one of the cheapest gifts that can be bought before leaving turkey. turkish people never eat it though.

the way some of my american friends call me...

i think adam sandler is genuinely hilarious

even the worst outcome is better than uncertainty.

(see: #643)

many middle and upper-class families knew little about immigrants problems. jacob riis a danish immigrant-and a photographer and journalist-exposed the suffering experienced by many immigrants. riis's work, how the other half lives, published in 1890, helped people realize that government action was necessary to improve conditions in city slums. image

(see: american civil war)

(see: chernobyl) imdb 9.4
(see: banshee) imdb 8.4
(see: breaking bad) imdb 9.5
(see: rick and morty) imdb 9.2
(see: rome) imdb 8.7
(see: the wire) imdb 9.3
(see: the handmaid's tale) imdb 8.4
(see: generation war) imdb 8.5
(see: six feet under) imdb 8.7
(see: ted lasso) imdb 8.7
(see: the crown) imdb 8.7
(see: peaky blinders) imdb 8.8
(see: better call saul) imdb 8.7
(see: forever) imdb 8.3
(see: dekalog) imdb 9
(see: the office) imdb 8.9
(see: westworld) imdb 8.6
(see: seinfeld) imdb 8.8
(see: black mirror) imdb 8.8
(see: the mandalorian) imdb 8.8
(see: this is us) imdb 8.7
(see: daredevil) imdb 8.6
(see: silicon valley) imdb 8.5
(see: ezel) imdb 8.6
(see: spartacus) imdb 8.5
(see: the punisher) imdb 8.5
(see: persona) imdb 9.1
(see: the english game) imdb 7.6
(see: the serpent) imdb: 7.7
(see: the men who built america) imdb 8.6

it was the most important conglomerate of my media economy class. it is under every stone. it was founded as bell telephone company by alexander graham bell, thomas watson, gardiner greene hubbard, and thomas sanders.

total assets: us$525.76 billion (as of 2020)
some of its subsidiaries:
hbo
cinemax
turner broadcasting international
cartoon network
adult swim
hulu (10%)
cnn
joint ventures
dc entertainment
warner bros.
the cw (50%)

love people so much if you want to lose them.

a game about breaking and placing blocks, captured millions of imaginations. people played the game together online across the world. minecraft was the top game download for both android and ios at the start of 2014.

an antique chair that was designed to read... from the 1800's. image

a dislike of humankind.

ghosting is a term that is used to describe the act of abruptly ending a relationship or friendship without any explanation or communication. ghosting is often associated with dating, but it can also happen in other types of relationships, such as friendships or professional connections. ghosting typically involves one person simply disappearing from the other person's life without any warning or explanation, and it can leave the person who has been ghosted feeling confused, hurt, and rejected.

in psychological terms, ghosting can be seen as a form of avoidance behavior. by ghosting someone, the person who is doing the ghosting is able to avoid dealing with difficult emotions or situations, such as having to break up with someone or confront a problem in the relationship. ghosting can also be a way for the person who is doing the ghosting to avoid taking responsibility for their actions and to avoid facing the consequences of their behavior. ghosting can be damaging to the person who has been ghosted, as it can leave them feeling rejected and uncertain about what went wrong in the relationship.

gerrymandering is the practice of manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to favor one political party or group over another. this can be done in various ways, such as packing voters of one party into a single district, cracking the supporters of a particular party across multiple districts or shifting the boundaries in a way that benefits a particular candidate or party.

for example, let's say a state has a population of 50% democrats and 50% republicans. if the party in power redraws the district lines in a way that packs all the democrats into a few districts and spreads out the republicans over the remaining districts, they can essentially ensure that their party wins a majority of the seats in that state, even though they don't have a majority of the overall votes.

another example of gerrymandering is racial gerrymandering, which involves redistricting in a way that diminishes the voting power of racial or ethnic minorities. for instance, if a state has a large population of latino voters, and the district boundaries are redrawn in a way that divides them across multiple districts, their voting power is diluted and their ability to elect a representative who truly represents their interests is severely impacted.

gerrymandering can have significant consequences for the political process, including reduced competition, decreased voter turnout, and the disenfranchisement of minority voters. it can also lead to the election of representatives who are not truly representative of the interests of their constituents.

efforts to combat gerrymandering include initiatives like independent redistricting commissions, which aim to take the power of redistricting out of the hands of politicians and ensure that districts are drawn fairly and with the best interests of voters in mind.

in summary, gerrymandering is a practice that involves manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to benefit a particular political party or group, often at the expense of minority groups or fair representation. efforts to combat gerrymandering aim to promote fair and competitive elections and ensure that districts are drawn in a way that truly reflects the will of the people.

have you ever heard of the region-beta paradox?

imagine someone starting a new job. they tell themselves, “if my office is less than a mile away, i’ll walk. but if it’s farther, i’ll bike.” walking is clearly their first choice because it means the job is close and easy. but it turns out the office is two miles away, so they have to bike.

here’s where the paradox comes in. if the office were only a mile away, walking would take ten or fifteen minutes. but because it’s two miles and they bike, it only takes four or five minutes. the situation they thought was worse actually works out better. seen from a time-saving perspective, it makes perfect sense. strange, right?

psychologist dan gilbert from harvard university described this idea in 2006 and called it the region-beta paradox. he explained that people often get stuck in situations that are only mildly uncomfortable. they’re not bad enough to fix, but not good enough to truly enjoy. because these situations don’t cross the brain’s “alarm threshold,” we don’t change them. we just adapt.

the region-beta paradox reminds us that sometimes things have to get worse before they can get better. it’s the space where seemingly negative outcomes can lead to surprisingly positive ones.

think about it: your relationship isn’t amazing, but it’s not terrible either. you tell yourself, “we’re fine.” years pass. your job is okay. the pay’s decent, your boss isn’t bad, but you wake up every morning feeling drained. you think, “it’s fine for now.” five years go by. you have a small ache that’s not serious enough for a doctor, but not minor enough to ignore. months later, it’s still there.

that “it’s fine” zone is where life quietly stagnates. if things were worse, you’d take action. if they were better, you’d enjoy them. but in the middle, you stay stuck.

maybe if that relationship ended, you’d meet someone who truly fits you. maybe if you left that dull job, you’d find one that excites you. maybe if you stopped tolerating that ache, you’d catch a health issue early.

sometimes a setback forces you forward, because that’s when you finally get on the bike. when discomfort increases, instinct takes over. when it’s mild, you just adapt.

the region-beta paradox is a hidden trap — the comfort of “not bad.” it’s not the disasters that ruin us. it’s the “it’s fine” moments that quietly do.

so remember: don’t forget to get on your bike.