a piercing through the cartilage of the upper ear, usually worn with a stud or hoop

less tolerant.

"a clumsy and easily frightened animal. some can even be the size of a human being. in fact, at first glance, they even look like humans. the grip of his claws is weak. he is incapable of climbing hills, and comes down a slope by sliding (frequently falling as he does so). he has almost no hair on his body; he has large eyes but weak sight, which is why he cannot see danger from a distance."

(see: the disconnected)

narcissism means excessive interest in or admiration of oneself and one's physical appearance. people with lots of facebook friends more likely to be narcissists.

when the new congress met in 1789, james madison proposed several amendments to the constitution. as well as being inspired by the virginia declaration of rights created by anti-federalist george mason, the amendments included proposals from state representatives. congress approved the ten amendments to the constitution, which were named the bill of rights.

the first four amendments listed the individual rights of americans, such as freedom of speech, freedom of the press, and freedom of religion the next four were protections of people who were arrested. the ninth amendment stated that other rights of the people were also protected even though they weren't listed, and the tenth said that powers not given to the government belonged to the states or to the people.

a well-known historian, author from israel. explains everything like you are five. his books can be used as a good incentive in order to encourage high-school students about history.

the cancer of today's world.

2006:
google buys youtube for $1.65 billion.

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

founders

he championed abolishing the 15th amendment (the right of citizens of the united states to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the united states or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude).

"know thyself" is a phrase from ancient greek philosophy, attributed to the philosopher socrates. it is considered one of the delphic maxims, and inscribed in the forecourt of the temple of apollo at delphi. the phrase means to understand one's own nature and capabilities, and to be aware of one's own limitations. in other words, it is a call to self-awareness and self-knowledge.

"simp" is a term used to describe a man who is overly attentive, affectionate, or submissive towards a woman, often with the hope of winning her affection or approval.

here's a funny example:

imagine a guy, let's call him dave, who has a huge crush on his coworker, jane. dave is always going out of his way to do things for jane, like buying her coffee every morning, offering to help her with work projects, and complimenting her on everything she does. he even starts wearing clothes that he thinks jane will like, and changes his hairstyle to match hers.

one day, jane needs someone to water her plants while she's out of town, and dave jumps at the opportunity. he spends hours carefully watering each plant, talking to them as if they were his own children, and even sings to them. when jane returns and sees how well her plants have been cared for, she thanks dave and gives him a hug.

at that moment, dave's heart swells with joy and he thinks to himself, "this is it! she's finally going to realize how much i care about her!"

but then jane pulls away and says, "you're such a good friend, dave. you're like a little plant-sitting simp!"

and that, my friends, is a funny example of a simp in action.

it's becoming increasingly clear that the u.s. is undergoing a serious shift in its relationship with the world. this shift is showing up in several ways:
1. the gradual dismantling of interventionist tools like usaid.
2. marco rubio openly admitting that the world has moved to a multipolar structure with multiple major powers and that the post-wwii global order is not just outdated but is now being used as a weapon against the u.s. itself.
3. tariffs on so-called "allies" like mexico, canada, and the eu.

this signals the end of the u.s. trying to run the world. the message is clear: everyone is on their own now. we're just another major power, not the "indispensable nation."

if you're still stuck in the old paradigm, this might seem reckless (even the wall street journal called it that). but assuming any country's actions are just dumb is always a mistake.

hegemony was always going to end at some point. the u.s. is simply choosing to end it on its own terms. this is america actively shaping the post-american world order it once created.

seen from this angle, even tariffs on allies make sense. because this isn't just about economics—it's about redefining what "ally" even means. the u.s. no longer wants vassals, or maybe it just can't afford them anymore. instead, it's opting for relationships based on immediate interests, not long-term obligations.

you could see this as a collapse—because it does look like the end of the american empire. but it could also be a strategy to avoid an even bigger collapse: withdrawing from imperial commitments in a controlled way to focus on core national interests, rather than facing a chaotic retreat later.

either way, the era is over. the trump administration may have looked chaotic to many observers, but they likely understood these shifting realities far better than their predecessors. recognizing multipolarity and learning to operate within it makes a lot more sense than clinging to an increasingly expensive global hegemony. it looks messy, but it's a far better option than maintaining an illusion of dominance that was never sustainable.

none of this means the u.s. will stop creating chaos worldwide. it might even become more aggressive. the difference is that, before, it at least pretended to uphold a "rules-based order"—however hypocritically. now, it doesn't even need to fake it. no more obligations, not even the appearance of restraint.

the american empire is ending. but the u.s. isn't going anywhere. it will remain a major and destructive force on the global stage.

this shift might be the biggest transformation in international relations since the collapse of the soviet union. and the ones least prepared for it—something that's already becoming painfully obvious—are the vassals that depended on the u.s. for decades.

because the patron they once relied on now just sees them as negotiable bargaining chips.

america's satellites are now on their own. and for smaller countries in northern europe and asia, this might look like a disaster. but it was never sustainable in the first place.

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it's the unfortunate, clumsy name for a tiny clump of poop that gets stuck in body hair near the butt. it's a word my wife taught me.

a reality-bending force of fame who turned selfies, scandals, and shapewear into a billion-dollar empire. proof that in the age of algorithms, influence > inheritance.

synonyms: mogul, muse, meme generator