right-wing man who apparently thinks wet p-word is a medical condition. regularly humiliates himself in the public eye. (see: wap)

the color of nobility and aristocracy.

thomas nast was a 20-year-old german immigrant when the civil war began. he first became famous as an artist for harper's weekly with a drawing called "emancipation," which showed what life might be like for freed slaves. but nast is most remembered for his later work. from the mid-1860s to the 1880s, nast drew editorial cartoons to attack political corruption. he also created the elephant symbol for the republican party and the democrats' donkey. and it was nast's drawings of santa claus as the jolly, red-suited figure handing out gifts from his sleigh that gave the world the modern image we know today.

alvin york was one of the most famous american war heroes of world war 1. born in 1887 in tennessee, he was drafted into the army in 1918. he soon proved himself noteworthy among the 17 soldiers sent to infiltrate german lines and capture a machine gun position. after many on his team died in the confrontation, he singlehandedly captured the gun, killing several german soldiers. the german officer in charge of the gun surrendered, and york marched more than 130 german soldiers back to his camp as prisoners of war. he was lauded as a national hero and earned the medal of honor. after the war, some businessmen purchased a farm for york and his family in tennessee, where he lived until his death in 1964. his story was made into a film sergeant york in 1941.

one of the greatest –nobel prize winner– american authors. his letter to his son on love is as fascinating as his novels.

--spoiler--
...and don't worry about losing. if it is right, it happens — the main thing is not to hurry. nothing good gets away.
--spoiler--

dear thom:

we had your letter this morning. i will answer it from my point of view and of course elaine will from hers.

first — if you are in love — that's a good thing — that's about the best thing that can happen to anyone. don't let anyone make it small or light to you.

second — there are several kinds of love. one is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. this is the ugly and crippling kind. the other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. the first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn't know you had.

you say this is not puppy love. if you feel so deeply — of course it isn't puppy love.

but i don't think you were asking me what you feel. you know better than anyone. what you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that i can tell you.

glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

the object of love is the best and most beautiful. try to live up to it.

if you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

it sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

lastly, i know your feeling because i have it and i'm glad you have it.

we will be glad to meet susan. she will be very welcome. but elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. she knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than i can.

and don't worry about losing. if it is right, it happens — the main thing is not to hurry. nothing good gets away.

love,

fa

very expensive sports car manufactured only in 1981 and 1982, became a symbol of new wealth in the 1980s.

between 1978 and 1995, ted kaczynski, also known as the unabomber, used homemade bombs to attack universities and airlines. he targeted educational and technological institutions because he thought technological advancement would destroy the human race. his bombs killed three people and injured 23 others. the fbi spent more than $50 million trying to capture the 53-year-old harvard graduate. it was not until his brother contacted authorities that the fbi finally located him in a shack in western montana. kaczynski eventually confessed and pleaded guilty to all charges.

the current president of the united states. to me, he is a complete disappointment.

bella and gigi hadid's great-great-grandfather ruled parts of palestine in the 18th century.
article link

(see: #849)

the 21/90 rule states that it takes 21 days to make a habit and 90 days to make it a permanent lifestyle change.

ethereum is a solution looking for a problem.

gerrymandering is the practice of manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to favor one political party or group over another. this can be done in various ways, such as packing voters of one party into a single district, cracking the supporters of a particular party across multiple districts or shifting the boundaries in a way that benefits a particular candidate or party.

for example, let's say a state has a population of 50% democrats and 50% republicans. if the party in power redraws the district lines in a way that packs all the democrats into a few districts and spreads out the republicans over the remaining districts, they can essentially ensure that their party wins a majority of the seats in that state, even though they don't have a majority of the overall votes.

another example of gerrymandering is racial gerrymandering, which involves redistricting in a way that diminishes the voting power of racial or ethnic minorities. for instance, if a state has a large population of latino voters, and the district boundaries are redrawn in a way that divides them across multiple districts, their voting power is diluted and their ability to elect a representative who truly represents their interests is severely impacted.

gerrymandering can have significant consequences for the political process, including reduced competition, decreased voter turnout, and the disenfranchisement of minority voters. it can also lead to the election of representatives who are not truly representative of the interests of their constituents.

efforts to combat gerrymandering include initiatives like independent redistricting commissions, which aim to take the power of redistricting out of the hands of politicians and ensure that districts are drawn fairly and with the best interests of voters in mind.

in summary, gerrymandering is a practice that involves manipulating the boundaries of electoral districts to benefit a particular political party or group, often at the expense of minority groups or fair representation. efforts to combat gerrymandering aim to promote fair and competitive elections and ensure that districts are drawn in a way that truly reflects the will of the people.

siamese cats are a breed originating from the siam region in thailand, southeast asia, where they were fed and regarded as sacred in holy temples. they take their name directly from siam. their most distinguishing features are a black face, ears, and paws, with the rest of the coat in white or cream tones, and typically striking bright blue eyes.

they are a short-haired breed. the long-haired variety is known as the balinese. all of these lines are pure and natural, and several other breeds stem from them: himalayan, oriental, tonkinese, balinese, and havana.

extremely friendly and playful, siamese rank high on the cat intelligence scale. their temperament is calm and affectionate, and they love to play.

their average lifespan is 8–15 years, with weights ranging from 2–8 kg.

traditional (or "applehead") siamese have long bodies and noses. the shorter-bodied, smaller-nosed type was developed later in america and is commonly referred to as the modern siamese.

they're my favorite cat breed: they chatter constantly, always demanding attention, yet they're incredibly smart and affectionate bundles of fur. one of their most curious traits is that their coat color darkens when it's cooler and lightens when it's warmer. in terms of feline intelligence, they're definitely in the top three—some individuals can astonish you with their cleverness.

stoicism is more than an ancient philosophy. it is a toolkit for modern life. it began in athens around 300 bce with zeno of citium and later grew in rome through the words of seneca, epictetus, and marcus aurelius. the central idea is simple: we cannot control the world, but we can always control how we respond to it. that is where true strength and freedom live.

“we suffer more often in imagination than in reality.” seneca
“it is not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” epictetus
“you have power over your mind, not outside events. realize this, and you will find strength.” marcus aurelius