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Sons of a gun
Read more: Sons of a gunAt this point I just want to say something about the recent shooting sprees in America. It seems all sorts of maniacs are on the loose again. And their guns, too. Now, I am not trying to pick a fight with anyone, but I cannot stand the blatant hypocrisy and shortsightedness of the gun-loving party.…
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Paradox of our existence
Read more: Paradox of our existenceThat you cannot keep any of it. That is the most sadistic part of life, its sardonic grin. That you cannot keep that which you hang on to the most, that which you love the most, that which is most said to be yours. You cannot keep that which you are held most responsible for,…
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Latest ownership craze
Read more: Latest ownership crazeI remember my mother raising me with that Central European sense of politeness, where she would constantly nag: “What does it cost you to say hello? What does it cost you to say thank you?” It used to cost nothing, and so we grew up always politely saying hello and thank you. But what do…
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A touch of German humor
Read more: A touch of German humorWell, since I did such serious German-bashing in my last post (and my conscience has been shaken by vigorous spasms of guilt ever since…), let me make it up to them by saying that they do have occasional bouts of excellent humor. Take this guy that was on Deutschland Funk this morning, a stand-up comedian,…
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Prozedur über alles
Read more: Prozedur über allesWould it be possible to write a piece about the periodic absurdity of German life? The eye-popping, mind-boggling, neuron-grilling absurdity of the bureaucratic mindset? I don’t think so. See, I can’t even come up with the right adjectives… Remember those Tom-and-Jerry cartoons where a desperate Tom pulls his own tongue, hits himself over the head…
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Hasta la vista!
Read more: Hasta la vista!Actually, it’s therapy. It’s therapy the three protagonists in Geoffrey Enthoven’s film are looking for. And it is actually baffling that no one else around them happens to see that. Not the parents, overprotective and naturally obsessed with maintaining the physical body, the tortured, handicapped body, present and “alive”. But the body isn’t really alive.…
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Adio, România!
Read more: Adio, România!Nu îmi mai înţeleg ţara. Când despre politică nu se mai poate glumi, când totul se discută din tranşee, la modul absolutisto-fundamentalist “dacă nu eşti cu noi eşti împotriva noastră”, sau, mai recent, “dacă nu eşti cu noi, eşti gunoi”, când până şi proprii părinţi răcnesc cu brutalitate la tine şi te jignesc pentru că,…
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P.S. la criza Euro
Read more: P.S. la criza EuroDin păcate, criza asta care riscă să se perpetueze la infinit în UE nu are numai consecinţe de ordin economic. Din păcate, chiar şi politicienii europeni suferă de miopie şi de “micime” a viziunilor. Ei (şi întreg Vestul Europei) s-au concentrat numai asupra limitării efectelor economice ale crizei, s-au dedicat numai aspectelor materiale, de ordin…
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Europe – Endrope?
Read more: Europe – Endrope?I opened the ‘Shares & Stocks’ section of the paper today and an ocean of red met my eye. All the indices were down, except maybe two or three (surprisingly enough, Nokia shares were up. Well, not a lot of place to fall once you’ve hit rock bottom, I guess :-)). So what is the…
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Spice it up! (microfiction)
Read more: Spice it up! (microfiction)After 20 years of marriage, their sex life was as exciting as chamomile tea. “What about a threesome, sweet pie”, he asked sheepishly one day. “With you?! I’d have to be drunk!”, she replied. He took her word for it, prepared a hearty meal and kept the beer flowing. After the third bottle, she turned…
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It’s time
Read more: It’s timeThere comes a time when you look at the person next to you – your spouse – and you don’t know them anymore. And the really sad thing is you look at them and you don’t know yourself anymore. You look at him and you ask yourself: “Who is this person?” But you look at…
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Vara
Read more: VaraVenise. Prin fereastră, am văzut-o răbufnind cu furie, ca o ceartă urâtă prea mult timp aplanată. Apoi a izbit cu pumnul în ţiglele mansardei şi a trezit în mine o sută de mii de evuri înţepenite. Se năpusteau acum la suprafaţă pocnind bârne cu temerile lor primitive, nesavante. Când i-am auzit, în fine, şuieratul sub…