…to the blackmailer, yes.

If you carry a ladder, they even open doors for you.

I believe it’s called “pressing the advantage”. Or, by the looks of it, “overplaying your hand”.

Unironically Ayn Rand

So simple a child could downvote. And they do!

Remeber, kids: Laws are threats made by the dominate socio-economic ethnic group in a given nation. It’s just the promise of violence and police are basically an occupying army.

Which, hilariously, neatly matches the machine-learning approach of “just keep shovelling data, it’ll work eventually”.

The thing with slotted screws is that the screw itself is awful, but a flathead screwdriver in and of itself is such a useful tool you’re always gonna have one, so the screw kinda hangs around.

I fiuly agree. In fact, I have a multi-step suggestion:

In Year 1 that useless letter “c” would be dropped to be replased either by “k” or “s”, and likewise “x” would no longer be part of the alphabet.

The only kase in which “c” would be retained would be the “ch” formation, which will be dealt with later.

Year 2 might reform “w” spelling, so that “which” and “one” would take the same konsonant, wile Year 3 might well abolish “y” replasing it with “i” and iear 4 might fiks the “g/j” anomali wonse and for all.

Jenerally, then, the improvement would kontinue iear bai iear with iear 5 doing awai with useless double konsonants, and iears 6-12 or so modifaiing vowlz and the rimeining voist and unvoist konsonants.

Bai iear 15 or sou, it wud fainali bi posibl tu meik ius ov thi ridandant letez “c”, “y” and “x” – bai now jast a memori in the maindz ov ould doderez – tu riplais “ch”, “sh”, and “th” rispektivli.

Fainali, xen, aafte sam 20 iers ov orxogrefkl riform, wi wud hev a lojikl, kohirnt speling in ius xrewawt xe Ingliy-spiking werld.

Good point, but, was Durin’s Bane working for Sauron? I never got the impression Sauron had Balrogs in service, much less that one in particular.

That’s the thing though, it’s not invulnerability, it’s, for lack of a better term, will realized as magic.

In Moria,

"…Gandalf stood firm. ‘You cannot pass,’ he said. The orcs stood still, and a dead silence fell. ‘I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass. The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass.’

This is an invocation - You cannot pass, I am a Maia of Eru, wielder of Narya, Morgoth is gone, Balrog, You cannot pass - and he does, indeed, not pass.

At Gondor, the actual fight starts earlier:

For yet another weapon, […] the Lord of the Dark Tower had: dread and despair. The Nazgul came again, […] More unbearable they became, not less, at each new cry. At length even the stout-hearted would fling themselves to the ground as the hidden menace passed over them, […] and they thought no more of war; but only of hiding and of crawling, and of death.

And so,

So it was that Gandalf took command […] Wherever he came men’s hearts would lift again, and the winged shadows pass from memory. […] And yet – when they had gone, the shadows closed on men again

And, finally,

“There waiting, silent and still in the space before the Gate, sat Gandalf […] 'You cannot enter here,’ said Gandalf, and the huge shadow halted. ‘Go back to the abyss prepared for you! Go back! Fall into the nothingness that awaits you and your Master. Go!’” The Witch-King responds: “‘Old fool! This is my hour. Do you not know Death when you see it? Die now and curse in vain!’” and lifts his sword to strike, and then: “Gandalf did not move. […] a cock crowed. Shrill and clear he crowed, recking nothing of wizardry or war […] And as if in answer there came from far away another note. Horns, horns, horns. […] The darkness was breaking too soon, before the date that his Master had set for it: […] he left the Gate and vanished.”

The night assault was driven by the ringwraith terror. Gandalf doesn’t confront the Witch King physically, he denies his terror, and denies him entry, and when he, unwisely, forces a confrontation, his whole spell folds like a cheap suit.

I kinda wonder if it was a “Tell her to keep her arm raised until tomorrow, it’ll teach her to be more careful next time.” situation.

Yes. And the point of the joke this meme is aping is that not even the anti-war, anti-imperialist Americans will concern themselves with the feelings of non-Americans.

That’s a “converter” in the same way an ejection seat is “a chair”.

Could have phrased it a bit better. “…but instead of charming, was just offensive”, maybe?

“I’m safe, so as far as I care, everyone else can die.”

Can’t make this shit up…

Enjoy the camps

Scratch a liberal…

At least link the murmaider one first!

Would it help if it was described as a “religious experience”?

I believe the term is “prosecuted”.