British Society and Culture

Inspector, Inspector, Come look at this.....

2007-12-13T18:00:00.000-05:00

The fictional character Detective Chief Inspector Endeavour Morse was created by Colin Dexter which first aired in 1987 lasting until 2000. Inspector Morse was played by John Thaw (who is still living) in the television series who cracked open complex crimes of the white collar variety as a senior Criminal Investigation Department officer who worked for the Thames Valley Police in Oxford England. who. The series lasted thirty three episodes, each lasting around two hours.

www.inspectormorse.co.uk/

Steve Davis Just Snookered You.... Pay Up Mutha @#%$!

2007-12-13T17:38:00.000-05:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Davis

Born in 1957, Steve Davis is a English Professional Snooker player who has won 6 Snooker world titles in the 1980, and has been playing the modified version of pool since 1978. Davis has won 79 professional titles, yet his total winnings are undisclosed. Davis has made an English mark on the game of pool.

Kiribati, also known as the Gilbert Islands

2007-12-13T17:26:00.000-05:00

Located in the south Pacific Ocean, the Gilbert Islands became a British settlement in 1837 and became part of the British Crown in 1916, along with several other islands near by. The Gilbert Islands were practically ruling themselves by 1971 and was separated from the British government rule in 1975, finally gaining its independence in 1979. The transition was peaceful as of July 12, 1979 when their new constitution was ratified by their new democratic government similar to our own. Kiribati, as it is now called, did not remain a British Commonwealth, nor did it import or export goods from Great Britain, but did however import and export goods from its competitors such as the USA, Australian, France, Germany, and Hong Kong. The major export from Kiribati before gaining its independence was mainly fish and phosphate minerals, and after the transitional period or lack of phosphate deposits, fish remained as a leading export accompanied with Corpa, or the meat of a coconut.

Final Exam

2007-12-05T13:30:00.000-05:00

You must answer both questions. No late exams will be accepted. Exams should be typed (single-spaced is fine) and the answer length should take into account that this is a take home exam. Please read each question carefully before you answer. You may use your notes and the assigned readings (which you should consult to flesh out any weak answers) to assist you with preparing for your own answers, but do not copy or plagiarize any material. If you do so, it will result in the automatic failure of the test. Good Luck!

The exam is due by noon, Friday, 12/14.

1. Compare and contrast the rise and decline of the Labour and Conservative parties in Britain between 1979 and 2007. How and why did both parties seen massive swings in popularity during the last three decades? Why did Labour lose in 1979 and Margaret Thatcher win? How and why was John Major important to British politics for much of the 1990s? Why can it be argued that Tony Blair, the former Labour prime minister was really a Thatcherite in disguise? Gordon Brown, the current Labour PM, has been argued represents a part of the Labour party that may be a throwback to earlier Labour policies? Is this true? Explain.

2. We have discussed a great deal about what it means to be British, in politics, economics, and culture & society. The Labour party under Tony Blair said that this new millennia is an age of "Cool Britannia". In your essay, discuss what do you think that phrase means in regards to being "British" today in 2007. How that has changed since the end of World War Two in 1945. Touch on each of the three areas in your essay, and use references from the movies we saw in the second half of the class to help illuminate your answer.

One Foot in the Grave

2007-11-30T17:06:00.000-05:00

One Foot in the Grave was a comedy series produced by BBC in 1990 and ran until 2000. The series was mainly about a couple that was struggling in life. The husband played by actor Richard Wilson was retired from his job to be replaced as a security guard by an automated machine. Even though the relationship between the two was settled, the wife played by Annette Crobie was always infuriated for her husband misfortunes. Other characters of the show were: the friend of the family played by Doreen Mantel, the next door neighbor played by Angus Deayton. One Foot in the Grave was on going for six series over the period of ten years. All the major characters of the show are still a life.

Blackadder

2007-11-30T14:28:00.000-05:00

Blackadder was a British historical sit-com which aired on BBC One from 1983 to 1989. The series starred Rowan Atkinson as Blackadder, Hugh Laurie as his sidekick, and several other actors in historical roles. Each series had different charachters and different time periods covered. The first series called "The Black Adder" took place around the War of the Roses. The second series, "Blackadder II" took place in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. The third series, "Blackadder the Third", occured in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The final full series, "Blackadder Goes Forth" took place in the first World War. The fourth series has been ranked number 16 in the top 100 Greatest British Television shows.

Wating for God

2007-11-30T12:58:00.000-05:00

This show began in 1990 and ran until 1994. This show had 47 episodes. The major actors/actresses in this show where : Sandra Payne, who played Marion, Graham Crowden, who played Tom, Stephanie Cole, who played Diana, and Daniel Hill who played Harvey. Surprisingly all actors/actresses are alive.
This tv show is about old people living in the Bayview Retirement Vilage. The two main characters are Tom Ballard and Diana Trent. Tom Ballard is a psychotic old man who lives in his own little world. He thinks that he is at different places and he is doing different jobs. Diana is a bitter old lady who complains about everything. They become friends and make the head of the retirement home, Harvey Baines, crazy, literally. In one episode she makes him go to a mental hospital. Tom has a son who is married to an drugged up alcoholic, Marion, who wants to off Tom so she can get his money. A worker at the home, Jane, is overly cheerful, grating on Diana’s nerves. The tv show is hilarious. In one episode Diana needs to take care of two children. She ties the kids together and walks them on a leash into town.

Episode can be watched: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb8A7mz1Fzc

Picture comes from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098945/

Gladiators - we salute you?

2007-11-30T12:03:00.000-05:00

The show known to us as "American Gladiators" was soon becoming a British hit. Re-named Gladiators, it ran from 1992 - 2000. The show had regular people competeting in an event based arena, pitted against body builders with flashy names like 'laser' and 'lightning'. It was popular in both the US and UK, and boasted a cast of many well-known body builders and sometimes celebrity guests. The main cast include names like: Ulrika Jonsson, John Fashanu, John Sachs, and John Anderson - most still living today. In its entirety, their were 18 series and 132 episodes. It can still be seen on Challenge, which is the adult version of GAS for the UK.

Top picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a4/Gladiators_logo.JPG
Video Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxnniy-GiEQ

Are You Being Served?

2007-11-30T10:33:00.000-05:00

Maybe you're like me and you've seen this show on public television late at night... maybe not. Either way, Are You Being Served? was a sitcom on the air in Britain from 1972 to 1985. It aired a total of 69 episodes, and it portrayed life in an upscale retail store (and the misadventures). It is run by two very old men who try to keep it very prim and proper, as if the year was 1922 instead of 1972. Although you may not recognize any of the actors on the show, you may have seen the face (or rather hair) above while flipping channels.

www.bbc.co.uk/.../images/mollie_sugden_270.jpg

Here's the main website, with some links to video clips: http://www.bbc.co.uk/comedy/areyoubeingserved/index.shtml

Enjoy uniquely British 1970's humor! And that hair!!

And Now For Something Completely Different

2007-11-30T10:11:00.000-05:00

Monty Python’s Flying Circus was a sketch comedy program that ran for a total of 45 episodes from 169-1974. It was conceived, produced, and performed by Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Pallin, Terry Jones and Terry Gilliam. While the program was at it’s core a sketch comedy, the Python’s made major innovations by employing a “stream of consciousness” style that saw skits not ending, running into other skits, recurring later in the program, and so forth, providing a stylistic sense that set them apart from British sketch comedies that had come before. The Python’s also used their platform to push the boundaries of what could be done on television – Terry Gilliam became the first person to say “Shit” on British TV, for instance.

The Python’s produced three movies in the same style as the “Flying Circus,” – Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life, Monty Python and the Holy Grail, and Life of Brian, an irreverent take on the life of one man who is mistaken for the Messiah.

All of the Python’s survive save for Graham Chapman, who passed on Oct 4, 1989. In true Python style, John Cleese eulogized him by saying that, after becoming the first person to say “Shit” on British TV, Chapman would never forgive him if he didn’t take this chance to become the first person to say “Fuck” at a British memorial service!

Image Retrieved From:

http://img.timeinc.net/time/daily/2006/0607/amworth0708.jpg

Pride and Prejudice

2007-11-30T03:41:00.000-05:00

http://www.bbc.co.uk/drama/prideandprejudice/

Pride and Prejudice was a BBC/A&E television drama miniseries made in 1994 and released in 1995 based off the book by Jane Austin.

Pride and Prejudice is set in 19th century England and is based on a family consisting of all girls, the Bennets. The Bennets, being of not a very high class nor possessing any great deal of money, find themselves in a sticky situation. With no male heirs Mr. Bennet must give his estate to a distant male relative while Mrs. Bennet tries to marry off her five daughters to every man she can find with a cent in his pocket. The beautiful daughter, Jane, falls in love with a wealthy newcomer to town, Mr. Bingley, and though blocked by the cruel and powerful Mr. Darcy, pursues him throughout the series. The next pretty sister is Eliza, the main female character, who spends her time being annoyed and frustrated with Mr. Darcy and his ridiculous antics and notions. They find that though they are initially quite perturbed by the other, they are nonetheless intrigued as things progress. Things get complicated when one sister runs off, unmarried, with a man from the military, the relative to inherit the estate wants to marry Lizzy(Eliza), and both Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy are betrothed.

Pride and Prejudice is 6 episodes long, it was filmed over 100 days in 24 different locations. Currently there are no new episodes and there are no plans to continue filming at a later time. They did make a new adaptation in 2005 starring Keira Knightley, however, this adaptation was a Universal Pictures Film, not a television series, and is only 121 minutes long.

Famous actors featured in this miniseries were Colin Firth (Mr. Darcy), Jennifer Ehle (Eliza Bennet), Benjamin Whitrow (Mr. Bennet), and Susannah Harker (Jane Bennet), all of whom are alive today. Jennifer Ehle received the BAFTA TV award in 1996 for her role in Pride and Prejudice.

Doctor Who

2007-11-29T23:37:00.001-05:00

Doctor Who is a show found on BBC America. It is about a quirky doctor who travels through time and space battling aliens and monsters. The show is a hit and is about to start its third season since it began in 2005. David Tennant is the star of the show, he plays the doctor and the show revolves around him. Billie Piper is his trusty sidekick. She will be playing a main role in the up coming season.

Call my Bluff

2007-11-29T21:57:00.000-05:00

Is a game show hosted on BBC television. There are two teams of three usually made up of celebrities. How the game works is one teams is given a word and they come up with three different definitions. The other teams has to figure out which one is correct and which two are the bluffs. The show use to run in the US back in 1965 on NBC hosted by Bill Leyden. Show started in england in 1965 stopped in 1988 then was brought back in 1996. Some of the actors on the show: Robin Ray, Bob Holness, Rod Liddle, and Alan Coren.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HoiKoIZ7wwo

Bisping

2007-11-29T16:21:00.000-05:00

Michael Bisping is a MMA fighter in the UFC. Michael is one of the best and most well know fighters from Britain. Bisping has helped the Ultimate Fighting Championship grow outside of the United States and he is helping the sport grow in England. In fact, UFC recently had its first fight live in London and Bisping was one of the main fights, winning his fight by decision. He is in his prime right now and is getting prepared for the next fight in London in 2008.

Top Gear

2007-11-28T17:07:00.000-05:00

Top Gear is a car show shown on BBC Two and once this season finishes, it will have shown 92 episodes since its original debut in 2002. The show has three hosts, all of which with their own personal quirks. Jeremy Clarkson is a tall, old and satirical fellow. He never misses an opportunity to poke fun at society, nationalities or even people in the audience. James May has been dubbed captain slow, mainly because he constantly gets lost and never drives a fast car (excepted when forced to drive the Bugatti Veryon). He always insists on being 'proper' and always tries to one up the other two presenters. Richard Hammond, or hamster, is a short guy who is criticized by the presenters as being on day time television and having had his teeth whitened.

The show has tested the most expensive cars in the world and then gives them to an anonymous test driver, The Stig, to set lap times around Top Gear's personal race track. The crew has also conducted a few epic races. These include a race to the North Pole to see which was faster, a car or a bob sled team. They held a race from England to Verbier Switzerland between a plane and a car. But a more prevalent race was recently held from one side of London to the other to see which was the fastest way to cross a busy city (see clip below). Even though most of their races seem one sided, all of them have been extremely close.

The crew is given a special challenge every once in awhile to see "How hard could it be?" They have created amphibious cars to cross the English Channel, convertible minivans, a space shuttle, construction, and they even tried to grow their own bio-friendly petrol. All of these challenges usually end up in a disaster: two of the three amphibious cars sank, the minivan set a car wash on fire and the space shuttle exploded. The presenters take on the idea of Top Gear being "Ambitious but rubbish."

There are numerous celebrities on the show that partake in the Star in a Resably Priced Car segment. They place a celebrity in a Chevy Lacettie (not sold in America) and time them around the track and then place them against all other celebrities. Stars include Simon Cowell (current leader), Hugh Grant, and even Gordon Ramsey.

