james choice

a coup attept.

this isn't a legal case, it's entirely political. erdogan knows he would lose against this man, so he's doing everything he can, even illegally, to block imamoglu. erdogan likely won't enter an election he knows he'll lose and won't allow power to change hands through democratic means. imageimageimageimageimageimage

adolescence on netflix: a brutal look at family, trauma, and guilt

"adolescence" is not your typical coming-of-age story. it delivers real-time storytelling that makes you feel the tension and stress alongside the characters. what sets it apart? the central figure isn't the child — it's the father. the show is divided into four episodes, each mirroring the four stages of trauma: shock, denial, blame, and acceptance.

--spoiler--
episode 1 – shock and denial
the father is shaken to his core when his son is accused of murder. his immediate reaction is to defend him — because his son couldn't be a killer, right? he refuses to believe it, convinced that there's some mistake.

episode 2 – blame
the second episode pulls back from the crime and examines the larger social picture. the focus shifts to how the education system and generational disconnect create pressure on kids. the show explores how children face emotional neglect, peer pressure, and a brutal survival hierarchy where bullying becomes a form of dominance. kids who are bullied either shut themselves off from the world or form fragile alliances with other outcasts — a bond that, when broken, leaves them vulnerable and isolated. this isolation and sense of rejection pushes them toward destructive behavior. the lack of connection with parents and the feeling of being unseen create a dangerous emotional void.

episode 3 – adaptation
by the third episode, the child begins to adapt to his circumstances. he grows into his anger and aggression, developing a defensive arrogance that shields him from guilt. he starts blaming everyone but himself — his parents, his peers, the system. the psychologist working with him focuses on deep-rooted issues in his upbringing, suggesting that the parents are to blame for the way he turned out. the father remains loyal to his son despite everything — a reflection of subconscious guilt and a desperate need to protect him.

episode 4 – acceptance and atonement
in the final episode, the child confronts what he's done. he accepts himself for who he is and confesses to the crime — not out of guilt, but as a way of reclaiming his identity and taking control of his narrative. it's less about remorse and more about owning his darkest truth. the father, meanwhile, faces his own guilt. he realizes that he failed his son as a parent, that he made critical mistakes, and that he's partially responsible for what happened. rather than run from it, he chooses to stay in town, fully aware that he'll live under a cloud of suspicion and judgment for the rest of his life. he accepts this as his punishment.

the weight of reality
some viewers have called the show "slow" — but that's the point. a police interrogation that only lasts an hour feels like it drags on for eternity because it's so emotionally charged. the audience feels the weight of the process because the show forces you to sit in the discomfort. it's uncomfortable because it's so real — the kind of nightmare any parent could face.

in the last episode, the family's emotional state is laid bare. they grieve and blame themselves in silence, trying to hold it together. no one wants to be the first to crack, because if one person breaks, the whole fragile structure could collapse. months later, they act like life has returned to normal — but you can sense the tension. a single crack could shatter them forever.

this isn't a show about fantasy or melodrama. it's a brutal, realistic examination of guilt, trauma, and the fallout of a single violent act. the natural dialogue and understated performances make it feel like you're watching real life unfold through a hidden camera. after seeing something this raw, it's hard not to reflect on the distance between reality and the polished fiction we usually see on screen.
--spoiler--

tesla's grip on the european ev market just took a serious hit. in january, the company sold only 9,900 units—a staggering 45% drop compared to the same time last year. its market share shrank from 1.8% to just 1%.

this decline comes as ceo elon musk doubles down on his controversial political stances in europe, including backing germany's far-right afd and clashing with the eu. meanwhile, overall ev sales in europe surged by 37%, with chinese automaker saic leading the charge.

elon musk’s twitter takeover was one wild ride! it all started back in april 2022 when musk revealed he’d bought a 9.2% stake in twitter, making him the largest shareholder. people were shocked, wondering what his plan was. soon after, twitter’s ceo announced musk would join the board, but then, in true musk fashion, he changed his mind and decided not to join. this left everyone guessing his next move.

not long after, musk dropped a bombshell by offering to buy twitter outright for $54.20 per share, valuing the company at about $44 billion. he said twitter needed to go private to become a true platform for free speech. to fund this massive deal, musk planned to use $21 billion of his own money and got banks to pitch in with $25.5 billion in loans.

twitter’s board wasn’t too keen on this idea initially and put up a “poison pill” defense to stop musk from easily taking over. but as the days went by, they eventually caved in and accepted his offer, probably because the shareholders liked the 38% premium on their shares.

