The Lion's Crest

A Take on High Heels

TW: Discussion on feet. Mention of belly buttons. A few weeks ago, I was interning under a barrister for some awesome work experience. As an avid law enthusiast, I wanted to make sure that everything from my performance as a mini pupil to my attire was perfect during this internship…I won’t bore you with the lawyer details, but I do want to talk about high heels. I read the rules of court-room etiquette and appropriate wardrobe, and, seeing that my school shoes, Doc Martens,

Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?

What makes the Mona Lisa one of the most famous paintings in the world? I think that’s a question we’ve all wondered about at some point. Personally, I think there are countless masterpieces that deserve more hype, yet thousands of people visit the Louvre everyday just to see this small portrait. So what actually makes her a world-famous celebrity? The painting itself was unique for its time as Leonardo broke the unspoken rules of portrait painting: he painted her full face

How Chess Teaches You to Fight for the Initiative

This essay is dedicated to Daniel Naroditsky (November 9, 1995 – October 19, 2025). We grieve over the loss of him, and may he watch us from the skies. “Never play for the win, never play for the draw, just play chess!” Alexander Khalifman What do chess and life have in common? Some might say it’s the inevitable sacrifices or the permanent feeling of a ticking clock, but for me, it’s about initiative. Once, in a game with a powerful opponent, he demanded: “Do you even unders

The Dubai Chocolate Effect

How a chocolatier’s food craving became a global sensation You’ve heard of Dubai Chocolate, but do you really know the whole story? At first glance, it appears to be another typical trend, a luxury item sold solely for the fleeting whims of social media. Little do you know, there’s a story beneath the surface. Dubai Chocolate gained immense attention after being flaunted by influencers all over social media and featured in advertisements for copycat chocolates around the worl

Anneliese

Why is the Mona Lisa so famous?

What makes the Mona Lisa one of the most famous paintings in the world? I think that’s a question we’ve all wondered about at some point. Personally, I think there are countless masterpieces that deserve more hype, yet thousands of people visit the Louvre everyday just to see this small portrait. So what actually makes her a world-famous celebrity? The painting itself was unique for its time as Leonardo broke the unspoken rules of portrait painting: he painted her full face

Don't Feed the Machine - Creativity over Artificially Generated Efficiency

It started with ads for AI assistive writing software. Then AI-generated books, videos, and pictures started popping up on every Internet space imaginable. Then that amped up to ads purporting to teach me how to make money off a book I can write in 2 minutes with AI. Even in your everyday lives, you’ve undoubtedly encountered people using generative AI to do schoolwork. There’s a spectrum of usage: from initial generation of ideas, to technical/grammatical assistance, to aski