Sunday, January 31, 2010

Thomas Alva Edison :D

We were surprised that Thomas Edison was quite good looking during his years then. He has a square-shaped face, vibrant blue-green eyes and a charming smile. He was a cute and anxious little boy who would plead with other adult he met to explain the workings of just about everything he encountered.    
                                
Edison became a telgraph reporter during his teens after he saved three year old Jimmie MacKenzie from being struck by a runaway train. Jimmie's father, station agent J.U MacKenzie of Mount Clemens, Michigan, was so grateful that he trained Edison as a telegraph reporter.
Edison became totally deaf in his left ear, and approximately 80% deaf on his right ear. he stated that the worst thing about this condition was that he was unable to enjoy beautiful sounds of singing birds.


Thomas Alva Edison (Feb. 11, 1847 - Oct. 18, 1931), was an American inventor, scientist and businessman who developed many devices that greatly influenced life around the world, including phonograph, the motion picture camera and a long lasting, practical electric light bulb.

Edison's greatest achievement was not the light bulb, the phonograph nor the electric generator, but it was the innovative process he used in his inventions.
He gave a future entrepreneurs a gift that will never be out dated, though some of his material inventions have been.

Phonograph
                 
One of Edison's great invention developed in Menlo Park was the tin foil phonograph. This cylinder phonograph was the first machine that could record and reproduced sound created a sensation and brought Edison international fame.

Light Bulb 

The light bulb profoundly changed human existence by illuminating the night and making it hospitable to a wide range of human activity. The electric light, one of the everyday conveniences that most affects our lives, was invented in 1879 by Thomas Edison. He was neither the first nor the only person trying to invent an incandescent light bulb.


 
Our Personal Response :)

Thomas Alva Edison inspired us on doing this article on him. he made us want to reach for our dreams and never, we mean NEVER give up on what we want to achieve. We were very impressed by his inventions and his ability to create something new and improved. He made us believe we could become a successful person by aiming our goal on something we love to do, which we are referring to our talents... Thanks to Thomas Edison, we believe we could change the world to a better and 'brighter' future... :)

This is one of Thomas Edison's quote:
"Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety nine percent perspiration. Accordingly, a 'genius' is often merely a talented person who has done all of his or her homework. " :)       



Group Members:
Nor Amalina
Alyssa
Zianzalqis
Anisa 


References: 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_edison 
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/lightbulb.htm 
http://thomasedison.com/ 

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Elvis Aaron Presley




Azraa Ayesha

Norbalqis

Nurul Neesha

Siti Syahirah


Elvis Aaron Presley; “The King of Rock & Roll’, introduced a whole new era of American music and popular culture with his sound and style that uniquely combined his diverse musical influences and blurred and challenged the social and racial barriers of the time.

Elvis, known the world over by his first name, is regarded as one of the most important figures of twentieth century popular culture. His talent, good looks, sensuality, charisma, and good humor endeared him to millions, as did the humility and human kindness he demonstrated throughout his life. He also honourably served his country in the U.S. Army.

Elvis was born on the 8th January of 1935, to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room house in Tupelo, Mississippi. Elvis had a twin brother named Jessie Garon but he was stillborn. Therefore, Elvis grew up as an only child. When Elvis was 13 years old, he and his parents moved to Memphis Tennessee in 1948. 


Elvis then graduated from Humes High School there in 1953. Elvis’ musical influences were the pop and country music of the time, the gospel music he heard in church and at the all-night gospel sings he frequently attended, and the black R&B he absorbed on historic Beale Street as a Memphis teenager. 


One year after graduation Elvis’ singing career took off with the legendary Sun Records label in Memphis. In late 1955, his recording contract was sold to RCA Victor. By the age of 20 Elvis was an international sensation...


He starred in 33 successful films, made history with his television appearances and specials, and knew great acclaim through his many, often record-breaking, live concert performances on tour and in Las Vegas. Globally, he has sold over one billion records, more than any other artist. His American sales have earned him gold, platinum or multi-platinum awards for 150 different albums and singles, far more than any other artist. Research is also underway to document his record sales achievements in other countries. It is estimated that 40% of Elvis' total record sales have been outside the United States.


