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- Written by: Bob Fratenni
The Hague buzzed with tension as NATO leaders gathered in June 2025, the North Sea wind cutting through the city’s calm. Inside the summit hall, polished tables reflected the faces of 32 leaders, each wrestling with a world on edge. Russia’s war in Ukraine, now three years deep, loomed large, and President Donald Trump’s brash demands for a 5% GDP defense spending target dominated the agenda. Nobody expected what came next. Trump, flanked by aides, leaned into his microphone. “Europe’s gotta pay up. Five percent, folks. No more freeloading.” His words, blunt as ever, echoed through the room.
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- Written by: Anne Wienbloch
The convergence of anonymity, digital platforms, and urban art has blurred the lines between public discourse and civic expression. As anonymous message boards pivot from vitriol to value, they parallel the transformative power of street art, serving as vital barometers for the health of our cities. This synergy, much like the murals that color our urban landscapes, reshapes public narratives and fosters inclusive dialogue—offering a hopeful vision for participatory aesthetics.
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- Written by: Anne Wienbloch
In the recent podcast interview with Allegra Goodman-Isola, a tapestry of insights unfolds, challenging the permanence of monuments and their role in scripting collective memory. As conversations on their removal, renovation, or reinterpretation swell, Goodman-Isola offers a discerning lens through which we might view these cultural fixtures—not as static relics, but as evolving narratives ripe for re-examination.
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- Written by: Valenenzia Gruelle
As the world barrels toward boundless connectivity, the hidden costs of this ubiquitous digital presence are becoming apparent. A recent Advocate.com article highlights the alarming risks young women and queer patients face in the digital world, exposing vulnerabilities that the promise of connection often buries beneath its glossy veneer. This tension between access and safety underscores a broader philosophical debate about the future of personhood in our increasingly entwined relationship with technology.
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To Be Continued ...
Barbra Dender flies to the remote island of Socotra, hungry for an untouristed mystery and a new story for her glass cabinet of artifacts. She takes a whitewashed rental in Hadibu and explores the markets and highlands, where dragon’s blood trees hum in the wind and . . .
CHAPTER 1 - The Dragon’s Blood Covenant
At the fissure revealed by low tide, Barbra turns to find a wary Socotri boy who knows her name but refuses to help, warning that families are watching. Following his oblique hint westward, she treks toward Qalansiyah, past dragon’s blood trees leaning toward the surf. . . .
CHAPTER 2 - Whispers at Qalansiyah’s Blowhole
Trapped in the singing sea cave as the tide turns, Barbra is released at the last moment by unseen guardians who warn her off and seal the entrance, leaving her quest at a dead end. Days of silence from locals and a blocked fissure force her to step back, so she changes into . . .
CHAPTER 3 - When the Wind Refuses to Sing
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