Christiana Cameron

the first commercial bank in the world, The Medici Bank, opened in this building in 1397 there's a zara store now

Umberto Eco, who owned 50,000 books, had this to say about home libraries: "It is foolish to think that you have to read all the books you buy, as it is foolish to criticize those who buy more books than they will ever be able to read. It would be like saying that you should use all the cutlery or glasses or screwdrivers or drill bits you bought before buying new ones. There are things in life that we need to always have plenty of supplies, even if we will only use a small portion. If, for example, we consider books as medicine, we understand that it is good to have many at home rather than a few: when you want to feel better, then you go to the 'medicine closet' and choose a book. Not a random one, but the right book for that moment. That's why you should always have a nutrition choice! Those who buy only one book, read only that one and then get rid of it. They simply apply the consumer mentality to books, that is, they consider them a consumer product, a good. Those who love books know that a book is anything but a commodity."

Interestingly, this could also be a vehicle for ending the considerable affirmative action that many colleges currently practice for men.

“Scientists have discovered a giant new species of stick insect in Australia, which is over 15 inches long and researchers say may be the heaviest insect in the country.” Via ABC News

Free speech is for Lucy Connolly, Kneecap, hate marchers, very Brexity things, woke identitarians, fash identitarians, street preachers, drill rappers, Islamists, ‘Islamophobes’. Don’t be a hypocrite. Don’t be a ‘but’-head. Oppose *all* censorship, or expect more of it.

When Kendrick Lamar declared, “40 Acres & a Mule, this is bigger than music…,” he wasn’t merely making a lyrical statement—he was invoking a profound historical injustice that continues to shape the realities of Black America. The phrase “40 acres and a mule” references the unfulfilled promise made to formerly enslaved Black Americans after the Civil War, a broken commitment that symbolizes the systemic economic disenfranchisement of Black people in America. Lamar’s words transcend hip-hop; they speak to the deep wounds of generational oppression and the ongoing fight for reparations—a demand for justice, not charity. By placing this historical struggle within the framework of his music, Kendrick isn’t just rapping; he is using his art as a vehicle for truth, resistance, and a call to action. His statement reminds us that reparations aren’t just a political debate or an abstract concept—they are a moral imperative, a debt owed, and an essential step toward true justice and equality.