Canada Warning to LGBTQ+ Travelers

Canada has issued a new travel warning to its LGBTQ+ citizens planning to visit the United States. 

 

It is claimed that anti-LGBTQ+ protests in the US rose 30-fold last year compared with 2017, while legal moves to restrict LGBTQ+ rights are on the rise. 

 

Global Affairs Canada warned that some state laws may affect them on their travels, but did not specify where. 

 

These type of warnings are usually reserved for countries such as Uganda, Russia or Egypt.

 

Their US travel advice page reads:

The term 2SLGBTQI+ is widely used in Canada for people who consider themselves two-spirit, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning or intersex. 

 

A spokesperson for Global Affairs Canada pointed to US laws targeting the transgender community. 

 

"Since the beginning of 2023, certain states in the US have passed laws banning drag shows and restricting the transgender community from access to gender-affirming care and from participation in sporting events", they told CBC News. 

 

In March, Tennessee's governor signed laws banning drag performances in front of children and restricting medical treatment for transgender youth. Two months later, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed bills banning children from undergoing transgender medical treatments or going to drag shows, and restricting pronoun use in classrooms. 

 

Hundreds of similar regulations on LGBTQ+ issues have been proposed in conservative-run states across the US. 

 

The Human Rights Campaign, the LGBTQ+ community's largest advocacy group in the US, said in June that LGBTQ+ Americans were facing a state of emergency as states continue targeting them with legislation.

Merdeka 2023

Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka! Merdeka!

Selamat Hari Merdeka to all Malaysians!

Hainan in China Hopes for Hit with Homegrown Durian

Durian, Southeast Asia's "King of Fruits", is booming in China, where it has already become the country's top fruit import item in terms of volume and value. 

 

The upsurge is being accelerated by the new Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), which have made it easier for China to import fresh fruits from Southeast Asian nations. It is also becoming a test case on how to include the country in a mega free-trade framework. 

 

That aside, homegrown durian has now finally hit the market, although the small planting acreage and the high price mean it might still take some time for Chinese consumers to have unrestricted feasting on the tropical fruit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The main selling point for the durians cultivated in Hainan is that almost all of them are allowed to fall naturally from the tree, which translates to a superior flavor and stronger aroma. 

 

With a fresh yet mild fragrance and glistening yellow pulp, the domestically grown durian looks and tastes a bit different from its Southeast Asian counterparts. Unlike other types, "its rind is yellow-green, and its pulp is not slimy, but rather a bit chewy and delicate. Its pulp does not stick to its shell, its core or people's hands". 

 

Close to 50 tons of durian were harvested in China's southernmost island province of Hainan, the country's first large-scale domestic durian harvest following years of cultivation. And that would account for only 0.005% of the 1 million metric tons eaten in China this year, according to the South China Morning Post.

China Recognition for Zoo Negara

On June 12, 2023, this blog highlighted the sad plight of giant panda bears (Scientific name: Ailuropoda melanoleuca), YaYa and LeLe at Memphis Zoo in Tennessee, USA. 

 

Therefore, it is comforting to know that Malaysia's Zoo Negara have been applauded by the Chinese government as one of the best caretakers of giant pandas in the world following the successful implementation of Giant Panda Conservation efforts since 2014 involving panda couple Xing Xing and Liang Liang.

 

Their deputy president Rosly@Rahmat Amat Lana said the acknowledgement was given following the program’s effectiveness in facilitating the birth of panda cubs within a short period of time.

 

“This recognition is the result of audits done by panda experts from China who come to Zoo Negara every year. For example, this year, they came from July 26 to 28 and saw how the pandas are handled, including feeding and caring for the animals", he told Bernama after a ceremony to celebrate the repatriation of pandas Yi Yi and Sheng Yi at the zoo. 

 

Yi Yi and Sheng Yi are the offspring of Xing Xing and Liang Liang, the pandas loaned to Malaysia in 2014 for ten years to mark the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Malaysia and China. Yi Yi was born on January 14, 2018, and Sheng Yi on May 30, 2021. Earlier, the panda couple had also given birth to Nuan Nuan on August 18, 2015. 

 

Under the agreement inked by Malaysia and China, Nuan Nuan was repatriated to the republic in 2017, followed by Yi Yi and Sheng Yi yesterday. 

