tolkien fans be like: I read all of jirt's notes scribbled on the back of a napkin in 1935 so I can properly write fanfic about rich assholes screaming at each other during a family reunion
occasionally subtle
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PR's Tumblrdome
ojovivo
$LAYYYTER
Interview Vampire Daily
cherry valley forever

Andulka

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Misplaced Lens Cap

Origami Around
Sade Olutola
TMBGareOK. The Official They Might Be Giants tumblr
EXPECTATIONS
Cosmic Funnies

titsay
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Cosimo Galluzzi
hello vonnie
seen from Türkiye

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@penelopes-poppies
tolkien fans be like: I read all of jirt's notes scribbled on the back of a napkin in 1935 so I can properly write fanfic about rich assholes screaming at each other during a family reunion
Stellar Nesting Grounds
This image captures the Tarantula Nebula in all of its cosmic glory. Astronomers study nebulae like this one to learn about how elements form and disperse throughout the galaxy, seeding space with planetary building blocks.
Clouds of dust and gas called nebulae speckle our galaxy. Some are ferocious cosmic factories that churn out baby stars by the hundreds of thousands, while others are grave markers of stars long dead. Astronomers study them to learn about how stars and planets form, and how ingredients are recycled in space.
But all that dust is difficult to see through, and nebulae are often so large that today’s most powerful space telescopes can only realistically study tiny patches of them. That’s where our soon-to-launch Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope comes in.
frodo getting criticized for decades for not doing much / not being a hero compared to sam is fitting when you consider mental health and strength is often trivialized. frodo carried the most dangerous and insidious item in middle earth for YEARS. ancient beings (elves, gandalf, etc) were taunted and tempted by it. boromir was corrupted within weeks without even touching it. men and hobbits turned against their brethren for it. killed for it. and frodo, with a wound from a morgul knife, bore it’s weight when no one else could. had it been anyone else, middle earth would have fallen.
no, he couldn’t have done it without his samwise. but isn’t that a lesson in itself?
Banging on the table because YES. That is the whole, entire, painfully beautiful point because YOU CANNOT WITHSTAND THE RING FOREVER, nobody can, nobody is virtuous or good or kind enough to NOT get corrupted, NOT EVEN SAM, that is the ENTIRE POINT of this bloody piece of jewellery that we can see as a metaphor for A LOT of things but I personally think it´s most applicable to trauma. The Ring digs into each character´s trauma and promises them ways to either end it or have it never happen again.
And THE POINT is that you cannot withstand trauma alone forever. You can carry it alone for a while. Some for years, some for their whole lives. Some never ask for help, because they´ve been taught not to, and it KILLS THEM. We cannot carry our burdens alone. We all need a Sam. If we try to carry our struggles alone, we break.
(Any yes, I say applicable. Tolkien didn´t write an allegory, he wrote a story that is informed out of his love for mythology and linguistics but ALSO his experiences in war. And thus, it becomes applicable for many. We all ARE Frodo. We all carry our burdens, and at some point, when they become too much, we´re all going to need a Sam.)
*guy who doesn't know anything about sports and has never cared about sports in his life* hey did you know womens professional baseball is returning after 70 years and the games are going to be streamed for free on youtube and the season starts august 1st
youtube link
Our time is now. The inaugural season of the WPBL begins August 1st, 2026.
website
I think this is so cool and it's awesome they're streaming games for free! I also think it's incredible that this picture is the one they used to advertise the opening day. It's like those videos where someone threatens the camera while their partner shows off their collection of rocks they found.
Concept study for Elvish Fashion featuring the Original™ FinBrothers and their Mini Me
Click for better quality 😉
Fëanor & Curufin: Splendor. They are wearing Noldor informal daywear inspired by Baroque/Rococo European Aristocracy (17th–18th century), especially the Sun King and the extravagant courts of Versailles. Opulent, luxurious robes with theatrical flair and shimmering footwear. Fëanor is wearing the dramatic gemstones that once belonged to Míriel. Fingolfin & Turgon: Discipline. They are dressed in Vanyarin court fashion inspired by late Ming Dynasty China (17th century). I tried to portray the restrained elegance of high-ranking Ming officials and princes. Layered hanfu, structured silhouette, and minimal jewelry. Refined nobility rather than ostentatious wealth. Finarfin & Finrod: Harmony. They are the most timeless here in my opinion. They are wearing Telerin outdoor fashion inspired by Ancient Mediterranean clothing (particularly Minoan and Classical Greece) mixed with Art Nouveau. Lots of drape and movement, sandals (because the Teleri love walking by the sea), gold jewelry, olive greens, laurel-style headpieces, wrapped waists. I tried to go 'less' historical noble and 'more' idealized gods.
