"science is the only true guide in life."

steve hanke

massive city in new york, popular tourist attraction and dream city for journalists, artists, and businessmen alike. home to broadway, times square, central park, and even the empire state building. new york city really has it all! (see: manhattan)

i think adam sandler is genuinely hilarious

imagine with me, if you will, a snowfall.

the catastrophic peace of a winter morning, grey skies and icy windows framed by flakes laid to rest

frostbitten breezes wind through heavy-laden branches, sending clouds of snow swirling through the air as if from a powder-puff against a grandmother's cheek

wandering rays of sunlight find their way through the cloud cover

and it's beautiful.

when you talk, you are only repeating what you already know. but if you listen, you may learn something new.

dalai lama

(see: #643)

born in a log cabin in kentucky in 1809, raised in poverty, and almost entirely self-educated, abraham lincoln became a successful lawyer in springfield, illinois, where he married mary todd. lincoln came to the presidency with little experience-a few years in the illinois legislature and one term in congress. but he had a remarkable gift for helping people see the war as a test of popular government, "of the people, by the people, and for the people" (gettysburg address).

after his assassination in 1865, lincoln came to be seen as a leader of nearly mythic proportions-a towering, legendary figure who had saved democracy and freed the slaves.

(see: emancipation proclamation)

in january 1917, the german government sent a coded telegram to mexico's government proposing a military alliance between the two countries. germany suggested that mexico should support them if the united states entered world war 1. in return, they promised to return texas, arizona, and new mexico to mexico if germany won the war. this secret telegram was intercepted by british intelligence, who broke the code, and americans were enraged by germany's plans. in march that year, german foreign secretary arthur zimmermann finally confirmed the telegram was real, which encouraged support in america for entering the war.

2006:
google buys youtube for $1.65 billion.

2021:
youtube generates $1.65 billion in revenue every 3 weeks.

founders

good game.

there are three branches - executive (president), legislative (senate and house), and judicial (supreme court).

the house has 435 districts, and you vote for one representative for your district. each state gets the number of districts based on its population compared to the country as a whole - some states only have one, and california has the most - around 50. representatives get 2-year terms.

the senate every state gets exactly 2 senators, for 100 total. population doesn't matter. senators get 6-year terms, and each state's senators are elected in different years.

when you vote for the presidency, each state has "electoral votes" equal to the total number of representatives and senators that state has. whoever gets the most votes in your state wins all of the state's electoral votes, and whoever gets the most electoral votes becomes the president. the president gets a 4-year term, and the maximum is two terms.

laws are passed as follows: the house has to pass it, then it goes to the senate. if the senate passes it, it goes to the president. if the senate doesn't pass it, it goes back to the house for changes, until there is something both houses pass.

the senate has an unusual rule called the filibuster, where one or more senators who want to block a bill being discussed can just keep talking and talking and not stop to allow a vote on the bill - it takes 60% of the senate to vote to stop a filibuster. so if you have 41% of the senate opposed to a bill, you can effectively block it - this gives the minority party a lot more power than it would normally have.

once the president gets a bill that has been approved by the house and senate, he can sign it, and it becomes law, or he can veto it, which means that it goes back to the house and senate and it fails unless they both pass it by a 2/3 vote (called "overriding a veto").

even if the house, senate, and president agree to pass a law, the supreme court can strike the law down if the law violates the constitution.

this is an argument that presents two options as the only possibilities, when in reality there may be more options available. for example, "you either support the war or you're unpatriotic."

this is an argument that relies on the credibility or expertise of a person or organization to support a claim, without providing any evidence to back it up. for example, "the ceo of a major pharmaceutical company says that their new drug is completely safe, so it must be true."

the hawk tuah girl.
(see: hawk tuah)

the english poor laws were like the original social safety net – but with some serious strings attached. dating back to the 16th century, they were designed to help the poor and unemployed, but not necessarily out of compassion. local parishes were put in charge of providing relief, which meant that help could vary wildly depending on where you lived. if you were able-bodied but out of work, you were often forced into workhouses, where conditions were harsh and meant to discourage laziness. the laws created a divide between the "deserving" poor (the elderly, disabled, and sick) and the "undeserving" poor (those seen as capable of working). over time, the poor laws shaped attitudes toward poverty and welfare, laying the groundwork for modern social policies — but also for some of the stereotypes and stigmas that still exist today.