Category: Uncategorized
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Big Macs and garlic cheese fries
Today, November 16, is National Fast Food Day in the United States. Given that My Good Self is quite partial to the garlic cheese fries that are on offer in the Irish owned Supermac’s outlets, I feel duty bound to mark this auspicious occasion. It is generally accepted that the fast food industry in the…
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Venice
A very long roll of string is a useful thing to have when visiting Venice. Along with some fashionable swimwear. Venice is a truly unique place. And it’s in trouble. This week saw the main plaza in Venice, St. Mark’s Square, submerged in a metre of water. Tables and chairs met gondolas. The local fish…
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India
On this day in 1889, the first Prime Minister of India, Jawaharlal Nehru, was born. The son of a prominent lawyer, Nehru had a privileged upbringing. He studied in Cambridge and trained there to become a barrister. On his return to India he took an interest in politics and rose to become a prominent figure…
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Vietnam
On 13 November 1982 the Vietnam Veterans Memorial was unveiled in Washington D.C. A wall containing 58,195 names, it honours US Armed Forces personnel who were killed or unaccounted for in the Vietnam War. Beginning in November 1955 and ending in April 1975, the Vietnam War was a conflict that tore America apart. On the…
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Land of hope and dreams
It was on this day in 1954 that the immigrant inspection station in Ellis Island, New York closed its doors for the final time. The gateway to the land of hope and dreams for many Irish people escaping poverty and persecution over the years, Ellis Island processed approximately 12 million immigrants from all corners of…
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The fall of The Wall
This week marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Berlin became a divided city. The United States, France, United Kingdom and the Soviet Union each controlled parts of the city. East Berlin was the Soviet zone. In the years between 1945 and 1961…
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Nearer my God to thee
Today, 11 November, is Remembrance Day. The day when the men and women of the British Commonwealth who died in the First World War are honoured. The First World War began on 28 July 1914. It ended on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918. Many people died in this…
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The Big Match
This morning My Good Self emerged from the hay at 6.49. Precisely 9 hours 40 minutes 3.50 seconds until kick off in Anfield. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp decreed that everyone in red, without exception, must be in top form if The Boys From Anfield are to emerge victorious over this great Manchester City side. Accordingly…
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Captain Courageous
Siya Kolisi is captain of the South African rugby team. Until very recently My Good Self had no idea who Siya Kolisi was. The Rugby World Cup in Japan educated me. It turns out that Siya Kolisi is quite an impressive young man. Given that Rugby was, for many years, the game of the white…
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Red and Blue
Red is the colour of fire and blood. It is associated with passion and love. Blue is the colour of the sky and the sea. It is associated with stability and depth. This coming Sunday, November 10, at 16.30 Greenwich Mean Time, blue meets red. Passion and love go head to head with depth and…
Blind light 