More Real than a Book - A very short study by Nigel A. JAMES

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Photo - All Very Catholic - By Nigel A. JAMES

More Real than a Book.

Andy was not someone out of a book. He was real. As real as us all. But, not really. Andy was more. He had two different sides. Andy was very unusual.

One of Andy's sides was his "alternative side". The other, his conservative conformist side. And, these two sides worked very well together. They had Andy in common.

And, Andy believed in himself in a very strong way. This was his plus. Andy's belief in himself was something that everyone liked. Self belief is something that everyone wants. Andy was the perfect example. Everyone liked him. He was a popular guy. He had charisma. Andy was someone to follow.

Andy's alternative side was his scruffy one. He dressed very badly. He never used a comb and rarely shaved. He was a mess. He was lazy. This, however, was something that no one seemed to mind. Andy had a small business and ran it very well. His service was good, and, most importantly, Andy was friendly and tolerant.

Andy's other side was conformist conservative. Andy was a member of the Roman Catholic Church. But, many other people were Catholics as well. And, in this sense, Andy didn't stick out from the crowd. He ran the boy scouts, and, occasionally sang in the choir. Andy was an all-round modern free thinking tolerant Christian. But, then one day, something happened. Andy revealed another side of his character that, up until then, no one had known.

A young girl of the parish became pregnant. She was only 15. And, to make matters worse, the girl's mother taught at a private Catholic school. Most people of the parish had no problem at all with the girl's situation. She wasn't the first and wouldn't be the last. Many have secrets. Many cupboards are stuffed full of skeletons. But, Andy was shocked!

Andy was through and through intolerant. This, it seemed, was his real self. His smiles and friendliness were only for business. Happy customers. Anything out of the ordinary was a taboo. And, the poor young girl was definitely full out of order. People like us don't do that kind of thing. But, they do. And, that was Andy's big problem. And, Andy, too, was well out of order.

Intolerance and arrogance are both the same thing. An unpleasant weakness. And, maybe, Andy didn't like himself. People like us are not lazy. People like us don't dress like tramps. People like us don't make mistakes! We are respectable. Andy just couldn't be himself. I wonder why not. He tried very hard and almost succeeded.

revealed - enthült

stick out from the crowd -

All Very Catholic - By Nigel A. JAMES

DADA - A movement that flowered and shone!

Dada – A very brief history  

Dada was a movement that flowered and shone for only a very short time. And, it was intensive. And, the fact that it started in Zurich in 1916 was something much more than just coincidence. There was no where else for it. The world was at war, and Switzerland, being neutral, had become a refuge for artists and other intellectuals who were opposed to the war (WW1). And, Switzerland was one of the only places in the world where people were free to express meanings, positions and opinions. And, Zurich, with its colony of foreign free thinking intellectuals, was perfect for Dada.

And, Dada really started in the summer of 1916 when Hugo Ball read his Dada manifesto in the Cabaret Voltaire, which, by the way, he had founded in February of the very same year. And, very simply put, Dada was against everything to do with the war and against everything bourgeoisie that had led to its start. And, because Dada was against everything, it was also against itself! And, this “being against everything” was expressed with the use of everything and anything in sometimes very extraordinary abstract and unrealistic ways. Dada included painting, poetry, writing, theatre and just about everything else imaginable, too. And, because Dada was basically against the war which was a world war, Dada quickly spread from Zurich to the rest of the world.

There were Dada movements everywhere. And, the list of people involved was impressive. There was Francis Picabra, Marcel Duchamp, Man Ray, Kurt Schwitters, Hannah Höch, and very many other fine individualists, too.

But, times changed. And, Dada only lasted until its original members went their separate ways in 1922. Change, it seemed, was able to happen without Dada.

And, nowadays? Dada still lives on as a living Dada museum. There are still many Dada groups throughout the world which faithfully continue to put on, perform and recite original Dada. And, the Cabaret Voltaire is still very much alive as a shrine to the sacred memory of Dada. And, why not? Dada, after all, was a movement that burned with a passion of white hot feeling that questioned, rejected and questioned again. Nothing was sacred, not even Dada itself. And, Dada's demise was due to its attempts at self-regulation and the making of rules. And, that wasn't Dada! Dada, it turned out, was just as human and conventional as everything else! Dada was a child of its time that sadly never grew up! And that, in a way, was Dada as well. nj – 2016

Vocabulary

coincidence – two or more things happening unexpectedly at the same time

demise – the end

flowered and shone – succeeded in a very big or dramatic way

founded – started

it turned out – as it happened

movements – active groups

refuge – place of safety

Questions

What was Dada against?

Why did Dada start in Switzerland?

Why was Zurich perfect for Dada?

Who founded the Cabaret Voltaire?

What did Dada include?

Why did Dada become international?

What are your feelings towards Dada?

Getting ready for DADA - by Nigel A. JAMES

Marty Siwy and a big Wild Boar! A true story from the Vienna Woods

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Picture - People on their way to the Vienna Woods - by Nigel AJAMES

Marty Siwy

And now -To the corner and back –

People who run every day are every day winners! And winning - when running - is reaching a goal. And, Marty Siwy's first goal was from here to the corner – and that was a long time ago. But, now - Marty's up at the top and her goals are measured in time – and 3 hours a day is her minimum.

But, running isn't just beating the clock – there can be surprises as well – and Marty Siwy's first big surprise was a big wild boar.

It was early one morning – and Marty was in the woods and had just run round a bend when it happened. There – blocking her path - was the biggest wild boar she had ever ever seen. And – to make matters worse the boar was protecting her young! // And – stopping just in time – Marty froze. And the boar, too - just stood there and stared. And,// after what seemed like a very long time,// the boar and her babies turned and went in the opposite direction -// Marty – in her bright yellow T-shirt and even brighter red shorts had not been such a threat after all. Marty's good luck had saved her.

But – crossing the line in good time in long distance runs has more to do with hard training than luck - and – Marty's hard work has more than paid off.

Over the years – Marty has won medals and cups in many city runs – and has finished in good time in more than 38 marathons. ///And – Marty has travelled the world. She has run in New York – Sydney – Hong Kong and many other places as well. And – not only that – Marty has made many good running friends,too. Running is not only very hard work – but social as well.

And running has one other very big advantage as well – it's the best anti-ageing agent there is!

It has no side effects and it's free - So – however old or young you may be – why not follow Marty's example. Get your running shoes out of the cupboard and you too will start feeling great once again. It's all up to you.

Marty Siwy ran to the corner and won – so – what's stopping you? You too can become an everyday winner! And now is the best time to start! Put your running shoes and run to the corner – the marathons will come in good time– the world will be waiting for you! See you next year at the start!

People who run every day are every day winners! And winning is a wonderful feeling.

Marty Siwy - And now -To the corner and back

People on their way to the Vienna Woods - Photo by Nigel A. JAMES