Close-ups of my favorite details I'm forcing upon y'all
For @tolkiengenweek day 5: Culture, diversity, traditions. Sorry, but Gollum will NOT be embracing the elven love of lembas. (Might he interest you in some nice raw fishies instead?)
On AO3
"Guy" and "man" have different connotations with adjectival nouns. Like "tree guy" = arborist but "tree man" = he lives in a tree, or maybe he is a tree.
"I know a guy" = "I have a useful contact."
"I know a man" = "I am about to tell you a story."
“He’s a great guy” = he is pleasant and fun and well-intentioned
“He’s a great man” = he has saved countless lives and changed the world irrevocably
Different words in English have different connotations; in this case, it's tied to formality and assumed depth. Guy has assumptions of casualness and familiarity to it, while Man is formal and unfamiliar. A Guy is someone you personally know and are relaxed about, while a Man is someone you don't know and/or someone you deem important. But of course, these are also often used ironically, such as the Tree Man example, or how some American accents will call someone "guy" when insulting them.
Gandalf during the Hobbit: good god I wish Bilbo was more naturally in tune with his Took side I feel like I have to force it out of him
Gandalf during Lord of the Rings: TOO MUCH TOOK FUCK FUCK FUCK WHAT IS WRONG WITH PIPPIN
I read etiquette and homemaking guides from the 1800s mostly because they're a FASCINATING insight into cultural norms that we often don't think about. I honestly really recommend people crack one of these open at least once--it goes way beyond, like, "what to wear to a ball!!!"
The best ones have advice on decor, how to select high-quality furniture, childrearing, fashion, etc--from a contemporary perspective, and the things the authors feel the need to clarify vs the wild shit that will just casually mention like it's something everyone knows and agrees on is REALLY revealing of the culture and how it's shifted.
And while a lot of the advice is WILDLY bigoted or just outright funny, you'd be surprised how much of it is...just genuinely timeless, and shockingly compassionate.
They ALSO, as a writer, have INVALUABLE resources--because, again, they're talking about things that are so MUNDANE that a lot of the time nobody really sat down to formally document what normal, everyday people thought or cared about--because that's boring! But a book written to provide advice and information to, say, a young woman who's never run her own home before? You can fully expect an entire chapter dedicated to The Types Of Oven, and which features are useful and worth spending money on, and which features are a huge hassle to clean and a waste of space, and what to spend that money on instead.
And like. As a writer who frequently works in the 1800s? Fuck inflation calculators, this is the kind of thing I need. This is absolutely priceless.
Now that being said.
My current favorite 'etiquette guide' in the world is actually like....70% purely practical advice, written by a gentleman the groupchat has affectionately dubbed History's Most Autistic Man In The World, and thank god they didn't have Aderall back then
Because the AuDHD is strong in this one and as a result, in addition to the deeply practical and useful everyday reference points, we also have:
AWWW
Thomas Edie Hill… thank u for your contribution
I would actually go as far as to say that MOST abuse is unintentional. I think most people will go through their lives without ever experiencing intentional abuse. People are abusive because they're selfish, because they're stressed, because they care more about what society thinks they should do than the impacts of their actions on their children and partners, because they think what they're doing is correct, because they've made it make sense in their own heads, because they think they can fix their victims, they think they can fix their relationships, they think they can stop you from leaving, they think they can make you a better partner to them, they think that means you need to do what they want. We've sort of constructed mental illness in a way that doing this shit to other people counts as a form of mental illness because it is anti social behavior in the literal sense— it is behavior that causes social harm.
I don't say any of this to excuse it. I think everyone needs to be more aware of this because if you think abuse has to be intentional you will never realize you are capable of abusive behavior. You will never realize you are being shitty to the people you love, because YOU know what you mean, YOU know you don't mean any harm. But you're doing harm. You need to pay attention to the impact you have on other people, and you need to do it all the time, Especially when you feel least capable of doing so. Sorry! You live in a society. Get your head out of your ass.
I can understand the sentiment and the point you're getting at, however I would argue that most of those actions are, in fact, intentional. Being selfish is a choice, being nearsighted and apathetic is a choice, etc. Which then makes it... intentional. Even if the abuser is unaware they're abusive, the choices they are making are actively causing harm. So even if the abuser does not categorize their actions as abusive, it doesnt make it unintentional.