While the show pokes fun at cultures and specific groups of people, it is estimated to have over 300 million people tune in world wide each week. It is also one of the most pirated television shows today. You Tube has almost every episode before and after it stopped being broadcast in America. The busy city skit is 23 minutes long but has a good, funny depiction of London today.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Top Gears Website
http://www.topgear.com/

Whose Line Is It Anyway?

2007-11-28T13:35:00.001-05:00

The British version of Whose Line Is It Anyway started as a BBC radio show in 1987 and soon after went to television. The early TV series was mostly done in London and had a total of 137 episodes over 10 series. Later the show was adopted to an American version which is very similar to the British version.

Whose Line Is It Anyway? is an improv show where a variety of comedic actors act out scenes suggested by the host and audience. Clive Anderson is the host of the British version and even part of the radio show. The actors featured on the show include Tony Slattery, Stephen Fry, John Sessions, and Josie Lawrence. Later Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles join as two main actors.

[img src=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whose_Line_Is_It_Anyway%3F]

Abfab!

2007-11-26T10:14:00.000-05:00

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/0/09/Ab_Fab_series_5_title_card.jpg

Absolutley Fabulous was a TV show that aired on the BBC that was made in 1992. The show was mainly sketch comedy. Edina Monsoon and Patsy Stone are two substance-abusing fashion and fad-obsessed Britons who value fame and style over substance. They live in a house in Holland Park, with Patsy spending most of her time there as well. The program focuses on Eddy's ongoing struggle to achieve fame, success and her super thin figure, the disapproval of her daughter and the constant presence of her increasingly senile mother. Throughout, Patsy is at her side being an instigator. Much of the comedy of the show is physical, usually derived from Edina and Patsy's drunken and/or stoned states, with their favourite drinks being "Bolli Stoli" and later "Veuve & Bourb". There were 36 episodes and the show ended in March of 2005.

I don't think the main stars are really famous, however they had *a lot* of guest stars like Naomi Campbell, Elton John, and Twiggy. This show used to come on BBC America but it's on the Oxygen Channel now after Bliss which is...erm...yeah, it's on Oxygen.

Skins

2007-11-26T03:27:00.000-05:00

Skins premiered on January 25, 2007. The program is aimed at young adults on Channel 4. The show is based on a young group of Britain teenagers and their personal struggles in Bristol. The program contains adult contents with some strong language, drug references and highly charged issues of race, religion, sexuality, and food disorders. The premier season contains 9 episodes with an incoming season next year. The show introduced Tony—a young 17 years old who is trying to deal with his best friend (Sid) and his little sister. The casts include Nicholas Hoult as Tony—he is known for playing as a young boy in the film About a Boy with Hugh Grant; and Mike Bailey (Sid). As of now, Skins is not schedule on any US cable network, but you may watch every episode of Skins via Youtube.

Picture Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skins_%28TV_series%29

The Avengers

2007-11-24T11:01:00.001-05:00

Airing in January 1961 and running until September 1969 The Avengers has been dubbed one of the most popular spy television series of all time with 161 episodes. The series, although produced in Britain by the Associated British Corporation, was adored by viewers in a record 120 countries. However, a few of these countries only received the show as a radio series. The show endeared its viewers to two secret agents in Great Britain trained to rid the world of enemy spies and fiendish mad scientists. Actor Patrick Macnee, played agent John Steed and Diana Rigg played agent Emma Peel. Agent John Steed was ever the sophisticated British gentleman working with his beautiful, yet strong and capable counterpart agent Emma Peel. Together they squashed the greedy plots by sinister bad guys to take over the world. Patrick Macnee was not in the first few episodes, but as the series progressed he became a mainstay with his trademark umbrella and bowler hat. He had six different partners during the series run, but none produced as much chemistry as his partnership with Diana Rigg, the beautiful leather clad agent Emma Peel. Her name was derived from the tongue-in-cheek ‘man appeal’. Today Patrick Macnee is 85 years old and living with his wife, Baba Majos in southern California. Diana Rigg at age 69 has enjoyed hosting PBS television series and still performs on stage in London in musicals as well as comedies and dramas. Interestingly, The Avengers were pushed out of the US market by the increasing popularity of Rowan and Martin’s ‘Laugh-In’.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gMewkX0-aw&feature=related

http://www.londonpostcard.co.uk/images/lu/lu615.jpg

Top of the Pops

2007-11-23T20:41:00.000-05:00

With its first broadcast on the BBC on January 1, 1964, Top of the Pops began a 42 year history making it one of the longest running shows on British television. It was a pop music countdown show similar to American Bandstand and Solid Gold in the United States and showcased hundreds of popular musicians over the years, such as The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Rod Stewart, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Roxy Music and Nirvana.

The show lasted for 2205 shows with its last broadcast on July 30, 2006. The show has been hosted by over 20 different presenters over the years, with no one presenter being commonly known to American audiences. It was an incredibly popular show during the 70's, bringing in an average of 15 million viewers a week when the show was at its peak of popularity. The show was known for the weekly "performances" by the artists, a majority of which lip-synched their songs.

I've included a link below to Duran Duran performing "Girls on Film". This was back in 1981 when they released their first album and this was their second appearance (of 26) on TOTP, as the show was also known. Enjoy watching Simon Le Bon in all his dreamyness!

Duran Duran "Girls On Film": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEy2CouyRrg

Last Blog Assignment

2007-11-23T09:40:00.000-05:00

Here we go...the last Blog Assignment for the fall, 2007. This assignment is due on Friday, November 30th at 12 noon.

We are nearing the end of the course and its time for something a bit fun and creative at this point. It requires a bit of research, but it should be insightful. Choose a British produced tv show (a series from 1950 onwards) and discuss the following.

1) What is the title of the television show? When was it made?
2) Provide a brief synopsis of the show's premise (ie what is the show about)
3) How many episodes were made? Is the show still ongoing?
4) Who were the most famous actors? Are they living or dead?
5) Provide an image from the show, or a link to the show's website (if active).

Remember, no repetition of entries. Have fun...

Alfred Schrubb

2007-11-22T00:52:00.000-05:00

http://www.alfieshrubb.ca/index.php

Alfred Schrubb was famous for running long distance races. He ran his first race in 1900 and has since made over 25 official and unofficial world records.
His work is considered evolutionary and different from the normal long distance runner because of his numerous travels worldwide. He thought it was fun to run against and entire team of relay runners by himself. Because of his lack of convention he was banned for for breaking amateurism's strict code, and he went professional in 1906.
His prime years were between 1900 and 1904, during which he set a world best in 1903 for the three mile that was not beaten for 30 years.
There is no exact figure as to what Alfred Schrubb was paid at his height, nor any long distance runners during his time.

Henry Taylor - Swim o rama

2007-11-19T15:01:00.000-05:00

Henry Taylor was an Olympic Swimmer born March 17, 1885 in Hollinwood, Oldham, Lancashire England. His specialty was the freestyle style and compeeted in the 1906, 1908, 1912, and 1920 Summer Olympics in Athens, London, Stockholm and Antwerp respectively. He was the 1st man to hold the world record for the 1500 metres freestyle on July 25, 1908. Total his medal count was 4 gold, 1 silver, and 3 bronze.

Image: http://www.chadderton-hs.freeuk.com/images/HenryTaylorExhib-hiRes.jpg

John Lowe - Darts ftw!

2007-11-19T13:24:00.000-05:00

Born in Derbyshire, England, June 1945, John Lowe is most well known for making darts the spectator sport it was and is to some extent today. He won championships over the course of 30 years and lead an unbeaten English team in 100s of televised and non-televised matches. His most notable feat (beyond his extraordinary talent for darts) was the first & only televised 'perfect game' - in October, 1984 - where he won in the minimum necessary amount of thrown darts - 9. This tournament alone won him over 100,000 British pounds. Like any professional sportsman, he has grossed multi-million dollars over the course of his career - mostly in his prime years from 1978 - 1993 and finally retired in 2004. "Old Stoneface" is his nickname and his lasting impression on darts is the fact they are occasionally on television to this day.

Image URL: http://www.pdpa.co.uk/profiles/Profile_images/john_lowe.jpg

Sir Roger Bannister

2007-11-19T10:38:00.000-05:00

Sir Roger Bannister was born in Middlesex, England to working class parents. Unable to afford a university education, Bannister vowed to win his way into an upper-echelon school, where he intended to study medicine.

Bannister was awarded a scholarship to Oxford, where he supplemented his medical studies with participation in Track events. His running drew the attention of enthusiast and press alike, who wanted Bannister to represent Britain at the Olympics. Bannister, however, declined, preferring instead to concentrate fully on his studies, and thus missed the 1948 Olympics. By 1952, he felt ready to take part in the games. Events at the 1952 games (scheduling problems) resulted in Banner finishing without winning a medal – a result which spurred him to his greatest achievement.

Bannister resolved to break what was believed to be the unbreakable 4-minute mile barrier. Training for less than an hour a day while remaining a full-time medical student, Bannister broke the record with a time of 3:59.4 at a meet in Oxford on May 6, 1954. Within a month, Bannister’s record was broken by Australian John Landy, whom he would later beat in head to head competition.

Bannister had a long and successful career in the medical profession, doing both research and practice, after his involvement with track ended. However, he remained interested in the track world, serving as the Chairman of the Sports Council of Great Britain from 1971-974. Bannister was Knighted in 1975.

http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/ban0bio-1

Luol Deng

2007-11-19T10:09:00.000-05:00

Loul Deng is from South Norwood in London. He plays small forward for the Chicago Bulls. At the age of 14 him and his family moved to the united states where he attended Blair Academy. His senior year was considered one of the best high school prospects and received All American honors. He attended Duke University. Where as a freshman lead them to the final four averaging over 15 points a game. He entered the NBA draft in 2004 and was picked 7th overall by the Phoenix Suns and was traded to the Bulls on draft night. His first year in the league was selected to the 1st team all-rookie team. In only his 3rd year is considered one of the best small forwards in the game. This year he is averaging 15 points 7 rebounds and 2 assist per game. He has a 3 year contract worth 7.4 million dollars.

http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2007/writers/ian_thomsen/04/16/weekly.quiz/p1.deng.jpg

Tim Henman

2007-11-18T12:55:00.000-05:00

Tennis anyone?

Tennis Player Tim Henman, born September 6, 1974, has been nicknamed ‘Tiger Tim’ by his British fans. Tim comes from a family background of tennis players. His father, grandfather and even his great grandfather all played at Wimbledon. Tim began his intense training at the young age of 10. He worked with many other British youth until the age of 17. During this time, hopeful that he would make it to Wimbledon; Tim was able to win many junior league titles. In 1993 Tim was ready to enter the professional tour. Unfortunately Tim was diagnosed with a painful joint condition know as osteochondritis. Even with this condition, which many times hampered his success in the rankings, Tim proved to all his fans that nothing would keep him from pursuing his love of tennis. He rose in the rankings quickly and actually won a medal at the summer Olympics in Atlanta. Tim was ranked fourth in the world on August 7, 2002 and was known for his one handed backhand swing. Statistics say Tim’s career prize topped $11 million. Peppered by injuries Tim never won at Wimbledon, but his fans never left him. After the Davis Cup match in September2007 Tim announced his retirement. Unable to leave tennis entirely, Tim still plays at charity events.

http://picsrv.timhenman.org/?fif=/henman/8662.fpx&obj=iip,1.0&wid=208&hei=208&rgn=0.0938,0.0176,0.8065,0.6098&bgc=254,254,254&cvt=jpeg

Ben Cohen

2007-11-17T23:50:00.001-05:00

He is the new David Beckham. He is Ben Cohen. Cohen is an English rugby player who was born on September 14th, 1978. He is the 2nd in rank as the highest point scorer in England rugby history; his record is only behind Will Greenwood. Ben Cohen was honored as the man of the match against Wales in 2004 Six Nations—the rugby union competition, which included England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. He has achieved 57 caps, which only stands in line behind Rory Underwood as the top try scorer for England. His career at the Northampton Saints has been success with many accomplishments, which includes the European Cup in 2000 and the Rugby World Cup in 2003. During this time, it is consider as his prime years. As of 2007, he decided not to join the England’s summer tour and the World Cup; he cited the wish to spend more times with his pregnant wife. At this moment, he bought himself out of Northampton Saints’ s contract, so he can join the Tigers. It is say that Cohen would receive above the permitted figure of 2.182 million pounds for a first-team squad.

He is consider as one of the most celebrated athletes in Great Britain. He is so popular, he even has his own calendar to commemorate Ben Cohen’s Testimonial year with the Northampton Saints at the price of 12.50 pounds (including 17.5 % tax). PS. This is a limited edition calendar, so be hurry, at http://ben-cohen.com/shop-online/75.html?Itemid=41.