Elvis has had no less than 149 songs to appear on Billboard’s Hot 100 Pop Chart in America. Of these, 114 were in the top forty, 40 were in the top ten, and 18 went to number one. His number one singles spent a total of 80 weeks at number one. He has also had over 90 charted albums with ten of them reaching number one. These figures are only for the pop charts, and only in America. He was also a leading artist in the American country, R&B, and gospel fields, and his chart success in other countries was substantial.

Among his many awards and accolades were 14 Grammy nominations (3 wins) from the National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, which he received at age 36, and his being named One of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation for 1970 by the United States Jaycees. Six of Elvis' recordings, all of them his original studio masters, have been inducted into the NARAS Hall of Fame: Hound Dog (1956 recording, inducted 1988), Heartbreak Hotel (1956 recording, inducted 1995), That's All Right (1954 recording, inducted 1998), Suspicious Minds (1969 recording, inducted 1999), Don't Be Cruel (1956 recording, inducted 2002) and Are You Lonesome Tonight (1960 recording, inducted 2007). The Recording Academy's national trustees established the
Grammy Hall Of Fame in 1973 to honour recordings of lasting qualitative or historical significance that are at least 25 years old. Many inductees are recordings that were created and released before the 1958 inception of NARAS.







Some of his famous quotes found below:
“Some people tap their feet, some people snap their fingers, and some people sway back and forth. I just sorta do ‘em all together, I guess.” 









-Elvis in 1956, talking about his way of moving on stage.
"I ain't no saint, but I've tried never to do anything that would hurt my family or offend God...I figure all any kid needs is hope and the feeling he or she belongs. If I could do or say anything that would give some kids that feeling, I would believe I had contributed something to the world."









-Elvis commenting to a reporter, 1950's.

“Don’t criticize what you don’t understand, son. You never walked in that man’s shoes.” 









-Elvis often used this adaptation of a well-known quotation.

“Man, I was tame compared to what they do now. Are you kidding? I didn’t do anything but just jiggle.” 









-From the press conference prior to his record-breaking Madison Square Garden shows in New York City, 1972.

“...the image is one thing and the human being is another...it’s very hard to live up to an image.” 









-From the press conference prior to his record-breaking Madison Square Garden shows in New York City, 1972.

“A live concert to me is exciting because of all the electricity that is generated in the crowd and on stage. It’s my favourite part of the business - live concerts.” 









-Elvis at a press conference prior to his 1973 television special, Elvis - Aloha from Hawaii, via Satellite.

“ Till we meet you again, may God bless you. Adios.”









-Said in 1977 at the end of a concert during his last tour. 


Elvis Presley was a legend among his fans, who adored his singing and loved his movies. Music critics consider him the king of rock and roll, while film critics are less kind in regard to his acting. But with his powerful presence and obvious talent, he could have been a great actor, had he been given the opportunity. We'll never know, of course, since he died on August 16, 1977.



References;




















Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Oprah Winfrey

 GROUP MEMBERS

Nadiah Ramli
Siti Sarah
Khai Lin
Tharshini




  


Oprah Winfrey 

Oprah Gail Winfrey was born to unmarried parents. Her name in her birth certificate is Orpah, but due to her family's inability to pronounce her given name, they called her "Oprah" instead. She lived with her grandmother in rural poverty. She often wore potato sacks as dresses. Her grandmother taught her to read before the age of three, and regularly attended church. When she was six, she moved to Milwaukee to live with her mother, and she claims that she was sexually abused and her mother was not as encouraging and supportive as her grandmother had been. 

Despite her less than encouraging home life, she skipped two grades, became teacher's pet and received a scholarship to Nicolet High School in Milwaukee. She ran away from home when she was 13, and unfortunately became pregnant at 14 , and even more unfortunately, her son died shortly after birth. Oprah miraculously soon got her life back on track after her frustrated mother sent her to live with her father Vernon in Nashville, Tennessee. She won Most Popular Girl, joined her high school speech team and won the Miss Black Tennessee beauty pagent at age 17. Working in local media, she was both the youngest news anchor and the first black female news anchor at Nashville's WLAC-TV. She moved to Baltimore's WJZ-TV in 1976 to co-anchor the six o'clock news.

