Author Archive

Writer Charles Bukowski didn’t lose his virginity until he was 24. Troubled by a difficult home life and disfigured by extreme acne, the young Bukowski’s love life was almost non-existent. All the girls dated the handsome and the rich. It was only in Bukowski’s middle age that women started to […]

The beauty of childhood is its lack of expectations Photo credit: Powerhouse Museum Collection Every year, on the 25th of December, everybody in Romania celebrates Christmas. But some Romanians also use the occasion to commemorate the former communist president, Nicoale Ceaușescu. They gather at the Ghencea Cemetry and in front […]

Should you ever end up on the operating table in Romania, one of the last thoughts that might go through your mind before passing out is: “Did I pay the doctor enough?” Photo: The U.S. National Archives For a long time, as a child, I was convinced my grandmother was […]

Will 2013 bring an economic drought?  U.S. National Archives via Flickr.com Once upon a time, there was wealth. If we were to portray it, it would be a handsome hunk with long blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin, riding carefree, roaming anywhere, spreading his beauty and joyfulness all around. Hey, wait! […]

Once upon a time there were diplomas. They used to certify what a young person was good at, and many employers hired people on the sole strength of that piece of paper. But there was never any actual proof of what young graduates could really do. If the university gave […]