@forgetthepastbelieveyourfut-blog asked, (in reply to this: Why Elrond Couldn’t Have Destroyed The One Ring) :

“I did not read every books, so I’ll do with what I know/think. You’re telling us about Elrond’s ring but wasn’t it Gil Galad’s first? He died/disappeared? during the last alliance as I understood it, but did he already gave the ring to Elrond by this point?”

This is a good question! The ring was originally Gil-Galad’s. Celebrimbor gave Nenya to Galadriel, and Narya and Vilya to Gil-Galad. Gil-Galad gave Narya to Círdan, (Lord of the Havens of Mithlond), who was his lieutenant at the time, and kept Vilya for himself.

 Vilya was the most powerful of the three Elven rings. Gil-Galad received it when Sauron laid waste to Eregion, as he was considered the best person to wield the most powerful of the three rings as he was the high King of the Noldor at the time. Late in the Second Age, the ring was trusted to Elrond, Gil-Galad’s herald and second-in-command, whilst in the stronghold of Imladris, before Gil-Galad marched on Mordor for the Battle of Dagorlad and the Siege of Barad- dûr, where he ultimately perished in single combat with Elendil against Sauron.

 During the Third Age, Círdan gave his ring to Olorin, a Maiar sent from Valinor to help the people of Middle Earth resist evil. The ring itself has the power to help others resist despair and domination by evil forces, which makes it a good fit for its last owner, who bore it into the West at the end of the Third Age. Never heard of Olorin, who appears to be somewhat important? You have – you just know him as Gandalf.  

(photo from Afropunk in Miami featured on “The Grio”)

Story from L.L Louise - Authentic Youniverse Correspondent

“Where are all the Black people?” is the question being asked by the curious who are accustomed to seeing Black Americans in the streets on the front lines fighting against injustice.  Where are we?  Well, I’m here to answer that question for many of us.  We’re at home minding our black business.  The time to protest was at the ballot box last November.

We’re tired…of everybody.

In the 2020 election of President Joe Biden, Black women were heralded as the voting block that saved the nation and just 4 years later 92% of Black women and about 80% of Black men again voted in their best interests for the obvious choice and were poised to do it again.

A day after the election; once I learned the outcome because I did not have the stomach or courage to stay up and watch the returns, I remember thinking that’s it!  America is over.  For me, the November 2024 election was tantamount to the Titanic hitting that iceberg leading to its eventual descent to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.  We’re now just rearranging the deck chairs.

It was and remains a shocking turn of events because I truly believed Vice President Kamala Harris would win and not just because of people like me who admired and respected her but also because of Americans who believed in Democracy and understood the stakes.  Call me silly but I actually thought there was a sizable and determinative block of voters who would show up not necessarily for Harris but to vote against her opponent and for America’s future. 

Many Black Americans in that moment decided almost instinctively that We. Were. Done.  It was time to take a step back, to rest, to relax and let others take the lead for the looming battles ahead.  We’re being more intentional about looking inward to our own communities and thinking of ways to support each other personally, professionally and spiritually.  We’re investing in ourselves, engaging in self care, learning new recipes and learning to line dance. We’re coming together to feed and support our people

Anxious Munday Meme

Mmmm.. It takes me a little bit to open up and jump into things, online and off. I will sit back and watch situations to see if I’m comfortable with something before diving headfirst. So if I don’t respond right away, or I’m not engaging in a new group, I’m just making sure everything feels right for me before I do.