Lennox Lewis

2007-11-17T11:57:00.000-05:00

Lennox Lewis is a boxer who was the undisputed heavyweight champion. He was born in West Ham, London in 1965 and moved to Canada at the age of 12. Lewis fought for Canada at the 1984 Olympics and advanced to the quarter finals before losing to Tyrell Biggs. After the games, Lewis remained an amateur to be elligible for the 1988 games, where he won the gold medal. Lewis became professional after winning gold, and moved back to England. After a string of impressive victories, Lewis became the first Heavyweight champion from Britain in the 20th century after Evander Holdfield abandoned his title. He faced Holyfield again in 1999 which began his years as undisputed champion. His most famous fight was against Mike Tyson in 2002 where he knocked out Iron Mike in 8 rounds. Lewis had one more important fight in his career against Klitschko, where he was dominated but won becasue of a severe cut above his opponent's eye. He retired shortly after this fight, but rumors remain of a rematch between him and Klitschko. Lewis currently is a commentator for HBO boxing events.

Neil Adams

2007-11-17T08:39:00.000-05:00

Neil Adams was born in Warwickshire in 1958. He is famous for being an Olympic judoka. He won many different Judo medals throughout the 1980s, including two Olympic silver medals in 1980 and 1984. He also won medals at several World Championships beginning in the late 1970s. Judo competitions often do not offer prize money, so Neil's income would be greatly varied even in his prime. He still participates in judo; his organization, Neil Adams effective fighting, holds seminars on effective fighting techniques. He also runs Neil Adams effective fitness, a health club that features judo classes taught by Adams himself, as well as a whole host of other non-martial arts classes, as well as fitness equipment one would expect to find at a health club.

http://www.realjudo.net/legends_adams.htm

Phil Taylor

2007-11-15T19:08:00.001-05:00

Phil Taylor, aka The Power, is a famous dart player. He was born Aug 13, 1960. He won the World Championship from 1995-2002, 2004-2006, the World Grand Prix from 1998-2003, the Las Vegas Desert Classic from 2002-2005, the UK Open in 2003, and the World Matchplay from 1995-2004. He is considered one of the most successful darts player due to his 13 World Championships. His first tournament he won £4,000. In the World Championship in 2006, he won £100,000. His favorite food is Chinese, he enjoys a cup of peppermint tea, and likes to listen to Joe Cocker. On Jan 9, 2007 he won the PCD Player of the Year award. He plays with unicorn darts. He was the first to achieve a perfect leg of darts, the nine dart finish, for his first time on live television. He achieved the perfect leg of darts again in 2004. He is one of the first to achieve a nine dart finish more than once on television.

http://www.philthepower.com/powerbiography.html

Harold Abrahams

2007-11-15T15:14:00.000-05:00

In the early 1920s, Abrahams was at his prime. He got a place on the 1920 Olympic team as a 100m sprinter. Unfortunately he didn't do too well his first time.

The struggle of competition was severe for the jewish athlete. He had to overcome prejudice against his religion and class while competing against other British athletes.

With the support of his brother and his peer Eric Liddell, Abrahams began training heavily to become an amazing sprinter.After employing the services of Sam Mussabini, a professional coach, Abrahams perfected his sprinting strategy. The result was a gold medal in the 1924 100m dash and a long jump record of 24'2 1/2" which held for 32 years.

Harold Abrahams life of training was depicted in the 1981 film Chariots of Fire. The film covered his vigourous training for the 1924 Olympics and what his life was like overcoming the obstacles in his path to victory.

David Beckham...Mmmmmm, Soccer....

2007-11-13T21:09:00.000-05:00

Influenced by his parents love of football (soccer to us Americans), David Beckham began his career playing for Manchester United in the early 90's. He played with the United team until the 2003 season, when he then signed with the Real Madrid team instead of being traded to the Barcelona team (he did not want to go there). His contract with Real Madrid was estimated at $41 million. He stayed with the real Madrid team until 2007, until he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy for a $32.5 million over 5 years with an additional $200 million in endorsements.

As David is known worldwide for his abilities on the field as one of the (if not THE) premier soccer players in the world, he is also known for his marriage to his wife, Victora, also known as Posh Spice. As a couple, they are commonly referred to as Posh and Becks and are a tabloid staple. Whether it is allegations of David's infidelity or Posh's gravity defying cleavage, they are one of England's most well known couples.

It is the hopes of the LA Galaxy that the noterity of David Beckham will bring an interest to American Soccer and advance the leadue to levels comparable to that of the NFL and Major League Baseball. I don't know much about the sport, but he definitely makes soccer more appealing to the women of America!

Image: http://i.a.cnn.net/si/2006/writers/grant_wahl/10/13/beckham.mls/p1_beckham_1013.jpg

Gary Lineker

2007-11-13T14:36:00.000-05:00

Gary Winston Lineker (November 30, 1960) was one of famous football (soccer) players that ever played for England in the 20th century. Although Gary Lineker didn’t win the World Cup with England national team, the most important championship that any teams or players can dream of, he was famous for scoring 10 goals in two World Cup tournaments. Gary Lineker began playing soccer in 1976; however, his fervency years were between 1986 and 1990. In fact, he was awarded with Golden Shoe for scoring six goals in the 1986 World Cup as the only player of England national team to able to do so. He scored 250 goals in 550 games in fever of the three clubs that he played for: Everton, Barcelona, and Tottenham. For England national team, Lineker was able to score 48 goals in 80 matches been the second leading scorer after Bobby Charlton who scored 49 for England. In 1983, Lineker moved from Leicester club to Everton club for £850,000 and then to Barcelona FC for £2.75m. Lineker ended his career in 1994 after a surprising move for one year to Japan League.

Image source: http://olivia.canal13.cl/medios/data/MUNDIAL2006/Historia/Figuras/Lineker_historicas.jpg

Lewis Hamilton

2007-11-13T11:50:00.000-05:00

The British love Formula One racing, even more so when a British driver is winning the championship. Over the years, fans watching F1 around Britain's famous Siverstone Circuit, have watched champions like Mike Hawthorn, Grahram Hill, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart (Scottish heritage but raced under the British flag), Nigel Mansel, Damon Hill (son of Graham Hill, first father son world champions), and today they have Lewis Hamilton and above that, he is racing in a British made Mclaren Mercedes F1 car.

Lewis has broken, and created, numerous racing records and beaten his teammate, a 2 time world champion, all at 22 years old in his first year of racing an F1 car. He is the first black racing driver to compete in Formula One and to win a major event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During his first 9 races, he was on the podium (placed at least 3rd) 9 times, including 2 wins. His first win came in Canada, a circuit hes never even raced on. His second came a week later in America on another circuit he has never seen. He led the world championship, as a rookie, since the forth race of the season and is the youngest driver ever to lead it at all. He has more, less breathtaking records that further prove his talent.

He has been heralded as the King of Formula One in British Papers. The Guardian interviews him weekly, even now during the off season. He has been stalked by the press and since his rumored salary in the next five years will total $300 million, he has moved to Switzerland. He says it is because of taxes, but most believe that the constant onslaught of the press was a key factor. He has already approved a biography and will soon be placed on the London Stock Exchange so that fans can buy stock in his future winnings.

Although two crucial errors cost him the world championship, he will most certainly be a world champion someday. In China, the second to last race, he was winning when upon entering the pits, slid off track and got stuck in a gravel trap. His team took the blame, saying that it was their fault they did not bring him in earlier and the tires were useless when he finally did come in, to keep the press from claiming Lewis has cracked under the pressure. If he had won that race, or even finished second, he could have clinched the world champion. In the final round, he tried to overtake his teammate and went off track damaging the computer system that controls the transmission which cost him a race where all he had to do was finish 5th or better to become champion. While most might remember his first season ending in failure, without the champion ship, they should remember the race in Japan, in which he dominated the more veteran drivers in monsoon conditions for 67 laps.

However, all hope is not lost. There are two cars that could still be disqualified thus promoting Hamilton to 5th and giving the championship to him. The decision will be made on November 15th and could ultimately give Lewis the crown and the title of the first rookie F1 World Champion. But, in keeping with Lewis' great character, he has already said "I want to win it on the track," adding "It would feel weird after Kimi did such a fantastic job in the last two races and won on Sunday."

Lewis has all the traits that the retired Michael Shumacher had. Lewis is good with the press, has a great rapport with the team and his the immense talent to win in any condition. When he was 10, he told Ron Dennis, head of the Mclaren Mercedes Formula One team, that he would one day win the championship in one of his Mclarens. Now, 12 years later, here he is and he has the talent and Britain's beloved racer will most likely win the title in the years to come.

(For some reason, I keep getting an error while trying to upload a picture and none of the FAQ helped. So picture this umm picture at the top right of the post.)

Next Assignment.

2007-11-12T21:47:00.000-05:00

Okay here is something different, and something unique for the course so far. You should have fun with this one. Because of the delay in getting it posted (busy weekend) the assignment is not due until Monday, November 19th by 12 noon.

Choose a famous English athlete, who lived between 1890 and today.
1) What sport were they famous in and why?
2) Did they make a contribution to the sport that is acknowledged as revolution or evolutionary to their primary sport?
3) When were their prime athletic years?
4) How much did they get paid at their height?
5) Finally, find a picture of the athlete from their prime. Please remember to provide a link to the photo in your post.

Good luck!

Ronald Rawson

2007-11-11T18:56:00.001-05:00

Ronald Rawson

Ronald Rawson: ( June 17^th 1892 - March 30^th 1952 )

Representing Great Britain Ronald Rawson holds the Gold Metal, for heavyweight Champion Boxing in the 1920 summer Olympic games which took place in Antwerp, Belgium. The games took place in April 20^th 1920, they were originally supposed to have been held in Berlin, Germany however because of the first world war, it was moved. It was the first Olympic games where doves were released to symbolize peace, 29 nations competed and only over 2000 athletes. Boxing was of tremendous interest at the time because it was open to boxers weighing more than 175 pounds or 79.4 Kilograms. Belgium at the tame had the highest level of competition. The top boxers expected to compete came from the Denmark, United states, Italy, South Africa, Canada, France, Norway and Great Britain. Ronald Rawson defeated Soren Peteersen (Denmark) for the gold metal in Heavy weight Boxing for the summer Olympic games in 1920. In 1920 and 1921 He won the Amateur Boxing Association of Great Britain Heavy weight title. Though he won the gold metal and boxed as an amateur, his profession was engineering.

Bahrain, The Sacred Land

2007-10-26T13:33:00.000-04:00

Bahrain, whos name mean “The Land of Life,” and which has been suggested as a possible inspiration for the Garden of Eden due to its verdant landscape in contrast to neighboring Saudi Arabia, was a British protectorate between 1861-1971.

Bahrain is the smallest of the Arab states, located in its entirety on a small island just off the coast of Saudi Arabia and Qatar. The tiny country has been ruled by the same family, the Al-Khalifa, since its capture by Ahmad ibn Khalifa Al Khalifa in the late 18^th century. In 1861, to prevent Iran from reasserting control over Bahrain, the ruling family entered into the Perpetual Truce of Peace and Friendship with Great Britain. Under the terms of the agreement, Bahrain could not enter into relations with any foreign country without the consent of Great Britain, and, in return, Britain agreed to provide full protection from attacks by sea, and lend support in the event of attack by land.

Prior to 1932, the primary export of Bahrain came from the pearl diving industry. After the discovery of Oil in 1932, making Bahrain the first of the Persian gulf states to have oil wells sunk, the primary production and export of the nation became oil. This served to strengthen ties with Great Britain, as further British bases were located in Bahrain.

After World War II, anit-british sentiment led to rioting in Bahrain, with violence directed primarily against the Jewish living in the country. Though no violent revolution ever took place, Bahrain established its own Arab identity, and, under the supervision of the United Nations, Great Britain withdrew peacefully from the country in 1971, making Bahrain a truly independent state.

Bahrain has been remarkably stable when compared to other middle eastern countries. Under the rule of the same family before, during, and after their period of British Control, the system of governance has remained the same to this day. The primary export remains oil, though the economy has diversified over the decades. Bahrain is currently planning a permanent bridge between their island and Qatar, to strengthen ties both political and economic.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahrain
http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/ht/10/wap/ht10wap.htm
http://www.arab.net/bahrain/
Image Retrieved From: http://www.baldrige21.com/Baldrige%20INTERNATIONAL/010315%20I%20Bahrain%20Batelco%20Building.jpg

2007-10-26T12:53:00.000-04:00

Hong Kong was apart of the British Empire in the early 1840s all the was until 1997. IN 1997 Hong Kong was given back to the Chinese empire. It was a peaceful process. The British actually gave a farewell speech in a ceremony that celebrated the end of British Rule. Electronics, electrical products, textile and clothing apparels are the most important exports of Hong Kong. About 40 percent of China's international trade goes through Hong Kong.I believe there major export under British rule was tea. IT was reexported from China. The reason for the change was the market. There was a greater need for technology. Hong Kong is still Hong Kong today it is a special administrative region of china. Hong Kong is a limited democracy.

