writing
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On February 10, 1993, the University of Limerick Concert Hall hosted an unforgettable night of music history. Four of country music’s greatest legends—Johnny Cash, Waylon Jennings, and Kris Kristofferson—took the stage together as The Highwaymen. This concert was a special event for Irish audiences, allowing them to witness the magic of these iconic artists in…
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Bert Jan Flim, a noted Dutch historian who has researched the rescue of Jewish children during the Holocaust in the Netherlands. His father and paternal grandparents were recipients of the Righteous Among the Nations award for their part in rescuing Jews during the Holocaust. Herman Flim, a baker from Nijverdal. During World War II, Herman…
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Primum non nocere is the Latin phrase for “First do no harm” It is part of the Hippocratic Oath including the promise “to abstain from doing harm” . The Hippocratic Oath is an oath historically taken by physicians. It is one of the most widely known of Greek medical texts. In its original form, it requires a new physician to…
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This story is both heartbreaking and uplifting — heartbreaking because it tells of a mother who knew she was going to die, and uplifting because her final words revealed remarkable courage and hope in the face of certain death. Olga Bancic was born on May 10, 1912, into a large Jewish family in Bessarabia, then…
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Dick Turpin is one of England’s most famous historical outlaws, known for his exploits as a highwayman during the early 18th century. Over time, he has become a legendary figure, celebrated in folklore and literature as a daring and gallant rogue. However, the reality of Turpin’s life is far less romantic. While he was indeed…
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“On the wet windy evening of January 22, a youthful band of idealists went to a lonely cabin in the Maryland woods.” these are the first few lines of one of the more stranger stories of LIFE magazine. “On the damp, windy night of January 22, a group of idealistic youths ventured into a remote…
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A needle hums, its bite inscribes,More than ink, it brands their lives.A sequence carved, devoid of name,A silent scream in numeric shame. The ink sinks deep, a cruel decree,A name erased—humanity’s plea.Flesh becomes a ledger’s page,Etched in despair, grief, and rage. Not a mark of pride but pain,A scar that whispers what remains.The calloused hand,…
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Mart Duggan (November 10, 1848 – April 9, 1888) was a legendary gunfighter of the American Old West. Though largely forgotten today, he was once one of the most feared lawmen of his time. Author Robert K. DeArment, in his book Deadly Dozen, ranks Duggan as one of the most underrated gunmen of the Old…
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Afghanistan is in the news again for all the wrong reasons. But I am not going to address that here, there are plenty of news outlets where you can read all about that. I want to go more into the history, or at least the recent history, of Afghanistan. The name Afghanistan (Afghānistān, land of…
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In 1972, Italian singer-songwriter Adriano Celentano released a song that defied linguistic norms, confused listeners, and yet became an international sensation. The song, “Prisencolinensinainciusol,” is an energetic, rhythm-driven track that sounds like English but is, in fact, complete gibberish. This bizarre yet brilliant creation was Celentano’s experiment to showcase the barriers of communication and highlight…
