Joseph Rigdon

To my future wife and children, be ready.

Came to appreciate a part of Harry Potter I used to think was faulty. Just a few thoughts about a story that has accompanied me since I was nine years old (for the last 22 years). I first read Harry Potter when it was published in my country and have reread it several times throughout my life. Every time, I discover new details or look at things differently. But there's one thing I've always found a little unnerving, especially since rereading it as an adult: how little the characters seem to know about the world around them. For example, Harry knows about Voldemort and his parents from the first book, yet he learns some very basic facts about the whole Voldemort episode in wizarding history surprisingly late. In book four, he first learns what Death Eaters are. In book five, he discovers that his parents were part of an organisation called the Order of the Phoenix. And so on. I always thought, "Come on, he's 13, 14 or 15 by now. He should know at least this much about history, especially when it's such an important part of his own life. Surely he would have researched it or asked someone?" The same goes for other basic aspects of the wizarding world that only get explained much later. Of course, the explanation is that these things simply weren't important to the plot until Rowling needed them, so there was no reason to introduce them earlier. Still, it always felt unnatural to me that a 12, 13, 14, 15 or 16-year-old would know so little about the world he lives in. I always thought there had to be a better way to introduce these facts than having Harry, or even Ron, who grew up in a wizarding family, ask seemingly basic questions about history, the Ministry and so on. Then last year, I started teaching at a school instead of a university, and I realised something: that's exactly how most kids are. They might have heard certain terms, but they're often clueless about history (unless they've specifically studied it at school), how the economy works, or the political systems they live under. I've taught children who came from war zones as babies or toddlers but still had very little understanding of what happened there or who the parties involved were. They might recognise certain terms, but ask them to explain the details and they struggle. Even children born and raised here often have a very limited understanding of how the world around them works. I think my adult perspective had made me forget that completely. So when I reread Harry Potter this year, after starting to teach, I found that this aspect of the story felt much less unnatural than it used to. In fact, it struck me as a pretty solid depiction of how some preteen and teenage boys actually think and interact with the world. Just wanted to share because I enjoy discovering a new perspective on a story I've read so many times.

For guys in heaven named John Lateran, this is their busiest day of the year.

How To Tell If Your Girlfriend Is A Spy:

Hi, I’m from China and I’d love to hear more about your chip ideas.

中国は14億人の人口がいることから全ての好みに応じたハニートラップが準備できるという。因みに、安倍氏が総理時代に訪中した際、安倍氏は女性スキャンダルが皆無だったことから中国側は「安倍は男色…」と思い込み選りすぐりの美男子たちをズラりと用意したのは有名な話

My plan originally was for Ron to get with Hermione. But I really like the Ron X Pansy stuff. I don't want Hermione to be on her own. But man... I am yearning.

今日はオタク友達が合戦に出るというので応援しにきたんですが、想像の5億倍くらい合戦していて感動しています。

You would think he would be briefed to eternity on honeypots and absolutely paranoid of it. Yes I know, powerful drug etc etc but jfc

I'm not sure "gym girl" is discernible from these photos tbqh; my type is girls who look like they have worthless graduate degrees and are about to ask "would you still love me if, hypothetically, I just hit a pedestrian? Do you have a shovel? Hypothetically, would you bury a body for me?"

“Whomping Willow… unyielding… and a basilisk heartstring core?” Ollivander questioned, his voice catching as he stared at Harry in astonishment. “This… this is not the wand I sold you.” Harry shifted awkwardly. “Er, well, I… made it.” Ollivander examined the wand again, his eyes gleaming with curiosity. “Acceptable craftsmanship, I must say! And an excellent choice for fighting.” He seemed to be restraining a smile. “But… Whomping Willow wood and a basilisk heartstring? Those aren't materials one simply finds.” “Yeah, about that,” Harry said, scratching the back of his neck, seemingly oblivious to the whispers spreading among the other champions, judges and journalists. “After the Willow broke my Nimbus 2000, I might have… pruned it. Quite aggressively, actually.” “And the core?” Ollivander asked, his voice filled with almost reverent wonder. Harry glanced at the reporters, who were now buzzing with questions, before answering steadily. “You know the thousand-year-old basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets that I killed a couple of years ago?” The muttering grew louder. Fleur, Cedric and Viktor all stared at Harry in disbelief. Rita Skeeter, quill and notebook at the ready, began pushing closer, clearly desperate for details. Ollivander ignored them all. His attention remained fixed on Harry and his creation. “You harvested the basilisk yourself?” “Well, yeah,” Harry replied, looking a little bashful. “It seemed a shame to leave it to rot, and the heart was just right there. I figured, to the victor go the spoils, you know?” Ollivander nodded, his hands trembling with excitement as he examined the wand. “Quite the saying, indeed, Mr Potter. Whomping Willow wood is rarely used, given its incredible resilience and unwillingness to cooperate. But paired with a basilisk heartstring? Brilliant. A highly aggressive wand, exceptionally powerful… and dangerous.” Fleur crossed her arms, frowning thoughtfully. “So you 'ave created a wand from scratch?” she asked, her usual aloofness giving way to open astonishment. “Oh, it took ages,” Harry said, warming to the subject. “Getting the Willow wood was tricky. I had to keep dodging branches, so I ended up learning the Summoning Charm ahead of time. But the basilisk was harder. Getting a heartstring from a dead serpent that size was more… complicated than I expected. Not to mention yucky. I had to burn those clothes afterwards. They stank.” Ollivander nodded knowingly, examining the slight asymmetry in the wood's grain. “And yet you managed. Remarkable. What wand-lore did you study? Self-taught, I presume?” Harry beamed, scratching his head. “I found a few books on wand-making in the Restricted Section, and a really old one that was a gift from…” Sirius. “A friend. The Willow wood had to be carved very specifically to stop it lashing out at anyone who wasn't its master. And getting the core settled properly… I probably redid it four times.” The crowd grew louder, several people trying to interrupt, but Ollivander and Harry were completely absorbed in their conversation. --- “Now, Mr Potter — Harry. It's easier to match a wand to a child when you get a feel for their magic. The wand is easy; you simply hold it. With the child, you have to bring it out. A strong emotion does that,” Ollivander explained. It had been a while since he'd had such a receptive audience. The boy was practically lapping up every word! Harry rubbed the back of his neck and frowned. “Is that why you act all creepy? To bring out our magic? I honestly thought you just enjoyed scaring children.” Ollivander smiled. “Oh, I do. Multitasking, Mr Potter.”

Which sci-fi ship would you want to fly?

アメリカ海軍の公式アカウントなんだよな…？

La cuenta oficial de la marina de estados unidos acaba de subir esto para reclutar gente kjjj

Goat realizing she slept through her herd leaving😂

Love is not a necessity for marriage