British Guiana

2007-10-26T07:38:00.000-04:00

In 1814, Britain gained control of 3 Dutch colonies; in 1931, it unified them into a single colony, British Guiana. Its economy consisted of mostly sugar farming; in the 1880s, there was a shift to rice farming and a few other smaller industries. Although it was ceded to the British in 1814, British Guiana continued practicing Dutch colonial administration until 1928, when it was officially abolished by the British government. The crown colony constitution that replaced the Dutch government was actually the first step in the long road towards independence. In 1943, Legislative Council seats became elected. In 1953, a bicameral legistlature was introduced; with the subsequent election, a new party, the People's Progressive Party (PPP) gained power, causing a crisis for Great Britain. Because Great Britain was concerned about the communist affiliations, military occupation of British Guiana began in October of 1953. Although the governor basically took full control until 1957, the military occupation of British Guiana was fairly uneventful. In 1957, elections were once again held, and the PPP regained the majority of seats in the legislature. In 1961, British Guiana also was granted self-government. It would have been granted independent shortly thereafter but for a series of riots and strikes stemming from social and economic conflicts between 1962 and 1964. The British stepped in, making some changes to the British Guiana government to allow for more fair representation. In 1965, an independent constitution was agreed upon by the British government; in 1966, British Guiana was granted independence, becoming Guyana.

In 1970, Guyana changed from its British-style government to a Co-operative Republic. In 1980, there was a shift from a capitalist to a socialist government, with the election of a President versus a Prime Minister. The first Prime Minister/Executive President, Forbes Burnham, ruled Guyana very autocratically; during this time, human rights and civil liberties were suprressed, the government was seen basically as useless, and there were several political assassinations. After Burnham's death, Hugh Desmond Hoyte took power; he gradually shifted British Guiana to a market economy with free and fair elections. Guyana is still a Republic, with Bharrat Jagdeo as President.

http://student.britannica.com/comptons/art-52547/Guyana?&articleTypeId=31

Zimbabwe

2007-10-26T00:43:00.000-04:00

Zimbabwe was a British colony which was created in 1888 by Cecil Rhodes who got mining rights from locals and convinced the Britain to adopt it as a company. The nation was named Rhodesia after Rhodes, the nation split however into Southern Rhodesia, the British controlled colony, and Northern Rhodesia a British protectorate. Encroachment on Native lands led to several revolts in the late 1800's. The empire in 1922 gave Southern Rhodesia its own independent rule as a colony. In 1953 the British, facing African nationalism, joined the two parts of Rhodesia together with Nyasaland to form a Federation which worsened border tensions between the countries. In 1965, Ian Smith declared complete independence of Rhodesia from the British Empire, and gave the minority of whites most of the political power in the nation. This sparked a civil war which lasted until 1979 when a peace agreement was reached, and Smith's white regime dissolved. In 1980, the Country recieved its independence officially from British Rule , and created one of the poorest and most violent contries in Africa. Under British rule the country was very prosporous, without the economic support however, the country started a decline which is still going on today. Shortages in food, ethnic cleansing, and a rampant HIV/AIDS outbreak have turned most of the UN against the government in the country. Many today consider the nation a failed state, with seemingly no hope of improvement in the future.

Sierra Leone

2007-10-26T00:20:00.000-04:00

Sierra Leone first became part of the British Empire in the early 20th century. It remained part of the empire until 1962 when it held its first general election in May of that year. The elected Prime Minister was Sir Milton Margai and he was the head of the Sierra Leone People's Party. When Margai died in 1964, his brother took over as Prime Minister with some controversial ideas. Sir Albert Margai was accused of favoritism of certain tribes and even wanted a one party state of government.

The next Prime Minister, Siaka Stevens, was part of the All People's Congress but within hours of officially taking office he was ousted by a coup. The coup was led by a general in the The Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces. The general said that he did this because he felt that Stevens had taken office without the proper representation of all the tribes voting. The National Reformation Council threw out the action of the general and suspended the constitution and reinstated Stevens as Prime Minister. Sierra Leon went through a few more small uprisings before, in 1971, it declared itself a Republic and made Stevens its first President.

However, the country never really got off its feet. Sierra Leone had many more coups and a civil war that officially ended in 2002. The war took the lives of approximately 50,000 people. The British and the UN helped put down the rebel uprisings between 1991 and 2002. Although the people of Sierra Leone did not have a clash with the British to get their independence, they could not agree on how to run their own country.

In the 19th century, Sierra Leon was a major part of the slave trade and its capital, Freetown,
was the main city of the trade. Today most of its economy comes from the mining of precious minerals. The country today has a government not too dissimilar to the United States with an Executive, Legislative and Judicial branch of Government. The President appoints a vice president and a cabinet of ministers. He can be elected twice for five years each. The Legislative branch has 124 seats of which 112 are elected and the other 12 are the chiefs of the countries 12 administrative districts. For the Judicial branch, the President appoints members with the parliament's approval.

Barbados

2007-10-25T23:08:00.000-04:00

Barbados was first claimed by the English on May 14th 1625 on behalf of King James I. On February 17th 1627 a Captain by the name of Henry Powell landed with 80 settlers and 10 slaves on the island, thus bringing the first of the colonists. In 1639 a House of Assembly was established by the colonists. Barbados remained a british colony until internal autonomy was granted in 1961 and in 1966 the island was granted full independence. This was a peaceful process as the first leader of Barbados as a free nation was the Right Honourable Errol Walton Barrow of the Democratic Labour Party. The other major political party in Barbados is the Barbados Labour Party. Barbados is still a part of the common wealth. Some of the major exports were sugar cane, cotton and tobacco, these are still major exports today. Lastly the country still has the same name as before, Barbados.

Malta

2007-10-25T23:05:00.000-04:00

Malta is an island in the Mediteranian Sea south of Sicily including two smaller islands. It first became part of the British empire in 1800 after it was taken from the French.

Malta was granted its independence from Britain in 1964 through peaceful means. After granted its independence, Malta faced severe unemployment without British assistance and faced taking charge of their imports themselves. Malta never really had any major exports while part of the British Empire, its value was strategic and Britain had used it as a military base. Today Malta has major exports in Manufacturing, including electronics, textiles, processed food, clothing, tabacco products and building materials. Malta also has major business in tourism and ship construction.

Malta did remain a part of the Common Wealth after gaining its indepedence and is pretty much the same today as it was then. Malta retained British soverenty in 1814, it was granted partial self-governing in 1921. After Independence is became a republic in 1974, it proclaimed nuetral status in 1979 and joined the European Union in 2004. Malta received the George Cross as tribute due to the many bombings it sustained from Britain during World War II. Malta is still a republic today.

Grenada

2007-10-25T19:17:00.001-04:00

The country first became a part of the British Empire in 1763, when it was given to the UK in the Treaty of Paris. Grenada was granted independence in 1974 and Sir Eric Gairy was the first Prime Minister.

The process was peaceful, but the aftermath was not. Although Gairy won his elections, the New Jewel Movement did not accept the result and civil conflict broke out. Maurice Bishop, leader of the New Jewel Movement, led an armed revolution which succeeded in taking over. He created a People's Revolutionary Government and all other political parties were banned. Elections were never held.

Soon Bishop found himself in a dispute with other members of the NJM party. They requested that he either step down or share his power. This conflict led to Bishop being put under house arrest and finally executed along with other ministers of the government.

After the execution, General Hudson Austin and the People's Revolutionary Army formed a military government in which people leaving their homes without permission would be shot. The army was in control for 6 days, until the United States invaded. Several Caribbean nations helped in endeavor to restore peace. The invasion was requested by Governor-General Scoon.

After the invasion the pre-revolutionary constitution was put back in place and many members of the People's Revolutionary Government and Army were charged with murdering Bishop and the other ministers of government.

[Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grenada]

British Honduras aka Belize

2007-10-25T11:54:00.000-04:00

The County became apart of the British Empire in 1871, after it was taken over from the Spanish. This country was known as British Honduras until 1973. The country was given independence in 1981 and is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Belize was the last continental possession of the English in the Americas.
The road to independence was bumpy. The Guatemalan people claimed to have sovereignty over the territory. Guatemalans saw themselves as the rightful owners to the pervious Spanish claim on Belize. At the time that the territory declared independence on September 21, 1981, the Guatemalan government refused to recognize Belize as a nation. This forced the British to keep around 1,500 troops in Belize to protect them from the Guatemalans. It wasn’t until May 1993, that England announced its removal of the troops. All British soldiers were removed in 1994, except for a few troops left behind to train the Belizean troops.
At the time of independence, Belize became governed under a constitution. The British sovereign is considered the head of state and is represented by a governor-general. Executive power is in the hands of a cabinet of ministers, where it is led by a prime minister. Their National Assembly consists of a Senate of 8 appointed members and a House of Representatives of 29 members elected by universal suffrage. They are can be in office for up to five years. The prime minister needs the majority of support of the members of the House of Representatives. The leading political parties are the People’s United Party and the United Democratic Party.
At the first general election, the People’s United Party, headed by independence leader George Price, won. They won up till 1984, when the first national election was held. At this time, the United Democratic Party, under the leadership of Manuel Esquivel, gained power. Price returned to office during the September 1989 elections. The United Democratic Party regained power in the June 1993 national election, where Esquivel announced that a pact to resolve the border disputes with Guatemala was bad, giving into the Guatemalans demands. This basically destroyed the United Democratic Party, and the People’s United Party has been in power ever since, with the prime minister being Said
The main exports during the British control were mahogany and dye for vessels in for the navy. Now, the main exports are sugar, citrus fruits, and bananas. Lumbering has declined in importance.

http://www.maparchive.org/data/media/31/belize.jpg

Sudan

2007-10-23T15:40:00.000-04:00

The country of Sudan has a history dating back roughly 60,000 years with site found dating back to 8000 BCE. Britain gained control over Sudan in 1882 and held the country until its independence on January 1, 1956. Hostilities with Sudan, Britain, and Egypt was the factor that got Sudan their independence but not all was well. A year prior to their independence a civil war broke out within the country caused by the south fearing that if given independence that the north would take over. Some of the minerals/materials that are exported from Sudan are: petroleum, natural gas, gold, silver, chrome, asbestos, manganese, gypsum, mica, zinc, iron, lead, uranium, copper, kaolin, cobalt, granite, nickel and tin. Sudan is most known economically for its agricultural production employing 80% of the work force and contributing 39% of the GDP. Sudan has an authoritarian government in which all effective political power is in the hands of President Omar al-Bashir.

Kenya - Let us all pull together

2007-10-23T15:37:00.000-04:00

The Portugese would settle what would later be known as Kenya first, only to be pushed out by the Omni in 1730, a brief period w/ the Germans until in 1890 when they signed the land over to the British Empire. Kenya became independant December 12, 1963 after the violent Mau Mau Rebellion only to then fight in the Shifta Wars against Somali natives that wished to absorb Kenya. With the Kenya African National Union, they did not remain part of the British commonwealth and their exports (tea, coffee, sugar cane, horticultural products, wheat, corn, rice, pineapples, dairy products, meat products, hides, skins) have remained the same before and after their independance although oil and tourism has been added in big numbers as well. The country is still relatively the same country and has attempted to maintain a democracy however there have been several coups or attempted coups ('88, '83, '69). The National Rainbow Coalition, which assumed power in 2002 is now the ruling party in Kenya and their president is Mwai Kibak in a republic government.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8e/Kenya_coa.png

Ghana

2007-10-22T23:57:00.000-04:00

In 1863, Grate Britain dominated most of what is called Gold Coast in Africa except for the Asante Kingdom that was resisting but by 1896 Grate Britain gained control over the whole region that is called Ghana in modern days. By 1918, there was a nationalist movements rising in the Gold Cost which was the beginning of a political changes that region. After WWII, United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) and Convention People's Party (CPP) were the two political parties in the picture at the time and the most effective to seek independence. Ghana gains its independence to be the first in the Sub-Saharan Africa in March 1957. The process of independence was peaceful and Kwame Nkrumah was the first prime minister of the new country of Ghana. The biggest challenge that was facing Kwame was uniting the different group of people in Ghana considering that the economic was in good shape. In 1958, the government established a law that necessitates arresting anyone that goes against the government in its way for developing a one-party state. In 1960, Kwame was chosen to be the president of the republic of Ghana. The major export of the country during the colony period was slavery but today it is mineral and some of the agricultural products. In March 2007, the republican of Ghana celebrates its 50 years of independence and starts to observe human rights after many years of military rule.Image Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/world/country_guides/results.shtml?tt=TT000240

Hong Kong - - The transfer of its sovereignty to China

2007-10-22T17:40:00.000-04:00

Hong Kong first becomes a part of the British Empire in 1842 until the transfer of its sovereignty to China in 1997. Due to the Sino-British Joint Declaration, signed by the United Kingdom government and the People’s Republic of China government, the declaration will allow Chinese government to resume its sovereignty over Hong Kong which including Hong Kong Island, Kowloon, and the New Territories. Under the policy “One Country, Two Systems” China will not allow to practice its socialist system in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong capitalist, economy systems, and Hong Kong social life will remain unchanged for a period of 50 years, while Hong Kong will maintain its legal system, police force, monetary system, customs policy, and immigration policy. The transfer of its sovereignty to China in 1997 went smoothly. As of now, Hong Kong is no longer a part of the British Commonwealth, but a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China. As of 2007, The Chief Executive who endorsed by the Chinese government in Beijing is responsible for the administration of Hong Kong.

