September 2026
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A swan flies over the Shannon while a Limerick Rose fades A tormented but beautiful soul I remember seeing you for the first time, no it was not in concert but in a shopping mall You looked so fragile next to the man who towered over you,your husband. Small and fragile but yet so tall…
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Bohemian Rhapsody is probably the most unlikely title for a Rock song and yet it became a classic , if not THE classic Rock song for many generations. This musical masterpiece lasted 5 minutes and 55 seconds, another reason why it should not have become a hit. Because prior to that, 3 minutes was the…
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The Benelux is often described as one of the earliest experiments in European integration. Today, the name is familiar: Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg cooperating economically and politically as neighbouring states. Yet the origins of the Benelux lie not in the prosperous post-war Europe we know today, but in the uncertainty and devastation of the…
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(Originally posted September 18, 2017) The title is a line from a 1945 letter, from Harold Porter to his mother and father in Michigan, describing the situation at the Dachau concentration camp after liberation. The letters that Pfc. Porter, who served as a medic with the 116th Evacuation Hospital, wrote to his parents are now archived…
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The Olympic Games are meant to represent peace, unity and international friendship. In 1972, however, the Munich Olympics became the scene of one of the most shocking terrorist attacks in modern history. On September 5, eight members of the Palestinian terrorist group, Black September, entered the Olympic Village and attacked the Israeli delegation. By the…
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“Dolle Dinsdag” or “Mad Tuesday,” which occurred on September 5, 1944, was a pivotal and chaotic day in the Netherlands during World War II. The day is remembered for the widespread belief among the Dutch population that liberation from Nazi occupation was imminent, leading to scenes of jubilation, panic, and disarray. This essay delves into…
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Nowadays boarding a plane is nearly as common as get on a train. Come to think of it I have been probably more on a plane then in a train. However in 1954 flying was quite expensive and was only affordable for a few or after saving money for it for possibly year, especially for…
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I was reminiscing on TV shows I watched as a kid in the Netherlands. One of my favourite shows was a series called “Q&Q”. It was about 2 teenage detectives. The boys named Aristides Quarles and Wilbur Quant accidentally snap a photo of a dead body in the woods. After finding the place where the…
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There is still no news as of yet to who will replace Daniel Craig in the title role(no it’s not me) Of course with every Bond movie there is also the obligatory Bond song, there have been so many classic songs from “Goldfinger” by Dame Shirley Bassey to “Skyfall” by Adele. However there are quite…
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Gino Bartali won the Giro d’Italia 3 times, in 1936,1937 and 1946. He also won de Tour de France twice, the first time in 1938 and again in 1948. This alone would make him a sporting hero. Especially his 2nd Giro d’Italia win, when his younger brother, Giulio, died in a racing accident on 14…
