Thursday, March 29, 2007

Around the World in 80 days


French novel by Jules Verne, this story starts in London in the time period when it was published of 1873. It features a proper Englishman taking it upon himself to win a bet that was made between him and a comrade. The bet questioned if one could circumnavigate the world in 80 days and involved the wager of 20,000 pounds as the prize. Phileas Fogg thought it could be done, and thus sets the preamis for the adventure novel.
Jules Verne has often been referred to as the first science-fiction writer, for the time e was and active writer. This is due to cause of the idea of traveling around the world in a hot air balloon. This actually was never in the story besides a small reference stating that that idea would have been too risky. The balloon idea which instated in the 1956 movie based on the book. The movie became so popular it swayed the initial concepts of the book to all those who havent read it and now just assume that the hot air balloon on the cover is actually a main part of the plot in the book. The very orignal idea of traveling in a hot balloon for a story was Vernes first book, titled, "Five Weeks in a Balloon".

Around the World in 80 days


French novel by Jules Verne, this story starts in London in the time period when it was published of 1873. It features a proper Englishman taking it upon himself to win a bet that was made between him and a comrade. The bet questioned if one could circumnavigate the world in 80 days and involved the wager of 20,000 pounds as the prize. Phileas Fogg thought it could be done, and thus sets the preamis for the adventure novel.
Jules Verne has often been referred to as the first science-fiction writer, for the time e was and active writer. This is due to cause of the idea of traveling around the world in a hot air balloon. This actually was never in the story besides a small reference stating that that idea would have been too risky. The balloon idea which instated in the 1956 movie based on the book. The movie became so popular it swayed the initial concepts of the book to all those who havent read it and now just assume that the hot air balloon on the cover is actually a main part of the plot in the book. The very orignal idea of traveling in a hot balloon for a story was Vernes first book, titled, "Five Weeks in a Balloon".

Soviet Socialist Revolution


The soviet socialist revolution was the USSR, and was a Union of Soviet Republics in current day country of Russia. The joining of the republics reseambled what was near what the Russian Empire was like before the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the Russian Civil War of 1918. The major different was the country of Poland was now its own country. It started as a union of only 4 soviet socialist republics, it eventually grew to hold 15 total different socialist republics, alothough the Russian SFSR remained in primary control.
Life in the USSR was very different from what it was meant to be like, and so the saying goes, everyone is equal, but some are more equal than others. Simple things were very free range. The freedom allowed for art and industry was much more than what is usually concieved. Artists had much utilities at their disposal and were allowed to experiment in great detail and were encouraged by communist leaders at the time to do so. The Russian film industry also had the same privilages, mainly to try to compete with the every growing Hollywood scene in America. The only form of censorship exloited was no negativity towards the Republic of the USSR.
These 15 separate states dissolved in December of 1981, and 13 of the orignal regrouped to form a non-binding confederation, Commanwealth of Independent States.

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

John Wilkes Booth


John Wilkes Booth was made infanous for his assasonation of President Abraham Lincoln. He was well known for being dissatified with the war, and had previviously been known to meet with Southren sympathizers, one of them being confederate secret service director, James D. Bulloch. On Novemeber 26 1864, Booth had started to start funding for the assasonation attempt. He began collaborating with Southren Conspirators and began contriving plots.
On March 17 Booth had abruptly learned that the Prsident was to attend a "Still waters run deep" in a local town, he saw this as a opportunity to kidnap him. He however could not pull his collation together due to disagreements, so he went on his own. He successfully pulled this plot off.

Tuesday, February 27, 2007

Gloria Swanson


An American Hollywood actress during the Silent film era. Best known for her movie, Sunset Boulevard 1950, where she plays a recovering actress from the silent film era. This movie represented her life perfectly, which is why she connected with her character so well.

The Waste Land


Written in 1922 by T.S. Eliot, is a poem that includes large amounts of satire and prophecy. Covers large spans of time periods and cultures. The title was inspired by Jessie Weston's book, From Ritual to Romance. How the king was return the land he controls to a fertile state. the poem itself changes structure throughout the five sections that mainly start in a dramatice monologue form.

Charles Manson


Charles Manson started the infamous cult, the "Manson Family". In this amily he ordered his cultist to carry out many murders, throughout Los Angeles. This was quite the chilling news story throughout the US. The thought of him having the power to control and instigate a reaction in these people to follow him, these once good people was chilling. He has since then become a well known icon of evil.

Heaven and Earth


A 1993 movie directed by Heaven and Earth is directed by Oliver Stone, and is based a true story that occures during the Vietnam war. It is notoriusly known for being underrated but did win a golden globe. The movie deals with war, suicide, prostitution and religion. Movies like this include Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, and Deer Hunter. It focus on the different angle of looking at US soldiers as the enemy, which is not easy to understand or watch.

Phineas Taylor Barnum


Phineas Taylor Barnum, widely known for the shows known as the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Baily Circus. He started in the 1840's as a museum propieator and held exhibits that were unheard of in the time period, the first freak show ever. Things put on display included the bearded woman, sorts of midgets and tallest man. The cirus started in1884 and quickly grew into a huge success.