I have gotten this response A Lot, and I understand it, but it kind of feels like it's missing the point I'm making in favor of picking apart my wording. What I am saying is that most abuse is committed without the intention to commit abuse, that abusers do not think of themselves as abusers, that they are not villains sitting in their big dark throne room waiting for a chance to hurt people. I am saying that abusers are indistinguishable from your friends and relatives, they are not another Class Of Person that you can learn to identify to keep yourself safe, or keep yourself from doing harm.
I am saying that the knife wound that is inflicted by someone being clumsy with a knife is indistinguishable from the one committed by someone trying to stab you. I am saying it does not MATTER what your abusers intentions are, or were, that the wound is still there. I am saying that a lot of us have been clumsy with knives at some points in our lives and committed harm we did not mean to, and our intentions did not matter either, and we need to be accountable for the harm we cause.
A lot of people seem to want to read this as me saying it isn't an abuser's FAULT that they did the things they did, and that is not what I am saying. YES, they could do better and chose not to, yes, being selfish is a choice, not looking after the people under your care is a choice. But when we construct the narrative that abusers are always consciously constructing Evil Plans to hurt people out of their Bad Intentions we create a situation where people who are being abused go "oh, well, my mother loves me and wants what's best for me, so clearly I'm not being abused" and people who are doing the abusing go "I love my partner and at the end of the day I just want to preserve our relationship, so I can't be an abuser" or "I'm just drawing boundaries, that's my right" and if you contort yourself into this shape where if you justify your actions well enough you can argue your way out of it, if you can justify your abuser's actions well enough everything is fine, because Half The Time An Abuser's Most Ardent Defender Is Their Victim. It is not uncommon when the police are called in domestic violence cases for the victim to defend their abuser from the police!
Every single person I have ever tried to talk out of an abusive situation has used "they didn't mean it" to defend the situation. THAT is why I am saying this. Because "didn't mean it" doesn't matter. Because even if they didn't mean it it's still abuse. Because if someone says you're hurting them you need to let go of the instinct to immediately defend your own ego and take a hard look at the facts of the situation before you jump to the conclusion that you're innocent because you're a Good Person.
Because it doesn't matter if someone you love is a Good Person if they're hurting you, or they're hurting someone else. We are all fallible and we can all do harm and we can all make excuses for people we shouldn't.
Maryland will become the first US state to ban surveillance pricing in retail stores, after passing Protection from Predatory Pricing Act.
Jesus fucking christ that this exists in the first place
I WAS FUCKING WONDERING WHAT THOSE DIGITAL PRICE TAGS WERE ABOUT SUDDENLY i had hoped they were so the workers didn't have to finagle those little papers into the slider part anymore 😭
Hi, yes, that is the OFFICIAL excuse made to me by the guy replacing the paper tags with digital ones at my local Walmart, but the end goal is to remove the numbers off the shelf entirely, replacing them with QR codes that you have to scan with the app…. Which requires your login information….. and also stores your card information so even if you didn’t use your Walmart account at the physical checkout, if you used a card they recognize, they assign that purchase to your Walmart account purchase history.
I explained very clearly to the manager my issue with the meat section not having the price tags listed, and they claimed it was only going to be for the meat, since meat is by weight, and the price of each item is printed on the packs of each item.
Sure. That’s how they get their foot in the door. Fast forward not even two weeks, and here we are:
Bar codes. No prices, no item descriptions. No price stickers on the individual items. Heck, not even the name of the item that is SUPPOSED to be there.
No. The only way to see the price is to scan it on your phone app, which is also recording what you looked at recently, as a way of gauging what you might be looking for in the future.
So here’s what we’re gonna do gang:
Every time you go into a store that has implemented these price-less tags:
Take 1-3 items up to the cash register. Ask the cashier for the price, or hit the price check item on the self checkout, which will likely call over the attendant.
Express that you didn’t actually want it, you just couldn’t see on the shelf how much it was.
POLITELY, AND WITH A THANK YOU FOR THE PRICE CONFIRMATION, Give the items to the cashier or attendant to put back.