She went on to host the number one talk show in history, the Oprah Winfrey show. Not only that, she became number one on the Forbes list, and the richest person in entertainment. She has also starred in the Pulitzer-Prize winning movie, The Color Purple which was directed by Steven Spielberg. Oprah Winfrey also publishes two magazine, which are O, The Oprah Winfrey magazine and O At Home. She has also opened a school, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. Although there has been controversy at the school, with a member of the staff reportedly abusing the girls, Winfrey handled the scandal remarkably well, pulling no punches, revealing all the ugliness and promising to do a much better job of taking care of the girls.

Winfrey currently lives on “The Promised Land”, her 42-acre estate with ocean and mountain views in in Montecito, California. 


Why we chose her

We chose Oprah Winfrey because she has proven that women can do anything, if not more, that men can do. She has shown that women are strong, capable of handling responsibilities and criticism thrown their way. Not only that, she has helped so many people around the world and inspired many others to be better people through her charity work, her school, her advice and her leadership. She has made many people see that you don't have to be born with a silver spoon in your mouth to achieve greatness. From a poverty stricken childhood, Oprah grew up to be one of the most influential women in the world. In conjunction with that, she has also shown people that we have to be strong in facing life's challenges. Even though Oprah grew in horrible circumstances, she still managed to become who she is today. Besides that, Oprah is also black, which shows the world there is no such thing as a race barrier or a rule that says only a certain race of people can be successful. 


REFERENCES

for text : www.wikipedia.com

for pictures : 

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8G7wrIfqKj1BBVjt7IPCbwBM7SZA56ITeM1BR1OCG9mNg7LSoeN97LuyXne3dnQzx-NIOVOS3M1l5xO-xA3oFSM3LSHYaSIxXuaZdFVTGZrwNotmWI6AMuGPUFhrlbF8lMtD02KLTpVQ/s400/OprahDenzel.jpg 

http://www.bet.com/Assets/BET/Published/image/jpeg/f9c1e366-b913-d8de-468d-bc45829933fe-news_fb_OprahWinfrey_Mandela.jpg

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Datuk Jimmy Choo

Name: Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat, (Chineese: 周仰杰) )
Year of Birth: 1961
Place of Birth: Pulau Pinang, Malaysia
University: Cordwainers Technical College in London Borough of Hackney, London.
Education: 1) Primary School: Shih Chung primary school up to Year Six
                   2) Secondary School: -
                   3) College: London College of Fashion
Occupation: Designer


Jimmy Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia in 1961 into a family of shoe makers. He made his first shoe when he was only 11 years old. He attended Cordwainers's Technical College in London and the London College of Fashion.
All Jimmy Choo Couture shoes are hand-made, his unrivalled craftsmanship is demonstrated with obsessive attention to detail. Jimmy Choo Couture Shoes compliment the very finest designer clothing.

Jimmy Choo's style is always elegant, feminine and occasionally seductive. Jimmy Choo Couture shoes were favoured by the Princess of Wales, who would buy one style in several colours for evening wear and to coordinate with her day suits. Jimmy Choo lost count of the number of shoes he made for Princess Diana. After the separation she could frequently be seen in his delicate high-heeled shoes, a style that she could not wear when walking with her shorter husband.
Jimmy Choo is no longer directly associated with the Jimmy Choo ready to wear design house which he founded in 1996 with Tamara Yeardye Mellon. He now concentrates his efforts on Jimmy Choo Couture footwear.
Luxury accessories brand Jimmy Choo has garnered an extremely loyal clientele - many of whom are a-list style icons like Nicole Kidman, Gwyneth Paltrow and First Lady Michelle Obama (who wore the white satin 'Dale' sandal to the presidential Inauguration Ball), indeed company president Tamara Mellon regularly decamps to Hollywood to provide footwear for her eager clientele during awards season. Put a fabulous spring to your step with their pumps, sandals and boots and the to-die-for selection of bags, totes and clutches.


