Tobi or Not Tobi

The US supreme court has sided with Republicans to prevent Wisconsin from counting mail-in ballots that are received after election day.

In a 5-3 ruling, the justices on Monday refused to reinstate a lower court order that called for mailed ballots to be counted if they are received up to six days after the 3 November election. A federal appeals court had already put that order on hold.

If you live in Wisconsin, DO NOT MAIL YOUR BALLOT. Drop it off at a dropbox or vote in person. YOUR VOTE WILL NOT BE COUNTED IF IT DOESN’T ARRIVE BY NOV 3. Spread the word to anyone you know in Wisconsin.

The United States of America has the highest prison population in the world

Black Americans and Latin people make up the majority of this population (many of whom are non-violent offenders)

Federal Prisons in America require that their state keeps their prisons at a maximum occupancy at all times.

Poor, Foolish Mortal who leaves a review: oh man I sure hope (insert X wild/crazy/scary/horrible thing here) doesn’t happen, especially to X character!!!!

Me, the author who hadn’t even CONCEiVED that particular idea until the reviewer opened their mouth:

[The song makes a 'boom' noise as the kid in the jersey points to his friend.]

Kid in jersey: Why're you calling me?

Friend: Bro, I'm gay.

Kid: Shut the fuck up.

Friend: I'm not lying....

this is how i fully colour stuff! 

sometimes i prefer using only the base + shading cheeks, then colouring the lines only because i don’t want to take up too much time (usually when making merch)

here are all of the scum who control oil, coal, and natural gas

here are the ones who run the factories

He was a master diplomat to the point that Obi-Wan spent more of his padawan years off-planet jumping wars and disputes with Qui-Gon than most other padawans, but at the same time, Qui-Gon apparently “looks like a bantha and smells like a Rodian.”

So let’s say a smushy Core planet puts in a request for Jedi presence at their planetary elections, and instead of a well-groomed, masterly Jedi (were they expecting something like 30-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi? They probably were) they get a 1.93 metre giant with uncombed hair hanging down to his waist, wearing tunics that seem to be clean but don’t seem to be at the same time, smelling like he just climbed out of an outer-rim catina, who bows perfectly and then starts cracking their governmental system open one flaw at a time, like a - well - bantha in a china shop-

-with a perfectly-groomed, not-one-hair-out-of-place tiny padawan by his side. Said padawan’s dimples solve nearly as many problems as his master’s diplomatic skills do.

But we only wanted someone to oversee our elections! They cry. We didn’t ask for this!

Could we have sent someone else, the Council deliberates.

Then we would have to have kept the Jinn-Kenobi pair here, someone points out.

And it honestly looks like Aragorn is not only comfortable with this kind of physical affection, he’s used to it. 

Which makes me think that instead of looking at young Aragorn, and asking him to be more like an elf to fit in with those around them. Elrond looked at this kid and and thought to himself “how can I be more like what this child needs to thrive” 

Aragorn has been raised by Elves since he was only 2 years old. So if we’re going by Piaget’s theories of child development, that puts Aragorn, (who would have been called Estel at the time) in the pre-operational stage. Or somewhere thereabouts. So Elrond is raising this kid when he’s learning to talk. When he’s constantly asking “why?” about everything. 

Young Estel would have grown up surrounded by elves and elf children and just by virtue of not being an elf, he probably would have had to deal with feeling less capable than those around him. He wouldn’t have been able to do things like run across snow, and didn’t have the ability to see as far as they did with their “elf eyes” and I am imagining all manner of bruises and skinned knees as he tries to keep up anyway. 

And it would take some getting used to his new surrounding, but  I can’t stop picturing the first time tiny little Estel runs full tilt across the room and hugs Elrond’s leg. 

And instead of scolding him or asking him to be more like an elf to fit in, Elrond consciously sets aside his own discomfort in the face of what this child needs to thrive. And if what Estel needs is hugs, then hugs he shall have. 

Elrond picking up itty bitty Aragorn in a great big hug, and being just as uncomfortable about it, but hiding it well because this child was entrusted to his care and he will not let the boy grow up feeling unwanted or unloved.

And so Aragorn grew up surrounded by elves, but he grew up to be someone who naturally and unselfconsciously displays affection. 

I think that speaks volumes about Elrond. 

He raised this kid from age 2 to age 20 (so the majority of his formative years and well through his teens) and it was around then that Elrond’s own daughter gets back form visiting her grandmother Galadriel and meets this boy for the first time.

So I have NO IDEA what the various stages of child development would be for an elf, but I doubt their exactly the same.

You can’t see it from the other side, either. It also cost about $20, and I can’t recommend it enough. Easy to travel with, too! Great for Air BnBs!