When they inevitably try to push the app, politely decline. If pressed for why not, say you don’t want to have to carry your phone in-hand the whole time you are shopping in order to see how much things cost. (Not having cell service or data to use the app is NOT a valid excuse, as stores already often have complimentary WiFi AND more stores will provide WiFi rather than give up on this push for surveillance pricing)
If it’s a shelf-stable item, the cashier will have to set it aside, taking up room in their limited operating space, and eventually pass it off to someone to put in a holding area to put back later. If it’s a fridge/freezer item, it might have to get tossed due to food product sale regulations.
In either case, you are making it a pain in the ass for them to have these digital bar codes. Tie up the checkouts. Give the employees more busywork that the company has to pay them to do. Hurt their bottom line having to toss the pint of ice cream you carried around in your cart for 20 minutes before giving it back to the cashier.
Yes, call your reps. Yes, push for more legislation like this in more places. But also take an extra minute out of your shopping trip to MAKE IT HURT for companies to pull this shit.
I've seen some people in the notes express (very fair) concern that this is only going to inconvenience already under-paid laborers, and not have any impact on corporate. While I can't speak for every company or every store, I do work in a grocery store and I can tell you this is precisely the kind of thing that would have an impact, especially if people are doing it en masse. Stores absolutely track their shrink numbers, and they do draw distinctions between what gets stolen, damaged, or wasted for other reasons. If people are making it clear that the reason they're bringing things to the cashier is that the prices are not adequately represented on the displays, and rather than improving business it's wasting product, slowing down transactions, and causing confusion and mistrust in customers, that is a language that shareholders speak.
If there is enough widespread complaint about it at store level, it WILL get back to corporate. You can also make complaints online.
Do you ever think about the possibility that maybe Eowyn was able to face the Witch King as fearlessly as she did because despair is his chief weapon and she’s already well acquainted with despair so it didn’t catch her off guard?
What I’m saying is I think Eru used horrible circumstances for good on multiple levels here and that her joy later not only outshone the horror of what she had been through it literally happened because of that horror
In case anyone finds it helpful because mobility aids are horrifically expensive and inaccessible…
And for those people who have access to mobility devices but might benefit from a second chair they can abuse without risking expensive damage…
Erik Kondo has made a website, Open Source Innovations, that details plans for DIY wheelchairs. These wheelchairs can be made from common materials like wood, plastic, and pvc. They are lightweight and can be custom fit to the user allowing from the same degree of movement you would get from a custom chair. And they are durable and easily repairable. (he has been stress testing his latest design by dropping it down stairs, dropping it out of a car, launching it across a driveway, and throwing it off a deck). Its 12lbs and I think he said its was in the $200 ish range for parts.
He also is working on cheap, open source, accessible designs for beach chairs, off road chairs, motorized attachments (think smart drive), and so on. Plus he skateboards in his wheelchair. Cool dude, helpful info, pass it on.
It's incredibly sad people have to resort to this, but it's a damn good resource. Use it. Spread awareness. Maybe one day people with physical disabilities won't need DIYs like this. But until then, reblog and share.
This is Accessibility!
That's so amazing! It is unfortunate that so many people will need this, but very very cool that it exists
That other link seems to be broken.
Thank you so much for putting the working one!
I will add it to my original reblog as well.
I don't want to go all 'some of you have incredibly biased opinions of Fëanor based on fanon and fail to acknowledge the canon complexities of such a character' but it really be hard to not do that sometimes
@antlered-vixen don't leave this in the tags. i read the book a long time ago and needed the reminders tbh
Thanks for picking up my tags! Since we're at the Discourse Store, let me add, Shib clarifies explicitly that a crucial factor to the burning of the ships was that Fingolfin declared himself "Finwe-Nolofinwe". Since in Noldorin culture Finwe=King, this was a declaration of intent of usurpation (and was indeed shortly followed by Fingolfin declaring kingship of the Noldor - before he arrived in Beleriand.) Now I am also a Fingolfin stan. I believe he was ambitious but well-intentioned and genuinely believed wrestling the Noldor out of Feanor's influence was the best for his people. Which is... Correct. Yet, if I was terrified of replacement/usurpation and had been stoked in that direction further by Satan and someone openly declared their intent to usurp me and had a larger army than mine, and was due to arrive at my flank, I too wouldn't want them there. Things can be bad without being incomprehensibly unhinged and comically evil. They can have a rationale and reasons without it being enough moral justification. Permitting personhood is not apologia.
@antlered-vixen Lee you left gold in the tags again
So this is not a plea for money. This is something that surprised me, and chatting with people on discord, they were unaware of as well.
