: That’s... Captain: Look, can you figure something out and just tell me that’s what you did? I just really need a win right now. Please? Engineer: I’ll try, Captain.

[keepcalmandcarriefischer]

Doctor: the captain was seriously injured... I don't know if he will make it...

Engineer: *mockingly* hAvE yOu tRiEd DiVeRtiNg pOwEr fRoM LifE SuPpOrT???