What It’s Like Being a Teenage Girl in South Korea
I’m sixteen, which in Korea means I’m almost a finished product.
That’s how it feels, anyway. By your third year of high school, people start talking about your “specs”—test scores, clubs, volunteer hours—and your face like they’re items on the same checklist. At cram school, the girls trade math tips and moisturizer samples. On the group chat, we swap past exams and plastic-surgery clinic screenshots. When adults ask what I plan to do after graduation, they mean both college and whether I’ll “fix” anything. It’s said kindly, like asking if I’ve bought a new backpack.
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The Hundred Man Killing Contest: A Glimpse into the Abyss
There are some historical footnotes so grotesque, so infused with an almost cinematic evil, that you find yourself hoping they’ve been exaggerated—warped by time, lost in translation, or distorted by political motives. But then you look deeper. You follow the primary sources. You listen to the testimony. And suddenly, you’re no longer dealing with myth or rumor. You’re staring straight into the abyss of what humans are capable of under the right (or wrong) conditions.
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Want to Level Up? Stop Grinding and Start Evolving
Here’s a hard truth no one wants to hear:
You’re not stuck because you’re not working hard enough. You’re stuck because you keep trying to drag the old version of yourself into a future it was never built for.
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Linkage
Why the IRS Doesn’t Call You (And How to Spot a Scam) – Shield and Fortify
A Damn Fine Collection of Fascinating Photos – Ned Hardy
These are the only boxer briefs I wear. I haven’t had to replace a single one since I bought them a few years ago. Super durable! You might be able to find some deals elsewhere but these are totally worth it! – Amazon
Radiohead Announce First Tour in 7 Years – Pitchfork
Americans Lose Faith That Hard Work Leads to Economic Gains – WSJ
Fast food used to be a cheap meal option. Why has that changed? – USA Today
These scientists found Alzheimer’s in their genes. Here’s what they did next – NPR
Are You Financially Ready to Have a Baby? – Romper
Whatever Happened to Nicolette Scorsese from ‘National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation’? – Ned Hardy
An indispensable tool for anyone who uses charcoal. Simple, fast and reliable way to get fire started. Anybody who has ever used one will not go back to lighter fluid – Amazon
7 trips for 7 types of travelers – Lonely Planet
19 Of The Most Infamous ‘Plot Holes’ That The Movies Actually Explained, But The Audience Didn’t Notice – Bored Panda
How People Really Dressed in the 2000s: A Photographic Flashback – Rare Historical Photos
Do Actors Get Better With Age? A Statistical Analysis – StatSignificant
The Loophole Turning Stablecoins Into a Trillion-Dollar Fight – Archive.ph
Mapped: When Each Country Will Reach Its Population Peak – Visual Capitalist
To Be A Successful Landlord, Setting Expectations Is A Must – Financial Samurai
The Dumping Grounds
What’s It Like To Find Out That Your Child Isn’t Yours
Seventeen years.
That’s how long I’ve been with her. High school sweethearts. We grew up together. Fell in love when we were just kids. Got married when we found out she was pregnant. I didn’t hesitate. I loved her, and I already loved the life we were starting to build. I was proud to be her husband. Proud to be his father.
And I was happy. I swear to God, I was happy.
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Who Was Machiavelli and What Did He Believe?
There are historical figures who are misunderstood. Then there are those who are so deeply entangled in the mythology of their own name that the myth becomes the understanding. Niccolò Machiavelli is in the second camp. His name is shorthand for manipulation, deception, backstabbing, and political sociopathy—an entire worldview reduced to a sneer.
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The Soundtrack of Rock Bottom
There’s a sound that shouldn’t mean anything. It’s just birds. Just some sparrows or finches or whatever, fluttering around outside doing what birds have always done—singing in the morning. Most people hear it and smile. They stretch, yawn, maybe make coffee. Maybe they open a window and say something like “what a beautiful day.”
Linkage
A Look At The Past. At The Way Things Used To Be – Ned Hardy
This has been my keyboard for the last 5 years and I have absolutely no complaints about it. Does its job and does it well! – Amazon
My Family Went Off Ultra-Processed Foods for a Month. The Results Surprised Us. – WSJ
Targeting Iran’s Leaders, Israel Found a Weak Link: Their Bodyguards – NYT
Outbreaks of rabies seem to be rising across the U.S., CDC surveillance shows – NBC News
See the whole Universe at once in this unique logarithmic view – Big Think
30 Relatable Memes That Hit A Little Too Close To Home – Ned Hardy
This is the mouse that I have been using for the last couple years and much like the keyboard, it does its job and does it well – Amazon
Is this the secret to understanding US foreign policy? How a powerful doctrine from 1823 reshaped America – HistoryExtra
The Best Under‑10‑Minute Movie Performances of the 21st Century – The Ringer
Is AI the end of software engineering or the next step in its evolution? – Archive.ph
The 31 most mind-blowing film twists of all time, explained – The Independent
The Thin Line Between Love and Hate: Lindsey and Stevie in Their Own Words – Rolling Stone
CEO apologizes for snatching tennis star’s hat from boy at U.S. Open: “Poor judgment and hurtful actions” – CBS News
Here Are the 10 Biggest U.S. Lottery Jackpots Ever – NYT
Man found dead in suspected homicide at Burning Man – NBC News
10 Of The Strangest Deaths That Occurred During Movie Productions – Linkiest