Discovered last year I couldn’t look at my 2015 MacBook Air without it triggering nausea and migraines, and figured the screen died. Have been getting by on my phone, but concluded I really need a laptop again.
Saved up, realised I could afford a brand new MacBook Neo, and got one.
-And I couldn’t spend more than five minutes looking at the screen without massive eye strain, nausea, vertigo, and if I pushed it, I-need-to-lie-down-in-a-dark-room-for-hours migraines.
Looking up MacBook and Eyestrain explained what is going on. The liquid retina displays that Apple currently has uses Pulse Width Modulation or PWM. In order to give the screens a deeper depth of colour and contrast, PWM flickers between several hundred to thousand times a second.
And there is currently no way to turn it off. There are settings and apps to reduce it, but there is no way to stop the screen from flickering. Checked Apple forums, called Apple Support, and the time I could look at the screen kept shrinking. Got the laptop Tuesday, returned it Friday, today is Sunday and I’m still dealing with a vertigo migraine.
For MacBooks, it seems to vary on the computer model and the software it uses. In retrospect, the issue with my MacBook Air started after a major software update.
And it’s not just an Apple thing. Current Windows and Android screens do the same thing. There’s even a Reddit for people who are sensitive to PWM flickers to help find computers and screens that won’t trigger eyestrain and headaches.
So, yeah. This week has been a learning experience. But for those who are prone to headaches and migraines, this may be something to be aware of, cause I was not.
I actually do think it’s better for abusers and abusive characters to realize the harm their past actions caused and seek to do better than be literally or metaphorically executed for their crimes
I think it’s better for abusers and abusive characters to realize the harm their past actions caused and seek to do better than be literally or metaphorically executed for their crimes.
I think it’s better for abusers and abusive characters to realize the harm their past actions caused and seek to do better than be literally or metaphorically executed for their crimes.
“we need to stop the stigma towards drug users and addicts” and “we need to challenge the idea that being sober makes you boring” and “we need to stop acting like binge drinking to the extent you’re doing medical damage is fun and normal for young people” are all ideas that can and should coexist.
just so we’re clear, the threshold for “binge drinking to the extent you’re doing medical damage” is waaaay lower than you think.
I work in an obstetrician and gynaecologist’s office. we have to tell patients on a regular basis that they are binge drinking weekly when they think they are simply consuming a normal amount of alcohol on the weekends.
having more than 3 drinks in a single sitting if you have an estrogen based endocrine system is a binge that is medically significant.
having more than 5 in a sitting is a medically significant binge for someone with a testosterone based endocrine system.
every time you do this, it significantly impacts your risk of getting breast cancer, and damages your liver. it takes time to recover from that liver damage. if you’re having a 3-5 or more drink binge on a weekly basis, you are an alcoholic, medically speaking, and your liver is not recovering.
again: the bar for what binge drinking is, medically, is so much lower than what you think it is.
alcohol is a really toxic substance and not something you should fuck around with.
again: if you have an estrogenized hormone system (common for most women), then 3 drinks is a binge. if you have a testosteronized hormone system (common for most men), then 5 drinks is a binge.
anything above that number, consumed as frequently as weekly or more, and you’re medically a binge drinking alcoholic.
also, if you’re drinking any quantity of alcohol 6 days a week or more, that’s another threshold at which, medically speaking, you meet the definition of alcoholism. your liver needs more days without alcohol in your system than just one a week to recover and be healthy.
I don’t say any of this to shame anyone—to me, alcoholism or substance use disorders aren’t a sign of weakness or moral failing. and most of us genuinely don’t know this stuff.
rather—I point this out because it’s important to reduce harm, and find ways to live healthier, happier lives. there is a life outside of constant binge drinking. it’s not always easy to find it. but it’s out there. you deserve a life where your emotional needs are met by something other than alcohol, and a life in which your liver is healthy, and the ways you cope and celebrate and find joy don’t put you at increased risk of cancer.
also–even if alcohol is the only way you can self-medicate, or if you choose to go on with your alcohol usage anyway regardless of other options–you still deserve to know what it’s doing to your body.
information is key. you don’t have to stop drinking, but the utter lack of education on alcohol + the normalization of binge drinking in current society leads to many people drinking without any idea of what it’s doing to their bodies.
addicts deserve accurate medical information regardless of what they decide to do with it. for some people, losing liver function is worth the benefits they get from binge drinking, but they can’t make that choice if they don’t know what the consequences are to begin with.
addicts deserve accurate medical information regardless of what they decide to do with it.