 

“We are lucky because they (Xing Xing and Liang Liang) felt very comfortable in Malaysia, and if we were to compare with other countries, on average, it usually takes between six and eight years for the panda couples to reproduce", he said. 

 

According to Rosly, male and female pandas usually do not live together even in the forest or in captivity, as it’s in their nature to be alone. 

 

“In a year, they only meet for a period of three days and during that time we will monitor the duration of their mating process. They usually mate for about 10 to 15 minutes, and sometimes it is successful, and other times not", he said. 

 

To ensure the good health of the panda family, Rosli said Zoo Negara had also dedicated five staff to take care of them, including giving them nutritious food and monitoring their health. 

 

“A panda needs 25 kg of bamboo, 10 kg of bamboo leaves, 6 kg of bamboo shoots, one kg of panda cake and 500 gm of apples and pears in a day. We have to take care of them just like humans, as in we can’t overdo it in giving sugary foods like panda cake and fruit, for fear they will get fat", he added.

Americans Say Joe Biden is Too Old for Second Term

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Americans actually agree on something in this time of raw discord: Joe Biden is too old to be an effective president in a second term. Only a few years his junior, Donald Trump raises strikingly less concern about his age. 

 

A new poll of 1,165 adults conducted between August 10-14, from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research finds much of the public oddly united in sizing up the one trait Biden cannot change. The president has taken to raising the age issue himself, with wisecracks, as if trying to relax his audiences about his 80 trips around the sun.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Age discrimination may be banned in the workplace but the president's employers – the people – aren't shy about their bias. 

 

In the poll, fully 77% said Biden is too old to be effective for four more years. Not only do 89% of Republicans say that, so do 69% of Democrats. That view is held across age groups, not just by young people, though older Democrats specifically are more supportive of his 2024 bid.

Trump Mugshot Catches On

Inmate Number P01135809 was processed at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia in USA, August 24, 2023. And Donald Trump's mugshot instantly became famous/infamous.

 

👇I came across this Wanted poster featuring the Trump mugshot – and it is for sale!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And a tattoo parlour in Las Vegas, Nevada, has shared how one man decided to get the historic image inked on his thigh, just above a tattoo of the Statue of Liberty holding a gun. 

 

Showing off the tattoo on Instagram, artist Vegas Vic Tattoos (IG:vegasvic_tattoos) wrote: "I know mugshots, this is the best mugshot, truly great mugshot! Sleepy Joe doesn’t have a mug shot, but believe me, it would be a terrible mugshot!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One user said: "This is so dope. You did a fabulous job!" Another user added: "The teardrop is the perfect touch [laughing face emoji]". A third user said: "That was too quick... sheesh". One more user added: "Lock him up! Lol" 

 

However, not everyone liked the portrait, with one user saying "Oh gross. What's wrong with people?', while another added: "What a moronic thing to do! What are you going to do next, add prison bars over it?"

 

Still, as mushrooming criminal probes threaten his political ambitions and liberty, Trump, has been able to console himself with one encouraging constant: blockbuster polling numbers. 

 

"I'm the only person (who) ever got indicted who became more popular", the former president and 2024 Republican primary frontrunner has declared. 

 

Indeed, in the adoring world of the GOP primary, Trump is going to be tough to beat!

What BRICS Stand For

 

 

 

 

 

 

What BRICS stand for – and I don't mean the names of countries that make up this august assembly of developing countries!

 

As opposed to the US and its vassal states.

Sick Leave in America

Fun facts on sick leave in America. It seems that more people are off work in the United States due to sickness on Thursday than any other day of the year, including during the cold and flu season in the depths of winter.

 

(Note: There was no explanation beyond identifying August 24 – at least I can't find any).

 

And according to an analysis by Flamingo Software LLC, a leave management software provider, America's second "sickest day" was February 13, which was the Monday after Super Bowl LVII for the 2022 season. (And Valentine's Day comes up right afterward. Hmm...).

 

Beyond just a single day, it is said that February has been the 'sickest' month over the past five years, with businesses across the country seeing, on average, 10% of their workforce taking sick leave. Flamingo added that stomach bugs were the number one reason employees stayed home sick. 

 

And when it came to reporting sickness, Flamingo found that a majority of employees preferred to avoid awkward phone calls with their boss, with two-thirds opting to let their line managers know they were staying off work via text, WhatsApp, Slack or email. A very small percentage simply didn't let their employer know at all. 

