Wishing You a Happy New Year!

Over To Something New!   By Nigel A James

A New Face!

A Struggle to Get Going!

Hopefully One Direction!

Where To?

Happy New Year!

(A) - Edward Cave - The First Magazine in the World - It was the start of something big - And, you read one, too!

For full AUDIO/VISUAL article - please click HERE!  

Edward Cave and the First Magazine in the World!

There are women's magazines, sports magazines, motoring magazines and many other kinds of magazines, too. But, why are magazines called magazines?

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In 1730, Edward Cave, a French Canadian printer decided to produce a general interest magazine for men. And, he wanted to call it  “A Store of General Information”. But, this didn't sound good. So, instead, he chose the French word “Magazine”. And, the word magazine has the same meaning as the word store and sounds much better.

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Edward Cave and the first magazine in the world.

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Vocabulary

chose (choose/chose/chosen) - aussuchen

French – französisch

general interest – allgemeine Interesse

instead – stattdessen

printer – Drücker

produce - erzeugen

magazine - Zeitschrift

meaning - Bedeutung

Store - Lage

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Questions

When did Edward Cave decide to produce a magazine?

Was Edward Cave's magazine a fishing magazine or a women's magazine?

What did Edward Cave want to call his magazine?

Why did Edward Cave chose the name “Magazine”?

Is the word magazine Spanish or English?

What does the word magazine mean?

Which magazines do you read?

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(-C) - A Real Life Christmas Story - Destination Unknown - Two pilots, Otto Herold and Manfred Pollak and a Christmas flight to somewhere unknown!

CLICK HERE for full Audio/Visual text.

 Otto Herold and Manfred Pollak - Destination Unknown -

It was the 21^st of December 1975. Christmas was coming. Vienna was cold and covered with snow, but there was no Christmassy feeling. In fact, things were bad. Carlos, the notorious international terrorist,  and his band of German and Palestinian accomplices had taken over OPEC, and, Sheik Yamane of Saudi Arabia and several other oil ministers were being held hostage in the OPEC headquarters in the centre of Vienna. And, with 4 policemen dead and the promise of even more violence, the Austrian government was in a difficult position. And so, the terrorists' demands were agreed to in full.

These demands included a message in French to be read out at 2 hourly intervals on the radio, meals from the Intercontinental hotel, and a plane to take the hostages and terrorists out of the country.  But, of course, a plane needs a crew, And, at Austrian Airlines the call for volunteers went out. And, Otto Herold, a young pilot at the time, and Captain Manfred Pollak were chosen.

And, so it was, that on the morning of the 22^nd of December 1975, Otto Herold and Captain Manfred Pollak were ready and waiting to take off in their fully fuelled   DC9. And then, with terrorists and hostages on board, Captain Manfred Pollak requested permission to take off for destination unknown. And, as they took off, they didn't know when or if they'd ever see Vienna again. They, they believed were on a flight into danger!

But, they needn't have worried. Nothing serious happened and everything went incredibly well. Their flight turned into a tour of Middle East capitals with a hostage release at each stop. And, when they finally reached Algiers, their final destination, the terrorists simply vanished into thin air leaving Otto Herald and Manfred Pollak alone in their plane.

But, there was one small story that Otto Herold never forgot.

Because there were no hostesses on board, Otto Herold had volunteered to serve coffee. And, everyone was happy. That is to say, all except one! One of the hostages, an oil minister, rudely rejected the offer of coffee and demanded a cup of tea instead. Of course, Otto Herald was unable to help, and the oil minister became even angrier. And then, when Otto Herold went to collect the dirty cups and plates, one of the terrorists stopped him. The still non too happy oil minister was made to clear up the dirties instead. There were to be no more passenger complaints for the rest of the journey.

And, that was the worst thing that happened on the flight to destination unknown, and Otto Herald and Captain Manfred Pollak returned safely home to Vienna.

And, 6 months later, Captain Pollak and Otto Herold were decorated by the Austrian president for their courage and bravery. And, of course, both continued flying and Otto Herold was promoted to captain. And, as every one knows, captains can never stop flying. And Manfred Pollak and Otto Herold both spent their free time and much later their retirements building and flying model planes.

But, no models, however impressive, could ever replace the Viscounts, DC9s, and Airbuses which they once flew. Life, for these very brave men was high in the sky. And, their flight to destination unknown was never forgotten.