During the imperial control, the major exports in the 18th century (from Hong Kong to Britain) were opium and tea. Later on Hong Kong found itself with rapidly growth in the textile and manufacturing industries. In the late 1970, Hong Kong becomes the main source of foreign investment around the world; the financial industry was responsible for the largest GDP increases in the economic history of Hong Kong.

Picture Source:www.exploitz.com/ pictures/4537/index.php

Independence for Botswana

2007-10-22T15:51:00.000-04:00

In the late 1800’s the British government received pleas for assistance from the Bechuanaland (now called Botswana) leaders in southern Africa. A tribe called the Ndebele from the Kalahari Desert in the southeast and the Boers of the Transvaal from the north were trying to migrate into Bechuanaland. Tensions were escalating and so on March 31st 1885; Great Britain put them under her protection in what became known as the Bechuanaland Protectorate. Britain only policed the borders against possible European invasion and left the local rule to the already in place rulers. Later in May 1891 Britain appointed the High Commissioner for South Africa to rule Bechuanaland. Bechuanaland was governed from Mafikeng in South Africa even though it was not within its borders. Bechuanaland petitioned for and was granted independence on September 30, 1966 and adopted the name Botswana. The new capital was moved to Gaborone and right after they had their first general election. The Democratic Party has been the dominate party since its independence. The government consists of a president and a parliament and they have elections every five years. Once the president has served their term they are automatically succeeded by the vice president. Due to rapid economic growth, Botswana had moved from one of the poorest countries to an upper-middle class country. The economy is dominated by diamond mining although; this year uranium was also discovered in significant amounts. It seems Botswana has continued to prosper and grow since its break from the British Empire. However, even though they are doing well economically, they are fighting the effects of having the second highest infection rate of HIV in the world. The average life span in Botswana is 50.6 years of age in 2007.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/74/Botswana_coa.png/85px-

Singapore

2007-10-22T13:23:00.000-04:00

Originally colonized in 1819, finally became a official colony in 1867. It was a colony for almost century, until it became self governed in 1959 (Although Axis controlled during WWII). The inability for the British to defend Singapore & its post-war tendency to urge self-contained governments, led to legislative councils without directly "crown-support" and eventually its complete independence. There was social unrest, but it was self-contained by the internal government - at the time. It joined part of the Federation of Malaysia (Malay, Sabah, Sarawak, and itself) in 1962. Due to religious problems, it broke from the Federation in 1963 and became its own sovereign nation in 1965.

Singapore has a very small source of natural resources, but was a major port for Eastern trade with China and far nations as a colony. Its only significant exports were rubber and tin, its port influence however was crucial. Today, Singapore has the 4th largest foreign exchange in the world and instead of land focused resources, focuses on manufactured goods - dealing with mostly electronics, like producing 1/10th of the world's semiconductor wafers.

Singapore despised the government of Britain. During its harsh post war times, it was co-ruled by colonial placed officials and several dueling parties - including labourers & liberals. The inability for this government and those previously to protect and build the quality of life of Singapore eventually formed the PAP (People's Action Party) - they promised anti-colonial ideals & building of the interior. From 1959-till today, the PAP has completely dominated the government of Singapore.

Singapore implies "Singapura" or "lion city" and has been the name of the country from 1963-present. Hence the image: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c1/Singapore_coa.png

The Bahamas

2007-10-21T17:46:00.000-04:00

Long before the Bahamas became a cruise ship mecca, it was once a part of the British Empire. It was originally made a British Crown Colony in 1717 after being first settled by the British in 1647. Prior to the British coming to the islands, there were a number of indigenous people living on this island when Christopher Columbus first reached the island in 1492, however they were long gone by the time the Brits arrived. Today the islands are comprised of people of many different nationalities, but the 85% Black population is a reflection of the islands being used as a stop during the slave trade and once slavery was abolished in the islands (in 1838) many American slaves escaped to the Bahamas in order to gain independence.

The Bahamas was granted self-governing status in 1964 and became fully independent in 1973. They have a similar form of government as the United Kingdom, but there are a few differences. The Queen is still the head of state, but the Bahamas are governed by both a Governor-General (appointed by the Queen) , a prime minister and House of Assembly.

The transition to independence was a peaceful event. However, prior to achieving their independence, the members of the Bahamian Progressive Liberal Party wanted to gain their freedom from the distant "white rule" of the British monarch. A 19 day labour strike brought attention to these far off colonies and made the British government sit up and pay attention to what was going on in the colony.

Today, the Bahamas are known for their tranquil beauty and are a very popular vacation spot as well as a popular financial center. The Bahamian Islands are the 3rd wealthiest country in the Western Hemisphere. Their main exports are fish, salt and rum so not much has changed over the years, as the Bahamas were one of the main producers of rum that was smuggled into the US during prohibition.

Next Assignment (#5 I think!)

2007-10-21T12:04:00.000-04:00

This assignment is due by 5pm on Friday, October 26th.

After World War II ended, Britain began the long and sometimes tedious process of letting go of much of her global empire. While we discussed India (India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) in class, the British empire covered more than 25% of the globe at its height. For this assignment I want you to choose one of the countries of the former British empire that was granted its independence after 1947. You may not use India or any of her dependencies. In the course of your answer, discuss the following questions:

1) When did the country first become a part of the British empire?
2) When was the country granted independence?
3) Was the process peaceful? violent? both? Explain what happened in the country immediately after independence.
4) Did the country remain a part of the British Commonwealth?
5) What were the major exports of the country during imperial control? What are they today? If they have changed, why?
6) Is the country still the same country today? (For example: Burma is named Myanmar, and Rhodesia is now named Zimbabwe and both are very different countries than immediately after gaining independence).
7) What type of government does the country have currently, in 2007? Has it had the same government type since independence? Explain.

If you have any questions, ask away.

Soap

2007-10-12T16:55:00.000-04:00

Soap was one of the things that rationed during WWII in Britain. Only one tablet were allowed peer month so housewives were trying everything possible to substitute soap or at least make lather. Cloths had to be put into a container with boiled water to get rid of dirt. Nothing was mad by the government to deal with that, housewives had to try soda, ammonia, and other available products to use for cleaning purposes which eventually harms their hands.

Images source: www.worldwar2extra.co.uk

Pigs and other animals

2007-10-12T16:28:00.000-04:00

In World War II, the government made no offical rationing of pigs or other farm animals, but families would use them in addition to their regular rations for food and even clothing. Pigs were to be slaughtered only when they reached 100 pounds. Housewives would sometime take the scraps of the pig to "Pig Clubs" where they would be cut into bacon and given to families. Rabbits were used for stew and also for its hide, which could be made into slippers or other small clothing items. The government encouraged the keeping of chickens by citizens in the countryside and the city for its eggs. Goats were also a favorite of farmers for the milk. These animals helped to feed families during the war and added some flavor to their meals.

Jam

2007-10-12T15:55:00.001-04:00

Jam was used on bread for breakfast and tea time before the war. Right before the jam was rationed, the most available flavor was ginger and rhubarb. Jam was rationed in March 1941. At that time, jam was 8 oz per person per week. At the height of the ration, it went down to one 1 lb jar per month. The biggest complaint about this was to have to stick to one flavor for a month. It usually didn’t last a month. In July of 1941, the sugar ration was doubled. This was to encourage people to make their own jam during the fruit season. This allowed the Brits to have more than the 1 lb per month. Jam came off the ration list in December 1948.

http://www.rosesberryfarm.com/oscommerce/images/straw-rhubarb%20jam%208z.jpg

Brown Sugar... How come you taste sooo gooood?

2007-10-12T14:44:00.000-04:00

www.gasdetection.com/news2/health_news_digest...

Sugar is a desired commodity by many cultures all over the word which enables the masses to satisfy their sweet tooth. The British used it for cakes, cup cakes, cookies, muffins, and in their ever-popular tea, but during World War II, every week the ration for sugar was two tablespoons per person, which sounds like a lot, until you realize how much sugar goes into those sweet and delicious cakes, cup cakes, cookies, muffins, and tea.... ooooooo, just thinking about those sweet and luscious sugar filled goodies, makes saliva cascade around the deepest fjords of my mouth, drowning me with succulence, mmmmmmm. Sugar was a luxury (a luxury one can honestly live without) during WWII and the sweet and tasty treats that many enjoyed in Britain before the war were rarely made until the war was over. Sugar production contributed to chocolate rations for soldiers and pilots, giving another reason why their government loved volunteers and treated them well, supplying them with thousands of meals, every one containing sugar.

Steel and Iron

2007-10-12T10:56:00.000-04:00

During World War II steel industries could not keep up with the demand from the government to produce the required material for the construction of aircraft, tanks, ships, and support structures, thus leaving the country and its cities at a virtual stand still for new local development. At some point during the war steel and iron were so scarce civilians were unable to even buy items such as thumb tacks. Steel would be a rare item to have until after the war when the cities started to rebuild from the destruction. Not to bad for the steel industry though!

Coal Rationing: 1939 - 1958

2007-10-12T09:39:00.001-04:00

Unfortunately for Britain, there wasn't nearly as much coal available in the WWII era as what is shown in this picture.

Coal was one of the longest-rationed resources in Britain; its use was restricted from 1939 until 1958, 14 years after the end of hostilities in Europe.

During the period of rationing, energy needs were supplemented by "coal-brick, peat or logs from Itinerant traders with horse-drawn carts."(http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/87/a3214487.shtml) In addition, larger corporations met their energy demands through the use of large rechargeable batteries.

Image Recovered From: http://www.stopthecoalrush.com/wp-content/themes/wpandreas0112/img/11_coal_train_WY.jpg

Cheese Ration

2007-10-11T23:35:00.000-04:00

In May 1941 Cheese was first rationed in Britain due to the war. The ration changed with the availability of the product, in this case cheese. On average one adult would be rationed two ounces of cheese per week. In august of 1941 an additional cheese ration went out for manual workers. The ration for cheese was increased once again, a year later in August of 1942. It was raised to 8 oz. per person per week. Cheese stayed on ration until 1954 when it was taken off the ration list along with butter, margarine and other cooking fats.

Soap Rations

2007-10-11T22:54:00.001-04:00

Imagine not knowing when your next bar of soap would arrive... or when your neighbor's soap would arrive. From 1942 to 1950 in Great Britain, soap was rationed. The ration was 16 oz of soap per month, including household soap, beauty soap, and soap flakes. Many people during this time opted for the standard household soap, as it was a more economical use of the rationed soap amount. The biggest complaint about the soap rations was that when soap would arrive was always uncertain, and there was no real alternative (fats and lard, which have been used in the past to make soap, were also rationed during this time). Imagine... a pound of soap a month, for 8 years. Yikes.

Eggs!

2007-10-11T22:37:00.000-04:00

Eggs themselves were rationed in WWII first in Feb 1940 but eggs used for "breeding purposes" often found their way into the black market to be sold and eaten. By July 1940 it was 1 egg every week at a maximum, the norm being every 2 weeks. However, expectant mothers and children were also allowed up to 18 eggs per month to help with the building of protein and their immune system. In 1942 American dried egg powder was put on sale at 1s 9d (9p) per packet (equivalent to 12 eggs) and one packet was allowed per month. In March 1953, eggs came off of ration in Britain and chickens got a little more scared.

Image: http://www.studentfilmmakers.com/news/uploads/summer06/eggs.jpg

Midterm Exam

2007-10-11T22:09:00.001-04:00

Here are the questions for the British Society and Culture midterm. All questions should be typed and the answers are readily available from your assigned readings and/or from class notes. Where possible, include information from any of the films you have seen in class to this point. The midterm is due back by Monday, October 15th by the beginning of class. All exams will be docked one letter grade for each hour they are late.

There is no recommended minimum or maximum length, but use your judgement. You should answer the questions as completely as possible, without necessarily going into excessive depth.

Question One: Mandatory
In the book, London 1900: The Imperial Metropolis, the author discusses the city at its height as an imperial capital, and perhaps London at its cultural and social peak as a world metropolis. In your essay, discuss at least five different social and cultural aspects that made London an "imperial metropolis" in the year 1900. In your opinion, was London truly the center of the world in 1900? Explain your answer.