Jimmy Choo graduated from Cordwainers (now part of LCF) in 1983. He founded his own couture label in the late 1980s and made Jimmy Choo shoes synonymous with the Oscars and famous actresses. Jimmy Choo's clients include royalty, film stars, pop stars and many other celebrities. In 2000 he received the honorary title Dato (equivalent to a knighthood) from the Sultan of Pahang in recognition of his contribution to Malaysia. In 2002 he received an OBE.
Jimmy Choo, maker of glamorous accessories favoured by International stars and elegant women worldwide, was launched in 1996.
As accessories editor at Vogue UK, Tamara Yeardye Mellon sensed a real demand for stylish but wearable shoes and approached Mr Jimmy Choo, a couture shoe-maker based in the East End of London, recognised for his excellent craftsmanship.
Tamara partnered with Mr Jimmy Choo to start the ready to wear company and sourced factories in Italy to produce the shoes on a larger scale. Consequently, plans were made to open the first Jimmy Choo stand alone boutique and to develop the wholesale business throughout the fashion capitals of the world.
In April 2001, the expansion of jimmy Choo took a significant step forward wit the announcement of a new partnership with Equinox Luxury Holdings Ltd. Equinox acquired Mr Choo's share of the ready to wear business with Robert Bensoussan, Equinox's chief executive becoming CEO of Jimmy Choo. Within 3 years, the company opened twenty six new stores, (in addition to the existing four) and introduced both handbag and small leather goods collections.
This was followed by another dramatic move on 19th November 2004 with Hicks Muse (Europe) announcing the acquistion of a majority shareholding in Jimmy Choo, in a transaction valuing the company at 101 million.
With the ethos in both design and outlook remaining the same, Jimmy Choo is looking to expand which will result the opening of up to 50 stores by 2008.


Back from London to receive award

Choo showing his award to wife Rebecca and daughter Emily.

MOST people know Datuk Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat as the world famous shoe designer whose clientele includes Hollywood celebrities and members of royalty.
Few are, however, aware of the humble beginnings of the Penang-born who only studied until Year Six and worked his way up from cleaning the toilet at a shoe factory in London and surviving on instant noodles.
Choo's love affair with shoes started when he was a child in the 1970s. He had to help at his father's shoemaker shop in Penang Road.
He studied at Shih Chung primary school up to Year Six and after that, he had to help his late father, Choo Kee Yin, at his shop where he learnt shoe-making skills.
It was during a holiday trip in London in the 1980s that Choo heard of Cortwainers College, now known as London College of Fashion. He decided to study footwear and shoe designing in the college.


His father paid for the college fees for the first year but for the remaining three years, he had to work part-time in restaurants and a shoe factory to pay for the fees and my living costs. He had to do odd jobs at the factory such as cleaning the toilet and sweeping the floor.
After graduating from college, Choo returned to Penang for a few years before going back to London to work in a larger shoe factory to gain more experience in pattern cutting and designing.
In 1986, Choo set up his own shoe workshop by renting an old hospital building in London.

However, the first four years were the hardest years for Choo as business was very poor. The turning point came when Choo's shoes were featured in popular fashion magazine, Vogue, in 1988.
Soon, his shoes were featured in more fashion magazines and Choo started to earnestly design shoes for couture fashion shows.

Though he was steadily gain- ing recognition in fashion maga- zines and fashion shows, he was not making money because he had very few clients. He was so poor that he could only afford to eat steamed chicken or curry chicken and sometimes, just instant noodles.
His reputation in producing elegant, feminine, custom made shoes reached the ears of the late Princess Diana in 1990 and she became his regular client. His business then started to flourish.
Today, Choo is an internationally renowned couture shoe designer and also a spokesman for the British Council, the ambassador for Footwear Education and a visiting professor at London College of Fashion.
Although he resides in London most of the time, he still considers himself a Penangite at heart.
Choo may have received many awards in recent years but the most meaningful to him was the recent DSPN award conferred by Penang Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas in conjunction with his birthday celebration on July 10.

