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Head Over Heels
The email sender, a famous astrologer I had never heard of, tries to instruct me on how to prepare for Valentine’s Day. Famous Astrologer states they have the ideal menu for me to prepare for my beloved, according to my beloved’s zodiac sign. Famous Astrologer wants to ensure my Valentine’s prolonged fun and enjoyment, and… Continue reading
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What year is this?
Like many people, I’ve signed the contract for 2026. Unlike some, I’ve been thinking. There’s the bluster about Iran, the invasion of Venezuela, the bullying of Greenland. Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine have fallen off newspapers’ front pages and people’s memory. That Fucking Woman unconscionably being shot in the head. This has been an explosive beginning… Continue reading
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Wonderful Shocking Delicacies
Please do not read on if you have chaste eyes and a virtuous mind. Or something like that. Seventeen years in Portugal have given me the chance to appreciate its gorgeous regions and absorb some of its cultural and social identities. During that time, I’ve also been surprised by certain cultural expressions considered shocking… Continue reading
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Into Another Dimension
Tradition dictates that it’s time for newspaper people to dig up their doom and gloom predictions for 2026 and beyond. Reports on psychics abound. Journalists think their mortal readers are gasping to learn the latest chaotic predictions about intensifying wars, pandemics, famine. Ah, what miseries have Destiny and Fate wrapped up in golden silks and… Continue reading
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Buried In Splendid Company
I’m running out of space. Old and new books accumulate around the floor of my study, unruly stacks that threaten to tumble and destroy my world. In desperate need of shelf space, for there’s nowhere else I can squeeze more bookshelves, I sort out books in heaps to disperse among the local library, the book… Continue reading
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Infantino and Trump: A World Cup Bromance Update
As the bromance between FIFA’s president Gianni Infantino and president Donald Trump deepens with mutual respect and admiration, the rest of us hurtle towards the Football World Cup 2026. In May, I posted The Golden Phallus of Football: A Tale of Trophies, Triumphs and Turmoil. Now I rant about updates on that entry and more.… Continue reading
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Happy Halloween!
You can revisit my previous Halloween post with renewed illustrations: Continue reading
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Dictatorship Where?
The shock retrieved my memories of armoured trucks, cars and military personnel patrolling public spaces and residential areas. Tanks stood at road intersections surrounded by armed soldiers in times of relative peace. It was Brazil during the old dictatorship. And it was America, 2025. Mine was a bitter smile, “ They’re using their manual… Continue reading
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That Nobel Peace Prize Malarkey
Alas, Nobel Prize season is upon us. This week, from Stockholm, Sweden, the Nobel Committee will announce the prizes for Medicine or Physiology, Physics and Chemistry, Economic Sciences, and Literature. From Oslo, Norway, the much-awaited Nobel Peace Prize will be announced on Friday, 10 October 2025, at 11:00 CEST. The prizes are coveted by scientists,… Continue reading
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Boundaries in Jakarta: Charm and Chaos in a Day
When I arrived in Jakarta in 1992, Indonesia comprised over 13,000 islands. In 1998, modern aerial surveys revealed a new total of 17,500 islands. The island of Java, where Jakarta is rooted, corresponds to only 7% of the Indonesian surface, but it cradles 156 million people, equivalent to 56% of the Indonesian population. In the… Continue reading
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Regina's Rants 