Captain Otto Herold and Captain Manfred Pollock, two very brave men who volunteered for a Christmas time flight to destination unknown. A flight with a difference where the first officer served the coffee and cakes.

Destination Unknown. Captain Manfred Pollock and Captain Otto Herold.

PLEASE WAIT FOR AUTOMATIC SWITCH TO VOCABULARY AND QUESTIONS - TAKES ABOUT 20 SECONDS!

Vocabulary – Wortschatz

according – laut

accomplice – Komplize

brave – tapfer

consideration – Betrachtung

courage – Mut

decorated – ausgezeichnet

demand – Forderung

destination – Zielort

difficult position – Schwere Position

dirties – Schmutzige Geschirr

except – außer

experience – erleben

hostage – Geisel

impressive – beeindruckend

notorious – berüchtigt

promoted (promote/promoted/promoted)– gefordert

retirement – Ruhestand

rudely – unwirsch

volunteer - Freiwilliger

Questions

Why were things bad in Vienna in December 1975?

Who had taken over OPEC?

What were two of the terrorists' demands?

Where did the plane take off for?

Where did the flight end?

Why were the two pilots decorated?

What did Otto Herold never forget?

Happy Christmas!

Thank you for joining me!

Ill Advised Advisor - A poem by Henry Wright

For full Audio/visual post - please CLICK HERE!

ILL-ADVISED ADVISER

by Henry Wright

“It’s good to eat,” observed the duck,

While seeking grass to munch,

“Whatever could we do instead

When time comes round for lunch?”

..

The dandelion with mournful look,

Replied a bit put out,

“I see your point, I do indeed,

But I can’t move about”.

..

The duck was taken by surprise

To hear a flower speak,

The place where one expects a mouth

Were petals but no beak.

..

“You won’t grow up a healthy duck”,

The weed went on to say,

“Unless you have your vitamins

And minerals each day”.

..

The duck was piqued to think a plant

As lowly as a weed,

Presumed to give advice to her

On what she ought to feed.

..

“What use are you?” she cried enraged,

“Stuck always in one spot?

You cannot fly or walk or swim

And talk such tommyrot”.

..

“I landed here by parachute,”

The weed replied with heat,

“And ever since produced the food

That you should daily eat”.

..

“Forgive me for my hasty words,”

The duck replied contrite,

“I’ll follow your advice at once

Because I’m sure you’re right.

..

“I’m sorry we must part this way

Just so I may survive”.

With that she opened wide her beak

And ate the weed alive.

(B+) - Charley Steidl - An Unusual Farewell - A summer goodbye to a life full of plenty!

Please CLICK HERE for full audio/visual article -  

An Unusual Farewell - Charley Steidl

Farewells belong to the rhythm of life. And, sometimes these farewells are best understood when viewed through the distance of years. And this is how Charley Steidl remembers a day from long, long ago.

It was 1939, late summer, still hot and the second Sunday in September. And, Charley Steidl, although still only three at the time, remembers this day as if only last week.

Because of the wonderful weather, his mother and father and aunty and uncle and three of his cousins had decided to spend the day at the Viennese Prata, an amusement park just close to the centre of town. And, the Prata with its rides, swings and roundabouts was not only a wonderful place for kids, but perfect for grownups, too. And, Charlie Steidl even won a toy African elephant. Charlie Steidl and his cousins were happy. Their world was in order! But, this magical day, Charlie recalls, was not only for having lots of good fun, there was the eating. And, they ate!

Lunch was spent at Emminger's, a restaurant very close to the Prata. Charley remembers that the meal was good, but, of course, no longer recalls what it was. And, then after finishing lunch, the party moved on to the Hauswirt, another nearby restaurant for afternoon coffee and cakes. And, then with evening coming on, Charley's father ordered another main meal of roast goose, dumplings and red cabbage. And, the fun and the eating carried on until late.

And, of course, it was only much later in life that Charley Steidl understood the meaning of this wonderful day. His family weren't being greedy, they were simply saying goodbye to the good times of having enough. And they were right! Within just a short space of time, the world was at war and there was no longer enough food to go round. There were to be no more days out at the Prata and no more big meals for a very long time.

Farewells belong to the rhythm of life. And, Charlie Steidl has happily had only one farewell to food. And, that was the day he was taken to the fare and won a little grey elephant from Africa.