Speaking at a press conference after attending a small cocktail reception at Rasa Sayang Hotel, Choo said he was very proud to be Malaysian, especially so, a Penangite.
"Being conferred this award is like a dream come true for me as it comes from Penang, where my roots are," he said.
Choo received the award from Abdul Rahman at the latter's newly refurbished official residence.

Jimmy Choo's London Fashion of Collague Interview.
Why did you chose to study at LCF?
It's a world renowned college with top class experienced lecturers.
Where was your first student flat?
Hackney.
Did you ever blow your month's rent on clothes?
No, never.
What is your idea of a perfect saturday?
Spending time with my family.
What is your most treasured possession?
My Buddhist pendant. I wear it everyday.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
When the University of the Arts gave me recognition by awarding me a fellowship and Her Royal Highness the Queen gave me an OBE.
Sum up your LCF experience in three words?
Exciting, Knowledge, Skill.
If you could have your time again would you study at LCF?
Definitely.
Can you remember the names of your fellow students / lecturers / technicians?
Yes, I'm still in contact with many of them.
Biggest fashion mistake?
I don't like to dwell on mistakes! I like to look to the future.
What keeps you awake at night?
I love my work so much I can never switch off when I go home. I am constantly thinking of ways to improve.
Name three things you always carry with you?
Watch, mobile and pen.
What makes you happy?
My family's happiness
What makes you sad?
To lose someone I love.
Tell us a secret.
Secrets I keep to myself...

Personal Response 

The reason we have chosen Datuk Jimmy Choo as our role model for this assigment is because of his great personality. His talent and creativity in shoe designing would not hae been discovered without his hardwork. We also admire his patience in going through obstacles to succeed his work which led him to fame and success as he is now. Despite being well known globally for his creativity in shoe fashion, Datuk Jimmy Choo is a humble and down to earth person.

Awards  
  • 2000: Bestowed a state award carrying the title of Dato' by the Sultan of Pahang state in Malaysia for his achievements
  • 2002: Conferred an OBE by Queen ElizabethII  in recognition of his services to the shoe and fashion industry in the United Kingdom
  • 2004: Awarded the Darjah Setia Pangkuan Negeri by the Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of his home state of Penang, which also carries the title Dato' 
  • Awarded a fellowship by the University of the Arts London, conferring the use of the title Professor


Refrences  

http:// Back from London to receive award AllMalaysia.info, 27 August 2004^ http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-08/11/content_11860611.htm^ Penang Yang di-Pertua Negri’s birthday honours list TheStar.com.my, 10 July 2004 http://www.fashion.arts.ac.uk/27925.htm
http://www.kitmeout.com/jimmy_choo.php

Group Members:
Nur Farah Dinah
Nurul Adlina Syazwani
Sarah Nabihah
Punietha



Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Alfred Bernhard Nobel

 Alfred Bernhard Nobel

Group Members:
Haezell Alison Claudius
Leong Pui Ling
Nicole Cheong
Samantha Jiayi

     Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born on the 21st of October 1833 in Stockholm, Sweden. He was a chemist, engineer, innovator, armaments manufacturer and last but certainly not least, he was the inventor of dynamite. His last will used a large amount of wealth for the Nobel Prize institutions. 
    
     After the bankruptcy in Alfred's family business, he returned to Sweden with his father. He devoted himself to studying explosives, especially to the safe manufacture and use of nitroglycerin. A large explosion occurred on 3 September 1864 at their factory in Heleneborg in Stockholm, killing five people, among them Alfred's brother Emil. Nobel continues on his experiments and soon form a company called Nitroglycerin AB in Stockholm, Sweden. He tries to make nitroglycerin safer to handle and finds it is safer by adding kieselguhr. This was called dynamite. Nobel establishes the British Dynamite Company which changed to Nobel's Explosives Company. 

