Tag archive: Novak Djokovic

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Vaxman vs The Djoker

Serbian tennis phenom Novak Djokovic may have thrown a spanner into his quest for a new world record as the winningest Grand Slam champion of all time.  Djokovic is in a three-way tie with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, with 20 titles each, but he may have stubbed his toe with his COVID anti-vax stance, which may prevent him from competing in the Australian Open, beginning January 17.  Australia’s response to the coronavirus pandemic has been notoriously strict, with county-wide lockdowns and stringent protocols on entering the country. 

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Of Bishops, Champions and Chancellors: an Asteroid Triptych

Some asteroid names are resonant to particular job titles or accomplishments. In this article, we’ll examine three, two of which have been featured in the news lately.

On August 23rd, Pope Francis acquiesced to a rather unusual request:  52-year-old Xavier Novell i Goma, Bishop of Solsona, Spain, submitted his resignation for “strictly personal reasons.”  In good health, at the prime of life (for clergy), the bishop’s departure raised eyebrows and caused speculation in sacred and secular circles.  Novell was elevated to his see in 2010, at age 42, one of the youngest bishops Spain had ever known.  It took the Spanish press awhile to smoke out the details, but on September 5th the sordid story broke – the ex-bishop had left the church to cohabit with a 38-year-old divorcee, Silvia Caballol Clemente, with whom he had fallen in love.  Caballol is a novelist.  Of erotica.  Satanic erotica.  Well, at least she doesn’t have a penis.

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