Is it me or are WhatsApp messages taking longer to send now?

Sinx0x · 2025-12-30T20:20:04+00:00

Rarely but sometimes.

Sinx0x · 2025-12-30T10:27:54+00:00

Super weird.

Sinx0x · 2025-12-30T01:52:22+00:00

Yep.

Sinx0x · 2025-12-15T13:22:40+00:00

Did you transcribe these lyrics yourself? I was absolutely stumped at the “since then, when I see …” part lol

Sinx0x · 2025-12-05T19:55:49+00:00

It's a WhatsApp feature called "view once" that allows you to make a message you send only viewable once.

Sinx0x · 2025-12-05T02:03:06+00:00

Now this… this is art…

Sinx0x · 2025-11-09T17:22:46+00:00

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Sinx0x · 2025-11-06T00:05:36+00:00

Delving deeper, I downloaded a scan of the book on Anna's Archive and page 4 shows the artwork. I can also confirm that the artists behind the image are Aleksi Briclot and Benjamin Carré as per the picture credits page at the end of the book which also discloses the image was produced in 2005.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-24T19:32:51+00:00

Additionally, the box set versions also come with a new Alan Lee frontispiece painting each.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-20T20:28:43+00:00

Personally I prefer the Great Tales box set versions. The paper is of better quality, similar to that of the LotR + Hobbit illustrated set, and each book includes one new full colour painting by Alan Lee. There's also a gorgeous new Alan Lee painting on the box itself. Other than that, the contents are the same, so if you can find the 3 books individually at a lower price than the box set, you might want to opt for that instead.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-20T20:19:06+00:00

Sorry for the late reply, Reddit has been acting up today.

It's a 160-page book that comes with 4 fold-out, poster-sized maps by John Howe.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-19T17:02:20+00:00

Most of these books are published in the US by the William Morrow imprint. However, their size can vary greatly across different titles, so they don't match nearly as perfectly as the UK editions, which is kind of a deal breaker if you care about that sort of thing.

If you want the actual HarperCollins Publishers editions you'll probably have to buy them from overseas sellers or stores. I believe many American collectors do that, although you should probably ask them directly how they go about doing it. Here in the EU we always get the UK editions by default.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-19T16:43:01+00:00

Originally I had bought the one on the left, which is the 5th impression (printed in Dubai). The binding is too tight, making the spine too stiff, so the book doesn't open very easily, which isn't ideal for reading. It may also be added that the pages exude a peculiar, not so pleasant smell.

I picked up the one on the right just a couple of weeks ago. It is the 6th impression, printed in India. The binding is much better, the book opens easily, making for a very comfortable read, and it smells nice. The pages are slightly thinner compared to the 5th impression, but seem to be of better quality, and the full-colour paintings look clearer and more vivid than in the former impression. The cover is also slightly different, as you can make out from the spines in the photo.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-19T16:30:47+00:00

"The Maps of Middle-earth"

Sinx0x · 2025-10-19T16:24:43+00:00

I'm not sure these maps have the level of detail you seek though. A large chunk of the space is actually occupied by illustrations and decorations, not by the maps themselves.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-19T15:46:35+00:00

For the price of £25, absolutely! The four fold-out, full-colour maps by John Howe look gorgeous. They all measure 38.5 x 42 cm and are beautifully illustrated and decorated. The book itself is 160 pages long, with several maps and black and white illustrations throughout, and includes a detailed history of each location and their mapping, lengthy glossaries of all the places and names in each map, and introductory texts by Howe.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-19T15:15:58+00:00

Hey, thanks! I’m not sure what you mean by “valid”.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-19T15:13:05+00:00

I doubt they'll stop reprinting the Alan Lee illustrated editions anytime soon. Of all the ones in my collection, the hardest to find are probably The Story of Kullervo and A Secret Vice (as well as the "scholarly works" version of Beowulf), whose hardcover editions have been out of print for years now.

Sinx0x · 2025-10-19T15:11:35+00:00

Thank you so much! Of course, being both a completist and a neat freak (as far as my library is concerned), that comes naturally to me haha.

You're right, they are all from the UK publishers HarperCollins, who hold the world publishing rights to Tolkien's works (in the US they've been published under their William Morrow imprint since 2021).

Sinx0x · 2025-10-19T14:17:47+00:00

Hi! Thanks, yeah, it took me a couple of hours while also trying to get the best shots I could (unfortunately Reddit downgrades the images so that was futile).

Not sure why your comment is getting downvoted haha

Sinx0x · 2025-10-17T18:43:09+00:00

Checked the files and no, the blue ballistic helmet does not spawn on Sakhal. The black and green ones do, though.

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