i wish i wrote the way i thought
obsessively
incessantly
with maddening hunger
i’d write to the point of suffocation
i’d write myself into nervous breakdowns
manuscripts spiralling out like tentacles into abysmal nothing
and i’d write about you
a lot more
than i should

- benedict smith

is a refusal to buy from or deal with another person, company, or nation.

is a ban on trade with another nation.

at the end of the spanish-american war, the united states had acquired the philippines and hawaii. this made the nation a major power in the pacific. the navy now needed to find a way to move ships from the west coast to the east coast that was more efficient than going around the tip of south america. the solution was to build a canal — a waterway connecting two bodies of water - across central america to join the atlantic ocean and the pacific ocean.

in 1903, a revolution in panama gave the country its independence from colombia. president roosevelt now had the opportunity he needed to acquire a route for the canal, since the isthmus of panama is the narrowest piece of land in the americas. the u.s. government instantly recognized the new government of panama and signed a treaty that gave the united states a ten-mile-wide "canal zone" in exchange for a fee of $10 million and an annual payment of $250,000.

(see: american civil war)

ruled as dictator of the soviet union from 1924 until his death in 1953. he maintained his grip on power by murdering his political opponents and repressing any segments of the population that he considered disloyal.

google has been rolling out a new feature that aims to alert users about earthquakes instantly. earthquake alerts explained

after awhile you could get used to anything.

twitter was acquired by elon musk for approximately $44billion, with shares valued at $54.20.

solipsism is a philosophical idea that holds that the individual self is the only thing that can be known to exist, and that all external reality, including other minds, is uncertain and cannot be known. this idea is based on the concept that the self is the only thing that can be experienced directly, and that all external reality must be inferred from the evidence of the senses. this leads to the conclusion that the external world, including other minds, may not actually exist at all, and that the individual self is the only thing that can be known with certainty. this philosophy is often criticized for being overly skeptical and for ignoring the evidence of our senses and the existence of other people.

droit du seigneur, also known as "the right of the first night," was a feudal practice in medieval europe in which a lord or nobleman had the right to sleep with a subordinate woman on her wedding night. the lord or nobleman would typically demand that the woman spend the night with him before consummating her marriage with her husband. this practice was considered a privilege of the feudal lord and was often enforced through intimidation or force.

although there is some debate among historians as to whether the droit du seigneur was ever actually practiced, it has been immortalized in literature and popular culture. one of the most famous examples is in the play "the marriage of figaro" by pierre beaumarchais, which was later adapted into the opera "the barber of seville" by gioachino rossini. in the play, the character of count almaviva attempts to exercise his right of the first night with figaro's fiancee, susanna, but is ultimately foiled by the clever schemes of the other characters.

another example of droit du seigneur can be seen in the legend of robin hood. according to some versions of the legend, robin hood's love interest, maid marian, was to be married to the sheriff of nottingham, who planned to exercise his right of the first night with her. robin hood intervenes and saves maid marian from the sheriff's clutches, leading to their eventual marriage.

in modern times, the droit du seigneur is widely regarded as a myth or a cultural trope rather than a historical fact. however, it continues to be referenced in popular culture and serves as a symbol of the abuses of power and privilege that have occurred throughout history.

men fall in love with what they see, and women fall in love with what they hear. that's why men lie and women wear makeup.

a direct vote in which the entire electorate is invited to accept or reject a particular proposal, law, or policy. referendums are often used to decide on constitutional changes, independence, or major national issues.

the term originates from latin referendum, meaning "something to be brought back," and was first used in political contexts in the 18th century. the earliest modern use of referendums can be traced back to switzerland, where they became a key tool for direct democracy.

historical example:
– the 2016 brexit referendum, where uk citizens voted to leave the european union, impacting global politics.
– switzerland, known for its frequent referendums, has conducted hundreds to decide on various national policies. switzerland holds the record for the most referendums conducted globally, making it a pioneer of direct democracy.

the new deal was the u.s. government's huge "oh shit" response to the great depression in the 1930s. when the stock market crashed in 1929, unemployment hit nearly 25%, banks were collapsing left and right, and people were literally lining up for bread. fdr (franklin d. roosevelt), who became president in 1933, rolled out the new deal as an emergency playbook to save the economy and calm the chaos.

triffin dilemma is one of those economic paradoxes that still mess with global finance.

here’s the deal: when one country’s currency becomes the world’s reserve (like the us dollar), that country has to run trade deficits to supply enough dollars to the world. but running deficits long-term weakens trust in that currency.

it’s a no-win situation. triffin spotted this back in the 1960s with bretton woods. it’s part of why that system collapsed.