 

The facts around sick leave are notoriously problematic, with patterns difficult to tease out, experts said. So while more than a quarter of Americans, for example, did not take a single sick leave day in 2022, 10 million of the country's 135 million workers took more than 20 days off, accounting for a huge share of total sick leave.

 

Yesterday, Liverpool played Newcastle United in a Premier League game – and it must be said that the former were second best for much of the match and worse, even falling behind in the twenty-fifth minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold's poor touch allowed the latter to score. 

 

But Darwin Nunez saved the day by producing a remarkable turnaround with two late goals in a smash-and-grab 2-1 win for Jürgen Klopp's side. 

 

When the Uruguay striker entered the fray with 13 minutes of normal time remaining, the Reds were outplayed for long periods and outnumbered for more than an hour following captain Virgil van Dijk's red card for bringing down an opponent three minutes after the Magpies scored. 

 

Nunez slotted in his first goal when he took Diogo Jota's pass in his stride to send a low, unerring finish past the Newcastle keeper into the far corner in the eighty-first minute. 

 

And then, Nunez was the destroyer once more, receiving Mohamed Salah's through ball before applying a slightly more deft but still powerful shot into the same corner of the net (90+3). 

 

Donald Trump Raises $7.1M Since His Mugshot

In the US, when it comes to the Republican primaries, the big story is still Donald Trump. Undeniably.

Since appearing Thursday to have his mugshot taken in a racketeering and fraud case in Atlanta, Georgia, the former president raised $7.1 million, Trump spokesperson Steven Cheung said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.

 

Just Friday alone, Trump brought in $4.18 million, making it the highest-grossing day in a 24-hour period in the campaign so far, Cheung added.

 

Trump, who was elected president in 2016 but defeated by Democrat Joe Biden in 2020, is again seeking the Republican Party's nomination for President. By all accounts, he remains the frontrunner – and like him or not, there's no stopping him!

Yesterday, Celtic dropped their first points of the Scottish Premiership campaign after being held to a goalless draw at home to a stubborn St Johnstone.

 

It's been a really tough week for the Scottish champions. Two games, no goals, a trophy relinquished and now two priceless league points lost. And at the worst possible time as they head across Glasgow to face Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday.

Chocolate Dessert in a Massive Bowl

When you go out for a meal, chances are you'll plump for a dish you wouldn't necessarily make at home, and you'd expect it to look presentable when it reaches the table. 

 

However, one restaurant has taken that tradition and turned it on its head with a displeasing, if not distressing dessert! 

 

It's enough to put even the hungriest of people off their meals, the bizarre chocolate pud is served in nothing other than an actual toilet bowl. You read that right, a full-sized white bog full of gloopy chocolate ice cream smeared all over the receptacle. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We're all suckers for a sweet treat now and then – but this is enough to even make any sweet treat turn their nose up. The video from the restaurant was shared on their Facebook and Instagram pages, as it showed a waiter carrying the toilet full of the brown gooey dessert over to a table. 

 

The peculiar pud was created by Gordos, in Holon, south of Tel Aviv, Israel and the dish went down a treat as the hungry diners sat waiting to tuck in with their spoons. 

 

The bidet-like bowl is definitely a unique twist, but people are calling it the "most disturbing" dish they have ever seen – with others saying it "made them throw up" when they watched the video of the customers laughing whilst they enjoyed it. 

 

Eating ice cream out of a toilet isn't for the faint hearted as the restaurant claimed it's on their 'secret menu'. The American-style diner is usually known for their mouth-watering burgers and over-the-top desserts, however, this has left people more than unimpressed. 

 

The stomach-churning video shows the ice cream wasn't even in scoops which made it resemble faeces even more.

 

One Facebook user brutally said it was "one of the most uninviting dishes ever" and another person asked "People eat this s**t?" before a fellow foodie added: "Damn, the concept looks very disturbing". 

 

Previous diners have even shared their horror when seeing the dessert, as one wrote: "As a regular customer of yours, honestly this time I was shocked by this look, I'll never enter this restaurant anymore". One fan called it "genius", contrary to the rest of the repulsed viewers.

