The CRANE BIRDS of MONACO (Poem)

The crane is the most common bird in Monaco

The air in Monaco is always clean
Sometimes a raven can be seen

But the crane bird is everywhere
Buildings rising here and there

All the cranes bear the same name
From a family with great fame

They rule the skies of Monaco
Better to be their friend than their foe

In the distance is the palace
Where the Prince is pacing with malice

Another day another scandal
The priest shook his head and lit a candle

Who had leaked the dirt?
To cause the monarchy so much hurt

Who made the man with the crown
Look like such a clown?

Surrounded by the wrong men
Punished by a poison pen

Though he still has his crown
Many greet him with a hidden frown

In Monaco the cranes are everywhere
Buildings rising here and there

The Crane (bird)

Patrice Pastor / Prince Albert

ANGELIQUE Via UTRECHT

Meeting Angelique at the train station in Bunnik 30 years later It was a typical Dutch gray day. No rain, no sun. The train had just left the Utrecht station on its way to Bunnik. I was now only minutes away from seeing Angelique. The last time I had seen her was 25 years ago when she had visited me in San Francisco. The last time I was in the Netherlands, there still was the Dutch guilder and Dutch freedom. Now returning so many years later, the monetary currency was in euros and the cultural currency was in lockdowns, face masks and QR codes. Dutch sovereignty and freedom had taken a beating, but this time from within. When the train stopped in Bunnik, my compartment was the farthest from the platform. When I stepped out, I saw a silhouette in the distance waving at me. It was Angelique. She was dressed all in black, with a long raincoat that looked like a cape and with a wide brimmed black hat. For a moment I felt I was in one of those Zorroesque Sandeman commercials I grew up ...

Is The Dutch Monarchy Constitutional?

King Willem-Alexander and his mother Princess Beatrix smiling at the people who pay for their palaces According to Article 1 of the Dutch Constitution, every individual in the Netherlands should be treated equally under the law. However, there is one family who is above the law: the superior royal Dutch family. This is a huge contradiction in Dutch society and culture. The Dutch legislature should either abolish Article 1 or the monarchy and revert back to a republic, which the Netherlands originally was. Not only are the Dutch royals above the law, they run over the rights of the Dutch people by taking their money. And then the King lectures the Dutch people about "equality" and "diversity" as the Dutch politicians, elected by the Dutch people, sit there silently while he does. In the Netherlands they call that "democracy." Somewhere along the line the Dutch went from total football to total monarchy. King Willem-Alexander is one of the richest ...

THE STARCK CLUB -- BEING THERE

Inside The Starck Club DALLAS, TEXAS -- 1985-89: My favorite place that I would frequently visit in Dallas was the Starck Club. It was located in the old part of town, where the once life-sustaining warehouses were abandoned and crumbling, right past the forgotten railroad tracks of the forgotten Industrial Revolution. But this one particular warehouse was adopted and remodeled by the French architect and designer, Philippe Starck. Getting into the Starck Club wasn’t easy. There was always a long line and the club’s doormen were very selective about who they allowed to enter. Since I was in my early twenties with bleached blond hair, I was hip enough to pass. I also wore black parachute pants while standing in white leather shoes -- all very Duran Duran like. The first time I entered the Starck Club I was in a state of shock and awe. It wasn’t just the unique design of the club, but the energy, the music, and the women. I had never been to a place whe...

Theo Bruinsma -- San Francisco

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