Nobel was a wealthy man at the age of 40.
     Nobel Prize was placed in 1895 when Alfred Nobel wrote his will requirements, leaving most of his wealth for its establishment. Since 1901, the prize has been appreciating men and women for outstanding achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and peace to the world.

     It is said Alfred Nobel never got married but had three lovers. The first love was a Russian girl named Alexandra who rejected his proposal. In 1876, Nobel had a secretary named Bertha Kinsky who left him to marry her old sweetheart, Baron Arthur Gundaccar von Suttner. However, she was still contacting him until his death. It is believed that she was a major influence in his decision to include a peace prize. Bertha Von Suttner was awarded the 1905 Nobel Peace prize, for her sincere peace activities. Nobel's long-lasting relationship with his third lover was with a flower girl named Sofie Hess from Vienna. This relationship lasted 18 years. They exchanged letters throughout their relationship. Nobel called her Madame Sofie Nobel in those letters. After his death, these letters were locked within the Nobel Institute in Stockholm and became the best kept secret at that time. They were released in 1955.

     Although, Alfred Nobel did not get formal education, he knew six languages Swedish, French, Russian, English, German and Italian. He was also really good in English Literature. Beatrice Cenci, his book was printed while he was dying. Most of the contents were destroyed immediately after his death. 

Nobel was elected a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1884, the same institution that would later select laureates for two of the Nobel prizes, and he received an honorary doctorate from Uppsala University in 1893. 

Alfred Nobel died at the age of 63 on 10th December 1896. He died in Sanremo, Italy where he had a stroke that caused him his life. He was a man that tried to make up for his mistakes although he was constantly condemned.

In our humble opinion, Alfred Nobel was just an assignment that had to be done initially. However, after all the research we found out that Alfred Nobel wanted to prove something to the world.

    Alfred Nobel became wealthy by creating explosives that were used in wars. These explosives killed many lives and so he felt a great deal of it was his fault. According to the research we made, he tried making things better by creating the Nobel Peace Prize to reward those who contribute to world peace. However, in our opinion after reading many articles, we feel Bertha von Suttner was the main reason the Nobel Peace Prize was created. We believe she persuaded him to create the Nobel Peace Prize to make up for his mistakes.
    In conclusion, we chose Alfred Nobel because we want to show how some people try to prove something when they are at a lower rank. The bad part is they might not always do the right thing. Most importantly, people should know that money is not everything. There is more to life than being wealthy.

Alfred Nobel's will

If you are interested in reading his entire will, visit http://nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/will/will-full.html

 Pictures of Alfred Nobel


Pictures of Bertha von Suttner, the women who left Nobel to marry her old sweetheart. She is also the first woman awarded a Nobel Peace Prize.



Ragnar Sohlman was Alfred Nobel's personal assistant. After Nobel's death, Sohlman played a vital role in carrying out his will.


References for the Text
  1. http://www.snopes.com/science/nobel.asp. 
  2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Nobel
  3. http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/416842/Alfred-Bernhard-Nobel
  4. http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,998209,00.html
  5. http://nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/index.html
 References for the Pictures
  1. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_Nobel_%28Bain%29.png
  2. http://www.nndb.com/people/753/000024681/
  3. http://nobelprize.org/alfred_nobel/will/index.html
  4. http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Alfred_Nobel.jpeg
  5. http://edhird.wordpress.com/2009/08/29/alfred-nobellord-of-dynamite-servant-of-peace/
  6. http://mrullom.pbworks.com/Archives
  7. http://www.obit-mag.com/articles/greatly-exaggerated
  8. http://www.provincia.imperia.it/villanobel/VersioneInglese/Nobel.htm
  9. http://content.answers.com/main/content/img/webpics/alfred_nobel.jpg
  10. http://www.suttnerschule-koeln.de/namensgeberin/biographie.html
  11. http://school.familyeducation.com/slideshow/award-winners/61485.html
  12. http://www.zeno.org/Literatur/I/suttnpor
  13. http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1905/suttner-bio.html 
  14. http://nobelpeaceprize.org/en_GB/alfred-nobel/financial-assets/
  15.