Trump Mugshot Turns Into Merch

Former US President Donald Trump (left) said Georgia state officials "insisted" he have a mugshot taken Thursday during processing at the Fulton County Jail, telling Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview that doing so was "not a comfortable feeling – especially when you’ve done nothing wrong". 

 

The court had set Trump’s bail at $200,000. He was quickly processed and released on the same day. The jail records stated that Trump stands at 6 feet, 3 inches and 215 pounds. The records state he has "Blond or Strawberry" hair and blue eyes. 

 

Fox News Digital have learned his formal arraignment, where he is expected to plead not guilty, will take place sometime early next month.

 

And official merchandise with the Trump mugshot was available to purchase just hours after he was booked at 901 Rice St NW in Atlanta, Georgia.

 

In fact, late Thursday evening, the Trump campaign released eight items in their store featuring the historic booking photo. Ranging from $12 to $34, the items available include a bumper sticker, a coffee mug, koozies in black and white, and short-sleeve and long-sleeve shirts in black and white.

 

All eight items feature Trump's mugshot, the "NEVER SURRENDER!" tagline and the Trump 2024 Make America Great Again logo. 

 

And even Trump supporters on Etsy and other online marketplaces have also jumped on the bandwagon and started selling all kinds of merchandise featuring the mugshot – even thongs.

A Rose That Costs A$1,878

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Australia destroyed much of its own country when it introduced rabbits from Europe in the 1800s. Rabbits "have caused great environmental damage since then", reports National Geographic. "Experts have even stated European rabbits' introduction to Australia was one of the fastest spreading instances of an invasive mammal".

 

This unfortunate decision from a couple of centuries ago is a big reason why Australia today zealously protects its environment with stringent biosecurity laws. Last weekend, a woman learned about these laws the hard way. 

 

Travel influencer Lays Laraya (right) had arrived at Perth Airport on a Qatar Airways flight from Dubai. She said the cabin crew gave her a rose, which she held in her hand as she walked through the airport. 

 

She says she was approached by plain-clothed officials who demanded to see her customs and immigration card – which all arrivals must fill in – and noted that she didn't declare the rose. That turned out to be an expensive mistake. 

 

She was fined A$1,878 for “knowingly providing false or misleading information” on an official document after mistakenly ticking that she carried no plants upon arrival to Australia. 

 

“It didn’t pass through my mind that the rose was within the category of those plants that they would be looking for”, she said. “I checked ‘no’ and that was their accusation in the end”. 

 

A spokesperson for the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Forestry confirmed "all travelers coming to Australia must be aware of Australia's strict biosecurity requirements and the penalties for not complying with those requirements". 

 

The most anybody can be fined is six penalty units, or $1878, 9 News reported. "Travellers and goods arriving in Australia can introduce exotic pests and diseases", the spokeswoman said. "This could harm our health, environment and commercial industry, as such the department take all steps needed to minimise and negate these impacts. The penalty units reflect the risk level to Australia". 

 

The rose was eventually returned after it had been inspected and the stem had been cut off. 

 

Laraya says she is currently trying to appeal the fine on the grounds that other passengers with similar infringements got off with just a warning. 

 

Six penalty units for a rose. Next time, she should just stick to smuggling rabbits!

Expanding BRICS

A data-driven overview of how the BRICS expansion will grow the group’s influence and reach (re: "BRICS 2023 To Add 6 New Members" published August 24, 2023).

The original five BRICS members are expected to have a combined GDP of $27.6 trillion in 2023, representing 26.3% of the global total. With the new members included, expected GDP climbs slightly to $30.8 trillion, enough for a 29.3% global share. 

The following table includes GDP projections for 2023, courtesy of the IMF:

 

Japan Releases Fukushima Wastewater Into The Ocean

On Thursday, Japanese authorities announced at 13:00 local time that they had begun pumping wastewater from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the ocean. It prompted an immediate outcry from regional neighbors. 

 

Soon after, China's customs office announced that an existing ban on seafood imports from Fukushima and nine other prefectures would be immediately extended to cover the whole of Japan to "protect the health of Chinese consumers". 

 

Many expect Hong Kong to follow suit in the coming days. 

 

This would be a massive hit to Japan. China and Hong Kong are said to account for nearly half of all Japan's seafood exports – amounting to $1.1 billion every year.

 

Donald Trump is the first former president in the US to have his mugshot taken. (Re: "Donald Trump's 4th Criminal Indictment" published August 15, 2023).

