Russian orphanages are a scandal, said Jennifer Rankin. State institutions house nearly 400,000 children, a population larger than many cities. But less than one third of these children are actually orphans. Many “fall into the system when their parents, often fighting a losing battle with alcohol or drugs,” lose their parental rights. Even more of them—nearly half the total—have disabilities, […]
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BLACK PARADISE (By Joseph Cavera) A life begins at a simple stage Like ink falling gently onto the fibers of a page While it is true enough that we start with nil The chapters of our lives will quickly fill We have been brought into a mysterious world… We stand swiftly, only to return to the ground Mistakes […]
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“True compassion does not come from wanting to help out those less fortunate than ourselves but from realizing our kinship with all beings.” – Pema Chodron
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BETTER AT THE WORST She wrapped herself all in one rough piece Away from the universe filled with cruel voices Beautiful demons and charming dark angels Smiling their deadly fangs Her heart is plagued With endless slaps and stabs Scorched by the sun Soaked in the rain But she is safe in her tattered refuge The gutter is safer than […]
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California firefighters spent two hours extracting a naked woman from a chimney after she tried to sneak into her ex-boyfriend’s home at 5 a.m. The 35-year-old took off her clothes in the hope it would help her fit down the 1-foot-wide chimney. But halfway down, she became wedged and called the ex on her cellphone. “I said, ‘Where are you […]
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“In order to go on living one must try to escape the death involved in perfectionism.” – Hannah Arendt
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