Charlie Steidl. He said goodbye with a meal and a day full of fun. A day he's never forgotten - and a day that only came once.

Charley Steidl - An Unusual Farewell

Vocabulary

eclipsed – (eclipse/eclipsed/eclipsed) - verfinstern

fare – Vergnügungspark

farewells – Verabschiedungen

greedy – gierig

inflatable – aufblasbar

meaning – Bedeutung

recall (to recall/recalled/recalled) – erinnern

rhythm – Rhythmus

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(B) - Hans Kratky - A man, a camera, and a kite, and lots of very good luck

Please click HERE for full AUDIO/VISUAL page

Strings in the Wind and a Film! A true story about Hans Kratky

This true story happened more than seven years ago. But, for Hans Kratky it's still just as real as if it only happened last week. It was the day that his kite went away with the wind.

It was January the first. Hans Kratky was trying out his brand new video camera when he had an idea. Why not make a film of his house from above? A bird's eye view.

And, this was not only a very good idea, but simple as well. And, the only thing needed was a kite to carry the camera into the sky. And, that was no problem. Hans Kratky could easily make one himself. And so he got going. And, two days later, his kite was ready and waiting with camera fixed firmly on board.

And the take-off was perfect! Up into the sky went camera and kite. And, as Hans pulled the strings he was happy. His film, he was sure, would be a success.

But, then came the gust. It was so strong and so sudden that it took the strings right out of his hands! There was nothing Hans could do except sadly look-on as his kite and camera went away on the wind and into the cold winter sky.

But, all's well that ends well, and soon the kite found itself tangled up in a tree with the camera still shooting as if nothing had happened. All was not lost. And, later that day, Hans and his wife and their friends sat down to enjoy Hans's unforgettable film. And, it was full of surprises.

The beginning was perfect. There were the wonderful pictures as the kite rose gracefully higher and higher. And the views were impressive. And, far below, Hans's house looked amazingly small. And, again came the gust. And, the swingings and tossings looked great on the screen. But, the best was to come at the end. It was a finale fit for an Oscar, and, it all took place in the tree which was holding the kite!

Instead of coming up from the ground to rescue his camera and kite, Hans Kratky came down head first from above! The camera, which was still filming, was hanging upside-down in the tree. Everything was back-to-front and upside-down. And, so brilliant was this ending, that Hans's wife Petra thought the whole thing was great. And, she was glad she had given Hans the camera for Christmas.

And, Hans was glad, too. His dream had come true. He had made a film of his house from above and it was all his own work. Or, was it? Not quite. The wind and the tree had played important roles, too. Without them there would have been no surprises and no video either! Everything would have gone with the wind. Hans had had not only a very good day, but, lots of luck, too!

Hans Kratky. A man and his kite and a wondeful film.

Vocabulary

according – laut

after all – immerhin

amazing – erstaunlich

back-to-front – verkehrt

giant – riesig

got going - (to get going/got going/got going) – anfangen

graceful – graziös

gust – Windstoß/Bö

home made – Hausgemacht

impressive – beeindruckend

kite – Drachen

launching – abschießen

quite – ganz

rescue – (rescue/rescued/rescued) – retten

rose – (rise/rose/risen) – stieg

straight after – direkt nach . ..

strings - Schnüre

sudden – plötzlich

swayed – (to sway/swayed/swayed) ) - schwanken

take off, the – Abflug

tangled – (to tangle/tangled/tangled) - eingewickelt

tossings – wälzen

upside-down – verkehrt

Questions

What was Hans Kratky doing on January the first?

What was Hans Kratky's idea?

How long did Hans Kratky need to make his kite?

What took the strings out of Hans Kratky's hands?

Where did the kite land?

Why was everything upside-down?

Who gave Hans Kratky the camera for Christmas?

New in the Net! A9949 Short stories and More

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(A) - Old Moon Eyes - Princess Matilda - A little princess with three beautiful crowns!

Please click here for full audio/visual page.

Old Moon Eyes

Princess Matilda

Princess Matilda lives in a very big castle in the middle of a very big forest. And, she has three beautiful crowns. A crown made of gold, a crown made of silver, and a crown made of old rubber tyres.

And, Princess Matilda wears her crown made of gold when she goes to the cinema. She wears her crown made of silver when she goes swimming. And, she wears her crown made of old rubber tyres when she goes to London to visit the Queen.