 

The photo (left) was released by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office after Trump surrendered in Georgia. It showed the former president wearing a blue blazer and red tie, staring tersely into the camera.

BRICS 2023 To Add 6 New Members

This year’s BRICS summit is being held from August 22 to 24 in Johannesburg, South Africa, with over 40 foreign leaders taking part – and of course, including South Africa’s Cyril Ramaphosa, China’s Xi Jinping, India’s Narendra Modi and Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. Russia is represented in person by Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, while President Vladimir Putin is taking part via videolink. 

 

The South African president today announced that six nations will become full-fledged members of the BRICS group of nations starting January 01, 2024, after their candidacies were approved by leaders of the current member states: Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

 

And Russia will assume the rotating BRICS chairmanship in 2024. The next BRICS Summit will be held in October in the Russian city of Kazan, President Vladimir Putin announced via videolink on Wednesday. 

 

If you don't already know, the current BRICS 2023 Summit sets the stage for what is potentially a seismic shift in the global economic landscape. 

 

The leaders of the five emerging economies that form BRICS came together in South Africa, not just for a diplomatic tête-à-tête, but to discuss a game-changing proposal – the complete de-dollarization of their economies. 

 

This move towards ending Dollar dominance is another significant step in their journey towards establishing a new economic order – one that's more inclusive and reflective of the emerging economies' clout. 

 

As Putin declared on Tuesday, de-dollarization is “gaining momentum” and it is “irreversible”. According to him, the share of the Dollar in export-import transactions within BRICS is declining: last year it was only 28.7%”.

Russia's Economy Is Doing Great

Russia is among the world’s 5 largest economies and the largest in Europe in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP) as of the end of 2022, despite Western sanctions, the latest World Economics report has revealed. 

 

According to estimates based on official country data published by the World Bank and the IMF, Russia's gross domestic product was $5.326 trillion in PPP terms at the end of last year. The figure is 38% larger than the official estimate of $3.993 trillion, the report noted. 

 

It also showed that the Russian economy was ahead of Germany’s when measured in purchasing-power parity, with the latter’s GDP at $5.309 trillion. 

 

Of course, China topped the list as the world’s biggest economy ($30.327 trillion), followed by the US, India, and Japan. In sixth to tenth places are Germany, Indonesia, Brazil, France and United Kingdom. 

A $15,700 Collie Suit

A man in Japan known only by his Twitter username, Toco, spent 2 million Japanese yen, or about $15,700 on a canine suit to realise his dream of transforming into a rough collie dog. 

 

Toco started on this project two years ago when he asked the company Zeppet, well-known for creating realistic costumes and models for films, to make him the fur suit. It took them about 40 days to make and weighs around 4kg. 

 

“Since I was a kid, I have wanted a makeover. When I am wearing my suit, I feel happy because my dream turns into reality”, Toco told EFE in an interview while wearing the costume of a long-haired collie, a large breed that can attain heights of up to 66cm. 

 

When he heads out on to the streets, something he only does on special occasions to protect his privacy and avoid attracting large crowds, people often stop him to take photos or caress him, either because they recognise him from his social media videos or confuse him for a real dog. 

 

On YouTube, Toco (@I_want_to_be_an_animal) documents snippets of his life in the fur costume. He has already gathered 54.2K subscribers, and he has more than 245,000 followers on TikTok (@toco_eevee), where some of his videos have over 2 million views and thousands of comments. 

 

“I receive all kind of messages. Among the positive messages, some tell me they want to do the same thing, which has made me realise that there are other people like me”, says Toco. 

 

This video was shot last year when he was interviewed by RTL, a German TV station:

Despite garnering online fame with his doggie pursuit, Toco conceals his unusual proclivities from most of his friends and family.

 

 

 

 

Joe Biden Faces Protests in Maui

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

US President Joe Biden encountered a hostile reception during his visit to Maui, Hawaii on Monday to assess the aftermath of the devastating wildfires that claimed 114 lives so far last week. (Re: "Wildfires Devastate West Maui, Hawaii" published August 18, 2023).

The massive death toll was attributed to a series of errors by officials, including failure to sound emergency alarms and release water on time. The victims included children, and many remain unidentified, with around 850 people still unaccounted for. 