Question Two: Choose to answer one of the following questions for your 2nd essay.
1) Discuss the rise of the Labour party and the decline of the Liberal party between 1900 and 1940. How and why did the Liberal party, one of the most powerful political institutions of the 19th century implode in the first quarter of the 20th century? Similarly, how and why did the Labour party go from being a very minor third party, to perhaps the most influential and forward thinking socialist party in Europe?

2) Discuss the similarities and differences in English society and culture between the high point of the 1920s and the depths of the 1930s. Describe a typical day in the 1920s for the average middle class British citizen as compared to their life during a typical day in the 1930s. In what ways did British society and culture change over these two decades?

Sweet Rations

2007-10-11T19:26:00.000-04:00

From July 1942 till Feburary 1953, Sweets in England were rationed. Officially Sweet rations, they ranged from as low as 2oz to 12oz per person, per 4weeks/month. Alternatively, parents used peppermint juice from the local chemist in order to create toffee subsitute "lumps" or gave children carrots, as subsititues for a lack of sweets and fruits. Of course the only ones who would complain about lack of sweets would be the children. Most alternate recipes for sweets, were related to the possibilty of getting breads and sugar for baking (as they were also rationed, this left not much room for 'sweets' replacement - although it isnt a necessity).

Image URL: http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39565000/jpg/_39565085_choc203.jpg

From modern example of sweet rations

Tea Rationing

2007-10-11T18:33:00.000-04:00

World War II caused the rationing of many everyday items and foods in Britain. In 1942 rationing for the war became much more severe, and in July even tea was rationed to 57g per week. The result of rationing tea in a nation of tea-drinkers had both good and bad effects.

While those who were wealthier could not have their tea time every day, the poorer part of British society was able to start having theres. They thought it to be a national morale booster, so during the war tea stocks were spread throughout the country to decrease chances of it being destroyed. The tea rationing ended in 1952.

"Tea is more important than bullets" - Winston Churchill

[source: BBC ]

Petrol Rationing

2007-10-11T12:36:00.000-04:00

During World War II, most every country involved rationed various items to their citizens. One of the most common things that was rationed was gasoline. Countries, especially Great Britain, relied heavily on external fuel supplies. The fuel coming into the island was limited, which only got worse with the U-boat attacks, and most of it had already been budgeted for the Royal Air Force as well as the Royal Army. The fuel rationing took effect in Britain in 1939, and its effects were immediate. Car sharing became common and cars were limited to 200 miles per month. There were incentives to motorists that allowed for more petrol; one incentive was to offer a taxi service. However, as the war drew on, attacks on British supply lines drained the already low fuel reserves. Eventually all non essential motoring was prohibited. This is not to say that people did not figure out ways to move around. Cities around the island resorted to horse drawn carriages as the main public transportation. Earlier on in the war, driving tests were suspended except for those in the military.

Most of the citizens in Britain were upset about not having the ability to drive their new automobiles saying that 200 miles could be done in a week, let alone a month. But there was no choice, public motoring was not essential in the war effort. Imagine what would happen today if our, or any, government told us that in order to win this war we could not drive more than 200 miles a month.

http://www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/Online%20Museum/Large%20photo%20pages/Petrol%20coupon.htm

Meat Rationing

2007-10-11T09:23:00.000-04:00

Meat was rationed from March 1940 until June 1954. The rationing changed throughout this period, but the average amount allowed per person per week was 1 lb 3 oz. Families would often eat meat on Sundays and put the leftovers into stew the next day. Fish was never rationed but was usually very difficult to find. Also not included in the ration were chicken, offal, sausages, rabbit and horses. Meat bought on the black market was often cheaper horse meat sold as beef. Under the Lend-Lease Act, America gave Britain and other Allied countries all different kinds of war materials in exchange for something, being military bases in Newfoundland, Bermuda, and the British West Indies, in the case of Britain. Under this program, Spam started being shipped to Britain in 1941. At first people did not want to eat it and so the government issued guidelines and recipe books to show what people could do with it.
Here is a recipe used during WWII:

WWII Spam and Egg Sandwich

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 slice fully cooked luncheon meat (e.g. Spam)
1 egg, beaten
2 slices bread
1 slice American cheese (optional)
1 slice tomato (optional)

Directions

Melt butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Saute the onion in butter until soft. Mash up the slice of luncheon meat with a fork, and add it to the skillet. Cook for 2 or 3 minutes, until browned. Pour the egg into the skillet so that it covers all of the meat and onion. Cook until firm, then flip to brown the other side.
Place the egg and meat onto one slice of the bread and top with cheese and tomato if desired. Place the other piece of bread on top. Bread can also be toasted first.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/WWII-Spam-and-Egg-Sandwich/Detail.aspx

Orange Juice Rationed for children

2007-10-11T09:22:00.000-04:00

One of the first items to disappear off the shelves of British markets were imported fruits. Although not specifically rationed, as the war began, it became harder and harder to import since most of these foodstuffs all had to be shipped across the Atlantic. These ships became prime targets for the German U-boats, so fruits such as bannanas, oranges, pineapples and lemons became virtually non-existent. If they weren't grown natutally on British soil, they just weren't available and even those fruits that did grow in England like apples and pears were sold on a limited basis. Additionally, some sailors who were able to bring back fruit from some of their tours of duty were able to sell their fruit at very high prices. In regards to rationing, although fruit in general was not included in general rations, Orange juice concentrate was specifically reserved for young children under age 5 and expectant mothers and included in their rations. As concentrated Orange Juice became more and more scarce, mothers began to give their children rosehip syrup and cod liver oil as a way to get them their necessary nutrients.

It's so hard to comprehend the idea of having to ration items, when you consider how much gas, food, energy and supplies we (as a society) waste on a daily basis. I'd venture it's a safe bet that 8 out of 10 Americans in today's age wouldn't know what to do with themselves if faced with strict rationing like in 1940's Britain!

Photo Credit: http://www.adliterate.com/archives/bannarHU_063736large.jpg

Nylon Rationing

2007-10-10T20:28:00.000-04:00

Nylon stockings became all the rage in 1940. However, after June 1941 certain items were rationed and sometimes just unavailable in the stores due to the war. The nylon stocking production simply stopped during the war as the materials were needed for parachutes, tents, ropes and uniforms. Some women made due by staining there legs with tea or anything they could find in their gardens or closets to make their legs appear as if they were wearing stockings. There soon came a leg make-up on the market that some women used along with a black eyeliner to draw what resembled a seam down the back of the leg. A nylon black market came into being during the war spawned by the demand for ladies nylons. American Servicemen carried a supply of nylons, among other items that they could give away while stationed in Great Britain; making them very popular with the British ladies. Once the war ended nylons slowly began to return to the stores. Many fights, called Nylon Riots, were caused due to the overwhelming demand for the stockings.

http://www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/Online%20Museum/Museum%20main%20Images/leg-makeup.jpg

Milk Rationing

2007-10-09T15:40:00.000-04:00

In 1940, many dairy farms where cows are raised to make milk and milk products have began to shut down. Due to the needs of agriculture lands to be used for the growing of vital food crops for sugar, banana, and oranges. As the result, milk and milk products like cheese, butter were rationed or impossible to find. In additional, the milk bottles were no longer made, due to the glass materials are being used for a more vital roll.

The milk shortages lead to a limited distribution of milk, for example, 7 pints of milk per week shall be allowed for expectant mothers children and invalids. The average price for a pint of milk was approximately 1 pound. However, if the parent joint income was below the line that set by the government of 2 pound/week, then there will be no cost associated with the purchase or distribution. Many consumers and government agencies have come up with an alternative product like dried milk powder. It can be mixed with water as substitute for real milk. The complaint about the milk shortages were small, because the children and pregnant mothers still able to obtain the product.

Picture: Milk is being delivered by horse and cart.
http://www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/Online%20Museum/Museum%20Docs/foodrationpage2.html

Clothes Rationing

2007-10-08T10:57:00.000-04:00

Clothes Rationing

Beginning in June 1941 and lasting until March 1949 new clothes were rationed. The war had made it necessary to use the raw products and factories of the clothing industry to make parachutes and uniforms for the military. The slogan “Make Due and Mend” became the mantra. There were even booklets bearing that name with lots of suggestions and ideas on how to update old fashions and create new items from old clothes. People were given ration books with clothes coupons inside. The coupons along with money were needed to buy new clothes. Each item of clothing had a corresponding number of coupons necessary to buy each item. For instance, it took 5 coupons to buy a mans shirt and 4 coupons for a woman’s shirt. Each person was given enough rations to purchase a complete outfit each year. Adults were given 66 coupons each year and for children, 10 more were added to account for their growth during the year. As time marched on the ration level was dropped to 48 coupons per adult.

No one of course liked reusing old clothes, but as time went on people were proud of there small efforts at helping with the war. Some women became experts at updating their old fashions into new fashions. Many converted old items into new, such as Dad’s trouser pant legs could be turned into a skirt for a young girl, or a pillow case into baby clothes. Men’s suit’s sported fake pockets to save on material. Women even used leg make up due to the short supply of stockings.

http://www.worldwar2exraf.co.uk/Online%20Museum/Museum%20main%20Images/smallclothing-coupon.jpg

Next Assignment

2007-10-07T19:33:00.000-04:00

The next assignment is due by class time, Friday, October 12th, at noon.

We are going to be starting World War II in Great Britain next week and the week after. So, this assignment revolves around the British Isles during WWII. This assignment requires a little bit of work and research on your side of things. But it should be easily doable with a little time and effort.

During the period of WWII and immediately afterwards, the British people had to deal with a large number of shortages on the domestic front: food, clothing, every day items. Some were not available at all. Ration books limited what people could officially buy, though of course the black market often had items not otherwise available. The British people followed the mottos: Make do, use up or do without; find alternatives where possible. In this case, I want you to find an item that was rationed during WWII. Only a single thing or item: eggs, not all food for example.

1) What was it?
2) What was the official ration?
3) Did the government come up with an alternative product?
4) What were complaints about the specific product or its alternative?
5) If you chose a foodstuff, see if you can give an example of a recipe that mentions what to do during the war if the ingredient were not available?

Good luck!

A.E. Housman

2007-09-30T23:04:00.000-04:00

Sorry for being late...I am lazy, but not lazy enough to copy & paste :)

A.E. Housman was born in Worcestershire, England. Oldest of seven in a family of several future poets (none as famous as himself). He attended several top English schools and focused his attention from school and beyond on classical study. Although his first love was ancient classics, he was known for his poetry (in 1896 & 1922).

After the Great War, his originally published works A Shropshire Lad (1896) gained a great deal of popularity due to its ideas of brave English infantrymen and his anti-victorian ideals. His works made much greater an impact than he thought, as it touched a newly changed Britain - making them think on the actions of their soldiers and how the world had changed. I personally enjoy his poetry and believe that his background and works did have an cultural impact upon his time.

Top picture: http://www.poetsgraves.co.uk/images/housman.jpeg

A warning!

2007-09-30T13:00:00.000-04:00

Okay, here is a heads up.

1) I am not an idiot, stupid or lazy.
2) Remind yourself that your professor is not an idiot, stupid or lazy.
3) This blog assignment is not that hard, and it only takes about 30 minutes to do if you do it properly.
4) Copying and pasting directly from any websource, especially Wikipedia, is plagiarism and grounds for dismissal from the course with an F. See note #7 below.
5) Go ahead, remind yourself again the professor is not an idiot or stupid.
6) Now thank me for being kind enough to let you rewrite any plagiarized material before giving you an F.

Go ahead and fix any mistakes or omissions or "oh my god, I am lazy" errors before next Friday when the next blog assignment goes up. Anything that is not fixed by then you will receive an F on, and if it happens again, I will simply call you on it and begin plagiarism charges. Remember, all the info you need is online about what constitutes plagiarism and what constitutes grounds for dismissal from the class (its on the syllabus too!).

If you have any questions, please see me after class or in office hours.

7) Leaving direct hyperlinks in your post is obviously being an idiot, lazy and stupid. It means I don't care if I get caught cheating or plagiarism. Stealing stuff from Wikipedia is dumb. Borrowing images is one thing, stealing the text out right is a sign of all of the above.

