officially known by abbreviation akp or ak parti in turkish. conservative party in turkey founded by recep tayyip erdogan in 2001.
(see: recep tayyip erdogan)

aka scaffold piercing, two piercings connected by a bar across the top of the ear

advocating for women’s rights based on equality between the sexes

someone who advocates for women’s rights based on a desire for intersexual equality

judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.

dalai lama

i love you.

starving settlers in jamestown colony resorted to cannibalism

in 1874, the discovery of gold in the black hills of dakota sent thousands of gold seekers through sacred sioux lands. war parties responded by raiding white settlements. after two years of warfare, a group of sioux and cheyenne warriors confronted a u.s. cavalry column at the little bighorn river in montana territory. instead of waiting for reinforcements, general george a. custer led his 264 troopers into battle. they were surrounded, and every last man, including custer, was killed.

the battle of the little bighorn was the indians' greatest victory, but it was also their last. by 1881, all the plains tribes had been forced to move to reservations.

in the late 1800s, each of the great powers of europe – great britain, germany, france, and russia — was eager to increase business opportunities in china, the world's most populous nation and a potentially huge market for trade in order to avoid conflict, the european leaders agreed to carve the country into "spheres of influence”-specific geographic regions, or spheres, of china in which each nation controlled trade.

secretary of state john hay, concerned that u.s. merchants might be shut out, sent a series of "open door notes" to the european powers in 1899 and 1900, asking them to respect china's territory and independence. the leaders agreed to america's open door policy to avoid a confrontation. china opposed the policy because the foreign influence was considered excessive. it led to the boxer rebellion of 1900, which the u.s. later helped suppress.

one of the most addictive games i have ever played in my life. even though it is not very common in my generation, i could barely quit playing it.

yet each man kills the thing he loves,
by each let this be heard,
some do it with a bitter look,
some with a flattering word,
the coward does it with a kiss,
the brave man with a sword!

some kill their love when they are young,
and some when they are old;
some strangle with the hands of gold:
the kindest use a knife, because
the dead so soon grow cold.

some love too little, some too long,
some sell and others buy;
some do the deed with many tears,
and some without a sigh:
for each man kills the thing he loves,
yet each man does not die.
oscar wilde

respect was invented to cover the empty place where love should be.

art is a beautiful lie that makes people see the truth*

pickett's charge was the civil war's equivalent of a dramatic, high-stakes gamble, a bold throw of the dice in the smoky haze of battle. it was the centerpiece of the battle of gettysburg, taking place on july 3, 1863, and remains one of the most infamous military maneuvers in american history.

imagine it as a grand yet tragic theatrical act in three parts:

the buildup: confederate general robert e. lee decided to stake everything on breaking the union lines after two days of inconclusive fighting. he ordered nearly 12,500 men to march across open fields towards a well-fortified enemy.

the assault: led by major general george pickett and other division commanders, this massive infantry advance stretched over a mile wide. as they moved, the union artillery and rifle fire tore into them, creating a storm of lead and iron.

the aftermath: the charge reached the union lines but faltered under overwhelming defensive fire. it ended in devastating losses for the confederates, marking a turning point in the war and symbolizing the high cost of lee's gamble.

pickett's charge was a poignant example of courage and catastrophe intertwined, a bold stride that ended in retreat, influencing the fate of the nation. it's a historical moment that encapsulates the desperation and the decisive nature of battle choices in the crucible of war.

(see: battle of gettysburg)

liquid glass is a new design language and visual effect that enhances the system's interface with fluid, glass-like transparency, depth, and responsiveness. it builds on apple's legacy of skeuomorphic and flat design by merging real-time light refraction, layered translucency, and dynamic blur effects to create a visually immersive experience.

liquid glass is used across system elements like control center, notifications, widgets, and app backgrounds. it responds to environmental lighting and device motion, making the ui feel more tactile and alive. unlike previous versions of transparency effects, liquid glass adds a subtle parallax and shimmering layer, giving the impression of looking through curved, polished glass.

key characteristics:
• realistic translucency that adapts to context and background content
• depth-aware rendering, giving layers a natural hierarchy
• dynamic light interaction that reacts to ambient light and gestures
• battery-efficient implementation using apple's metal and core animation frameworks