one of two major universities located in nevada, united states. home of the wolf pack. situated in northwest reno, the university boasts high-quality education at pretty low cost. the orvis school of nursing and the reynolds school of journalism are two of the most popular programs in the university and are highly praised.

etymologically, alcohol is derived from arabic => al-kuhl

in turkey, it is known as the mother of evils*

they were young boys who sold newspapers to earn money - instead of going to school. image

eddie rickenbacker was a businessman and race car driver before he joined the american expeditionary force (aef) to fly combat planes in france. he was america's top "ace" in the aef because of his 26 "scores"-enemy planes he shot down. rickenbacker received both the french croix de guerre award and the congressional medal of honor.

an app that connects blind people and sighted people through their smart devices. official website

a form of electronic money that exists solely as encrypted data on servers—is announced. the first transaction took place in january 2009.

it starts the moment you accept the truth.

the most underrated tv series. it's on hbo max

the chaos theory is a branch of mathematics that studies the behavior of dynamic systems that are highly sensitive to initial conditions, also known as the butterfly effect. this means that small differences in initial conditions can lead to significantly different outcomes over time.

one example of the chaos theory in action is the behavior of a pendulum. if a pendulum is set in motion, it will swing back and forth in a predictable pattern. however, if the initial push is slightly off, the pendulum will start to swing in a slightly different pattern. as time goes on, the differences in the swing become more and more pronounced, eventually leading to completely different behaviors.

another example of the chaos theory is the prediction of weather patterns. small differences in temperature and air pressure can lead to significantly different weather patterns, making it difficult to accurately predict the weather more than a few days in advance.

overall, the chaos theory helps to explain why it is often difficult to predict the long-term behavior of complex systems, even when we have a good understanding of the individual components of the system.

the 2023 israel-hamas war, also referred to as "operation iron swords" by israel, and as the "battle of seif al-quds" by hamas, marked a significant and deadly escalation in the long-standing israeli-palestinian conflict. this conflict has deep historical roots, primarily revolving around territorial, national, and religious disputes between israelis and palestinians.

the immediate events leading to the war began on october 7, 2023, when hamas launched a large-scale attack on southern israel from the gaza strip. this attack involved gunmen entering israeli territory, resulting in significant casualties and hostages being taken back to gaza. in response, israel launched extensive military airstrikes and a ground invasion aimed at neutralizing hamas' military capabilities and recovering hostages.

historically, the gaza strip has been a focal point of conflict. hamas, which governs gaza, is designated as a terrorist organization by israel, the united states, and the european union, among others. it took control of gaza in 2007, following its victory in the 2006 palestinian legislative elections and subsequent conflicts with the fatah party. the israeli government has since imposed blockades on gaza, citing the need to limit hamas' ability to arm itself. these blockades, coupled with repeated cycles of conflict, have led to significant humanitarian issues in gaza.

the broader historical context includes the establishment of israel in 1948, subsequent arab-israeli wars, and ongoing disputes over territories and the rights of palestinians and israelis. various peace efforts over the decades, including the oslo accords in the 1990s, have attempted to address these issues but have largely failed to achieve a lasting resolution.

the 2023 conflict has been marked by extensive military operations, significant casualties on both sides, and widespread international concern over the humanitarian impact, particularly in gaza. efforts by other countries and international organizations to mediate have continued, but the situation remains highly volatile and deeply complex.

imagine this guy named chad who thinks he knows everything. he's got this unshakeable confidence, and he just can't resist explaining things, especially to women, even when they already know it—or worse, when they're experts. that's mansplaining in a nutshell.

picture tech savvy tammy, a software engineer with a decade of experience. chad, who just read a beginner's guide to coding, starts telling her how to write a basic program. tammy's internal monologue is probably something like, "thanks, chad. i only do this for a living."

then there's fitness fiona, a personal trainer. she's at the gym, working out, and chad strolls over to show her the 'correct' way to do a squat. fiona's response is a polite smile, but inside, she's imagining hitting chad with a kettlebell.

or take history buff hannah, who has a ph.d. in history. at a party, chad starts explaining world war ii to her as if she's never heard of it. hannah nods along, all the while thinking, "is this guy for real?"

and don't forget guitar goddess gwen, who's been playing guitar for fifteen years and is in a band. chad, who just picked up a guitar last week, starts showing her how to play a chord. gwen's like, "oh really, chad? tell me more about this g chord."

the best part about mansplaining is chad's unshakeable belief that he's bestowing valuable knowledge upon the unenlightened. meanwhile, the women on the receiving end are caught between wanting to laugh and wanting to sigh deeply.

so, mansplaining is when a guy explains something in a condescending way to a woman, assuming she doesn't know it, even if she's an expert. it's like chad believes it's his duty to educate everyone, even when they don't need—or want—his 'wisdom.'

in the 18th century, under the personal initiatives of peter the great, a significant wave of westernization swept through russia. the country began adapting western ideas in philosophy, art, and science. russia pursued urbanization and industrialization through a top-down, state-led approach, and these changes significantly influenced art and literature, offering these fields new opportunities.

the unique conditions of russia blended with western thought to create a distinctive synthesis, carrying both material and spiritual elements. the most striking urban symbol of this synthesis is st. petersburg. it is no coincidence that many of russia's most iconic works of art and literature were created by artists and novelists living in this city, built entirely on a swamp with distinctly western architecture. writers like pushkin, gogol, and dostoevsky produced their extraordinary works in st. petersburg, not only because it was a center of the russian empire but because it represented the intersection of local russian culture and western influence. for the same reason, st. petersburg played a pivotal role in the literary careers of turgenev and tolstoy.