Edward Carpenter

2007-09-28T16:29:00.000-04:00

I was doing a research paper for another class regarding (Different Culture, Different View of Marriage) and came about the subject of gay marriage. A series question came to mind, where and when it started and who was the first to do so in the modern world?
Edward Carpenter was borne to a middle-class family in Brighton, England in1844. He was poet, writer, and philosopher and known for his work Civilisation, its Cause and Cure. Although he had four brothers, Edward was the only boy in his teenage years along with his six sisters which might affect his late life style. By 1880, Edward acknowledged his homosexuality and moved in with his lover George Merrill by 1891. This has a great influence on other people at that time in which many men couples did the same. He wrote against sexual orientation and believed that homosexuality is natural.
Edward was known as a unique figure of the women and homosexual movements at its early time. He wrote "...there is no solution except the freedom of woman-which means, of course, the freedom of the masses of the people, men and women, and the ceasing altogether of economic slavery. There is no solution which will not include the redemption of the terms free women and free love to their true and rightful significance. Let every woman whose heart bleeds for the sufferings of her sex, hasten to declare herself and to constitute herself, as far as she possibly can, a free woman" (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Carpenter)
Edward’s contribution in the women movement was the main reason for me to write about hem but interestingly enough, I founded that he was involve in many issues that are the most negotiable in now days such as protection of environment, sexual freedom, and animal rights. Edward culture gave the hope for recent writers such as D. H. Lawrence and other writers to continue expanding lesbian and gay studies.
Image Source: http://www.glbtq.com/sfeatures/autobiogay.html

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr

2007-09-28T12:45:00.000-04:00

Sir Charles Spencer Chaplin, Jr also known as Charlie Chaplin was a British Comedian. Chaplin became one of the most famous comedy actors as well as a great director and musician in the early Hollywood cinema era. Many believe he was one of the best Mimes to ever be caught on film. His career spanned over 65 years. He preformed all the way up until his death at the age of 88 in 1977. His principal character was "The Tramp.”The Tramp" is a vagrant with the refined manners and dignity of a gentleman. The character wears a tight coat, over sized pants and shoes, a derby, carries a bamboo cane, and has a signature toothbrush mustache. The reason I picked Chaplin is because he was a comedian. His profession is to make people laugh. After the war there where probably many people grieving over their losses. What better way to help people by taking there minds off the war with laughter? Police go where crime is. Doctors help the sick. Comedians help lift the spirits of sad and depressed people. Charlie Chaplin helps boost the morale of the British at a time they needed it the most.

Noël Coward

2007-09-28T11:21:00.000-04:00

Noël Coward was an actor, a playwright, and one of the first real British celebrities of the 1920s. Born December 6th, 1899 in Teddington, Middlesex, England he began performing in the West End and then after his first play, “The Goldfish” in 1911, he was sought after by many. When he was fourteen he became the lover of Phillip Streatfield, a society painter, who introduced him to high society through Mrs. Astley Cooper.
In 1920 he starred in his first full length-play “I’ll Leave It To You”, then “The Better Half” in 1922, “The Young Idea” in 1923, and finally “The Vortex” in 1924. It was his play “The Vortex” which made him a sensation overnight, causing slight controversy with it’s fine line references to both drug abuse and homosexuality. He went on to have major hits like “Hay Fever”, “Fallen Angels”, and “Easy Virtue.” He made complicated plays that involved hydraulic stages, famous comedian appearances, and special effects.

I chose Noël Coward for this assignment because he really is one of the first real British celebrities. He is followed by the press, he is the target of scandals, and he’s a closet case homosexual. Coward gave to society a new life perspective, his plays were about a different society than what Britain had known before WWI, such as “The Better Half” was a play that talked about a man’s relationship with two women at once. He never married, but had a 19 year relationship with Prince George, Duke of Kent, and another lengthy relationship with actor Graham Payn. Noël Coward is truly an exceptional individual in British History for his time. Noël Coward died in 1973 of heart failure.

John Logie Baird

2007-09-28T11:04:00.000-04:00

John Logie Baird was born in Helensburgh, Scotland. on August 13, 1888 and died on June 14, 1946. He was a Scottish engineer and inventor of the world's first working television system. His initial design of the television, which was an electromechanical system would soon be replaced by electronic systems shortly after. I chose this man do to the fact of how smart and innovative he was. To transmit a long-distance television signal over 438 miles of telephone line between London and Glasgow in 1927 I think is astonishing. Not only was it a great leap in technology but look at us today where everybody living has a television.

Photo taken from wikipedia

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

2007-09-27T23:54:00.000-04:00

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a Scottish author most noted for his detective series about the character Sherlock Holmes. He also did works in science fiction and historical books. He was born on May 22nd, 1859 in Edinburgh, Scotland. He attended a Catholic grammar and high school and then went on to attend Stonyhurst college. Doyle rejected Christianity and became an agnostic. He studied medicine at the University of Edinburgh, and then served as a ship's doctor before setting up his own practice. The practice was not very successful, and while waiting for patients began to write stories. He married twice and fathered five children between the two. Arthur Conan Doyle was knighted in 1902, probably for a booklet justifying the Boer Wars in South Africa. The Sherlock Holmes stories were his most famous, but Conan Doyle did not want to write about the character so that he could focus on historical books. He killed the character, but a public backlash forced him to bring back the character. In 1909 he particpated in the Congo Free State movement and found inspiration for two of his characters in The Lost World, published in 1912. After the death of his wife and son Conan Doyle became involved in Spiritulism as it seemed to prove life after death. This new belief affected his writing as Russia banned a short stories novel of Sherlock Holmes for possible occultism. He became friends with Harry Houdini for a time. Houdini was also involved in Spiritualism. Conan Doyle also was possibly involved in the counterfeit hominid fossil, which fooled scientists for 40 years. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle died in 1930 in his family garden of a heart attack at the age of 71. Sir Arther Conan Doyle published 9 Sherlock Holmes books, 5 Challenger books, and over 20 historical books. I picked Sir Arthur Conan Doyle because I enjoyed the tv show of The Lost World.

James Joyce

2007-09-27T22:58:00.000-04:00

James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was born Groundhog day, 1887 om Dublin, Ireland. He was the oldest of 10 surving children and was attacked by a dog when he was young, resulting in him fearing dogs for the rest of his life as well as a fear of thunder storms. In 1891 Joyce wrote a poem "Et Tu Healy" on the death of Charles Steward Parnell and his thoughts on Irish home rule. He would enroll in the University College Dublin in 1898 and studied the mondern languages. Joyce's first published work was a review of Ibsen's "New Drama" which so pleased the writer he recieved a letter of thanks.

After graduating he went to Paris before returning home to his mother dying of cancer. After her death he drank and his living conditions grew worse--his only income coming from book reviews, teaching, and singing (he was an accomplished tenor). In 1904 he tried to publish A Portrait of the Artist but it was rejected. In the same year, he met a young woman that would eventually become his wife, Nora Barnacle.

After a scuffle, Joyce and Nora went into self imposed exile, moving to Zurich where after much confusion, found a teaching position in Pula. He would move back to Trieste when the Austrians expelled all aliens, before moving to Rome, then back to Trieste in early 1907 w/ his daughter being born the same year, Lucia. She may have suffered from schizophrenia and there may have been incest--a common theme in his works (Finnegans Wake, Portriat of the Artist as a Young Man, Ulysses). He would flee the Nazi occupation of France 11 January 1941 while working on Finnegans Wake, only to die 2 days after he fled. He is buried w/ in earshot of the lions of the Zurich zoo.

James Joyce's crowning work, Ulysses, was seen as the key to post modernistic work in England and around the world with is stream of consciousness writing, parody, and in jokes even though it was banned in the US until 1933 for obscenity. I picked him because I had read A Portrait of a Young Man... in High School and hope to read Ulysses...when I have time.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Joyce

Francis William Aston

2007-09-27T20:41:00.001-04:00

Francis William Aston was born in September 1877 in Birmingham, England.. While he was at college of Birmingham University in 1903, he discovered the Aston Dark Space, leading to an assistant position with Sir JJ Thomson. Here he got proof that there are two isotopes of the neon gas. After the war he began research again at Cavendish Laboratory in 1919. Here he invented the mass spectrometer in 1919. With this device, he can see the differences in mass of two isotopes to show that they are isotopes. He was able to identify over 212 naturally occurring isotopes, some of which where chlorine with 35 an 37, bromine 79 and 78, krypton with 78, 80, 82, 83, 84 and 86.
I chose this person because he survived a plane crash in 1914. I believe that this discovery is important because people can create better drugs for each isotope, depending on the element, can either kill you or cure you.

http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/chemistry/laureates/1922/aston-bio.html

Frederick Soddy

2007-09-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

Born and schooled in Eastbourne England, Soddy became a well known radiochemist who's discoveries led to what we know today. In 1900 he worked at McGill University in Quebec, Canada. In collaboration with Ernest Rutherford, the two found in their research that radioactive elements decayed and turned into other elements while giving off radiation in the process.

From 1904 to 1914 he spoke at the University of Glasgow about the idea that a radioactive element could have more than one atomic mass. He named the concept isotope. In addition he proved that an atom's atomic number moves a specific amount when decaying.

Soddy won the Nobel Prize in 1921 for his work on radioactive decay and his isotope theory. Also, his book Wealth, Virtual Wealth and Debt published in 1926 displayed his interest in social movements occuring during his time, such as Technocracy and social credit movements.

I chose Soddy because of his important discoveries which are the basis for things we know today and he was involved in social movements while doing it. His research was a big scientific advancement and his book/social movement interest both led to big cultural contributions.

[source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Soddy]

C. B. Fry

2007-09-27T18:42:00.000-04:00

Charles Burgess Fry was born in 1872 and went on to be a very talented sportsman as well as a teacher and even a publisher. He played Cricket, Football (soccer), Rugby and did some track and field as well. He played for Hampshire until 1921 and when he retired in 1921, he did so with the second highest average, falling short to former teammate Ranjitsinhji, scoring 10,000 runs. John Arlott, an author, regards him "as the most variously gifted Englishman of any age." What makes C. B. Fry special compared to other athletes of today and yesterday, is that he played because he wanted to play. Playing four sports, doing well in all of them, is relatively unheard of. He also was very smart; after his sports career he went on to edit speeches for politicians. He even took up teaching at both the Charterhouse, a public school, and the Training Ship mercury, a training facility for the Royal Navy. He gave so much more than is commonly seen from athletes and for doing so, he was looked up to by his and the generations that followed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:CB-Fry-.jpg

3rd Assignment: Virginia Woolf

2007-09-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Woolf

Virginia Woolf was born Adeline Virginia Stephen in London on January 25th 1882 and died on March 28th 1941. Virginia grew up with several brothers and sisters due to her parent’s former marriages. She was taught to read and write by her mother and by her father (who was an editor and critic which undoubtedly exposed Virginia to the Victorian literary society), but mainly, Virginia taught herself due to her mother’s death in 1895 and her father’s in 1904. Virginia Woolf wrote much of her greatest works during the 1920’s which included the novels Mrs Dalloway in 1925, To the Lighthouse in 1927, Orlando in 1928, and the essay entitled A Room of One's Own in 1929, which was nearly as long as her other novels and included its famous dictum, "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction" (http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/v/virginia_woolf.html). Having grown up in a society where women’s right were a fairly large issue, Woolf wrote in a new modern style, of which she used her feministic views, which made her one of the earliest and greatest Twentieth Century female writers. I chose this person because I enjoy her writings from time to time, and like all writers, their words can either inspire and interest you, or confuse the hell out of you, and in my case, I have to say that her novels tend to uphold modern day considerations for equality, as well as an ethical approach to a woman's role in society (not as extreme as Chopin's view on Feminism, but still has a similar view and moral fiber that is to follow one of her works). Her contribution to Britain’s society was a greater approach to the use of satire, making her a major lyrical novelist in the English language, bringing to light new and modern ideas. Due to Virginia Woolf’s contribution to British society, I chose to write about her in remembrance of a time where modernism was in overdrive and a time where the written word was a way to escape from a society of strait collars and fast paced labor, in which one depended upon to satisfy the lives of their family.

Howard Carter and King Tut!!

2007-09-27T15:59:00.001-04:00

Howard Carter spent most of his life studying the ancient Egyptian pharoh's, doing archeological digs at the pyramids in Egypt. In the early 1900s, he discovered there was a pharoh whose existence was unknown, King Tutankhamen. With funding from Lord Carnarvon, an amateur archeologist and enthusiast, Carter began his search for the tomb of King Tut. In 1922, after many years of searching and threats by Lord Carnavon to pull funding from the project, Carter finally discovered King Tutankhamen's tomb, the best-preserved tomb in the Valley of Kings. In early 1923, Carter opened the doors to the burial chamber of King Tut. After his discovery, he retired from archaeology, although he did have a series of lectures in New York in 1924.