then things started getting messy. musk suddenly announced that the deal was “on hold” because he was worried about the number of fake accounts on twitter. this threw the whole deal into doubt, and some people thought musk was just looking for an excuse to get out or lower the price.

things escalated when musk said he wanted to pull out of the deal, claiming twitter wasn’t being transparent about the number of bots. twitter wasn’t having any of it and took him to court in delaware to force him to go through with the buyout.

just as they were gearing up for a big court battle in october, musk did another 180. he decided to go ahead with the purchase at the original price. by the end of october 2022, the deal was done. musk took over twitter, fired top execs like the ceo and cfo, and immediately started making big changes. he laid off about half the workforce, relaxed some content moderation rules, and even hinted at turning twitter into an “everything app” called x.

now, with a massive debt to handle and some big changes to twitter’s direction, the platform is in a pretty uncertain spot. musk’s moves have made waves, and it’s still unclear where he’ll take twitter (now x) next. it’s been a rollercoaster, and the ride isn’t over yet!

has become one of twitter's biggest shareholders (slightly bigger than 9% stake).

mesa selimovic was born in tuzla (then part of the kingdom of yugoslavia), selimovic was educated in philosophy and literature. his experiences during world war ii, when he joined the partisans (the yugoslav resistance movement), had a profound effect on his worldview.

writing style: selimovic's prose is often introspective, nuanced, and laced with philosophical musings. rather than focusing solely on action-driven plots, he meditates on the nature of identity, freedom, and moral dilemmas.

literary significance: he is widely regarded as one of the greatest bosnian authors, praised for merging local balkan storytelling traditions with universal existential concerns.

why is he important?
psychological depth: selimovic's works delve into his characters' inner lives, revealing profound moral and psychological struggles.

cultural reflection: his novels are deeply rooted in the cultural and historical contexts of bosnia and herzegovina, capturing the region's social fabric, multi-ethnic heritage, and ottoman legacy.

universal themes: while his settings are often geographically and historically specific, selimovic's reflections on power, justice, and self-realization transcend cultural boundaries.

notable works
death and the dervish, 1966
revolves around a dervish (a member of a sufi muslim ascetic order) named ahmed nurudin. he grapples with the imprisonment of his brother by ottoman authorities.

the novel depicts moral quandaries about loyalty, revenge, faith, and the cost of remaining silent. it's often described as a metaphor for living under repressive regimes.

considered selimovic's masterpiece, it presents a philosophical journey examining how fear and power structures corrode personal integrity.

the fortress, 1970
taking place in an ottoman-era balkan town, this story follows a soldier returning from war, struggling to reintegrate into society.

the tension between personal faith and social expectations, the complexities of love and marriage, and the haunting after-effects of war.

alongside death and the dervish, this novel cemented selimovic's reputation for blending historical context with enduring questions about belonging and identity.

keith sapsford was a 14-year-old australian boy whose tragic curiosity led to one of the most haunting accidental deaths in aviation history. in 1970, driven by an adventurous spirit and a longing to see the world, he snuck into the wheel well of a japan airlines plane at sydney airport. as the aircraft ascended, the compartment door opened mid-flight, and he fell to his death from 200 feet.

ernest shackleton was a prominent british polar explorer renowned for his leadership in the heroic age of antarctic exploration. born in 1874 in county kildare, ireland, shackleton moved to london at a young age. his adventurous spirit led him to join the merchant navy, where he quickly climbed the ranks and developed a fascination with exploration.

shackleton's legacy is largely defined by his leadership in the 1901 discovery expedition and, more notably, the 1907-1909 nimrod expedition, where he and his team set a new record by reaching the latitude of 88 degrees south, just 97 nautical miles from the south pole. this expedition was notable not only for its near success in reaching the pole but also for the spirit of endurance and courage that shackleton instilled in his crew.

however, it is his 1914-1916 imperial trans-antarctic expedition aboard the ship endurance for which shackleton is most remembered. this expedition aimed to achieve the first land crossing of antarctica. the endurance became trapped in pack ice and was eventually crushed, leading shackleton and his crew on a harrowing saga of survival. displaying extraordinary leadership, shackleton led all 28 of his men on a perilous journey over ice and open sea to safety. notably, he managed to keep his crew motivated and alive for over 500 days in the brutal conditions of the antarctic, a testament to his remarkable skills in crisis management and leadership.