the "virtuous yet free" 19th century

in short, russian literature, which produced some of the world's greatest novelists and classics, achieved these feats in just one century and within almost a single city: 19th-century st. petersburg. the 20th-century russian novelist vladimir nabokov, himself born in st. petersburg, attributed another reason to this concentration of literary brilliance: the "incompetence" of 19th-century russian censors.

according to nabokov, the state censors of 19th-century russia were quick to ban obscene works but often failed to understand subtle political allusions, leaving such writings untouched. while this forced russian authors to write their novels in a "chaste" manner, it also granted them considerable freedom to explore political and social ideas.

the decline in the 20th century

the inability of this great literary tradition to sustain itself in the 20th century was largely due to the changing political system. the new soviet regime adopted a highly intrusive and pragmatic approach, controlling nearly every aspect of society.

following the 1917 revolution, the censorship mechanisms of the ussr became far more sophisticated, complex, and educated compared to those of the russian empire. literature was now subordinated to the needs of the system, and the idea of "art for art's sake" was wholly replaced by the motto "art for the people." any attempt to challenge this new motto was harshly banned or exiled.

in such a stifling environment, the only widely recognized 20th-century russian authors were system opponents like boris pasternak and vladimir nabokov, who wrote their works abroad. as a result, when most readers think of russian literature today, they typically refer to its 19th-century achievements.

"the best" in 23,000 pages

nabokov, who taught literature for many years at cornell university in the u.s. and achieved fame with his novel lolita, focused exclusively on the 19th century in his lectures on russian literature. he claimed that the finest examples of russian prose and poetry collectively amounted to only 23,000 pages—a relatively small volume compared to european and american literature, yet substantial enough to stand alongside them. in his book lectures on russian literature, nabokov's canon includes pushkin, gogol, turgenev, dostoevsky, tolstoy, chekhov, and gorky, suggesting that russian literature is essentially defined by these figures.

admiration and resentment

nabokov ranked these authors in order of greatness: tolstoy as the greatest, followed by gogol, chekhov, and turgenev. dostoevsky, conspicuously absent from this list, was the subject of nabokov's peculiar disdain. throughout his lectures, nabokov referred to dostoevsky as a mediocre writer whose works, in his view, lacked artistic value. he famously wrote, "i can't wait to debunk dostoevsky," and described crime and punishment as a "cheap literary trick," notes from underground as "100% banal," the idiot as a "series of clumsy blows rather than an artist's touch," demons as a "play disguised as a novel," and the brothers karamazov as a "detective story in the guise of a novel" or a "peculiar vaudeville script."

dostoevsky's "best" work is his "worst"

ironically, nabokov considered dostoevsky's the double—widely regarded as one of his weakest works—to be his best, though he dismissed it as a mere imitation of gogol. nonetheless, many literary critics have argued that nabokov's lolita owes much to dostoevsky's a gentle creature, and that characters like humbert humbert in lolita were inspired by stavrogin in demons and svidrigailov in crime and punishment. this dynamic suggests that nabokov's complex relationship with dostoevsky, marked by both admiration and resentment, may have shaped his personal bias against him.

nabokov's genius

despite nabokov's overt hostility toward dostoevsky, the other sections of his lectures on russian literature, recently published in english, offer valuable insights and commentary. his brilliance permeates much of the book, captivating readers and igniting their curiosity. for seasoned readers of russian literature, the book provides a compelling perspective on the trajectory of 19th-century russian authors within the interplay of state, critics, and audiences. however, beginners may find its depth more challenging to navigate.

this may have permanently ended the possibility of fair and democratic elections in turkey.

basically, the washington consensus is the name for a set of economic policies that came out of washington, d.c., in the late 1980s. picture this: latin american countries were dealing with debt crises, inflation through the roof, and overall economic chaos. so, economists from places like the imf, world bank, and the u.s. treasury got together and said, "alright, here's the game plan to fix this."

the game plan boiled down to about ten policies, stuff like:
- cut government spending
- open up to international trade
- privatize state-owned companies
- encourage foreign investment
- deregulate industries
- keep taxes simpler and broader

the thinking was, if you let markets work freely, economies would stabilize and grow. in theory, it makes sense. in practice? mixed results.

some countries saw short-term growth and lower inflation. others ended up with higher unemployment, growing inequality, and economies that were basically built for foreign investors rather than local people. it often felt like the medicine was worse than the disease, especially when governments slashed spending on healthcare and education just to balance their books.

the name itself came from an economist named john williamson, who wrote it down as more of an observation than a commandment, but it took off because it perfectly described the economic "starter pack" washington was pushing at the time.

today, people use the term either as a neutral description of free-market reform or, more often, as a critique of globalization and how rich countries try to shape poorer ones in their image. if you ever hear someone complain about "neoliberalism," they're probably talking about some version of the washington consensus.

blind watchmaker is an idea popularized by richard dawkins in his book the blind watchmaker (1986). it builds on an older argument from william paley, who said that if you found a watch lying on the ground, you’d naturally assume it was made by a watchmaker, not just formed by chance. he used this to argue that the complexity of life must mean there’s a divine creator (a “watchmaker god”).

dawkins flipped this idea. he argued that evolution by natural selection can produce incredibly complex and functional systems without any conscious design. nature acts like a “blind watchmaker”: it builds intricate lifeforms, but it’s a totally unguided process. there’s no foresight, no intention, no plan. just random mutations filtered by survival and reproduction.

so when people say “blind watchmaker god,” they’re usually talking about how the natural world can look designed without needing an actual designer. evolution does the work, but it’s blind to any outcome.