And, what does Princess Matilda have on her head when she is at home in her castle? The answer is simple. She wears a colourful tea-cosy that her grandmother knitted a long time ago!

Princess Matilda. She lives in a very big castle and has 3 beautiful crowns. A gold one, a silver one and one made of old rubber tyres.

Princess Matilda!

Vocabulary

ago - vorher

at home – zu Hause

beautiful – schön

castle – Burg

cinema - Kino

crown - Krone

forest – Wald

knitted - (knit/knitted/knitted) - stricken

lives (live/lived/lived) lebt

made of – aus

old rubber tyres – alte Gummireifen

tea cosy - Teekannen-wärmer

visit - Besuch

wears – (wear/wore/worn)

Questions

Where does Princess Matilda live?

How many crowns has Princess Matilda got?

Which crown does Princess Matilda wear at the cinema?

Which crown does Princess Matilda wear when she is swimming?

And, which crown does she wear when she visits the Queen?

What does Princess Matilda wear when she is at home?

Who knitted Princess Matilda's tea cosy?

Do you wear a tea cosy at school?

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(-C) Walls - A short essay the strengths and wealnesses of more than just garden walls!

For full audio/visual page PLEASE CLICK HERE!

WALLS - A short essay designed to keep thinking in place - by Nigel A JAMES

Walls have never failed to interest me. Whilst still very young, I remember being fascinated by the thought of that which lay behind a very long brick wall which I passed on my way to my school everyday. Unfortunately, I never discovered what it was! But, I have never forgotten the wall . And then, later on in life, I couldn't help wondering why Berlin needed a wall which ran bang through its middle! Walls, in a word, are a subject of interest.

And, walls come in many different shapes, lengths, sizes and heights. And, all this has to do with the purpose for which they were built. And, surprisingly, the number of reasons for putting up walls are, in fact, only two.

Walls are either for keeping people or things in, or for keeping them out. And, that's why walls are a very big part of our lives. All of us need them and most of us want them.

Walls are the guardians of our privacy. We need them to separate that which is ours from everyone else's; and the higher and stronger the better. And, society is walls within walls within walls. Some are good and some are bad, and many are necessary and some are of no use at all. And our walls begin with ourselves.

Many people build invisible walls around themselves so as to prevent others from getting too close, and others see walls around others which really aren't there at all. Walls are both real and imaginary.

Prisons, of course, need walls to keep people in. And quite rightly so. But what about our borders which are there to keep people out? They, too, are walls – but of a different nature. shouldn't national boundaries be things of the past? We are, after all, all part of the one same world!

So, which walls do we really need? There is a saying in America which says that good garden fences make very good neighbors. There is a lot of truth in this pocket size packet of wisdom. And the truth of this saying lies in the fact that there are people who are not happy with only that which is theirs; they want more. And, the only way to prevent others from getting that which is yours is to build a wall to protect. So walls, at the end of the day, are all about angst.

And history is packed full of examples of angst inspired walls. The Great Wall of China, the Berlin Wall, the wall which separates the two sides in Israel, the Maginot line which failed in the war, and, of course, the wall – or fence as it is called - which stops Mexicans entering the United States of America. There are countless other examples as well.

But, most walls are really incapable of resisting the attempts of the determined. How many people escaped from East Berlin? Did the Maginot line stop the Germans from invading France in the 2^nd World war? How effective is the wall along the Mexican border? The point is that all walls have doors, and not all doors look like doors!

Doors, just like walls, come in many forms. It all depends on the wall! The Berlin wall allowed people to pass in a variety of ways. There were tunnels, ladders, disguises and cunning. A wall is only as strong as the imagination of he who erects it!

But, walls will always be needed. And, that's because we are how we are – victims of angst. But, there is light at the end of the tunnel, however strong and permanent a wall may seem to be, it will not stand for ever.

Walls are the products of our thinking, and thinking is stronger than even the biggest of walls. So, if we stop thinking walls, then, one day, they might disappear. A world without national boundaries – a wonderful vision – but – this vision, too, is being kept where it is by a very strong wall of old fashioned and out of date thinking.

Walls, I'm afraid will stay with us for ever. But, maybe I'm wrong! As I said, thinking is stronger than walls, and the Berlin wall disappeared, too. Every wall on earth – however strong – will one day be part of our past – and life will go on as if they'd never existed. People quickly forget, and, that's the weakness of walls! nj