 

Angry protesters, mostly residents from the western part of Maui, greeted him as his motorcade drove toward downtown Lāhainā from Kapalua Airport. They waved middle fingers, shouted insults, and held signs reading “NO COMMENT”, “REALLY $7?”, “ACTION SPEAKS LOUDER THAN WORDS” and “FJB” as well as at least two flags promoting the 2024 candidacy of former President Donald Trump. 

 

Fifty-nine-year-old Dean Fuchs of the town of Kihei in eastern Maui, held a Hawaiian state flag upside down as Biden’s motorcade passed. 

 

“The president’s kinda late don’t you think?” Fuchs told The New York Post. 

 

“When he was asked about the disaster in Maui and he said ‘no comment’, that was disrespectful to the people of Maui who have lost so much”, he added. 

 

“Where has the president been?” asked 58-year-old Dennis Mullen, of nearby Kahana, who said that the airport hosting the presidential helicopter hasn’t been used much to deliver needed supplies. 

 

“Any number of military aircraft, planes and helicopters could have flown in here. To leave a town that was just devastated shut down was just ridiculous. The runway wasn’t cratered”, Mullen had told The NY Post. 

 

And former Democratic Hawaii Representative, Tulsi Gabbard, compared the response to the wildfires in Hawaii – the 50th state of the US – to America's support for Ukraine. 

 

"Maybe if we change the name of Maui to Ukraine, maybe they will pay attention to us", she mocked.

 

Meanwhile, Biden got the full White House treatment, reading a scripted speech touting the federal response to the devastation from a lectern with the presidential seal as well as being provided with a small wooden table for his bottle of precious water, with destroyed buildings visible behind the stagecraft. The Biden circus is in town!

Ukraine's F-16 Wish Comes True

It looks like Ukraine's [V]olodymyr [Z]elensky is getting his Christmas wish after all!

 

Two European NATO members, Denmark and Netherlands have announced they will gift 61 F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine once pilot training has been satisfactorily completed. 

 

Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said her country would provide 19 jets – six at the end of this year, eight more next year and the remaining five in 2025. At least that was what was reported.

 

Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, did not put a number on his country’s donation, but said the Netherlands had 42 in its air force. The country was said to be in the process of replacing them all with more advanced US-made F-35s. 

 

For sure, [Z]elensky wants all forty-two planes! Again, it was [Z]elensky who had trumpeted he'll get the whole fleet.

 

On Saturday, Ukraine’s defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov, said on national television that pilot training had already begun. Rutte, however, said on Sunday that “military training will start in the very near future” – although it is possible Reznikov was referring to the English language lessons that are seen as prerequisite (re: “English Lessons” published August 08, 2023). 

 

With this latest commitment, the US and NATO demonstrate their persistent desire to escalate the war in Ukraine. 

 

Russia's Vladimir Putin should know there will be no end to hostilities any time soon. Methinks, it’s time for him to take the gloves off. He should abandon the Special Military Operation and declare war on Ukraine. And then, go all out to finish off the country!

"Bitch, I’m Just Ageing!"

When I came across this piece of news on Charlize Theron (right), I am reminded of what Eartha Kitt said: “Aging has a wonderful beauty, and we should have respect for that”. So true!

 

Coming back to Theron, the forty-eight-year-old is calling out the double standards for female actors over 40 in Hollywood. 

 

The actor – of “Monster”, “Mad Max: Fury Road”, “Snow White and the Huntsman” and “Atomic Blonde” fame – said she “despise[s] the concept” that while men “age like fine wines” women do so “like cut flowers”. 

 

“I also think women want to age in a way that feels right to them”, Theron told Allure magazine. “I think we need to be a little bit more empathetic to how we all go through our journey. My journey of having to see my face on a billboard is quite funny now”. 

 

The star has also worked extensively in modelling, most notably for Dior, and said that despite being accustomed to scrutiny, she remained frustrated by assumptions people made about whether she’d had work done to her face. 

 

“People think I had a face-lift”, she said. “They’re like, ‘What did she do to her face?’ I’m like, ‘Bitch, I’m just ageing! It doesn’t mean I got bad plastic surgery. This is just what happens’”. 

 

I have another quote to share. From Swedish actor Ingrid Bergman: "Getting old is like climbing a mountain; you get a little out of breath, but the view is much better!" 

 

I cannot agree more!