a historical temple complex tucked into the jungles of the yucatan in mexico, one of the more famous remnants of mayan culture.

chichen itza's central jewel is a pyramid called el castillo, the castle, itself known for the astonishingly painstaking detail used by its architects, who imbued the structure's design with veritable assloads of mathematical significance. the entire complex is almost perfectly arranged so the west-facing staircase of el castillo lines up with the equator, the temple of the warriors with the tropic of cancer, and the thousand columns with the tropic of capricorn, with the sunrise aligning with each on the appropriate equinoxes and solstices. the north-facing staircase of el castillo is decorated with a snaky motif that points in the direction of a sacred cenote, or underground sinkhole-lake.

it also makes funny noises when you clap near it. sort of a tennis ball noise. go on, try it.

beware of mayan stall vendors, they are at their most obdurate in chichen itza and may mob you in a desperate bid to sell you a bird call.

a bit of former yugoslavia; today known for giving us spotted firefighter dogs, the necktie, and a cheap alternative for filmmakers who hoped to film in greece

socially scarce, and thus socially valuable

(adj.) separate and distinct, as in pieces, like the body parts of one's relatives after one has offended the local mafioso

to be confused with discreet

formal name for the shape formed by the overlapping portion of a venn diagram

informally called a vag

The quickest way to end an argument.

(adj.) a good state for the world to be in.
a good state for any real system to be in, really.

(also: rivers)
(also: healing)
(also: health)

in a psychological state of turmoil that you should shut up about.

(n.) An intoxicant distilled primarily from fermented grain mash, whisky is a catalyst for terrible decision making, stupidity and easily avoided injuries when consumed. This is generally referred to as "having a good time".

a category of economic systems where the working class controls the means of production for society

n. A country lying in the South Sea, whose industrial and commercial development has been unspeakably retarded by an unfortunate dispute among geographers as to whether it is a continent or an island.


(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

To convey the impacts of climate change, tell your students that if Earth were a pizza, we've been adding way too many "greenhouse toppings" that are making it cook faster than expected, leaving us with a crispy planet that's harder to digest

The doctrine, or belief, that everything is beautiful, including what is ugly, everything good, especially the bad, and everything right that is wrong. It is held with greatest tenacity by those most accustomed to the mischance of falling into adversity, and is most acceptably expounded with the grin that apes a smile. Being a blind faith, it is inaccessible to the light of disproof — an intellectual disorder, yielding to no treatment but death. It is hereditary, but fortunately not contagious.

n. In man, the gateway to the soul; in woman, the outlet of the heart

(also: The Devil's Dictionary)

Anything you easily realize with your senses, though it can be a feeling, emotion or a fact - e.g. cold, pain, need to run, shame, depression, someone's hate towards other, thrill, fear, broad stupidity your hate (the kind that makes you kill someone), that communism is bad, h (I'm from Czech republic, russian communism took us fifty years and expelled us from modern Europe), that and so on. It overflows from just knowing it to feeling it in your brain or even whole body.
Physically good song can be the one that makes you dance or feel like flying, physical stupidity takes your speech, physical inspiration is the state where you have to make it happen.

The place where the most people in the world talk trash about the military, but also the place where the most people in the world are married to military members, or professional affiliates.

(also: divorce rate)

A contractual alliance typically between two parties where they agree to share assets and debts. Typical sexual and procreational exclusivity clauses are usually among the first listed in the contract. Comes with an NDA for cases of criminal charges underneath the constitution. The one land only socially accepted escape clause on death of one of the contract holders. However, there exist a method of contractual termination without having activating the escape clause. This method requires documents filled with the appropriate court system and a temporary termination of the contract for a period of sixty to three hundred sixty four days before it can be finalized.

when u hate the world, insturance that u don't turn your back at everyone, that you are nice to whoever they are - a training

(n.) an Australian creature similar to a dog; it rejects the human partnership of its domestic cousin in favor of a life of eating babies

(n.) speaking back and forth to other people.

Despite the frustratingly complex rules involved, it's not usually considered a sport, possibly because nobody bothers remembering how to score.