I chose Howard Carter because, honestly, what could be cooler than discovering King Tut's tomb? His finding is still a pop culture item to this day, not only in Britain but worldwide. King Tut is the subject of numerous films and stories, not to mention the vastly popular traveling museum exhibits. Discoveries like that of King Tut's tomb also vastly expanded both understanding of and curiosity about ancient cultures, not only in the academic world but in popular society.

http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/carter.htm

2nd Assignment: From Maxim to Vickers

2007-09-27T15:20:00.000-04:00

In 1912 the Britished adopted a new kind of machine gun to replace the aging Maxim machine gun, which was created in the year 1885, and as the American Army after the Civil War can relate, it was crucial to update weaponry and stay ahead of the game so that you gain the upper hand in battle. This new weapon was created by Maxim Nordenfelt Guns and Ammunition Company, the same company that brought Britain the Maxim. Named The Vickers, it was a new machine gun that was lighter, shorter, less bulky, and above all, a more user-friendly machine gun for the individual soldier. Introduced on November 26th, 1912, the Vickers was a much better machine gun than the Maxim, but there shortages of the weapon early into the Great War. I chose this contribution (which would later turn out in good standing with the British Army as its primary weapon until it was inevitably replaced by something better and more user-friendly) because it is interesting to think what might have happened differently in the early stages of the Great War if the Vickers had been issued more, or even better, issued to every fighting Britain or ally of Britain. Would anything have changed? Would the war have ended any differently? I think so based upon the past and the development of new technologies and their impact on several cultures such as the impact of steel tools and iron muskets on the Native American Indians. With any type of new and better technology, there is always someone trying to either steal it, or to improve upon it, in which the other side would have the superiority on the battlefield.

Edmund Blunden

2007-09-27T12:39:00.000-04:00

Edmund Blunden was a war poet that lived from 1896 to 1974. He was an Officer in the war, leaving his job as a school teacher to serve in the war. He later writes a book with his own tales from the war. The way that he is involved with the culture in this time is his poetry. He was a war poet that wrote poets from the war; some of them were satires while others were more straight foward. He was also good friends with another war poet by the name of Siegfried Sassoon. It could be assumed that they often worked together and and had the common intrest of war poetry. There was a differentce between his poems and the poem of other war poets, which was that his were less graphic and had more southing tones. Later in his life he starts to teach again and is invited to teach in Tokyo.

Aldous Huxley

2007-09-26T17:00:00.000-04:00

Aldous Huxley was an author most known for his novels which often examined and criticized social norms and values. His first novel, Crome Yellow, attacks Victorian and Edwardian social principles that led to World War I. Huxley visited the United States from September 1925 to June 1926. He was disgusted by the commercialism and the selfishness he saw and became very pessimistic about the future of culture, and wrote about it in Jesting Pilate in 1926. In 1928 he wrote Point Counter Point, a "novel of ideas." His most famous novel was A Brave New World, which was published in 1932. The novel is about an anti-Utopian world in which family, culture, science and religion have been eliminated, but so have war and poverty. People are created in a lab and conditioned to participate in a certain caste (none of them perceived to be better or worse than the others). Sex is only a social activity and everyone regularly takes a hallucinogenic drug called Soma. Huxley wrote all this with his trip to America in mind. In 1958 Huxley would write A Brave New World Revisited in which he examined whether society had moved closer to or further away from the society in the novel. He concluded that it had moved toward this society faster than he had expected. Also, in 1954 Aldous Huxley wrote The Doors of Perception, which is where the band The Doors got their name, and was a cult text for the 60s.
I chose Aldous Huxley because his novel A Brave New World causes people to question where society is headed and watch out for any transition to an anti-Utopian world. The novel helped form the anti-Utopian genre in literature and film, such as the recent movie The Island.

Walter Sickert, English Impressionist Painter

2007-09-24T20:46:00.000-04:00

Walter Sickert was an English impressionist painter during the turn of the century in England. He came from an artistic background, in which his father and grandfather were both painters. Walter tried his talents with the theatre before turning to the canvas. He went to Paris where he studied under Edgar Degas. He developed his own version of impressionist painting while studying under Degas. In his work he used many dark and shadowy colors. The theme in his work was often of broken or confused communication between the characters on his canvas. He also often painted people in situations that placed them somewhere on the border between poverty and wealth. He was a well respected teacher at the Westminster School of Art from 1908 to 1912 and again from 1915 to 1918. Walter Sickert had a definite influence on the British 20th century avant-garde style of art.

Sickert had a rather unusual interest in the Jack the Ripper slayings, so much so that after staying in a room that he believed Jack the Ripper had once lodged in he painted the entire room and titled it “Jack the Rippers bedroom.” Later some believed that he may have been an accomplice to the Ripper murders. One theorist even suggested that Sickert was Jack the Ripper.

I chose Sickert because I enjoy impressionist art and because of the unique tie in to Jack the Ripper from our class discussions.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9a/Sickert.jpg/180px-Sickert.jpg

Alfred Hitchcock (Film Director)

2007-09-23T08:45:00.000-04:00

Known throughout the world for his films, Sir Alfred Hitchcock was one of the most prolific writer/producers/directors of the 20th century. With a career spanning from the 1920’s to the 1970’s, Hitchcock is mainly recognized for his talents as a film director. The 1920’s began Hitchcock’s early directorial attempts in 12 different movies such as:

The Pleasure Garden (1925)
The Lodger (1927)
The Farmers Wife (1928)
Blackmail (1929)

Knighted in 1979, Sir Alfred Hitchcock is considered to be one of the most influential directors of modern day cinema with 5 being listed on the American Film Institutes list of 100 Classic films over the last 100 years. His style of movie making captured the essence of the characters thoughts and viewpoints through use of single camera room pans and specific camera angles that make the viewer feel as they are in the scene themselves (ex. Rear Window), seeing what thecharacters are seeing. His movies were filled with murder, suspense and intrigue allowing the viewer a form of both escapism and entertainment that is often imitated, but will never be duplicated in the cinema world again…

Image: http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f98/dedoe188/alfred.jpg

Sir Alexander Flemining (The Penicillin)

2007-09-22T23:43:00.000-04:00

Unlike sportsfigure man or actor, Sir Alexander Fleming was not a jet setter in his generation; however, he surely was a famous cultural figure among many medical professions that lived and worked between 1919 and 1929. He was born on Aug 6th, 1881. He received his education at St. Mary's Medical School, London University. People often refer his work as a miracle cure. In 1922, he discovered the enzyme lysozym. In 1928, he isolated the antibiotic substance penicillin from fungus, for which he received a Nobel Prize in 1945. In 1943, he was honored as the follower of the Royal Society. In 1944, he was knighted by King George VI. His work was considered as the starting point of the modern antibiotics researches and developments. The discovery of penicillin was ranked as one of the most important discovery for the last 2000 years. Some estimated that his research has saved near 200 million lives.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Fleming

Third Assignment

2007-09-22T09:44:00.000-04:00

Assignment is due on Friday, September 28th, by 5 pm.

Okay, here is a real think piece, perhaps something that will take a while to think about before you post. There is no right or wrong answer here, but it is something to think about.

Between 1919 and 1929, Britain underwent a cultural change, much as the rest of the world faced similar challenges and changes in the aftermath of the First World War. It was a growth of a new society, with new rules and new problems, one in which the lessons from the past did not always agree or make sense. In your answer I want you to find a famous cultural figure that lived and worked between the years above. This person could be an author, actor, writer, sportsfigure, etc. but no politicians, businessmen, or military figures. Describe why you chose this person, what their cultural contribution was, and why their cultural contribution made you select them for this assignment.

Mark I Battle Tank

2007-09-14T21:32:00.000-04:00

Everybody now a days knows what a tank is but the history behind them is quite interesting. They were invented by the british in 1915 as part of the british navy. First know as "landships" these vehicles were used to train tank personel and carry water. Once their potential was discoved they were put in battle and preformed remarkably. The first british tank to see battle was a Mark I in the battle of Flers-Courcellette. These machines of war had some mixed opinions at first with a high break down rate, a slow speed (13.4 km/h at the fastest) , and just crude design. Modern day battle tanks such as the US M1A1 Abrams or the British Challenger II main battle tank may seem a far leep from the Mark I of WWI but this is where it all started.

The Electric Washing Machine

2007-09-14T11:36:00.001-04:00

In 1906 the first electric washing machine was introduced. Incorrectly credited to Alva John Fisher from the Hurly Corporation no one really knows for sure who invented it. Up until that point clothes were either washed by hand or by a hand turned crank model. The new electric washer reduced physical labor for the everyday person, it gave more free time to get other things done.
The electric washing machine is important because it marks the beginning of a less laborious days work for women in general. Between the washing machine, the electric refrigerator and a baking light there are hours being cut out of the day that can be devoted to other activities. Women now have the chance to be more involved in other things besides household chores, such as local festivities, books, and government.

Electron tube

2007-09-14T09:41:00.000-04:00

Sir John Ambrose Fleming was an electrical engineer who created the first Electron Tube. There are a few different names for this device. It is also called the thermionic valve, vacuum diode, kenotron, thermionic tube, and the Fleming Valve. It was patented by Fleming in 1904 and it was used for radios. It was the first electronic rectifier of radio waves.
This device is obviously important since it helped in the creation of things like the telephone and radio. This device allowed people to start communicating in new ways and it allowed people to receive information faster. It was also good for entertainment purposes. He also was the creator of handcuffs.

Nuclear Structure of the Atom

2007-09-13T23:51:00.000-04:00

Ernest Rutherford was responsible for several of greatest scientific advancements of the early 20^th century. Though he was born and educated in New Zealand. Rutherford was awarded a scholarship to Cambridge University, where he became the first graduate student at Cavendish Laboratory. It was here at Cambridge that Rutherford would make his discoveries.

While experimenting with Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Rays (names devised by Rutherford himself), he noticed that “when alpha particles are fired into gas atoms, a few are violently deflected, which implies a dense, positively charged central region containing most of the atomic mass.” This lead to Rutherford’s postulation of the nuclear structure of the atom, and advancement upon which scientists are still building in the field of Nuclear Physics.

http://scienceworld.wolfram.com/biography/Rutherford.html
http://www.jlab.org/news/releases/2004/04atom.html

Yeomen Wheat

2007-09-13T22:24:00.000-04:00

While we may take our bread for granted, food supply has always been subject to diseases and poor conditions destroying crops and creating famines. Rowland Biffen, using the genetics principles initially discovered by Mendel and rediscovered by Bateson, attacked the big problem of low wheat crop fields plagued with cereal rust, a major crop destroyer of the time.

In 1910, after a great deal of research on variation and hybridization, Biffen discovered that a recessive gene was responsible for cereal rust; using this, he created Yeomen wheat. Through his practice of hybridization, Yeomen wheat was rust resistant, thus increasing crop yields, and paving the way for future genetic engineering.

I picked Yeomen wheat because Rowland Biffen is so rarely noted for his contribution to society, despite being the pioneer in a field of work that is so important in modern agriculture.

http://www.jic.ac.uk/corporate/Whats-on/named-lectures/biffin.htm

Ivel Agricultural Motor

2007-09-13T22:09:00.000-04:00

Farmers in the ancient ages use hand-held tools when tilling the land. This caused them to cultivate minimal land areas, and later resulted to minimal food production. Later on, they have learned how to utilize animals such as horses and cows for farm work. This escalated the production rate, but not enough to supply a growing number of people demanding for food. Towards the end of the 19th century, various inventors and engineers created engine-powered industrial mechanisms in order to address these needs.
One of the innovations during those days was the creation of internal combustion engines, which uses petrol.
However, one of the problems of “these engines is the fact that they are too heavy at 8600 Kg. or 8.5 tons.” (Page, 2003) In 1902, a British inventor Dan Albone addressed this disadvantage when he completed the Ivel Agricultural Motor—a lightweight general purpose agricultural vehicle. With an objective to provide an agricultural tractor that would make a farmer’s task in tilling the land and transporting products from one point to another easier, Albone developed his tractor made up of one front rubber wheel and two large rear wheels like what a modern tractor has.
“The name “Ivel” came from a river that runs through his hometown in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.” (Page, 2003)
Indeed, Albone’s invention revolutionized the world of engineering and agricultural machineries for its accuracy and usability. In fact, it received 31 gold and silver medals at agricultural shows in and out of Britain. This 20th century innovation in the field of agriculture is of great importance since it helped in shifting the number of food production with lesser manpower—a truly win-win situation.
Whether a society is modern or not, agriculture plays a very important and inevitable role, since this industry provides one of the most basic needs of man: Food.

Note: Picture has been taken from Wikipedia.

The HMS Dreadnought

2007-09-13T21:06:00.000-04:00

The first battleship of its class, the HMS Dreadnought was a revolutionary design. Carrying ten 12-inch guns as her main armament and twenty seven 3-inch guns as her secondary, the ship was unmatched. It also held a steam turbine propulsion system which allowed it to go a max speed of 21 knots. Such a propulsion system was never before seen in a large warship and allowed the Dreadnought to travel several knots faster than other large battleships. The construction of the ship only took 4 months to launch, and a year to complete. A feat which demonstrated Britain's industrial strength to the world.

Completed in October 1906, the Dreadnought had no challengers on the sea. Such a ship was seen as an icon of power, which started an arms race for other nations to build their own dreadnoughts to catch up. Handcuffs.

[source: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/uk/uksh-d/drednt9.htm]