shackleton's approach to leadership, characterized by his commitment to his crew's welfare and morale, his capacity to adapt to changing circumstances, and his unyielding perseverance, has become a model in both leadership studies and popular culture. his ability to foster deep loyalty and optimism among his men under the most adverse conditions is often cited as a benchmark of great leadership.

despite his financial troubles and less successful later ventures, shackleton's exploits during the heroic age of exploration have immortalized him as a model of courage and endurance against overwhelming odds. his final expedition, the quest, ended with his death in 1922 from a heart attack while his ship was moored in south georgia. yet, ernest shackleton's legacy lives on, inspiring not only future explorers but also leaders in all fields who seek to embody his indomitable spirit.

socrates believed that the only true wisdom is the knowledge of one's own ignorance. he believed that he was the "wisest" person because, unlike others who claimed to know things that they did not truly understand, he was aware of his own ignorance and was constantly seeking knowledge and understanding.

socrates believed that by acknowledging his own ignorance, he was better able to question and challenge the beliefs of others, and thus more likely to discover true wisdom. this idea is known as the socratic paradox.

in his famous apology, socrates says "i am conscious that i am not wise at all. what is probably happening is that those who meet me take me to be wise because i really do differ from the majority of mankind in that i do not think that i know what i do not know."

so in summary, socrates believed that he was the most wise because of his awareness and acknowledgement of his own ignorance, and his constant questioning and pursuit of knowledge.

if you know you know.

if i’ve learned anything from my major, and if all the articles and research have taught me a bit about social science, it’s that it is impossible for him to win the election.

(see: 2020 united states general election)

for those of y'all wondering why this keeps popping up everywhere:

so, this girl haliey welch is out with her friend in tennessee, hitting up the nightlife. they've been drinking blue lagoon cocktails, they're buzzed, and their tongues are blue.

the interviewer asks her, "what's one move in bed that makes a man go crazy every time?" and she gives this viral response:

"oh you got to give him that hawk tuah, spit on that thang"

and then, everyone just bursts out laughing.

her instagram tiktok

the hawk tuah girl.
(see: hawk tuah)

karl marx was a philosopher, economist, and revolutionary who is known for his contributions to the field of sociology and his critique of capitalism. marx is best known for his ideas about class conflict, the labor theory of value, and the concept of historical materialism, which posits that the development of societies and economies is driven by changes in the means of production.

marx introduced a number of important terms and concepts that have had a lasting impact on literature and intellectual thought. some of the most notable terms and concepts introduced by marx include:

alienation: the idea that individuals are separated from their own humanity and from the products of their labor as a result of the capitalist mode of production.

class: a group of individuals who share a common economic position in society and who are united by their common interests.

class consciousness: the awareness that individuals have of their own class position and the ways in which it shapes their lives.

dialectical materialism: a method of understanding social and economic phenomena that involves the synthesis of opposing forces or ideas through the process of conflict and resolution.

exploitation: the act of using or manipulating someone or something for one's own advantage, often at the expense of others.

historical materialism: the idea that the development of societies and economies is driven by changes in the means of production.

labor theory of value: the idea that the value of a product is determined by the amount of labor required to produce it.

proletariat: the class of wage-earning workers in a capitalist society.

surplus value: the difference between the value of a product and the cost of the labor required to produce it.

these terms and concepts introduced by marx have had a significant impact on literature and intellectual thought, and they continue to be widely studied and debated to this day.

the term "redneck" has a complex and varied history, and its meaning has evolved over time. originally, the term was used to describe poor, white farmers in the southern united states who had sunburned necks from working long hours in the sun.

in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the term "redneck" was sometimes used as a derogatory term for white people who supported populist or labor movements, particularly in the southern states. it was also used to describe poor, rural whites who were seen as uneducated and uncultured.

during the mid-1900s, the term "redneck" began to take on a more specific meaning, referring to working-class white people who were perceived as conservative, rural, and often politically reactionary. this usage became more common in the 1960s and 1970s, during the civil rights movement and the vietnam war, when the term was often used to describe white southerners who opposed social and political change.

today, the term "redneck" is still used in a variety of ways. some people use it as a term of pride, celebrating their rural heritage and working-class roots. others use it as an insult, suggesting that someone is uneducated, close-minded, or backwards. overall, the meaning of the term "redneck" is complex and multifaceted, and it continues to evolve in response to changing social and political contexts.